Sammy at 14

I have written more often about the younger kids but that isn’t because I am any less proud of my big boys. I think now that they are nearly grown I worry about telling their story for them. Maybe I will interpret the happenings of their lives wrong and also I know that the most important things that are happening in their lives are things That happen when I’m not around right now. As such, this is not comprehensive, just some things I want to remember about my dear Sammy right now.

Sammy is growing so fast! He looks like a man. He has had longish hair most of the time for middle school and he spends a lot of time making it look just right every day. Last year we drove Addie and Alex to school every day and it made me laugh to hear Sammy and Addie tease back and forth about his beautiful hair.

Sammy is a very sweet big brother. He has been teaching piano lessons to the girls most of the year and has been so patient and a great teacher. Max taught them for a few of months before and he was amazing at it too. Both boys have really gotten too busy to keep up with it now. Sammy loves the baby and is great at playing with him and taking care of him. Esther was reading her baptism book the other night and when she read the sweet note that Sammy wrote to her, her eyes filled up with tears. 

Sammy has really enjoyed his activities! He was the fastest kid at Lowell Scott in cross country this fall but he felt much more proud about wrestling which he tried for the first time and just rocked. He wrestled varsity and got third place at state! Wow! My favorite moment of the season was when he was up against his second cousin Canyon (Angela’s son). Sammy pinned him and then pulled him up and they gave each other a big hug. He plays the piano every night for an hour or more and plays so beautifully! He has an artists touch.

Sam loves his friends. Every day after school or track practice lately, they go to Albertsons and buy treats. Sam loves Albertsons! He has a fun friend group. The kids that came to his birthday party last week were Logan (his bestie and a great kid) Dillon, Kainalu, Kaimana, Natalie, Jaylyn, Eli Breckon, Ben, Alex Hansen. They were all so sweet to Sams little siblings and to me. I loved hearing them laugh their heads off all night and especially the way they went down to the basement and immediately started playing with the store. They look like grownups but they aren’t grownups quite yet. 

Sammy pushes our boundaries. He wants to get his ears pierced 🤦‍♀️ he hacked his phone’s controls to get Snapchat (he is still pretty upset with me for taking it away), and won’t let me hug him (actually he has been letting me hug him sometimes and saying he loves me lately and it is the best!) But he is also such a good boy. He participates in family scripture study every day and makes great insightful comments. He loves his siblings and plays with them and is so kind to them. He is a hard worker and a big helper. I know he loves me. He doesn’t show it with hugs but he shows it in lots of other ways and I appreciate that very much.

Sammy and Phoebe are hilarious frenemies. They love to argue back and forth but it’s all for show. It’s clear how much they both love and value each other even though they do occasionally go too far with their ribbing. Sammy’s sibling friendship with Phoebe has made her very tough and self sufficient. Her admiration has been good for Sammy too.

While Dome and Gianna were here Sammy really took advantage of the opportunity to spend time and get to know them,  especially Gianna. I loved the way they were able to understand each other speaking in English and Spanish and it was fun to see how much they could relate to each other.

Last Summer Sammy took on a huge helpful role with caring for baby Alfie. He laid him down for naps often and could sooth him when he was sad. I completely trusted him to babysit and he helped me a lot with that.

Sammy adores his grandparents! He is vocal about his admiration for them and it means so much to both of them!

I think this summer and the start of high school are going to be a wonderful time for Sammy! I am so proud of this boy! He is so competent and he is so kind!