Each Saturday morning Samantha and Matthew head down to a neighbor’s house to pick up dog poo and mow the lawn. I was still in bed trying to get a little more sleep but listening to them getting ready. Usually when Sam is going outside, like to the mailbox or something, she’ll take Leah with her. But Leah can’t go with them to mow the lawn!

So Leah, who turned 2 in March, comes in and tells me, “Sam…not…shoes….me.” She was very upset. I said, “I know, baby, you can’t go with her this time.”

She stormed out of my room and I could hear her “getting after” Samantha for not letting her go. It was so funny. I love listening to Leah talk. Her language is very clear and purposeful. She pauses a lot in between her words and that does make it easier to understand her. I told her last night that if I had known how much joy she’d be bringing to my life, I would have named her Joy!