My wife has been doing an awesome job at updating our Blog and posting pictures! I know you all read this because of her anyway! :) But I have been wanting to post something for a while… I do enjoy reading what she puts up here. She does it perfectly! Anyway, here it goes… a post from a possibly boring programmer!

Hi… my name is Sam… I am Leslie's husband. :) As you all know she is a very special person and is DEFINITELY the best thing that has ever happened to me. She makes married life wonderful! The more time goes by the more and more I am so glad God put us together and that had the guts to ask her to marry me and that she said yes!

As you know this last week she spent in OK which I am very glad she got to do that. Well… I found out just how important she is to me and how much I needed her! By the end of the week I was so warn out and exhausted! My spirits over all were down… you feel yourself getting grumpy because you're just worn out! There is just something about coming home everyday to a woman… she just has a beauty about her… she is refreshing… kind of like taking a walk on the beach during a sunset… you know beautiful and relaxing... and I went without her for a whole week! God new what he was doing when he said us men needed a companion. But again I am glad she got to go up. She deserved it for sure! I also got some needed work done and I ended up reviving the old Age of Empires hobby! Needless to say by the end of the week I was pooped and was missing her.

Speaking of my wife… I think she is the only reason I am getting through life with the way things are at work. We just recently lost a couple of guys so the pressure, responsibility and the work load as increased for everybody and some of us have had to take on more roles. Things are a little overwhelming right now and we're are not sure what the Lord is doing right now with Blepo. Fortunately I have been able to come home pretty close to five every evening. Jeremy is working his tail off making everything come together and trying to lead the company. He has definitely been sacrificing.

Can you all imagine us being a Daddy and Mommy! :) Exciting stuff! I am ready to find out what it is going to be! We’ve been talking about names lately and I think it would be fun to be able to call it by name! I have already been talking to it a little bit and I hate having to refer to "it"!!

Rock on everybody! We all are leaning about life together!

Well, last week I had a wonderful time out on my families 105 acres in the country land of Guthrie, OK! I slept a lot, went on some refreshing walks to my fav. places on the property, swam several times in the "freezing" summer water of our pool, *laughter* and spent some good quality time with my wonderful friends!!! It was indeed a perfect break from our rat house (I don't think I have even talked about that on here yet) and just Texas itself I think! *grin* No offense to you Texas lovers once again I just need some time to adjust to your...lonely...I mean lone star state! :D LOL

Standing on the heater in the pool with my hot chocolate! I only did this the FIRST time we went swimming! The next two times I DID get in all the way and swim! :D

Then I went to Julie's house for a couple hours to catch up with her. When I got home that night Rachel Smoot came over for dinner, horse rides with my sister Katie and a swim! We did play a very long game of Apples to Apples afterwards too! :D Tons of fun!

I spent dinner and the evening at my friend Robin and Katie Burk's house! We kinda celebrated Robin's high school grad. since I can't come to her actual party. About 8:30 I headed for my home in TX and got there about 11:45ish! :D It was nice to be home!

Though Saturday and Sunday I was sick again of all days to get all sick just getting back! This baby sickness is strange to me! I have a week and half where I feel pretty great! No throwing up, I can eat good and then BANG it hits again for a couple of days! lol Well, all I know is I am certainly ready to for this burst of energy that is supposed to hit me around the 3rd month and keep me going for some months to come! LOL Everyone tells me it'll happen and me personally really do pray that is does happen!

Well, I am home again after a wonderful 5 days in OK! I have so much to write about and pictures to post but today I am having a "feel good pregnancy day" and I am trying to take advantage of that since I was sick Sat. and Sun all day. Unpacking, cleaning, laundry etc.!

I'll post again soon this week hopefully! Samuel is such a wonderful husband to have let me take a relaxing break in the country but to be without me the whole time! I missed him so though and 'tis good to be HOME again! So fun, different...wonderful to say that! My home! :) Thank you Lord for my family! :) This week is baby week #12!!!!!!!! I'll be three months along exactly on August 2nd!! :D Makes me smile thinking about it!

Well I am sure that actually there will be very few people that don’t know about this news already! LOL But yes there is going to be a new addition to the Sam Shepherd in February! Yes, we are ecstatic with excitement!! You have no idea how hard it was to wait this long to tell the news! We held off telling family for three whole weeks after we found out which in my opinion was a SUPER DUPER long time! :D The responses we got from our families made it all worth it though! LOL It was wonderful! I don’t think I’ve ever seen my Dad and Mom be so grinny and my younger siblings (especially Katie, the one right under me) were going through the roof wanting to know when they could tell everyone in the whole world! :D

I am 10 weeks along this week and just humping over the hill of the sickness stage I feel like. I am praying it is soon behind me! My first trimester will already be over in a couple weeks though and my Mom thinks it will be over after that for sure. I do so hope she is right! :D I’m just tired all the time. Exhausted to say the least! I don’t mind that part it just seems like I never get anything done!

So, with much excitement, anticipation and some fear of course, off we go on the road of adventure to parenthood! The Daddy and Mommy road! LOL Crazy and exciting indeed! Of course me well I am just already ready for February to get and the baby to just be here!

Pray for me…pray for us both!! We certainly need it!

Last weekend Sam and went back up to Oklahoma for the weekend. Mainly because of the "big" event that happened on Saturday! Yes, Grandpa Shepherd got remarried after having lost two previous wives to death. At the age of 90 years old he still has a heart bursting with love I guess you could say! :) I think He and Mary make a fine and adorable couple. :)

Be praying for them though. That afternoon Mary fell in a restaurant and broke her hip! Ending them up in the hospital with her having to have surgery and their Colorado honeymoon trip with her family not getting to happen.

They just had a very small wedding in Bethany in the small front yard of an old house!

Even the news camera was there to tape it all! It was on the Sunday evening news!

Here comes the bride...

Saying their vows and exchanging rings! :)

...The Kiss...

• That life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end the faster it goes.

• That we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for.

• THAT IS IS BEST TO GIVE ADVICE ONLY WHEN IT IS REQUESTED OR IT'S A LIFE THREATENING SITUATION.

• That it is small daily happenings that make life so spectacular.

• That under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be loved and appreciated.

• That when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

• That love, not time, heals all wounds.

• That everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile.

• THAT NO ONE ANYWHERE HAS IT ALL TOGETHER AND IS PERFECT!

• That one should keep his words both soft and tender because tomorrow you may have to eat them.

• That a smile is an inexpensive way to drastically improve your looks.

• THAT WHEN YOU HARBOR BITTERNESS AND HURT, HAPPINESS AND PEACE WILL DOCK ELSEWHERE!

• That the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done.

• That the Lord didn't do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?

• THAT I CAN'T CHOOSE HOW I FEEL, BUT I CAN CHOOSE WHAT I DO ABOUT IT!

• That everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth accurs while you're climbing it!!!

This is a picture of our hotel from where we sat!

AWESOME FIREWORKS!!!

Oh Sunday after church we went with the church we are visited with out to Burger's Lake for the afternoon of fun swimming, talking and of course lots and lots of eating! It was a wonderful time and we got to meet so many wonderful people! (Especially during the many games of cards! lol)I think we both missed going to the lake, me more than Sam of course! But we are starting our own new traditions I guess and we will still get to go to the lake with fam I am sure sometimes! :)