Our Blessings Abound

Our Baby Sam, Sambo, Sammy, Sammers, Samuel was given a name and blessing by his dad in Sacrament Meeting on Sunday November 1st in the Eden First Ward.  We were so blessed to have lots of family there to support and participate.  Standing in the circle with Dad (Gregg) were Grandpas Elwood and Blanchard, Great-Grandpas Thornley and Elwood, and Uncles Scott, Bret and Terrell.

After church we came home to a feast of baked potato bar (both russet and sweet potatoes loaded with all the fixin's: chili, broccoli cheese sauce, sour cream, green onions, bacon, cubed ham, cheese, olives, tomatoes, hard boiled eggs, and, of course, salt and pepper) plus rolls with delicious homemade strawberry-blueberry jam, as well as tasty sausage bites (recipe coming soon).  The dessert table was loaded with brownies, pumpkin cake, chocolate trifle, snickerdoodles, chocolate chip cookies and sopapillas.  Holey moley!  What a spread!  And what a fun day spent together with some of our favorite people celebrating our new favorite little guy.

"The Elwoods"
(Mugs, Heather, Terrell, Grandma and Grandpa Thornley,
Gregg, Callie, Kim, Sam, Richard, Peggy, Kylie,
Grandpa and Grandma Elwood)

Our little family of four in our Sunday best.

"The Blanchards"
(Kage, Heather, Scott, Kim, Cohen, Dray, Paul, Kim, Sam,
Gregg, Callie, Bret, Melia, Laurel)

Me and my boy.
(Doesn't he look dapper?)

A rather crowded kid table.  Someday Sam will join that
rowdy bunch, but on this day he was snoozing through dinner.

Auntie Ky and Meg playing with the
nieces and nephews from the other side
of the family - family has no boundaries,
right?

Post-dinner visiting in the great room.  It was super nice to have
so much space for everyone to spread out, yet all be together, too.

Poor Scott just wanted a nap . . . 

I think Grandma and Grandpa B are
pretty smitten with their Grandson #4.

And Kage and Dray are smitten, too.
(I loved how any time they came back into
the room where Sam was, they had to track
him down and check on him before getting
back to playing.)

Grandma and Bret getting acquainted.
(And please note the lovely TV fireplace - it added quite a nice
ambiance, actually.)

Some deep brother-sister conversations over in the corner.

More Sam lovin'.

The Blanchards with 3/4 of their 8 grandkiddos.
(Katie and Elisabeth live in Virginia and were not present for
this party.)

More Sam lovin' by his great-grandparents.

Vest, tie, pocket square.  So stinkin' handsome!
(My friend Sariah picked out this outfit and
gave it to me on the Wednesday before
Sam was blessed - talk about perfect timing!
I didn't know what to dress him in for his special
day, but her thoughtful gift was perfection.)

I hate that this photo is blurry and kind of yellow, but I love the
look he's giving my grandma.

Callie was in heaven having so many doting
aunts, uncles and grandparents at "your house
for a PARTY!  What?!"

A little double four generation action.
How lucky am I to still have both sets of grandparents
around to celebrate milestones like this with?

Four generations of Thornleys.

Four generations of Elwoods.

Sam was mad, but I had to get a pic with his namesakes:
all the Deans in one shot (Great-Grandpa Dean,
Grandpa Richard Dean and Baby Samuel Dean).

The Elwood Grandparents love their little grandson, too.