This was the best pic we could get of Evan today.  Sam was so excited to be going to the mall to go trick or treating, he was literally bouncing off the walls (and us) while we tried to take the picture of Evan.

Just to put a little perspective in what/where you can put your retirement savings with the volatile markets were in right now.  If you had put a $1000 in the following companies 1 year ago, here is what you have today:

Fannie Mae: $20.82
Freddie Mac: $21.23
AIG: $90.18

If you took that same $1000 and used all the money to buy beer you would have about $215 worth of cans to recycle.  More proof that red necks will survive just about any crisis.

Thanks again to everyone who came down for Evan's birthday.  I posted most of the good pictures we got from the on Flickr – MyGeekDaddy Flickr.  Holly and I plan to get prints of pictures over the last year done between now and Christmas.  If you have a specific request from all the pics you've seen, drop us a note and we'll add it to the list. 

Sam had his tube surgery this morning and it's been a huge change – again!  Sam went in around 8:15am and we finally got to see him in recovery about a 1/2 hour later.  He was a little groggy, but happy to see us.  His first complete sentence after we saw him was, 'Mommy guess what, I hear more better now!'  Just like the first time he got tubes, his attention to directions is better and he doesn't look at us as if Holly and I are practicing pig Latin all the time. 

It's a big day in our house tomorrow.  Tomorrow we get our old Sam back… the one that can hear!  Sam is going in to get tubes put back into his ears for the 2nd time (and not a moment too soon for me).  Over the past several weeks, Sam's hearing has been getting worse due to a gradual build up of fluid in his ears.  He's now got to the point he's saying, 'What?', like an old man.  If the transformation in his hearing is anything like the first time he got tubes, Holly and I will be very happy.  We're getting a little tired of having the volume on the TV and the radio set to 8.5, when a normal person is happy with 4. 

My editor (Holly) is not always up to speed with my blog posts.  So tonight you should see a few corrections made to my previous late night ramblings, courtesy of her always welcomed suggestions and input.  Thanks again honey for pointing out my mistakes. 

_{(noted with just a little sarcasm)}