Last night Steve was putting Addy to bed at my parent's house but she had left her blankie downstairs. He sent her to go get it while he waited upstairs for her. After a little while he was still waiting for her so he went looking for her. He found her jumping on the trampoline, lol. There are a lot more distractions here than at home. At home we can send her downstairs to get something & she'll come right back up. 

Missionaries

My little brother, Damon, comes home from his mission in Vine Del Mar, Chile next week and I'm so excited! We're traveling to Colorado Springs to see him & visit my parents & other siblings. I'm so grateful for his example & his testimony of the gospel.  The letters he emailed each week were inspiring. 

My nephew, Forrest, just traveled to Mozambique, Africa for his mission a few days ago and we just got an email saying that he arrived safely. I'm grateful for the example he is also. My sister Amy forwards us his emails every week & Steve & I have enjoyed reading them. 

I am touched by Damon's & Forrest's testimonies and their letters. I wish I could be doing what they are doing. I hope Steve & I get to go on a mission together some day. 

I just remember how emotional it was to pick up my other two brothers at the airport when they got home from their missions many years ago - my whole family was together, which doesn't happen often since there are 8 kids, and we each held a helium balloon waiting eagerly at the gate to see them in their suit & name tag. Our crowd & balloons definitely attracted attention. Even though everyone can't make it to the airport this time, it looks like all my siblings & their families will be in CO next week. It has been a really long time since we've all been together. I think there's about 30 of us, counting grandkids. Maybe the only one missing will be Forrest.  

Can't wait for this busy week ahead! Poor Addy can't tell time yet so she's been impatiently waiting to go to CO! Maybe next time we go out of town or have visitors visit us we'll wait until the day before to tell her about it :)  It's fun to see her get excited about it but she has asked almost every day for a month if 'today we're going to CO'. It has probably felt like forever for her. So tomorrow is finally the day!

Summer

Lexi started walking on Father's Day!

A couple of weeks ago we went to a water park called 7 Peaks

She was worn out from the water park that she didn't make it to her bed before she fell asleep!

Lexi loves to copy us so she's ready for a prayer

We made a chain to count down the days till we go to CO

The Other Steve Reed

This is written by Steve:
When I started my job I quickly learned that I wasn't the only Steve Reed that worked for my company.  Another guy by the name of Steve Reed works in the IT department in NYC.  I actually had to set up the alias on my email address as Steven.Reed because Steve.Reed was already taken.  Since our email addresses are off by only one letter, we frequently get each others emails.  We've developed a "Steve Reed" brotherhood - a mutual courtesy to deliver each other's emails.  It's usually done with a sense of humor too, which is nice because this would be really annoying if there wasn't any cooperation.  It must be in the name - Steve Reeds are nice guys.  The last email I got for the other Steve Reed was from the alumni network of his alma mater asking for donations.  I forwarded it on to him but he said he was happy to have me send donations in his name.  Once in a while I get expense reports for some of his business trips, but unfortunately have not had the benefit of receiving his airline tickets.  I only seem to get the bill.  Well, recently at work an unfamiliar face was walking down my aisle and looked a bit lost.  My boss asked him if he needed anything, and he said, "I'm looking for Steve."  There are 3 other Steves that sit near me, so my boss asked him which one, and he said "Steve Reed."  So I turned around and stood up and he stuck out his hand to shake mine and said "Are you Steve Reed?"  When I responded yes, he said, "my name is Steve Reed too!"  He was on a business trip out to Salt Lake and made it a point to stop by my desk and introduce himself.  When the others around me heard that, they stood up and cheered with applause.  Everybody was excited to meet him because they have ALL mistakenly sent him emails that were meant for me.  I don't think he realized he had such a following.

It has turned a pretty purple color.  Several people thought I just had eye shadow on :)

Yesterday I was bending over and Addy jumped up with full force hitting my head with her head. We hit so hard I'm surprised neither one of us got a concussion. It hurt soooo bad. We both cried. I think I now know what it feels like to be punched in the eye. At first it hurt mostly on my cheek bone under my right eye but later in the day a lump appeared above my right eye. And today a nice, small bruise showed up above my eye. I asked Addy where she hurt because I wasn't sure where she hit and she said her nose but I think she would have had a bloody nose. I think her whole face must have hit. I ended up getting a migraine a couple hours later. But today I feel ok. And Addy hasn't said anything else about it so I think she's ok. Here's a picture of the small bruise.  Can you even see it? :)

The past couple of days I've been showing Lexi the picture of Jesus on our wall, pointing to it and saying "Jesus". She's been trying to copy me and say "Jesus" too. It is so cute. I wish you could hear how she tries to say His name. It took her a couple of days to start pointing to it but she now copies me by pointing to it when I point. Today the picture was behind her on the wall and I asked her "Where's Jesus?"  She turned around, pointed to the picture, and in her baby talk said "Jesus". Love her!

Last night Addy came into our room saying she was scared. I was so tired I told her to climb into our bed & I quickly fell back to sleep. I usually can't sleep with her in our bed & she usually just plays when she's in our bed but she fell right to sleep too, with her bony knees in my back :) I guess I was super tired if I could sleep with her knees in my back. I woke up a few hours later & decided to put Addy back in her bed. As I was picking her up she woke up to ask "Am I not scared anymore?" Lol. I told her she wasn't & she had no problems when I put her back in her bed. 

Things Lexi likes

1. Addison's bed.  She climbs into it every time we go in Addison's room.

2.  Climbing on me and snuggling when I'm trying to do situps.  I think she thinks it's hug-mommy-time when I lie on the floor.

3.  "This Little Piggy"

4.  "The Wheels on the Bus"