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Steele Family Reunion 2012

There were some unexpected occurrences at the Steele Family Reunion this year. Our first adventure was the County Fair, which at first seemed to be like any other county fair. There was the standard 4-H barn, hot dogs, face painting...you get the idea. The first surprise came with the petting zoo; they didn't just have sheep and goats, though there were plenty of those...

They also had a baby camel...

...a giant turtle...

...and many other exotic animals like kangaroos and wallabies. I thought the petting zoo was pretty impressive, but then we went on to our next exhibit.

They had a "creature" exhibit with scorpions, snakes, and tarantulas. And they weren't locked safely inside their glass boxes. Oh, no. They were hanging out in shallow tupperware boxes waiting to be held!

My mother-in-law has NO fear of spiders--that's why she's my favorite--and has handled tarantulas in the past like it ain't no thang. So she scooped up her little granddaughter and told the spider-guy to put the tarantula on Enna's head! At this point, I was feeling a little weak in the knees, but Enna wasn't bothered by it at all. See?

So I made Dayton go next. He held the tarantula and smiled slightly when it tickled his hand.

So, not to be outdone by a couple of two-year-olds, Kirk and I joined in. Hello, Fear Factor!

Then Dayton pet the python...

...and we had to bring things down a notch with a nice, relaxing pony ride. Whew!

Saturday we spent the afternoon in Mueller Canyon--so beautful! Being there made us want to move back to Utah soooo badly!

We had a water fight after lunch...everybody except Dayton, that is. He was content to shoot himself in the face over and over. :o) Crazy kid.

Good times with the Steele's!

Jeppson Reunion 2012

Every two years, my sweet little Grandma and her posterity gather for a family reunion in McCall, Idaho. It's heaven on earth. Boating, water-skiing, wake-boarding, camp fires, beautiful mountains, indoor plumbing, and showers. My kind of camping.

There is also a zip-line that I've been avoiding for the past several years. Last year I was pregnant so I got a free pass. But this year, no such luck. I had to take the plunge.

Here I am all strapped in, trying to act totally calm like I'm not about to leap off a huge pole.

Up I go...

and up...

...and up...

...and UP...

...When you get to the top, the guy up there tries to calm the faint of heart by saying that we could both go down together in a minivan and the zip-line would not break. It's still hard to jump off that platform.

Kirk did it too, see? SO brave.

The harness is so flattering, right? :o)

There is always a family talent show in which I am usually just a spectator, but not this year. My sister created a circus act for us to participate in, and I cooperated because the only thing I had to do was wear a feather on my head and assist the "World's Strongest Men."

Kirk "tried" and failed to lift the very heavy foam dumbbells. Dayton then demonstrated his amazing baby strength as he easily lifted up the bar. It was so cute.

We also helped out with the Pirate Treasure Hunt for the kids. Here's our scurvy crew.

Jaden, Tara, Connor, Kirk, Dayton, & me

There was lots more fun stuff, but I am so bad about taking pictures while I'm having fun.  Did I mention we celebrated Granny's 90th birthday?? For real!  She's the cutest 90-year-old woman I've ever met.  Love her.
 

Me, Grandma, Dayton, my Mom, & Kirk

Day to Day Happenings

What we've been up to this summer...

...feeding the ducks at our favorite park...

 

...wearing nothin' but cowboy boots...

...cleaning out drawers over and over and over...

...setting the table while mom cooks dinner...

...helping Daddy catch up with his office work...

...learning to drive during our trips to the grocery store...

Each new stage with Dayton is more fun than the last.  He is constantly doing new things that make us laugh, and he sure keeps us on our toes.

When Daddy leaves for work each morning, Dayton climbs up on the couch to look out the window, and he waves "bye-bye" to Daddy.  It's a totally heart-melting moment.

He loves to fold his arms to pray before we eat, and usually slips a few quick bites when he thinks our eyes are closed.

He likes to sit next to me at the piano while I play songs like "Popcorn Popping on the Apricot Tree".  He does some of the actions and then cheers for me at the end of each song--makes me feel like Celine Dion.

His language is improving rapidly.  He's always asking "pwease pwease pwease" for a drink or for food.  He loves to ask for a "coooo-kie" and he loves to "stack" his blocks.  He pretends to sweep with me and he loves to "help" put the clean silverware away.

One day I showed him how to do a somersault and then helped him do it a few times.  I thought that would be the end of it, but now he can do it all by himself.  Kids are amazing.  Olympics 2024 here we come!

Three Years of Wedded Bliss

That's right, three years people.  And those were three very busy years.  We've lived in 3 states, taken at least 12 vacations/trips, started 4 new jobs, learned how to cook, made lots of new friends, finished a college degree, and added a cute little boy to our family.  

How did we celebrate, you ask?  Well, we kind of counted our trip to Palmyra as an early anniversary trip, but when July 18 finally came and I found myself forgetting multiple times that it was our anniversary, I decided we had to do something out of the ordinary.  So we ate canoli for dessert--one of our favorites.  Next year we won't have to try very hard to out-do ourselves.  :o)

It's been the best three years ever.  Here's to a whole bunch more, Love!  ::mwah::

Palmyra & Niagara Falls

If you know my mom, you know she can sew. And not just a little. She sews a lot. Wedding dresses, alterations, quilts, baby clothing...she does it all. Now she also does the Hill Cumorah Pageant! Amazing, right? She's basically famous.

So we road-tripped it up to Palmyra, NY to see the Pageant and get in some Grandma time.

Site of the Restoration of the Priesthood

Sacred Grove

Palmyra, NY temple

In addition to touring the LDS historical sites, we also visited Niagara Falls, which is so breathtakingly beautiful.  The saying that, "America owns the Falls, but Canada owns the view" is so true--we hopped over the Canadian border and were amazed at what a beautiful view they have of Niagara Falls. 

The oldest tourist attraction in America is Maid of the Mist, a boat ride that takes passengers right into the mist from the falls.  But don't be fooled by the word "mist"--it's more like getting caught in a downpour, hence our little rain ponchos.  Dayton's mini poncho was so cute! 

Just before boarding the Maid of the Mist

He loved the "rain"!

Niagara Falls from the American side

The highlight of the trip was seeing Grandma, of course.  There were lots of giggles and tickles and loves.  We also got to see my cousin, Heidi, who is a wonderful person with a wonderful family.  They are very involved with the Pageant each year and it was fun to see them perform. 

Grandma Time at Heidi's house

It was a great trip!  If you ever have the chance to visit Palmyra, especially during the Hill Cumorah Pageant, do it!

Baby Jackson

Some people that we love a whole lot recently had their first child, a handsome little man named Jackson. His first week of life has held more excitement than any baby needs to have.  Just being born is a big enough task for a little guy like this:

Baby Jackson

 See what I mean? All those tubes mean WAY to much excitement. When I contrast his experience with the quiet, uneventful way that Dayton came into this world, it makes me cry. And I hate crying.

Dayton, 1-day-old

 Besides making me cry, thinking about little Jackson's troubles makes me think about his awesome parents, and the all tears and worries they have on behalf of their little man.  Seriously, they are great people.  I'm talking straight-arrow, smart, wonderful, make-you-feel-good-about-yourself kind of people.  It's hard to think about such good people and such a sweet little baby going through such tough times.  And yet they are still positive and uplifting.  Awesome.  

They are hanging on for this wild ride with Jackson, who seems to be improving a little each day.  Check out their blog to see Jackson's story.  If you can, there is a PayPal donation account set up on the blog.  Every little bit helps! They also take help in the form of lots and lots of prayers.  :o)

Keep up the good work Jackson!