Happy Trails

It is with a heavy heart that I tell all of you that Cookies the Snail is no longer with us.  He lived a good life. We loved watching him eat the algae off of the side of the tank. We loved to wake up in the morning to see where he was hiding. We loved the bright yellow color that you brought to our aquarium. 

Thanks for being good to us, Cookies. Happy Trails.

10-4, Charlie

I have a new nephew and he is the cutest thing ever.

On July 7th, my ROCKSTAR- of- a-sister, Julie, delivered Charles Michael Majdali...All 10 lbs. 4 oz. and  22 inches of him. I cannot even imagine. I bow to you, Julie. :)

She delivered him via C-Section and I got to see him briefly before he was brought into recovery with her. I snapped a few pictures while I was there. He's got the cutest little cheeks and big hands that we are calling little puppy paws.

Since she's been home from the hospital, I've been able to snuggle him once or twice and I could just eat him up! He is so cuddly and cute. I'm so excited to have a nephew on the Stephens side and to have another boy cousin for Owen to play with!

His nicknames already include Charlie Bucket (from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory) and 10-4 Charlie, referencing radio talk and his birth weight.  Welcome to the world, Charlie!!

4th of July

Our 4th of July was wonderful! We live right down the street from the military base and they have a big event so we usually can't drive anywhere because they block off streets to compensate for all of the extra traffic. Luckily, we have wonderful community events that we can walk to and enjoy!

Bright and early, we got up and went to a pancake breakfast and flag raising ceremony at church. (we did drive to that one because it was early enough in the day)

The weather was perfect to me, but not to others. It was actually kind of COLD and cloudy...but I loved it because I didn't break a sweat all day.

Then we put the kids in the wagon and walked down the street to watch a little community parade. Neighborhood kids decorate their wagons and tricycles and local police and fireman come and join in on the fun. The parade was only about 10 minutes long this year but was so, so cute! We love watching this parade each year. It makes us feel like we live in a small town.

Then we came back home, ate lunch, and watched Tangled as we rested up for the night's events. Our bishop lives nearby and his backyard backs up to the military base. At night they have a wonderful fireworks show so every year we go to his house for a bbq and then have awesome seats for the fireworks.

Owen was still afraid of them, but was not as hysterical as he has been the past few years. He has definitely made improvements. Lexie had been napping and woke up a few minutes before the fireworks started. She turned to look where the loud noise was coming from, stared at them for a minute, and decided they weren't worth her time. She promptly went back to sleep and dozed in and out while the show proceded.

Lexie's Stats

At 8 1/2 months, Lexie weighs 17 lbs. 9 oz. and is 28 inches tall.  Her eyes are kind of a mixture of colors - blue, green, and tan.  She wears size 3 diapers and size 9 and 12 month clothes. She is starting to crawl, but it's not very fluid yet so it's more like scoots forward and then crashing onto her tummy. She is also pulling up to stand and becoming more vocal. Her separation anxiety is kicking in... let the fun begin!

She is still my little cuddle bug. She is very calm and definitely an introvert. She loves to play with Owen and it won't be long until she'll be chasing him around all day.  She loves her pacifier and loves to stroke her blanket when she's tired.

We can't believe how big she's getting and we love our little Lexie girl!

Elder Stephens

Michael with all of his nieces and nephew: Lexie, Lynnlee, Elena and Owen

Michael and Lexie the night before he left.

On July 11th, my brother Michael reported to the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah. For the next two years, he has dedicated his life to being a full-time missionary in the Utah Provo Mission. We are SO PROUD of him and his willingness to serve the Lord. We love you, Michael! For more information about missionaries, click here. For more information about basic beliefs of Mormons, click here.