Where is Michelle when we need her?

We had Young Women's basketball last Saturday. We won--by a long ways, and with mostly just Beehives. This didn't work on the game on Tuesday. We played the same team that beat us last year, except the girls were older and bigger. We had Mary Katherine, Jennifer, and the Beehive girls, and it wasn't enough. Where was Michele--we needed her!!

Sweet Sixteen

Annie is "sweet sixteen" now. It is amazing to think how fast the past 16 years have gone! She has gone from being our "beamer baby", sending smiles of sunshine to whomever she looked at, to a beautiful young woman. She is not driving yet, because characteristically for Annie, she cannot find the paper that says she completed drivers ed.
Below is our Sunday dinner, celebrating the birthdays of Annie, Alex, Ally, and Thomas.

Here she is. Note NO BRACES in that smile!

Two sweet pics of the boys

Sam has glasses!! We went to Jamba Juice in January, and I noticed he couldn't read the board above us. Sure enough, he is following the rest of us in the nearsighted category--my fault, not Mike's. This picture was taken at the Blue and Gold banquet for cub scouts. He also informed me the other day that he is the best reader in his class--another way he is following the rest of the family.


Two weeks ago, we got our weekly e-mail from Neil, with a photo attached. It was a picture of Neil with two of my co-professors from BYU. I knew they were headed to Paraguay to investigate possibilities for the global health and diversity nursing class at BYU, and asked them if they could stop and say hi. They did, and before they even got home, Neil sent the photo. It was almost as good as being there for me, and I got to talk to each of them individually once they got back to see how Neil was doing. They said he was happy and doing great!! Neil was very surprised, and also pleased when they unloaded all of the American food and treats they had brought. It really made my week!!

Our trip "out east" over President's Day

The family in front of the Mall, taken from the Lincoln Memorial

At the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC

At the WWII Memorial in Washington DC

Shawn and Annie over the Shenanendoah at Harper's Ferry

Viewing the civil war battlefields at Antietem

In the Wills house in Gettysburg

A buggy ride through Amish Country

At the US Mint in Philadelphia

On the beach at Atlantic City

Cesar's palace, Atlantic city, with the family and Nathan


We had a good time, and it was great to actually be in the neighborhood during President's Day and the anniversary of the 200th birthday of Abraham Lincoln. Alison got to be with us the first few days, which was also really fun--too bad Ethan had to work! We also took our cousin, Nathan.

Happy Birthday Annie, Alex, Ally, Thomas.....

Today we had our combined birthday bash for Annie, Alex (Snyder), Ally, and Thomas. The menu, at Annie's request, included roast beef, mashed potatoes, salad, corn, rolls, fresh jam, and angel food cake with pink strawberry jello topping. We had lots of cousins here, our family, Andrea, Zac, Brita, Blake, Reed, Preston, Ashton, Ally, and of course, our "adopted" cousins, Peri, Thomas, and Alex!! Sunday dinners are getting to be just the best, and something we look forward to because of the company we get to have. Happy Birthday to all!

Ymmm--Belgian Chocolate!!

You can see how happy all Reeds are for this chocolate gift!!

Okay, so it has been a LONG time since I have posted. A lot has happened, but FIRST THINGS FIRST---we got Belgian chocolate in the mail way back in February from Michele. Here are some photos of the chocolate eaters thouroughly enjoying themselves. Thanks, Michele!!!