Blog Break

As we are leaving for the River today (for who knows how long; at least 2 weeks, maybe more) where there is no internet and hardly any cell phone reception, I would like to apologize to my blog fans (all 2 of them) in advance; for I will not have an opportunity to post anything new until about the end of July. At which point, I promise, you will have the pleasure of viewing so many adorable new photos and videos of Paige that you will pray for my camera/video camera to break (maybe you already have?). In the meantime, rest up your eyes :)

First Hair Cut

Paige had her first hair cut this week. On a whim, Papa and I took her at 8pm to Great Clips, so we didn't have a camera at the salon, but we took pictures as soon as we got home. I had Candy, little P's first hair dresser, clean up the back and give her bangs so we'll hopefully avoid having all her hair in her eyes when it's down. Paige behaved pretty well at the salon with me holding her on my lap and Papa feeding her mini m&ms. She eventually got tired of having her hair combed and she REALLY didn't like the hair dryer. But I guess since there were minimal tears and I like the end result, it was a success!

Mail

I just sent a package to Ben yesterday, and it occured to me that maybe others would be interested in sending some mail his way. It's not expensive, and it gets there super fast. The last package I sent got there in 4 days! Here's his address:

SSG Benjamin Reed
D.Co. 142nd MI BN / TF Wasatch
Bagram AF
APO AE 09354

BTW, I'm not trying to solicit letters for Ben, I just wanted people to know how to send him something if they wanted to.

VTC

Here is Paige talking to her daddy via video teleconference (VTC) this morning. Ben got wireless internet to his barracks earlier this week so now we get to talk to him using Skype. SOOOO awesome! Paige was jumping up and down and laughing like crazy when she first saw him on the computer screen, and now when she sees the laptop closed she tries to open it up to see if Ben is there. We really are so blessed to have this technology. Even though he's literally half way around the world, it makes us feel a little closer to be able to talk face-to-face.

Fun in the Sun

My sister, Jennifer, gave this awesome blow-up splash park to Papa for Father's Day. She figured since he likes to play with the babies AND he's going to be spending a lot of time at the River this summer that this would be good for both. Paige tested it out yesterday and it was a hit! If you look closely at the top picture you can see the water squirting out everywhere. All you have to do is blow up the whale, the rainbow, the palm tree, and the slide, and then attach a garden hose, and viola! Instant splash park. A must have for a hot summer with toddlers.

Squatter

This is little P's favorite way to relax. If she's walking around and needs to take a break, she just squats for a second or two. It's funny to me because I think that looks so uncomfortable.

Shack Living

Here are a few pictures of Ben's living arrangements on his deployment. He basically lives in a large plywood shack with 5 other guys, and the shack is divided up into 6 "rooms". Each room is different - whatever you end up with is whatever the last guy left behind. They have A/C but no heat. His climate is similar to Utah County, maybe a little hotter in the summer. He has relaxed grooming standards, meaning he can grow his hair, a beard, and wear civilian clothes. These pictures were taken about a month ago.
Ben's beard. His comrades have nicknamed him 'Wolverine' or 'Logan' because of the way his beard grows in. Maybe he wouldn't want me to tell you that?
Ben's bed. Looks comfy?
Ben's closet.
Ben's desk and storage space.