Swimming

Our first swim of the year (Malcolm's first swim ever)was at Grandma Dibble's house in May.

The water was still pretty cold and he sure didn't like the first few minutes, but after just a little while he was kicking around and loving it!

Stella is a fish. She swam better at age 3 than I do now.

We also went swimming over at Aunt Lindsay's house with Hannah and Brynlee. I forgot mine and Malcolm's swimmers, so so Malcolm just had a swim diaper, but the girls had a great time.

Hannah and Stella especially liked their activity of Hannah pushing Stella in by her buns.

Bryn is learning to swim without the lifejacket. Taking breathes at appropriate times in the next lesson.

Stella and the girls dried off after they were done by laying on the cool deck for just a little bit and Stella sunburned her buns. Arizona sun does not joke around folks.

Utah Trip

Stella felt so much better the next day and blamed being sick on the water she drank from a fountain at the reception. No, not a regular drinking water fountain, she said it was a fountain that was pouring down and recycling itself. Hence, people were probably putting their hands in it and . . . I can't continue because I'm gagging.

We stayed at my sister Marci's house in Kaysville and they took us to "the castle park" so the kids could play.

The big boys played catch or frisbee, Stella tore up her hands on the monkey bars, and Malcolm loved the swings. He loved it when Stella would tickle him.

We headed to lunch at Tasty's (tradition) with Travis and Lorraine and the kids Sarah and Garrett. We were excited to make our very near future plans for the CA beach and Disneyland!

The kids quickly ate their lunch so they could play in a nearby field filled with "flowers" (Stella is still positive that weeds that have color are flowers). Sarah and Stella collected those while Garrett tried to burn ants with his magnifying glass.

Stella refused to drop the "flowers" until I took at least 20 pictures of her with them.

We may have been a little early, but Malcolm needed a nap, so we headed over to the Dibble Farm in Layton for the family gathering that would be happening that night. I love it there. You can just take a big breath there and relax. The entire family was called together (Grandpa Dibble's brother and sisters) and quite a few of their kids came as well. It is so fun to be together and I love it that they are willing to spend their night with us and feed us a giant meal!

Grandpa Dibble's siblings in order (Aunt Ann Call, Aunt Marie McComas, Uncle Cleve Dibble, Grandpa Kent Dibble, Aunt Jane Hales, Aunt Ruth Wood-Bourne, Aunt Ellen Cox)

And of course Stella found some sort of farm something to slide down and get pleasantly filthy. I love it. I know she loves it too.

Spring Training Baseball

I can't believe I forgot about this! We had a Dibble Day at the Ballpark during Spring Break in March. Usually the Dibble Day at the Ballpark has something to do with Grandpa's work, but this time it was real Dibble, like us. It was abnormally hot since we had just been having some really cool days, but still did nothing for my tan.

My loves.

I have no idea whose feet those are, but that's love right there.

I told George and Anabelle and Stella that I would send their video to ELLEN if they would dance behind unknowing baseball observing fans.  It was kind of funny.

Surveillance on who their next dancing victim would be.

Concession stand dancing.

More loves and my freakishly large and bent arm.

I can't tell if Ray has 2 bodies or if Adam was beheaded.  Lucy paid the closest attention to the game.  The security guard came and asked Adam is Xan was still alive because she was sort of taking a nap and hadn't moved in a little while.  It was pretty hot, so it was a valid concern.

Stella ended up making a new buddy with the poor kid sitting next to us with his loud mother.  They played cards.

I can't say I even watched more than 2 minutes of the game, but it was fun to be with family!

Christmas Eve

We spent Christmas Eve at the Dibble's. Beth involved us in a Christmas in America program. Malcolm was a Nephite. A real tough one as you can see by his "I Love Mommy" muscle shirt.

Stella wrote yet another letter and left a stolen cookie for Santa (thank Aunt Xan) on Christmas Eve. She's so cute.

"Dear Santa, Merry Christmas Santa! Thank you for all these toys. If you didn't have time to make the trampoline, I'm fine without it. Merry Christmas! Love, Elliot, Whitney, Stella and Malcolm"

. . . speak for yourself Stella.

Malcolm's Blessing

Malcolm McCoy Dibble was given a name and blessing on Sunday, October 9, 2011 in the Evergreen Ward in Tempe, Arizona by his Daddy, Elliot.

Our little family.

Uncle Miles was able to bring Malcolm up to the front of the chapel to hand him over to Daddy and he held the microphone for Daddy to speak in. In the circle was cousin Martin McAllister, cousin Scott McAllister, Grandpa Marc Anderson, Daddy Elliot Dibble, Grandpa Kent Dibble, Uncle Keith Bangart, Uncle Ian Service, Uncle Adam Dibble, and our friend Travis Campbell (not pictured).

From the notes that other people took, it seems like it was a nice blessing. I, however, was completely distracted by my son's screaming throughout the entire thing that I forgot to listen. We didn't quite work out the whole making sure he was fed and calm thing before church started. My bad. Though, the second Elliot handed him back to Uncle Miles, he calmed down and then fell asleep when he got to me.

I'm so happy that my family was able to come and support us and even some of Elliot's coworkers!

TOP: Aunt Natalie Service, cousin Lauren McAllister, cousins Teener & Ted Yeager
MASS OF PEOPLE IN THE MIDDLE: Uncle Keith & Aunt Lindsay Bangart, Uncle Miles, Grandpa Marc & Grandma Jeanette Anderson, Uncle Ian Service, cousin Corbin McAllister, cousins Scott & Stacy McAllister, cousin Martin McAllister, Elliot & Whitney Dibble, Malcolm Dibble, Grandma Barbara Dibble, coworker Lisa Skorka, coworker Cynthia Hammersley, Uncle Adam & Aunt Xan Dibble, Aunt Bethany Dibble, cousin Lucy Dibble, and Grandpa Kent Dibble
CUTE KIDDOS IN FRONT: cousins Brynlee Bangart, Tatem Service, Hannah Bangart, Raymond Dibble, George Dibble, Claire Dibble, Stella Dibble, Anabelle Dibble
(and Elliot's coworker Curtis Gruninger is taking the pictures for us)

MALCOLM & STELLA'S COUSINS: Hanny-Banany, Brynnie-Boo, Tater-Tot, Clairie, Lucy-Lou, George (if we're doing nicknames, just scream George's name as you're chasing after him . . . at least that's what Stella does), Anabellie, and Ray.

This is how Malcolm felt about the whole day and was left wondering why he never got a good nap.

Anabelle's Baptism

Our niece Anabelle (one of Stella's favorite cousins) got baptized on October 8, 2011. I can't believe that Stella's turn is next!

Dibble Reunion - Day 3 & 4 of 4

We started the morning with a hike to Doe Mountain. It's where female deer go to give birth, and while I was planning on hiking, I wasn't planning on giving birth there. It was beautiful though.

All of the kids did FANTASTIC on the hike! I didn't even see Stella most of the time!

Grandpa took us to a spacey diner for lunch and we tried to get 13 exhausted people to eat lunch.

Then we tried to make those 13 exhausted people do a little more sight-seeing. Looks like I'll have to invest in an actually maternity jacket.

Then the smallest of those 13 exhausted people somehow wanted to go swimming! AAHH!! I'm glad I wasn't in charge of that one and that their good daddies took them instead. FREEZING!

I was, however, in charge of the pedi's and mani's with Aunt Xan after the FHE that night.

We were an hour early to church the next day, so we had some time to do a little more sight-seeing before the LONGEST SACRAMENT MEETING IN THE HISTORY OF TIME! Good grief. Towards the end I was devising a plan to get a group of 13 people out of a room without being noticed.

After church, we had a picnic in the windy park before heading back home! We had such a great time in Sedona! Thanks Adam and Xan for the place to stay! We can't wait to determine the status of "annual" in the title of our Dibble Reunion! :)

Dibble Reunion - Day 2 of 4

Grandma Dibble made us all T-shirts with all our names on it . . . now if she can strategically fit the BOY's name in there for next year, we can wear them again.

"I still love technology, but not as much as you you see, but I still love technology . . . always and forever, always and forever." These boys (and occasionally ME and ELLIOT) were hooked to the iPads and Kindle playing games. Darn you technology!

The kids were always so happy to see Grandma first thing in the morning . . . of course, I was still sleeping, but they seemed happy. :)

They must be waiting for breakfast.

Lucy & Grandpa

Technology.

Grandpa Dibble signed us up for a Trolley Tour of Sedona. Grandma and Lucy waved at the passersby while we waited.

Beth had a date while we waited.

Stella was always perfectly glossed.

Besties. Most of the time anyway.

The Dibble Clan (and a sleepy Elliot)

The Grandparents

Silly Lucy with her Dad (Adam) and brother Ray
So I'm not a huge fan of t-shirts. I'm pretty sure I wore them when I was younger, but I don't really like my neckline that close to my neck (I prefer a plunging neckline . . . scandalous) and also a guy I loved at college told me once that he wanted his wife to look good in a t-shirt and jeans . . . he probably said that to make me stop harassing him because we both already knew I didn't look good in them.
Xan and an unimpressed Claire.

Stella is forming her own fashion opinions. Sometimes I fight it, most of the time I don't.
Lucy practicing Grandpa's look.


Today should have been a hat day.
Lucy fell asleep on the way back. So did the other 3 girls.

We ate lunch at this tiny little restaurant with HUGE sandwiches. Seriously huge! I'm not sure they appreciated having 13 of us there all at once.
We walked around downtown Sedona and of course stopped in at the fudge shop. Stella chose this little candy and then actually had to eat the cute little thing.



"The Best Little Horr House In Sedona" . . . I laugh.
While Ray and George and Elliot were shopping in silly game shops, Stella and Anabelle made use of their time in the sparkly stores trying on jewelry.
Sitting on the trolley and eating fudge was about all I could handle for the day, so Elliot and I took a nap while Adam and Beth took ALL of the kids to the park for a while.


We had another FHE about having our "glass half full." Grandma and Grandpa worked hard on their lessons and I hope the kids will be able to appreciate these important lessons from their Grandparents.
Then Grandma busted out the fake mustaches. I think part of this one ended up in Lucy's diaper the next day.
We all had a pretty good laugh, which in turn made Grandpa inhale part of his mustache. We weren't sure he was going to make it.


Uh, that's upside down Beth.
Then Grandma had the girls make their own little activity bags. Lucy's was a beautiful disaster of Sharpie scribbles.