Visiting Teaching

Today Emily and I had a Visiting Teaching Birthday Brunch. Four out of five of the sisters that we Visit Teach have birthday’s within a few months of each other (including us), so we thought a little birthday party would be fun along with a little message. Emily busted out her nice China and we had salad, soup, homemade bread, cake and homemade ice cream. Yummy! It was fun to get together (without the kids) and now our Visiting Teaching is almost done for the month!

Christmas Preparations

Last night we had some friends over for dinner and FHE. Dawn has been in the ward for over 8 years and has been a widow for almost 6. She’s a great lady and Stella knows her well because she does the music in Nursery at church. We made Dawn start us out on all the songs we sang last night because she’s used to it. Greg is high on Elliot’s list because he’s just a great guy. I’ve enjoyed him being in our ward for the last year because he seems like a smart guy and he’s always so smiley and polite.

I think they all had a great time and got to help us set up our Christmas decorations!


Stella discovered the wonders of the ornament. This could entertain her for a long time.

New Links

Since I steal other people’s pictures from their blogs, I thought it would be appropriate for me to post their links so that they could get some credit for it.

My good friend Crystal has a son Donovan that is just 3 weeks younger than Stella and he’s pretty funny. Her other son is Elliot and he’s about 5 months old (and could have been Dono’s twin). Her link is The Earl Family Post (www.dcearl.blogspot.com) and she’s pretty good at updating.

Another good friend Tiffini has an 18 month old son Casey who always looks concerned, but I know can also be very funny as you can see in the picture. Her link is Here’s to you, Mr. and Mrs. Robinson (www.dtrobinson.blogspot.com).

And a most exciting occasion, my brother Miles has started a blog as well. His link is called Rumors, Gossip and Innuendos (www.tomandmiles.blogspot.com). He dressed as white trash for Halloween. It’s pretty funny.

Welcome new bloggers!

12/03 – Dibbles

After our ward Christmas party last night, we went to Adam & Xan’s for dinner. They were already done, so we hurried and ate and then went outside so the kids could roast rock hard marshmallows from last year.

Claire

Elliot & Mother (Grandma Dibble)

Stella & Anabelle on the trampoline

Beth & Adam

Raymond

Xan & Claire

Elliot

Adam

Grandpa Dibble and George escaped my photo hunting.

Christmas Miracle

Elliot & Stella (tired and unwilling to dance with Daddy)

Dennis & Allison

We went to our ward party last night and there was dancing and donuts. Our friend’s (Mari Ashby frequently published on our blog) dad was the DJ and he was really funny. When we arrived, they were having a hula-hooping contest. Then we did silly dances like Hokey-Pokey, Bunny Hop, and the Chicken Dance. They did a Daddy/Daughter dance, but Stella wasn’t in the mood. He played some fast songs and Stella’s friend Rachel was going wild! It was so funny!

The Evergreen Ward Electric Slide

Harriet & Her Christmas Miracle

But the Christmas Miracle of the night came when the electric slide was being played. I went over to say hi to Kimmie and Rob and the beautiful Harriet Cowgill who is on oxygen and in a wheelchair. She has a little crush on someone in our ward and Kimmie told him something to the effect of that if Harriet’s Christmas gift came wrapped up as him, she’d be very happy. He came over and asked Harriet to dance and she could not wipe that smile off of her face! I was so happy and I think Kimmie nearly cried she was so happy for the Christmas Miracle match she just made! Kimmie said today at church that Harriet kept saying how charming he was!

Take Her to the Zoo

I didn’t think it was possible, but Stella has become even more active! I’m sure she has some monkey blood in her. I’m almost to the point of deciding to enroll her into gymnastics, not only to rid herself of some excess energy, but to teach her proper form when doing the somersaults and acrobatics that she’s been doing lately. She climbed over Emily’s chain-linked fence 2 weeks ago, something that Emily’s 3 boys have never even thought of doing. Sometimes I’ll be in the other room and hear from the kitchen, “Mommy, I get down!” repeated several times because she’s on the counter and can’t figure out how to get down. She is hooked on pink dresses and needs to wear one at least once a day. She talks constantly and has learned more words to her favorite song (Once Upon A Dream). She won’t let me help her with a lot of things now and always says, “My do it!”

We went to the zoo today and went into the new Sting Ray Bay exhibit. If you wash your hands, you can touch the sting rays, but I’m still freaked out by the Steve Irwin incident, so we weren’t going to touch them even though their stingers have been clipped off and Stella would have loved it. Brooke, Tyler, Justin, and Crystal touched them though.

Tyler was soaked by the time he was done.

The Mom's Group Crew (some of us)
Otho Johnson, Crystal & Hunter Mabb, Myra & Ellie & Abe Johnson, Jessa & Emma Jackson, Donovan (& Elliott is hiding in the stroller) Earl, Brooke & Justin & Tyler Cook, and Whitney & Stella Dibble

Brooke, Stella, Justin, and Tyler (Tyler would snag a chance to ride in Stella's stroller any chance he got, but then Justin wanted to ride in it, so he got on Tyler's shoulders. Then Stella was mad that they were in her stroller, so she got on top of Justin. Brooke was pushing them around and I'm sure that poor stroller has seen it's weight limit).

My camera battery died, so I just stole most of these pictures from my good friend Crystal’s blog.

Happy Birthday Jayden!

Jayden & Stella at Lindsay's wedding reception in Peoria August 2005

Jayden September 2005 (this was before he even turned 1 year old . . . I don’t have any current pictures of him)

Happy #2 Birthday to my nephew Jayden! I sure wish Jayden was here to play with Stella and maybe he’d have a calming influence on her (heaven forbid it be the other way around and he start swinging from vines like Stella). It’s been a while since I’ve seen Jayden, but he’s only been around for a little while, so I know very little of him as well. He always seemed so smiley whenever I saw him though and he liked Stella last year when Aunt Lindsay got married. I know that my Mom has sure enjoyed him because he’s been so close to her. She told me the other day that since Jayden is talking more, one of the main things that he says is, “NO DEAL!” (from Deal or No Deal). Funny guy! Happy Birthday little friend!

Dancing With Grandma Anderson

I made dinner at Aunt Lindsay’s last night. While we were sitting around, Stella went into the front room and turned on the piano beat and started dancing around. Grandma joined her and I got some funny video. Stella loves attention!

Then we played a raucous game of Boggle, even though Keith doesn’t like games (Elliot doesn’t either, but he only played one round). Keith is hooked now and vowed to buy the game today.

Post-Thanksgiving Festivities – Part II

Stella took a great nap before we went to Uncle David’s and Aunt Lora’s house . . . mansion . . . resort . . . it’s pretty big. It was dark when we arrived and their new house is in a neighborhood where they are still building houses. When we drove into the cul-de-sac, I asked if their house was the first or the second . . . and then I realized that they were connected! It’s absolutely beautiful . . . although highly stressful to go into because Stella touches everything! Elliot’s blood pressure just went up! We got a tour, but I’m not sure we saw the whole thing because we only had one night.

Elliot, Scott Dunkley & UD

It was fun to see my cousins Spencer and Susie and their 3 girls (Sydney, Addi, and baby Lily – but I didn’t get a picture of them). . .

Kyra

Stephanie

. . . Scott and Stephanie and Tanner (whom I only saw for 2 seconds during dinner) and Kyra who immediately took Stella to play Barbies . . .

Kendal & Scott McAllister

Stella & Kendal

Spencer & Martin (after the back flip)

. . . and Scott and Stacy and Corbin and Lauren. Scott and Stacy only live in Mesa, but we never see them . . . same with Martin and Kendal.

Doug and Erica and their 3 boys (Chase, Trey, and Ben) showed up and SURPRISE! Erica is pregnant with a baby girl and due in April! We seriously need more communication in this family.

Ben

Chase & Trey

My Mom came with Keith and Lindsay and, once again, Lindsay looks fabulous!

Lindsay, Mom, & Keith watching Martin do a back flip off of the rocks

Mommy

Elliot & Stella

We ate dinner, at dessert, and watched the McAllister movie that Maeser made for the reunion this year and then the boys went swimming. Next time we’ll plan better to get the kids together to play at the park or something. I don’t see enough of my cousins.

Post-Thanksgiving Festivities – Part I

We made the mistake of telling Stella last night that we’d go to the park today. We had a few things to do at home before we made good on our promise, but that didn’t stop her from asking for the park every 3 minutes, including the car ride to the park. We had so much fun and Stella got to release a lot of her energy playing on the monkey bars, climbing the slide the wrong way, and swinging in the swings. She’s a monkey.





Stella thought it was the greatest thing when Daddy taught her how to go down the slide head first.

It’ll be no time at all before we don’t have to hold her feet and then she’ll be doing cherry drops.

Happy Thanksgiving

What was I just saying about being a lady?

Happy Thanksgiving! We spent most of the morning at home and ate a yummy breakfast before we went over to Elliot’s parents house for another meal.

I played Scrabble with Mother Dibble and surprisingly, we tied. We usually play a game called Snatch (it’s from England) that is similar to Scrabble, but you get to steal people’s words (or snatch them). I don’t know why I like playing those thinking games . . . maybe I’d do better at those games if I read more.

Kent, Mother, & Bethany

Dinner was delicious and Stella succeeded in running about the house trying to get into everything she wasn’t supposed to. Adam and Xan and the kids were in Utah, so Stella only had us to play with.

We watched Nacho Libre and then headed to Peoria for dessert with the Bangart family. They were finishing watching Over the Hedge when we got there and immediately turned on the second Ice Age movie after it was over. I was so full from dinner and a pre-dessert at the Dibble’s that I didn’t even get to taste the yummy dessert spread the Bangart’s had.

Dan & Stella

Mom & Stella

Lindsay & Keith (does it look like she just had major heart surgery?)

Elliot, Whitney & Stella

Dan & Karen

Nate & Nikki trying to change an unhappy Kellene

Julie & Rich were there earlier, but left soon after we arrived . . . should we be offended?

Lindsay got to hold Kellene (Keith’s new baby niece) most of the day because she’s only 7 pounds (Lindsay can only hold 10 pounds) and everyone else was helping with the Thanksgiving dinner. Lucky.

I can always think of a million things I’m grateful for when it’s not Thanksgiving day. At the Dibble’s we always go around the table and say what we’re thankful for and among the millions of things I usually think of, I have a hard time coming up with one that doesn’t sound exactly like the one I said last year. No matter what year it is, I’ll always be so grateful for my family! I love them so much!