Book of Mormon

Stella and I finished reading the Book of Mormon on December 31, 2005 over a delicious bowl of cereal. We started reading in September, and even though some of those chapters are extremely longer than a bowl of cereal will last through, we made it! I would read out loud to Stella during our breakfast and lunch each day. I was grateful for the opportunity to read to Stella and learned so much from being able to hear it, rather than just reading to myself. It is a really exciting book, and now I can cancel my subscription to Parenting magazine because the Book of Mormon has all of the instruction that I need to teach my children what is right! Elliot and I are hoping that we will have a few Moroni’s on our hands. I know our family will be blessed because we followed the prophet and read the Book of Mormon!

Christmas Day

We had quite the eventful day on our blessed Christmas! We have church at 8:30 in the morning and Elliot had meetings even earlier than that. I wanted to take a picture of Stella in front of the Christmas tree in her pajamas, so I woke her up at 7:30 and sat her down. I got one fuzzy picture of her sitting up, and then she just started laying down until she was resting comfortably on the floor sucking her thumb.
After a great musical sacrament meeting, we hurried home to start cooking for our Bishop's Brunch. We'd invited some people from the ward over for the morning. That was actually a really good experience for our family and we hope to be able to make this a tradition . . . and I must say, Elliot and I make a great breakfast. We gave some of them rides home, and by noon we were able to open our own Christmas presents.

Stella did amazingly well not playing with the wrapped gifts under the tree, but she did like the beads on the tree though. It was fun to try to get Stella to open her gifts. She'd open a gift and then just want to spend some time with it, not caring that she had more gifts. Elliot was so tired that he nearly needed to take a nap in the middle of gift time.

After a short nap, we headed over to Grandma and Grandpa Dibble's. We had another gift opening session with Stella's cousins. Ray couldn't get enough of opening presents, and George was so tired that he was asking Ray to open them for him. Anabelle is a great gift receiver with the gasp and thank you. Elliot and I discussed that it is so much fun to watch the kids open the gifts, but our favorite time is just being able to spend the time with family on such a special occasion.

We headed home to meet Keith and Lindsay at our house and had, yet another gift exchange. We had their name for Christmas this year and put together (what we hoped they enjoyed) a little entertainment package with movies and games and popcorn. Lindsay can't stop herself from giving Stella things, so we all got a gift from them too. It was another great time with family, even though we played a completely pointless game to end the night. I hope they come back.

We had an absolutely great holiday, complete with a whole week off of work for Elliot! We hope that your Christmas was just as enjoyable and pray for a fantastic New Year!

Great News!

I like good news, but I love great news! Adam and Xan are having another baby girl! I haven't actually talked to them, but Adam left a message this morning with the great news. We're very excited for them! Congratulations!


Another bit of great news is that some of our friends that moved away to Utah just adopted their second child, a baby girl, and named her Ava Jane. I guess it was an extremely quick event . . . like 4 days! They already have a great 2 year old named Elijah. Congratulations Jared and Sarah!

Exercise Ball?

So our new favorite family activity as I've mentioned before is trying to balance on the exercise ball. When we did this as a family a few weeks ago, we were having so much fun that we seriously contemplated calling some of our favorite people to come and play with us. We decided not to since it was family night, but we just had our friends Mike and Mari Ashby over on Friday and challenged them to a match of balance on the exercise ball. As we predicted, they loved it and we had at least a good hour of laughing as we tried to balance. And to think, I bought the ball to exercise on when it has so many other more enjoyable functions.

Happy Birthday Lindsay!

We celebrated Lindsay’s birthday a few days early this year. Keith was surprising her with a trip to Disneyland (where they were engaged nearly a year ago), so they invited us over on Sunday for a fantastic chicken dinner. Stella and the dogs entertained us for a while and then Lindsay took over as she opened her gifts. I don’t know where we all learned how to be the kind of gift receivers that we are, but I’m a really bad gift receiver (ask Elliot at a different time), I’m sure Natalie is a great gift receiver, and Lindsay is a little in between. She did, however, move herself up to “great gift receiver” status when she opened the Reader’s Digest Christmas music book I got for her. It carries a lot of memories for our family is sure to evoke a smile just by looking at the titles of each song. Happy Birthday Sis!

A New Cousin

Yeah! Stella is getting her 15th cousin in May 2006! Uncle Adam and Aunt Xan announced on Thanksgiving day that they are expecting their 4th child! We were so excited not only because they make cute kids, but because Stella loves her cousins! Now I need to go look in the attic for all of the baby stuff I borrowed! Congratulations Adam, Xan, Raymond, George, and Anabelle!

Roller

For our FHE activity, our family had a balancing contest on the exercise ball. That turned into a comedy hour because we can’t do it when we’re laughing. So we started bouncing Stella on the ball, which makes her laugh so hard that she gets the hiccups, just like her daddy. She says, “Two, Go!” before we can start bouncing her. Stella has her own little ball that she’s started rolling over. She doesn’t care to survey her surroundings before rolls which means that she’s smacked into her crib, the walls, and done horrible looking back bends. It was so fun to have Daddy home and all to ourselves for a night and to be laughing so hard with our baby girl.

Who's Your Daddy?

Not that we wondered before, but I don’t think anyone can ever have any question as to Stella’s paternity.

Happy Birthday to Me!

I still love my birthday . . . I really do. I know I've complained in the past about everyone forgetting me on my birthday, mostly because it really happened (don't worry dad, I've forgiven you). But I mostly love my birthday these days because I get to spend it with my 2 favorite people in the world!

Bad Parents

So I know I’ve already posted a picture of Stella who put herself to bed because I wasn’t paying attention to her, but here is another one just because she’s so cute. She took an early nap today and so by the time her real bedtime came around, she was more than absolutely exhausted. Elliot and I were watching a movie, so she just went behind the couch and fell asleep. Poor baby.

Monticello Bangart . . . ok, just Monty

Keith and Lindsay have adopted their second baby doggy. Apparently their first puppy Maddie needed a playmate, so they adopted a 2 pound Yorkie (even smaller than Maddie) and named him Monty (I try to call him Monticello, but it’s not sticking). Stella absolutely loves the dogs and wants to hold them all the time. Maddie and Monty have over-protective parents.

The Phoenix Zoo

This is the third time that Stella has been to the Phoenix Zoo. The first was when she was 5 months old when we took her cousins, the second was a few months later and I’m sure she was asleep. Now that she has started to name animals and make animal noises, I thought she’d appreciate it more this time. We went with Tyler and Justin again (and their mom Brooke). I believe she liked the elephant the most, and also got a kick out of the turtles. She loved sitting on the old tractor over by the petting zoo and really loved going into the petting zoo with all of the goats. One sneezed on Brooke and we all had a good laugh at her expense. The gross part of the whole day was the disgusting snake exhibit. Tyler liked it, but ewww, just thinking about it makes my eyes roll back into my skull.

Well Hello There!

Stella got a phone for her birthday because one month we came up with mysterious charges on our phone bill. The easy way out was to blame it on Stella because she liked to play with the phone and would throw herself to the ground in a tantrum if we took it away. Now she has her little Sleeping Beauty phone (Elliot picked it out), and can talk all the day long on it. When Aunt Lindsay and Aunt Natalie call, I let them talk to Stella who has now started responding in her little language and laughing at appropriate times. Elliot wasn’t very happy when he wasn’t the first to get this conversation from Stella, but unless he feels comfortable talking absolute baby-talk on the phone at work like Lindsay and Natalie, he’ll continue to get the silent treatment from Stella.

Justin and Tyler

Stella gets to play with Justin and Tyler almost every day because I go walking with their mom every morning. When their parents went on a little rendezvous to Las Vegas for several days, I was able to watch the boys for 2 days. We went swimming in our friend’s pool, read nearly every book in the house, watched movies and they took fantastic naps when I told them to. Justin had a little barfing incident the first day, but I’ve pretty much decided that these boys are the best behaved kids I’ve ever taken care of! Stella is our little social girl and loves to have people over, so she was in heaven for these 2 days.

Feliz Cumpleaños

I went to sleep last night confident that I would be the first to wish Elliot a Happy Birthday this morning. That was until the phone started ringing at 4:00 a.m.! We were grateful to learn that no one had died, which is what we always think when the phone rings at this ungodly hour. It was Santa Yoli Sierra from the Dominican Republic calling to wish Elliot a Happy Birthday. Elliot was fortunate enough to be able to share the gospel with and baptize Santa when he served his mission there nearly 10 years ago for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In my deliriously sleepy state, I was happy to hear Elliot speaking Spanish again and laughing with his friend. After the phone call ended, and after our blood pressures went back down, we were able to talk a bit about Santa. I guess some missionaries wonder if their short time serving in the mission field will really help in truly converting someone to the gospel. Thank you Santa for remembering Elliot and reminding him that his labors are not in vain! . . . oh, and Feliz Cumpleaños, mi amor!

An Eventful Day

Stella must have been dreaming about dress-up today because immediately after her diaper change this morning, she wanted to put on her dress-up shoes she got for her birthday. She’s never been able to walk in them until today. It was so funny because she was just going about her day like regular, only now she wears high heels!

I’ve had the opportunity several times in the last couple weeks to help out one of my friends by watching her baby while she visits her father in the hospital. Stella loves Baby James and gets so excited to see him whenever he comes over. I think Baby James likes Stella too because he doesn’t mind her hugs and kisses every 3 seconds.

I’m happy to announce the new arrival into my sister’s family. Lindsay and Keith adopted a little puppy this week and named her Madelyn “Maddie”. She came to visit us today and even though it started out with Stella running away and crying at the sight of the dog, she eventually threw a tantrum if she wasn’t able to hold Maddie! Oh, and instead of throwing herself to the ground in a tantrum these days, Stella has started just stomping her foot. It’s so funny that we both just end up laughing.

Happy Birthday Dad!

Happy Birthday Dad! My father, Marc Anderson, turns 64 years old today! What a blessing he’s been in my life and in the lives of my brothers and sisters! (this picture has to be around 1985)

Miss Potato Head

Several months ago, Stella found this pair of glasses from a Mr. Potato Head toy. She knew that they were supposed to go on your face, and kept trying to put them on, so I helped her out. She was laughing so hard and enjoyed seeing her picture on the digital camera just as much!

Bathtime

10/01/05 – Stella gets so excited for her bath and can even climb in the tub by herself. I won’t include that picture, but this one should suffice.

The Mouse

10/01/05 – While Daddy was at the Priesthood Conference on Saturday, Stella and I went grocery shopping. I paused in the card isle to look through some of the cards, and the only attention I paid to Stella was to make sure she wasn’t standing up in the cart, which she loves to do. After I made my card selection (which took several minutes), I sat Stella down for the last time and took the LIFE cereal box away from her that she was playing with. It was then that I noticed the enormous portion of the box that was missing. No, not just a corner, a giant hole! She ate the box! I got a weird look at the check-out stand, but luckily Stella’s face had some cardboard on it for evidence.

Pretty Shoes

09/26/05 – Mother Dibble and Anabelle, Elliot’s mother and niece, share their birthday on September 26th. We were especially excited to see Anabelle because we’d heard about the "pretty shoes" she got for her birthday that apparently can’t be removed from her feet unless she’s unconscious. Anabelle’s obsession is not only shoes, but The Wizard of Oz, which is why she is so excited about these "pretty shoes." Isn’t it scary for a 2-year-old to look so natural in a tiara and dangling earrings?

Patience is a Virtue

09/05 – Who knows of a kid who likes to be in a carseat? Stella actually enjoys the trip out to Aunt Lindsay’s house in Litchfield Park (about 40 minutes away). Now that Aunt Lindsay is a stay-at-home wife, we get to visit her more often and she comes to see us too! Stella loves the visit and I love it that she gets to see her aunt so often! I’m so lucky to have a patient child!

Lights Out

09/11/05 – One night while waiting for Elliot to come home from church meetings, Stella and I were watching a delightful episode of Little House on the Prairie . . . ok, I was watching it, Stella was playing. As I was lounging in the recliner, Stella started tickling my foot. We played that game for several minutes, and then at the climax Pa’s life-lesson to Laura, I noticed that Stella wasn’t tickling anymore. I looked on the floor beside me and found this adorable heap of a sleeping baby. I guess bedtime should be a little earlier when your child starts putting herself to bed.

Watcher in the Woods

08/19/05 – In one of my magazines, I saw a bride just peeking over her bouquet and it made for a great picture. Natalie and Ian got a better picture than I did, but here’s the one I got. For the reception in Weiser, we framed a 5x7 picture of this pose and it seemed as though anywhere you walked in the house, Lindsay was watching you!

Mr. & Mrs. Bangart

08/19/05 – My baby sister Lindsay married Keith Bangart on August 19, 2005 in the Mesa Arizona Temple. Sometimes it seems like they’ve been together for longer than 8 months, probably because they were engaged for nearly that long as well! Lindsay was an amazingly beautiful bride and Keith is a welcomed addition to the Anderson family. The reception in Peoria was a fantastic party! Now that the wedding plans are all over, we are all bored out of our minds!

Jayden and Stella

08/19/05 – Stella finally got to meet one of her 11 cousins from the Anderson side when her cousin Jayden came to visit for Aunt Lindsay’s wedding. They are just 4 months apart in age and had a great time together poking each other’s eyes out and giving kisses. Grandma Anderson claims that Jayden finally started crawling after his visit to Arizona and give all the credit to Stella who supposedly gave him the inspiration to do so.

Grandpa Anderson

08/17/05 – Grandpa Anderson is one of the few that got to enjoy a few moments with Stella actually sitting still. Grandma and Grandpa Anderson mostly get to see Stella through pictures, but during their visit for Aunt Lindsay's wedding, she responded to them like she sees them every day!

Tempe Beach Park

08/05 – Stella and I attend a weekly Play-Date group with friends from church. We usually rotate between each other’s homes, doing crafts, scrapbooking, visiting, etc., while the kids try to play nicely together. One hot summer day, the group decided to go to the Tempe Beach Park which has a small water park area for the kids to play in. Even though she got knocked down several times by the older kids, Stella had a great time just running around the water. The video that goes along with this adorable picture is priceless!

Stella's First Birthday

07/31/05 – I was so proud of Stella on her first birthday when she blew her candle out on her cupcake! We had practiced for a month. Stella’s Grandma Dibble, Aunt Bethany, Uncle Adam and Aunt Xan and cousins Ray, George, and Anabelle, and Uncle Keith and Aunt Lindsay, and my cousin Martin and his wife Kendal were able to come to her birthday party. Stella received a lot of fun gifts, including a new doll which she immediately started cuddling, and a new pink purse and phone which Anabelle promptly confiscated. Although there were more gifts to open, Stella quickly ran to retrieve the gifts from her cousin.

I believe this is a picture is of Anabelle waiting patiently to play with the purse.

Stella's #1 Birthday!

Binki

08/05 – As I was sadly cleaning out Stella’s closet and drawers of small clothes, making room for new clothes, I found a binki. Stella never used a binki when she was a baby, but I gave it to her anyway and she kept it in her mouth for several hours. Her new game was to run up to me (wobbly because she was laughing so hard), and then make me bite it out of her mouth. I probably enjoyed the game more than she did because of that adorable laugh!

Mother's Day

05/05 – This is our most current family photo which was taken on Mother’s Day this year. We couldn’t get Stella to hold still and we couldn’t get Grandpa Dibble to take a centered photo! This was the best we could do! This was also my first real Mother’s Day and no matter how many fantastic gifts I’ve been given in the past years, I don’t think any gift can out-do the gift of my little Stella!