TAGGED FOR THE FIRST TIME

My friend Cindy was the first person to tag me. She did her list with pictures. I loved looking at it so much that I copied her. I hope some of these make you smile.

I AM: A mom.

I KNOW: How rare this window is.I HAVE: A huge mortgage.I DISLIKE: That Stella spits up all the time. I WANT: To go on a cruise SO bad!

I WIN: Karaoke contests.

I MISS: When my porch looked like this.

I CRY: When I remember what happened right after I took this picture. I FEEL: Happy when Stacey makes me a cake.

I DON'T : Care for hikes too much.I ARGUE: With the man I love most.

I SMELL: Tulips, even though they don't have a smell.

I WONDER: How many other people have done this.I LISTEN: To Stella's happy baby gurgles.I NEED: My mommy.I REGRET: Letting Brent order the "medium" pizza.I LOVE: Coming up with ideas like this for weddings.I WISH: Stella looked at me like she looks at her daddy.I CAN BE FOUND: Doing this ALL the time!I'M SCARED: To do this again.I REMEMBER: That pretending to laugh made us laugh for real.I BELIEVE: That I will never forget this moment.I DANCE: At weddings.
I WRITE: Thank you notes. It is so important to be thankful for gifts and kindness.

I FORGET: How it felt to be this BIG!

I AM HAPPY: That I married a man that reads directions first.
I tag people who need to post more often: Stacy, Crystal, and Krisi.

STELLA, QUEEN OF THE SNOW

Our dearest friend Suzy was the person who sent Stella her first package right after she was born. Inside was a book called Stella, Queen of the Snow. Well if you know me AT ALL, you know I don't like snow. However, this morning as it melted on my fall-colored leaves, I knew I had to take some pictures of Queen Stella. The adorable sweater was a gift from my Whimsy Floral boss Liz, and it couldn't have looked cuter! Oh, and the reason that Stella is looking up in most of these pictures is because as the sun was melting the snow from the tree, snow kept falling on her face. She kept having to look up to investigate.

TIGHT SKILLS

My aunt's funeral went very well. Both of my parent's spoke, and I thought that they did such a lovely job. My friend Crystal was kind enough to come and sing my aunt's favorite song "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." I couldn't have been more grateful to her for doing that, it was the best part of the service.

Here is a picture of Stella's outfit. About this time last year, I kept seeing baby girls in tights. I told Brent that I wanted our baby to be a girl so I could put her in tights. It was great to fulfill my dreams both at the viewing and funeral as Stella showed off her tights-wearing skills.

At the luncheon following the funeral, my mom and I noticed that when you help Stella stand when she has shoes on she takes her right foot and kicks it up on the toe. So cute! Here is a picture of that very move. She is always ready to pose!

LAST NIGHT

When someone says to me: "In my dream last night...", I immediately try think to myself: "What else can I think about so I don't have to listen to this person's dream." So forgive me, because I want to talk about a dream I had last night. I was on some tour bus, and I felt like I was north of Seattle. And all of the sudden I saw the most beautiful sites. On my right and left were high hills with large leafs that had water coming down them falling from leaf to leaf creating the most lovely waterfall. And then we were driving up a canyon that had the most delightful flowers (one looked like a teacup). When we got to the top I got out of the bus to see the canyon glitter with gold and purple as sunlight and rainbows passed over the scene. Funny thing though...I was so busy trying to take a picture with my regular point and shoot...with NO success...that I missed just looking at the view and enjoying it. Which makes me laugh, because I am having a hard time living in the moment these days since I always want to take a picture of the moment. In my dream I determined to return to the site with my good camera.

With my aunt's passing I've been thinking about heaven, and when I woke up I thought: "that must be what heaven looks like." If that is the case, then heaven is just lovely. However, I hope that in heaven I have my SLR camera.

Last night Stella looked so cute in her outfit for my aunt's viewing. Since funerals are one place that I don't believe in taking pictures, no offense to anyone who has...I get it..family together and stuff, but I've always thought it was a little strange. So last night I took a few shots of the babe:

THINKING ABOUT HER

Nonalee Evans To Know Her Is to Love Her Nonalee Evans, age 55, passed away Nov. 2, 2008, at the home of her sister, after a valiant struggle with Breast Cancer. She was born in Salt Lake City on Sept. 18, 1953 to Norman and Beverlee Johnson Evans. Nonalee attended South High and earned a nursing degree from SLCC. Nonalee worked as a nurse for many years at Salt Lake Clinic and the Taylorsville Clinic and was loved by her patients, doctors and staff. She had many friends and enjoyed her time with them. Nonalee loved life! She treasured her children and grandchildren and spent a lot of time with them. Scrapbooking for her grandchildren was her most recent hobby. She loved her family. Survived by her parents; children, Charice (Kelly) Workman and Daniel (Chandell) Caputo; grandchildren, Tyler, Zak, Markaylee, Evan and Antonio; brother, Scott (Teresa) and sister, Mickeleen (Joe) Thomas; nieces, Michelle, Ashley, Lennon and Julia; nephews, Tyler and Matt; and two great-nieces, Ava and Stella. Funeral services will be held on Wed., Nov. 5, 2008, 2:00 p.m. at Redwood Memorial Mortuary, 6500 South Redwood Road, West Jordan. A viewing will be held Tues., 6-8 p.m. at the mortuary and one hour prior to services. Interment to follow. My grandma picked out that picture of Nonalee. Isn't it cute? She looks like she could be dancing with Nancy Sinatra to 'These boots are made for walkin'. Thank you to everyone who is thinking of me and my family at this time. I am feeling terribly peaceful, and perhaps happy at the passing of my aunt. She was so sick at the end, and I feel grateful that it is all over now. Of course I feel the most sad when I think of my sweet grandmother and grandfather and how they have to go through this. Now that I am a mom, I can't imagine having to bury your own daughter...no matter how old she is. Also, of course knowing that my dad just lost his sister is very hard for me to think about. Overall though I know she is still with us and is watching over little Stella who she was so very fond of. Nonalee started a journal, she got distracted by her scrapbooking though and there are only two entries. One of the two entries is about a day that my mom and I brought Stella up to visit her and how much she loved her. When my mom told me that, I think I cried the most then. I'm just so grateful for the time we all had with her before she passed away. To be honest there have been times when everyone's relationship with my aunt has been a bit strained, and I couldn't be more happy that we all had that time to say how much we loved her, and she could say it back. How beautiful is the Lord's wisdom in all things.

PEACE

My aunt Nonalee passed away early this morning. She is finally at peace.

BOO BABIES

I totally underestimated the adorable factor of two baby girls under six months of age in their first Halloween costumes. I took over 150 pictures for the occasion, and it was terribly tricky to decide which ones to share with all of you. I found Stella's pea costume in Phoenix last January, it was only $2.00 so I bought it. It ended up being just perfect. Stella was her typical go-with-the-flow self when she wore the outfit, and I couldn't get over her adorableness as she smiled in her pea costume.

Cousin Ava was a scary spider, and the two of them together was just almost too much. I'm not really that into Halloween, but with all the cute baby costumes out there it is hard not to want to dress up babies for ever day of the week! Enjoy the MANY pictures I just HAD to post of Stella and Ava.

TRICK-OR-TREAT

We only took the girls to to trick-or-treat at my aunt Mikeleen's house. My aunt Nonalee is there and is going to pass away any day now, so we were mostly trying to distract my grandma Evans from all the sad drama. We were a success, because the girls looked so cute in their costumes.

Then we to my house to see my Grandma and Grandpa Mabe one more time before their flight back to Caldwell, Idaho. Stella and Ava got to see both great-grands in one costume filled afternoon. Everyone wins in that situation!