Stephen, Noel, Lili, Bella, & Aspen Gibbons

Aspen Rosi Gibbons

2011-09-08T10:38:00.001-07:00

Little Aspen. The one word that defines Aspen is: angel. She is seriously the most well-behaved and mild-mannered baby that I've ever seen. I don't know exactly why I'm blessed with such sweet babies, but maybe I did something right in heaven :) Aspen is a smiley, chunky-thighed, zucchini-loving bundle of sweet cuteness....that's a pretty accurate description.

Update: short & to the point

2011-03-11T10:50:00.000-08:00

So I'm due in less than 6 weeks and I haven't even looked at my blog since the last time I posted. I admire those that post regularly. I guess the point of this post is to give you an update....the whole due in 6 weeks part...and let you know that I will post pics of the baby here or on facebook when we get a chance. We still are unsure of the name (maybe Aspen???) since Stephen and I have a hard time agreeing (I guess he's not a fan of cute names). I think that's it. Yes, it is.

#2-Filled Days

2010-09-10T17:04:00.001-07:00

Remember how in the last blog I wrote that I want to record every moment of the girl's lives...well, I changed my mind. Bella has started that "disgusting beyond belief" toddler phase. Here are her top three "garbage pail kid" type behaviors:
1) reaching into her diaper and eating what she gets (yes, fingers in mouth, licking, swallowing...everything).
2) reaching into the toilet and drinking the toilet water with her hands (luckily, Lili always remembers to flush the toilet).
3) reaching into the garbage and eating what she finds inside.
Yes, we feed her enough, I promise. I did not have this problem with Lili at all, so it's all new to me. I know what it's like to be a parent that has to constantly chase after her child. But it's fine. Bella's too cute to ever get mad at or grossed out by...unless she's covered from head to toe in her own feces (I'm sure all parents have experienced one version or other of this).
So now you all know the joys of parenthood that we're experiencing right now with sweet little Bella.
Oh and by the way, I'm pregnant with baby #3...just in case any of you didn't know :)

Because I'm almost thirty and my memory will fade...

2010-08-02T17:04:00.001-07:00

I want to record every moment of the girl's lives so I don't forget. I always see cute or funny little things they do and think to myself "I have to write that one down" and there's so many of them and so little time that I forget. But I don't want to forget.
Anabella Daisi:
I get to bring the girls to work and Bella is quite the handful there. She gets into EVERYTHING. Her two favorite things to do when we're not watching are to reach into the toilet and drink the water from her hands (luckily it's been flushed every time) and to push down the water handle on the water dispenser so she can drink it until there's water all over the carpet and all over her clothes.
Her favorite foods are fruit snacks, very ripe blueberries, and anything with a straw (especially Jamba juice smoothies). She pretty much eats anything.
She is beautiful with those big blue eyes and small sweet lips and adorable little nose and big smile. She still has four teeth; two on top and two on bottom; although that's going to change soon since she has two more growing in on the sides. She hardly ever cries unless she's tired or hurting, but she is really loud at church. She wants to crawl around, make noise, look at everyone, touch everything...yeah, let's just say we can't wait until she can go to nursery (only 3 months and 17 days left).
She has her little rocker chair that she sits on and watches cartoons with Lili or watches Stephen's Mario Galaxy game. She loves to stand up on it and rock it back and forth like she's on a mechanical bull. She's not afraid of anything.
Lili Noel:
She's taking swimming lessons at the Lindon pool. She finished her level 1 lessons last week and started level 2 today. In level 1 she had a little girl friend and her teacher (also a girl) was awesome. This morning we get there and Lili sees that in her new class there's just two little boys and a BOY teacher. She grabbed my leg and didn't want to go. I had to push her into the pool. Once in, though, she didn't want to come out.
Lili's favorite toys are her Littlest Pet Shop animals. She spent her last ten dollars buying two small, teeny animals that don't move or do anything for $5 each (I guess she doesn't understand the value of hard earned money yet). But she loves them and she pretends they talk to each other. She takes them swimming (in the sink), puts them to bed (in her shoes) and sticks them in her purse to take along wherever she goes.
Lili's favorite drink is V8 fusion (the acai berry kind)...yeah she's 6 and she chooses that as her favorite drink over rootbeer or slushies...I must be an AMAZING mother (this had nothing to do with me, I hate that drink).
Lili loves to play with her friends (when I look outside I see them throwing sticks at our big hole in the yard or putting rocks in our flowerpot...how can kids be so easily amused? Love them for that) and play Super Mario Galaxy with her dad, and she loves swimming (she calls it swimming but it's more like sitting on a floatie in the pool).

"Sort of like a kind of hero"

2010-07-19T16:08:00.000-07:00

You know how when you're little you dream of being a superhero? I don't know necessarily what it is about them. Maybe it's their supernatural powers, or their incredible strength, or amazing courage. Maybe part of what makes a superhero a hero is the fact that people want to be like them for one reason or another. I didn't really have dreams of being a superhero, but I guess as I get older, I would like to consider myself a "hero" in someone's eyes. Today I realized that I already am one to somebody. I guess I knew it all along, but today it really hit me. It was one of those "Wow, someone wants to be like me!" and also one of those "Wow, someone wants to be like ME?!?"
At first I had no idea what she was doing. She asked me for two bottle caps and a pen. She then proceeded to take out the plastic round clear thing (I think it's called a pressure seal)inside the caps with her pen. I turned away thinking "kids are just weird" and didn't think much of it. A few minutes later Lili comes up to me with one pressure seal over each eye and says "Look mama, I have contacts just like you." It was funny and weird and cute all at the same time. Where does she come up with that stuff? Then I remembered all the times that Lili has put on my shoes and said "Look Mama, I'm tall like you" or "Look Mama, I have a baby just like you" as she grabs her doll and holds it the way I hold Bella. She wants to stir the soup like me, and talk like me, and even stand like me.
After I got over being flattered, I started to do one of those self-evaluations. Do I really want my daughter to be like me? Do I really want her to copy what I do? Most of the times I could answer "yes", but sometimes, I had to answer "no." Sometimes, I think I learn more from my children than they do from me. And I'm the hero?

Just sharing a cone...

2010-07-13T19:49:00.000-07:00

Kids are awesome.

"A little bitter; mostly sweet"

2010-07-05T14:56:00.000-07:00

We went to Bear Lake for our annual Carvalho family vacation. It started out with a downer when Argentina lost to Germany...it's a little painful to write about it, so I'll just move on away from that topic. We did a lot in those three days: rode wave runners (not really my thing when it was my first time riding and Stephen was driving so fast we caught air and I thought I was going in the water for sure), played beach volleyball (Flav did his awesome kick serves), spent hours on the beach, fed the carps that gnawed on our toes, played Chin Chon, tried to beat Punch Out on the Wii, went to the pool with Jade and Maya's so-loved floaties, participated in mate sessions (Stephen just pointed out how weird that sounds, but I mean "mate" as in the Argentine herbal drink), waited hours to get shakes, went to the park where they had a cool charity auction where they sold exercise clothes for $55, sat in the hot tub and saw the most amazing starry sky, played tennis (Stephen and I got worked...yes, I'll admit it), and ate delicious chocolate covered raspberries. It was good to be with the kids and see them playing together, stealing each others stuff, giving each other kisses, and sometimes tucking each other's ears (little Bella's trademark). I think Stephen became a little more Argentine this trip. The last night we were there, Lili said "I wish this day could last forever". So yes, it was mostly sweet.

Arches National Park

2010-05-21T16:08:00.000-07:00

Stephen and I LOVE Arches. We decided that we're going to retire there. The combination of the sun, smell of sunscreen, two beautiful little girls, one hot husband, amazing hikes, zen-ish gardens, unique red rock, majestic arches, and my camera to capture it all made it one amazing little trip. We worried about how Bella and Lili would do, but leaving them behind was not an option. We wanted them to enjoy the place that Stephen and I love so much. We did not regret bringing them for one second (maybe except for those few seconds when Bella spilled her milk all over the car making it smell DISGUSTINGLY SICKNING, or the one time that Lili's tummy hurt and she had to be carried up the Delicate Arch trail). But those are minor things and the girls added so much to the trip. It was fun to share everything with Lili and to narrate to her stories of the past when Stephen and I came with Tricky, Reagan, and Brando. Bre and Jarred came up the last night we were here, which added to the experience. I hope heaven has a mini-version of Arches.

Three Days in Zion

2010-04-01T18:28:00.000-07:00

In 2006, Stephen and I went to Zions National Park with our friend Brando. The trip included a fire that almost scorched our campsite and gear, Brando wearing only a speedo and captain's hat and talking in a German accent, the Georgie Boy veering off the road a few times, staying at Cheddar's mom's house and trespassing into the neighbor's pool, a perfect star carved in a rock, and swimming in the coolest swimming hole. But most of all, it strengthened the "friendship" between Stephen and I.

I will spare you the shot of Brando in a speedo, unless some want to see it in all its glory, in which case I will add it in the future. Anyway, we got the chance to go again for three days a few weeks ago with Shayne and Angie. It was sad to leave the girls (it was the first time we left Bella for more than a few hours since she was born. Thanks Lydia and Tiffany for watching them!) but we had tons of fun. Besides Zions being beautiful, serene and majestic, it brought back memories of the beginning of Stephen and I as "becoming more than friends." If you need to be reminded of the beauty in this world, I recommend spending a few days in Zions or Moab.

Lili's 6th Birthday

2010-03-04T12:12:00.000-08:00

Lili's been talking about her birthday party since before her last one ended. The combination of a Spongebob cake, lots of presents, shooting balls at friends, pizza, and jumping all over the place made for a perfect birthday for her.

Christmas 2009

2009-12-26T17:11:00.000-08:00

It came and went. Christmas is over now, but hopefully these pictures captured some precious moments I hope to never forget. I think I'm finally growing up...it probably happened little by little..but now I'm realizing that I'm really, really, getting old..or older. I always worried about this, the whole getting older and wiser thing, but I think I'm going to do just fine. The other day while driving I realized that there was no music playing. Then I realized that there hasn't been music playing for a while. I got kind of sick of it. Really, I did. I preferred silence. That was a growing up moment for me. And lately, especially over the last few days, I realized that the things I'm most grateful for are the simple things: family, warm stuff (beds, heaters, warm showers, warm cars...I REALLY like warmth), health...I could go on and on, but the main thing is family. I'm so grateful for Stephen, Lili, and Bella. I feel so incredibly grateful for every day that I have with them. There are so many others who are struggling with health or are just trying to survive every day. Families are torn apart. I have mine. We are happy, healthy, and incredibly blessed. Life is good.
Anyway...back to Christmas....
As with all holidays, we prepared by doing Christmas-y things: decorating the house, looking at Christmas lights, sampling different kinds of hot chocolate, adding tons of Christmas movies to our Netflix queue, and also, baking cookies...

I asked Lili if she wanted to wrap her own presents or if she wanted me to do it and of course, she wanted to wrap her own (anything that lets her use tons of tape). Presents from Lili are special..especially because of the wrapping job...

Christmas Eve was spent waiting for Stephen to get off work, so we could start the real holiday, and then visiting the parents. We stopped off at my parent's first and then his parents'. Ted gave a great FHE where he talked about hedges that protect us from evil. I was reminded of the importance of doing those usual things discussed in church: reading scriptures, praying, tithing, callings, etc because those things make make up the hedges that protect us from the bad in the world. It was a good lesson. We then wrote down our gifts to Jesus. On the way home we looked at Christmas lights, had hot chocolate, and attempted to watch "A Charlie Brown Christmas." It wasn't quite as entertaining as I remember it being when I was little. Lili was the only one that didn't fall asleep after the first ten minutes.

Here is a shot of the living room in the morning...before the mess...

Poor Santa must have had quite the time shoving all those gifts into the stocking....Yes, he did...

And of course, the unwapping of presents...

Lili's favorite gift, the one thing she asked Santa for, was (as she says) "the baby that pees"...

After opening presents, we went to Stephen's parents' house. We got there about an hour after they started opening presents, we weren't too worried about being late though, we knew we'd still get to witness the last two hours ;) Bexi and John were Santa this year and got to hand out presents. They had MANY to distribute...

This is the amazing, loved by all (especially the grandkids), huge, pain-to-put up Gibbons Christmas tree...

So for our gift we got the picture that Stephen has been wanting for years. He asked a few years ago, didn't get it because it was over the budget alloted to each child and didn't give up trying. Finally, poor Lydia let him (us) have it...

The next few hours were spent watching "Up," playing MarioKart on the DS and playing a long game of Monopoly (Ted, you were right).

Later that afternoon, the Carvalho's and Binks' came over to our house for more Christmas get-together-ing.
We opened more presents, had some usual Argentine Christmas snacks (milanesa bites, nuts, crackers and cheese, mate cocido, alfajores, and of course Coca Cola), and practiced our tennis skills on the Wii.

The last hour of Christmas was spent playing Mario on the Wii and watching the "Christmas Story." I fell asleep again (I fall asleep during about 85% of movies if it's after midnight. Maybe that also goes along with the older thing...). I was sad that Christmas was over, but I'm anxious to see what will happen next year...

Halloween 2009

2009-11-03T18:03:00.000-08:00

So yes; we moved, had a beautiful baby named Anabella Daisi Gibbons, and had our big girl, Lili, start Kindergarten. Not the most appropriate way to start a Halloween blog, but since I haven't blogged about it yet, I figured I would include that (just in case any of you weren't aware :)
Halloween lasted quite a while at our house (mainly since I decorated in September. I figure that the holiday comes and goes so fast..why not enjoy it as long as you possibly can?) We did some of the usual activities...like...
carving pumpkins

and lots of other fun activities like..
making caramel apples

going to Hee Haws..

..where we also went on a hay ride. The kids had to yell "Hee Haw" to get the candy...

making Halloween cookies

and of course, dressing up and trick or treating. We took Lili to the mall, both grandparents' house, and then some "rich" houses. She got hooked up.

And no, Stephen is not a "pig fairy." He's actually the "swine flu." He's adorable!
We ended our Halloween holiday with "the Nightmare Before Christmas" and our yummy caramel apples.

It was probably my favorite Halloween yet!

Zoo Day

2009-05-18T10:03:00.000-07:00

So Stephen and I finally had a day off at the same time (this is a RARE thing), so we decided to go to Hogle Zoo. It was really crowded and pretty hot, but still tons of fun. Lili's favorite parts: Kristy (the elephant) and her tricks, the giraffes, and the penguins. After, we stopped at the "This is the Place Monument" but were too tired to walk around, so we ditched it and went to Ruth's Diner up Emigration Canyon. It turned out to be a fun day off...at least until we got home and had to get back to packing :(

Preparing for big sisterhood...

2009-05-09T15:52:00.000-07:00

Lili is so excited to be a big sister. She loves taking care of babies (Lili calls any kid her age or younger a "cute little baby"). She has practiced with dolls for years and now she is moving on to the real "babies." She will be such a big help with her little sister who should be here within weeks!!

My Birthday Dinner Selection

2009-04-22T12:11:00.000-07:00

So Stephen asks me where I want to go eat dinner on my birthday; I could choose anywhere. My decision: the Mayan. I know what most people think about their food: that it's not very good or that it "sucks" and I probably agree a little, but I love the place and the atmosphere. I love the sound of the water, the artifacts and explorer-type atmostphere when you come in, the trees and jungle-ish feeling inside, and the dim lighting. Lili also is a huge fan (as probably all kids are).

Easter 2009

2009-04-15T15:21:00.001-07:00

Lili didn't have one easter egg hunt this year...or even two...she had three egg hunts plus her basket hunt..yes, she is a bit spoiled (but she's so cute she deserves it). In the morning, Stephen hid some eggs outside his parent's back yard, and Lili had fun having her very own hunt. After opening her eggs and gathering the candy, she then got to hunt for her easter basket. In her basket was tons MORE candy and goodies. That afternoon, we went to Stephen's parent's house for the April b-day dinner, afterwhich the kids got together for Lili's second hunt. Next, we went to my parent's house, where Lili got to have her 3rd hunt. My parent's had a cute idea: they had specialized hunts: one for Lili, one for baby Jade (which consisted of a few eggs and fruit snacks thrown on the grass where she could reach them), and even one for the adults. So Lili got MORE candy and goodies.

We decided to make rice krispie chocolate eggs. Lili's favorite part: the chocolate.

Stephen led me on my own hunt for my easter basket. In it was lots of ring pops and other goodies and a card telling me that proposing (which he did last year on Easter Sunday) was the best decision he ever made. Really???

Beautiful baby Jade

Sweet 11-day old Maya

Cute Chunky Cameron

Lili and her basket: before the multiple egg hunts

Lili and her goods after the multiple egg hunts

My not so litte Lili face...

2009-03-10T18:53:00.000-07:00

My little Lili face is not so little anymore. I had the chance to make her a photo book of her first four years and I was reminded of just how amazing and unique she is. She has been through my side through good and bad, and has taught me many lessons. She is growing into a beautiful little girl (no more baby...at least for a few months until the baby comes :) She's always liked looking cute, but lately, she's REALLY been into dressing up. She has a funny style though: She dresses up any outfit: her casual clothes, her church clothes, her pajamas; she just adds a tiara, jewelry, high-heeled shoes, and a mound of lip gloss. She is such a little model!

Lili's B-day Party- Jan 2009

2009-01-30T18:25:00.000-08:00

So we figured that this would be Lili's last birthday party as an only child and decided to let her choose her destination and theme. Of course, she chose a care bear party at Jump On It. She had her strawberry-short-cake-themed party there last year and absolutely loved it. She couldn't have had more fun. Thanks to everyone who came!!
With nails painted pink, a brand new outfit, and hair curled and full of glitter; an excited Lili heads to her party.

We got the beach room...didn't really go with the Care Bear theme, but it was cute.

Lili, Jayci, & Bianca jumping....actually, sitting.

Lili, Caleb, Chloe, and Cassie taking a pizza break.

Lili and Talon.

My mom made the cake and it was amazing: homemade white cake with dulce de leche and homemade whipped cream...Argentina-style!

Tiago, Lili, and Tiffany. Lili calls them her "Seven Peaks friends".

Cecilia and I with her adorable kids.

Family Pics- Jan 2009

2009-01-24T11:29:00.001-08:00

So for those of you who don't know the amazing talent of my sister...here's some pictures she took of our family. Her website www.camillabinks.com will demonstrate more of her talent. In the summer we will have to take updated ones with our new family member :)

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Vegas 2009

2009-01-07T12:28:00.000-08:00

So we figured this was our last chance to take a little trip (since Stephen started school again on Jan. 6 and then the baby would come shortly after the semester). Our chosen destination: Vegas. I personally love the place. Yes, it's a dump of a city which some think will be one of the first to burn during the second coming...but, if you go and steer away from the filth, you can have a lot of fun. It made for a great family trip to start off 2009!

What four-year old can sit in the back of a car for 6 hours without complaining much? Lili. She was so good...Stephen's Nintendo DS helped a bit. They both share a passion for games!

This was a fishtank in one of the casinos. Lili loves fishtanks!

First thing Stephen and Lili did when they got to the room...pillow fight!

I love the MGM. We saw lions, walked by the fountains, ate at the rainforest cafe, and took the tram.

Lili loves M&M's, so she was in heaven at the M&M Factory!

Gameworks was fun. Lili and Stephen both love the arcade.

Caesar's Palace is amazing. It's fun just walking by the forum shops. On the way to the Cheesecake factory we saw some cool fountains and aquariums. The Atlantis show is right outside the Cheesecake Factory and shows every hour.

Walking the strip was fun...but it was really really cold!

At the Mirage, we went to the Dolphin & Lion Habitat where we saw dolphins, lions, swans, llamas, and leopards. Lili loved the dolphins! At night, we were warmed by the volcano.

Madame Toussad's Wax Museum was fun. My camera died after 2 photos, but we loved it.

Something you may not have known about Lili: she can practically quote every Spongebob episode. So you can image how excited she was to go to the Spongebob 4-D movie. She was scared at first, but by the end, she wanted to do it all over again.

Lili's favorite part of the trip: the rides at Circus Circus.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-27T14:21:00.000-08:00

Our first Christmas as a family was so much fun. We spent Christmas Eve at my parent's house, with all my immediate family. We had an amazing dinner (all meals by my Mom are amazing), and then acted out the nativity scene. Flav and Michelle played Joseph and Mary, and baby Cameron was baby Jesus. I was the angel (very appropriate role for me...yeah right...), and Mike and Stephen were wisemen. Mike even carried a sheep (it was really a stuffed bunny but it was supposed to be a sheep). The performance was spectacular...at least the audience that consisted of Lili, Camila, baby Jade, and my Dad, thought it was. Then we sang each of our favorite Christmas songs. The funnest choices to sing: Lili's (I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas) and Mike's (Last Christmas by George Michael). Then we had even more amazing food (the best Argentine dessert EVER)and opened presents.

It was about 11:30 by the time we left my parent's, and we told Lili she had to hurry to bed since Santa wouldn't stop at our house if she was awake. I have never seen that child say a faster bedtime prayer in my life. She started before Stephen and I even knelt down. But it worked. Santa came :)
Christmas Day began with a trip down the hall to Stephen's parents house where we had the traditional opening of presents...one by one. I don't quite know how I feel about taking turns with so many people, but it turned out to be a lot of fun.

After a couple of hours of opening presents there, we anxiously went back to our apartment to open our presents. We started out with our stockings.

Lots of good stuff!
Then we got on with the big stuff. Stephen's main prized gift: A blu-ray DVD player. My fav gift: a Coolpix touchscreen camera. Lili's goods lined the living room floor. With an easy-bake oven, baby with crib and other accessories, drum, tambourine, fairytopia barbie, moonsand, Mr. Potato head, Spongebob DVDs, puzzles, and other goodies, she definitely made out like a bandit.

We played games (more accurately, Stephen played games; I played one and then took a nap), and Lili played with her cousins. Then we went and saw Seven Pounds (a great movie) and finished the night off with Fred Claus (not that great of a movie).
We have been so blessed this year, and were so fortunate to have such a great Christmas. It was a perfect way to start our Christmas history as our own little family!

Snow Excursion

2008-12-20T19:29:00.000-08:00

Early this morning, Stephen and Lili headed out on a sledding excursion; both excited and anxious to get out in the snow. About three and a half hours later, they returned: Lili's hair soaked and Stephen recounting how Lili hit an unnoticeable bump (at least it was unnoticeable at first), and fell underneath tube. Lili adds in a sad 'I-barely-made-it' kind of voice, "Yeah, I fell off Mama. And there was snow all over. And my stomach's all red and cold." She then proceeds to prove her point by taking her shirt off. "So," I say to her,"you didn't have any fun?"
She then replies in the most excited voice, "It was SO MUCH FUN Mama!"
Kids...gotta love them!

Coldplay, November '08

2008-11-26T17:11:00.000-08:00

One word: Amazing. I've loved Coldplay since I heard it on Stephen's phone back in 2006. Little did he know that his ringtone would turn into this "obsession" with their music. The play count on my ipod for their songs is ridiculous (it's almost embarrasing to admit), but they range from 350-450 plays per song (this is NOT an exaggeration). So you can imagine how excited I was for this concert.
It was an amzing show. The highlight was when the band ran offstage for no apparent reason, and then appears at the side entrance right next to the aisle where Stephen and I were sitting. They played a couple songs there, allowing us to get good footage and pictures. That is the closest I will ever be to Coldplay. Their songs are incredible and the band is incredible. They are nice guys, who you could tell were grateful to be there. Chris has amazing energy and was running all over the stage (he was definitely not boring to watch). Each song was entertaining, with the cool stage effects (they had REALLY coold lazers, globes, confetti, and lighting effects) and the amazing crowd which got so loud at times that they left Stephen's ears ringing.
It was one truly, truly, unforgettable night!

Halloween 2008

2008-11-04T11:14:00.001-08:00

Besides the fact that Lili was scared of Stephen and wouldn't look at him for a couple hours, Halloween was pretty fun this year.
Stephen knew what he wanted to be since he saw "Dark Knight" (now you see my reason for the template) and was obsessed with the joker. He decided his long hair was perfect for the role, which was the deciding factor on his costume. Getting this costume together was quite the task.
Like previous years, we took Lili trick or treating at the mall, which is always an interesting experience. Lili is not like other kids that yell "TRICK or TREAT" and anxiously grab the candy. No, instead she hesitantly walks up while getting pushed by the other kids, tries to grab my hand, stands there shyly while the person tries to put candy in her bag, until I finally have to open it for her so the candy won't fall all over the ground. One time, a guy told her to say "trick or treat" or she couldn't get candy, and she looked away and hid behind my legs and was upset because she did not want to say it. That changed her mood from a semi-interested one, to a completely non-interested "get-me-the-heck-out-of-here" kind of mood. So after being there for half an hour or so, we left.
Next stop was "Papasch's" (my mom's) house. She was looking forward to this part the most. There she quadrupled her goods as my parents gave her candy bar after candy bar, and she posed for endless pictures. She showed them her mermaid shoes that lit up and her pretty bracelet, and laughed like crazy at my mom's pumpkin costume.
After trick or treating, we got together with some friends at Stephen's parents' house to play games. Lili watched a Halloween movie of her choice (of course, none other than Spongebob's Halloween episodes). At midnight, she still wasn't tired, so we made her lay down in bed until she finally fell asleep.
It's definitely true that Halloween is much more enjoyable with kids. Although Lili's not much of a trick or treater, she has been looking forward to this day since January. Her costume preference changed from Care Bear, to butterfly, to princess, back to Care bear, to Cinderalla, until finally she saw the coveted mermaid costume at the Disney store. She was in love. She already decided her costume for next year: Cinderella...yeah right!

From two to...LOTS!

2008-10-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

Lili's new obsession: Care bears. She loves them. Blue ones, pink ones, rainbow ones, candy ones, even grumpy ones. She covers them, feeds them, sings to them, and when we make a trip to Walmart, at least two of them come along for the ride.

My favorite care bear moment was when we were trying to help Lili overcome her shyness in preparation for the Primary Program in sacrament. We borrowed Lydia's karoake set and tried to get Lili to say her line into the microphone. Stephen and I gently coaxed her, bribed her, started getting impatient, then gently coaxed again until FINALLY she said them. She loved the sound of her voice in the microphone, but when the next Sunday came, which was the last practice before the "big show", Lili froze and would not talk in the microphone. Then we realized: the audience; that's what she was afraid of. It wasn't the microphone, it was the sea of faces. So Stephen came up with the brilliant idea: use her care bears as the audience. This is the moment I realized just HOW MANY care bears Lili really had. With the care bears in place, she walked to the microphone, waved at the care bear she had labeled as "Papasch" (which is her g-ma's nickname)and then said her lines PERFECTLY. It was so cute. She loved her care bear audience.

Although all this practice didn't pay off (during the Primary program she walked to the microphone, hid, froze, and would not move until I went up there and said her line for her), watching her practice with her "audience" was definitely one of those moments you hope you never forget!

Best Day Ever

2008-10-07T10:36:00.000-07:00

Our story is not a common one. The journey begins in 1999 at Papa John's. The years brought a stronger friendship as lives changed. With a mission, a marriage, a child, a divorce, previous relationships, and other struggles, this friendship grew; unaltered by any challenge or milestone.
In the fall of 2007, this friendship progressed to more, and after dating for 7 months, Stephen proposed on Easter 2008. Leading me through an egg hunt, I read each poetic clue which led me to a special place in our relationship, until I reached Dry Canyon and hiked Heaven's Gate to meet my soon-to-be fiance. We sat down, as he proceeded to read his last poem, which was sweeter and truer to us than anything I've ever heard. As he finished, he grabbed a basket that contained one more egg. He knelt down, opened the egg and asked the question. I didn't hesitate for a second. Of course, I said Yes.

The next four months seemed to crawl by. A trip to Argentina was the highlight of those months. Stephen met all my relatives. They liked "Estiven". He became part of the family from the beginning.

I will never forget July 25, 2008. I wanted to freeze every moment, every action, every aspect of that day. It began at 10am in the Mt. Timpanogos Temple. Stephen's Uncle Dan conducted the sealing. His words were wise and inspirational, full of advice for the rest of our marriage. My favorite part was kneeling across from Stephen. This was my husband...

Taking pictures in a wedding dress for hours in 100-degree weather may have a negative connotation to some, but we enjoyed it. We had the most AMAZING photographer (my beautiful and talented sister Camila) and she made it go over smoothly and painlessly...although we were anxious to get to the Papa John's pizza.

The luncheon was held at the Gibbons' home. Table after table lined the downstairs, full of decorations, and piles of boxes of pizza. After Chris and Camila gave their cute little speeches, Stephen stood up and yes, he started to tear up. This was unexpected. I knew he loved me, but those tears showed me just how much. I stood up after him, attempting to push a couple tears out, but my eyes failed me. Oh well, Stephen cried for the both of us :)

The reception was at the Provo Castle Ampitheatre. I will never forget how beautiful it looked. As we pulled up, we saw my mom, and many members of Stephen's family, still rushing to get things done. I will forever be grateful for all the hard work that was put into making this amazing day happen. Every lemon drop, every sandwich, every lantern or candle, EVERYTHING was perfect and more beautiful than I had ever hoped. As the hours flew by, I tried to save every image in my mind. Our first dance was to "Invincible" by the Muse. A non-traditional wedding selection, this was denifinitely "our song". Together, Stephen and I truly are invincible...

As the reception came to a close, sparklers were lit, and as we ran down the fire-lit stairs and struggled to keep our hair from burning, we couldn't help laughing. Our joy could not be contained. My mom was at the bottom of the stairs. I hugged her tightly, hoping to show her my gratitude through touch, and then grabbed Stephen's hand. We ran. We ran to his car which was covered in shaving cream and oreos. After waves and pictures, we drove off...the wrong way, turned around and drove the right way, followed by more waves and pictures.

The day was almost over. I didn't want it to end. But the excitement wasn't over...we were headed for Vegas :)

2008-10-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

January 24, 2004

2008-10-07T08:30:00.000-07:00

Birth...
Place: Orem Community Hospital, Orem, UT
Date: January 24, 2004
Time: 2:09am
Weight: 6 lbs 5 oz
Length: 20 1/2 in

She came within 4 1/2 hours. I will always be thankful to Lili for that. She was perfect. With all her fingers and all her toes, she cried instantly; a strong, loud cry. She was a calm, sweet, well-behaved baby. She slept the whole night through after 6 weeks (don't hate me for this), crawled at 8 months, and walked at 13 months. She hasn't stopped since. Her favorites then involved Dora and Diego, peas and ham, Chuck E Cheese, parks (especially with the "purple slide"), my sister's dog Baxter, "Big" and "Little" Vegas, getting her nails painted, talking on the phone, and picking flowers.

Nicknames:
Burrito, Face, Wella, Booty, Burger (still used by Flav & Michelle), cutieface (Stephen's latest).

Current Favorites:
TV shows/movies: Spongebob, Care Bears, Fairytopia
Primary song: I Love to see the temple (she sings it over and over and OVER)
colors: pink and purple
Other: spending time with "Papasch", making soup (by throwing random things in a pan and stirring it), banging whatever she can find to use as "drums", watching movies with mama and Stephen, wearing her princess shoes and fairy wings, writing her own "books" and reading them, signing her name, drawing pictures of spongebob holding hands with her Uncle Flavio, her nightly 1-2-3 tuck in, and buying shoes.