Category Archives: Photos

The photo evidence that will one day be our ruin.

The most beautiful gift

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This year’s Christmas holiday had us on the road for 14 days. While gone, we did rounds to both the Anderson and Walston households, took a side trip to the Walston Cabin, and then Steve and I took a mini-trip to Las Vegas. You could say that we are crazy, or you could just chalk it up to plain old garden-variety, family-related holiday travel. When it comes to holidays and family, this is just what you do.

Each year, Christmas with Stella gets more and more fun. This year was the first year that the concept of Santa even registered on her radar. I’m still not sure that she completely understands how the whole puzzle fits together, but she was an excellent sport about playing along. I may actually take her to see Santa next year – but no promises. Uncle Scott even made her some reindeer food to sprinkle out on the front yard. (It was made of oats and glitter and was consumed – in entirety – by Lily who then left beautiful and sparkly presents all over the lawn the next day.)

Although we received many, many wonderful gifts, one of the most touching moments of my entire Christmas season was receiving a bag full of hand-made gifts from Stella. When I went to pick her up at school on the last day before break, she excitedly handed me a blue gift bag with a little note attached addressed to Mommy and Daddy. As we were walking out to the car, she excitedly explained to me how she had wrapped them all by herself with paper and tape. Her enthusiasm and genuine excitement in explaining that these were her Christmas presents to us immediately made my eyes start to water.

I have always remembered something Annie once said about her mom. “I could have handed her a stick, and she would not only tell me how much she loved it, but that it was the most beautiful stick she had ever seen. And she’d mean it.” After meeting her mom, I have no doubt this is absolutely true.

Later that night, as we opened all of our gifts to each other, Stella ceremonially presented us with her little blue bag. Inside were two small balls of tissue paper bound together with about 6 feet of scotch tape. In the paper we found a small, decorated baby-food jar with colorful paper glued all over it and a tea light inside, an orange studded with cloves, and a little yellow fleece scarf. “Look Mommy, I made these for you and Daddy. Do you like them?”

To which, I said, “They are beautiful. I love them.” And, with all of my heart, I couldn’t have meant it more.

stella
(click on photo to see entire set)

Winter Wonderland

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The trip to the cabin went something like this: Stella, this is snow. Snow, this is Stella. I am sure you will both be fast friends.

I have always remarked that I think Stella was born with an impaired fear instinct. As in, she seems to fear nothing but the vacuum cleaner, the hand-vac and the hairdryer. Snarling dog? Doesn’t phase her. Careening down a hill on a toboggan? Bring it. She even went so far as to get mad when the afternoon snow got too slushy to provide adequate speed. I fear she is going to head into her adult life with a dirty house, bad hair style and as a career contestant on Fear Factor.

Building a snowman was a fleeting pass-time until she could once again go out front and scale the snow-mountain that had been created at the end of the snow-plow route. She scoffed at the steps that were loviningly carved into it by her doting Gramps, and opted to scale the opposite side like an arctic mountain goat.

And don’t even get me started on the pleasure she took in getting free reign to throw snow at anyone who would come within 10 feet of her.

As an added benefit, Stella’s need to leave no snowflake unturned provided Porter with ample opportunity to indulge in his favorite pass-time: watching his sister.

As for photos, yes there were many, but here are some of my favorites…

porter

snowman

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steve and porter

stella and steve

stella

The case of Walston v. Walston

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Witness Exhibit A:

stella

I’d like you to draw your eye, specifically, to one sage green overall dress (“the dress”) that has been in said subject’s closet for close to 6 months now; unworn, unseen, unloved.

Now, may I present Exhibit B:

stella

I invite you to pay special attention to the location of the pockets of “the dress” (approaching the middle of the back), indicating the notable size incongruity between “the dress” and the person on whose body it currently resides.

May I present to the jury that on roughly 6,457 occasions over the past 6 months, it has been suggested that the subject wear “the dress”, to which, the response has consistently and resoundingly been “NOOOOOOOO!” May it also be stated that this may be the only child on the planet who, with some regularity, has to be bribed with coins to wear various pieces of her own clothing.

May I present to the jury that on this, the 20th day in the 12th month of the year 2006, said subject INSISTED that she wear “the dress” regardless of the fact that it was indicated that it’s size was no longer adequate, and the side fastening devices could not be adequately secured. And, let it further be stated that, much to parental dismay, “the dress” was worn to school.

I ask the jury to overlook the subject’s doe eyes and bubbly personality, and find her guilty of being three.