Stella bo bella

It is so amazing to me that Mara is already a year and a half. She says so many things! The other day she was eating a banana, but calls most fruit an apple, and when I asked her what she was eating she told me "ban-apple". She came and asked "want to watch animals" so she could watch one of her little animal videos that she so enjoys.
She loves to read books and she loves to accessorize. Usually we can't go anywhere without her little purses she likes to carry around, and usually a necklace, a hat and shoes to match. She carries her purses around the house, or where ever we are at, taking things out and then putting them back in. She likes to share her toys too. She'll walk the aisles at church giving her toys to grandmas and others in the ward. It works out well, because then I get to talk to more people as they bring the toys back. She has this idea that since we've been in nursery for the last several months at church, that that is where we should be. However, due to some recent and major ward changes, I am not the nursery leader anymore, so she doesn't understand when I take her to nursery, but that we don't stay there to play with the other kids. The ward changes are these: They dissolved all the wards in our stake boundaries, and drew new congregation/ward lines, and released anyone serving in any calling. They called Bishoprics to serve in each of the new wards in the Stake, gave all the wards a new name, and turned the Bishoprics loose to reorganize the entire wards with all callings in 2 weeks. It has been amazing. Everyone at church is "new"! They asked me to serve as the 2nd Counselor in a new primary presidency, when I was sure they would put me right back in where I was as nursery leader and cub scout assistant den leader. I am excited about this change, and glad I will still get to help with the cub scouts.
Mara still enjoys playing with her puppy, Stella. They chase and play through the house, Mara giggles and Stella wags her tail happily.
Mara has become such a little talker! She was playing with some crayons and after several reminders of "we don't put crayons in mouths" and "not in your mouth" I had to take the crayon away from her because it was again in her mouth. She pouted a little and followed me with the confiscated crayon reaching out for it saying "Not in mouth! Not in mouth!" as if pleading for me to give it back as she had learned her lesson.
Anyways, here are a few of many long over-due pictures.

Sept 6th, Day of the Stake changes

New suit, new hat... really good deals!

This picture cracks me up! She loved playing in the little car at a friend's house, but can you see the Ruby Red Slipper under the wheel? She ran over the witch!