Chocolate

I LOVE chocolate! I can pass up the salt, sugary sweet stuff but chocolate.. it's like a little piece of heaven for me. My favorite are these bad boys with a whooping 500 calories per chocolate donut. I don't care though, it's worth every single calorie... that was the case up until my little man decided for me that chocolate donuts are NOT the healthiest breakfast! Darn it. He is making me give up MY best- worst habit.

Since Hank's sole source of food is me, we have noticed a trend in his behavior with certain foods I eat and chocolate is one thing that he does not tolerate. Every time I have eaten a large amount of chocolate (which.. sadly.. is more times than I would like to admit), the following day he is very fussy.. like his little stomach is just hurting. Poor guy! So sadly, so sadly I have given up on my chocolate donuts and I have a MUCH happier baby and healthier mom. Now... I'm not giving up on chocolate completely.. heavens no, that would be against everything I believe in, but it's just not my "main food group" anymore. I have had to resort to bland- healthy breakfasts.. like wheat toast or oatmeal, boring! The things we sacrifice for our kids. :) All joking aside, I would sacrifice anything and everything I have for my kiddo's.. even if it meant giving up on chocolate donuts AND Diet Coke for the rest of my life.. I would do it because I love them THAT much!

Now cute Whitney, she loves the chocolate donuts just as much as me! I'm making her kick the habit too.. it's too much of a temptation having them around.

Birthday Boy

My handsome husband is 29 today! For those who haven't heard, for a couple of years now Danny has been planning a HUGE 30th birthday bash that he is/was wanting to host at Wheeler Farm in their barn. He called last week to book it (a year in advance... why?? Not sure) but they will not allow it because of the "Haunted Woods" they do there. So we are trying to find some place else. He has a few dance numbers and songs that he will be performing at this little party of his. I asked him if I could perform a number with him and said "Hell no!" Rude? Yes! His reasoning: 1. I'm not a good enough dancer and 2. I won't take it serious. Whatever! He wants to cater Wendy's chicken nuggets and have a professional photographer there taking pictures. He has even thrown out the idea of having a photo booth there... pretty random... but I love him like crazy and we had better get planning this party of his. We only have 1 year left! :)

Wheeler Farm

Danny claims that he hasn't been to Wheeler Farm since elementary school ..although I have been with him twice. :) I convinced him that there were a lot of roosters and chickens roaming around (and there are) but that sold him so we went and had a little picnic and enjoyed all of the animals. Whit is a regular at WF, my mom took her there in the summer almost weekly to feed the ducks. She was pretty cocky about showing dad everything there was to see.

Yes Danny tried catching at least 2 roosters. He was able to pet this one.

Whit showing him the bunnies.

The goat tried to attack us.

The ducks and geese. We really did almost get attacked by geese during the summer and every time we go Whitney reminds us, "Remember when the geese almost get us." They are mean little things!

and this little guy was there as well. He is just always sleeping in his car seat. BTW.. he is a tank! Just gettin so big!

"I'm Going There Someday.."

Last Thursday we went on a little family outing down town. It was the most beautiful day, with the most beautiful weather! We went to gateway, did a little bit of shopping and then rode the "train" (Whitney has been dieing to ride on a real train) up to temple square, ate lunch and then walked around.

There is the most beautiful spirit at temple square.. I love it!

Whitney thought it was really cool that she got to touch "Jesus's house!"

My and my brother Parker

Aunts are the best! Whit with Megan on Trak's.

Whitney and Parker. She loves him!

The crew.

.. And cute little Hank. He is so chill. He gets dragged on all of our adventures.

The Witches are Out

Whitney is obsessed with witches right. Loves to see them, scream like one, and is going to be one for Halloween. Naturally, we HAD to go and see all of the fun and creative witches at Gardner Village! She loved it.

She found a white pumpkin and thought it was so cool. We had to come home and paint one of her pumpkins white because she liked it so much!

Our sorry attempt at trying to take a picture. Whitney insisted on holding Hank. He is SO patient with her

Best buds!

Grandma Donna and Whit sporting their cute witch hats.

This was Whit's favorite witch. She was the frog witch.

Picking out Pumpkins

We went to a fun little pumpkin patch last weekend and Whit picked out a couple of pumpkins. 2 for herself and 1 for Hank. She is a hoot...

The little pumpkin Whit picked out for Hank.

Grateful

There is something about October that is so magical. It rejuvenates me. I love Halloween, the changing of seasons, the AMAZING weather! I want to spend every second of every day doing something outside.. something fun. Doing something with my family, creating memories and traditions. Every year October just brightens my whole self. I can't describe it, but just feel it. I am grateful for October, the crisp weather, the smells, football games, everything.. It is amazing.

I think that President Monson really nailed it with his talk on gratitude this last general conference. I love what he says:

"Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others."

I am crazily obsessed with my little family. Danny, Whitney.. even on her worst day, and our sweetest guy, Hank. It's weird how much I love them. How grateful I am for them. But not only them, my family too. My mom and dad they SAVE me by how much they help with Whitney. My sister Megan and Aaron come and take her all the time... Jess and Parker... Ali... grandma Donna... aunts, uncles, cousins. I get kinda tear eyed thinking about all of the love and support I have. My whole extended family is so close and we do SO much together. They are my best friends. I love them.. all 50+ of them!! :)

I will be posting a lot this October on all of the fun things we have done together as a family. I know that Whit and Hank won't remember.. but I don't want them to forget either and hopefully through pictures and video's they can feel the love that surrounds them.

Living Present

"Sometimes we let our thoughts of tomorrow take up too much of today. Daydreaming of the past and longing for the future may provide comfort but will not take the place of living in the present. This is the day of our opportunity, and we must grasp it.

Professor Harold Hill, in Meredith Willson’s The Music Man, cautioned: “You pile up enough tomorrows, and you’ll find you’ve collected a lot of empty yesterdays.”

There is no tomorrow to remember if we don’t do something today, and to live most fully today, we must do that which is of greatest importance. Let us not procrastinate those things which matter most."

-President Thomas S Monson

I have laundry up to my ears, an ironing pile that would take a century to complete, and a house that could use a little bit of TLC in the cleaning department and that's ok. In 10 years from now I won't remember all the "tasks" I completed, but I will remember the daily sweet magical moments I have with Whitney and Hank. I love being their mom!

Here a couple of video's from our Flip. These are our days... filled with dancing and cute little prayers. Wouldn't want it any other way!

Our Garden

This was our first year doing a garden and I didn't really expect a great "return" but I was quite surprised by everything we got! It is so fun to go out to the garden and pick out some tomato's for dinner or a zucchini to make bread. Whit has made it the funnest though. I love seeing her excitement as we go out to the garden and pick out vegetables and we took LOTS of pictures to prove that I can actually grow something with out killing it!

Zucchini.. We have made a lot of zucchini bread these last couple of months!

Corn

Chicken Eggs.. Although they are not in the garden Whitney loves to go to the coop everyday to get "her eggs."

Um... tomato's anyone? We have tomato's coming out of our ears.. seriously!

We even got a pumpkin!

Can't wait for next year!

Our Last Month

This month has FLOWN by. I can't believe it! Having 2 kids is definitely an adjustment. A good adjustment. It's busy.. a good kind of busy. The type of busy I like. Feedings, baths, playing. It's a fun busy and I have enjoyed it. Here is a quick update on the family:

Little Hankie boy is getting so big! He is a great eater, sleeper and is so patient with Whitney. She likes to lay on top of him, kiss him 1000 x's a day, or she wants nothing to do with him. He is looking like Danny.. I'm thinking.. but that can totally change. He has such a sweet spirit and has been a very calm baby, thank goodness.

Whit... well she is either the sweetest thing or a little demon! We went to Lake Powell with my family a couple of weeks ago and she had a blast! We have started calling her DJ (Danny Junior) because she is for sure her dad in personality... to a tee. It worries me a little... She seems to have no fear when it comes to doing things. In Lake Powell, she loved riding the Jet Ski's and kept asking to go faster, loves tubing... she is dare devil like her dad which doesn't really excite me. On top of that, she loves to get naked and now that she is potty trained peeing outside has become her new thing. These last 2 days I have caught her outside in the front, pants down, sitting on the grass peeing. On one occasion, she peed on the cement and then was stomping in her pee with her bare feet. GROSS! That, for sure, is a Danny trait.. we all know how he has an affinity for going to the bathroom in random places.

Danny.. He is busy busy busy at work! Since he is in a sales position, he has to make sure he is meeting certain quota's so he has been having to work a lot to insure that he is making them. He leaves early and comes home late. It's hard sometimes but I am VERY grateful he HAS a job! He also got called as the Elder's Quorum President a couple of months ago so that keeps him busy too.

As for me, I have to go back to work in 2 days. :( I can't believe it has been 6 weeks since I had Hank.. We don't even have a good routine yet.. It feels too soon but I, as well, am VERY grateful that I have a job and a job that I can do from home that doesn't take me away from the kids that much! Our bishop was very true to his word, he did give me 3 weeks off to have the baby, 1 week to recover and then called me back into young women's. :) I am the miamaid counselor and I love it. I love the girls and enjoy spending time with them.

Life is busy but full of lots love and laughter.

We went up to Brighton to see the leaves, walk around Silver Lake and have a little picnic.

Danny and Hank at the Brighton/Hillcrest football game.

Whit and Hank relaxing on the house boat in Lake Powell

Whit was given this umbrella by our neighbor and she loves it. She is also wearing a chinese dress given to her by her grandma Lindsay and aunt Sherri from China town in San Fransisco. She loves to wear it! :)