I'm Thankful for. . .Olivia!

I can't believe how little she was! My life has so much more joy and fulfillment since she entered it on January 15, 2008. She was such a great baby. Our only problem was trying to keep food in her little belly! Poor kid, reflux was not fun! Luckily, she grew out of it. And now look . . .
She is such a beautiful little girl! I can't even call her my baby anymore. She has grown so much the past 22 months. I love her personality, that gorgeous red hair and blue eyes, how she laughs, her great hugs and kisses, and her curiousity! Thank you Olivia for joining our family and making life whole! I love you!

Our Trip to San Diego

On Wednesday, we left for our trip to San Diego. I was worried about how flying with an active 22 month old would be, but Olivia did so amazing! We had all been sick during the beginning of the week and by the time we left for our trip, Olivia and I were still sick! David seemed to be getting better, but I think that the trip wore on him a bit. He is sick now, poor guy! But despite not feeling well, it was a great trip. We went to see David's brother, Sam, graduate from basic training. It was really good to see him. And it reminded me how grateful I am that we are in the Air Force. I am grateful for the men and women who sacrifice all to give us the freedoms we enjoy. It was really great to see David in his blues again. He doesn't get to wear them much and I love how proudly he wears them. (And I must say, he looks mighty fine in them!) We were so glad that the family was actually supporting Sam for his big accomplishment. We know what it is like to not have support when you are sacrificing so much. And we didn't want Sam to have to go through the same thing. I am so grateful that we were able to support him and go to his graduation.

On Saturday, we went to Sea World. It was such a blast! Olivia LOVED Shamu! We had breakfast with Shamu, which was really fun! I am so glad we did it! The trainers were there and had the whales doing all kinds of tricks. One of the whales did the right trick, but in the wrong place. We got wet, but were lucky because we didn't get the worst of it! Olivia was pretty freaked out at first, but she calmed down when we told her how fun it was that we got wet! So the rest of the trip, Olivia would tell us, "Whale splashed you!" It was such a great time! I am so glad that we were able to go. We really needed a vacation! Now on to the mounds of laundry!

The Season to Give Thanks

This is my favorite time of year. I love autumn with the changing leaves. It always seems to slow down in November, a great opportunity to remember our forefathers and to express gratitude for our many blessings.

I have been thinking a lot about all of my many blessings. I have been blessed with an amazing family. David is my best friend and I would not be able to go through life without him. Olivia is beautiful, healthy and growing like a weed. She is so smart and learns many new things every day. I have two great jobs, teaching dance and raising Olivia. We are so blessed that David is able to provide for us and go to school. I am eternally grateful for the country we live in and the men and women who give us our freedoms.

We are all happy and healthy, what more can a person want?!

This month I am going to focus all of my posts on gratitude. So get ready to hear a lot of thanks!

Halloween 09

Olivia's costume turned out great! Daddy helped by making the wand and crown. He did an amazing job! Thanks Daddy, you're great! I was worried that she wouldn't want to get in it for Halloween, but she was actually excited to be Princess Presto. We had our traditional stuffed pumpkin for dinner. This year we tried pumpkin pancakes with apple syrup and loved them! They will be our new breakfast tradition every Halloween. This year, Dave and I dressed up. This is our "man with the yellow hat" (from Curious George, for those of you who don't know.) Dave's costume turned out better than I pictured. He loved being the man with the yellow hat because Olivia was so excited! Every time she looked at Dave, she would point at him and say, "man in yellow hat!" It was so cute! I wish we would have thought of his costume before I had Princess Presto made. We could have let Olivia be George! Maybe next year if she is still into him. I (not pictured and on purpose) made myself an Indian costume. It really turned out pretty good since I used a regular dress pattern and modified it to be an Indian. I have to dress up every year for my dance classes, so I actually got on the ball this year and made mine.
We had a great time at our ward's trunk or treat. And of course got way too much candy! But it was great. Olivia even said, "Trick or Treat" and "Thank you" at almost every car without much prompting. My little girl is getting too smart!
Overall, it was a great Halloween week! Can't wait until next year to come up with new Halloween meals and costumes!