Thanksgiving...Nov 18th

I am grateful that there are two heart beats in me. (One is mine)

Shiloh is getting to be so BIG

Today Shiloh started walking around clinging to the walls. I think if he got brave, he might be able to do it by himself!!! Crazy. I feel like in some ways I just had him, and then again, in other ways it feels like it is about time. I will have to get a picture son, but I thought I would post so that I could remember the day that he started wall walking :)

So Thankful... Nov 17th

Today I am thankful for my bed. I haven't been feeling too hot today. Nothing horrible, but still not great. I was up early with Shiloh this morning and the minute he went down for a nap, I went and laid down in my bed and took one too. I am so glad that I don't have to sleep on the floor or on a mat or anything like that...I get to sleep on a nice warm soft and comfy bed. What are you grateful for?

Thankfulness...Nov 16th

Today I am thankful to be a mom! I love my little Shiloh, and I feel so blessed to be able to teach and care for him. I also feel like the minute I became a mom, I was blessed with a little more charity and the ability to finally start thinking of someone else instead of myself. It wasn't necessarily an easy transition, but it is the best one that has ever happened to me, and I feel so blessed to be able to share that with my Kenny who is an awesome daddy. I am also thankful that I got to witness the incredible transformation of Kenny from just hubby to hubby and daddy. He is a great daddy (and hubby too). What are you thankful for?

Nov 15th...again

I just have to add something that I am thankful for today. I have been having a bit of an off day and week, but nothing serious, just the house is a mess and such. My new visiting teacher showed up today by herself because the other one's daughter was sick. My house, mind you is a bit of a disaster, and I was super embarrassed but there hasn't been the time today to do anything about it. I had the plan to at least straighten, but nothing has worked out that way today. This kind woman walked in and without even knowing me folded my laundry with me while we chatted. I am thankful for her! How nice! I need to be a lot more like her, and look for opportunities to serve those around me. Not just ask, but look and see and do! Just had to add this!

When you have a gratitude attitude...November 15th

It has been interesting, this whole "gratitude every day" gig. I have noticed that I have been looking for things that I am grateful for. I guess, unfortunately, I am not usually a very grateful or thankful person. Not to say that I am not grateful for anything, but I guess I am not constantly thinking about it. I say the few normal things everyday in my prayers, and then I move on and I don't think about it for the rest of the day. How could I have been so blind or reluctant to acknowledge what I have been given? Now, though, I find myself thinking all day about what I am grateful for. It is like a ripple effect. You start thinking of one thing and then you start thinking of more. Each thing makes you think of something else you are grateful for. It has been a wonderful experience thus far, and I truly feel blessed, and not only do I feel blessed, but I feel excited to find more things that create this awesome sense of gratitude in my heart. I know over the ages one may find many a quote referencing to the importance of a gracious spirit and thankful heart, and I am not the first person to discover it, nor will I be the last, but I am truly thankful to have unearthed it in myself. Today, I was trying to think of one thing I am grateful for, and I have just come to the conclusion that I am just Thankful in general today. I am truly blessed in every facet of my life. There is nothing that I want for in my life. I may feel greedy at times, and think that I deserve something or that I "need" something, but I don't. I have the Spirit, and knowledge of the Spirit. I have a loving family, which includes so many more than those who just live with me. I have friends. I have clothes and food and water and shelter! The list goes on and on and on. It is endless. I could write one thing down for the rest of my life and never lack for something new to be grateful for. In my heart, I feel so badly for not recognizing the things I have been given. I have a new ambition to keep these feelings and this new version of me, the thankful one, alive. I truly hope that I can. I also hope that I can teach my children to be thankful. It makes life seem a little more rose colored, and who couldn't use a little more of that in their life? In my humble opinion, I think everyone could use something that helps them see how truly good their life is. I am not just saying that gratitude makes you think that things are good when they aren't, I am saying that gratitude makes you see the things that are good and great even though, before applying it, things may have looked a bit grimmer. It helps us shed a negative outlook and put on a positive one. By sharing with one another what we are thankful for, we strengthen one another and help one another see the blessings we have. What are you thankful for?

Nov 14th...Gratitude

I am really grateful for the fact that Shiloh took a great nap today. Yesterday, the naps were non-existent, so today. I am super thankful that he at least has one good nap under his belt. Yay for happy me and happy him. What are you thankful for?

Gratitude...November 13th

I am thankful today that my house got vacuumed yesterday. I know it seems like such a simple thing, and not a very good thing for a list of things to be grateful for, but I am really really grateful for it. It seems that ever since I have had Shiloh that I NEVER seem to get to the vacuuming. Either he is asleep, and I am not going to vacuum then, or he is awake and he is a bit scared of the vacuum. Well yesterday Shiloh was awake and Kenny was home and he vacuumed while I held Shiloh and showed him that the vacuum wasn't scary. He actually got pretty interested in it, and once he got used to the idea of it, he wanted to watch it with me sitting close by. I know it may seem like a ridiculous thought of gratitude, but I am thankful for it. It feels so good to be in a house with no crumbs on the floor. Now if I can only get to the other things that need to be done, like mopping, dusting, putting away all of the summer clothes.....

I am thankful for.... Nov 12th

Today I am grateful for my voice. There are so many things I can do with it. I can sing my child to sleep. I can have a wonderful conversation with a friend. I can chat with my husband about his day at work. I can let someone know what I want, or what I don't want. I can bear my testimony at church. I can call a friend or family member on the phone hundreds or thousands of miles away and still be able to communicate with them. I can also say things as I would say them. I know that seems a little confusing, but if I didn't have my own voice, I would never be able to get my exact point across and articulate exactly how I feel to my loved ones. I am also able to pray with my voice. Although, I could silently say a prayer, without a voice I would never feel that wonderful feeling of praying out loud and knowing that I will be heard. If I didn't have a voice I wouldn't be able to any of these things, and I am so grateful for it! What are you thankful for?

Gratitude... November 11th

Today I am thankful for books. They teach us so much. They can help us relate to different situations by giving us a look into someone else's mind, they can teach us things we need to know about the world around us, They can helps us learn from the past, and they are also something quite fulfilling to pass the time. It is quite funny that I as I get older I have even begun to be thankful for, and enjoy textbooks ( as long as I am not going to be tested on the material and just get to learn for the pure joy of learning) I am grateful for them in all of their many different forms. What are you thankful for?

November 10th

I have been thinking a lot today and this week in general about Heavenly Parents. I am thankful that they are there. I am glad that I have a Father who loves me. I am especially grateful for a Heavenly Mother who I get to try and be like one day, hopefully. I'm grateful to have the opportunity to acknowledge their hands in all things. I love Them! I hope that I can have a closer more sincere relationship with them as I learn to understand the Spirit. I am also thankful for everything that they let me experience that helps me become more like them. It may not always be easy or fun, but it teaches so much and helps me in ways I am sure that I can't even comprehend. I also hope that I can remember them and be more grateful to Them on a daily basis and not just in the month of November.... I should put that on my new Year's goal list, right? What are you thankful for?

Thanksgiving... November 9th

So I have been doing this on facebook, but thought it would be appropriate to post on my blog as well. Each day I am going to write something I am thankful for until Thanksgiving. And since I am late on my blog I am going to post ones for all of the days before :)

Nov 9: I am thankful for the old man who saw Shiloh and I walking from the car to the building in the rain without an umbrella, and decided to run to us and cover us with his coat and walk with us to the front door. thank you! So grateful that there are still kind, chivalrous men in the world!

Nov 8: I am thankful for the opportunity to change, become better, and to repent.

Nov 7: I am grateful that I get to watch my little guy explore all of the new to him things in the world.... today he discovered my bin of paperclips. It made a mess, but he was in heaven!

Nov 6: I am grateful for clothes to keep me warm....such a good thing to have and yet I hardly ever take notice at what a blessing it is. It might not be the most profound thought of gratitude, but I and thankful none the less.

Nov 5: I am grateful that Shiloh is starting to scoot around the apartment army crawl style, even though it means that I have to vacuum more. He just seems a lot happier and htat makes me a lot happier.

Nov 4: I am thankful for friends. God always sends the ones you need at exactly the time you need them.

Nov 3: I am thankful for running water, and along with that comes toilets. the story behind this thankful thought of the day is that yesterday while looking at houses we came across on that was vacant and the water was turned off. I had to go sooooo bad!!!!! I totally thought i was gonna have to pee in the bushes or something. I almost didn't make it back into town. it sucked to wait, but it made me grateful for what we have!

Nov 2: I am thankful for the knowledge we can gain... I tis such a blessing to be able to learn about all of the good things that God has given us!

Nov 1: I am thankful for my husband....he is the best thing that has ever happened to me!

The next couple of weeks should be fun and a bit shorter to read day by day!

Halloween 2011

I do have to say that this Halloween was an absolute bummer!!!! We usually have a grand dinner with lots of decorations, lots of friends, lots of haunted food, and lots of costumes.... This year we didn't have any decorations, nowhere to have a dinner party, no pumpkins, and the only costume was Shiloh's, in which he wasn't dressed in until right before bed because we thought we should at least create some sort of picture memory for him and I already bought the costume. If any of you know me, you know how out of character this Halloween was for me. In fact, when telling my little sister Chandi that I wasn't doing anything, she commented, "Sister, you HAVE to dress up or something, if you don't, you might cease to be Brittani!" Don't worry folks, I am still here and as far as I can tell I am still Brittani...but I was pretty bitter about the no Halloween fun for a few days after. (this is why it has taken me so long to post, I didn't want to rehash the bitter all over again) Next year I am going to rock it out and do double duty. Sorry Kenny, I know it isn't you favorite holiday, but you got the year off!!

Here is our cute little Zebra

Here is the cute little tail and mane

I had to include this one because it is Shiloh trying to pull off the costume, but instead he is pulling his head down to the ground. It was really funny.

Apartments.....and the things I will not miss about them.

I will NOT miss

-sharing a wall with Shiloh and hearing him scratch it at 4 o'clock in the morning

-sharing a wall with the laundromat and hearing people's stuff bang in the dryers

-paying $1 just to wash 1 load of clothes.

-taking my laundry across the building only to find out that all of the washers are full

-the smoking hangout spot being on the patio right outside my window

-the maintenance man and his daughters smoking in the laundry room

-hearing my neighbors yell at each other.

-going up a flight of 25 stairs every time I need to leave

-going up and down a flight of 25 stairs several times and running to the car in the rain just as many times just to get the groceries in the apartment from the car

-hearing my neighbor's puppy yipe and whine and cry at all hours of the day and night.

-stepping in said puppy's poop on the patio.

-Hearing the garbage man emptying out the huge dumpsters on the street in front of me on Monday and Thursday at 5 am, on my street on Tuesday & Friday and 5 am, and the street behind me on Wednesday and Saturday at 5 am.

-a lack of counter space

-folding chairs and card tables as our main furniture

-having to eat in the living room because the kitchen is too small for a table and chairs

-being without a couch

-having to go through some parts of storage to find the things that I need and then only to realize that I won't be able to find it and I have to do without or buy something that I know I have but can't get to.

-not being able to decorate for my favorite holidays because everything is in storage

-having a blanket for curtains because we don't want to buy some that won't work for our house

-having my shower water turn cold whenever the washers in the laundromat get used

and finally.....

-paying for something that isn't ours...

Well I know this was a bit of a rant, but I had to get it off of my chest, so there it is. Sorry if you got all of the way to the bottom. A lot of complaining, I know. I am also sorry if you can empathize with any of the these things. I really am thankful we have a place to stay and I know it could be worse. Just to keep that in mind the next time the puppy starts barking at 2 o'clock in the morning is the key.

Shiloh is 9 months old!!! ( well as of yesterday)

Shiloh is my sweet boy. He just smiles so easily and loves to laugh and play! He is definitely turning into a Daddy's boy more and more, and I don't blame him. The Kenny and Shiloh playing together is just so dang cute! Shiloh weighs just under 18 lbs. I know this because we had a hospital trip this month when he had a really high fever that wouldn't go down! Luckily he is feeling much better. He really would prefer to walk holding onto fingers as opposed to doing anything else. He STILL refuses to crawl. I think he is just going to skip it all together! It would be nice if he would crawl and he would be a lot happier, but he doesn't feel the need to crawl since no one else in our household crawls around. He just wants to be a big boy. He is eating a lot better now most of the time which is great. Makes life a little easier for me. I would tell you what his favorite foods are, but he seems to like all of them, which is a plus. He might like yogurt slightly more than the rest, but not by much. He loves to laugh. He loves to drum on things and shake rattles. He loves to listen to music and try to sing along with us. It is adorable. He also loves to make random jibberish outbursts in the middle of sacrament meeting, prayers, or really any other time that calls for reverence or quiet. As his parents we try not laugh, but it is oh so hard! He also is a drool monster!!! I think his shirt will forever be soaked. But he is getting in a couple more teeth and that makes him look more grown up. We have a lot of people tell us he is a big kid for his age and guess that he is closer to 18 months old!!!! I really just think it is because he is tall and has a HUGE head and a lot of hair( in the cutest way possible ). He also loves to be outside. He loves to try and put rocks, stick, leaves, acorns and other such objects in his mouth also... He is such a boy and I love it! Love you my baby boy!

Party

So Kenny's work had a "harvest" work party a few weeks ago, and I am a bit behind and haven't blogged about it! I wish we would have taken more pics. It was such a beautiful day and a beautiful place. It was at and "farm and orchard". It is called Apple creek farm and orchard, but it is really an old farm converted into and events center of sorts. We enjoyed a hayride with Shiloh. There was a live band playing. There were also all sorts of things for older kids to do, but we just hung out more or less. There was also a beautiful little trail that lead down to a small lake. There wasn't anyone around to take a pic of us on the dock, so we set the camera on the stroller. The pic actually turned out pretty well.

They also provided a lunch for us. They pit roasted a whole hog as pictured below. Kenny thought that this was really cool and took like 5 picture of the roasted pig. It kind of grossed me out and I had to sit with my back to the serving table while I ate. Sometimes I would just rather not think of where my meat comes from so literally. Anybody with me? Kenny really wanted me to post this picture.... It is a bit unappetizing though!

Thanks St. Mary's for a wonderful lunch and time!

The Hartsbrurg Pumpkin fest

So there is town that is about 15 miles away from Jewfferson city called Hartsburg. This is a teeny tiny town with a population of less than 150 people. Yes I typed that right...LESS than 150 people live in Hartsburg. It is a cute and quaint little town. Every year they do a little pumpkin fest. There are all sorts of tents set up with lots of things to buy...very interesting things I might add. they also have a huge pumpkin patch that you get to pick your own pumpkin in. The town has been doing this for festival for like 40 years. Every year they get over 50,000 people that visit in these two days. Again, no typo, 50,000 people in this tiny town. It is insanity! But it is also a ton of fun. We just had to go. Luckily someone local told us to go by 9 a.m. on Saturday so that you could beat most of the crowds. There were still tons of people, but it was so worth it!!!

This is a picture of the 3 of us with our cute little pumpkin that we chose. being in an apartment, with no doorstep to the outside makes it hard to display pumpkins, so we just got one for the heck of it!

Along the way there were all sorts of fun things to do and so many things I could have taken pictures of, but I found this huge cat kind of festive and fun!

This is just such a cute pic of my buys, I had to put it in.

Things not pictured: the amazing cinnamon sugar pecans and almonds that we bought and munched on, all of the amazing hand crafted wood furniture for sale (I want it all!), The cute wooden tractor and wooden tool set we got for Shiloh to play with, and all of the really fascinating things that people actually make. This blew all of the hand crafted doo dads for sale that I have seen at any fair I have been to! People are particularly talented here in Missouri. All in all, we had a blast. I can't wait to go next year. I think that this is going to have to be one of our family traditions. The only thing I would change is that next year we will bring more cash ;)

Day at the park....

Well the park is at our Apartment complex, and it was more like an hour, but it sounded good for a title. :) These are just a few cute pictures that we took. Shiloh loves sitting and playing in the rocks. I do have to watch him like a hawk to make sure that none of them go into his mouth, but it is nice to enjoy the 70's outside and get some sun.

He thought that being buried in the rocks was pretty cool. This was of course dad's idea. I would have never thought to bury him in the rocks, but dads do always come up with fun things to do .

Sleeping Woes....(Complaining involved: Be Forwarned)

I am going to take minute of your time to complain for a minute. The first question I want to ask is "What happened to my baby that was happy all of the time because he slept so well?" He no longer sleeps very well at night. His naps are sporadic at best. He almost always has to cry himself to sleep, nap or otherwise, for about a half an hour! It started right before we moved to Missouri. I can't think what has triggered it. The current thing that is driving me nuts is that he has decided to wake up at 5 in the morning. As a general rule I have not gotten him out of bed until 6. I think 6 is pretty early to get up considering, until as of late, he woke up like clockwork at 7:30. I can handle 6 though. We have read so many different expert advice columns and most of them say that 5 is a completely reasonable time for a a baby to get up in the morning. Reasonable for who? I have tried leaving him in his crib for an hour or more, but then he just screams and then none of us are happy. He refuses to fall back to sleep. I have tried making his last nap end earlier, but that didn't work either. I have tried putting him to bed earlier, I have tried putting him to bed later...but he just keeps waking up at 5 or slightly earlier. I guess, if he was really happy at 5, I could train myself to get up earlier and to go to bed earlier, but the fact of the matter is, is that he is NOT even remotely happy when he gets up and he is is soooo tired and then he just screams no matter what you do. Plus he then is at an awkward schedule where he wants to take his naps at regular times but it would only work if he took four. Did you get that? FOUR naps. Not happening!!!!! Well to all of you experts out there, self proclaimed or otherwise, let me know what worked for you, or if you even had this problem. I would love some advice. Sorry for the complaints!

Shiloh is 8 months old today!!!

Shiloh is such a sweety. I cannot believe that it has been 8 months already since he joined our family, and then at the same time it feels as though he has been in our family forever. Some of the things that Shiloh is up to currently: Sitting, sleeping in crazy positions, working on eating all kind of foods (when he wants to), protesting eating anything in a baby spoon or bowl but eating anything off or a metal spoon, holding on to fingers and walking, giggling, fake coughing whenever Ken or I cough or clear our throats, saying dadada and bababa over and over again, teething(his two bottom teeth are poking through and I am sure others are on their way), squealing and growling, and so much more.

We sure love our little guy. Usually I would give some stats on measurements, but seeing as we don't have to have a doc appointment until he is 12 months old, and our scale is in storage, I will skip it this time. I guess it suffices to say that he is getting taller and bigger all of the time.