The Month of October in a glance

 (Warning! This post is so long! I didn't proof read after I finished...and I don't want to ..so here is my apology for all of my many errors!)

Oh this month was GLORIOUS! We had many things to do, lots of fun doing them and we also have really enjoyed the B-E-A-U-tiful weather!

Of course this month was started off with a WONDERFUL General Conference. Patrick and I felt the general authorities really stepped up their game this year and spoke very clearly. Either that or we are just more in tune with what was being said. Either way we really really enjoyed conference!
Also this month we took the time as a family to go see the leaves changing in the canyon and take a few family pictures. Y'all can see in the previous post the pictures.
One of the highlights of our month was when my sister and her family of 8 came to visit us over their UEA Fall break. That saturday afternoon 2 of their daughters, Lauren and Elle, were in the Beehive Beauties Pagent. It's an all natural no make up type contest where the judges score the girls on their confidence. I'm very proud to say that both Lauren and Elle came home Queens of their age group! They both did beautifully and I think they really had a fun time. We enjoyed spending time with them especially after the young kids went to bed and we played the celestial companions game. (teams: Aaron and Jenae, Patrick and Skye, & yes... Cardon and Mirae!) It was fun to play the game with Cardon and Mirae. We made it work in relationships with siblings as well and guess who won! That's RIGHT! Cardon and Mirae!  too funny!
Porter LOVED having Josh here to play with him and Kinley really took to Aunt Nae Nae. She talks about her all the time now.

These two kids have been such and amazing JOY in our home! They interact super well together. Kinley has really taken a liking to playing trains with her brother  and Porter is doing well with sharing and letting her play with him. They love running around the house and causing mischief together these days.I hear them many times just giggling and squealing through the halls. LOVE LOVE IT!

Our dear sweet Kinley turned 21 months old this month. She is getting close to being 2! I can't believe it. We can't even begin to express in words the amount of happiness, peace and joy she gives to ALL of us in this home. She is so Sweet, Tender, Loving, Caring, very Silly, Giggly, Fiesty, and when she wants something or you make her mad... Look out she can become a fireball! Patrick and I just cannot get enough of her! Especially when it's time for bed and she gives us loves and kisses. We just want to squeeze and squish her and maul her! And she giggles through it and loves it. She says NYE-NEE, YOVE YOU DAHDDY! It's so adorable!
She loves to be outside, she loves to play with the Mickey Mouse memory game cards( she basically plays 50 card pick-up) She carries them with her wherever she goes. She still loves her binkie and blanket! She is working on cutting her very last tooth! Somethings she likes to say is "WHA-WE?" (Where are you?) "YOVE YOU" (love you)  and she is currently liking saying "Ssss-Sick" (Soo-Sick from Sarah Bareilis on the sing off) She really enjoys putting a piece of ice in her water. She always says "Peas some ICE!"  at lunch time. She is very good with saying Please and Thank Yous. She hates getting her diaper changed, yet loves to get dressed and ready to Go somewhere. Oh and how can I forget... she is our little book worm! She loves to read stories. She can walk up and down the stairs, but she wants you there to hold her hand. She likes to take you by the hand and "show you" things she wants that she can't reach. She loves emptying her dresser drawers throwing all her clothes everywhere. And she LOVES Cheetos, fruit snacks, grapes and pretzels.
She also really likes McCEAM( aka Cars Lightning McQueen) and she loves to read Scriptures and is always thrilled to remind us when it's time for prayer and the blessing on the food.  What a soft cuddly, squishy lovey little girl! 

Bottom right: he is flexing his muscles for Cardon!

As for Porter! He is growing up on us WAY TO FAST! He is in preschool and loves it! My favorite thing is when we pick him up he asks me"So Mom! What did you do today?" then he asks if he can do that with me when we get home. Preschool is really normalizing this kid. He is figuring out social skills and learning what real kids do and how they play and interact. His words are coming along and he's learning how to use them.. now we are starting to work on tone and that whining isn't the best way to get something you want. Most of the time he is super kind to his sister and plays nicely with her. Most of  his days he wants to watch a show. Polar Express, Mickey Mouse clubhouse, and cars are the most frequently asked for. He is so good at helping Kinley. She always asks for help when we are eating to get a bite of her food on her spoon or fork. Porter is always so willing to help and it's the sweetest thing. He has also learned very quickly what it means to be an older sibling and having to share your things that are yours from parties and preschool. HE is very good at this. At night he has just recently picked up the habit of wanting the door cracked and he is testing the waters of how much he can get out of bed and come see what is going on in the house.  He is also really enjoying ANY time he can get with his dad to play with him. He just loves it when his dad plays with him, building blocks, playing pass... you  name it he wants to be like his dad. I love to see that! And last but not least he absolutely loves to get the mail out of the mailbox for us! He is a true little helper.

HALLOWEEN TIME!

 For Halloween this year I figured this really would probably be the last year Porter let me pick his costume. Last year He and Kinley were an adorable pair of Elmo and Zoe. This year I decided to go with Mickey and Minnie Mouse.My favorite thing was when you would ask the kids who they were, they would both say Miska-Mousska-Mickey-Mouse! Patrick and I dressed up for our ward Party as G.I. Joe and G.I. Jane.Although many people thought I was Warrior Barbie. We had a wonderful ward party and Porter loved doing all the activities and seeing his friends. But most of all for all the halloween festivities that went on this month. His favorite was his preschool halloween party. Preschool fell on halloween day for him so it was great! He walked into school and saw that his teacher was dressed up as Minnie! He was THRILLED! Because that made him extra special of course! They taught them how to trick-or-treat and they decorated cookies and ate a spider cake for snack, they played halloween games, read halloween stories and sang halloween songs. He LOVED IT! Then that night we had family home evening about when you go out and knock on doors you say Trick or Treat, but really all you want is the treat and we likened that to how satan deceives us and likes to trick us and Jesus is our savior and holds the treats of life for us. It was a little over the kids head, but still worked. Then off we went to go trick or treating. Kinley got to one house and immediately wanted the candy. She didn't learn this year that you should wait to eat your candy when you get home. So we spent a lot of the time getting her candy while we walked. Porter enjoyed it and was so funny, because he would go and Knock on a door and while knocking shout TRICK OR TREAT! hilarious! All in all our halloween was fun, but as a mom I am very excited for it to be over with so we can get on to thanksgiving and then the really good holiday..CHRISTMAS!