Fall

Summer was very busy with my swimsuit business and summer trips.  When fall arrived everything seemed to drastically slow down.  It was a good thing though because I wasn't feeling very good during the first trimester.  It was also very strange not to have much going on.  I almost didn't know what to do with myself.  September and the beginning of October are my least favorite time of the year living in Las Vegas.  By that time, I'm so sick of the heat and swimming.  All of the fall scents, decor, and clothes start emerging in the stores and all I want to do is wear my pants, boots, and scarves (and burn fall scented candles in the house without it feeling wrong!).  

I guess it's not all bad though.  One lazy day in the middle of October Kensie and I had a picnic at the park next to our house.  It was a beautiful sunny day.  Probably about 70 degrees.  

 It was nice to have some laid back days like these in the fall after such a busy summer.  It's good for me to slow down a bit and enjoy the sweet little girl I have.  Look at her crossing her feet and laying on her tummy while eating her sandwich.  Later, while at the park she peeked through the tunnel at me and said, "Peek a Boo!"  She does the cutest things and it's days like this that I want to freeze time.  

Halloween

On Halloween we went to the Trunk or Treat at the church and then I took Kensie around our neighborhood while Niel stayed home and handed out candy.  Our neighborhood gets TONS of trick or treaters.  I thought for sure I had bought enough candy but we ran out early in the evening. 

Kensie was the cutest bumble bee ever for Halloween!

We met up with Kensie's best friends Clara and Mia for trick or treating.  The girls were so cute running around from house to house getting candy. 

  I was pretty tired by the end of the night.  I settled down onto the couch in my comfy pants and reaped the benefits of having a child on Halloween.

Carnivals and Parties

This past Halloween was an eventful one!  I took Kensie to a Halloween carnival at a local school one Friday night while Niel was working.  Kensie wore her Lady costume and got lots of attention.  She wasn't too fond of keeping the dog head strapped on her head though. 

 The following weekend we went to the Halloween Carnival at the Springs Preserve.  Kensie had lots of fun getting candy and playing carnival games.

We also went to Niel's work party.  They had free food and games.  Kensie had a meltdown though so we had to leave early.  I guess she was tired of Halloween parties.  She did mention a few times that they were, "too scary."

Costume Party

The Hartners had a costume party at their house for Halloween.  We procrastinated designing our costumes until the last minute and used what we already had in the costume drawer.  Niel was a magician and I was his bunny rabbit.

Toddlers and Tiaras (left) & Pocahontas and John Smith

Cloggers!

Pumpkin Painting

Rather than carving pumpkins we painted pumpkins for Halloween with our friends the Elliotts.   

Caleb and Ernie are always so cute with Kensie.  She loves them.  They had so much fun painting pumpkins together and acting silly.

Pumpkin Patch

One Saturday morning in October we took Kensie to the pumpkin patch at Gilcrease Orchard.  It was a beautiful, sunny morning and the weather was finally cooling off in Vegas.  I was so excited to wear close-toed shoes, long pants, and a sweater!  

 We picked out some pumpkins and then enjoyed some apple cider donuts.  Afterwards we went to Niel's crossfit BBQ.

Marathon

 In October, my sister Lori and her husband David came to visit us.  They spent a day at our house before heading to St. George.  We took them downtown to the M&M store and the Bellagio.  On Friday we headed to St. George to see Aladdin at the Tuachon theatre.  Saturday Lori ran in the St. George marathon!  Niel, Kensie, and I were able to watch her cross the finish line!  Paul and Lindsay met us in St. George also to congratulate Lori on her race.  Everyone made their way to our house afterwards to spend the rest of conference weekend.

I was so proud of her!  I can't even run five miles, let alone a marathon.  It was fun to celebrate with her!

TWO

Kensie has been a very fun two year old (for the most part).  A few weeks before turning two, she starting talking up a storm.  Up until then her vocabulary wasn't very big.  All of the sudden she started talking in full sentences and learning new words every day.  The week of her birthday I was changing her diaper when she spoke in two full sentences to me! I could hardly believe it.  She said, "My bum is sore.  I want cream on it."  Since then, she continues to surprise us every day with all of her new words and sentences.  Here are some of the cute things she says.

"I'm getting my exercise!"  (while dancing around in her princess dress)

"I want the baby to come out!"

"I want take cookies to my friends."

"I'm not a baby, I'mma big gurl."

"Doggy's tired.  Her needs a nap."

"I wanna go to dance class!"

"Do you want to see my baby? She is so cute!" (referring to her doggy?)

"Mommy's tired"

"I want to wrap my paci (pacifier) and give it to the baby. I'm too big."

"You look so pretty mamma"

"I gonna look beau-iful"

Her favorite thing to do is play mommy with her babies and doggy.  She refers to her doggy as 'her baby' and tells me she is her doggy's mommy.  She puts her babies down for naps, gives them bottles, changes their diaper, feeds them, rocks them, sings to them, and reads them books.  I know she will be such a good helper with her new baby brother.

She loves dresses and dressing up in her 'princess' or 'ballerina' dresses.  Then she wants me to put on music for her to dance to.

She is obsessed with the tv show Dora the Explorer.  She asks for it numerous times a day, "I wanna watch Dira (Dora)."

Another one of her favorite things to do is color.

There have been some really hard phases with her at age two.  She can be very defiant at times and yell, "NO NO NO NO!!!" repeatedly.  She has a problem with hitting when she gets upset.  She HATES getting her teeth brushed and puts up a fight.  She is a very strong willed little girl and I've learned I have to give her choices.  For example, every morning when I get her dressed I pick out two shirts and let her pick which one she wants to wear.  Heaven forbid if I pick out a shirt she doesn't like.

A few months before turning two, she started fighting her nap.  She will lay in her crib for a couple hours and never fall asleep.  She has continued to do that on and off since then.  Sometimes she won't take a nap once every two weeks.  Other times there will be a week where she skips a nap 1-3 days of the week.  I still put her in the crib every afternoon though for a couple of hours regardless of whether or not she falls asleep.  I'm not planning on letting her drop that nap anytime soon!

Believe it or not, two has been my favorite stage so far.  I love hearing her talk all day long.  She says the cutest things and makes me laugh.  She has such a funny, bubbly personality that continues to develop.  I love being her mom.