For sure one of my favorites!

My little niece Abby is for sure one of my very favorite people. She is the sweetest little girl and constantly amazes me. She is 3 years old and having surgery tomorrow. She is such a strong little girl! If everyone could keep her in your prayers I would really appreciate it. Please pray that the doctors will know what to do to help her! She is the sweetest little girl and deserves the best! I love you Abby!

This is past due:

On Sunday was mine and Allen's one year anniversary! All I can say is what a year!

Thank you so much Allen for everything you do for me. A year ago we had no idea what was ahead of us in just a few short weeks. I know it was hard for us when we found out that we were going to be having a baby. Thank you for giving me the best gift anyone can give, Motherhood. You gave me our son and you make it possible for me to stay home. Thanks for working so hard for our family. I love you more than words can say. We had a hard year, but we made it work. I love you so much and am looking forward to many more years together.

I love you babe!

Thanks for giving me Riley!

Ignore that last post...

Leave it to Allen....

Well the computer cord wasn't working. It wouldn't give power to our computer. So I called HP and they were sending me a new power cord but I wouldn't get it till Wednesday. I was FREAKING out because I have a announcement job half done and waiting to send it out...and I needed my computer. So hence: Allen writing the previous post. But after a couple hours of it sitting, it is working again...so YAY! I have a computer again! :)

Whitney wont have a computer for five days, its going to be a interesting week. Im actually kinda scared for my life she get a little crazy without her computer and internet. Please pray for me everybody I know if we can get throught this tremendous trial in life we will be able to survive anything.

...

We didn't get it.

I am bummed.

The end.

I can't even sit still

I am soooooo thrilled about that basement apartment Allen found yesterday. I have been starring at the pictures since yesterday, planning where everything would go in my new home. It is so sad to know that we are one in a million couples who have contacted them about it. When we went and saw it yesterday it felt so unreal. It's such a nice place and the beauty around it is beautiful. You can't tell in the pictures but the mountains are so close its unbelievable. Everything is so perfect. We walked around the place and met the family. I would be so very thrilled if we got to move in. Everything would be happening so quick. They want the new tenants to move in July 3rd, so we would be moving in a week. I am so thrilled, excited, pumped, and I know I will be let down. I keep praying over and over again that we will be picked. I am hoping that our cute baby will get us that amazing place. Everyone please please please cross your fingers for us! AHHHHHHHHHHHHH.....

Everyone cross your fingers!

Allen and I found this basement apartment that is way nice and we interviewed for it tonight. It was so beautiful and perfect for our family. While we were there, there was about 15 other couples there and they still have interviews tomorrow. So most likely we wont get it. It is so so so so perfect. We have been waiting for a long time for the perfect apartment and we found it. It will save us about 30-50 dollars a month with rent and utilities. It is so perfect. Everyone cross your fingers that we will get it!

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After the bath...

He loves his big hooded towel that my mom made him. He tends to get lost in it! :)

I know, I know...I am lame...

My recipe blog is boring so guess what? I made a whole new one. It has a new web address and everything and I will be switching over all my recipes on my old blog to my new one. My new one is pretty cute. I have posted 2 new recipes on it so go check it out!

(Click on the button to get there!)

Out with the old, in with the new...

I waited long enough to switch Riley to his new size of sleepers. It may not seem like it, but it is so hard to move him up to bigger sizes. It means that he is getting bigger and is no longer my little brand new baby. He is growing up. It was so sad for me tonight to look at his 0-3 month sleepers and realize he wont ever wear them again. His feet are just way to long for the spot for his feet, and he is just way too tall for them. They were stetching like crazy and I knew if wasn't comfortable for him anymore. I tried to put it off as long as I could...and tonight I had to make the switch. :(

I opened the clothes drawers and moved the 0-3 month sleepers aside and looked at the ones I had for 3-6 months. (It seems crazy to me to be putting him in them when he just turned 2 months) I picked out his first new sleeper for tonight in honor of Ashlee and Sam....

So this is for you:

I'm truly grateful...

What a wonderful day today is. It just keeps getting better and better...

Allen and I were upset with eachother a few days ago. It was so awful. I hate fighting more than anything. After a long talk we worked things out. Ever since we worked it out a couple nights ago I have been so happy. I just can't stop smiling. I just love him so much. After this fight, I feel closer to him than I have in a long time. Nobody is perfect, but I appreciate the little things he does for me. Being married is so wonderful. I love to have my best friend by me all the time. I love that we have a little boy who brings us so great joy. We just look at him and smile. Sometimes he gets difficult (like yesterday). Yesterday I felt like sticking him out on the curb with a "FREE" sign around his neck. Not really...but you get the point... That doesn't happen often because he is such a WONDERFUL baby. He sleeps an average of 10-12 hours at night. He takes naps during the day. He smiles ALL day long. He loves to play...and he is so content being alone a lot. I can leave him alone and he will just look around and kick his legs and stay so occupied. I am so grateful to have such a wonderful baby!

Today I just feel so good. I got up and checked my stuff on the internet. Then when it hit 12 I put Riley down for a nap and started getting stuff done around the house. I opened up the door to get some sunshine in and turned on some music. I cleaned up the kitchen, scrubbed the bathtub, started prepping stuff for dinner, did laundry. I just feel so happy and so good. I love listening to the music and cleaning up and feeling the breeze through the door. Oh how wonderful life is. After doing some stuff I decided to take a quick break and sit on the couch for a minute (hence why I am blogging :) ). I was reading the blogs that have updated and I am so grateful for the things I read. There were 3 blogs that stuck out to me....

1. One was talking about how she was outside her house doing some planting and 2 little boys came up to her and asked her if they could help her. She asked if they were boy scouts and they said no...and she said no she didn't need any help. After asking again if they could help her because they were bored, she ended up saying they could weed a garden bed if they wanted. They hopped off their bikes and started weeding. She ended up giving them a couple dollars and some banana bread that she had just made.

**How wonderful is it to know that there are kids out there that are raised correctly. Raised to keep an eye out for people to help. Instead of playing, they were serving people. There are not very many children out there anymore like that....and I hope that my children are raised correctly.

2. Another was just looking back on the past year and talking about how grateful she was for things this past year. How only a year ago she was dating a guy and not doing much...and now a year later she is happily married, they have great jobs, and a dog. How she loves them both so much and how she is so grateful for how things have turned out in her life.

**This made me think about how wonderful life is and what I was at a year ago. Allen and I were engaged and about to get married in a few days...how I had no idea how my life was about to change. Now a year later I am still so happily married, I have a beautiful baby boy, Allen is working hard and going to school, and I am a stay at home mom. I love how my life is!

3. The last one was a girl who has a special story. She was dating a boy and got pregnant. They now live together and their daughter is just turning 1 and they are getting married in 22 days. She talked about how grateful she was for her fiance. She talked about how the other day he came home from a 10 1/2 hour shift and she had dinner ready for him. They talked and laughed through dinner and he got up and did the dishes...how she was so grateful that after such a long shift that he wanted to help her. Then she told him to go shower and she would sweep and vacuum...and he said no that she could sweep and that he would vacuum. She told him to just put their daughter in her bouncer and he said that he wanted to hold her and vacuum with her. She also talked about that even when they are in a fight, that when they get in bed at night he will still cuddle up next to her and tell her how much he loves her.

**HOW SWEET! I ABOUT DIED! I think that it is the most amazing/sweet thing ever that even after such a long day of work, he wanted to help her...but not only help her...but to play with his daughter at the same time as helping her. I am so happy for her...that they are finally getting married and that she is just so happy!

I am so grateful for these posts that I read. I am so grateful to know so many wonderful people who can help uplift me and make me so happy. This all got me thinking about how grateful I was for everything in my life...and the things I had to go through to get to this point. Every crappy relationship in my past has taught me so much and was necessay to get me to where I am in my life now. I am a strong believer that everything happens for a reason...and even though we can't see the big picture now, we will soon enough and it will all be so clear.

I love my husband, and I love my child. They are the two most important things to me in my life. I would do anything for them. I am so grateful not only for my family, but for the gospel. For the knowledge I have and the peace and comfort it gives me. I am so grateful for nature. I am grateful for the greenery I see outside my door...for the sun, and for the nice breeze. I am grateful for Allen's jobs. A lot of people are out of work, and we are blessed with 2 jobs from him that make it possible for me to stay home with my child. I am grateful for everything I have in my life. I would not have it any other way.

For those who made this such a great day, THANK YOU! Thank you for bringing such happiness into my life and making me smile. I am so grateful...

He loves to play...

When Riley was born, my sister-in-law Maria let us borrow this way cool vibrating chair for him. It makes noise, vibrates, and has three toys hanging from it. At first Riley hated it. We would put him in it and he would start crying. Well now he LOVES it. I lay him in it and buckle him in and turn on the sound. He has so much fun. He will lay there and look at the toysand he will try so hard to hit them. Sometimes he misses them, but sometimes he makes it....and when he hits them he gets so happy!It's kind of a fun ordeal for him!

My little boy isn't a little boy anymore.

So since I am in a terrible mood I decided to have some fun...and try on outfits for Riley for church in this morning. This is what I decided on:

Look how big he looks. So sad! He looks like a little man...not a baby. He looks so darn cute in his collared shirt, vest, and khakis...I just might die! It's nice that when I am in the dumps, that I have a little baby to smile at me and cheer me up. He is the sweetest little baby around...and by far the best baby ever. I swear he never cries anymore. He is wonderful!

I may not have my phone. I may not have tv. I may not have my computer. I may not have Allen. At least I have my baby!

P.S. I have added new recipes to my blog recently...including tonight

Having a rough time here...

This has been a rough 24 hours for me.

My heart is aching. I am so sad and hurt. I am not getting into the story.

I have been alone by myself for the past few days while Allen is in California.

I have no television since the switch to digital. We have no converter box.

I woke up sick today and couldn't go to Orem Summerfest like I planned. Really upset about that.

Heart is still aching. Couldn't sleep last night. Frustrated by what I have to do.

Tried to take a bath to calm me...dropped my new phone in the water. REALLY, REALLY upset now. I don't know yet if it works or not.

Altogether, I am having a really rough time.

The end. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

2 months old?

Riley was considered 2 months old on Sunday. Time sure does fly quick...I cannot believe it. Well, today I had to take him to his 2 month check up. He had to get 3 shots. I tried to be strong for him. I held him in my arms and held onto his hands. I kissed him before they gave him the shots and then I talked with him through the whole thing. He was screaming so loud and was turning purple. It was so sad. I kept talking to him because I wanted him to know that his mom was with him. As I held him, while they gave him the shots, I had tears streaming down my face. My poor baby was in so much pain. I was smart and had a bottle prepared for him. As soon as they finished the shots I threw the bottle in his mouth and bounced him. The poor guy was in so much pain he was forgetting to breathe. I tried to be really strong for him, but I still cried. Well as of today he is 11 pounds 3 1/2 ounces, and 24 1/2 inches long. He is in the 78th percentile for his length and 33rd percentile for his weight. He gained more weight than he was supposed to this month, but because he is so tall, he is lower in the weight percentile. When I saw how much he weighs I was shocked! He is such a skinny skinny boy but weighs so much. I guess that is the positive thing about being so tall! I'm glad my boy got my tall genes!

Allen left this morning for California. He is down there till Sunday night. So unfortunately it is just me and Riley alone for the next 4 days. It sure will be tough to have nobody else to talk to.

What a wonderful experience!

The Bennett's have been here since Friday and I have just had such a great time. Sunday was the most amazing day, yet today was pretty far up there too! We drove to Salt Lake and visited the cemetery there. There are some AMAZING and influential people burried there. My maiden name is Richards...which is a very wealthy name in the church. Not wealthy money wise...I mean we go all the way back and there are a lot of us that are very important people. A lot of my family is in that cemetery and I just had the best time finding some of them. We got out of the car and took a few steps and it started raining. So we got back in the car and just drove around. We drove until we found a cool person and then stopped and got out to take a picture. Obviously there are a TON more people from the church burried there...we just found a few from the car. Here is who we found:
(Willard Richards: A family member who was in the Carthage Jail with the Prophet Joseph Smith when he was shot and died)
(The bottom of his head stone)
(The backside of his head stone)
(The monument for these people)
(Where George Albert Smith was burried)
(Orson Pratt)

(George F. Richards: One of my family members. This was his monument)
(Where he was burried)
(Nanny Longstroth Richards: Willard Richards wife)
(The Hinckley monument)
(Where his wife was burried)
(Where the Prophet himself is burried)
(The Hinckley's burried side by side by their monument)
(David O. McKay's monument)

(Where David O. McKay is burried)
(Joseph F. Smith close up)
(Joseph F. Smith full length where he is burried)
(Joseph Fielding Smith)
(Hyrum Smith monument)

I am going to go back there again soon and spend a whole day there walking around. There are so many big people of our faith burried there and I want to see them all. It is the most amazing feeling to find one of them and stand right where their bodies lay. Absolutely AMAZING!