We are very lucky to have our own washer and dryer in our basement. I am so glad that I do not have to leave my building to do laundry and that we don't have to pay to do laundry. I love that I can put a load of laundry in the washer late at night and put it into the dryer the next morning. Since Max was born, I've been doing more than twice the amount of laundry, and I'm just glad that I have the freedom to do it when I need to and that it is so easy and accessible for me to make sure my family has clean clothes to wear, sheets to sleep in, and towels to dry with.

I am very thankful for all the help that I get at church when I am there without Ryan. I know that I could probably make it through church without all the help that I get, but I have a much easier time with the help I get. After church Ben Cowan, one of our wonderful neighbors, saw that I was struggling with Chris, Max, and the multitude of bags that I need at church and he offered to carry Max in his carseat to our car. And this is not the first time the Cowans have helped me to my car - I love them for their generosity, service, and friendship.

I am also really grateful that Chris likes to sing. I am amazed at how many songs he knows the words to - I guess singing to him every day at naps and at bedtime has actually taught him some songs. That's refreshing to know.

I love libraries. Yesterday, we went to the Verona library which I think is the best library I've ever been to. It has a fabulous children's section with a puzzle area, a train table, and a great selection of books. It's a new library, so everything is neat and clean. I love going there and I love that Chris and I can get new books to read every week for free. Plus, their DVD selection is great!

Today, I am grateful that the Cowans were willing to watch Chris so that Ryan and I could go out to dinner for his birthday to a real restaurant. It was delicious and very nice to be as alone as we could be with a fussy baby. I also am very grateful that Chris gets so excited to go to Haven's house - it makes leaving him so much easier.

I love Max's hair right now. The hair on top of his head is a bunch of fuzz, and I love rubbing it. In the back, his hair is growing in pretty thick and dark (at least much thicker and darker than the light fuzz that's around the rest of his head) with a little bald spot where it gets rubbed off when he's on his back. Today, I noticed the hair on his knuckles - how cute! He has very light, thin hair growing on parts of his knuckes and fingers, just like a grown man. You can really only see it when the sun is shining just right, but it's there.

Having the right to vote is good and actually exercising that right is awesome. I was able to vote yesterday, and although I didn't get to vote on all the issues that were important to me (such as Prop 8 in California) and not all of the races I did vote for went the way I was hoping, I am very grateful that I get to express my voice along with my fellow countrymen. I am also very grateful for Ginnie for listening in for Chris so that I could go vote. It's always fun to be a part of history.

Tonight, Max cuddled with me as he fell asleep. I know that cuddling sounds like such a simple thing, but it really calms me down and helps me focus on what is really important: I have my family and we are safe and healthy and happy. Tonight when Max nuzzled up against my chest, I could feel the frustration of all the spit up and all the crying slowly ooze out of my mind. It really doesn't matter how much he screams in a day as long as I can have a tender snuggle at the end of it all.

Today, I am grateful that I went to Enrichment and found out that Cascade is the best weapon against blow-out poop stains. Max decided to be uber explosive today, so I used lots of Cascade, and it worked really well on those yellow stains that mark so many of Chris's clothes. Hooray for white onesies!

A few things I'm grateful for (for the last few days that I've missed posting):
1. We are so lucky to have family that lives close. We were able to go visit my brother Wade's family this weekend and we only had to drive for 3 hours to see them. Chris got to go trick-or-treating with his cool older cousins and he had a great time. I love being able to spend time with family.

2. I am extremely grateful that the BYU Cougars pulled out another win. It was really fun to watch their last drive to get a touchdown. Wins for the Cougars equate a happy husband for me.

3. I am really grateful for Halloween/autumn food. I love the candy, the pumpkin seeds, the apples, the pumpkin breads and everything else associated with Halloween and autumn. It's all so delicious and I can't seem to get enough of it!