The Andersen Fam

LOVE

2012-02-16T15:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

Truckee River

2012-02-13T10:15:00.000-08:00

We still have not seen winter this year. I'm beginning to wonder if it will skip over us, give us an iou for next year. So, we have been taking advantage of the sunny skies, and the tepid temperatures. We took the kids to the river where they played around, walked across rocks, and made me cringe for fear of them toppling into the frigid water.

Thankfully Brian carried Kolton, otherwise he might have ended up in the water:) Xiana is getting to be a prolific little rock scaler which is a good thing because she cannot be persuaded to not follow Ekco where ever she goes. I was frightened at first, but sister wasn't about to let me slow her down. The only person who ended up with a wet foot was Brian.

We went to a park out past Verdi. It was a beautiful day and the river was breathtaking. Kolton, following in both his sisters' footsteps, was less than pleased to be restrained in the arms of mommy and daddy. Instead, he wanted to crawl around, touch the water, and explore.

The girls found layers of ice and made an entertaining game of picking up glassy shards and throwing them at rocks, laughing with glee as they smashed into millions of crystals making sounds of scattered glass. This occupied them for quite some time, daring them to go farther and farther into the gleaming water. Eventually, Brian and I had to pull in the reins lest they found themselves stuck on a rock surrounded with water like a lonely island.

Then we went to the part of the river where Brian and I went on our second date. We took the kids to the bridge where we looked for fish... and mermaids... and I was about as sentimental as I can get rounding the curves of the trails...remembering. It was a lovely afternoon.

Mama bear

2012-02-10T14:00:00.000-08:00

For preschool we did H is for hat. The kids enjoyed putting all the stickers on their significations of royalty. We got the idea from a book from the library. I often find that while reading a library book I am suddenly given a great idea for pre-school. This group has worked out nicely. The kids are all learning social conventions, letters, numbers, and Xiana now knows how to write every letter in the alphabet, the days of the week, and has the pledge of allegiance memorized. It's amazing how proud a mama can be...I've been thinking about this lately... the pride of a mama. It appears that alongside that pride comes a sense of fierce defense. Like the mama bear, we will stop short of nothing to protect our little ones. In watching parents around me with kids older than mine, I find myself learning valuable lessons about when you have to step back and let your children learn, and when you have to step in and prevent them from getting hurt. It seems that when you prevent them from getting hurt by sidestepping natural (or unnatural) consequences, you are protecting them, but also preventing them from progress... from growth. Unfortunately, nothing is a slam dunk. There is no rule book for when to intervene and when to let sister punch it out...except that there is. If I can rely on the spirit to guide me and my parenting, then there is a rule book that is specific to each and every situation I might find myself, or my child in. I hope to be able to always say that I have a close enough relationship with my Saviour to rely on the spirit for guidance. I know that some days I fail... like yesterday when, while in time out for decorating the sink with my makeup Xiana thought it was a good idea to spit all over the wall she had her nosed pressed to... yes failure is a part of parenting. But I hope to find guidance, turn to the Lord instead of screaming at the top of my lungs. And I really hope that if I'm ever being that mom that fights too many battles for my little ones, intervenes too much, makes life too easy, is too much of a micro-manager... I really hope that Brian will be able to pull back my reins and help me to see the error of my ways. I understand why the institution of family and marriage is so very important in an ever changing society. I rely on Brian and the spirit, and in moments of weakness when I refuse to turn to the Lord, Brian does instead. I'm grateful for this knowledge. I'm also grateful to all the moms around me that give me great examples of what to do... and what not to do.

The Psychology of English

2012-02-02T08:21:00.000-08:00

In the second week of school I always have a get-to-know-each-other-assignment. Often, I do what is called a memory map where students take 7-10 memorable events from their lives and draw pictures and map them out on a poster board. Most think it's quite fun to color in college. When I used to do this at UNLV I got cookie cutter boards, the same at UNR. Most students were 18-yr-old millennium scholars living in the dorms off mom and dad's buck and pledging to various sorority/fraternities. TMCC is a completely different experience. Every time we get through the day of presentations, I find myself humbled and silenced. This semester, it was evident my students felt the same. I'm greatly motivated and impressed by these peoples' lives. Many of them (at least half of which are a good decade older than I) visibly shake as they stand before the class. It takes bravery, heart, willingness, and a good dose of psychological therapy to tell a group of strangers some of the intimate details of your life. I'm awed by the amount of struggle, sacrifice, and dedication these students have. ALL have had to trade something for their educations. NONE have the luxury of living on mom and dad's buck. I heard of students selling prize possessions, losing business, burying children, overcoming drug addictions, getting out of gangs, getting out of prison, all in order to better their lives... to become something they could be proud of when they looked in the mirror. They told of loss, of love, of hurt, of joy. They opened up their hearts to one another. The feelings of camaraderie at the end of this exercise were tangible. You could see this group of strangers get closer, much like that of group therapy. One particularly boisterous woman is going to school to be a substance abuse counselor after over a decade in prison from drugs. She had ten children taken away and when she shared that she has since gotten all ten of her children back, a job when everyone told her it was impossible for felons to work, and is now back in school, the entire classroom broke out in cheers and applause, rooting her on. Likewise, when two students got too emotional to finish their presentations, I had them sit down and their fellow students were so supportive. There were such feelings of support, of understanding, of therapy. As I listened to these heart wrenching stories of abuse, a man getting his head almost entirely severed by his old best friend, a girl leaving her gang and getting an education in jail, motivated by all the things she was missing by resorting to violence, I found myself thinking about people. Despite this wide array of experience (the white man from the south originating from a family derived from the KKK sitting in front of the black guy from South Africa having endured endless torment).. despite all this, the human heart is the same. Likewise, when people told of their joys, their marriages, trips, children, accomplishments, motivations, their happinesses and sadnesses were no different. It little mattered what their backgrounds were (integrated in the 60's or jumped into the Mexican Mafia in the 70's) their hearts all bleed red. They all experienced tragedy, success, failure, and heart breaks. They all picked themselves up, dusted themselves off, and mustered the courage and strength to make better lives for themselves, to move forward, to try again. And it was completely and utterly motivating. After each class I had multiple students come to me saying, "thank you for this exercise." Never before have I considered the psychology of English in such a way. It was beautiful.

Winter?

2012-01-29T16:32:00.000-08:00

So far this year we haven't had much of a winter. As a result, the first glimpse of snow got us all a little crazy. Even Kolton couldn't wait to get out the door and head for the ice. It was predicted that this would be the beginning of a major snow storm. It was not. Still, we had fun. That afternoon we went for a long, long drive. We thought the hills would have more snow. They did not.

Brian swept the patio and brought in a lot of dry wood...

Just in case...

We got out a few times on our drive. It turns out, however, that Kolton's favorite part was sitting in the front seat.

Just like the big boy that he is. Xiana's favorite part, as usual, was eating the snow.

A few good memories...

2012-01-29T15:47:00.000-08:00

It always makes me sad when my babies no longer fit in the dryer... okay, maybe I've actually never even considered that particular milestone because, before now, I've never had babies in the dryer. Still, Kolton is unstoppable and moves from one thing to the next. He is such a boy. I imagine it won't be long before he is taking that dryer apart and putting it back together. On the bright side, he is the most generous little kissing boy I've ever met. Today in Sunday school a baby girl came over to him making kissing noises. He kindly complied. I might have almost fallen off my chair because it was the most adorable thing I've witnessed in a long time.

Xiana will not miss a photo op. She also will not miss a single chance to sing a song. I'm a bit ashamed to admit that she knows a great many Lady GaGa, Madonna, and other such irresponsible pop artist songs. I did not know, however, that she also was a Britney Spears conoisseur. The other day I had Oh Baby baby stuck in my head from playing Just Dance 3. I was kind of humming it when, suddenly, Xiana belted the entire song out. Oy Vai. I am going to have a lot of explaining to do when she starts kindergarten.

A few weekends ago we went with some good friends and family to shoot some guns. They had a mini van so we had to stay relatively close to the road. It's too bad because there sure is a lot of garbage here. I know that in the past young men have cleaned this particular stretch for Eagle scout projects. I'd like to see it again. It really makes me sad that so many people leave/dump their trash out here.

Xiana went to the dentist for the second time with no cavities! She's such a big girl and sits up and gets x-rays and teeth cleanings like a champ. It was actually a good experience for her friend Emma too because they happened to be waiting also so she got to see how painless it was for Xiana (not that she doesn't have plenty of older brothers to model this particular endeavor), but she and Xiana really love each other so I think it was a mutually positive experience. I fear for poor Kolton's little teeth. He often takes a middle of the night bottle and I give him bottles when we drive in the car which makes me nervous for his sex little teeth. Xiana didn't get any until she was over a year which made them very easy to care for considering she no longer took a bottle. We will see. fortunately, he loves to play with his toothbrush so in the awake hours they get pretty clean.

I know I've written before about how memories are so important for kids and adults alike, but that sometimes, a revisionist memory is much better than the actual thing. This is one of those times. Brian and I thought it would be a great idea to go for a walk along the river. Indeed it was very cold, but we took the necessary precautions and went for it anyway. On the way up the trail we saw 4 deer, a beaver, and many birds. It was very nice. On the way back, we saw crying babies, and whining girls. Seriously. Plus, Kolton refused to spend one more second in the stroller and Xiana would not walk unless holding my hand which made my arms extremely tired. We are trying to spend more time going for family walks. The really challenging part is teaching little Miss always been carried that she can, gasp, walk! She's getting better. We are trying to force her out of the stroller a little more and make it fun, and competitive (two things she seems to thrive on).

It was absolutely beautiful... for the first 20 minutes... then it was just plain frustrating!

This little guy, cold or not, is pretty darn cute!

I swing you swing

2012-01-22T16:43:00.000-08:00

I had my niece and nephew so we walked to the park. All the kids were troopers taking turns on the stroller. It was great exercise and Kolton LOVED his first swing experience. I recorded a darling video too where he is laughing and laughing every time Ella pushes him.

It was probably a little chillier than it should have been for a park day, but like I said, the kids were troopers.

Xiana showed off her oh so impressive pumping ability.

But she still requested a few under dogs.

We ate lunch, played, and then walked home. They were tired and easy going for the afternoon.

I know winter has scarcely begun, but days like these make me excited for spring!

New Year

2012-01-22T16:39:00.000-08:00

From Christmas to New Year's we were home sick. We had the stomach flu and Xiana had a high fever for a long, long time. The day after New Year's we had been quarantined for long enough so we went with my brother and his family and my parents out in the hills. We had a wonderful time. Though, despite the last throw up from Xiana having been 9 days previous and 5 days previous for the rest of us, the following day mom and my brother's entire family were all sick. We felt bad, but we sure had a good time, and it was wonderful to get out of the house after being held prisoners for so long.

Kolton successfully ate a lot of dirt. The girls had been dying to see each other so they had a lot of fun.

They hiked around and let loose which was extremely reassuring as Xiana had been secured to the couch for 6 days listless and immobile.

We love to take out dad's new 4-wheeler. It is such a blessing to live close to them.

Brian helped all the kids shoot the bb gun... which they were mighty impressed with.

These boys are wild and love nothing more than shooting guns and playing in dirt. Despite cold forecasts, the weather was beautiful.

I think Eva was the only one who even bothered with a beanie

Xiana lost interest fast, but she wanted at least a shot.

We should have known Kolton's first time shooting would be a pink gun :)

I almost missed this photo, but my dad pointed out how cute it was. We ended the day with explosives, but I don't have any pictures because I made videos instead. It got really windy, but the explosions were quite impressive nevertheless. I can't say that my family was glad we went, but we were :) IN the evening we went out to dinner when Xiana spiked her fever for one final time. She went to bed at 7 and woke up fixed... at least for a few days ;)

Pianist

2012-01-21T17:30:00.001-08:00

Playing Xiana's piano as loudly as he can is one of Kolton's favorite past times...

with or without clothes!! After the bath he beelined for the instrument.

He doesn't mind taking a turn while dressed as well. He balances with one hand and bangs with the other.

He's also mastered the skill of balancing by pressing his belly against the piano enabling him to have two free hands to bang away to his delight.

Hanging

2012-01-21T17:30:00.000-08:00

This little squirtcontinues to stand on everything! He can let go in between couches and chairs illustrating that if he wanted, he could probably take off and walk. Still, he's only 8 months! He loves to copy cat any noise we make, particularly clicks of the tongue. He babbles and says, "mama, and dada" since December. He gives kisses freely and often...snotty, wet kisses. We love them! He loves to pinch me and pull my hair and thinks any form of discipline is hilarious. If I yell at him and slap his hand it sends him into a 15 minute giggle fit. Really, he's kind of a monster, but he's so good and so sweet. He isn't mean spirited, he simply thinks it's a game. Even if I pinch him back he thinks it's hysterical. He's still a little guy, but not in comparison of his big sis. He already dominates her in some ways. If she has a plate of food she simply cannot keep it from him. He will cheerfully take it right out of her hands, much to her dismay. He loves to go up the stairs and so far has only fallen down them once. He gets approximately 5 bruises on his head per day... sometimes he doesn't even make a sound so I have no idea where they came from. He has figured out that if there is only one stair he can lay on his belly, inch forward until his hands reach the ground, and alligator crawl off of it. He does this frequently. He shakes his head no while giggling at just about everything. He especially loves to shake his head no when you say yes. He jumps on everything, but doesn't love being contained in his jumper anymore. Brian says that he loves his tenderness at this stage, "because it will disappear" :) He also wants to remember his hugs and kisses. I think they're here to stay, but we will see. He is all boy, but he does have a soft side, much like his daddy. He reminds me of Brian in so many ways it's sometimes spooky.

As promised, these are the marvelous 4-foot dolls that Xiana was so kind as to let me color 2 complete outfits. I may or may not have had more fun doing so than her... Still, she loves to play with them!

She has become a master of memorizing figures of speech. Sometimes her application is a little off, and sometimes it's exactly as she heard, but inappropriate for a 4-year -old. For example, there is a picture of Kolton on Brian's phone where his eyes are half closed. She proudly declared, "look at the stoned baby." She also informed grandma that Kolton was "screaming bloody murder at home." After cleaning her room she told me, "I know why I had to clean my room. So my friends won't think we live in a pig hole." One morning she told Grandma, "I didn't sleep on little wink last night." She also told us that her friend is a "scare wart" dubbed from the phrase "worry wart." While watching tv she told me, "doesn't that little boy look so like Mitchell?" I swear this girl. She's funny.

He's a big boy.

He no longer lets us feed him. He must feed himself. If we dare try, he takes the bite out of his mouth and puts it back in himself.

And like sissy, he must have his own bowl of cereal!

Brian's birthday

2012-01-11T09:37:00.000-08:00

By some miracle, we weren't sick on Brian's birthday. We had a one day reprieve before everybody had a violent, pernicious stomach flu and Xiana had a long long long fever. But, we were spared on Tuesday which was wonderful. Ekco would throw up later that night, but the day was puke-free.

Brian typically goes hunting on his birthday so I had arranged for a sitter so that we could go bird hunting together, but he didn't want to leave the kids and instead opted to go out for a drive in the hills and shoot guns a bit. We had lunch and then made it out in the mountains just in time for Kolton to have a blow out. Unfortunately, he had thrown up on his spare outfit the night before and I had forgotten to replace it so, our trip was cut a little short.

For some reason Ekco has been afraid to drive up hills as of late so Brian had a wonderful solution... the girls walked up the steep hills.

It was an added bonus that they got some exercise. We got stuck a little later. Brian is pretty amazing at getting vehicles un-stuck (well, and stuck to begin with). He got us out after about 30 minutes and we headed home.

I made seafood pan roast for dinner and then we had cake.

It's hard to believe another year has passed and Brian is now in his mid-30's. It feels like a dream, this thing called life. Like a fleeting moment in time that can scarcely be captured even in photographs. The end of 2011 (and all years) leads to reflection and consideration of the previous year. Brian and I talked about our best and worst of 2011. All in all, I'd say we were pretty blessed. I saw a lot of people posting about how glad they were to be done with last year. I'm glad only in the sense that I welcome a new year, but 2011 was a pretty good shot for us. And our sweet baby boy. Happy birthday Brian!

Christmas with the Frey's

2012-01-11T09:26:00.000-08:00

When we got home we went to my parent's for Christmas with them. Kolton got a really fun v-tech ball.It rolls itself like it has a mind of its own.

Xianagot what will certainly be considered her most used and probably treasured gift... a v-tech digital camera. She has taken roughly 1000 pictures and videos. She snaps shots of everything!

Ekco got a 3-d paint set and a kindle gift card.

We got my parents two dates and attached them to a bottle of sparkling cider. It looked very cute.

Brian and I got a new dishwasher. It might not be the most exciting gift we've ever received, but it's certainly the most expensive and will get the most use!!!

Brian had to get in on the camera action. A true tribute to how sick Xiana was for the next 8 days is that she scarcely touched, even her camera, and all of her Christmas presents and stocking stuffers sat in the bag we transported them home in. It was a long week. But...the holidays were wonderful nevertheless, although, so far it's been a challenging year :) We are now one week sick-free and life is good.

Christmas evening

2012-01-11T08:52:00.000-08:00

Later in the day on Christmaswe had a delectable prime rib dinner that Mark cooked perfectly. Then we took to the hills like genuine mountain families.

I guess I didn't realize it was so cold out... we didn't bring the girls very warm clothes.. particularly for the duration. Xiana spent much of the time playing with Haylee in Tim's truck. Kolton slept in our truck the entire time.

Which is really quite impressive when you consider all the guns being fired. There were new guns, old guns, and lots of trigger fingers.

Tosh was trying out her new gift.

I'm not going to lie, I found it to be the slightest bit jarring to walk around with so very many people holding guns. Yet, it was perfectly appropriate... and fun! I didn't get a shot of it, but Brian bought his dad three explosives for Christmas. Needless to say he shot all three. And boy did they go boom. I felt like we were in the special effects department of a movie. They were loud, and big.

I know her face screams bored, but she was impressed too.

Everybody was milling around, yelling loudly at each other in order to talk over their ear plugs.

Xiana and her uncle Larry. She pretty much makes him hold her whenever he's around.

These cute cousins!

Cheese!

Mom and almost all her kids!

Ali really got into the shooting... so did Larry. They loved it!

As did I!

We closed the night with some dance competitions on the kinnect.

And going up and down the stairs about a million times. Fun fun fun times! Later that night Xiana would throw up and start the plague... but for this moment, all was well in the land of Christmas.

Picture

2012-01-11T08:51:00.000-08:00

I'm very sad to say this is the only picture we got after church. I really wanted to get a picture of us in our church best on Christmas day. Unfortunately, the chair was very low, and someone wasn't very cooperative. sigh. Oh well, we will just pretend we were Christmas giants.

Christmas!

2012-01-11T07:00:00.000-08:00

We tried really hard not to go crazy this year. Last year got a little out of hand. We did better, but there is such a temptation to spoil your kids rotten around the holidays. Plus, everybody else purchases gifts for them too. Sometimes I find it challenging to teach the spirit of Christmas when we fall into the trap of commercialism. Next year I hope to be better. I want to imprint a spirit of gratitude into my children. I know very well that the best way to do that is NOT to smother them with gifts. Still, we had a beautiful Christmas. Everybody had a wonderful time, and got spoiled and managed to eek out some gratitude so I would say it was a success.

This might not be the girls' favorite present, but it's mine! 4 foot tall paper dolls that you get to color the outfits. So fun!

Ekco got a lot of cute clothes this year, partly because she needed them and partly because she's at that age. She is kind of outgrowing toys. I remember my tenth Christmas. I got $100 to go on a shopping spree with. I can vividly remember the outfits I bought with the money. Like I said, it's the age. Christmas isn't quite the same when you start outgrowing toys, but Ekco still made out like a bandit.

It's become a tradition for me to make an annual calender. Again, I'm not sure if it's better for me or the recipient.

Ekco also got the dolls, though she hasn't opened them yet so is unaware of their true value of fun, particularly for as aspiring fashion designer.

We had to wake up very early because Kylee had to be at her mom's at 7. The kids anxiously awaited every one's arrival... okay, they might have been half asleep, but they were still anxious.

And they are present opening machines. They know what they're doing!

Santa delivered getting Xiana her desired Dora and Ekco speakers for her ipod.

Kolton got a few v-techs, a bunch of balls, and some cookies. His favorite things were: wrapping paper, pencils, and candy wrappers.

Santa also brought a whole bunch of bubble gum. Grandma put her foot down and said that the gum couldn't be opened there. We argued it was a perfect excuse to get new flooring.

Our little family... that's getting bigger all the time. It was wonderful to wake up together on Christmas morning.

Looking at this picture I realized we didn't make it home with this ball...

The kids had a blast... I'm not sure how many bags of wrapping paper there were.

There was scarcely space to sit... let alone take pictures :)

Ekco also got a new journal to write in and to work on her story. She has been writing a delightful story that we are going to have printed in a book when she's finished. Merry Christmas!! (bleated)

Gingerbread houses

2012-01-10T10:48:00.000-08:00

Okay fine, they're actually Graham cracker houses, but there are adorable nevertheless. There was no shortage of candy and treats over the break. The kids did an excellent job decorating their houses.

But the funny thing is that the adults who made houses took about 100 times longer to make their perfect houses than the kids. I daresay they enjoyed it more too!

Ekco was with her mom the day the kids made them, but grandma Andersen is ever so thoughtful and made sure there was frosting left over for Ekco to make her own beautiful creation.

Service

2012-01-08T09:08:00.000-08:00

I have to admit, I feel like I completely and utterly dropped the ball this Christmas with acts of service. Xiana is old enough now to appreciate the value of giving, particularly at the holidays. Next year I am going to be much better. This year, the only baking I did was for my visiting teachees, I didn't make cards, and we didn't do very much in the way of angel trees and such. Fortunately, my sister-in-law and mother-in-law arranged to have the cousins visit the elderly. Debbie backed like a machine creating goodie baskets for each of the 13 residents. Dawnette got all of their names so that the kids could make cards more personal. I'm so grateful to them for organizing this so that we didn't escape the season without feeling like we made someone else's day a little brighter.

Debbie got reindeer horns for all the kids and they were more adorable than words can say.

Especially this little Rudolf.

The kids sang four songs and then Ali and Larry did two beautiful and fun duets.

The residents were touched. I think every person we spoke with commented on how wonderful it was to have children there. They spoke of missing their grandchildren, children, and loved ones. The kids handed out the baskets with the accompanying cards they made. The residents gave kisses, held hands, and smiled from ear to ear.

One nurse, despite being cynical at our arrival, was touched and cried before we left.

The kids did a wonderful job and it was so special to see how they understood that they had been influential on the spirit's of the elderly.

It's been a year!!

2012-01-08T09:02:00.000-08:00

I don't know how it's possible, but I haven't been to Battle Mountain for a whole year! Not since last Christmas. We knew when Ekco moved to Fernley we wouldn't be traveling there as often, but a whole year is a long time! It hadn't been as long for Brian thankfully. Kolton traveled well, sleeping most of the way. Brian's dad has a little doggie that barks and wags his tail. Kolton was in love. He kept picking that little puppy up and trying to grab his nose.

We stayed at Brian's brother's house this year because the WHOLE family (minus Jeff and Jen) came so there wasn't room for everybody at his folk's. It was fun to get to know my sister-in-law better and let the cousins have a chance to hang out a little more. The disadvantage was that everybody got sick... more on that later.

Kolton was a happy little monkey getting into things and eating his first dog food.

Xiana and Haylee were real monkeys trying their ability at flipping...

repeatedly!

With so much family there, the gifts piled up. The stash just got bigger and bigger and bigger. It was really fun to get the kids together and to share Christmas morning as a big family. We got there a few days early because for Brian's mom's gift, the boys redid the floor in her bathroom. I don't know how I got away without a picture, but it looked great!

Pre-Christmas

2012-01-08T08:57:00.000-08:00

We went to Brian's good friend Al's house before leaving for Christmas and they spoiled us rotten. They got Xiana a backpack and a Barbie computer, which she loved!!! They got each of us thoughtful and kind gifts. We cherish them in our lives. They live quite close and act as pseudo grandparents to the kids. They brighten our lives, and they adore our children. They don't have little ones nearby so I dare say it is a symbiotic relationship.

Santa

2012-01-08T07:00:00.000-08:00

Our ward had breakfast with Santa. It was a rip roaring good time. The Elder's quorum was in charge and, because Brian is in the presidency, we were one of the chosen families. Everything went off without a hitch... well, except that there was no sound for the movie, but more than one person commented that it had a masculine vibe to it so we contributed it to them. Details. Who worries about the details anyway? It was successful nevertheless, and the kids were beside themselves with excitement to meet Santa Clause. The young women pretty much take care of our kids at all ward gatherings now. My calling is perfect!!

I managed to capture a shot with both of them on Santa's lap. Xiana told him she wanted two Dora sets and, true to her word, she stuck with it.

The kids were captivated by the stories, movie, and time with one another. Brian made an excellent pancake chef, and there was food left to feed an army. It was a great, albeit tiring, morning.

Quite the light show

2012-01-06T14:30:00.004-08:00

This house had the most spectacular, synchronized light show I've ever seen. It was so fun to go several nights in a row. The man spent 300 hours on it. It was breathtaking....

And apparently tiring.

Christmas dress take 1

2012-01-06T14:30:00.003-08:00

Xiana's Christmas dress made its first debut the week before Christmas because we were going to be out of town for the holidays. Pretty darn cute if you ask me. Of course, this will not be its last appearance, but that's not to sell the experience short!

Don't forget about me!

2012-01-06T14:30:00.002-08:00

Kolton has reached the awesome age of wanting to be involved in everything. I love this stage. I love that he can see when we are playing games, hanging out, watching movies, and knows if he is being left out. He will not stand for it. If we try to put together a puzzle, he sits on it. If we try to read books, he grabs them out of our hands. We've learned the best tactic to deal with this is... to let him play!

2012-01-06T14:30:00.001-08:00

For Brian's birthday I used an idea from pinterest. I did a year of dates. I was quite pleased... I dare say more so than him. For every month I wrote a little letter with memories from previous years or similar dates, then I included gift cards, vouchers, or homemade coupons for the rest. I can't wait to use his birthday present throughout the year.

An honest tale of lanterns

2012-01-06T14:30:00.000-08:00

This fun, easy project was a nightmare. I told Xiana that we were going to make them. Melt downs ensued. I threatened that we would not make them. Melt downs ensued. After multiple hysterical fits, pleading, crying, fighting, begging, and several days probationary period, we finally got to make the lanterns. They are cute, but I know for a fact that next year... there will be no lanterns!

Stair master

2012-01-01T21:00:00.000-08:00

This little guy's most favorite thing in the world is to giggle and head up the stairs... wait for someone to come fetch him, squeal with delight, then repeat. He always looks behind him when he goes up each step to insure that somebody is following him. He is such a little monkey. And he's fast. Pretty good crawling for a 7 month old! Also, if we ignore him for a moment, he loves to pull all the videos off the shelf in mommy and daddy's room. Tadaaaa! I made it!!

Discover me

2012-01-01T20:00:00.000-08:00

We went to the museum with our dear friends and had a wonderful time. The kids played, slept, and the mommies talked. Perfection!

It's amazing to me that the last time we were here Kolton slept in his stroller the entire time. Suddenly, he's big enough to go exploring and checking things out. He can wander around, climb up things, go down the slide (with sissy's help of course) Put blocks together, and stare in amazement at all of the wonderful things to explore. Xiana and Ethan were extremely impressed that they could both take pictures, type their names, and email from the computer upstairs. It seems no matter how many times we come here, they find something new. I love this place!

Mr. domestic mountain man

2011-12-26T23:30:00.000-08:00

Mr. domestic mountain man made a scrumptious elk roast in a dutch oven on the wood burning stove. It was so good, authentic and totally impressive. It only took about 12 hours. At about 2:30 in the morning the house was smelling pretty delicious.

Oh Christmas Tree oh Christmas Tree

2011-12-26T17:30:00.000-08:00

We kept with family tradition this year and chopped down our Christmas tree. The pictures somehow got in reverse order to we'll try something fun and present from finish to start. Tadaaaaa, this is our end result. I'd like to take some credit. However, I cannot. Brian chopped it down, carried it to the truck, set it up, trimmed it, put the lights on it, and then he and the kids decorated it. I can say it looks fabulous!

We decided to put it in the front room this year due to a certain 7-month-old's curiosity. It looked beautiful and you could see it nicely from the street.

Remember, we're watching the movie in reverse? Here it is first put up...

right after \being cut down...

daddy and Kolton

Mom and dad and their tree...

Our family...onlookers as well as workers...

It was ccccccoold, but still very little snow. This was certainly a change from last year when most tree cutters got stuck in the powder.

WE also made it to the downtown Christmas tree lighting, fun, but ccccccccccold

Monkey

2011-12-18T22:00:00.000-08:00

This little monkey crawls like nobody's business. He is fast! When Xiana started crawling she was so dainty about it. Not this little guy. It doesn't matter if it's stone, tile, hard wood, cement, pavement, he wants to be off an gone. He's so funny.

He has also at 6 1/2 months mastered the stairs... up, not down! This can be a bit of a challenge. He giggles the whole time he climbs up and then either aborts mission falling to his yet another bruise/scratch on his head, or lays flat and slides. Either way, pretty genius if you ask me.

Hehas a total of 6 teeth as of 12/7/11. It appears as though he has a few more of those chompers coming in. He HATES to have his nose wiped. I know, all kids hate to have their noses wiped, but he really really hates to have his nose wiped.

It's getting harder and harder to snap posed pictures because, like I said, he is always on the move.

He babbles like crazy. I think he will be an early talker. Brian insists that he says, "dada" regularly, and I once heard him distinctly say "mama."

He stands on everything! Including his crib when he wakes in the morning. He follows you around just to use your legs to stand up on. He often lets go thinking he can walk causing many more it-looks-like-we-beat-our-child bruising.He also likes to climb into things...like laundry baskets. The tricky part is getting out. He sometimes propels himself forward to knock over said basket. Other times he yells for help.

He laughs and laughs especially at his big sisters. He has come to love the magnets on the fridge. He makes a beeline for them at all hours of the day (and the wood burning stove.. troubles!)

There are few things he doesn't eat. He prefers to self feed. He gets pretty annoyed if we dare to assume the responsibility of feeding him. He is fiercely independent. He's happy to be able to sit in the cart at the grocery store instead of in his car seat. He loves bath time with sissy. He is intrigued by grandma and grandpa's cat. I don't think it will be long before he'll be able to catch her. He is entering the spend-church-in-the-hallways months. He still sleeps pretty good at night though more and more frequently he wakens once in the night. This is bizarre since he was always such a good sleeper. The one time I made him cry it out was utterly unsuccessful. He woke many times that night. When I simply rock him to sleep, he sleeps all night. Go figure. He is an early bird regardless of how he does at night. I hope we won't always wake between 5:30 and 6:30, but he is his father's child. He has begun snuggling a bit more, not much, but more. Also, he gets around so easily that it's really sweet when he comes to you to lay his head on your leg or chest. His eyes are still blue, but they are starting to fade into green. His hair is slowly but surely starting to grow. He's wonderful. I don't know how we lived without him.

Diva

2011-12-13T16:30:00.000-08:00

Straight or curly... this little girl is a diva! She struts her stuff like a high fashion model and constantly asks, "don't I look beautiful?" Indeed she is!

She is also an obstinate little critter. She can't be convinced otherwise once her mind is made up. I frequently hear her, after being corrected on a song, scripture, letter, word, "I can say/sing/write whatever I want." She will not tolerate being told she has the words wrong. She will simply insist they are right.

I've frequently commented on how she says like like, a lot. So, the other day when we were chopping down our Christmas tree, we mentioned that we were in California. She exclaimed, "now we can say like because we can talk like Californians!"
While bragging about the many things Kolton can now eat to my friend she said, "he can even drink water!! But not too much because we don't want him to waste calories." Indeed I believe that's a phrase she's heard a time or two in her skinny little life.

While in the back seat Xiana was pushing buttons on her DVD player. She announced, "It says there's a bad accident on Vista, we better go a different way."

Watching a TV program with a man creating a nutcracker, she said, "that guy is a gooder builder than my dad! But I bet if my dad builds my playhouse then he will be a gooder builder."

Before my dad leaves for work on the mornings they have the kids, she always teases him saying, "good night, sleep tight." Dad said, "don't let the bed bugs bite." She very seriously told him, "but there's not really bed bugs. That's just a figure of speech."
The other day Xiana informed me that I'm a "grownup kid." Thinking I was young and fun, I asked her why. "Because you still have a mommy and daddy." Oh, well, I'm glad I have that sorted out.

Give Thanks

2011-12-04T19:30:00.000-08:00

Well, I must be doing better because instead of this post being a month out... it's only a few weeks! See, Thanksgiving in December means Christmas in January...I can hang with that.Like I said earlier, Brian went on his brother's elk hunt and abandoned his family for Thanksgiving. Fortunately, we had a wonderful time nevertheless... but we did miss him! We went to my parent's house and mom, as usual, out did herself. I brought a few little things, but we had quite the spread. It honestly won't bother me even a little bit if I never have to tackle Thanksgiving solo. I have no interest in cooking a turkey or making the spread. I'm grateful for my mom and mother-in-law. I hope we can attend with them every year! Speaking of table... I didn't get a picture, but it was beautiful. My parents, us, Garrett and two of his friends, and my sister-in-law all sat around the beautiful feast. We ate until we were so stuffed we thought we would die and then devoured six different types of homemade pies... delicious.

Of course dad needed to work off some of his meal. In the morning we watched the parade which was quite reminiscent of Xiana's second Thanksgiving where she squealed with delight at the floats and balloons on the screen. Kolton got to eat on his first Thanksgiving. Let me tell you, he loved it. He ate turkey and tators and his weight in candied yams, and pie (okay whipped cream mostly, but a bit of pie) and then finished off with a spoon for entertainment. He not only ate like crazy, but he was very kind to let me eat also.

I have much to be thankful for. Like others, the list is endless. This year, I am especially thankful for my little family. I'm thankful for my wonderful husband, Brian, for our kids Ekco, Xiana, and Kolton. What a wonderful addition each member is to our family. How important they all are. The each serve their own purpose and fit our family perfectly. I'm also extraordinarily grateful for my parents. They do so much for us. They spend so much time with us. I'm grateful that I get to live here in Sparks... where I always planned on living. I'm also thankful for my siblings, my in-laws, and my friends.

I'm thankful for our home, wood burning stove, cars, truck, electronics, washer, dryer, dishwasher, vacuum, and so many other material goods that make life easier and more convenient.

I'm thankful for our jobs, the gospel, warm clothes, computers, books, cameras, lights, doctors, modern medicine, freedom, and happiness. But most of all, I'm grateful for my Savior without whom there would be nothing for me to be grateful for. I hope that I can give more gratitude daily, live in a way that doesn't condone resentment, but rather fulfillment, and always always always give thanks.

32!!!

2011-12-01T15:30:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday to me!I celebrated my 32nd birthday this year. I felt much the way I felt on my 29th birthday... after the dust of motherhood had settled and I felt, for one of the first times, like a person again. This is similar to how I felt this year. Brian and I went out for sushi and then bowling (which was our first date). Suddenly, my experience, feelings, and thoughts came crashing down on me reminding me that, although I am often a mother first... that is not all I am. I am also a person, a wife, a teacher, a thinker, an optimistic individual that sometimes loses her optimism. I did it with Xiana, Kolton, and I'm sure I'll do it again; this thing where I get lost in the void of motherhood and can't seem to make it out. I forget to feel confident and instead feel resentful. I forget to feel grateful and instead feel overwhelmed. But most importantly, I forget the I am me. I still exist. When we were bowling, I couldn't help but feel nostalgic. It took me back to the first time I met Brian and we were there, in the same alley. I remembered my initial impression of him; how mysterious and exciting it all was. I remembered how good it felt, and fun. It was good for me to remember how incredible he is; how I forget that he excites emotions in me that had been previously, and later put on the back burner. It reminded me who I was years ago. It reminded me that I still am her. I guess I just rely on birthdays for perspective and a sense of self. I'm. still. here. I'm. glad.

The next day was my actual birthday so we went to my parent's house where my mom made crab cakes and cheesecake. It was beyond delicious and we had a wonderful time.

I had my trusty helper to blow out my candles, and I made a wish... but I'll never tell.

I got to spend my birthday with the most important people on earth to me. And Brian left belatedly on his brother's elk hunt so that he could be here for my birthday. Oh, and also so that I didn't kill him for missing both my bday and Thanksgiving. But I think the former was the most important part.

We went to church, Xiana was her adorable self, Brian made me breakfast, and all was good in the

land of 32!

Brian got me new headphones and itunes gift card and my parents gave me a gift certificate for a spa! It was a wonderful birthday weekend.

A post of bragging

2011-11-28T07:00:00.000-08:00

This little girlis quite the mimic. She pays attention to everything and constantly repeats the things she hears from us, the TV, or from her friends. Recently I witnessed her on her little blackberry. She was playing with Ella and she pushed the screen and told her, very matter of factly, "It says, go north at the trees, through the cave, and in to where the wilderness starts." Thank you Dora for that, but also Brian and I constantly looking things up on our phones.

Her inflections are hilarious. The other day she expressively told me, (insert dramatic valley girl voice) "This is kinda weird. I have a story to tell you and it's soooo crazy. The other day, I was watching a show at grandma's house, and one of the characters looked just like Mitchells mom!" (insert tiny squeal). I laughed to which she responded, "I'm not lying or kidding, this is serious." She is so passionate and intense. She always has been.

While driving home, Bush was on the radio and he was singing, "this cloud, this cloud, this cloud, this cloud." Xiana told me, "mom, can you turn this song off because this sound is annoying!"

We watched Soul Surfer and Xiana was so excited at the end exclaiming, "she's surf boarding!" she was very happy that she had made it up again.

One morning I overheard her tell grandpa, "I'm in the right family, you know why? my back hurts and so does my mommy's and my daddy's."

Another time I heard her tell grandpa, "lots of people jump the gun, but we don't. Do you know what jumping the gun means? It means doing it too soon." We had recently had a conversation about that particular phrase. Initially she called it, "shooting the gun."

Her little brother sits up all by himself. The other day Xiana came in and kissed him on the head saying, "I just kissed-ed Kolton's sweet little head." Another day she told me, "my grandma is going to get this stuff that's the same color as her hair and she's gonna dilate her hair!" She couldn't be persuaded that the word she was looking for was dye. She continues to memorize songs like crazy particularly Taylor Swift, Lady Ga Ga, and Adele. She has an amazing ability.

Here is Kolton enjoying the show, sitting up all by himself thinking he's pretty big.

Brian often resorts to the sink for a Sunday bath... Kolton loves it!

He is getting really good at holding his own bottle, which helps save me time, but my mom loves to feed him because he cuddles. She does not embrace his independence the way we do around here. He generally requires a little cat nap in the evenings, just enough to take the edge off. The other night he was crawling around while each of us were otherwise occupied. We looked up to find he had put himself to bed... right on the floor. I couldn't resist the shot.

I recognize that these pictures are ultimately the same, but I just couldn't bear the thought of not having both of them in our blog book. He looks like such a big boy. I just want to eat his little

cheeks for dinner!

Xiana plays and plays with Kolton, constantly trying to make him laugh and help out with feeding/entertaining/changing/holding/bragging about him.

bath time is much more pleasant now that he can sit up alone. He loves to splash and play. What used to be the dreaded hour is now one of his favorite parts of the day. I love his amused expression; like he knows what we don't and finds it entertaining. These kids rock!

Santy Clause

2011-11-28T06:00:00.000-08:00

My niece, Ella, is in a singing/ dancing group this year. They performed at Legends, and we decided to brave the cold and show our support. We couldn't help but comment on how much Xiana would love to be a part of a group like that, she's such a ham. I asked her if she would like to join that group and she said, "yeah, we better ask to see how old I have to be." Clever girl.

Kolton was cuddling Brian to keep warm when Santa Clause approached us asking if we had taken a picture with him. We had not. So, we did. Xiana was thrilled to be held by Santa and told him that he would be joining her ward, but only her ward, for breakfast. It was very sweet. Kolton looks so cute in my various hats. This one makes me think of Oliver! My little orphan.

Fancy a show?

2011-11-27T07:00:00.000-08:00

These darling, fancy girls, motivated by none other than Fancy Nancy, put on several fashion shows and a tutorial on being fancy. The fashion shows were hilarious. They made tickets for each of us, Kolton include, then they gave us fake money and Ekco stood at the door to let us in to the show. Once there, Ekco had arranged a series of outfits and music that accompanied and reinforced the outfit. For example, this outfit with wings was performed to a song about flying. It was very clever. Ekco was the MC, and she thought of everything. Xiana posed, posed, posed, and posed.

Another really darling thing was that Ekco couldn't figure out how to make her ipod play through her karaoke speakers, so she held the ear piece to the microphone. It was pretty cute.

Later that weekendthey gave us tickets to their instructional presentation on being fancy. Like the book, they had arranged various shoes, clothes, dolls, and accessories dubbing them either "fancy" or "plain." It was funny. Then they went through each member of the audience determining if we were fancy. It turns out none of us were, however, I argued that my sparkling personality had to count for something!They played fashion show all weekend long. I'm glad they can entertain themselves!

Kolton enjoyed the shows as well. He loves to feel like he's part of things. He sat on Xiana's bed in between Brian and I and acted like he was a big boy at a real show. The girls complained that their audience wasn't very supportive because we were arguing with their depiction of "fancy," but they had a great time as well! It was a fun, stay at home kind of a weekend.

Sunday best

2011-11-26T08:30:00.000-08:00

This stylish little boy is just about the cutest thing to ever see a 2 piece suit. He is darling. I love how big he looks in his little suits. At six months he sits up all by himself and can even get himself to a sitting position from his tummy. He crawls moderately, but he army crawls like nobody's business. He is fast. He can crawl on knees as well, but he's so much faster in his army crawl with his right elbow forward that he generally reverts to it. He continues to LOVE his jumper and bounces like a maniac every day. He is finally taking his naps in his crib. No more swing for this little guy. He continues to sleep through the night in his own bedroom, but he regularly wakes at 6:00 am which I'm not thrilled with. Still, he is so easy to put to bed at night that you can hardly fault him.

He still isn't the most cuddly baby ever, but he has taken to

giving quick and loving kisses and snuggles. They're enough to make anyone melt. He's a little more challenging for mom with his new mobility. When I go pick up the kids she says, "he was everywhere today." Indeed he is. It's nice, though, because he's such an independent little guy that I'm grateful he can get around. We throw various toys all over the living room floor to slow his efforts. The one problem with his new found freedom so far is that he loves to pull the cords out from the carpet lining. When I yell at him, he laughs. He's always thought it hilarious when mommy yells at Xiana. Apparently we are going to have to try a new tactic. He used to eat baby food so nicely that I stocked up. Just in time for him to decide he is beyond baby food. He will only eat real food these days. He especially loves cheesecake! Hopefully there will be an eventual resurgence in his baby food eating desires. Otherwise someone will be the lucky recipient of a lot of baby food. He's getting more and more coordinated with his little fingers feeding himself. I've discovered one thing he loves is to hold his own spoon. Much of the food makes it onto his face, but he's content to play with the utensil so I let him. He continues to be daddy's buddy. He lights up when Brian gets home from work. He also continues to be a squirm worm. He bounces incessantly. He never stops moving. He is a wonderful, perfect, joyful, serious, baby. He makes the earth stop. We love him so!

And don't even get me started on this little girl. She continues to be remarkable in all ways. She is extraordinarily intelligent, gifted, beautiful, and spiritual. She has now graduated to bearing her testimony solo (which is great for me because I no longer have to go up every single month, but I don't feel like I'm depriving her). Last month she marched herself up to the stand, cutting off two people in front of her, went to the podium and said, "I like to bear my testimony, I know this church is true. I love my family. And I know that everything's gonna be great." She then turned and shook hands withe the bishopric. She is so incredibly confident and able.

She has memorized the first 3 articles of faith. I think we're going to work on all 12 this year. Her ability to memorize is astonishing. I scarcely have to work with her at all in order for her to commit the verses to memory.

For young women the other night, we watched the movie, Emma. Xiana was telling us that Emma was Joseph Smith's wife and that he was the first prophet of the church. It seemed she had a pretty solid handle on him so it shocked me when, at the end of the movie when Joseph was killed, she sobbed and sobbed and sobbed. She was heart broken. I kept asking her if she thought he was still alive. She was broken hearted. I explained to her that this was a long time ago and that even if he hadn't been killed he would certainly be dead by now, but she was inconsolable. Finally, I explained that he lives again, like Jesus, and that we will get to see him again some day if we make good choices. She is such a tender, affectionate little girl. Sometimes I don't realize that she is still a four-year-old. Her presence is so mature. She is so sweet to feel the spirit and be excited to express her knowledge to the world. She tells me all the time the teachings of the scriptures. She loves primary and knows all the songs. She is passionate about her lessons and takes class very seriously. She is, like her brother, a joy to our family. We love her.

I don't have a picture of Ekco for this post because we didn't have her this weekend, but I wanted to write about her as well. She has grown into a young woman in the last year. She is no longer a child. It's remarkable to see her growth. She, like Xiana, has such an ability to remember songs, scriptures, and stories. She wants to write and illustrate her own fantasy book, and I think it will be exceptional. She is thriving in school, but more importantly, her spirit continues to be nourished and filled. When we read scriptures at night, she comprehends everything. Parts that are challenging for adults are not lost on her. Her prayers are so involved and articulate. She is such a help with Xiana and Kolton. She and Xiana disappear for hours playing imaginative and intelligent games. She is also learning to cook and is a great help to me at dinner time. She regularly comes in the kitchen and asks if she can help. What a wonderful blessing she is. We love her.

New toy

2011-11-25T10:00:00.000-08:00

So Dad got a new toy...much to the dismay of my mom, but it is a great new toy! One which we will use as many times as we possibly can. We love dad's new toy!

We took dad's new toy out to the moon rocks behind our house. Despite wind chill and blistering cold, we enjoyed ourselves immensely. We took turns riding the ATV, but Brian was in charge of loading and un-loading. Those not riding the toy still had fun climbing, talking, and enjoying the beautiful wonderful, great outdoors. Xiana is much braver than her coordination should allow. More than once she had to be told not so fast, or not so high. She's fearless this little girl, completely and utterly fearless.

My mom wanted nothing to do with the four-wheeler. She insisted that she was there to watch and only watch. We tried everything to get her on the four wheels. She was adamant that she had more fun from the sidelines. I did not believe her. She kept saying she needed practice first. Finally, I insisted that she ride with me and promised I would not do anything scary. She finally agreed (or was forced). I took her on a very calm, very straight ride. The whole time I kept asking, "see, isn't this fun?" to which she promptly responded, "no." Well, at least she went for a short jaunt before deciding it was too scary. She wondered how she managed to end up with such a group of thrill seekers. I assured her that she, in fact, did not end up with true thrill seekers as evidenced by the other groups of people at the moon rocks that day.

Part of her ploy to stay home was insisting that it was too cold for the baby to be out and she needed to stay home with him. We let her know that he would not be missing this fun outing. Cold or no, that boy loves the outdoors. He was made for them. He loves to be out in the hills, and he thrives on the excitement.

Plus, he had his little snow suit that kept him nice and toasty the entire time. The hood didn't cover his ears the way I'd hoped, but his mommy was kind to share her beanie with him. While I was taking a ride on the ATV, Brian took the opportunity for a photo shoot. This is my favorite.

But Brian is partial to this one! When I got back Kolton had a mouth full of dirt... it's worth it!

Brian might constitute a true thrill seeker.... he loves to drive up rocks and steep hills.

Xiana was so proud of her ability to climb the rocks. I was grateful that Grandpa was cautiously concerned, holding her hand and going on adventures with her.

I went for one ride with Brian and discovered that he is much more fun than I am. No wonder Xiana wanted to ride behind him. He's crazy!

Brian was certainly the only one that took the ATV up on the rocks. Of course, he has a lot more experience than the rest of us (never mind about the two serious injuries in incurred on recreational vehicles).

The very best part about being out there was spending time together in the outdoors as a family. It's wonderful to have opportunities to develop and strengthen family relationships.

Not to be outdone by Xiana, Brian had to take Kolton up the rocks as well.

And Xiana took a ride where ever she could get it. She went on more rides than anyone else and wasn't the least bit tired of it.

My most favorite guys in the whole world. Kolton enjoyed his little jaunt as well.

My climbing, proud girl. She loves to explore.

It was a wonderful, fun filled outing. And we made it back in time to get a lot done later in the day too. I know my mom isn't thrilled with this new toy, but we are!!!!

Grandpa and his girl, smiling, having fun, and feeling the wind in their hair and faces. This is the life!!!

ing

Jump it up

2011-11-20T10:06:00.001-08:00

We went to Pump it up for playgroup this week. I can't say for certain, but we may have contracted the plague there. It didn't show up until several days later, but both kids, Brian, and I were all sick.... for a time. Still, Jumping in bounce houses is the epitome of wonderful. Last year, I got to run and jump and race with the kids. This year, I was WAY TOO BIG! Which brings me to another epitome.... must lose this stinking weight that I can no longer refer to as baby weight because that would be a lie! Anywho, I digress. So, jumping, racing, throwing balls... fun, fun, fun.

Also, trying to grab stars that are actually dyed into the carpet... fun... perhaps slightly frustrating, but

oh so funny!

Then there is the very frustrating thing of not being big enough to jump on the big bouncy things when your passion is for jumping. Poor Kolton didn't get to go on the bright objects. All in good time Kolton, all in good time.

Which brings me to a sweet sweet baby whom Xiana thinks belongs to her. She does not, however, and has two possessive sisters to claim her. Still, Xiana always asks if "my" baby is going to be there. She loves this little girl.

and finally, Where would we be without Xiana's favorite little friends? Their mom is the Young Women president and so the three of them wreak havoc on Tuesday nights for mutual. Such a fun life these little ones. It doesn't get much better.

Art

2011-11-20T10:01:00.001-08:00

I spent a good portion of the weekend cleaning out Xiana's art corner. There is this challenge in determining what to do with the vast amounts of creations she has. She spends so many hoursdoing art projects... the mess adds up. She was a good sport. I filled an entire garbage bag with her "creations." I spent some time thinking about art. What is it? How do we determine what is invaluable and what is simply trash? I've seen plenty of childlike paintings go for millions....I recognize we could discuss for hours, thousands of hours, the intricate value of art, and what makes it worth something... all art. So, as I de-cluttered our house a bit, I also delved into the age old question... In the end, I think art is arbitrary, political, contextual, and in the eye of the beholder. I value many books others do not. I also do not value many paintings others find moving. For Xiana, the beauty of art is creating it.... not keeping it. Perhaps some day.... For now I'm grateful to have the resources available for her. I think of so many children around the world without the means for artistic expression. My heart goes out to them. Xiana spends her days in a world with glue, scissors, markers, paints, papers, bags, pom poms, and a vivid imagination. For her, and for me, the experience is invaluable! (and the time I get to have guilt-free towards my own artistic expression... or work... or cleaning the house).

Apple Hill

2011-11-11T20:55:00.001-08:00

Apple Hill delivered like usual. It is a wonderful family tradition. I love to go there...even if we don't come home with bushels of apples! The one thing Xiana insisted upon was the flavored honey sticks. Apparently, they were the most memorable food for her last year. This was Ekco's first trip and I think she was impressed. Our first stop was Boa Vista which turned out to be very beneficial to us because we were able torun into everyone at our last stop. We headed up fairly early because it was the World Series? or some equally important baseball game. We like to go on Nevada day because all the Californians are still in school and it's not as nutso as Saturdays. Kids inc. is a favorite stop. Most people love them for their frozen apple pies. However, they can't touch mom's homemade pies. We like to go visit the farm animals... Plus, I'm kind of partial to this orchard because it is so beautiful. One year we came and there was an enormous pig. The next year she was gone. This year, there was a return of the pig.... about half the size.
Weeeeeee!!!
I also like Kids inc because it is the orchard with the corn maze. The girls went through just as a group of teenagers entered. The teens were trying to scare each other and managed, in the process, to scare the girls... good scare though. They thought it was fun and mentioned more than once how good they were at mazes.
The pumpkin patch here has nothing on the Andelin's. Fortunately, we had no need for a pumpkin as we have in past years.
Isn't it beautiful? The weather was perfect also. It didn't feel remotely like the end of October.

Here's the newest Wilbur.It appears as though Kolton looks like a tasty little morsel. We indulged in apple fritters, caramel apples, pears, apples, and honey. The extraordinarily ironic thing was that we came home with a box of... pears!!! I didn't think I'd ever want another box again. This were crisp, eating pears though. So there wasn't anymore pear canning in my October. Then end

Pumpkins

2011-11-11T20:51:00.001-08:00

Oh how these girls love a good art project. Not only did they get to pick their pumpkins, they also got to paint them. We carved one too, but I'll save pictures for next year when we are a bit more experienced.
They are so creative and enjoy art so very much.
Fun fun fun fun fun. Or in their words, art art art art art.

Halloween

2011-11-11T20:31:00.001-08:00

Happy Halloween!! Okay, like last year this is a bit belated. I guess October/November are busy busy busy. We didn't go quite as nuts as last year with the Halloween bashes daily for a week. Instead, we only attended one shin dig. It was pretty wonderful that we had Ekco the night of our trunk-or-treat. The only problem was that we didn't have a costume. Fortunately, my last year's costume fit her perfectly! She was a gypsy... a girl after my own heart. We were also lucky to have Hunter and Hailee go with us. We had a great time with the whole crew...with or with out props ie: mustache, wings, wand... they got lost a bit.And no lost cows in this group. Typically my mom makes the most spectacular costumes. She made the gypsy costume which I promised to wear for years to come... this is its 3rd Halloween, 12th party. This year, however, she wasn't feeling it. So when we were at Costco and Xiana saw a Tinkerbell costume and begged if she could have it, my mom didn't waste a second exclaiming, "yes." Then we spotted this cow. It was too cute to pass up though both Brian and my dad thought it not the best idea to put him in a costume with pink.... he's actually a baby bull (or so I explained to them). Mom asked if I minded if she just bought the costumes this year. What could I say? Of course it was fine... but next year.... Still, I will admit that I was happy to see her visibly relieved that she no longer had to go down that tedious path. And Kolton was one cute baby bull... truly delicious. Our ward had a chilli, pie cook off. The food was great, the company was better, and the kids got all kinds of hopped up on candy. Does it get any more successful than that?The best part of this costume is that it's comfy and warm... very very warm.One of Xiana's friends was also a fairy and they were nothing short of darling together.And who could resist a picture as sweet as this little lamb with the baby calf (er, I mean bull)?
The kids made out like bandits. I pretended not to see when they went around the parking lot multiple times. When Brian came out and asked where the kids were I simply shrugged and turned a blind eye.On Halloween we went to Mark and Tosh's house were they fed us a delicious dinner and then we hit the streets.

A family friend brought his traditional bag of glow sticks, flashlights, and necklaces. The kids devoured them. The streets were a bit darker this year than last...I guess the neighborhood is growing older... or younger... or foreclosed.
My sil had to get in the spirit of teasing the poor baby due to his tights... bull tights mind you, bull tights, and put these wings on him. Brian wildly objected, but I'm kind of partial to him, wings or no.Our trick-or-treating crew. There is something so fabulously magical about Halloween. This strange concept of knocking on doors, saying a silly phrase, and getting gobs of candy speaks to kids in so many ways. The littles ran from door to door. Rowan's bag was his back pack and Xiana, ever the interpreter/warden, notified each candy giver that he was not, in fact, turning his back to them, but rather enabling them to give him some goods. They are a good team... they had such fun. And they repeated what will hopefully always be remembered as Halloween tradition... after all, we've been married now for 2 Halloweens... 2 years of the same equals tradition right? My dad can't resist walking the streets with us. He has to watch his girl. This year mom braved her bad knee and joined us too. There was such delight on her face as she swooned with pride watching her granddaughter. They always say being grandparents is the best job. I daresay they are right.
For breakfast that morning I made Xiana a jack o lantern pancake... you can't tell in the pic, but it is orange. Happy Halloween!!!

Birth day

2011-11-11T18:47:00.000-08:00

On Xiana's actual birth day birthday, I began the morning by telling her about the day of her birth. She loves to hear the story. I explain how she was breached and she was so very stubborn that after the doctor cut me open, he tried to get to her head and simply could not get her turned around. So he grabbed her by the feet and pulled her out. I always grab her feet and hang her upside down at this part in the story. I must admit, this is getting harder to do despite her tiny stature. Still, she loves it. This little outfit was a gift from grandma and grandpa Andersen and she, of course, had to model it for us.
I can't believe how much older she is. I was just looking at pictures of her last year's birthday and it's staggering how much she has grown.
For breakfast she requested donuts so I loaded up the diaper bag, and stuck a candle in the pocket and we went to her favorite bistro. Once there, she picked out her donut and I stuck the candle in it and sang my very own happy birthday to her. Then she made a wish and we dined.
For lunch she wanted McDonald's playland so we went to meet up with some of her very best friends that didn't get to make it to the party. We played there for almost three hours. It was very fun (and quite dirty, but I choose to overlook that detail).
In the afternoon she opened some of her awesome presents and began a day of art. She painted, colored, cut and glued for hours enabling me to get her birthday feast underway.
Then all of the family that lives here (mine and Brian's) came over for dinner, cake, and more presents!!
My little girl is four. Will I ever feel any less nostalgic on her birthdays? I think not.
Kolton really loves one (okay lots) of her gifts. This bean bag chair is as successful as gifts come!

Bath time

2011-11-11T18:46:00.000-08:00

It's so fun that these two can take a bath together. Paints might be my new favorite bath toy! The bumbo floats so Kolton just bobbles around, happily eating mermaid's heads and the like. This is the best way for mommy to get ready for the day.

Birthday party!

2011-11-11T16:46:00.000-08:00

We decided that from here on out, we are only having friend parties on even years... family parties on odd. Xiana seemed pretty okay with it. Of course, we brought this to her on an even year. Still, I explained to her that on the odd years we'll get her a nice gift and celebrate together. This year was reminiscent of her first birthday party. The same theme... or not theme I guess. There was a bit of a pre-party. The girls had a blast playing around before all the craziness ensued.

Kolton enjoyed a low noise zone for a few minutes... the calm before the storm.
And the girls played with balloons to their little hearts' contents!
Because I am in the Young Women presidency, I asked if the young women could help at her party (the president did this first showing me that I was not fully utilizing my calling). They were so sweet to offer their help and did an amazing job painting faces, keeping things relatively calm (or not quite so ridiculously crazy) and even cleaned up afterwards which was utterly unprovoked. They are so thoughtful. The kids loved having their faces painted, and we were fortunate that there was a slow progression of guests which meant most kids got to have their faces painted multiple times without having to wait in lines. It's funny the way things work out when you have parties or events. As I lay awake the night before her party I started worrying, what am I going to do with ten 4-year-olds impatiently waiting in line to get their faces painted (this the number I assumed would not be able to fit at the other 2 activities). Suddenly, panic set in and I found myself trying to conjure up another activity... an art table? pin the feather on the turkey? I didn't know. Silly me. As usual, things did not go the way I worried they would. Instead, they were successful, seamless, and chaotic. Little did I know I did not have to micromanage every minute detail of the party. Silly me.
A full jack-o-lantern face that may or may not have taken 3 young women, multiple cleaners, and 30 minutes to remove.
There was cookie decorating. This was a great indication to me how much less time I have this year than I did the first of her life. I remember making 60 pumpkin shaped sugar cookies for her first birthday party. This year, Walmart saved the day and made the overpriced, not nearly as tasty cookies. Funny how nobody was any the wiser... and not one complaint on the taste quality. I kind of think no child knows what the sugar cookie tastes like underneath all that frosting and sprinkles.
Only about half of the sprinkles landed on the floor.
I also found these fun masks at Target and set up a craft table where everyone got to make their own mask. It was fun, easy, and a great party favor. I didn't feel like I needed to put together gift bags because everyone got to take their mask and cookie home. See, I'm getting much more efficient in Xiana's old age.
Presents are always a hard part of a party of littles. It's too much for them to patiently sit as one person opens all the gifts. So... this year Xiana asked if whomever the gift giver was could sit on the chair with her and help open the present. Genius. Every child got to sit on the chair, help open a gift, and in the background I turned on Tangled. Many kids didn't even notice presents were being opened instead of the usual craze of paper, ribbon and tape flying everywhere amidst pleas and screams to open/play/get out whatever toy has most recently been opened. This was far more successful.
Xiana took her job telling each kid in turn that they got to sit in the chair with her very seriously. More than once I heard her say, "so-and-so, you get to sit in the chair with me now." Her excitement and enthusiasm simply cannot be conveyed in a font.
Two words explain this expression: bath. paint.
Cake cake cake. The sweet young women that helped were willing to do the job for cake and ice cream alone. However, we also had a pizza/movie party for them later.
And make a wish!!! I feel like all of Xiana's wishes in her life have come true. That won't always be the case, but for now... it's beautiful.
the icing on the proverbial cake of this birthday party was the after show. Xiana got some reverence books (a marvelous gift) and she and Emma opened them pretending they were hymn books. I walked out to find them singing the song in Tangled at the top of their lungs, each holding a hymn book in their hands. Truly. Life. is. beautiful.
and Xiana made out like a bandit... we might have to fore go Christmas!

Narcolepsy

2011-11-11T16:39:00.000-08:00

I'm convinced we are all born with narcolepsy. It doesn't take anything for babies to suddenly droop their little heads forward and... bamm! out! Still, this takes the cake. Kolton takes a nap in his jumper very very regularly. It's hysterical. He will be jumping, happily cooing, making noise...like loud noise and suddenly, bamm, narcolepsy hits. His head slowly droops and his mouth hits the side. Then... he sleeps.
When he awakens he generally goes right back to jumping. And later... sleeping.
Wouldn't it be nice if every time we were the least bit tired we could just (standing up mind you) rest our cheek on some fabric and snooze?
Halloween tuckered him out so what did he took? Took a little cow nap.
It's funny because I can stick him in his swing and he'll fight sleep like nobody's business. A few minutes later I'll put him in his jumper and he jumps himself off to sweet slumber. My sweet little narcoleptic boy!

What makes my world go round

2011-11-03T22:01:00.001-07:00

These two handsome fellas make the world a better place...
they bring a sweeter note, a happier step, and a lot more work into my life : )
And these pretty little ladies, challenge me to be better, teach me daily, and make the sun come out on a cloudy day (even if they're also responsible for the clouds).
This... is what makes my world go 'round....
every single day!

Scrub a dub dub

2011-11-03T21:59:00.001-07:00

Scrub a dub dub, there's a baby in the tub... er, I mean the sink? This is how we roll on a Sunday morning with little time left before church and a baby in need of a bath.
Seriously, isn't he so scrumptious you just want to nibble on those little cheeks? I do!!!!

The hunt

2011-11-03T21:55:00.001-07:00

It's all for the love of the hunt. After the pumpkin patch one Saturday, we headed out into the hills so that Brian could obtain dinner.... okay, let's be honest, really it was so that Brian could do what he loves most.... hunt! The girls were happy to oblige wandering around living in a make-believe world filled with monsters, and goblins and, the-ever-so-scary-imaginations-running-wild-creature: the coyote. Ekco caught a frog while they dodged creatures and created castles out of sticks and sand. Then, they hid in a forest and made preparations to stall the invasion of the mighty super race...moving in on their freshly built cities.
Kolton, meanwhile, took the truck on joy ride.
He's fast... this little thrill seeker. It was somewhat challenging to keep him occupied in the front pack at his carrier's (my) slow pace.
Eventually, with two birds in hand (ten by the time we got home), our fearless leader returned and Xiana drove the getaway car.... I'm pretty sure they were still avoiding the scary scary outdoors.
Alas, we made it home safely and even had time to meet my parents and cousins for dinner at the Nugget. I'd say it was a successful day.

A life of learning

2011-11-03T21:49:00.001-07:00

I hope my life is always a life of learning. More importantly, I hope my children have continuous lives of learning. We went to the museum again... this time with grandma. She loved it. I daresay she was more excited than the littles. Xiana painted with water...
Built an enormous house with life size Lego's.
This day was painting day. I know it's much messier, but I must admit... paint is way more fun than markers. The only bummer was that I was eagerly anticipating creating bracelets with the wires. That, however, was not the craft this day. I guess I should have looked at the schedule. Oh well, live and learn. With a year pass I believe we will return.
The glass wall leaves great photo opportunities.
Grandma is more interested in the science of the hands on museum. This is great because I tend to gloss over the legitimately educational parts and hone in on the arts and crafts... don't judge it's just who I am.
We tried out all kinds of materials in wind tunnels and other power sources.
Kolton got in on the action too. He was not having this bystander business. He had to explore! What a proud moment!
Xiana got the magnetic ball all to herself. She only spilled a little bit of sand on the floor.

Boo!!

2011-11-03T21:46:00.001-07:00

What a fun tradition... we got Boo-ed. Someone anonymously left a boo sign and some treats on our doorstep with a note indicating that we had to return the favor to two other households. The girls were ecstatically thrilled! (and a tiny bit scared)
Ekco did the knocking after giving Xiana a head start.
Kolton got the rare opportunity of sitting on mommy's lap in the car.
And Brian drove the getaway car. Fun fun fun!

Again and again and again

2011-11-03T14:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we may or may not have gone to the pumpkin patch every Tuesday, Thursday, and one Saturday in the month of October. But hey, who's counting? Also, it is so much fun. Who can resist? I guess I could have stopped taking pictures the fifth or sixth time... but then I would have missed out on this rare gem.
And this one!
Xiana desperately needed to get her face painted 10 times.
And it was imperative that she hear every story read in the story time barn. She LOVED The Old Woman Who Swallowed a Bat. She talked about it all day.
Weather in Reno is funny. The first day we went, in September, was chilly. The second day, downright cold. Then every other trip we made were HOT. Xiana opted out of the hay ride the next few times we went because "it's too hot." My nephew is with us in this picture. Poor kid was wearing a thick, long sleeved shirt. He told me more than once he was sweating, but that didn't deter him from sling shotting (is that a word?) a lot!
We enjoyed ourselves so much this year. Every time we went Xiana would ask who was going to be there because there were always plenty of friends. Once I asked her if she wanted to go even if nobody was meeting us there. She assured me, "that's okay, Emma will be there." Emma lives there. She was dubbed (by her mom) the pumpkin patch orphan. She is so darling and has had the time of her life this month. I bet her little heart breaks when the season is over and she goes back to normal life where her friends don't show up every day to play. What wonderful memories!
Xiana has a love hate relationship with feeding animals. In theory, she loves it. In actuality, it generally freaks her out.
This little guy is happy happy happy. Who wouldn't be when they get to be carried all around in a front pack and simply hang out?
When we had Ekco I made sure we stopped here for a bit before heading to the hills. Ekco loved it. She got too get her face painted.
Here is Xiana and her bf Emma aka pumpkin patch orphan.
Apparently Xiana had had her face painted enough, she opted for her hand.
Then we watched a HILARIOUS presentation of the three little pigs. One of the guys in our ward was the big bad wolf.
It. was. classic.
The kids genuinely enjoyed it.... I might venture to say the adults did also.
Kevin and Kylee met us up there too. Everybody got the wear-orange-memo.
The hay maze is fun, but relatively easy. When my nephew was here he was in there for a long time. When he came out he told me, "boy, that sure is hard walking in there." It was darling.
Brian, the resident pro, taught Ekco how to sling shot.
He couldn't resist trying his hand a few times.
And Kolton took complete advantage of the situation and slept.
Their farm has goats, llamas, emus, cows, horses, a yak and cak, chickens, pigs, dogs, cats, turkeys, and lots of pumpkins.
Ekco loves animals. She's really good with them and interested in them. Most animals like her too. She has a gift.
This is where the memo really pays off!
This was a scary scare crow.
awwww
Their big dog is very friendly. Even Xiana will pet him and she's often hesitant.
She loves to pet the bunnies!
Several girl scout troops put up and decorated scare crows. There was a whole row of them. Many were really cute. This was our favorite. Xiana kept pretending it was her dad.
Some days I think it was a challenge to see how many kids could fit on the tractor. Quite a few! This is so awesome! The Andelins are amazing people and we are GRATEFUL to have them as our friends. This is such a wonderful tradition and we look forward to spending every October on their farm!

Remember Mousy?

2011-11-03T14:50:00.000-07:00

Is it just me or is it absolutely astonishing that Kolton is already this much bigger than mousy? I can hardly believe the difference in size from the first Mousy shot.... he was barely bigger just a few short months ago. (Kolton that is... barely bigger than mousy... you're following me right?) Time flies so quickly. Still, it feels like he's been here forever. I think about that sometimes. About how once your children are born, you simply cannot imagine life without them. I wonder, what if we hadn't wanted any more... how could our lives ever be complete?
This sporty little girl.... I remember when Sarah got this sweatshirt for her. I couldn't imagine her fitting into a 24 month sweatshirt! It took 4 years, but here we are!
Kolton loves to put his little feet up on his play mat. Sometimes he gets stuck and can't roll around. He's not a super fan of limited mobility. Generally speaking though, he loves to play on this little mat... or off of it.
He's reached the stage where new clothes are fitting and I can't resist snapping a shot of every outfit he puts on. I justify my actions by thinking how cute he is and how utterly important it is that he be able to witness his adorable-ness some day. I may or may not have a problem. I think I snapped a shot of every outfit Xiana wore her first year of life too.
Sissy is so wonderful to play with Kolton. He laughs at her hysterically. Sometimes all she has to do is look at him and he'll burst out in a giggle fit. Here she's playing ring around the roses. He is amused.
Kolton found his feet!!! And they are scrumptious!

Andelin farm

2011-11-03T14:42:00.001-07:00

I did warn that would not be the last post about the farm. Kolton is ridiculously cute in his little camo outfit... shoes and all.

And big sister doesn't like to see the camera out without a shot or two of her. In fact, she gets downright mad when we take pictures of Kolton without her. Silly girl. I hope she always has such confidence.
She was ecstatic to get to pet a chicken. One of the turkeys is named Charlie (which is her friend's name) therefore she has dubbed this chicken, "Xiana." It's only fair right?
She milked the cow for a few...
And what would a day at the pumpkin patch be without trying on an outfit... or six?
Then she rounded up some cows.
And Kolton was tortured in the hay all in the hopes of a good photo op.
Then Xiana tried her hand at the sling shot..... all in a day's work! phew!

Baby Hulk

2011-11-03T14:36:00.001-07:00

This little boy is strong... super strong... like, think baby Hulk (Incredible or Hogan) strong. He wants to be on those little strong legs all day long. We mostly let him. However, it's a bit hard on grandma to hold him in a standing position for hours so...my dear friend Kate found this exersaucer for us to put at grandma's house. I dare say Kolton is a happy, upright little man. He is scooting around like a maniac. He doesn't crawl yet, but he doesn't stay in the same place either. He gets up on those knees and propels himself forward like a walrus. Sometimes it looks painful, but it doesn't seem to bother him. He is, after all, strong. Either that or he has weighed his options and deemed catapulting onto his belly worth the pain in exchange for mobility. I'm not sure.
I'd like to include a picture of his two little teeth, but unfortunately, he has no interest in keeping that little mouth open without his tongue feeling his new ridges. He got his first tooth on October 21st. He was just barely over 5 months. He got his second tooth on October 28th. It appears as if he has a few more coming in. As I have mentioned, he is not the most cuddly baby alive.... so when he nestled his little head into the space between my chest and neck, my heart melted. I kept saying, "Brian, are you seeing this? He is cuddling me!!" Brian, jealous, told him to come and cuddle his papa. Cuddles are just so rare with this strong boy. And then... a tooth. So there you have it. That is how strong baby boys grow teeth. They cuddle for roughly 60 seconds and then go on their merry way.
I love him just the same. He is not even close to strong enough to prevent his mama from smothering him with kisses every. single. chance. I. get. I love him!

Discoveries

2011-11-02T20:52:00.001-07:00

We finally got a children's museum in Reno!!! This is long overdue! We bought a 12 month family pass, and it was well worth the money. Here, the kids are smelling various crops early settlers planted here.
There is a section about the history of mining. Here is a tire from one of the underground trucks. Brian told the kids this was a small one! (edit: Brian has since informed me that I am oh-so wrong about what he said and this is not from an undergroud truck, but rather from a surface one.... silly me!)
There are all kinds of hands on activities that teach children about Nevada. Also, it was interesting for all ages. There was something for everyone.
Including video games...
and a Morse code machine... sorry I'm sort of lame and don't know the word for that :) I probably should have read the sign.
A fake tree...
I love this picture of a giant magnifying glass.
There is an urban living section that teaches about green resources, electricity, and construction. Another really wonderful thing is that there are different props and activities in each room every day so you don't get bored of the same things.
Ekco is lighting up the n in the Reno sign.
There is a glass wall in the Picasso corner. This day was markers, but they also do paint... which is messier but more fun.
Still, the kids didn't think the markers were too shabby.
They got to make bracelets out of wires that entertained the adults for some time.
And the kids.
The unanimously favorite part, though, was the cloud climber. It is such an intricate jungle gym with clouds from the floor to the ceiling with rope around them so they don't fall off.
They climbed, and climbed, and climbed,
and climbed.
And when they were done, they raced boats along the mock Truckee River.
And got wet. Very wet.
There is a dark room with starts and fishing and caves. All in all, I am impressed and really happy to have this children's museum in town.

Kicks and kids

2011-10-31T08:49:00.001-07:00

Kolton has taken to sticking his tongue out... quite regularly. It's very cute. Brian says he looks like Grandpa Frey when he does so... he also claims that Xiana and I picked up the trait. He is so darling in his little overalls.... but the cutest part....
His kicks (of the outfit I mean, not the cutest part of this darling boy). He has lots of pairs of adorable shoes... he even has a pair of scrunchy camo shoes, but hey don't fit yet. These are pretty much show stopping. They even have little pockets on the sides.
I love this picture! Ekco is really good to help out with Kolton. She is old enough to be able to get him out of his crib, pick him up, and entertain him. He is lucky to have two loving older sisters.
This is pretty compelling evidence that the tongue thing is an inherited trait from his daddy.

Pumpkin Patch Preview

2011-10-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

Our dear friends the Andelins run a family farm pumpkin patch each year (this is their second). It is f.a.b.u.l.o.u.s. For starters, it is directly across the street from us so it's easy access. Also, all of my friends, and thus all of Xiana's friends go there regularly. We got a season pass and, I think, got our money's worth. There are so many fun things to do there, and such great people that I constantly have to remind myself this is still a public place. It's hard not to let your kids run free. They have a corn box full of corn kernels and sand toys. If I were a kid, I know that would be my favorite part.
We got to go on hay rides around the farm.
Play some more in the corn...
When Natalie first started the tractor, I swear I almost fell out. All the kids were solid and sturdy, the grownups... not so much.
They have saddles set up with lassos and a fake cow to rope.
There is a slide coming off the hay behind me.
And, Xiana's absolute most favorite part: a dress up barn. There are costumes galore and the kids gravitate to them. They try on every outfit and tell us, "I'm a cowgirl, dragon, princess, cop, etc."
And of course, the reason for the event... the pumpkin patch (although Xiana forgot to bring her pumpkin home several times).
Warning: this will not be my last pumpkin patch post. There are more to follow.

Arts and crafts

2011-10-30T10:26:00.001-07:00

I will not be the least bit surprised if Xiana becomes an artist. Nothing takes up her time like arts and crafts. I got her some puffy paint (thank you commercial that made her think she couldn't live without them) and a piece of fabric. She loved it.
She wrote her name, and, I must admit, I had to use them for a minute too. Indeed, they were fun!
She had her dear friend Emma over and they painted...
And made masks....they were so cute together and very proud of their finished products.

Oh these kids!!!

2011-10-30T10:21:00.000-07:00

What can I say? They are so smart, attractive, wonderful, energetic, full of life, keep you on your toes at all times, and sassy. Sometimes I don't know whether to hug them or beat them, to laugh or to cry. Xiana is such a little diva with her hair straightened. I can't believe how long it's getting... I think she needs a trim.

The other day Xiana came running out of her bedroom in her panties with her hands in the air in a model pose exclaiming, "I'm a fashionista!"

She's beginning to really understand the concept of spelling. The other day at grandma's house she kept running from her coloring book in the kitchen, to Kolton's exersaucer in the living room, back and forth, back and forth, back and forth. There is quite a distance between the two. My mom finally asked her what on earth she was doing. "I'm writing baby Einstein." She explained. The letters were on his toy so she was committing them to memory. Indeed friends, she wrote baby Einstein. It looked like this: BQBY Einsxein. The t on the toy was tilted making it look like an x. No amount of persuasion could convince my girl that it was, in fact a t.

She also writes Ekco's name by copying the lettering up on her wall. Genius I tell you, sheer genius.

The other day she commented on something and I told her she was wrong. She assured me, "Oh mom, that's just a figure of speech!"

We had our program at church and Xiana sang every word to every song at the top of her lungs. And believe me, girl has got some lungs! She was so passionate, emphatic, and enthused. She loves nothing more than primary and primary songs. Well, she might love being the center of attention more. As a result, she capitalized on all her favorite things. I saw a lot of teary eyes in the crowd, but I'll be honest, it was hard for me to stop laughing. She was so intensely serious with her big eyes bulged out of her head. It was absolutely priceless. I am so impressed that the chorister could teach these little children so many songs. It was awesome.

Kolton is officially wearing 6 month clothes which is no small feat in the land of small babies. In this picture he is 5 months. He talks all the time, singing in his crib. He is so sweet. He continues to want to be on his feet as much as possible, thus, LOVING his jumper. He jumps and jumps and jumps.
And then he jumps some more, often singing while he does so.
He doesn't make it very easy to grade papers. He insists on being held and then double insists on holding my pen... little stinker! He is not very cuddly, but he is as smiley as they come. He laughs and smiles all the time. He often has this expression like he is intently studying something or other; like he gets it. He is such a joy. He loves to wrestle with daddy. I personally think Brian is too rough with him, but he laughs and laughs and laughs pleading for more so I guess I'm just a girl... what do I know?

The old and the young

2011-10-30T10:05:00.001-07:00

Isn't it remarkable how much love the old and the young have for one another. There is this common bond; this knowing that somehow gets lost in the middle ages. I love to see the expressions on faces of elderly and infants when they are around each other. It's the same with babies and other babies... they just know. Kolton looks like such a big boy in this picture with his jeans on. He only got to wear them once because then they were too short... such is the life with babies.
We went to Brian's friend's grandma's birthday. She turned 94. She is an amazing woman. She is feisty and spit-fire and completely and utterly lucid. She lives with her daughter and her grandson. They have all taken in Xiana as their own showering her with gifts, love, and adoration. Likewise, they love our little Kolton. Their faces light up when they see him and they marvel at his size, capabilities, and appearance.
Marie can't hold him for long due to her arthritis, but she continually says, "well for goodness sake, will you look at him?!" It's pretty wonderful when people love your children. It makes you love them in return... no matter what. We love our trips a few blocks over to visit this wonderfully colorful family. They are "our people."
Xiana always comes home feeling spoiled and special.
And always loves her baby brother, who will probably be much bigger than her sometime very soon.

F.O.U.R

2011-10-25T21:00:00.000-07:00

My girl turned four today. Words cannot convey the gravity of that sentence. The sentiment is staggering. I feel as if the whole world could stop and, as cliche as it sounds, nothing would be the same without this little girl. She is small like dynamite, so spirited she makes me pale in my enthusiasm. She had a wonderful couple of celebration days which I will post about later, but for tonight, I only want to write about her. I did my traditional Xiana alphabet which goes a little something like this:

Adamant that she's always right

Beautiful

Colors all the time

Dresses up daily (she particularly loves wedding dresses)

Every day she cracks me up. Sometimes by simply saying, "you're cracking me up!"

Flirty, four, fearless.

Giving. And she gives the best hugs. She folds herself into you.

Helper. She loves to help with her brother.

Innocent. (even if she doesn't act like it).

Jubilant

Kind to others. She genuinely cares about her family and friends. She is also frequently referred to as a knucklehead.

Lively. Truly. Also loud!!!

Mama's girl.

Nit picky (she even bosses make believe).

Obedient

Passionate about everything she does.

Quirky.

Remembers EVERYTHING.

Sensitive. Don't let her exuberance full you. She breaks easily.

Tiny. Still. Perhaps always. She finally tips the scales at 26 lbs and 36 inches.

Unique

Vivacious

Whimsical, wonderful, wide eyed

Xiana Lee Andersen

Youthful. You can't get enough of her.

Zealous

When we sang to her tonight, she had this expression of wonder and awe, as if she were marveling about this existence, this life where people sing to you, and you get to sing to others. She is sharp as a whistle, this little girl. She is so very remarkable I find myself feeling like my very existence is defined by hers. As if she is so amazing that she made me instead of the other way around. In most ways, she did. I owe her my life. As I sit and contemplate the last four years, I can't help but wonder if I've been enough. Have I been loving, educational, spiritual, good enough for her? I'm sure I've failed her in a lot of ways, but I'm also sure I haven't in most ways. I always think back to the night of her birth. There I was, alone in the hospital room with this tiny creature, this tiny being that made the world a different place and instantaneously turned the sky a different color. I marveled at her. I cried. I snuggled. I breathed her in. I consumed her. But mostly, she consumed me. She took me in to my very core. And I will never be the same. For that I am thankful... grateful beyond expression... blessed beyond comprehension... Happy birthday my dear sweet wonderful perfect Xiana. My little hero. My little example. My little light. My little purpose. My little angel. How could I possibly be so loved to be entrusted with you? How can it possibly be that you came to this earth four years ago today? I can scarcely fathom that. I hope your life is always this beautiful you daughter of God, princess of The King. I love you. You are more.

Wow!

2011-10-21T07:56:00.000-07:00

These kids they are a growin'. It's hard to believe that I almost have a four-year-old! Plus, Kolton just keeps plugging away at the big boy world making his mama feel like he just doesn't want to be a baby at all. It's sad. and beautiful. and sweet. but mostly, it's hard to believe.
Xiana has always been way behind in sizes...way behind. My parents bought her some 3t jammies prompting me to get out the 3t boxes of clothes. Imagine my surprise when these enormous looking jammies fit her. I then put some 6 month jammies on Kolton and nearly fell over. These are my growing, jammied kids. It's beyond me how time flies so much and yet, it's hard to imagine that only 4 short years ago, they weren't here with me.... because it feels like they've always been here.
I let Xiana have one of the pear boxes to play with. She loves to color boxes. I came home from work one night to this....
She had a pillow for back support and was, "doing research for school."
And this little bugger rolls and rolls and rolls all over the place. Who gave him permission to do so?

Where is your joy?

2011-10-19T22:55:00.002-07:00

The house is eerily quiet. I just went to bed for a few minutes after a long, but productive day. I found myself lying there, thinking about my days, and nights, and weeks, and months, and years. I found myself unable to sleep. I thought of all the remarkable things my children do, the remarkable things my husband does, the remarkable things my family and friends do. I felt such an urge to get up and write. I'm not sure why. I woke early this morning to carry two sleeping children in the still dark and crisp air to the car so they could hang out with grandma while I went to work. I graded a ton of papers, taught four classes, watched TV with Brian. My day was full and yet... here I am...awake feeling the urge to write. Something that has been on my mind a lot now is the most amazingly wonderful Relief Society broadcast several weeks ago. I know that many of my dear friends have already had the opportunity to hear this, but alas... many have not. I recognize this is awfully belated, but still... here goes. In order to fully grasp the significance of this talk, I must first place you in my day... or week... or month prior to listening to the Forget Me Nots.
The very day of the Relief Society broadcast I was consumed by a series of thoughts that actually seemed to take over my brain. This feeling of complacency. Okay so, here it is. I am constantly grading. Grading grading grading a great many papers, just a hundred last week. While I grade I regularly write on essays, "What is the point? Make this meaningful." Oh, had I never written these words, perhaps I would not have been plagued by a misguided pity party this day. Instead I was consumed by these words when applied to my own life. I found myself at a loss to make everything meaningful... what is the point? I'm sure the onslaught of these feelings could be related to a new baby and a busier than usual schedule this semester, but still. I felt like all I do is drive and live this boring life where I drop kids off, pick kids up, go to work, come home from work, clean the house, make meals, clean up meals, do the laundry, put the laundry away, work, home, housework, driving, juggling, juggling, juggling. Get excited for something fun, yell at my kids, feel disappointed, yell at my spouse, nurse, nurse, nurse, nurse, nurse, nurse, pump. I found myself feeling a bit grass is greener mentality while I pined for a day to blog. Truly. blog. Then I thought, how pathetic, or is that pathetic? Is is actually not pathetic but substantial and meaningful or is is just a waste of pathetic time? Get to the point, what does it mean? Make it meaningful. Does it even matter? Then I listened to the talk by Elder Uchdorf and discovered something marvelous, miraculous, life altering. For there is something that matters very much. Surprisingly it is in the tedious, daily, ins and outs of this life even when everything feels annoying or boring or obnoxious, or just plain unfair. It is this simple and eloquent truth, "you are truly precious daughters in God’s kingdom." It's true. Even when every day is exactly the same, I am still blessed. It might not be fireworks; it might not mean date night every night. You still have responsibilities.. you still have to can, you still have to get things done, do the dishes, play with the toddler, feed the baby, take care of those you love so that they might of joy and experience. And that. is. fulfillment. Who knew? Yet, as he spoke, a simple understanding crashed over me.
He said this, and I stopped, and I held my breath as I listened. For he was speaking to me. Surely, he was speaking only to me. He spoke of a flower so aptly labeled the forget me not. It has five petals and representative of each, he had a lesson for me. for only me... for just little old boring pathetic me. First, he said, "forget not to be patient with yourself." Ohh if words could convey how these words rocked me to my very core it would be astonishing, nothing short of miraculous if you could understand what it felt to have the permission to be patient with myself. Then, as I looked around the room at the tear soaked faces, the silent sniffles and tissues, the half smiles while trying to look composed, I knew....everyone felt the same. The Lord guided this sweet man to say exactly what we women needed to hear. Be patient with yourself. You see, part of my bad attitude was a direct result of my increasing impatience with everyone around me, but most of all, with myself. I felt so utterly inadequate in all aspects of my life, that it was hard to find joy in anything. I felt guilty, impossible, and frustrated. He said, "Dear sisters, many of you are endlessly compassionate and patient with the weaknesses of others. Please remember also to be compassionate and patient with yourself.

In the meantime, be thankful for all the small successes in your home, your family relationships, your education and livelihood, your Church participation and personal improvement. Like the forget-me-nots, these successes may seem tiny to you and they may go unnoticed by others, but God notices them and they are not small to Him. If you consider success to be only the most perfect rose or dazzling orchid, you may miss some of life’s sweetest experiences."

And that, my friends, is what I was doing. I was missing some of life's sweetest experiences because I was looking for something fun, exciting, and easy. The second forget me not is "forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice." If only I could have somebody else prioritize for me. It's funny that I was so annoyed that I couldn't blog because I had to grade papers and can fruits and vegetables. I forgot that there is a good and a foolish sacrifice. I also forgot that for everything, there is a season.

The third: "forget not to be happy now." He compared life to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. He spoke of how people were first grateful and happy with the chocolate bar, but soon began only caring about the golden ticket, or lack thereof. They were so busy waiting for the golden ticket, that they could no longer be happy in the now. Direct translation: when is it going to be fun? When is it going to stop? When am I going to be done? When will I be as happy as her? When will my children behave like theirs? When will I get to go on a fabulous anniversary cruise? Like Elder Uchdorf states, "The tragedy is that this dear woman, in all her disappointment about her golden ticket, failed to notice the blessings she did have." I was that woman. Sometimes I still am, but I'm working at it now. I don't want to wait for happiness to make me happy. I want to appreciate and be grateful for all the happiness that I have today, here, now. I am so very very very very very blessed. Again, his words spoke to me. They whispered in my ear reminding me how much joy my children bring to me, how much I adore my husband who works hard for our family, how fortunate I am to have the gospel, an education, a job. "The happiest people I know are not those who find their golden ticket; they are those who, while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness of the everyday moments. They are the ones who, thread by daily thread, weave a tapestry of gratitude and wonder throughout their lives. These are they who are truly happy."

Fourth? "Fourth, forget not the “why” of the gospel....The “why” of obedience sanctifies our actions, transforming the mundane into the majestic. It magnifies our small acts of obedience into holy acts of consecration." Enough said.

"Fifth, forget not that the Lord loves you." And this is where the tears really started because I knew this all along. I don't know why I didn't remember. I don't know how I could forget. This talk was like Heavenly Father's arms enveloping me, comforting me, encouraging me, rooting me on, forgiving me, and helping me to be dedicated to serving, loving, obeying. "Just think of it: You are known and remembered by the most majestic, powerful, and glorious Being in the universe! You are loved by the King of infinite space and everlasting time!
He who created and knows the stars knows you and your name—you are the daughters of His kingdom." You are not forgotten! "My dear Relief Society sisters, you are closer to heaven than you suppose. You are destined for more than you can possibly imagine. Continue to increase in faith and personal righteousness." I went home renewed, revived, recharged. I'm excited to share this revelation. I hope I don't forget the little forget me not. The most powerful flower in the world.

Big Boy

2011-10-19T22:55:00.001-07:00

I'm telling you... Kolton is an expert eater. When Xiana started solids she made an awful mess. Kolton eats and eats. He has really mastered the eating process. The only problem is that he is only 5 months and already grabbing for OUR food. Still, he has had sweet potatoes, squash, cereal, and peas. So far he will eat them all. At just over four months he eats a stage 2 jar with cereal mixed in it every night. That's pretty impressive if you ask me.
So far I don't have any of those sweet potatoes in his hair (er, I mean on his head), eyes, nose, chest, etc. Like I said, he eats pretty well. Sometimes he gets food on his hands while he tries to grab that spoon, but that's the extent. Brian claims that he fusses and doesn't eat well, but he rarely does that to me.
He sits up like a big boy and eats his food...
while grabbing at everything around him.
He is so big he has taken to wearing shoes. This is one of many adorable pairs of kicks!
P.S. pay no attention to the messy house in the background of all these pictures. I have mostly given up.

Canning, canning, and more canning

2011-10-14T08:35:00.000-07:00

My mom very thoughtfully ordered me a bushel of pairs. Unfortunately, I also ordered myself a bushel. As a result, we had three ripe bushels of pairs one day. Fortunately, it was my day off. Unfortunately, I didn't get to blog the way I wanted. Fortunately, we canned 36 quarts of pairs, and 16 pints of pear butter. Unfortunately, it took all day.
Fortunately, we did it at mom's house and Kolton cooperated.
Unfortunately, it made a big mess. In the end, I think the fortune outweighs the misfortune. The pears are sweet and the butter is scrumptious.
The following Tuesday I was so looking forward to getting some things done. Unfortunately, the forecast said freezing temperatures. Fortunately Brian hadn't left on his hunt yet. Unfortunately, there were 4 crates of tomatoes (oh wait, that's the fortunate part... I'm getting confused). Fortunately, Brian and Xiana picked and picked and picked the tomatoes (this is roughly 1/4 of them pictured here). Unfortunately, that meant I had to can them.
Fortunately Brian helped blanch them.
Unfortunately, it took all day long again.
fortunately, his garden yielded a ton of veggies including about a million jalapenos.
Unfortunately I already stuffed and cooked as many as possible and now they are smoking smoking smoking hot and I can't find any takers. We still have about 5 pounds of them.... takers anyone?
Fortunately, I also made about 3 gallons of marinara sauce to freeze. Unfortunately, it was really really really really messy which I didn't have time for because I had 100 papers to grade that week.
Fortunately, we bottled 28 quarts of tomatoes, 3 gallons of sauce, bowls and bowls of salsa, and made fresh bruchetta in bulk. Unfortunately, we couldn't get to all of them and they are, even now, starting to rot in the front room which makes me feel guilty, not guilty enough to do another batch of jars, but guilty nonetheless.
Fortunately, we didn't get buried in cucumbers this year so there are no homemade pickles in our future (oh wait, is that unfortunate?) Unfortunately, we didn't pick them soon enough and the gigantic ones are not as delicious.
Fortunately, we have a freezer full of zucchini and gave a ton away which were redeemed for some marvelous pumpkins from the Andelin's farm.
Fortunately, Brian grew a spectacular garden and we will be reaping the rewards until next year when he plants again. There is something fulfilling about having vegetables from the backyard in December. Plus, what a sense of accomplishment to feel that we are able to live so much off our own labor. Lovely. I'm grateful I have a husband who makes a garden a priority. I guess the least I can do is make canning one for me.

Random

2011-10-14T08:12:00.001-07:00

On random days we go to the park. Xiana typically rides her scooter though Brian recently scored her a bike with training wheels. I took her out on the street for about 10 minutes before I determined this was a daddy job as I have zero patience for teaching her how to ride a bike. Maybe I was just tired that night and should give it another try... we'll see. I'm pretty sure, however, that screaming at her to not stop pedaling is not conducive to a training wheels free ride.
There are random babies everywhere we go and this tent has served Kolton and his many baby friends well! This is Owen. He is so sweet and just a few months younger than Kolton. He offers us a great perspective to remember where Kolton was just a few months ago. We appreciate that... you do forget so quickly.
Kolton has a great many random outfits of camouflage... weird right? I mean, why would anyone buy us camo? He looks darling in them. I'm so glad that it randomly got cold so that he could wear these cute pants before he grew out of them.
Xiana randomly got to hold her friend Brigham's turtle... truly random. She got a kick out of her until she dared to move her legs... then Xiana had a bit of a freak out... but what can I say? She is highly dramatic after all. She loves to play with Brigham. His mommy and I are visiting teaching partners. I dare say Brigham was Xiana's first friend in the ward.
And randomly, this is the end of this random post.

Goings on

2011-10-14T08:04:00.000-07:00

I recognize that Kolton is a boy. However, because he is the younger sibling to two sisters, he often finds himself with pink toys in his possession. He doesn't complain though. He is already a good sport. Sissy found him this pink teddy and he promptly wrestled it.
And there is no shortage of pictures of him laying on pink blankets with purple pillows.... such is the life of a little brother. Hopefully there will be no painted toenails in his future... though if I had to guess...
He and Maiya talk in baby language to one another. This night she was grabbing him and it must have tickled because it was making him giggle. It was really cute. I love to watch the expressions on their faces as they look at one another. It is darling to see how they explore and comforting to watch them fuss with their hands and body parts the same ways.
They are so cute.... and notice they don't look as visibly different in size anymore. There is hope for this little string bean yet!
Xiana is just getting so big. She is more and more able to do things by herself. This was the first time she has managed to climb to the top of the rock wall by herself. It's remarkable. It all happens to very fast.
I love my kids. They make the world go round.

More bars in more places

2011-10-08T09:04:00.001-07:00

This was Brian's doing... the other day I was sitting on the couch and he said, "babe, you gotta see something really quick." So I came outside and he said, "See? More bars in more places." Too funny.

A B C's

2011-10-08T09:00:00.001-07:00

This year we have a new co-op preschool. It is the same idea, but a different group of moms. Our last years group mostly put their toddlers in professional pre-schools so we were SO LUCKY to be able to join a pre-existing one. Also, I feel like everyone is so wonderfully accommodating because Mondays work best for said group. Unfortunately, I work for 12 hours on Mondays. So, my dad takes Xiana in the morning, and then every mom was willing to let her stay an extra 2 1/2 hours until Brian got there. Now, however, my mom has grown very bold indeed and ventures out to both take and pick Xiana up from pre-school on Mondays. Then when it is my turn, we opt for a Tuesday. It is marvelous. I am so grateful that Xiana doesn't have to miss out because of my crazy schedule. I'm grateful to all the other moms, but most of all, I'm grateful to my own. She is amazing. She takes my kids every week for way too many hours and never complains or gripes or expects anything in return. She is superwoman! Even though it scares her, she tackles the job without complaint, and that it bravery. We LOVE this group. They are so fun and eager to have little lessons. Plus, it's very organized and more along the lines of what I attempted at last year. For our week we had the letter r the color orange, the shape square, and the number 4. It was very fun. I can't believe how smart these kids are!
We started the day with free time and my standard yarn puzzles.
Then they did a little letter tracing...
and blew some bubbles...
did some art... ate some snacks... read some stories... played with masks and felt boards... and then the day was done. And it was such fun. The end.

Kolton with a K

2011-10-08T08:51:00.001-07:00

It's so exciting to have a baby and a toddler. Every day they learn new things and give us more reasons to be proud of them. (Let's be honest, every day they also give us reasons to want to strangle them!) But, they are just so darn cute!!! At 3 1/2 months Kolton can sit very sturdily in his bumbo.
Which means... drum roll please... at 4 months old we started him on cereal! This kid acts like he's been eating his whole life. With Xiana it took her a long time to not force the food out of her mouth with her tongue. Oh the messes she would make. Not Kolton with a K, no sirree. He doesn't make a mess or waste a drop. He eats perfectly which helped assuage my questions of whether we were starting him too young or not.
Don't be fooled by his expression in this picture. He loves to eat food!! At his 4 month check up he was just shy of 13 lbs and 24 1/2 inches long. I couldn't believe how big he was considering his big sister didn't weigh that until her 12 month check up. Imagine my surprise when I discovered he was only in the 10th and 25th percentiles respectively. He is healthy and wonderfully perfect though so no worries. Plus, if he keeps eating like he has been he'll chunk up in no time!

When I come get him out of his crib in the mornings now he has his head pressed against the corner. It must be soothing somehow. Also, he rolls around regularly so it is not uncommon for me to find him on his tummy in the morning. This is particularly interesting considering when he gets stuck on his tummy in the living room he squawks until someone rolls him back over. He has several little suits and I daresay he is the most darling little boy that ever rocked a full suit!!! I know I may be partial, but seriously... does it get any better?

He has discovered his feet and they bring him great joy. He has also discovered he can take his own socks off. He isn't nearly as content to be left on the floor anymore which makes life a little bit harder, but it's comforting too, to know that he loves to be with his family.

He continues to be so good natured, but stiff as stiff gets. He is strong and wants to stand up all day long. That's part of why he no longer loves the floor the best. We got him a jumper and he's pretty happy to bounce bounce bounce all day. He's very happy when daddy gets home from work, talking to him, following him closely with his eyes as if to say, "don't leave again daddy." He's pretty much awesome.

We took the kids to the Smurfs movie where I thought he would sleep, but instead he watched the entire movie with rapt attention. When the animation would head towards the audience he would duck and squeal. It was darling. He loves loves loves his sisters. Life would sure be dull without them.
Of course he loves mommy best. :P My favorite thing he does is when he talks to me, he puts his hands on my cheeks while he gazes at my face. It's enough to melt my heart. Also, when he nurses, he puts his fingers in my mouth feeling my teeth and my lips. He is so sweet.
And kissable. Though sometimes I think I can hear him saying, "stop kissing me!" But I don't listen because I'm his mommy and I don't have to.
He's big enough for a real stroller now. Again, don't let his expression fool you... he loves it! We go on walks to the park and he thinks he's pretty cool. So does his sister on this sit and stand. Life is good my friends, life is good.

XiQnQ

2011-10-08T08:48:00.001-07:00

Oh Xiana! She is so bright and fun and precocious. She writes her name all by herself on EVERYTHING! It looks like XiQnQ, but it is clearly her name. She is so smart. I feel bad that she doesn't get to start kindergarten for another 2 years!! She is so ready. Everyday she writes letters all over the place and asks what they spell. Sometimes I make up words and she's very proud of herself. Other times I sound them out, something like, "that spells shrimfrkoplts." The funny thing is, fake words make her just as proud. She'll run around saying, 'I spelled shrimfrokoplts."

She has discovered that she can count forwards to 50 and backwards from 10. I think she's more proud of her backwards counting. Additionally, the other night Brian was playing Simon says with the girls. He said, "Simon says spell your name backwards." My girl counted the letters on her fingers and went ahead and spelled her name backwards. I was astonished! She is amazing!

This little outfit is her new one she picked out. She loves it and she looks like such a big girl. We argued about the outfit on this particular day and she fought and fought and fought with me about wearing it. I tried to explain to her that white pants were not really park wear. Well, she assured me that she would take great care of it. I was SO mad when I picked her up and she was covered from top to bottom with grass stains. Seriously fuming!! I told her that she was going to have to empty her piggy bank and replace them if she couldn't listen to me and obey when I told her not to wear it to the park. Sobbing she exclaimed, "You can't! I'm saving that money for college!" She successfully diffused the moment and salvaged her piggy bank, though I explained she could use it for toys instead and always get good grades for scholarships.

at Costco she got mad that I wouldn't let her go to the bathroom by herself. I told her I didn't want her to get kidnapped. She looked around and said, "there aren't any kidnappers here."

One day she came to me and announced, "If I were Heavenly Father and Jesus I would say to Satan to do the right commands."

On TV there was a character that announced they didn't belive in God. Horrified she gasped, "we have to believe in God. That is not right to say that. They are being naughty!"

She asked me one day if Heavenly Father was "the most highest." I said yes so she commented, "oh, and Jesus is the son of God."

I've been playing phone tag with my friend Cambridge and I mentioned it to Xiana. She said, "hey, I didn't realize that Cambridge rhymes with London Bridge."
She wanted to take a silly face picture. It seems her silly face is most often a very angry face!

I keep teasing her that she's from California because when she tells stories lately she uses like for every other word. a typical sentence in her world is: "so like I was like totally confused because like it was like so slow and like weird" gasp for breath, "isn't that like crazy?" I recognize this particular mannerism is my fault, but it's still wildly annoying. Yet, she's pretty amazing making all things Xiana more tolerable. She has become such a great helper around the house and with Kolton. I often don't even have to ask.

I scream you scream

2011-10-08T08:46:00.001-07:00

I recognize that 4 months is a bit young for ice cream... but hey, what can I say? He is, after all, a second baby. He wasn't as crazy about it as I thought he would be though he didn't turn his nose up at it. This was great practice for his upcoming introduction to solids :)
I'm glad Tosh was holding him so she collected the leftover ice cream!

Family time

2011-10-08T08:42:00.000-07:00

Every now and then we just hang out... it doesn't happen all that often because we always seem to have a busy agenda. But when it does... it's nice. Kolton does not appreciate tummy time, but he is getting so strong. He even got up on his knees the other day.
Brian's parents were in town and the kids loved having them here... so did we! We used to see them twice a month when Ekco still lived in Batttle Mountain so we miss them more now. We were planning on going out there, but fortunately they came here instead.
Cousins came to play and everyone was happy. That night we went out to dinner and opted out of a second night at the rib cook off. It was a great trip.

Oh Ribs!

2011-10-08T08:38:00.001-07:00

Rib cook off again... it's weird how these annual events keep making their way onto the old blog. This year I went a little early so that I could take Xiana on the rides (Brian was working the event). Unfortunately, I failed to remember that I had a baby and would not be able to chaperone her. Thankfully, some kids were willing to sit next to her on the ride making the attendant happy. Xiana squealed with delight as the ride spun her around. I was proud of her and not ashamed to admit I was also jealous!
Brian's parents, Kevin, Ali and Larry, my dad, and Garrett all met up down there. We indulged in some serious ribs and desserts. It was delicious as usual. This is my dad's favorite event. In fact, he went 3 nights in a row and had to talk himself out of a 4th.
Kolton liked the ribs too... just kidding!
It was pretty chaotic, but the kids loved it and so did their mommy. It is, after all, tradition.
The last stop of the night was to let the girls ride the train (after Xiana and I went on the spinning dragons of course...we were only minutely sick, but we sure spun fast!)

3 1/2

2011-10-08T08:32:00.001-07:00

3 1/2 months and...
3 1/2 years. What a pair! These kids are growing so fast we can hardly keep up! Kolton began rolling over on 8/28/11 and hasn't stopped since. The only problem is that he frequently gets stuck on his tummy which he does not like. He manages to get back over or he screams until someone gives him a little nudge. He LOVES his big sister almost as much as she loves him.
We have been waiting for these shoes to fit for 2 years! They finally fit and then... didn't anymore because they were too tight after about a month of wear... go figure.
Xiana loves to hold her baby brother and make him laugh. He laughs at her more than anyone else. Everything she does he finds amusing. I have a rule now that she isn't allowed to talk while he's nursing because he is way too easily distracted by her voice.
I love to watch Xiana dance. She is so free with her movement and facial expressions. Her arms go up and she sways and pumps and spins. It's awesome just like her.
Every time we get these two together they hold hands. It is the sweetest thing ever when kids naturally hold one another's hands. It's like they get it... they get each other; they get the big picture; they just get it. It's so fun to watch them grow together and hear them talk and squeal and giggle. Life is beautiful.

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck?

2011-10-08T08:08:00.001-07:00

Our friends the Witters graciously offered to help us chop wood, and by us I actually mean Brian, and by the Witters I actually mean Cory. Still, Kristin and I served a great purpose as well watching the kids and keeping them out of the saw dust, sap, and dirt. Plus, we packed a mean lunch! It was so much fun... HARD work for the boys, but fun for us. We also did our part by making a delicious dinner when we got home.
Ekco was wonderful with the kids. She made treasure maps and they went on treasure hunts for a long time. She was great to keep them entertained and happy.
We did have to go on one scouting mission when they went a little too far, but on the whole they were on their best behaviour. There is something about being out in the mountains that brings out the best in everybody.
We ate lunch and the boys took a short break.
Then Xiana and Mitchell jumped...
and jumped...
and jumped...
and jumped some more. They play so nicely together. It was so nice of them to join us to get wood. Our winter will be much warmer because of it!!

Art and circles

2011-10-07T17:40:00.001-07:00

Xiana spends a great deal of her time in her art corner. It's really nice for me because it affords me some free time to get stuff done. She paints, colors, glues, and cuts. The other day I ran out of printer paper and I was crazy mad at her because I always tell her she doesn't need a million pieces of paper to draw one tiny thing on each. She needs to use the paper. Then she showed me that she had made 9 "place mats." She had drawn and cut out circles with the paper. I had no idea she could draw or cut nice circles like that. It was a great reality check for me. It's $3 for a pack of 100 sheets of paper. The discoveries she is making are priceless! The next day I bought her her own package of printer paper. I swear, sometimes I just can't be happy. Poor thing is keeping herself entertained in an educational and creative way and I'm yelling at her for using my inexpensive paper. Great mommy lesson!!

Last day of splash park

2011-10-07T08:49:00.001-07:00

We were sad to see the splash park close this year. It seems like it was earlier than usual, but perhaps that was due to such a late summer. It didn't get warm for a long time this year and when it did, it got hot! Last year we did pre-school with Elena and Xiana has been asking about her for a long time so I was happy to see that she was there this day. They love to play together!
Plus Savana was there. It was like a preschool reunion!
They ate their weight in chips and loved every second of it. They are so cute at the splash park. Xiana is fearless with the fountains, and they always remind me of when she was a tiny little baby in regular clothes, fearlessly walking through the fountains at the splash park in Vegas. I was so proud of her. It's funny because not I find myself getting irritated if she gets wet when she's in clothes. I have to remember how wonderful it feels and how cute it was a few short years ago. It's still cute! Sweet little girls!

Swings and slides

2011-09-22T16:51:00.001-07:00

Kolton loves to swing... what a surprise I know. He is so adorable. We went to a kitchen exchange and he loved it.
I had to wedge a blanket around him to help him stay upright.
But he is a growing boy!
At playgroup one of his admirers wanted to hold him. She is so sweet with him and always wants to "pet" him. So cute!
We took advantage of the heat and Kate set up a new slide and pool in the front yard while Brian was at gun club. The kids loved it.
Weeeeee
There were plenty of contraptions inside the house to keep the babies entertained.

The end

2011-09-22T16:47:00.001-07:00

We were very sad to see our family reunion come to an end. It felt too short, too fast, too over. I'm really grateful that we have the opportunity to get together every other year so that the cousins can play and the parents can hang out. Also, it was kind of everyone to come to us since we had the newest baby. Cami had matching t shirts made for her family and they were cute!!!
Plus, the fam willingly posed for lots of cameras! Cami made delicious cafe rio style pork salads for dinner the last night.
And Danielle enjoyed some more cherries.
Nic and Karla got cake and ice cream in honor of both Logan's and Jared's upcoming birthdays. I didn't hear a word of complaint.
The following morning we got up and had a big family picture taken by the amazingly talented KayLynne Kroshus. Then we attended Stake conference and gave everyone the big sendoff. It was sad, but what a wonderful time we had together.
We were surprisingly coordinated considering we didn't plan on getting a big family shoot.... well with the exception of dad who showed up in a blue suit!!! Oh well. It cements him as the distinguished oldest generation of the photo :)

Tahoe

2011-09-22T16:31:00.001-07:00

Day three was spent at my favorite place on earth. It was wonderful. The kids played and played and played some more. In fact, when asked what their favorite day was they unanimously agreed Tahoe day was the best. Danielle ate her weight in sand.

And Ekco spent roughly 11 minutes out of the water. Xiana prides herself on her ability to "swim" with arm floaties. She can't actually swim, though I think she will be easy to teach as she naturally kicks her legs and uses her arms to get around. Ekco is a good little swimmer already.
This was Kolton's first time in Tahoe. I expected him to freak out, but he surprised me. He didn't even flinch at the icy water. Still, he spent the majority of the day in his tent on the sand. Daddy hung out with him quite a bit which was nice for me.
He sure was cute out there!!!
The girls stuck together at the lake too while the boys ventured a little farther, were a little braver, and got a little more burned.
There was a lot of sand castle building, and floating on tubes. I am so impressed with how well all the boys can swim. The lessons have really paid off.
I meant to get a picture of each family, but I fell short!
nap time with daddy. I'm pretty sure they both slept.
We brought cherries and Danielle thought they were delicious.
I believe this castle was complete with a mote.
What a fun and relaxing way to spend the day. The kids got on their rafts and then held on to each other to stay together.
It was a beautiful day, and I got to swim out to the buoys 3 times!!!
I always think there is something poetic about the back of people in front of water.
This little man was such a trooper and won the award for the cutest 3 month old on a raft.
He fell asleep on the raft as did Danielle. I said it was soothing!!

Dinners

2011-09-22T16:16:00.001-07:00

Dinners were a pretty serious event around here. Mom and Dad set up many tables outside in order to accommodate all of the family. Without and persuasion, the boys sat at one table, the girls at another, and the adults at a third. It's interesting how we pair off even as young children. Every meal was delicious and it was so much fun to eat together as a family. Most days this was our only opportunity to get to talk to one another.
The girl table...
The boy table...
And the adult table. I'm sure there were many years where my parents and siblings feared there would only be a boy table. Our family is boy strong.
The second day trip of our reunion was Wild Waters. I didn't take many pictures, but this was a must have. My dad is WILD at water parks. He loves them. He is like a little kid on Christmas constantly going up and down the slides. This was a fun trip for me too because I actually had people (mom) there to hold the baby while I went down a slide or two. This slide, however, I opted out of because last time I got such bad whiplash. That didn't stop dad. He even went on it twice despite the fact that he looked like a crash test dummie with his head dragging behind his body. Even writing this makes me chuckle at how hysterical it was. The next slide we went on was a body slide and he had strained the muscles in his neck so dramatically that he couldn't hold his head up on the slide. He got to the bottom after me and I watched in horror as he looked like a dead fish drowning in a few inches of water... that is until he stood up laughing so hard he was crying. Then I joined in and couldn't stop laughing for the rest of the day. The image is burned into my mind. It was funny. there was a woman standing by who commented that she was considering going on that slide, but wasn't anymore!
It's hard to appreciate the angle of this slide from the pictures, but it's steep!
Brian must have really strong neck muscles because he went on this slide again and again and never once snapped his neck. He kept saying, just hold your head up....easy for him to say!
Weeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!
Because Ekco loves all things water she had an absolute blast! I fondly remember my days spent at Wild Waters when I was a 10-year-old girl. She even grew braver and went on some slides unlike last year. She is definitely growing up.
Xiana was her usual water bunny fearlessly sliding self.
She must have gone on the tube slide 100 times! She had such fun playing with Anna and Nicole and Eva, but when they refused to continue to go on the slide, she just went right on by herself.
That night for dinner Larissa utilized our garden making a cucumber salad and sauteed zucchini and squash. Another delicious meal!