Ward campout

Whilst Brian was on his elk hunt, I conned my parents into attending their ward camp out simply so that, I also, could go. I'm so glad they were able to make it as it was a blast! Buck's lake is a significant distance to go just for an overnighter, but I got some grading done on the way, and it was enjoyable to talk. All of Xiana's (well, let's get real, and my) friends were there. We LOVE our new ward, but because we still live so close, it's awfully tempting to continue to attend our old ward events/parties/playgroups. I try to mix it up. Brian and I were on our honeymoon during our own ward camp out, otherwise we would have gone! Xiana and Kelsey played at the water's edge long enough to make me just a wee bit nervous.
Images of soaking wet toddlers huddled by the campfire danced in my head.
But they certainly enjoyed themselves.
The Tolmans really went above and beyond the call of duty as activity directors. They made this camp out spectacular! Early in the evening when people were still arriving and we were eating dinner, they kept saying, "there might be some pixies with candy later. You'll have to go on a pixie hunt." Xiana was, not surprisingly, beside herself with excitement. She kept saying, "the pixies are gonna give us CANDY." Because I didn't know what they were talking about, I was more than a little suspicious of anticipations that were, not reality, but imaginative games. I guess we were all surprised when we did, indeed, find a pixie village with CANDY!
This picture doesn't do this village justice. The little houses have jewels and actually light up so that, from a distance, you can see the windows twinkling. Additionally, the Tolmans left a tinsel trail stating that it was pixie hair. The kids were beyond thrilled! Xiana filled an entire bag with candy which made me a little apprehensive; however, I think she only ate about 3 pieces as every time I saw her she was giving someone else candy. She is a sweet sharer.... when it comes to some things.
Later, by the campfire some of the older girls performed primary songs for the group. Xiana knew all of the songs and took her role in the performance quite seriously. She kept running up there saying, "oh, I have to sing the songs!" She isn't a ham at all :)
Beyond the gigantic marshmellows that friends brought, I also discovered coconut marshmellows. When toasted, they make the BEST s'mores I have ever in my life encountered!
The next morning when the bell rang for breakfast, Xiana sat up in bed and yelled, "there's more candy! We have to go get more candy!" I explained to her that it was actually the ring for breakfast, but that didn't prevent her from being disappointed that the village did not have a new set of candy. She deduced that the pixies must have eaten it all while she slept.
After breakfast the Muellers created a new pixie village with more candy. They kids ran furiously to find it following the tinsel.... Xiana might be just a bit smaller than the rest :)
These little houses were also darling.
Then we went down to the lake. I didn't pack swimsuits because I anticipated frigid temps. It turns out the weather wasn't too bad, but....
Who needs a swimsuit?!
Grandpa loved having his girl at the beach.
And we took her out on the canoe. She didn't love it as much as I thought she would. Mainly because it was precarious so she couldn't bounce around, the ground was wet, and her life jacket was massive successfully choking her the entire trip.
Still, I love a canoe ride and dad said that he had always wanted to do that so he was happy for the opportunity.
On our way home, we stopped at the polka dot which is a family tradition. It was a wonderful weekend!

Volleyball!

Food, fun, friends, and sand... it doesn't get much better than that!
Some of our good friends have been organizing weekly potluck volleyball games and they are great!
We've only actually made it twice.... I played volleyball for roughly 15 minutes then I grubbed and gabbed. Brian, on the other hand, played the entire time.
And so did Xiana. I have a fear that a group of people will come to play in these courts and somebody will break their leg from the mysterious holes popping up all over the sand.....
Must be aliens!

Balloon Races!

donuts $8
milk $2.79
shoes for Ekco $15
warm clothes for Ekco $50
getting the girls out of bed at 4:45 am.... certainly exceeds $100
Dawn patrol.......

PRICELESS!!
It's a hassle to get there so early and to fight the 30,000 other people desiring the experience, but I have to say... it is always worth it. I love dawn patrol and have fond memories of hot chocolate and pancakes while wrapped in sleeping bags. The fact that there were five of us promotes my parents to superhero status.
It is so beautiful to see the balloons take off when it's still dark.
Even if every single solitary concession stand does run out of hot chocolate.
Because the balloon races fell on 9-11 this year they did a patriotic opening that was respectful and nice.
Then we got to watch as the sea of balloons began filling and preparing for their lift off.
Thank goodness for Smokey and the stage coach this year. For some reason none of the character balloons were out.... including the energizer bunny. You will be missed bunny. You will be missed.
Still, the balloons were great and it was Ecko's first time so it was completely worth it. Throughout the day she said, more than once, "this was a great day."
And it was!
Lots of spectators and lots of balloons... roughly 100. My parents opted out this year, but my brother and sister-in law came with their kids and Kacie brought Owen so we had plenty of company.
And we never even took a nap!

Who's worse?

Xiana for pooping in a bucket in the backyard or Brian for running for the camera instead of stopping her?

Rib Cook Off!

Remember last summer when we went to the rib cook off... and I put Xiana in this cute dress? Well... at least it's gotten a little bit shorter in the year since she's worn it.
Aww rib cook off. One of the most wonderful events in downtown Sparks. A day where thousands of people flock with one common goal... to gorge! It's really something. This year, Xiana and I went with my friends Kacie and Nikki...I know, pretty lame that I have pictures of neither... and ate: corn on the cob with garlic, onion rings, funnel cakes, snow cones, and the headliner, ribs... oh yeah, and we polished that off with chocolate covered bananas, strawberries, and pineapple. Sounds gluttonous right? Well, this is the one time of year where gluttony is encouraged.
Xiana loves ride of all sorts. She looked like she was going to fall out of this one so I protectively put my arm in front of her. After a few twirls she assured me, "mom, I think you can move your arm now."
This was her favorite last year. She loved it again. She said, "mommy, now we are birds flying in the air."
The guy running the ride must have thought she was cute because he let our arm be on the upside the whole time...
and let us go for another ride free of charge and without having to get out. How's that for charming them with the good looks? Xiana is starting young!
For her last ride she opted for the bounce house. Though she was perfectly safe climbing alone, the attendant insisted that I go with her so... I also got to slide 3 times!
She packed more food in her belly than I've witnessed in a long time. I guess she got the memo about the celebration.

Dove Hunt

I know I know I know... it just doesn't sound quite right coming from my blog but... there it is. I went dove hunting with Brian on opening day. I didn't hit anything, but I took lots of shots. Brian jokingly accused me of missing on purpose. I assure you, I did not. It's much harder than it looks.
We had a good time though, and afterwards went to dinner. Brian got several birds so his trip wasn't in vain. For me it was just like going for a hike, which I love, with guns. Next up, sage hens. Brian says they're very slow so I should be able to hit one. We'll see.....

Wood Burning Stove

Because we don't have enough to do around the fixer-upper-house we bought, Brian and I decided it would be a lot of fun to go chop wood.... several times. Actually, we thought it would be a good investment to purchase a wood burning stove and use that as our source of heat for the winter. I do love the feel of a fire warmed house. While we were in the early planning stages, this sounded like the best idea ever. I could picture us in the winter all cozy, saving bundles of money on heating expenses. In addition to that poetic picture, Brian and I talked about what fun it would be to cut wood, hard work yes, but fun. We would make a day of it... pack a picnic and some hot chocolate and goof around in the mountains. Then, we woke for our first of many trips to cut wood and.... I was vomiting. Additionally, I felt as if I would pass out at any moment. I was sick as a dog. I laid on the couch for a while in the morning and then decided that I could go. I was feeling a little better and I was sure my sickness would wear off by the time we got up to to the hills. It didn't. So, my first experience cutting wood was, needless to say, a struggle. Our plan was that Brian would chainsaw down the trees and I would carry the lumber to the truck. I am proud of myself that I was able to do more than half of the carrying.... but my job of carrying it all definitely fell short. By the end of the day (it took about 3 hours and it was HOT) I was sitting in the dirt worried that I might not make it up again. But.... Xiana had a wonderful time. She's pretty much a dirt monger and loves all things messy.
I should have taken a picture of the BIG trees he cut down, but I was too sick :)
Don't be fooled by the smile on my face... I really felt awful.
Notice where Brian is standing... that is about half way from the trees to the truck.
Still, at the end of the day we left with this..... and it was an amazing feeling. Thank goodness Brian didn't have the same bug as me otherwise this trip would have been a failed attempt.
Our next wood cutting adventure started early... very early. Ecko was in town and we went to the balloon races (post later) at 5:00 am. Then we went to a baptism (which was amazing), a luncheon, and then headed up the mountain. By the time we arrived it was already 4 and we could not find any dead trees... none. We drove around for a good hour before striking it rich with a massive tree somebody had already cut down. Brian just had to cut it to pieces and I, doing all my part this time, lugged the logs to the truck. Ecko was the photographer and she did a Xiana photo shoot. She also entertained Xiana the entire time which was a huge help. They gathered a lot of pine cones, and I promised them an art project in the near future featuring pine cones.
She took some great shots!
This trip we had the truck and trailer, but because I felt so great this time around, it felt like half the work.
Again, don't be fooled by my positive attitude... it. was. hard. work. The log that Brian is holding in this picture I couldn't even lift.
In the end we left with a solid load... the girls helped tremendously.... we found tools on the road.... and it was, after all, fun! Plus, when we have minimal power bills, a cozy house, and the ambiance of a wood burning stove, we will feel more accomplished than we did as we drove back into town.