Arabian nights

Brian and I went to Tahoe to a themed room for our anniversary.  My parents were so kind as to keep our kids for the night (which was extra kind when you find that Kolton woke at 4:30!).  We had a nice time.  Our room had a hot tub in it with the "Arabian nights" theme.  Brian posted that we had just arrived in India and got quite the facebook response.  It's funny, you'd think people would know him by now:) We went to The Hunger Games and had sushi.  All in all, it was a lovely evening. Time is a funny thing, on the one hand I can scarcely believe it's been two years because it went by so fast.  On the other hand, I feel as if I've known Brian my whole life... for forever!  This year we got to celebrate both our anniversary and our sealing which was nice.  The following morning, for breakfast we went to a restaurant that served coconut french toast... divine!  Then we went shopping... without kids.... it was glorious!

Brian brought home these beautiful flowers which he has since planted in a breath taking flower garden in the front yard... more pictures to follow!  Happy Anniversary babe!

Joy Ride

• This girl of mine.. she is most hysterical.  I swear.  She has me rolling every second of the day.  One night, while watching Kate plus 8 she was pining for an electric jeep.  "I wish I could have a jeep like they have." I said, "sorry sis, your mommy isn't rich like there mommy is, but if it makes you feel any better, they don't have a daddy anymore.  So what do you want more: a jeep or a daddy?"  She truly thought about it for a minute before responding, "I'll take both."  The next day, while yard selling... my girl spotting a jeep from a block away.  "I wanna go to that house mom... please please please please puhlease!!"  I told her I'd look to see how much they were asking for it. "Oh I hope hope hope hope hope it's too expensive to sell it."  Wait a second.. I think she was confused.  It was cheap, works, and she loves it.  However, after approximately 5 minutes of walking with her while driving  I learned two things: 1: I have zero (I really mean zero) patience 2: her dad will have to teach her to drive.
• After church one Sunday she came in and told me, in her most dramatic voice, "today at church I learned-ed a powerful lesson that Jesus is with us wherever we go."
• We were listening to the book Ramona on CD.  I thought it might be a little old for her, but we tried it out anyway.  We got to the part where Ramona cracks the raw egg on her head thinking it was a hard boiled one and I was laughing.  Xiana was not.  I asked her if she understood what was happening in the story.  She looked at me with the deepest sincerity and stoically replied, "that's not funny that she got egg on her head mom.  That's mean to laugh.  It's not funny, it's sad."  To which I laughed much more.
• While reading a book to Kolton, Xiana climbed on my lap and said, "mom, I lost my opinion huh?"  "Whatever do you mean?" I asked, genuinely puzzled. "ya know, the thing in your belly button when you're a baby?"  "Oh, your umbilical cord!" "Yeah, that's what I said, my oom-billacly cord."
• For FHE one night we were asking the girls how you got to go to the temple.  They excitedly replied, "you have to have a temple recommend."  We asked how you achieved that and Xiana yelled, "you have to go to mormon.org!"
• After finding, and ruining, a baby quail egg in the backyard, I over heard her telling her babies a story about "the mean danger people who got the egg and broke it!"
• She has mastered the sassy hip shaking dance.... it makes us roll with laughter around these parts.
• She informed me the other day that when she is older she will have 70 and one million babies.
• One day we were looking for a turn in while driving.  We missed it and Xiana said, "you better find it or else we will be doomed."
• Brian was going to eat at Mimi's restaurant one night.  It was very cold outside and as we were driving I mentioned that I hoped it wasn't as windy at gun club for Brian.  Xiana said, "I bet Amy's house is nice and warm."  "Who's Amy?" "You know, the girl daddy is having dinner with."
• You have to be entirely careful what you say in front of this girl these days because she picks up and repeats EVERYTHING!  After getting off the phone with my parents I laughingly told Brian they were bickering on the phone.  The next day after I got home and Brian had picked the kids up from my parents Xiana assured me, "grandma and grandpa weren't fighting last night."  I asked what she was talking about and she said, "I told grandpa that I heard him and grandma were fighting last night.  He told-ed me that they weren't really fighting and asked-ed where I heard that.  I told him I heard-ed my mommy telling my daddy last night."
• "Guess what mom?! I can hold my breath for like 70 minutes."
• After picking out her own outfit of leggings and an 80's off the shoulder shirt she informed me, "mom, I look like a teenager in this outfit."
• We got ice cream one night and she said, "I wish we could decorate it like we do at yogurt beach.  I like the decorations!" (toppings)
• After church one Sunday she informed me, "mom I know what compassion is." "what?" "It's when you be nice to people and love them. And I know what mercy is.  It's when you give people a second chance."  touche my girl, touche

hahahahaha

As previously stated, Kolton has mastered both up and downstairs.  Unfortunately, he has also mastered getting into toilets, pulling all things off shelves, and emptying drawers.  As a result, he has been blocked from the upstairs... hahahahahahah.  We put it at the half way point so that he can still play on the stairs, but he was pulling movies/shoes/anything he could get his hands on and chucking them down the stairs.  His throws were followed by absolutely thrilling laughter.  This, you see, was one of his favorite games.  But, in the end the parents won... at least this battle. 

• This little boy continues to be one of the most active babies I have ever seen.  At 11 months he runs everywhere he goes and scarcely bothers to see if anyone is following him.  While the chase is often the most exciting part... this baby will run regardless.
• He is sooooo social!  He talks non-stop all day to anyone and everyone who will look in his direction.  I've heard more than one person comment on what a charming personality he has, which, of course I cannot disagree with!  He jabbers and says about 10 words.  When he's finished eating he signs, "all done" and says, "ah duh."  It's awfully sweet... excpet that it's generally long before he's eaten a sufficient amount.
• His favorite foods so far seem to be spaghetti, terriaki chicken, and pears.
• Okay fine, his favorite foods so far seem to be cake, chocolate, and CANDY!!  This baby can spot it from a mile away and he has a wicked sweet tooth. 
• He figured out how to talk on phones and often has a cell phone pressed up to his ears as he babbles.  (although cell phones just as often turn into cars).
• He now has 8 teeth with many more on their way.
• He loves to hit things with anything he can get his hands on (preferably sticks) so we taught him to say "bam bam" which is quite hilarious.  
• He lvoes the wood pile and continuously pulls giant logs off from the stack and drags them to the woodburning stove.
• His favorite place to be is outside and if daddy dares to walk out the back door without him... he completely and utterly loses it!  He gets mad.
• He eats his weight in dirt.
• He has learned (through a bit of trial and error) how to walk in shoes!  Yay!  For a while we couldn't get him to do it, but I found a pair of thin soled well fitiing shoes that seem to have done the trick.
• He's very generous with his kisses and, unfortunatley just as generous with his head for you to kiss... in the form of head butts. 
• He loves to climb up things and launch himself off of them encouraging his mommmy and daddy to offer little solace when he hurts himself.
• He loves to unfold laundry... little turkey.
• He is the sweetest, most alive, most wonderful little guy.  I can't believe he's almost been here a year... it feels like an instant.   

Pre-Easter

The night before Easter we did our traditional egg dye/bird's nests/ hang out with Mark, Tosh, Ella, and Rowan.  We dyed a TON of eggs!  They turned out beautifully vibrant, and the bird's nests were oh so tasty.

Eggs at the farm

One of the countless bonuses to being in our current ward is that the Andelins extend a welcome to their farm for playgroups.  Truly, these opportunities are incomparable to other playgroups.  Natalie was so kind as to host an Easter egg hunt.  Initially the plan was for the kids to go on a tour of the farm while the moms hid the eggs... however... it. was. freezing... and snowing.  So, the kids terrorized the house and we corralled upstairs while the eggs were hidden.  Still, despite freezing temperatures, we couldn't prevent the kids and their desires to feed the animals.  It was such a blast.  I imagine it's not nearly as cool when it's a chore to feed the chickens, but for these kids it was unprecedented fun!  There was a prize offered for every child able to catch a chicken... and catch chickens they did!  One such caught chicken, flailing to escape the grasp of its guard, flapped like crazy grazing Xiana's cheek as it achieved freedom. Needless to say, Xiana freaked.  She was one scared little girl and opted to hang outside the gates for the remainder of the chicken feeding frenzy. 

MOVE THIS ONE TO BEFORE CHOCOLATE

They also got to feed the goats....

Which Kolton LOVED!  He truly showed no fear trying, instead, to climb into the pens with the goats.  They licked his face and he squealed with delight... and then got sanitized:)

Just in time to indulge in some chocolate goodness.

It was such a luxury to be able to talk and visit with my friends while the older kids carried/entertained Kolton.  At one point he came downstairs like this:    He warranted a picture to be sure!

The Easter egg hunt was a wild success and the kids were very generous in offering help and eggs to one another.

I happened to catch a picture of Xiana mid-fall after which she scrambled to retrieve all of her spilled eggs... what impeccable timing!

The kids were all darling and enjoyed themselves almost as much as the moms:)

Alicia let us pick up Tristin for our outing which proved to be highly emotional for her (she's still on bed rest) but wonderful for Tristin!  They all had an exceptional time!

FHE

For FHE one night I copied one of the young women activities... indoor black light miniature golf!  It was a blast.  When we went with the young women all I could think was how much fun my own family would have there. The only really challenging thing for me was golfing with Kolton in a front pack... fortunately I'm not that competitive (although let the record show that despite Brian's winning success, the first time we ever miniature golfed I won!).    It's really a neat little set up.  You pay $5 and then you get to golf as many games as you like... I think we ended up golfing three.. maybe four... by the end Kolton was impatient with being in the front pack and, instead, opted for complete freedom climbing into alligator's mouths and such.  There were plenty of distractions in this dark maze of glowy art.  Oh oh oh oh the pirate's life for me!