I'm learning and growing

• Kolton is suddenly a toddler.  He is no longer a baby, and quite frankly I'm astonished.  It seems like just yesterday I was bemoaning the fact that he couldn't walk... then that he couldn't feed himself... and now... well... there isn't much he can't do (except resist the urge to eat dirt).
• He giggles all the time... a really hearty deep belly giggle that is absolutely contagious.
• He howls mimicking his dada
• Says bye and hi while waving profusely.
• When we ask him any questions he absolutely cannot ignore us.  He has to make a sound in reply... and he has to have the last word.
• He has entered the hallway months at church
• He has to say hello to every person at church, a restaraunt, the park, the grocery store.
• He hurts himself a lot because he dives fearlessly off of EVERYTHING!
• One night we stayed home from Tball because he is so much work to chase.  I realized that was the first evening I had been alone with him since his birth... crazy!  We played outside on the patio and he was so much fun.  He ran in circles and I realized that sometimes I forget to cherish him.  I forget to see him as much as I should. 
• When he eats he says, "mmmmmmmmmm."
• He thinks I'm funny.
• When you raise an eyebrow at him he gets hysterical.  He thinks it's one of the greatest tricks (his daddy taught us that).
• With much effort he nods his head yes in addition to shaking it no... no comes much more naturally.  When he nods it yes, it takes his whole body.
• He loves to dance.  He can't hear music without bumping to the groove.
• He loves his sisters.
• He is a tender, happy, crazy, wild, fearless, hilarious BOY.

• Xiana is also many of those traits.  She also loves to play with her friends.  She's less work in the destructive area, but she makes up for it in others.
• She is still so exceptional with language and music.  She never ceases to amaze me with the new songs she learns on a continual basis. 
• She told me the other day, "perhaps I'll have to ask you to put my shoe on because I can't."
• She asked if I was a young woman and I explained that was my calling at church.  She said, "you know what I want my calling to be?  I wanna teach my class."  I daresay she'll get her wish some day.
• At church today she bore her testimony saying, "I know that Heavenly Father is my Savior and I know Jesus loves me."  She still runs to the pulpit before anybody else and always surprises me with what comes out of her mouth.
• She knows 5 articles of faith now.
• She's getting to be a much better hiker.
• She's getting to an age where she's suddenly learning a lot of important lessons about friendship. 
• She makes friends everywhere she goes.
• She's a talented, funny, social, outgoing, bubbly, smart GIRL.

Finally, we have a streaker who wants to be outside at all costs.... he will not let ANYTHING thwart him from the great escape.  If Brian even thinks about going outside without him... he will have a complete meltdown.  Who needs a silly thing like a diaper anyway?  The outdoors is a toilet!

Team

It's been so interesting this Tball season to watch as these little people suddenly emerge into a real team.  They know where they are supposed to sit.  They know how to prepare to bat.  They know that when they get the ball they throw it to first base.  And, perhaps most importantly, they know they are a team.  As such, there has been significantly less doggy piling.  They are getting it by golly....

And... Xiana has hit two balls off of the pitch already.  Her swing is completely different than it was a few short weeks ago.

And she stopped running like a beauty queen and started putting a little more speed behind it. 

What a team!

Kimmie's chocolate factory!

I've said it before and I'll say it again... we have the best playgroup!  We got to go to the chocolate factory... who knew there was a factory in Reno?  They were so great.... it was a very short tour, but they gave us samples galore... see ya later diet :)  It was a lot of fun.. They specialize in chocolate rocks...

So they have tumblers.  Because Garrett is a geologist, Xiana is quite familiar with a rock tumbler.  It was really fun for her to see them make rock candy.

And she commented more than once about how we had to get some rocks for Garrett.

We had a small turnout, but that was okay... more candy for us!

silly faces

Our guide was super kid-friendly and excitable.  We enjoyed our trip immensely.

And the hair nets were hysterical... especially for the bald guy :)

Kimmie's!

Two little turkeys

I love Kolton in these Jammies!!!  He looks like a Dr. Seuss character.  He's so darn wild... it's a good thing he's adorable.

I just want to clarify that Xiana dressed herself.  It's just sheer coincidence that she happens to subscribe to my hippie sense of fashion.  Perhaps we were born in the wrong decade. 

Although this picture appears as if Kolton is lovingly playing with a baby doll... don't be deceived.  He's actually wrestling with it.... and it's the same size as he is!

He is still at the put-everything-I-can-get-my-hands-on-in-my-mouth stage.

He loves to put buckets on his head.  He puts it on and you can hear his echoing giggles...

Then he makes sure he has a captive audience...

Sticks some more stuff in his mouth....

And starts the process all over again.

These two love each other so much.  In the mornings is the most tender time of the day for me.  For one thing, it's the only time I get snuggles.  Kolton generally wakens about a half hour before Xiana so we sit on the chair and snuggle, and he laughs, and he points at my nose and eyes and mouth.  It's tender and sweet and lovely.  Then Xiana gets up and she climbs aboard... Kolton proceeds to shower her with open mouthed kisses.  Her laughter makes me more aggressively kiss her. Then he kisses me, then I give her a kiss and he gets jealous and showers her with more kisses.  Then they both get off my lap and head for the toys to play.  I'm so grateful for the loving relationship they have.  He's such a character, and she is the best sister in the whole universe!! 

she even tolerates him sitting on her while she attempts to watch TV.

And they both LOVE when laundry is out of the basket...

I don't know why we bother with toys:) 

Gun club

Because this blog is, after all, for posterity's sake, I figured I better include a major portion of daddy's life....gun club!  Every Thursday Brian leaves us to go shoot clay birds.  He is in a trap shooting league.  This night we were supposed to have a Tball game, but we wanted to hang with him and go to dinner so... he insisted that if we skipped we had to go watch his first round.  He'll deny it, but it was darling how much he wanted to impress us.  Kolton was wildly impressed and stared motionless for roughly 15 minutes... a record for the little man.  But Brian shot exceptionally, and it made me happy to know that he still wants to impress his little family.  Xiana hooted and hollered and chanted, "daddy daddy daddy!"  It was very fun, and yes babe, impressive. 

Wings

We went to the park with my parents and brought some take out wings.  Apparently Kolton takes after his sister and mommy... he drank ranch instead. 

Then the kids quickly flew through the park. 

Xiana showed off her ability to climb and climb and climb. And Kolton took a digger right as we were leaving scraping the skin off of his nose.  Poor baby!!  Still, it was a fun impromptu evening! 

BBQs

We've hosted a few BBQs and love that we have plenty of space for guests.  For visiting teaching this month my companion and I had a few of the girls we visit over for lunch.  We had a wonderful time.  I'm so grateful for the institution of Relief Society.  It is truly a divine set up and calling.  I'm grateful for the lives I get to be a part of because of this institution.  The kids had a wonderful time...

the babies had a wonderful time....

and the mommies had a wonderful time!!!

The next day we hosted a family BBQ and the girls did karaoke at the Andersens.  It was darling and entertaining.

Kolton spent much of the time hanging with grandpa, not performing. 

But don't let him fool you... he's a performer at heart! 

We also had some friends over to say thank you for all the firewood they gave us.  I failed to take pictures of our guests but couldn't resist the urge to take a picture of my beautiful (and delicious) tart!

And little miss sassy pants never misses an opportunity for a picture!