North Shore

The Tuesday before we left Hawaii we took a drive up to the North Shore. Its a windy slow drive along the ocean all the way there. It's really not that many miles, maybe 23?, but takes at least 45 minutes. We stopped in Laie first. I got to show the kids where I went to school, the gym where I spent a lot of my time, and we went into the campus book store.

Next we drove around the corner to the Laie Temple. Billy and I really wanted to go inside the temple and do a session, but I couldn't line up a sitter, so we settled for the visitors center and walking the grounds. The kids really enjoyed the visitors center, and they happened to be showing a really neat video about Laie and the beginnings of the town and members there. It was very neat!
We left there and headed for a beach. Found an easy spot at Sunset Beach and enjoyed the water and sand there for a bit. I smiled, because Sunset beach was one of the first beaches that I went to and swam in when I first moved to Hawaii for school. It's so easy to just get right in.

From Sunset we slowly made our way to the historic town of Haleiwa. I wanted the kids to experience Motsumotos shave ice. By the time we pulled into Haleiwa and found parking and waited in line for shave ice, it was dinner time. So, we all had shave ice for dinner! I guess when you are on vacation, anything goes :)

We circled back and headed home to Kailua after getting a couple souvenirs on the North Shore.  I love this part of the island so much. It just has this special country beach feel, kinda like home.

Wednesday we visited Pearl Harbor and taught the boys that special piece of American history. William is going to do a school presentation on our visit and what he learned. We also walked a part of the swap meet at the Aloha stadium which was only a mile from the Harbor. I got lots of gifts and souvenirs to take home there too. And that about wraps up our 10 days in Hawaii. Thursday was a smooth (but long) travel day home.

Kailua beach time

Just a few pictures of the family enjoying some beach time in Kailua.  I'm feeling a little guilty that we missed the biggest storm to hit SB in 5 years..... but not that guilty. :)

House sitting in Hawaii

We are in Hawaii for 10 days house sitting for the Hollands while they are in Utah and Colorado. We are having a blast already. Walking to the beach everyday and enjoying some warm salty water and sunshine. I am hoping that this stay in Kailua will clear up all my kids crud they have in their lungs and body. Only been here a couple days, but here are some cute pictures of my extra curly haired girl! The humidity is really making her hair wild!

Birthday Boy

We celebrated Billy's birthday last Tuesday with a beautiful outdoor day and some funfetti cake at night. After we got school done, went back into the orthodontist for William (who lost a bracket brushing his teeth the first night he had them on) we headed out to Carp to meet up with some playgroup friends and pick avocados at our friends new house and small orchard. We picked a lot of avocados! They were asking people to come pick the trees because last years crop was still on them and they want a good crop next season. Win- win for everyone right!
After picking avocados, we went to lunch in Summerland at a local hamburger place Billy had eaten at once after training out there for work. Then it was off to piano lessons for the boys. I ran a couple errands during lessons and then we headed home.
Billy had requested BBQ tritip for his birthday dinner. So once we got home I prepped the meat, readied a scalloped potato dish, chopped up brocolii and cut up a cantaloupe. It was a delicious meal! We were all stuffed after eating, but we were able to stuff down some funfetti cake drizzled with coconut cream syrup and vanilla ice cream. Happy 34 years of life Billy dear, I sure love you a lot!

Braces!!!

I don't know how William is old enough for braces... but today he went to the orthodontist and had braces put on his sweet smile. He was a trooper. He has my small mouth, so it has to be stretched out really good in order for the Dr.'s to work in there. This braces work is not even for teeth straightening, it's for mouth expanding! Just like me, his mouth is not big enough for all his incoming teeth, so they are creating room. He is such a good sport and has been very mature about the whole thing. Both of the orthodontist's at the office he is going to are awesome. Dr. White & Dr. Grube.
He is getting an early start on his mouth, so hopefully it turns out to be a good thing for him. I started teeth work in 5th grade, William is starting in 3rd! Crazy.
I see lots of blenders in our future!

Zachary's smile

Zachary lost another front tooth last night while eating dinner. Bit into his turkey burger and out it came! He has 3 missing teeth up front and a really toothless grin at the moment! :) He is a good sport though... not one complaining word. And I can already see both of his big front teeth starting to poke through. My little Zachary is growing up.

Leila's first pedicure

Leila let me paint her cute little toe nails for the first time a week or so ago. Ever since, she likes to wiggle her cute little feet and point to her toes and say "Leila's toes,  Mommy's toes"! She smiles her big cute smile and it melts my heart.

She also now fits into a beautiful homemade sweater that Erin Robb knitted? for her. She looks so beautiful in it and it completes her Sunday dresses perfectly!