Bliss

Okay, the long-awaited post has arrived. I get giddy just looking at the pictures. Ever since coming back I have tried to surround myself with a bit of Hawaii--homemade shoyu chicken (finally found the perfect recipe), sea shells in glass containers, macadamia nuts, Hawaiian music...but it just isn't the same. Oh, how I love Hawaii!

I went to school at BYU-Hawaii for a year and half. After coming home from Hawaii I had planned on going on a mission for our church but then plans changed. I met Birch. Fast forward thirteen years, six kids, grad school, jobs, etc...I was finally able to share this bit of me with Birch. As you might remember, when we had our house flood I was in the office planning my "fake" trip to Hawaii. All of sudden things did start to come together and ended up making this dream a reality. I don't think we could have done this trip for any cheaper--we had miles that paid for the travel, we shared a car and our townhouse, and I found coupons for meals and our entertainment. I'm so grateful to my mom and my sister Emily for coming to stay with the kiddos; without them we wouldn't have been able to go.

As the plans started coming together we decided that it would be fun to share this trip with our good friends, Brooke and Mark Cox. Our families have been two peas in a pod for several years now (we even lived together for a couple of months while their house was being built); they were wonderful company and we had such a good time together.

(In order for you to get in the mood -- click one of the Hawaiian songs that I added to the side bar, grab at Hawaiian Sun drink, and kick back and enjoy the pictures.)

Saturday, October 31st

The trip starts out Halloween morning with an early flight into Honolulu. The four of us arrived in Hawaii within minutes of each other and we loaded into our gangster rental car, a Dodge Magnum. We drove straight to our one-night hotel in Waikiki, unloaded, and then we were off to the Aloha Swap Meet.

If you want good deals this is the place to go! We shopped on high speed and got all of our little souvenirs for the kids. We were anxious to get to the beach. After getting some dinner we enjoyed walking along Ala Moana State Park. Birch tried his skills at climbing a coconut tree...it was hard. I love this picture because it captures the way I feel about Hawaii! So carefree!! When we flew into Honolulu I had a mouth full of cankers and stress headaches. By the end of the trip I was canker- and headache-free. What a beautiful sunset this was!!! We ended up having quite a bit of rain and stormy weather during the week so this was actually the only really good sunset we saw. This was one of my very favorite nights...Birch and I enjoyed walking hand-in-hand on the beach, listening to live Hawaiian music and dipping our feet in a fancy hotel's outdoor hot tub.

Sunday, Nov. 1st

We started the morning by going to Pearl Harbor. This has always been one of my favorite places in Hawaii. While going to school I didn't get around the island much but I made sure that I went to Pearl Harbor a couple of times a year. Each day a quart of oil leaks from the USS Arizona, serving as a memorial for the 900+ men who are buried in the underwater tomb. I love America! Everyone treated the memorial with much respect. It was a very reverent place. After leaving Pearl Harbor we went back into Waikiki to the Outrigger Hotel and had one of our favorite meals of the trip at their buffet. Could Birch look anymore relaxed as he eats his fresh papaya and drinks his passion-orange-guava juice over-looking Waikiki beach? Waikiki Beach Next we were off to church at the historic Honolulu Tabernacle. It was a memorable church service for sure. At the Pali Lookout. As we drove into Laie I couldn't even concentrate (I was trying to talk to my kids on the cell phone). I was flooded with things I hadn't seen for years and all these memories came rushing back. Here I am at my old house, The Tree House, where I lived in for almost a year. It sits almost directly across from the Laie Temple.

I LOVE plumerias...pink, yellow, white, light pink ones. I've been growing a plumeria tree in my bathroom for the past five years and it has yet to bloom. The Laie Hawaii Temple is currently being remodeled. It still stood with such beauty and grandeur. Sharing a kiss on the temple grounds.

Monday, November 2nd

Off to Sunset Beach! We were lucky to be there during the Excell Surfing Competition; sure made for some great entertainment. The boys enjoyed body and boogie board surfing at Sunset Beach. Brooke and I enjoyed doing NOTHING! Shaka, Skaka!! What a life!! Sunset Beach. After a morning playing in the water we went to Haleiwa to get some lunch and walk around town. We each got a shave ice in memory of our kids...neither of us care too much for them. Loved this tourist site in Haliewa. We stopped at Laniakea Beach to see the huge sea turtle. It was massive! This is the townhouse that we stayed in at Turtle Bay. The price was great, the location was perfect, and it was just as ideal as can be for us. The site out of our lani (porch) of our condo. Turtle Bay has HUGE and beautifully manicured golf courses.

Tuesday, Nov. 2nd

The morning was started off by going to a small local cafe in Laie called Hukilau Cafe. It became famous in the movie "50 First Dates." Birch snarfed up his delicious banana pancakes. Next we headed to hike Laie Falls. Just after starting the hike we got caught in a torrential downpour so we decided to head back. We couldn't leave without getting a picture of this crazy sign. Off to Laie Point. It was just a gorgeous as I remembered. Birch...always pressing the limits. Again, Birch pressing the limits. I'm not sure if he read the sign or not but really he would do just about anything for a good picture. We saw some AMAZING waves! This shot was taken at the famous Bonzi Pipeline Beach where many surfing competitions are held. Next stop was Waimea Bay. Again, the waves were crazy huge! Birch was able to barrow some fins (which were required because the waves were so huge) so he got to experience some massive waves. He was pretty wiped out of energy when he finished body surfing. Next stop was the Dole Plantation. We both loved our dole whip. I love this man!!!

Wednesday, Nov. 3rd

We started the morning off going down to the beach at Turtle Bay. Birch spent some time snorkling while I enjoyed the fresh morning air. Then we went to go look for sea shells along Turtle Bay. We didn't find too many but we sure enjoyed our time together. I love this shot that Birch got of this crab. On our way to the Polynesian Cultural Center we stopped at the famous Giovanni's Shrimp truck for lunch. It was delicious! Keeping with tradition, we each signed the truck. We had a great day at the Polynesian Cultural Center. This guy from Samoa was going to school at BYU-H during the time I was there. He didn't remember me but I sure remembered him. The canoe show in the afternoon was awesome. Birch was chosen to dance the male part at the Tahitian village. He was a good sport and quite entertaining. We got drenched a couple of times during the day but then the sun would come out and dry us quickly. We enjoyed the whole day from the village shows, the amazing IMAX show, canoe show, and the incredible night show. Again it was fun to see where I had had several jobs while attending BYU-H. This shot was for the kids so they could see how bananas really grow. We saw several banana plantations. This banana was not very tasty as it obviously was not ripe. In LOVE!

Thursday, November 4th

We started the day off by going to Sharks Cove. It has great snorkeling for free. Snorkling has never been a favorite activity to me but the boys kept encouraging Brooke and me to give it a try. It took me a bit to get used to the breathing thing (in fact I think I had a little panic attack while trying to breathe) but it turned out to be a really neat experience. Birch decided that he LOVES snorkeling and next time wants to go to Hanauma Bay (we didn't go this time because you have to pay). Back to Waimea Bay...Birch was adamant that he jump off of the Waimea Rock. He did it!! Ah...my years at BYU-Hawaii were all brought back. It was so fun to share this part of my life with Birch. What a beautiful campus!

Friday, November 6th

Chinaman's Hat Island On the top of Diamond Head...wow, was that a lot of stairs! Kailua beach Waimanalo beach My sister, Leah had suggested hiking up to Maunawili Falls. She said that it was easy...she was lying. It was challenging (especially after having hiked Diamond Head that morning) but it was SO amazingly beautiful. The vegetation was incredible. Here is Birch, A.K.A. Adam. Taking a breather on the way to Maunawili Falls. We made it! -- Maunawili Falls Birch jumping off of Maunawili Falls. Even though this hike was hard with crossing rivers, walking through mud, and being surrounded by mosquitoes--I would certainly do it again.

Saturday, Nov. 7th

Two lovers on Sunset Beach. Saying "goodbye" was SO HARD! As much as we love being together with our kids, we also love being together without our kids. It was hard to believe that Saturday morning started out with snorkeling, rainbows, and sunshine and then by that night we were driving over the pass in a snow storm. Oh how I love Hawaii!

We came home to a quiet house with all the kids snoring away. One reason we could enjoy the trip so thoroughly was knowing that the kids were in such good hands. My sister and my mom took exceptional care of them and thankfully nobody got sick. There is no way we would be able to do these yearly trips without the support our family. THANK YOU!!! These getaways fill me up for the rest of the year and bind Birch and me together with such strong binding.

Goblins, Witches, and Pumpkins...oh my!!

Before I get to all the good Hawaii stuff I can't skip over Halloween. We actually flew out Halloween morning but our church was having a trunk-or-treat the night before so we were able to celebrate with the kids.

Carving pumpkins has become quite an ordeal having so many munchkins. As you can see from the above picture no one likes to clean the pumpkin out so it is a lot of work for mom and dad. This year much to our kids dismay we decided to only carve ONE large pumpkin and have them each design a different part of the pumpkin face.

Here everyone is submitting their drawn design for their assigned facial feature.

The final product!

This year we had:

Nate, the shining knight
Tyler, the gangster
Alysee, the medieval princess
Chloe, the cheerleader
Alex, the late Michael Jackson
Cooper, superman
(not shown...Birch-- Polynesian Cultural Center guide, Sara--a marshmallow)

My sister, Emily was a great sport letting the kids dress her up. Her adorable daughter Sage was the cutest Pebbles you have seen.
My mom brought this elaborate medieval fairy god mother costume. Nate, the shining knight, was very good at protecting these two beauties.
Isn't Sage just so sweet?!!

We had fun evening gobbling up hot dogs and chili, carnival games, and then a mad rush of trunk-or-treating. The kids all came home and dumped there candy out to pick out ten of their favorite pieces. The rest of the candy was bought by a local dentist for $1/pound and then sent to the military. Sure has been nice to not have all the sugar sitting around the house to be snuck all hours of the day.

Sneak Peak

I'm living on three hours of sleep right now but I just had to share a little snippet of the heaven Birch and I soaked in this past week. I truly think I was meant to be a Hawaiian girl. My body craves warmth, sunlight, and the fragrance of plumerias! The camera was in high workout mode the whole trip so lots more photos to come...

Monkey broke the record

On Sunday Alysee broke the family record of sleeping-in. Alex had held out as the winner for the past three years of sleeping-in until 10:30 am after recovering from a surgery.

Alysee was sawing logs until 11:15 am. HOLY COW!!! I couldn't believe it! I kept checking on her to make sure she was breathing. The even better part was that she woke up in a stellar happy mood.
She also earned her date with dad by completing her jobs for ten days. Alysee had a great time showing off all her "monkey" playground skills. I never knew Alysee has a "tongue" thing when concentrating.

This girl sure loves her daddy!

Up to no good

Yesterday Coop walked up behind Nate and just whacked him on the back. Nate hollered, "MOM, Coop hit me for no reason."

Coop quickly replied, "Yeah, I did it because it was fun!"

Where does this kid come up with all the things he says?

A Renewal

I know everyone is dying to see our remodel work in the mudroom/laundry room and the basement bathroom. These were both items that we had wanted to spruce up but hadn't quite saved up enough pennies to do so. Thanks to a split washer hose and some great house insurance we are now enjoying two beautiful remodeled rooms! I was wishing that I had a wide angel lens so I could better capture the rooms.

Basement Bathroom:

Here is a shot when we first moved into the house:
Right after moving in I ripped down the wall paper and went a little "yellow" crazy -- hey, I wanted to hide all the boy potty:

After the remodel:

Birch and I spent a late night painting the walls and ceiling before the tile was laid. The new Mystic Blue give the bathroom a whole new look.
Front face of the new maple cabinet Laminate countertop w/ maple edge trimming and tile backsplash Love how this tile floor came out -- we purchased all the tile from Home Depot The new sink and faucet were bought on a great deal from a plumbing appliance store that was getting rid of it's overstock. Love the old school metal plaques that I got at a fun little store in Spokane.

Mudroom/Laundry Room:

Mudroom/Laundry Room when we bought the house:
We didn't change too much to the mud room after we moved in. We did paint over the blue paint with a nice taupe color but we left the wallpaper up.

As a result of the water damage the floor was taken up to the sub flooring in order for everything to dry thoroughly.
We tore down all the wall paper (some was greatly damaged by the water) and then painted this really nice wheat color. We also added the great cabinets above the washer and dryer. I love having the extra storage. I was surprised how relatively "cheap" of an addition the cabinets were.
We put in these great lockers (purchased from IKEA) when we first moved into our house. They sure make a great spot to put all the kids coats and backpacks.
LOVE how this floor turned out! Again, the tile was purchased at Home Depot.

We were able to reuse the cabinet in the mudroom, though it did require a new toe kick to be built and some touch up work on the door faces still need to be done. After installing a new countertop and backsplash we put in a new sink and faucet. I found these fun prints while I was on my Girls' weekend in Spokane. I still need to add some vinyl something...Annie and Deena, do you have any ideas for me?

Thankfully Birch just finished all the dry wall repair in the shop. It was a disaster in there until just this past weekend. Birch also repaired the mud and tape on the ceiling so we are good as new.

I must put a disclaimer that most of the time when I said "we" did blaa blaa it was really our great sub-contractor guy that has done the other remodel work in the two upstairs bathrooms. In reality "we" painted the rooms and did all the shopping (and let me tell you it takes a long time to save money and go to a ton of different stores). If anyone in my town is needing any remodel work in their house we know the man!

The hardwood floors will be refinished Thanksgiving week and then the carpets will be cleaned the following week. After that we will be as good a new (really better than we were a couple of months ago). This whole experience has reminded me that God knows best and wants to bless us even if it doesn't always feel that way. I'm thankful for a beautiful home!

Nine Lives

Tyler was just treated to three days of celebrating his ninth birthday. His real birthday fell on a day when most of us all felt crappy. We still had pizza and sang to him. That night he had the time of his life going to our new Walmart and going on a little shopping spree with some money Grannie sent him. He came home giddy with all his new loot.
Then Saturday after we spent most of the day sanitizing the house to kill all of our friendly swine flu germs we opened some presents. Tyler had been DYING to get a Rubiks cube. He was delighted (the picture was his re-enactment of his delight) when we opened it up. I think he has been able to get one side put together so far.
That night we watched a movie and had popcorn mixed with skittles. Since we hadn't had a cake yet we had him blow out his popcorn candle.
Sunday we wrapped up the party fun with a real cake and nine candles.

Tyler is a great kid! He is fun loving, eager to learn, a skilled runner, great scooter rider, and loving to his siblings. This past year I would have to say that he had gotten a hair better at eating more foods. Hopefully his palate of yummy foods will keep growing as he gets older.

Like his big brother Alex, Tyler set a goal last year to read the entire Book of Mormon by the time it was his birthday. He actually finished a month early and really had some insightful questions that he asked. We haven't been able to go on his earned award yet of a movie and dinner with mom and dad but that is in the works. I'm really proud of him for accomplishing that great goal!!!

We love you Tyler!!!