Beware! Wound picture

I just had to post this little battle wound I had. I have been in the process of making Aidan a queen size quilt for his bed for months. I decided I really wanted to finish it for him by his birthday, so I was scrambling to get everything done. I was talking to the kids while using my rotary cutter and didn't pay attention to where my thumb was hanging over the edge of the ruler. Those things are sharp! It went right through nail and skin and took off a nice big chunk, literally! We had to go to the Dr. because I couldn't get it to stop bleeding. There is a special powder that will help the blood clot, since there was no skin left to stitch. What a crazy thing to do! At least I will be extra careful where my hands are before I use the cutter!

Aidan's 6th Birthday

Aidan wanted to go to Hanalei Bay for his birthday and jump off the pier again. Unfortunately, it was the day that the tsunami was supposed to hit Hawaii. We were so lucky that nothing really happened. If it had been high tide, there might have been problems, but as it was, Hawaii was safe. Instead of the beach, Aidan got to have friends over and hit a pinata, which is a tradition now in the family. The kids loved it as always. After cake and ice cream, we all traded turns playing Rock Band, which is also a tradition it seems for birthdays. I know he was a little disappointed about missing the beach, but he still ended up having a great birthday.

I just cannot believe that my little baby boy is 6! He has yet to lose a tooth, but he is reading signs and papers everywhere. He loves Star Wars, Lego video games and toys, and the movie Newsies. It is his favorite movie and he loves the music. He walks around all day singing it. He is starting to love baseball and really wants to throw the ball around with Spencer. He is getting pretty good at kicking the soccer ball around too. He is such a sweet, tender-hearted little man and we are so blessed to have him in our family. We love you big boy!

Brennecke's Beach

We love visiting all the different beaches around the island, and I am trying to at least get pictures at all of them. The kids have so much fun and love going. The day was cloudy and overcast and did sprinkle on us for a while but the waves at Brennecke's which can be really rough normally, weren't that day. It was very nice and great for boogie boarding. Sienna was in the water the whole time trying to catch the waves. She is getting better and better. So fun to watch!

My trip to Utah

I went to Utah in the middle of January (minus my camera!) and was able to visit so many beloved people. I remembered to steal pictures off of my mom's and friend's blogs so I can post. I have gone to a Retreat that my 1st Spanish Fork ward does for women who live or have lived in the ward boundaries for the last 5 years. I know, I'm crazy, but I couldn't miss it. It is one of the things I look forward to most in the year, like Halloween and Christmas.

We rent a huge home, make yummy food, stay up way too late, eat delicious treats and hang out. It's perfect and I love it. It is such a great opportunity to catch up with so many people in one place. I was also able to see my family and many other amazing friends. I am very humbled and grateful for all of the wonderful people that surround me with love and friendship. I truly am one of the luckiest girls alive because of them.

The whole gang at the Retreat-I love these ladies so much!

My beautiful sister-in-law, Kelsey and my Mother 

at a yarn shop to find delicious yarn for knitting. 

It's not easy to find here in Hawaii.

At Gardner Village

A stop home without it would be incomplete

Crazy Baby

This is what my crazy baby has been up to lately...

~Falling asleep all over the place. The ones on the chair are in the corner of our house and we found her after about 10 minutes of panic thinking she had somehow gotten out of the house.~

~Best bedhead ever!~

~This is what she does when she finds markers~

~Her favorite mode of attire~

I love her!

Christmas '09

We had a wonderful Christmas. We did get very homesick and were missing family on Christmas Eve, since that is the main day that my parents and siblings would get together and have our family traditions. We had friends over instead and it was very special to be starting our first traditions here on our own. The kids loved their gifts and were happy about just staying home in jammies and playing with their new toys without having to leave them. They didn't even want to go to the beach. We were so thankful for the beautiful day to celebrate our Savior's birth and life, to celebrate with our beloved children. It was such a great day. We are so blessed.

Mama made

Do any of you go by the name of Mama? I always called my own mother "mommy" but I have become "mama" to my own little ones and I have to say I love it. I don't know where it all started, but I never want it to change. There is a blog I found through a friend and I adore it. It's peaceful, quiet, reflective and she makes so many handmade crafts. Soulemama is always sewing, quilting, crafting and knitting. Knitting, knitting, knitting. It was always something I had wanted to learn, but never felt I had enough time. Once we moved here, I found I had a lot more time on my hands and taught myself to knit finally. I love it. It can be quite addicting and the only thing tempering it is Walmart's meager offering of needles and yarn.

On the blog she talks about mama-made items and how special they are to our children (and friends and family). For Christmas I knit a scarf for Spencer's brother who is serving a mission for our church. He was in North Dakota, but he just transferred to Minnesota, so I know it could be put to good use. I also made one for my dad. I also got my first sewing machine for Christmas this year. Those of you who know me and sewing are probably wondering how that is possible considering how much I sew. One word: theft. I would steal my own mother's for extended periods of time and use it. Now that I don't have that luxury, I had to break down and buy my own. I brought some fabric from Utah I purchased there intending to make myself and Sienna aprons, so what a better to way to break in a new sewing machine? But Madelyn loved Sienna's and a tiny apron is cuter than a mama-sized, so we made one for her. I think it's her new favorite thing. Here are a few of my creations. I am sure there will be much more to come...

Maha`ulepu

We went out to Maha`ulepu Beaches with some friends. Spencer was on-call and it was out of range for response, so I went without him. It was a little daunting, especially with the off-road driving I did. I tend to be a nervous driver and was a little unprepared for it, but I did alright. Tons of huge potholes, big rocks to avoid, but the Pilot survived (and so did we). I just kept telling myself that the car was made for this, and it was a reason why we bought it, so I wasn't going to break it.

The beach was beautiful and very isolated. There are no amenities; it's just you and the wild and undeveloped land. There are fantastic places to explore and it's great for beach walking. Such a gorgeous place here on the breathtaking island that is our home. We are so blessed!

Madelyn and makeup

Madelyn had been very interested in my makeup lately. She loves using my brushes and we had to laugh when she attempted to use the eyelash curler. Silly baby! She has also had her moments getting into the makeup and drawing pictures by writing all over the walls and bathroom drawers with eyeliner. She wasn't very happy when we found her doing that. She will throw a fit just because we caught her doing something naughty; even if we didn't discipline her about it.

Lihue Light Parade

We had the opportunity to go to the Lihue Light Parade, where many businesses deck out vehicles with lights and drive down one of the main streets. It was very special for me to be there, in our new home, making the most of activities here in our new community to celebrate the holidays and start our new special traditions. It was 71 degrees when we were there, so we looked up Spanish Fork's temperature: 7 degrees. It was very surreal thinking of everyone I love and miss freezing at home while we were all outside in t-shirts and shorts. We were not missing Utah weather that night. We were very grateful to be right where we were.

                          Even the garbage trucks get decked out