My Mom

I LOVE my mom!! And I love it when she comes to visit!! I told her we'd take her to the beach everyday (except Sunday). : ) She's born for the sea. : ) We made it there almost everyday and got in a good hike just about each time. We also hiked Makapu'u, tooled around the island and spent lots of time just talking, laughing and watching the kids play. One of their favorite things to do is ride their scooters "in the front yard" : ).

The Patience of Job

I have a little brother Ivan (he's actually bigger than me though). The thing about Ivan is he's a celebrity at our house. He has the patience of Job and is funner than 6 Flags. He spent a couple of weeks visiting us and his stomping grounds at BYU-Hawaii. He spent patient hours watching, playing with, clowning around with, and teaching life lessons of everything from being kind to one another to being a good sport to James and Ashley.

He added the "stunners"/sunglasses for a crazy effect.

You wouldn't know if from this wild picture (he let his hair grow out from his last semester at BYU) but Ive's a returned missionary from the Germany Hamburg Mission, teaches Gosple Doctrine, and is one of the kindest, Christlike people I've ever known.

He's also pretty good at catching the "aloha spirit" from James and Ashley for family pictures.

Here's our only family picture with Ava from before Ivan was here (taken by the camera timer):



And here's our recent impromptu one taken by Ive. He even got Ava to look at the camera!



Like I said Ive's a celebrity at our house! He brings out the Aloha!

Our Birthday Boy!

James has turned 6!! Can you believe it?!!



He used to be such a tiny little guy.




Now, he's six years old!! Time has zoomed by and it seems like just yesterday he was a little newborn... then a crawling baby... a toddling toddler... a preschooler... now's he 6. : ) He's been so excited. Birthdays seem to be so magical and wonderous.... as are the little ones that have them!!

New Year's Appreciation 101

Ok. So, I don't know if it's the oriental cultural influence, or if fireworks are cheaper here, or if it's the great weather that makes it all possible, but New Year's Eve really rocks the Island out here! I've always loved a good fireworks show. Yet as I've gotten older and older I can't really make it to midnight to celebrate the first few moments. Sleep always weighs oh so heavily on my eyelids. That's Ok. However, this year the show came to us! And at midnight the bursts and pops fired off close enough to register in my sleepy dreams and I bounded out of bed to catch an amazing show in the comfort of my jammies and from the "box seats" of our bedroom.