Rifling

Ava's to that stage where she likes to pull out stuff. She makes the rounds from the bookcases, toy baskets, cupboards and will go for left-unattended-low-altitude drawers. She likes to pull out contents just for the joy of pulling stuff out and tossing it out on the floor. We were getting ready for church and while James was causing slight "confusion and delay" with getting into his Sunday clothes, Ava took the opportunity to rifle through his underwear and jammie drawer. : )

And we CAUGHT her!! - and all had a pretty good laugh. : )

Breezin' Through

There are two parts to our Island. The jungly part and the deserty part. We live on the deserty part and our house is a SAUNA! I wake up, take a shower and it takes me hours to dry off. It's muggy and rainy and there's been tons of VOG! (If you have no idea what vog is that's OK. I didn't either. It's like smog but instead of exhaust from cars it's exhaust from the volcano vents. It likes to drift over here and stifel us!) So, back to the sauna. Since our air conditioners are leaning towards going on strike, I'm about ready to go nutty nuts! But one thing that's been a relief is to just go outside and sit in the breeze. (It's kind of a no brainer, but when you're in the middle of trying to dry off you don't think of these things.) : )

Here are a few pictures of us one day chilling outside and I guess kind of inside, too.

This day happened to be another holiday here. It was Boys Day. I guess it's a big day in the Orient and James had been looking forward to it for a long time. He and his classmates made these beautiful fish kites.

P.S. At our school the mandatory uniform is custom print board shorts and silk screened T-shirts. Crazy, huh! I officially love uniforms!

Our Gracie Grace.



One crazy talent Ashley has is she can climb street and stop signs!!

Another talent of hers is her good big sister-ness. She and Ava get along famously... most of the time. : ) One of my favorite things to watch in the whole world is my kids playing and having a blast together. : )




Ava loves to be outside. She used to not venture off into the prickly grass or concrete and would stay on the beach towel or your lap, but now it's a free for all. --But she doesn't like to scrub up her knees.







Ava and Popper.

Sometimes, the vog gets to you and you start pulling goofy faces : ).

Anyway, note to self WHEN you come to visit or you're already here, and you're all super hot just go plop down outside and dry off in the breeze. : )

Tagged

K. So I've been tagged. I went to my 6th folder and tried to open my 6th picture... but it was a movie. (So, my movie and picture organizing skills could use some tuning up.) Anyway, here's a still shot.



This is like one of the only times that the kids have wanted to, and insisted on doing the dishes!!! I was so surprised!! (Thus the movie. --I tried to download it just now but I guess it's too big.) It still boggles me to see how much they've grown!! Am I like the only person who is floored by ... the miracle of tiny kids growing?

Sunday Gecko

As you may have guessed by now, my affinity for geckos is pretty much nonexistant. So, when Brad and I were loading some outdoor stuff into our car's trunk the other evening and I spied a gecko cheerfully bounce off into the confines of the trunk I did a horrified double "Eww!". Brad, being the knight in shining armor, quickly tried to nab the stowaway, but the thing ran into a crack in the back of the trunk!!

Brad's been serving as a Stake High Councilor for about a year and a half and has now been called to serve on our new ward's Bishopric. I wasn't sure what would happen but he was asked to go up and sit on the stand today. Which left me ... by myself on the pew with our three monkeys. LUCKILY our tiniest monkey had fallen asleep on the way to church and we hauled her in her carseat into the chapel. Now, seeing as how the spotlight was a little bit on Brad and our family for like 5 seconds, I desperately hoped that my kids would be reverent and Ava would continue her slumber in her carseat. But when Brad went to go sit on the stand a flood of wiggles, scuffles, loud whispers of "Hi Daddy!"s and WAVES to Daddy, along with fusses from a WAKEFUL baby let loose. I felt somewhat very embarressed trying to get everything under quiet control. I didn't want to draw ANY attention to us at all. Apparently, perhaps during one of our trips to the foyer, the ICKY GECKO surfaced ON MY BABY'S CARSEAT!!! And FELL or JUMPED into the isle in the CHAPEL while we were away. A sweet (and I'm assuming reverent) child thought the gecko was a toy of James' and went to get it to give it back. But when he bent down to pick it up IT RAN AWAY!!!!

So, not only am I MORTIFIED that my kids were less than reverent, I'm DOUBLE MORIFIED that one of my number one "eww!" invokers escaped in our new building under the watchful eyes of those sitting close enough to the isle to notice. (That's how I even know about the gecko - another mom relayed the story!!!)

Other than all our "critters" getting loose today we had a wonderful meeting (Ok, so our kids aren't "critters" or "monkeys", it just seems like it sometimes!!) ---I really love the uplifting spirit that my heart feels from the talks and lessons from church!! And I really love our ward memebers!! --And I hope Brad enjoys his new calling!! -As long as he doesn't call me to speak, and no other geckos hitch rides with us, I'm a happy camper!! : ) --Oh, yeah, and our kids become the model reverent children of my dreams!! : )

5!!

Ashley's 5!!!!!!!!!! Can you believe it?? The time has ZOOMED by!!!!! That said, she's been waiting a long time to be five. : )

We celebrated her birthday on her birthdate and also had a birthday party on another day! It felt like Christmas!! We were blessed with so many thoughtful and generous gifts from grandmas, great friends, and family!!















On her birthday party day we were pretty much all ready except for blowing up a few balloons. : )





We had over some of our very favorite people. : )



We decorated goodie bags and got all ready to bust open an unsuspecting pinata.





After everyone took a good swing, I was clued in about our pinata being a ribbon one where all the kids grab a string and pull; one ribbon opens the bottom hatch. (Thank goodness for my awesome friends and husband!! I think I would've gone mental if they weren't there for crowd control, behind the scenes preparation, and just being there!! : ) )



She had such a wonderful couple of days!! : )






Our tiny girl is 5!!!! She's grown up so much!! ...I love my Ashley!!!!

The Gagoons

We live by this resort with several incredible lagoons. The kids couldn't remember exactly what they were called and referred to them as "gagoons". It was and still is fun teasing them about not knowing "what they're talking about"!! The gagoons are gorgeous, super kid friendly, and so fun!!


(Yes, if you're wondering we do feed our boy!!)

Ashley and James were so excited to come!

Over at the gagoons there's awesome snorkeling!! And super rockin' snorkelers!!




Plus free trips out to sea for those non snorkelers.



And free trips back. : )

And of course, there's sand time to get in.





And Baby Boats to kife.




We have an awesome brother in law, Justin, who is a hunter and one of the things that we love about him is his enthusiasm and how he digs shows like "On The Trail of Trophy Mule Deer"!! These are the kids, nurturing their hunting skills, and "on the trail of trophy" ...fish!!



Ava spent the first while on the sand. ---Continually taking off her hat.






And checking out the snorkel gear.



After a bit Brad took her in the water! It was her first time in the ocean!!









She had such a ball!! After ward she sucked all the water drops she could find on her arms and hands. --I guess after bland baby food, the ocean tastes good!!

Yeah, the gagoons are awesome. : )