skip to main |
skip to sidebar
I figured I should just try and recount our month with one post because although I always have great intentions of writing fantastic detailed accounts of each and every experience our little family has there just aren't enough hours in the day to make it happen. Bummer, I know, since I'm sure you'd love every juicy detail ;) Oh well ... something is better than nothing, right?!
Of course the month started out a bit rocky with Steve and Ashton recovering from their tonsillectomies. The first 5-6 days really were brutal. I was getting very little sleep during that time because I was tending to them, getting ice water, heating pads, pain meds, WHATEVER they felt like eating (if they ever did), making smoothies, drink runs to Sonic, and the list goes on. We made it through and they have a follow up appointment this week. All seems to be well with their throats (and my sanity ... for the most part) and you would never know that we experienced a few weeks of misery!
During that time Steve was called to be the new Young Men's President in our ward. He had been serving as a counselor so he was already well involved with the boys. I am humbled when I see and hear him talk to/about these young men, their potential, and what they can do as leaders to teach and prepare them for the future and to serve missions. I know that he will be a great influence on them as he has always been an amazing example to me and our family. He took the girls on the annual Daddy Daughter campout a few weeks back (2 weeks post-op) and they had a fantastic time ... as usual. I was worried they wouldn't make it this year because I didn't know if he would feel up to it but he certainly didn't disappoint! They went up Friday night the 12th and didn't come home until late afternoon on Saturday. They spent the entire day hiking and enjoying the cool weather in the mountains just a few hours away.
I've already given you an update on me ... creative team work has kept me busy as well as the tending to my flock and trying to keep up with the day to day. I have stayed completely on top of my laundry every day for almost 2 months now and it feels amazing - no more baskets of clean clothes laying around that take hours to fold!! I'm sure this is no big deal to most but it is a small feat for me :) It was always washed ... hated folding and putting away. Now it is a quick and easy task every morning and I can check it off the list! The school store (a monthly after school event) opened this month and I am chairing that responsibility for the PTA this year. I lost a dear friend to cancer this month and have been inspired to be a little better and try a little harder as I have heard more of the stories of her selfless life. I had the chance to have my sister come for her annual visit, too, to spend time with us - and get her eye exam, of course ;) We got to spend an afternoon catching up with long lost friends that we hadn't seen in well over 15 years. It was so fun to see them and hear about their lives and their families. They don't look a day older than the last time we saw them!! Little did we know we had been living so close for all these years! We plan to make it a yearly reunion when Kris comes to town! Oh, and I just got tickets to see Wicked again next summer ... thanks, Tori!!
Brinley is happy to be part of the school choir this year. She missed auditions last year because of the change in schools so was thrilled to have the chance to try out this year. Her biggest news this past month was her decision to run for Student Council Vice President. She had to turn in an application with 2 teacher recommendations, current grades and a citizenship report. We worked together to come up with a campaign slogan, fliers, stickers, posters, t-shirts, and a speech. I did the "digital" work but she was my sidekick telling me how she wanted things to look and approving the designs. She did a great job writing and delivering her speech in front of all the 3rd-5th graders at her school. There were 13 students running for VP so her odds of winning weren't great and she proved to be a very gracious loser. She has since been elected a student council representative for her classroom and is excited to be a part of making things happen at her school. I am so proud of her for wanting to make a difference.
Ashton had a rough start to the month with her recovery. It was heartbreaking to have her be completely "up" one minute and then "crashing" into tears the next. I slept downstairs with her for almost 2 weeks in case she needed anything during the night - which she almost always did. She was beyond excited when she FINALLY lost her first tooth! It had been a long time in coming :) Less than 2 weeks later she had lost 3!!!! I don't think I've ever seen her smile more! She loves her new "holey" grin and tells everyone about how she lost all of her teeth so quickly. She is in the 2nd-3rd grade choir at school and is loving that, too!
Kendyl probably had the biggest month. She started preschool (which I have already blogged) and, of course, celebrated her 5th birthday!! She started early with a Red Robin birthday celebration ... as we do every year for every member of our family :) Aunt Kris was in town for the party and Kendyl enjoyed a cheeseburger, ice cream sundae, and *LOVED* the Jonas Brothers CD that Kris gave her!!
The morning of her "real" birthday was started with her birthday phone call from Grandma & Papa, followed by opening gifts before the girls headed off to school. She got some cash (from Grammy & Paca and Great Grandma & Grandpa Taylor), a Camp Rock mp3 player from Grandma & Papa, some clothes, the Camp Rock DVD, the new Barbie DVD, a HSM Nintendo DS game, and a Webkinz. Can you say spoiled?! She knows it, too! What a little sassafrass :) 
She has waited years to have a birthday party and this was the year it would finally happen. She desperately wanted a swimming party, and since she IS spoiled that is exactly what she got!
She invited 10 of her girlfriends over so we had 13 little ones in the pool. As they started pulling out their floaties and life jackets we started to question what we had gotten ourselves into!! They did a fantastic job in the pool and everyone had a great time. They swam for about an hour, we had pizza, opened presents, had cake and ice cream, and called it a night! The weather was perfect that day so we got to do everything outside. The beauty of that was my house being in one piece after all of the kiddos went home!!!
Cougar is a mess. That boy is so adorable one minute that you could just squeeze him and so naughty the next that you don't know what to do with him! He empties everything (drawers, cupboard, purses, garbage cans, etc.), sucks on everything (toothbrushes, open bottles of lotion and hair gel, baby wipes, etc.), climbs on top of everything (countertops, all furniture, pianos, bunk bed ladders, etc.), writes on everything (paper, walls, couches, television screens, skin, etc.), and throws everything (balls, cars, cell phones, food, sippy cups ... dislodging the no-drip valves, etc.). He is finally beefing up his vocabulary with new words like puppy and apple in addition to hi-ya (the way he greets EVERYONE), ball, car, mama, baba (generic term for cup, bottle, paci, etc.), nigh night, and bye bye, thank you, and beep - while lifting shirt and pushing his belly button. He puckers up and gives kisses and has finally learned how to run up to someone, wrap his arms around them and give them a hug! He has also mastered putting things in the garbage (even if he ends up taking 5 things out 3 minutes later) and putting his clothes in the hamper. He is a terror and a delight packaged into one spunky "non-stop" little body!!
The weather is finally starting to cool just a bit (low 100's and some high 90's) so the kids are actually getting to play outside a bit more. We *LOVE* this time of year! Saturdays are filled with silence inside while they play with all the neighbor kids outside. The girls are dying to wear pants to school so I finally let them this past week ... even if they really won't "need" to wear pants for another 4-6 weeks :)
It's been a gloriously busy month with more of the same to look forward to in October. Hopefully I can find a bit more time to write about our journeys ... and squeeze in a bit more of Hawaii!! Thanks for sticking with me :) Why do I feel like I just wrote a Christmas letter?!?!
Welcome to stop #23 on the blog train!!
Don't know what I'm talking about?! Well, you've jumped into the middle of a GREAT time!! ScrapMatters is celebrating their 1st birthday this weekend an you're all invited :)
There is a fantastic sale in the shop and you will receive a BEYOND amazing collab kit for FREE with a $10 purchase ... just think about all of the goodies you can get for $10 when they're 30% off! There is also a chat on Saturday at 2:oo P.M. EST where prizes will be given away every 10 minutes and you get another freebie just for showing up! Add to that the start of a new daily download in the forum and this freebie blog train and you're in for a fabulous weekend - I know I am SO EXCITED about it :)
Now, back to the blog train ... you should have hopped over here from Alice's blog. If you forgot to stop there or are just joining us make sure to go back and grab her goodies ;) This is going to be a long train - almost 40 stops in all - and you don't want to miss ANY of it!!! By the end you'll have an amazing brag book of pages made using the "You Say It's Your Birthday" kit I was telling you about earlier and a few fun hybrid projects, too! I've created a 5x7 page for you along with a treat bag topper. My daughter's birthday was last week and we had a party for her yesterday. She was thrilled to hand out her "goodie bags" to all of her friends as they were headed home. Here's what you'll be getting from your stop here (click on the image to take you to the download page):
Here's a bigger picture of what the toppers look like once they're printed and assembled:
I have to admit that I'm not the best birthday mom ... really. I wish I was better and have even dreamed of being better but often fall FAR short of where those dreams take me ;) One tradition we do have in our family is a birthday dinner (and sundae) at Red Robin. We signed up for their e-mail list years ago and receive an e-mail coupon for a free burger a week before every birthday. The girls can't wait for the day that we go! They know there is singing, balloons, and a yummy ice cream sundae at the end and just love it!!! Sometimes we go as a family and sometimes Steve and I take just the "birthday girl" - until Cougar is old enough to dig his teeth into a burger - but it is never to be missed and is always a treat!
Well, I hope you've enjoyed your stay! Time to send you on to Jaime's blog where more goodies await you :) Trust me ... you don't wanna stop here!!!!
I've gotten a few pages done in the mix of hybrid projects, too! These are for the Tuesday Template Challenge this week over on the SM Team Blog. There is a new FREE template to download each Tuesday! Here are 2 that I did with this week's template: Click on images for credits ... figured out how to do that!!
I have also participated in a few speed scraps over at ScrapMatters, too! These are crazy fun and totally addicting :) A lot of times they happen when I'm putting kiddos to bed so I can't fit it into the schedule but Steve came home to take over tonight so I could play ... what a guy! The idea behind a speed scrap is that you receive 7 instructions for your layout - types and numbers of papers to use, number or pictures, elements to use, etc. You receive 1 new instruction every 10 minutes for the first hour. After you have all 7 instructions you have and hour and 15 minutes to complete and post your layout! Reminds me I need to have my digi stuff more organized than I have it so I can find what I want! Oh, and I decided to make a quick shopping trip to buy some new goodies to use right in the middle of the speed scrap. I bought, downloaded, and used my goodies within the time frame ... I could never have run to a scrapbook or craft store and accomplished the same thing!!
I got to do one tonight. This one was really challenging for me! The rules for this one were:
1. one solid, dark paper, used as the background. One patterned paper used in any way on the page (other than background). No more, no less.
2. 3 photos: 2 must be the same size. The other one must be smaller than the 2.
3. One frame only, but that frame needs to have a cluster on or behind it. (I want to encourage you to use drop shadows—especially with the clusters)
4. Use a hanger anywhere on the page.
5. Must use something shiny on the page: can be metal, glitter, bling. I don’t care; I just want some shine!
6. Title: Use 2 alphas please.
7. Date your page. And, you can journal…BUT, you cannot journal any more than 2 sentences. It will work if you have no journaling at all!And here is my layout for this one!
This was from the first speed scrap I did back on August 26th ... the directions were:
#1 - Pick one picture only and it has to take up at least 1/3 of your page
#2 - Use as many papers are you want - but the back ground paper needs to be solid
#3 - Now choose at least one frame - I want you to frame your picture, but (here's the catch) not the entire picture.
#4 - Attatch the frame to the picture of paper with two different methods - i.e. stitches, staples, buttons, hinges, etc
#5 - Now add flowers and something else found in nature
#6 - I am sure I will hear a lot of complaining about this one - but here we go anyway. Next find some word art for your title. It has to work alone to explain your picture because for this one I don't want to see any journaling. You can use premade word art or something you do by yourself.
#7 - Now date your LO and embellish to your hearts content.Here is the layout I came up with!
I've practically missed September!!! I knew with the double surgery that life would get hectic but had NO IDEA that recovery and the rest of my life would cause me to lose so much sleep and wake up in a different month ... almost :) I feel like I've aged 10 years in the last month (it isn't pretty, either)!! So much has happened, so much to write about, so many pictures to post, so many projects share, still have to finish Hawaii - yes, there are still several days to tell you about, and feeling the desperate need to "reconnect" to my blogging friends!! I think I could spend an entire week reading your blogs, soaking up what you are doing in your lives, and leaving comments and love for each of you ... I miss feeling like I know what you're up to!!I'm going to have to break things down into smaller posts so I don't overwhelm myself so I decided I needed to start with my big news since I haven't had a chance to share it since I found out 3 weeks ago. No, I'm not pregnant (shame on you for thinking that)!!! Back in August I got a little "nudge" from my friend Heather to apply to be on a creative team for a digiscrapping site called ScrapMatters. They were looking for a group of digital designers as well as hybrid designers to create layouts and projects using the designs sold in their shop. It was something I had considered and wanted to do for about 6 months but never wanted to put myself "out there" for fear of rejection.
Sidenote: Creative teams usually work with the designs for either a particular designer or for an entire shop - showcasing their products by posting them to online galleries and letting people know what they are using, who created it, and where they can get it (like when I post the credits under the projects I post here)! CT members are responsible for creating a certain number of layouts or projects each month for their designer or site. It also involves being active on message boards, promoting challenges, sales, etc. They often have a team blog that will highlight products, designers, projects, and challenges as well. Creating hybrid projects combines the use of digital and "traditional" scrapbooking and papercrafting (similar to several of the projects you have seen me post previously).
At the same time I decided to apply for the ScrapMatters team I also saw a CT call for another designer that I love, Bren Boone, who was looking to add a hybrid member to her team. Since I had just gotten up the courage to apply for the one I decided to throw caution to the wind and apply for both. On surgery day I came home to an e-mail letting me know that I had been chosen to be on Bren Boone's team!!! I was thrilled and shocked - such great news on a less than perfect morning ;) I was still anxious to hear from ScrapMatters but was obviously pretty preoccupied with the recovery of my 2 darlings to be too worried about it ... although I checked my e-mail every chance I could to see if I'd heard anything! A few days later I got the e-mail inviting me to be a part of the SM hybrid team! Over 60 people applied for their teas and from that about 20 digital designers and 5 hybrid designers were selected. Hybrid is a new aspect of their CT so it is exciting to be a part of something new!
So now that I've gushed about myself .... If you look in my sidebar I've added blinkies to both shops (Bren sells at a few shops right now). The blinkies will take you right to the shops so you can see the goodies I get to play with - for free (one of the BIGGEST perks of being on a CT)! I've also put links to the team blogs. I will be posting and hosting challenges on both and will let you know when :)
What does all of this mean for me? MAKING time to do what I love (even more than I tried to schedule before ... now I have "deadlines"). Trying to keep my creative juices flowing. Doing my best to find the right "balance" between life, church, and CT work. Oh, and I'm back in training for another triathlon so I'll add that into the mix!
What does this mean for you? Getting to see lots more projects and pages :) I hope you will enjoy that! I won't include all of the credits here but if you click on the images it will take you to one of the galleries where they are posted in case you want to go shopping ;)
Thanks for letting me share my excitement. Now a peek at some of the the things I've been up to for my teams ... will have more over the next few days as I finish things up for the month:
A miracle occurred in our house today that we thought would never happen ... Ashton lost her first tooth!!! She is without question the last one of her friends to lose one - in fact I believe she was the only first grader last year who "graduated" without a gap in her smile. I talked to the dentist about it when we were there last month because I was concerned. I only lost a handful of my teeth on my own and had 22 of them pulled because they were stubborn (and I needed more room in my mouth). I wanted to make sure if that is what needed to happen that we could start thinking about it. She said not to worry for at least another year and that she actually had 4 that were loose (which Ashton had been showing us for weeks). Today she came upstairs to wiggle her tooth for us ... anything to distract from the fact she is still recovering from surgery ... and it started to bleed after Steve got his hands on it. We figured it would only be a matter of time because she wouldn't stop wiggling after that. About 10 minutes later she came racing to tell us her tooth had fallen out! I don't know that I've ever seen a child more excited about anything!!! Of course it happened as I was headed out the door to get Brinley from school but we stopped to celebrate, take pictures, and tell her how happy we were for her :) Kendyl even did a good job of keeping it a secret so Ashton could share her big news with Brinley when she got home.
Yesterday was the big day - a double tonsillectomy for our family! Steve and Ashton both went in for surgery and as of today they are surviving. I am getting to be the ultimate nursemaid to both while also attending to the "healthy" ones in the house. This new job of mine has literally kept me running most of the day. Steve is upstairs and Ashton is downstairs in the guest room (it has a TV and DVD player ... and she doesn't have to get on and off of the top bunk) so I am making trips up and down the stairs constantly. They are living on a diet of popsicles, sherbet, smoothies, soup, mashed potatoes, jello, etc. right now. The doctor said they could easily lose 10 pounds during recovery which neither of them can really afford :) They are both doing a bit better than I expected - guess I set myself up for the "worst case scenario" so I wouldn't be totally stunned. They are only taking pain meds occasionally and are both eating (if you can call it that) and drinking well. Both are pretty low maintenance people in general and are proving to be just as easy as patients. I'm having to remind Ashton to eat and drink so she stays hydrated but she isn't fighting me on it which is nice. Steve is taking care of himself more than I feel he should but that is his stubborn "I don't need anything" kind of way. I feel really lucky. Ashton keeps coming upstairs to ask Steve how he is feeling which I think is so cute and sweet! Steve does the same when he comes downstairs for more ice water. They are really keeping tabs on each other. I did manage to sneak in some "me time" today with a 4 mile run and took the non-recovering girls swimming while Cougar napped this afternoon - other than that it was up and down the stairs, making smoothies, filling water bottles, heating up soup, running to Sonic for slushes, KFC for mashed potatoes, warming the heating pad, dispensing medication, etc. If today is the worst it gets then I think we're in good shape!!
As for yesterday, we had to be at the surgery center at 6:30 A.M. My friend Beth (I would link you to her blog but she doesn't have one yet ... hint, hint, Beth) came over at 6 to stay with the sleeping kiddos until they woke up so she could take them to her house for the day. That was such a big help!! As we drove there we saw all of the damage from the storm the night before - more on that later. I was actually worried that there wouldn't be power at the surgery center because all of the street lights were out when we got off the freeway! Lucky for us they were open for business when we arrived :) Ashton was scheduled to go first so they took us all back, got all of the vitals, etc, got them into gowns, we met with the anesthesiologist and doctor, and she was off! While she was in surgery I got to sit with Steve while he waited. The doctor came in and said he was done with Ashton and she has been an A+ patient. Everything went perfectly and he said that her tonsils were so huge and disgusting that they should have come out long ago. At least they're out now ;) I headed into recovery with her and they wheeled Steve off to surgery. Ashton had a very difficult time waking up ... it was the hardest part of the entire day watching her and listening to her cry. You could see in her eyes that she didn't know what was going on - she looked panicked. She kept trying to get off of the bed and kept grabbing her throat saying how much it hurt. It was heartbreaking for me to watch!!! I kept putting my arm around her, rubbing her arms and legs so she would know I was there, telling her everything was going to be okay. She came around much better after about 10-15 minutes and could then talk to me, eat ice chips, and drink water. Shortly after they brought Steve out to recover. They moved Ashton's bed right next to his which was great. It was also by a window so I actually had cell phone service and could text message ... a lifesaver! Steve was out of it much longer than Ashton was - stronger more long lasting drugs, I'm sure. In fact, he was telling me the first thing he remembered after the procedure yesterday and I told him he had actually been awake for an HOUR before that!!! Glad he knew I was there ;) I went back and forth between them giving them water, ice, and popsicles. The hardest part was feeling like I was neglecting one at all times. It was easier knowing that Steve was pretty far gone and didn't want much. It allowed me to focus more on Ashton. She got up to go to the bathroom and walked over to give him 5 ... so cute! She kept looking over and saying "hi" to him and he would wave. I'm actually glad they got to share the experience together - I think it made it easier for her and gives her something "special" to remember. They had to stay in recovery for 2 hours so we got to go home around 11:00. I must add that the entire nursing staff was amazing ... we were so lucky to have them looking after us! We hit Jamba Juice on the way home for smoothies, stopped at Walgreen's to drop off prescriptions, and made it home around noon. Beth willingly kept the kiddos (minus Cougar who came home for a 4 hour nap) for several more hours so we could get them settled and give them some quiet time to rest. I was glad it was over and now just hope the recovery continues to go smoothly. Ashton will be out of school for a week, no PE for 2 weeks. Steve was told 2 weeks off work minimum, but in true Steve fashion he is taking a full week off and then has scheduled patients half-days the next week. If he isn't feeling up to going back it will be easier to reschedule half a day worth of patients than a full day ;) No basketball or running for 3 weeks for him which will be hard but I will make sure it is enforced! We are just hoping everyone is feeling well enough to go on the Daddy Daughter Campout on September 12th!! Here are just a few pics of the fun time yesterday ....
I put all of the names of those who commented on my blog facelift into random.org where it randomized the names into this list (please note there were a few that commented on the daddy daughter post after the "giveaway" post that I added to the list because they commented on the facelift):
- andreamatrix
- john knotwell
- laurie
- carol
- the ridings
- anna marie
- jill knotwell
- cameron family
- latz
- tezra williams
- rosander
- jeanne
- carolyn hansen
- jana
- kimberly
- tori
- sarah
- beckaroo
- angie4th
- natalie
- suzy hicks
- simple thingz
- veevs
- anne
- jena
- tiffany
- amy
- camille
- heather
- lois michael
- triny
- donna
- katie
- gina_farley
- kasey
- tammie
- chrystal
- rachele funk
- julie l.
- cherri
I then asked each of my daughters to pick a number between 1 and 40. Brinley chose 30, Ashton chose 20, and Kendyl chose 4. I added them together to get 54, divided that by 3 (since there were 3 numbers) to get to the magic number for the winner ... 18. BECKAROO!!!!! That's right, Beckie, you won! Thank you all so much for playing along with me and for complementing the new look and photo - it still makes me smile every time I open my page!! I will definitely be having more giveaways in the future because they are so much fun!
Today started bright and early. Well, I guess it wasn't really bright since it was 2 A.M. when we got started. Who does this on vacation?!?! A lot of people do, we came to find out! We were picked up in front of our place by a very large, very long haired, very friendly local named Jengas. We decided we wanted to experience the sunrise and bike ride down Haleakala so we booked the "Summit to the Sea" sunrise package with Mountain Riders. We went to their office to pick up our gear, our guide, and watch a short informational video about the ride down the volcano in which they scare you to death with stories of accidents and deaths that have occurred on the mountain. Then we loaded up in a van and drove a few hours to the summit of Haleakala - "House of the Sun."
We reached the summit somewhere around 5 A.M. ... I don't really remember due to sheer exhaustion. The summit is just over 10,000 feet (aka COLD). We stood along the railings that keep you from falling in the massive crater with tons of other people - remember I said that obviously a lot of people do this on their vacation? Oh, it was cold! The winds howl up there and it was probably in the 40's that morning. When you're not used to that kind of cold it is near shocking to the body! The view from the summit is gorgeous. You can see clear out to the ocean on a clear day. You can also see down into the crater a bit which looks like what I imagine the surface of the moon looks like. The amazing part was having the cloud line below us. Completely majestic. We stood in the cold, huddled together, waiting for the sun to peek out from the clouds. Just as it begins to break through you see a bright neon line along the top of the cloud. I wish I could have captured in picture just how spectacular it was. The sunrise was at 5:47 A.M. We watched as it rose a little higher and then headed back to the van before we froze to death!!
After watching the sunrise we loaded back in the van and drove down just outside of the state park (about 6,500 feet) to begin our 28 mile bike ride. You used to be able to ride from the summit but after another person was killed back in October they made it so you can't ride within the state park area. I honestly can't for the life of me remember our guide's name now but he gave us all of the scary stories of death and carnage that had taken place over the years, basics on how to peddle, steer, and what to expect from the bikes. We got dressed in our windbreaker outfits and got ready to go.
We started the ride with a bit of anxiety, of course, with all of the stories we had heard. Once we got the feel of the bikes it wasn't as intimidating as we thought. Except for "Grandma." We went just a little way before stopping to make sure everyone was comfortable and doing well. Our guide said he thought Teisha had been braking - which she wasn't - and he wanted to make sure she was okay. He talked about how we needed to keep our spacing just right so we would be more safe, etc. Teisha asked "Grandma" if she was slowing her down (G was behind T in line) to which she answered "YES!" Can you believe the nerve?! Not wanting to hold anyone back, Teisha decided she was better off riding down in the van. Such a bummer!! Just goes to show that the group you are put with can make or break your experience. The worst part was that "Grandma" kept the rest of our group back the entire ride - except for me because I was in front of her!!! We were all beyond annoyed with her and the others in her party. Moving on .... It really was a beautiful ride ... amazing to watch the scenery as we got closer to our beach destination. It was impossible to take pictures of the actual journey, obviously, but we did stop to take a few. We traversed the massive switchbacks all the way down the mountain, peddled (a few times) through Haleakala Ranch and Kula before ending up at Baldwin Beach in Paia. What a beautiful way to start our time in Maui (except for "Grandma," of course). After loading our bikes and gear back into the trailer it was time to head back to our place to enjoy our first "real" afternoon in Maui :)
After we got back to our place we ate some leftover pizza from the night before and changed into our suits so we could head to the beach - YEAH!! With so many amazing beaches surrounding us we had to decide where to start our Maui beach journey. We decided to head to Ka'anapali Beach - one of the largest and most beautiful beaches on the island. It is lined by many fabulous resorts and is a popular place to be. It is on the west end of Maui fairly close to where we were staying in Kahana.
I don't know that ANY beach could disappoint when you are in a place like Maui. The entire surrounding and scenery is exactly what I picture when I think of a tropical vacation in Paradise. We set up our spot with towels, bags, and umbrella - perfect for an afternoon of sunning, playing in the ocean, and people watching! I find very few things as relaxing as laying on the beach listening to the sound of the ocean without a care for what the kids are going to eat for lunch, when the last time the toilet was scrubbed, how much laundry needs to be folded, or having to get anyone to an activity!! I believe if I could have a day at the beach once a week I would be a better person for it :) We spent a few hours watching our husbands act like boys in the ocean, running their best "Baywatch" run, writing in the sand, keeping an eye out for sand crabs, and laughing at "Teisha's boyfriends" who were just a short distance from our spot - no place like the beach to find some great people to watch!!!
We packed up our stuff and headed back to the resort so we could shower and get cleaned up for dinner. We decided on a place called Kimo's in Lahaina based on a recommendation from a local. It was right on the ocean and the view from our table was gorgeous - the perfect spot to end our day. To say the food was fabulous would be an understatement!!! First you must understand that this is primarily a seafood restaurant and I am not a huge lover of seafood ... don't hate it, but don't love it. I decided on the Opah (Hawaiian Moon Fish) served "Kimo's Style" (garlic, lemon, and sweet basil glaze). Our server told me it was a very mild fish and that if I didn't like it she would bring me something different. Made it sound safe so I gave it a go. I ate every single bite and probably would have eaten more if it had been available to me (we'd had a long and action packed day and it was fish, right?). I've never had anything like it before and only hope to have something so good again. All of us enjoyed every last bit of our dinners. We even "had" to try their famous Hula Pie - Macadamia Nut Ice Cream on top of a chocolate cookie crust, topped with chocolate fudge, whipped cream, and macadamia nuts ... can you taste it?!?! Sadly, this is one of the few meals that I didn't photograph!! I did find a great picture of the pie, though :) Mike would not stop giving "props" to Kimo's the rest of our trip! It really was fantastic and I would recommend you go the next time you are in Maui :)
After dinner we walked up and down Main Street in Lahaina looking at all of the fun shops (and spending a little $). Then it was off to bed after a long day ... knowing we had another early morning tomorrow :)
I've already given you an update on me ... creative team work has kept me busy as well as the tending to my flock and trying to keep up with the day to day. I have stayed completely on top of my laundry every day for almost 2 months now and it feels amazing - no more baskets of clean clothes laying around that take hours to fold!! I'm sure this is no big deal to most but it is a small feat for me :) It was always washed ... hated folding and putting away. Now it is a quick and easy task every morning and I can check it off the list! The school store (a monthly after school event) opened this month and I am chairing that responsibility for the PTA this year. I lost a dear friend to cancer this month and have been inspired to be a little better and try a little harder as I have heard more of the stories of her selfless life. I had the chance to have my sister come for her annual visit, too, to spend time with us - and get her eye exam, of course ;) We got to spend an afternoon catching up with long lost friends that we hadn't seen in well over 15 years. It was so fun to see them and hear about their lives and their families. They don't look a day older than the last time we saw them!! Little did we know we had been living so close for all these years! We plan to make it a yearly reunion when Kris comes to town! Oh, and I just got tickets to see Wicked again next summer ... thanks, Tori!!
Brinley is happy to be part of the school choir this year. She missed auditions last year because of the change in schools so was thrilled to have the chance to try out this year. Her biggest news this past month was her decision to run for Student Council Vice President. She had to turn in an application with 2 teacher recommendations, current grades and a citizenship report. We worked together to come up with a campaign slogan, fliers, stickers, posters, t-shirts, and a speech. I did the "digital" work but she was my sidekick telling me how she wanted things to look and approving the designs. She did a great job writing and delivering her speech in front of all the 3rd-5th graders at her school. There were 13 students running for VP so her odds of winning weren't great and she proved to be a very gracious loser. She has since been elected a student council representative for her classroom and is excited to be a part of making things happen at her school. I am so proud of her for wanting to make a difference.
Ashton had a rough start to the month with her recovery. It was heartbreaking to have her be completely "up" one minute and then "crashing" into tears the next. I slept downstairs with her for almost 2 weeks in case she needed anything during the night - which she almost always did. She was beyond excited when she FINALLY lost her first tooth! It had been a long time in coming :) Less than 2 weeks later she had lost 3!!!! I don't think I've ever seen her smile more! She loves her new "holey" grin and tells everyone about how she lost all of her teeth so quickly. She is in the 2nd-3rd grade choir at school and is loving that, too!
Kendyl probably had the biggest month. She started preschool (which I have already blogged) and, of course, celebrated her 5th birthday!! She started early with a Red Robin birthday celebration ... as we do every year for every member of our family :) Aunt Kris was in town for the party and Kendyl enjoyed a cheeseburger, ice cream sundae, and *LOVED* the Jonas Brothers CD that Kris gave her!!
The morning of her "real" birthday was started with her birthday phone call from Grandma & Papa, followed by opening gifts before the girls headed off to school. She got some cash (from Grammy & Paca and Great Grandma & Grandpa Taylor), a Camp Rock mp3 player from Grandma & Papa, some clothes, the Camp Rock DVD, the new Barbie DVD, a HSM Nintendo DS game, and a Webkinz. Can you say spoiled?! She knows it, too! What a little sassafrass :) 
She has waited years to have a birthday party and this was the year it would finally happen. She desperately wanted a swimming party, and since she IS spoiled that is exactly what she got!
She invited 10 of her girlfriends over so we had 13 little ones in the pool. As they started pulling out their floaties and life jackets we started to question what we had gotten ourselves into!! They did a fantastic job in the pool and everyone had a great time. They swam for about an hour, we had pizza, opened presents, had cake and ice cream, and called it a night! The weather was perfect that day so we got to do everything outside. The beauty of that was my house being in one piece after all of the kiddos went home!!!
Cougar is a mess. That boy is so adorable one minute that you could just squeeze him and so naughty the next that you don't know what to do with him! He empties everything (drawers, cupboard, purses, garbage cans, etc.), sucks on everything (toothbrushes, open bottles of lotion and hair gel, baby wipes, etc.), climbs on top of everything (countertops, all furniture, pianos, bunk bed ladders, etc.), writes on everything (paper, walls, couches, television screens, skin, etc.), and throws everything (balls, cars, cell phones, food, sippy cups ... dislodging the no-drip valves, etc.). He is finally beefing up his vocabulary with new words like puppy and apple in addition to hi-ya (the way he greets EVERYONE), ball, car, mama, baba (generic term for cup, bottle, paci, etc.), nigh night, and bye bye, thank you, and beep - while lifting shirt and pushing his belly button. He puckers up and gives kisses and has finally learned how to run up to someone, wrap his arms around them and give them a hug! He has also mastered putting things in the garbage (even if he ends up taking 5 things out 3 minutes later) and putting his clothes in the hamper. He is a terror and a delight packaged into one spunky "non-stop" little body!!
The weather is finally starting to cool just a bit (low 100's and some high 90's) so the kids are actually getting to play outside a bit more. We *LOVE* this time of year! Saturdays are filled with silence inside while they play with all the neighbor kids outside. The girls are dying to wear pants to school so I finally let them this past week ... even if they really won't "need" to wear pants for another 4-6 weeks :)
It's been a gloriously busy month with more of the same to look forward to in October. Hopefully I can find a bit more time to write about our journeys ... and squeeze in a bit more of Hawaii!! Thanks for sticking with me :) Why do I feel like I just wrote a Christmas letter?!?!
