Aloha

Our week here in Maui is ending and I swear it just began--how did that happen?! Luckily, we are heading to Oahu for a few more days to keep our spirits (and tanlines) bright and shining :) Aloha from Hawaii!!

Here are some pics from the first 2 days of our trip:

Bentley patiently waiting at the airport for our long anticipated flight

Outside our condo after church on Sunday in Lahaina

Roaming the boardwalk with adventurous kids

Sherm and Bobbi and all their kids

Grandkids with Grandma and Grandpa (minus a sleeping Caroline)Testing the ocean water...

Jr. Firefighters

Today we met at the Fire Station for a preschool field trip. We originally showed up at the Herriman Station but the firemen were unexpectedly out on a call. So, we headed over to Bluffdale (where one of the moms has a family connection) and they took great care of us. The kids were all mesmerized and very well-behaved :)

Some highlights of our adventure:

Ummmm...

10 days

10 days AGO we spent the morning sledding:













IN 10 days we will be wearing swimsuits, playing in the water, gathering shells on the beach, basking in the sun, exploring the islands, and celebrating our fabulous Sherm and all of his 60 years of life. Can you tell that we are just a little bit excited for our Hawaiian vacation?!

True Colors

I'm thinking of Cindy Lauper's classic 80's version of the song True Colors. My dear friend Katherine put it on mix tape for me back in high school and I have loved it ever since. This will sound cheesy but it kind of describes my attachment to old, real, solid friends. The kind who love you when you are awkward and going through puberty. The kind who are there through very powerful, life-changing events. The kind who love you at 7:00 am, fresh out of bed, and at 1:00 am when you get all loopy and silly. The kind you can not see for years at a time but feel totally at ease with as soon as you do reconnect. The kind you share good news and bad news with because you know they'll be there for you when you need them. I have these kind of friends, some from high school, some from college and some from grad school. And I love them like crazy.

I've known these 4 ladies for about 16 years now--man have they seen it all with me!!With Erin and Paul Nielson--BYU friends extraordinaire. I knew Erin and I were kindred spirits while dancing together during college and seeing her again after almost 5 years sealed the deal--I love this girl and her adorable family.

Lovin' It

My sweet Bentley sure knows how to make the most of his Christmas gifts. He has been playing like crazy now that we are spending more time at home instead of rushing off to holiday parties. He has been so anxious to use his new apron from Nanny to help make cookies or wash bottles, his kid-size snow shovel from Santa, his Rescue Heroes vest and utility belt (sometimes worn in league with the snow shovel or apron), his Shake and Crash racers from Grandma Bobbi, and his Bob the Builder Tool table. I might add that he is loving any and all Hot Wheels/cars/trucks, his Cars tub-time soaps, his new Color Wonders pad and Caroline's new movie Barbie in The 12 Dancing Princesses. Yes, he is even starting to memorize lines and quote them back to us such as "Derek is sooo cute." As a result of this development, Joseph rented Transformers a few days ago and has been watching various fight and car racing scenes with him--a more manly option by far. Now Bentley loves to say "Optimus Prime is the bestest guy!" (a more suitable alternative :)

















Thank you to all who made my little boy's Christmas so delightful! He is such a lucky child to have so many loving people in his life. And I love you all too :)

Rockin in the New Year

Last night we spent the evening hanging out at Cec and Chad's. After some Chinese dinner and putting the baby girls to bed, we headed downstairs to play Rock Band on the XBox 360. Eth and Will really showed us the ropes--especially when it came to the singing and drum playing. 4 hours later we finally quit for the night--can anyone say addicted?! We took a short pause at around 9:15 to ring in the New Year with the boys before they headed to bed.

Happy 2008!!