Aloha!

We recently returned from a heavenly week in Maui, Hawaii. We were privileged to be able to take the boys with us and to spend some quality time with Scott's parents, who have a timeshare. It was incredibly generous of them to invite us and the boys soaked up every possible minute of Grandma and Grandpa time. Scott told me I took enough pictures to put together a doctoral dissertation, and I am afraid he is right. But shamelessly, I will post a ton of pictures anyway, because it's my blog, and I will post if I want to.:)

Feel free to skim if it all seems like too much, but everything was so beautiful and we did so many fun things that I just had to put it all out there.

The View from our Lanai

We ate breakfast out here every morning and who could blame us? What a view!

Sunday Services
We took a little time Sunday morning to attend church, wanting to enjoy the Hawaiian spin on it. Miles loved how everyone always said "aloha" and really got into it throughout the trip.

Beach Bums and Babes
Our very first morning in Maui we went for a walk along the ocean, where Miles and Tate chased birds and spotted geckos. It didn't take the boys long to get wet and sandy. Fortunately, the rest of the times we hit the beach, we came prepared with swimsuits.

Scott let Miles try a small part of snorkeling and then later took me out for my very first experience. It was really peaceful and beautiful. Always fun to learn new things. I loved snorkeling!

Family Bonding Time
During any down time the boys watched DVD's and played games on Scott's iphone. Scott and I got to sneak out for date night one evening and we all caught the tail end of the outdoor movie after a fun night out.

Pool Parties

Whaler's Village

Lahaina

We headed into the cute touristy town a couple of times, mainly to eat at Miles' favorite restaurant, "Cheeseburger in Paradise." Scott even downloaded the song for him and Miles has been learning all of the words. Lucky us!

Koi Fish and Friends
This may have been Miles and Tate's favorite thing of all. Everytime we left the resort and everytime we returned, we had to stop and talk to all of the koi fish. The boys even got to help feed them one morning, which was a real highlight for them. By the end of the trip, they all had been assigned names and designated housing. The boys especially loved the bright yellow one named "Sunny." At night, we would look for toads.

Sugar Cane Train
Tate was expecially excited to ride the "choo choo train," and it did not disappoint. It was a really beautiful ride, and as you can see from the pictures, it successfully managed to take Tate from elated to exhausted.
P.S. I couldn't resist taking a picture of the giant Buddha for sale. For the record, the item nestled in his arms is a football.:)

Maui Ocean Center
This was our activity on our very last day. The boys especially enjoyed seeing all of the sharks. A few of the employees asked Miles what his favorite shark was, to which he replied "Megalodon." The shark expert there loved that Miles was a fan of an extinct species, and so he pulled out a Megalodon tooth from his pocket and let Miles touch it.

Thanks Jon and Kaye for a fabulous trip with so many incredible memories!

What Happens In Vegas . . .

Just got back from our wonderful annual girl's trip to Las Vegas. This time my sister-in-law Dawnelle got to join me, my sis and my Mom for all of the festivities. What can I say? We did all of the things that a group of ladies would do - movies, sightseeing, lounging by the pool, eating fabulous food and endless amounts of shopping. I missed out on a few things due to some pregnancy nausea, but overall, I had an incredible time. Please enjoy our goofy photos.






Barney's department store had these crazy window displays featuring some of the things that you could do with nylons, aside from wearing them on your legs like normal people.










Met Whoopi Goldberg and some other famous faces. Whoopi didn't have too much to say.:)






Spent far too long and far too much in Sephora. Love, love, love that store! I must be converting others, as everyone else spent more time than I did. Don't even get me started on the fabulous shoes in Vegas - just don't mention to Scott how many pairs found their way home.





The M&M store is always a lot of fun. The boys loved the little gifts I brought home.





We had a particularly fun time at the Cheesecake Factory. One of the managers (the man smiling in the picture) had a bit of a crush on my sister. After she told him that he had to impress my mother, he set out to do just that. The manager and our server both told my mom she was a VIP, and then they literally treated her like royalty. Dawnelle and I just enjoyed watching it all - very funny and very entertaining. Plus, the free cheesecake didn't hurt.:)






Miss the girls already!

Risky Business

The other day after church, Tate did his best Tom Cruise impression from the movie "Risky Business." Couldn't resist taking a picture. . .

Dreaming of a White Easter?

With all of the lovely snow we have had this "spring," Easter felt more like Christmas. Luckily, the boys were in great moods and did not let the weather dampen their spirits. We had Grandma Lana and Grandpa Ray in town for the holiday and the boys were nothing short of spoiled, and they loved every minute. The night before Easter, my Mom and I helped Miles and Tate dye the Easter eggs. They loved creating all sorts of new colors and putting stickers on everything in sight. My mom and I were able to keep the mess somewhat contained.





Who knew waxed paper could be so much fun?





The finished products . . .

Easter morning the boys were up and ready to go at an hour when most civilized people were still soundly sleeping. We awoke my sister from her deep slumber so that she could join us for the Easter morning festivities. The Easter Bunny had been by during the night and Miles and Tate had a blast searching high and low for all of the hidden eggs. Oddly enough, they did not glance twice at the handsome outfits the Easter Bunny left for them. Hmmm, boys!:)

Following the egg hunt, Scott surprised us all by whipping up a yummy pancake breakfast. It was a relaxing day and I got to take a much needed nap. Grandma Kaye and Grandpa Jon joined us for a really lovely Easter dinner. We all had a nice time visiting and playing with the kids.

The following Sunday, Miles and Tate got to wear their new Easter outfits. Neither one of them really cared, but I loved getting to see my dapper dudes all dressed up in their Sunday best . . . so very GQ.

Baby #3!

It's official - I am pregnant!!!!!

Here are the answers to the most common questions that I am receiving:
1) Yes, it was planned.
2) Yes, we are very excited.
3) Yes, Miles is thrilled. Tate could care less (until the baby actually arrives).
4) Yes, I have been extremely sick.
5) No, we do not care if it is a boy or a girl.
6) Yes, we will find out what we are having at 20 weeks. I am not capable of such restraint.
7) We are due October 24th.

Thanks for all of the support. We are really looking forward to our new addition and very excited that at nearly 40, Scott can still make this happen.:)