cute pics

Do you ever have tons of cute random pics of your kids, that you don't know how to post because they are from months apart.  I guess could just post more often, but I am all about efficiency, I like big posts....lol

24th of July

I absolutely love it when these little arms wrap all the way around my neck- sweetest thing ever... gets me everytime!  (He had a rough time with two bottom molars coming in at the same time)

Silly Claire

 

Not so silly Claire... when will I be able to enjoy a shower without worry....?

Poor Claire's lymp node was huge, turned out she had strep throat (Sounds bad, but I was in heaven for the 1.5 weeks it took to figure out what she had- she fell asleep 10-15 mins of us leaving her room- and she didn't act sick and whiny those days either. One day of meds, back to taking 1-2 hours before falling asleep- yeah she's feeling better...)- She is doing better now about going to sleep (usually only 1/2 hour-1 hour to fall asleep and at more like 8-9pm, instead of 9:30-11pm- crazy summer sun)

 
Trevor was in heaven in this little helicopter... all smiles


Preschool pics- I trade off teaching with two other moms (asked her to laugh- which started off with this fake laugh/ silly faces)

Then it turned into a real laugh and smile... silly girl

Claire's tower-  all of her own doing- just asked me to take a pic...yeah- she's amazing


Dad's work party at Provo Beach Club








Claire is doing better about smiling for pics that I want to take...


sometimes  :)  Breakfast for General Conference weekend!


Happy, smiley guy



Claire's craft during general conference




He loves apricot jam on his gluten free- dairy free rolls- either that or he is glad mom finally gave him a hair cut...lol




Mr handsome is 18 Months- has gone to nursery twice now- cries for a few minutes while a leader holds him...then does great! Good thing since mom and dad both were both teaching today

Kauai part 2

Monday-
Boat tour along the Nali Coast line.  We went in a catamaran, because they seemed the best for pregnant women.  But Jason end up getting sick on this one- poor guy.  It was still one of our favorite things about the trip for both of us.   We contemplated doing a boat tour vs. a helicopter tour.  And as I was reading a tour guide book for Kauai, they mentioned that helicopter tours are pretty cool, but they are only an 1- 1.5 hours long and they literally fly by the sights without even hovering.  Of the helicopters we saw in Waimea Canyon and while we were on our boat tour- this is exactly what they did.  So I am glad that we choose the boat tour! We met up in Waimea at 8am and then left around 8:30am- gotta remember the laid back thing  when we are running 2 mins late.  And we got back around 2:30pm.  It was gorgeous!

We saw flying fish,

a baby dolphin,

a family of dolphins,




more dolphins,



a few sea turtles, 






the gorgeous coastline,
 
cool caves ( other big ships like catamaran- have sails and can't go in the caves) ,
 
and waterfalls.




 
We end up going in 4 or so cool caves





There were people hiking around here, and they were tiny looking (tunnel in 6 days 7 nights)

 

I think at this point we saw Ke'e Beach and started heading back south toward Waimea

















and then with about an hour more of boating before we arrived in Waimea, we ate lunch went snorkling for an hour.  We saw lots of beautiful fish and a sea turtle. Some even saw a small shark (harmless- he was hiding away until our tour guide tried to entice him out of the coral).  Great snorkle spot- no big waves pushing you around- fishes are not afraid to swim all around you (as our cool tour guides fed them leftovers from lunch)

catamaran boat we took with Liko Cruises



Tree tunnel


Then we stooped in Popiu for my missing snorkel part- and finally had success!  Then since we were close by, we went to Spouting Horn. There were a lot of great tourist stands with really cute, intricate, and durable Hawaiian souvenirs here.  We end up getting all of our souvenirs/gifts here, besides the chocolate covered macadamia nuts. (Waves were really big on Popiu so we didn't go snorkeling here)




Ate at Hamaru's Samin Stand- authenitc Hawaiin food- I was thinking it would be stir fry- but it was soup- pretty good.  There lilikoi pie is yummy!  Just don't forget cash- they don't accept credit cards here...oops

Tuesday- sunrise near airport

We went snorkeling at Lydate Gate beach- even though its sectioned off (so no waves crashing on you)- you still get pushed around a bit.  No coral.  But the fishes here are so friendly





Ate at Paco's Taco stand in Lihue- So good! And the prices were great too!  I think it was just as good as Monico's Tacqueria, if not better!  It was so yummy we went back there for lunch on Wednesday- when our bagels went moldy (too humid to stay out of fridge...oops)

Wednesday- Last day- these last few days we took it easy!  It was great! swimming, lounging, napping, reading books, playing dominos (in hotel's owners lounge- available to use when you have early 10am checkout- they also have a shower available for your last day)

We had to take some pictures of all the little things about Hawaii that we would miss, yes lizard that includes you

Huge circular pool

5 jacuzzis




Since we turned in our rental car at 3pm, we went walked to a close by restaurant.  Which I knew would be more pricey (considering proximity to our glitzy, hotel) but this place was about the same price as the other places we ate it that week- Kalapaki Grill

I got the blackened Ahi salad... A- MA- ZING.  And I don't even love fish.  The fish looks raw, but is more tender than chicken, no fish taste at all either.  I told my dad about it, and he said he had something similar in Japan.  What they do is marinate the fish so long that its really tender and then just sear the outside.  He assured me that many pregnant women in Japan have been eating fish that way for years.
( I had already told the waitress I was pregnant, asking about if the feta and blue cheese were pasteurized- so I assumed this option was okay to eat- but I kept thinking while I ate it... the fish looks raw- but it tastes so good- it can't be raw). Lol



We saw a huge princess cruise ship sail in our small kalapki beach (it was pulled in by smaller boats, timing and pushing it exactly where it could fit)

Wow!  When we got back it felt like we had been gone weeks, with all the we saw and experienced in Kauai!  "Wow" really sums it up, and "Amazing".