Farewell Honolulu!

We ended the week in Honolulu which is filled with many more tourists and traffic. Below we are at Waikiki Beach which is absolutely beautiful and one of Oahu's most well-visited beaches. We had a flight that left at about 9pm so we didn't want to get too sandy on our way out. As much as we tried, Tim still ended up with soaked shorts. :)

 

 Group Hug! Or maybe just an over-protective mom. Ha. :)

 View of Honolulu

 Before our trip to Waikiki beach we stopped for some refreshment from the Dole pineapple plantation.

 

 Save some or us Luke!

 

 

It's not often Ryan is this relaxed.



Goodbye, from the island of Oahu where even the pups are chill and stylish. This pairing was on the freeway. Yes, our trip was a bit "dream-like". Reality hit us though when we were on our red-eye flight home. The vacation was over. But luckily, the kids slept really well and we have some fun memories to last a lifetime.



The Smile didn't Fade

 Tim was baptised Nov. 2nd (yes...I am that far behind!) and Spencer, his cousin and special buddy, was baptised also.

 Ryan, Tim, Spencer, and Adam

Tim grinned from ear to ear all day. (p.s. Don't know where Luke is, but he was there!)

"No Tank Ew Mom"

 A request from mom comes: "Luke, it is time to turn off the TV" and is often followed up with: "No tank ew Mom." How can you not laugh inside (just a little), when your two-year old responds that way?

 What happened here???

 

Mary.

 Also the result of a big sister...walking the dolls to the 4th of July parade.

 Asleep with GIJoes in hand. Luke was in heaven with the bin of GIJoes that Grandma Shellie brought camping at the Oregon Coast this summer. Luke was in heaven and his parents stayed sane because of it. :)

 Luke now shares a room and bunk bed with Tim. Sometimes a sleepover on the floor is still more fun though.

It helps to stick out your tongue while concentrating, right?



Ryan's Business

Ryan taking care of some business while at the coast this summer. This time I think it is church business.

 

 Hoping to beat out his brother Steve in the "favorite uncle contest". (The contest Steve doesn't know about) :)

 Made this just-turned-six-year-old's day when he took her to Build-a-Bear. And yes, she really did pick a smurf there.

Was the life of the party when he added Capture the Flag to Tim's birthday party fare.

Really, where did summer go?

 Ryan's dad took some great pics while we were in the hills of St. George. I think at Pioneer Park? Anyway, they took me back to the fun times we had this summer and I thought they were so cute I had to include them here.

Swimming Lessons

Tim and Mary had a couple sessions of swim lessons this summer and they both improved drastically. My kids are generally tentative by nature, and yes, also tentative around the pool. They love it, but they aren't the "dive into the pool headfirst" type kids, which can be both good and not so good.  Tim and Mary were also fortunate to be able to have their friends Emma and Hannah come to swim lessons with them everyday too. Here are some pics that Ryan's parents took from swim lessons.

 Emma and Tim

Our Gumdrop Girl

Mary in her ballet performance of Hansel and Gretel. She was a gumdrop. The cutest Gumdrop you have ever seen, right? ;)

A big grin after the performance.



Some Camping Fun

 In July we were able to hang out with Ryan's family for an almost week-long camping trip at the coast. The crew is above. This is after we played an action-packed game of kickball at a field near Battery Russell. The kids were in heaven with s'mores, bike riding, water, sand, GIJoes (entertained Luke for hours), treasure hunts, and a trip to Seaside with the bumper cars, arcade and candy shop. I think the adults liked the bike bus most of all (pictures to hopefully come soon on that one!)

 Kaleb is an all-star oldest cousin at entertaining all the younger ones.

 Mary's bday cake. Triple chocolate delight. (Thanks Brittany Gale)

 Emma (2) and Luke (2)

 Luke

 Mary dressed for the beach weather.

 "No, no Tim!" and hear comes sand in the face. Tim hears that phrase all-too often!

 Mary

 Tim testing out the water at Coffebury Lake.

Tim, Ethan, Flo and Kaleb.

 

Thanks Shellie and Bob for all the fun memories!