Vacation

Well...I never really caught up with our vacation stuff, so I'll just do the really short version.  We had lots of fun in Blackfoot with Darwin's family.  We went tubing/water skiing at Jensen Grove, played a fun version of Minute To Win It, spent a day at Lava Hot Springs, went and watched Eclipse, the kids rode the 4-wheelers, and Caleb got to go to the temple and do baptisms for the first time in Idaho Falls Temple.

On Friday the 9th of July, we drove over to Wyoming to visit three of my six brothers and my sister.  We hiked up Mansface, went to International Days, played Quelf and Scum, watched a movie in Cody's giant theater room, had a picnic in the park, and the kids jumped on the trampoline as much as they could.  My brother Cody became the "favorite" uncle when he let my kids have a bowl of 12 different kinds of cold cereal topped with butterscotch and chocolate chips covered in chocolate milk for lunch on Sunday afternoon...they were in heaven!  =)

On Monday the 12th, we drove down to Salt Lake City to visit our friends the Daltons.  Wendy and three of her kids met us at the Hogle Zoo.  Darwin and I were going to go to the temple, but it was closed, so we all ate a fabulous picnic lunch and walked around the zoo for a few hours.  That evening, we drove to Logan, UT to visit the Cabatus.  We had fun staying up talking all night, and then Elena and I decided to go and make some mischief at 1 am.  We drove out to Wal-Mart and bought all the necessary materials for decorating a car to look like someone had just been married.  We snuck out to her friend's husband's work (he works an overnight job) and made their car really pretty. =)  Tami may not remember, but back when I did Elena's car in post-it notes, we told her she was next...we just let her think we had forgotten. =)  The next day we went to a really cool used bookstore, ate a picnic lunch on the lawn at the Logan Temple, and went to a really neat pioneer exhibit.

On Tuesday night, we drove back up to Blackfoot and Darwin went scuba diving with his dad on Thursday in Ririe.  On Friday morning we drove four hours to Meridian, ID and are now visiting with my parents.  Darwin's 20th high school reunion was this weekend, so my parents and my brother have been entertaining our kids for the last two nights.  Last night they all went to the Meridian Speedway to watch the car races.  Darwin and I had a good time at his reunion.  He was really sure he wouldn't know anyone there...but since they had made everyone name tags with their old high school pictures on them, he was able to remember many more people than he thought he would.

We are having a great vacation!  It has been so nice to see so many of our family and friends these past few weeks.  We leave to go back to Oahu on Friday, so we still have some time left to enjoy our time here.  When we get home on Friday, the pace of life is going to go from casual to harried.  Darwin is leaving the very next morning for a school in Virginia for three weeks, and the kids all start school a week later.  I don't start school until Sept. 2nd...so I will have time to unpack the whole house by myself...yippie!  =/

If we missed seeing you this trip, you are all more than welcome to come and visit us in Hawaii.  We will be there for three years.  The weather is perfect year-round, so give us a call and set up your reservations!

Hiking on Mendenhall Lake

This afternoon we went hiking on the frozen Mendenhall Lake. We went with our friends the Rosenbruchs and the Daltons. We all hiked out across the lake last year, but this year there wasn't any snow covering the ice so you could see down through the ice this year. It was very unnerving (for me only...lol) so on the hike back, I chose to not walk down the middle of the lake and stuck to the edges. We went out to the waterfall and let the kids play and took lots of photos. We all had a great time. It is the last time we get to go out with the Daltons...they are moving to Utah this month. Wendy and the kids are leaving on the 7th, and JP is following them near the end of the month. I am really sad that they are leaving. They have been some of the most wonderful people we have met, and they throw the best parties I've ever been to. Good luck to you in Utah, and you will truly be missed!

The Daltons
JP, Wendy, Ryann, Bailey, Cody, and Mason

Hiking on the lake



Partially frozen waterfall

The ice had cracked and refrozen in some places. There were also several places where you could see bubbles trapped under the surface.

Thanks Wendy for taking pictures of us!!




He is smiling AND he doesn't have his eyebrow cocked up! I won this one!!! =)

Bailey took this one for us. Thanks Bay!

Brooklin, Bailey, and Jayden

Caleb



London

Isaiah looks like he is trying to warm his hands by an ice cube fire! hahaha! He was actually playing the drums on the ice and wanted me to take a picture of him.

The Fawcetts

Our friends Robert and Chris Fawcett came to visit us for the day. They came in on the Zaandam at noon. Darwin picked them up, and they came to church with us. I made them halibut enchiladas for dinner, and they we went exploring. We went to the Mendenhall Glacier and walked around for awhile. We took pictures and had fun visiting in the rain. They were interested in seeing the mining ruins on the Treadwell trail, so we loaded up and drove over to Sandy Beach. On the way there, Darwin took them to DIPAC to see the salmon ladder. We spent an hour on the Treadwell trail. We walked up to the Glory Hole, and then through the ruins of the Assay Office and the vault. It rained on us the entire time, but we had a great time with our company. They had to be back to the cruise ship by 8:30pm so Darwin took them back, and I took the kids home to get ready for bed.

The Fawcetts are friends of ours from when we lived in Maui. Robert was our bishop for two of the three years we were there, and Chris was in Primary with me. They moved away to Yakima, WA a year before we moved back to Juneau. They needed a vacation, and decided to cruise the inside passage! It was great seeing them...even for just a few hours.

btw...they took all the pictures with their camera, so I don't actually have any to post... ! They said they would email some, so if they do, I will add a picture or two later on. =)

Happy Birthday to me!

I had a WONDERFUL 34th birthday yesterday. My family spoiled me, and my friends made me a few surprises. I opened the present from Isaiah first. He was so excited about his present to me. He kept making sure that I would open his first, and he even told me right before he opened it that I wouldn't know what it was even after I opened it..he really couldn't stand the suspense! I asked him if it was camouflage, and he said "I can't tell you! Just open it!!" It was three matchbox cars...and he was right, I still couldn't tell what they were. They were called Mystery Matchbox cars, and instead of clear plastic covering the cars, the plastic was black, so you didn't know what cars you were getting! He was so proud of himself for getting me the best present! The cars were a yellow Ford Mustang, a red Chevy Nova, and a blue Scion. London got me a1000 piece Mickey Mouse puzzle, and Caleb got me a 1000 piece I Spy puzzle. I've done a few big puzzles with them, and they must really enjoy doing puzzles with me...hehe! Brooklin got me a PictionaryMan game...we played it last night and it was fun. Darwin spoiled me...he always does. He bought me a new VERY warm winter coat, a quilting book, a self-healing cutting mat (for quilting), and 240 minutes of tanning!! Very excited to get my fake sun for the whole winter! It should help me stay happy, and keep the dark-winter blues from slowing me down!

After opening presents, we went to church and they gave me two "presents" as well. I was called to be on the compassionate service committee AND to be the pianist for Relief Society (the church's women's organization). I still consider myself a learning piano player, so being the pianist will be a good challenge. I secretly told God that I really wanted to be a better piano player, and I thought playing in Relief Society would be the least scary piano calling...small audience, really no preformances for the whole congregation like Primary does...but this week they said the Relief Society is singing in Sacrament Meeting (the whole congregation) in two weeks!! So much for the no preformances! It isn't a really hard song...but I'm glad that I have two weeks to practice it! After church, I stayed for choir practice, and then I chatted for like 20 minutes...totally didn't know that my friends were waiting outside for me (since choir practice ended) with a camera, to see my reaction to what they did to my car! Wendy and her husband filled my van with five contractor bags full of balloons! It didn't fill the whole thing, like they hoped, but they did fill the entire front seat, so it looked completely packed. It was pretty funny! Also on friday at school, before my birthday, my friend Kris made me a tiara, taped balloons to my chair and table, and brought cupcakes and snacks for our whole communications class. They sang to me and signed a card! She also brought me a little present everyday all last week.

I am so grateful for my awesome family and my wonderful friends! You all made me feel so loved! Even Juneau cooperated for my special day, and it was blue skies and sun shiny the entire day! Thank you!!!!!!

Me playing with my new matchbox cars! LOL!

WHAT!!?!

Squished in with the balloons!

Picture Tag (thanks Lila!)

RULES: You have to post the 4th picture in the 4th folder in your pictures folder. Then give a brief description before you tag a few others

Normally, this would be a picture from years ago...but since my computer crashed right before we moved, this is the 4th picture, in the 4th folder on my computer.

This is my best friend Elena and I at our last get together before I moved. We went to her sisters house to have a kind of good-bye party for me. There was probably one or two pictures where we were both smiling for the camera. This was not one of those... =) I can't remember what exactly we were laughing about for this particular picture, but I laughed so hard that I spit my hot chocolate out (luckily back in the cup) and couldn't breathe for a minute. I miss her dearly, and actually tried to call her earlier tonight, but I didn't have a signal inside the school during Caleb's soccer practice. She is an amazing person, mother, sister, and friend. I'm so glad I met her and we could make each other laugh so often. =)

Now I will tag the following people... AJ, Emily, Heidi, Jen, and Shaneen

Saying Goodbye...

Last night, I went out with a few of my friends for my last girls night with them. We went to a beach house (that was really awesome) and had some food and a bunch of laughs. These first four pictures are of Elena and I. She has been my best friend here, and I am really going to miss her. I have been the music leader in primary for the past three years, and she is my piano player. Every sunday, we sit behind the piano and crack jokes and laugh our heads off during sharing time. We have been scolded a few times, but mostly I think they just know that we are going to be being silly, and they just got used to it. Sundays won't be the same anymore. I am so glad I could find such a good friend here...and I am really sad I have to leave. I won't stay gone too long...Darwin got to go back to Alaska every year that we lived here, so he owes me. =) I've already said good bye to her, and it is too hard to write it here, but I will really miss her.

Me, Monique, Elena, Amy, Lisa, and Monique's daughter Melena hiding Elena's pregnant belly (she is due in Sept). Lynn, I really wish you could have come, but I will see you when I come to visit. Keep in touch!