Showing posts with label Vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vacation. Show all posts

6.08.2011

Hawaii 2011

Christian and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary this year. What way to better celebrate than a trip to Hawaii! I wasn't too excited in the beginning of bringing our kids with us, but it turned out to be a great vacation! Christian's parents came with us to spend some time with our family. I couldn't have done the trip without them! They even kept our kids over night so we could go out and spend some time together. Family vacation + alone time = a perfect trip!



I didn't take any pics of the first day there. We flew in, went to the base on Pearl Harbor, ate dinner, shopped for groceries, and went to bed. The next morning we went to our Hotel on Waikiki and headed for the beach. This was my kids very first time on a beach. They both loved it! We played there for a few hours until we were surrounded by jellyfish. Unfortunately, Christian's mom Jamie, was stung by one on the back of her thigh. The life guard posted signs up about the jellyfish after we had been swimming for awhile. Jellyfish are all over the shoreline for two days after a full moon. We caught a couple in a bucket to look at. I was a little too nervous to let Addy and Benson swim any longer, so we headed back to the hotel to get cleaned up.




Benson loved crawling around in the water! He kept drinking the water even though he hated it. He would dry heave every single time! Benson also had his first couple mouth fulls of sand. it made him throw up immediately, but for some reason he kept putting it in his mouth.





Addy loved building a sandcastle with nanny Jamie.




That evening, we went to dinner and walked around Waikiki and looked at the shops. We ended the night with ice cream and smoothies.





On the third day, we went to the Dole Pineapple factory for some delicious ice cream. My kids were asleep in the car, so nanny Jamie stayed back with them while we went in for ice cream. Such a great grandma!







We drove to Waimea Bay to play on the beach. It was so cool to watch the locals surf the enormous waves. The beach goes up to a small hill and the waves were washing all the way to the top. The kids loved the waves crashing up on them. Even though we were all standing where the last of the waves reached, they could still pull my kids down the beach. Addy's new watering can was swept out in a big wave.










After we finished playing at the beach, nanny and papa took the kids back with them for the night. Christian and I went out for the evening and spent the night without the kids. It was so nice!



We went to one of Christians favorite restaurants, Duke's. We went there our first trip to Hawaii our first year of marriage. So it was kinda fun to go back there and remember our trip 5 years earlier. Our dinner was so delicious! I had baked mahi mahi and Christian had teriyaki steak. We walked on the beach all the way back to our hotel. It was a very relaxing evening!





The fourth day, we went to the Hawaii temple. It was so nice to be able to go with Christian! While we were inside, Dave and Jamie took the kids to BYU and ate lunch and walked around. When we were done, we took the kids with us to get more to eat at a little Japanese place and a delicious shaved ice. (I don't remember the name of it but it was super big and tasty!)







After lunch we drove to Poipu Bay to play in the ocean. We found a cool little spot in a cove where you could snorkel. It was beautiful! There were fish swimming all around us. My kids really enjoyed playing here. Addy met some friends that she had fun playing with.





On the fifth day we headed home. We really wanted one more day at the beach, but the flights were full the next couple of days so we didn't stay. The flight home was nice! Benson did so much better coming home because we stopped in L.A.


I really enjoyed my vacation in Hawaii with my family and Christian's parents. We could not have done it without them! My kids got to spend so much time with their daddy and grandparents.




Benson at 14 Months




-He is standing and walking around furniture


-points to everything and says "dat"


-loves walks in the stroller with his dad


-he lifts up his shirt to show his belly


-waits by the gate when daddy comes home at night


-still wont wear shoes


-he is very wild at church


-loves to brush his own teeth


-crawls at turbo speed


7.25.2009

Day 1 Part 2

Far West
Far West is where the Pioneers went after they were kicked out of Independence. There, the four corner stones were laid for a Temple that hasn't been built yet.
Far West is out in the middle of no where surrounded by farm land. We took a bunch of back roads to get there. My cousins GPS was loosing signal but he managed to get us there.







Adam -Ondi -Ahman
When we finally arrived it was getting dark. The sunset was beautiful. There was a double sided rainbow over the valley. (it didn't show up in my picture) I have only seen fire flies once so it was really neat seeing them all around us.
This site closes at dusk and one of the missionaries, who is a care taker of the grounds, came to close up the gates while we were still there. He stayed and talked with us about the history and significance of the grounds. I really enjoyed and learned a lot from what he had to say. I had such a wonderful experience here.


This was a very eventful day. We were so lucky to have Ryan and Mariah come with us. I don't think we would have made it everywhere without them. Thanks guys!

Up next- Kansas City and Nauvoo

7.13.2009

Day 1 Part 1

On June 27Th we headed to meet my Mom, Alice, and Rookie in Independence, MO. We left our house at 5:00 a.m. I was a little concerned how our car ride would be because we have never driven Addy in the car for more than 2 hours at a time. She did great! She was extra sleepy and stayed bundled up in her blanket for the first hour and stared out the window. She slept for the next 2 hours while Christian and I jammed out to our music. My parents bought Addy a portable DVD player special for this trip. She watched Wonder Pets and her two favorite Baby Einstein shows. She loved holding her own t.v. on her lap! This was our first time ever seeing and crossing the Mississippi River. We arrived in Independence 8.5 hours later.








The 3 of us met up with the girls, my cousin Ryan and his daughter Mariah for lunch. Lucky for us Ryan had our agenda all mapped out and ready to go. We definitely wouldn't have made it to everything with out him!


Our first place we visited was the Temple Lot and Visitors Center in Independence. In the Visitors center they have the original photographs on display of Reflections Of Christ. They are beautiful! They also had a presentation about the saints traveling to Missouri.

Christian read some scriptures in Japanese for us at the Visitors Center. He did a great job! I kept teasing him saying he wasn't really reading and speaking the language. For all we knew he could be making it up. When he finished I asked him what he had just read and he said " your hair looks really nice!" He cracks me up.





Across the street diagonally from the Visitors Center is the Temple lot. The land is owned by the Community of Christ Church. The sign there says, " Aug. 3, 1831, Joseph Smith Jr., Prophet and founder of the Church of Christ, with seven other Church leaders, dedicated this site for the Temple in the city of Zion, where this church believes the Lord will come to His people in the last days."


The Community of Christ Church is the one with the spiral steeple. Across the street from this church on a diagonal is their assembly hall which has a domed roof.







Next we ventured to Liberty Jail. There they have the original key to Joseph Smith's cell door.
The sister missionary there gave a great presentation about Joseph and the other men incarcerated with him. What amazing men they were. The floor in the cell is the original flooring from when they were there. It definitely put things in a better perspective for me to see and hear what they went through.





Here are just a couple cute pictures from the day.

Up next- Far West and Adam Ondi Amen

2.23.2008

Vacation anyone?

Is anyone else stir crazy and sick of the cold? I have been cooped up in the house trying to keep Jellybean from getting sick and keeping us both out of the cold. We go to the store and that's about it. ( and of course the lunch and dinner dates with my mom, Alice, and The Rookie) I'm feeling like I want to get out and go somewhere warm!

Christian and I have not been anywhere since we went to Hawaii Nov of 2006. I got pregnant the following January so swim suits and traveling were out of the question! We spent all our time and energy this last year preparing for our cute little Jellybean. I am ready to take her for her first outing to the beach.

These are a few pictures of us in Hawaii....



We had so much fun! It is absolutely beautiful ! I recommend going to Hawaii if you ever get the chance. Anyone want to go on vacation with me?