hawaii part 2

I don't know about the other islands, but on Oahu, all the hotels are in one central place, Waikiki.. In Waikiki, it is so touristy, and so built up, that it's almost like you are in LA. Don't get me wrong, it is still nice. There is a still a great beach right outside of your hotel, and you still get a somewhat island feeling.. It's just not really what you think of when you think of Hawaii. We wanted to see more of the island, and get away from that craziness, so we did.. a few times. 

The other side of Oahu is gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous! Pictures do absolutely no justice! 

We did one tour around the island, and maybe it would have been better if it wasn't raining, maybe not.. but it did help us decide on the places we wanted to go back and see on a prettier day. For future reference, tour guides are unnecessary.. It was really just a waste of money.  

You know that scene from 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' where Mila Kunis jumps off the cliff, and then yells back about being able to see they guys who-ha? Yeah, that's the same spot we are standing in... ^^ Pretty cool! I will say that those people who jumped there are BRAVE. 

We didn't originally plan to go to the Dole Plantation, it was just part of the tour. We didn't stay long, so I can't really comment on it, besides to say that there is a maze there that is fun. I will say, however, that the pineapple all over the island is so good and fresh, and I assume it comes from there. Seriously though, pineapple comes with every meal, breakfast, lunch, and dinner.. even at McDonalds. 

Of course we  HAD to visit Pearl Harbor, no if's and's or but's about it.. but we didn't get to see the USS Arizona Memorial! (for those who aren't familiar, the USS Arizona Memorial is the one that is still underwater, where thousands of sailors and marines were trapped and killed during the attack on Pearl Harbor) I was so disappointed, but the tickets for that are sold out for months, and I didn't realize that when I booked our trip.  We did get to go on the battleship and submarine though, and that was neat to see. It's amazing to walk through and think about how much history took place where you are standing.  

Of course we can't go anywhere without Mike making friends. He sat and fed those birds for probably an hour. ^

 We also went to the museum part of pearl harbor, but really it's nothing like actually walking onto the battleship and submarine. It really is an amazing thing to see. 

hawaii part 1

Hawaii.. Where to even start?? The water was gorgeous, the weather was pretty much perfect, and I think everyone needs to go at least once in there life, if not more! 

We did so many things, so it'd be a extremely long post if I actually went into detail about every thing.. instead, I will share the pictures (I know everyone is DYING to see them) and throw some comments in here and there. 

Scuba diving was by far my favorite thing we did.. such an amazing experience, and I recommend it to anyone to try at least once! Mike and I talked about quitting our day jobs and becoming scuba instructors, wouldn't that be nice. Maybe one day.. 

 Check out that hair^! 

We saw white tip reef sharks up close, which was pretttty cool. But the turtles we got close and personal with was even better.

Snorkeling was not my favorite.. ^

Funny story about the first time we snorkeled- I was terrified because it had been raining that day, so the water was murky and you couldn't see where/what you were stepping on, and I didn't know what was in the water. We were told that the better snorkeling was where the water got a little deeper, so we made our way out. When we got out there, I kind of freaked out and jumped on Mikes back. He was being crushed by me, hit in the face with waves, and we were both choking down water because we were laughing instead of holding our breath.. It was so funny.. I'm sure we looked beyond ridiculous. Needless to say, I am far from a pro snorkeler. 

The second time we snorkeled was a lot better. The water was clear, there were a million and one fish, and I felt a little more comfortable. We saw a turtle that day also, but my camera died the second I saw it (I was not happy).

All these photos were taken with my small Nikon that is water proof. I am so impressed with how well it did on our scuba diving adventure, and I'm even more impressed that it made it 40 feet down, when it says its made for up to 33 feet.. I was very hesitant on bringing it, and Mike kept reassuring me that it would be OK. I'm glad I listened to him. 

a little bit of what we have been upto

sorry, sorry, I've been slacking.. but let me start by saying that "hand, foot and mouth disease" may sound funny, gross, and like some fake made up sickness, but boy, it is a nightmare. It's been about a month since Logan was diagnosed with it, contagious, and then cleared to go back to daycare and be free from the disease.. but here we are, still listening to him whine, and moan about the big blisters in his mouth. I feel so bad for my poor baby, especially since all I can do is cuddle with him. 

But I'm willing to bet his attitude not only has to do with the hand-foot-mouth grossness, but also the fact that he is nearing the dreaded age of two, and he is pushing his limits as far as possible. Seriously, they don't joke around when they call it terrible twos. I've seen Logan rolls his eyes at me.. Roll his eyes!  Lord help me.. I think I've already worn out yelling "Logan James" (isn't that supposed to be threatening ! Someone tell my child that rule...)

Anyways, he has had some good moments, and he's getting better as time goes by. We've been practicing with words, and he's been doing pretty good. He's gotten a nice list of words that he's saying, but he still mostly sticks with "byeeee," "uh-oh" and his new favorite, "awwww maannnn." 

We've also been working on saying prayers at night, steering the 4-wheeler, pointing out objects in the books we read, and attempting to work on ABC's, which I think will go better once he can actually hear me correctly. 

I've also been attempting to teach Logan that he is one-year old, but as of now, he just knows that 1 finger up is equivalent to the word one. Guess that's better than nothing, I'm still happy either way.  

^this is that attitude I was talking about..  he does not joke around when he means business.

One thing that Logan has really been enjoying, is running away when it's time to do something, such as putting on a diaper. I don't know if its because his daycare teachers are teaching him and the other kids to play hide and seek, or its just because the boy likes to run around nude, but it can be both funny and maddening. He also thinks it makes it more challenging when he shuts the door behind him.. and when your welcome to come in, he will knock on the door to let you know. 

I know later in life, I will look back and say "aww, remember when.." because I am doing that already. I keep saying "remember when he was immobile, and he just laid there and smiled at us." Yeah, the good days. 

Just kidding, I'm enjoying this stage, and just trying to make the best of it, because I know I really will miss it one day, for the most part. 

happy fathers day

To my amazing husband. The fact that Logan ran through the house, and yelled "I love you!" clear as day just shows how much you truly mean to him, and what a great job your doing in his life. 

Also, happy fathers day to my daddy, and two men that are very important in my life, Doug and Shawn. All three of you deserve to have an amazing day, and I wish I could spend it with each of you. 

I love you guys so much! 

first trip to the beach

Now that the wedding is all over and done with, and I no longer have to worry about getting tan lines in the wrong places, me and the Flowers family decided it was time to attempt a beach trip. There were some doubts, and we pretty much planned for anything and everything to go wrong, but in the end, it actually turned out awesome! 

The kids had a blast, the weather was perfect, and we didn't forget anything! Even the water was nice, which is rare for Galveston. 

It was Ryker's first trip to the beach, and he LOVED it! And sierra got to ride the boogie board for the first time, and was actually pretty good at it.. When I tried, I'd fall off, it was sad. 

There were quite a few attempts to build sandcastles, but as soon as we got one up, it'd get knocked down by Sierra the Giant. Besides the knocking down, Sierra and Logan were very helpful in filling up the buckets with sand. 

It wasn't until the end that things started going wrong.. The storms that we managed to avoid, moved in quick, and even though we were just about packed up to leave, we didn't quite make it out without getting rained on. We made the best of it and laughed about it, until we went to leave and one of the vehicles wouldn't start (I blame Michelle and her bad luck). We ended up having to call some of my family to come lend us some jumper cables, and help us out. In my opinion, it made the trip that much funnier. 

This trip was probably one of my all time favorites, and I can't wait to go back, hopefully soon! Of course, since everything went so well this time, next time will most likely be a disaster. Lets hope not!  

recap of our night

Sunday, I married the love of my life, and my absolute BEST friend. Months of planning, stress, and hard work came together, and it was a blast! There were a few things that really stuck in my memory, but all together, the whole night really was everything I could have asked for. 

Logan did amazing as the "ring bearer," although he didn't really carry the rings, or the carrier I put together for him. I'm just so ecstatic that he actually ran down the aisle, and he did so with the biggest smile on his face. He also had a part in the ceremony where he got to come stand with me and Mike, and naturally, he couldn't do so without some goldfish. I think my favorite part of the whole night is when he decided to feed both me and Mike a goldfish in the middle of the ceremony.. I will always, always remember that moment, and how happy I was that he was there to share and put his own little touch on our day. It was like the goldfish was his gift to us, and I wouldn't have had him do anything differently. 

I'm so blessed that I had the 3 best bridesmaids ever, and they were so good at helping me with every little thing I needed, and keeping me calm. We had such a blast together, running around fixing flowers, putting last minute things together, and over all just hanging out. I love those 3 girls more than they will ever know. I'm also so happy that Mike got to spend time with his brothers and that he had a good, relaxing weekend too. It was much needed, and I don't think he would've picked anyone else to have spent it with. 

The food was awesome, the wedding cake was perfect, and the surprise groom cake that I got for Mike was a hit. There were plenty of tears, and laughter.. and definitely a lot of emotions. 

I can't stress enough how much I appreciated the photographers and assistants who happen to be some very close family friends. They did awesome, and I will never be able to repay them for capturing this once in a lifetime event. I want to say how much I loved having my mom, and step-dad there for me, I love them both so so much, and it means so much that they supported me and Mike. 

Mostly I need to express my thanks for my mother-in-law who was there whenever I needed her and always answered any questions, and offered so much help. She was awesome, and I'm so glad we have a great relationship!

I'll be posting new pictures from the night here and there, as I get them.. There are a ton! 

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY THAT CAME AND SHARED THE NIGHT WITH US, WE REALLY ENJOYED SEEING EVERYONE AND HOPE THAT IT WAS AS MUCH FUN FOR Y'ALL AS IT WAS FOR US. 

surprise shoot with granny!

Since granny was in Beaumont at Jeremy and Mandy's (my brother-in-laws), me and Logan went to go visit! I really do wish I could help out more over there since Mandy has so much on her hands between the three kids and packing up/selling everything to move to Malaysia in two weeks. I have to say, she is stronger than anyone I know because I sure as heck couldn't handle it. Kudos Mandy, kudos! 

In an attempt to keep the kids busy while Mandy tried to gain some sort of sanity back, me and granny had the kids out back entertaining each other. When they all have something to do, they are actually a great bunch of kids. 

It's been forever since I got a picture of all four of them (actually, not since Logan was like 2 months old), so of course I had to get one before they move. I'd say they came out decent considering it was four kids with the shortest attention spans known to man. 

Ice cream really did the trick in keeping them quiet and still, even if it only lasted two minutes. 

I also wanted to get some of granny with all of the grandkids since we didn't have any.. I wish I would've just recorded the whole thing. Pictures do not do that little amount of time we spent trying to get photos justice.

I only picked a few to put up because I'm positive my mother-in-law would murder me if I actually posted some of them. Instead, I plan to give her a CD with them so that she can share when/if she feels like it.

Poor granny was actually taken to the ground, where she then took on "tickles" which I'm sure felt more like tiny jabs in the gut. She also got some actual jabs too, along with three of the four kids jumping on her, and using her as a jungle gym. I had a lovely time watching hahah. Logan did too.. he played it smart and sat by me, safe from all the mayhem.

Those kids always provide great entertainment, I love it!