good times

thank goodness for self-timers
Yesterday we wrapped up my families visit with a little more sight-seeing...seeing the blow-hole, stopping by Costco to get some dried mango's, driving through Waikiki, stopping to get some malasadas, and then getting some last minute souvenirs. Mimi had some time to play a little piano too which Jude enjoyed and the guys did some guys stuff by fixing a part on the car. But unfortunately the weather was cool and rainy all day so there was no last minute surfing like we had hoped...and Jenny was hoping for a little last minute sun tanning.


Well my family left to go back home last night. Ethan woke up this morning and told me "Mimi and Papa went home on an airplane"...I'm glad he is at an age now where he understands so that he doesn't keep asking where they went. I still can't believe how quickly the time went. We got so used to them all being here that it was hard to get back into our regular routine...we miss them. So I think it will take me a couple of days to get over my "missing my family" funk. But it has motivated us to start planning our trip back to the mainland this summer.

review

Picture time with Mimi and Papa. We're sad that their time here is ending soon. It has flown by way too fast.

Jude was fascinated by uncle Jeffry brushing his teeth...he loves his uncle.

Aunt Jenny makes the best gingerbread houses or as Ethan says "gingerman's house". Thankfully the ants have stayed away from it so far...and it hasn't melted in the heat.

Slow dancing at the luau as a family...Ethan joined in after feeling left out.

pearl harbor

My mom, Jeffry, Jenny, Ethan and I went to the Pearl Harbor memorial yesterday. After long lines and waiting for a few hours, we saw a short movie and took a boat ride out to the memorial. Jason and my dad went today and did the extended tour by visiting the USS Missouri also. It was amazing to see and hear what these men and women went through...a horrible day in history but still seeing glimpses of God in it. I am so thankful that He is all-knowing and in control of all that happens.

mele kalikimaka

Merry Christmas everyone! We had a great day of fun family traditions...pluck-its in the morning, meatballs and shrimp for lunch, a happy birthday Jesus cake, cherry mash, playing games and singing Christmas carols. We had a few new traditions too, like acting out a story that Ethan got for Christmas, going to the beach in the afternoon and surfing, edemame, and eating Dream Dinners. Jeffry and Jason surfed for a few hours and then I attempted it for the first time. It was actually kind of fun and I actually caught a couple of waves.

It was fun that Ethan was more into Christmas this year. I wish I could have recorded his excitement. It was pretty cute. Jude loves to rip the paper whether it was on the present or not. But I have to say the best present we got this year was having my family here with us.

more hawaiian adventures

Well I'm not sure my family knew what they were agreeing to when they decided to come visit us in Hawaii...our adventures have included climbing a mountain, kayaking out to an island with rough waves and surfing. Talk about a Christmas to remember. I think the best memory I will have is my parents catching a wave in their kayak and surfing into shore. I don't think they were planning on doing that but the ocean has a mind of its own.

Yesterday Jeffry and Jason climbed one of the mountains here and had some great pictures of their view (blogger wouldn't let me download any more pictures). Then today all the adults (kids were home with a babysitter) kayaked out to an island, had lunch and explored around. We saw two sea turtles and Jason and I only tipped 3 times. We attempted to surf the wave side-ways...doesn't work.

Then Jeffry and Jason finished the day with some surfing. The waves weren't that great but Jeffry was learning how to paddle out and catch a wave. I think we'll take the next two days to take it easy and celebrate our Saviors birth.

I'm thinking next week might entail snorkeling and going to the memorial in Pearl Harbor....stay tuned.

fort jude

I'm glad that Jude is game for having forts built around him. Ethan thought it was the greatest idea and wanted to pile more pillows on top of his head...but I had to tell him that Jude probably wouldn't find that to be such a good idea.

hawaiian flavor

Our drive out to the North Shore. We stopped at Chinaman's hat to get a photo. This is the kalua pig that was cooked under ground for 12 hours.
Well as you can tell by my countdown clock, my family is here! Their first full day here we took it easy and did a little bit of shopping, walked down to the beach before the sunset and hung out at home. Today we went exploring for a little bit and drove up to the North Shore to see the 10-15 foot waves. It was beautiful. We then closed the day with a luau at the Hale Koa. We enjoyed the Polynesian hula dancing and music. The hawaiian food wasn't as big of a hit and the younger Harris' had to make a McDonalds run on the way home. We had a fun time...so much so that Ethan fell asleep on the way home.

the countdown begins

I can't wait until they get here. Woo, hoo!

let it snow, let it snow...

Well I was trying to get into the winter holiday mode and I thought I would go get some spray on snow for the windows. I always thought that looked so tacky before (sorry for those that use it) but being in a warm location year round it sounded very festive. So we made little wise men, angles and snow flakes with stencils. And then we sprayed some in the corners to make it look like frost. Ethan of course doesn't know what snow is (except for pictures in books) so he has called this spray foam snow. Maybe one day he'll be able to experience the real thing.

As you can see in the picture he couldn't resist sticking his little fingers in it...not once but many times...as if I wouldn't notice.

9 months old

Jude is 9 months old today. I can't believe in 3 months he will be 1. He's such a content little guy and loves to move. He's most happy when his big brother Ethan is close by. And he loves to put absolutely everything in his mouth. We went to the beach park today for a picnic and I was constantly taking things out of his mouth (grass, leaves, sticks). The plus side to this is that my floors are perfectly clean all the time. He says words like "da-da" and "ba-ba" and every once in a while a "ma" will come out of his mouth. He loves to go on walks, especially in the double jogger stroller so he can sit next to Ethan (who is quite the entertainer). He's been excessently drooly lately..which I think is due to the two teeth that seem to be coming in on the top. If you happen to be sitting on the floor, he will try to climb you like a human jungle-gym. He's growing quite a bush of hair on top of his head and may need a little trim soon. We enjoy him so much and can't wait to see what he will be up to next month!

This is our picnic celebrating Jude's 9th month of life. He enjoyed munching on the Korean Pear that we had for lunch.

Ethan had a blast kicking the soccer ball around by himself. He was quite entertained and it helped to burn off some of that crazy energy that he has. He even told me while we were leaving that "the park was fun mommy." So maybe we'll venture out to the park more often to have our lunch.

John 3:16

Ethan hasn't quite memorized the verse yet but we're trying to familiarize him with the words. He's got the "16" down though.

blue screen

It's been cold enough here for Jude to wear the footed pj's. We called him our little blue Smurf in these jammies. It made me think of the blue screens that the weathermen use to do the weather. You know when they wear a blue shirt and it seems to disappear in front of the screen?When Jude sat in his highchair, that is blue also, all you could see was a baby head and hands.

trolley ride

The boys and I had a fun time last night riding the trolley through Kailua. Jason was sick in bed with strep throat, so we left him at home and drove out to the hospital where the lighting of the tree was taking place...I know that sounds strange. But it was lots of fun. They had some local school choirs singing, free popcorn and drinks and a free trolley ride (which Ethan was so excited about). This picture is not of us riding the trolley but is an advertisement for the Waikiki Trolleys...I forgot to grab the camera before we left. So don't strain your eyes trying to find us in the picture. The nice thing about it being so warm here is the fun holiday events like this that you can enjoy in the evenings and not worry about whether or not you will be warm enough.

the difference between boys and girls

Don't worry this picture is not from a horror film. I don't think it's a sign of a violent future for my boys, but it does show the difference between how God created boys and how God created girls. Girls play with dolls, nurture them, cradle them, push them around in strollers...boys toss dolls around, realize that the arms are removable and try to see how many limbs they can take off. We are still missing an arm. But last I saw, Jude was crawling around with it in his mouth.

scrunchy face

Okay first of all, this is way cuter in person then in a picture. It's actually kind of scary looking at the pictures. Jude has learned the scrunching up his face and breathing in and out of his nose really fast trick. It's so funny to watch him. He's actually happy when he does this...not mad and growling like it looks.

tall pants

Because of our cold weather lately...we had to dig around our drawers to find warmer clothes. I was able to find a long sleeve shirt for myself and Jude and I found some jeans for Ethan (they were from our trip last year to the mainland...so they were a bit short). I guess it had been a while since Ethan had worn long pants. He couldn't stop talking about it all day. He kept saying "tall pants mommy" like they were the coolest invention. He gets excited over jackets too (he calls them coats). Maybe he was meant for cold weather. I bet he would go crazy over snow.

sunset in paradise

I caught this picture the other night of a beautiful sunset here. It's unusal to see sunsets on this side of the island because the sun sets on the other side behind the mountains. So I like to look at these pictures when we have days like today...it is cold and rainy because of a cold front that is going through...I think it's a high of 75. I guess the winter season is here.

my husband

I know most of my posts are centered around my kids and all that they're up to lately but I thought I would take a post to write about my husband. While I was looking at some pictures I had just taken lately, I started to think of all of the ways my husband loves me and his boys. With low energy (which sometimes results in low patience) and the demands of little children I tend to take for granted all of great things my husband does...and actually tend to focus on the frustrating things rather than his great strengths. So I wanted to share what a great husband and father Jason is:

This particular night I ran to get a picture because I thought it was cute to see Jason with his boys...but he was actually out taking them for a walk so I could have a moment of peace. He's very thoughtful about making sure I have some time to be "refreshed". He never says no to watching the boys so I can go out for whatever reason, and never makes me feel guilty for leaving him alone with our two little guys. He does great with them and they love their daddy.

If he knows I have a lot to do he asks what he can do whether it's cleaning a bathroom or getting the dishes done. And when I'm out for the evening I always come home to a picked up house...which is so wonderful!


He drives this beat-up car around and I have not heard him complain once about it. It smells so awful and has no air-conditioning. I know that he would rather have a great car but never shows us that he is discontent. I know that he is thankful for the car God provided and I am thankful that he is willing to make these sacrifices for his family.

His goal in his job is to show the love of Christ to the families and kids of Trinity Church and School. He serves in ways that people will never know and although it has it's frustrations and difficult circumstances I am thankful that Jason has loved the challenge.

I am thankful that Jason is teachable. Although he may resist it at times he tries to see and understand how God is trying to teach him and grow him into more of a godly man. He has pride just like every human being but he is not so stubborn that he thinks he doesn't need to change in any way. He will be such a great example to our boys...especially in how to be godly men and leaders.

When our boys were waking up in the middle of the night as infants, Jason would wake up every single time with me even though he couldn't do the feeding. He would change their diaper, bring them to me and then put them back to bed when they finished nursing.

He loves to do things outdoors. His new adventures are surfing and kayaking. I know he's looking forward to when the boys are bigger and he can take them camping, surfing, etc.

When I've had an exhausting day and we crash on the couch at the end of it to watch some TV or read a book. He will volunteer to rub my feet.

Jason is a very handy guy. He is great at fixing most things....whether it's a clogged sink, a broken water pipe under ground or fixing some part of the engine of the car. My dad was a very handy guy and I am glad that my husband has that gift also.

Another thing I hope our children will get from their dad is his love for learning. I hope that he isn't in school his whole life, but I am thankful that he likes to keep his brain sharp and gain in his knowledge of God, himself and this world.

So although he is not perfect (nor is any human being...especially myself)- he is a great husband, a great father and a great friend. I am thankful that God has brought us together...to share in all of the joys and sorrows of life....the frustrations and the teachable moments.

decorating the christmas tree

Our tradition is to put up our Christmas tree the day after Thanksgiving. Ethan was really excited about it this year and was ready to hang up all of the ornaments...all in one spot. We tried putting our tree on the coffee table to keep it just out of reach for Jude...but he still managed to grab a hold of some ornaments, lights and presents. I think he is going to learn the meaning of the word "no" this holiday season.

happy thanksgiving

We had a great time having our friends over for Thanksgiving dinner...Beau, Malia and their girls and our friend Kat and her son Clay-we wished Cliff could have come too but are very thankful for all that he is doing for us over in Iraq. We are truly thankful for the freedoms that God has blessed this country with and for the men and women that make sacrifices to keep those freedoms.

We started out the day with a great brunch (from Dream Dinners, which many of our sides came from too) and then as the little ones went down for their naps, the big kids and dads headed to the beach so us moms could chat and hang out...I mean cook Thanksgiving dinner. It was a great time together.

We started off our dinner with saying what we were thankful for but with 5 kids under the age of 6 we got a little distracted and never finished going around. So I thought I would take this time to list some of the things that I am thankful for.

- I am thankful for our God and Savior- for His love for us, his provision, and His amazing grace.
- I am thankful for Jason and my boys and the joy...and sometimes pain ;o)...that they are to me.
- I am thankful for the challenges of life that help me to grow and know my Savior even more.
- I am thankful for my church and for wonderful teaching.
- I am thankful for our families.
- I am thankful of the house that we live...even though I complain about it a lot.
- I am thankful that all of our needs are provided for...especially when everything is so expensive here.
- I am thankful for our friends from the past and the present.
- I am thankful for our adventures here in Hawaii.
- I am thankful that my family is coming to visit us this Christmas season.

Hope everyone else had a great Thanksgiving holiday...I'm off to have another piece of pie.

bear crawl

Poor little Jude. He has caught one of the weird Hawaii diseases. I guess being in a warm tropical climate has its drawbacks. Hawaii has weird diseases and infestations like ring worms (in children), lice, gigantic cockroaches, weird bacteria in the water after it rains hard here, bed bugs and...hand/foot/mouth disease. So the one time I put Jude in the nursery, he ends up getting hand/foot/mouth disease (which is something I had never heard of until moving here). Thankfully it's nothing serious, although it looks horrible. It's kind of like the chicken pox...it's highly contagious and they only get it once...and no it's not the same disease that cattle get. So it starts with a fever and then ends up with little blisters usually on their hands and feet and in their mouth. Well Jude just got them on his feet, knees and hands...which was miserable enough. He would have been fine except that it hurt his knees when he tried to crawl around...hence the bear crawl. Overall it just made him a little cranky and needy...which I don't blame him. And now he's almost over it...just a few scabs to show for. So far Ethan hasn't shown any symptoms and they say adults don't get it. Hopefully we will all be well for the holidays.

da-da

baby talk

christmas preview

Well we got our Christmas pictures taken this week with some friends of ours. We walked out to the beach all dressed up in our coordinating outfits... and 94 pictures later....I think we finally had a few good ones (thank goodness for digital cameras). So here's a little sneak peek of our Christmas picture that you will be getting in the mail in the next few weeks.

This is kind of how it went...Jude starring at the ground with no smiles and then any chance he could he grabs sand and tries to eat it... Ethan looking away right before the picture is taken or looking at the camera with a goofy expression. Whew, so much work.