Dance Recital

Sadie has been attending a creative movement dance class (pre-ballet) She had her recital on Saturday. She loved it and especially enjoyed watching the older girls perform real ballet on toe shoes. It really got her more excited about dancing...she was dancing the rest of the day. Even as we were shopping at Costco, there was Sadie doing her turns and leaps through the aisles.

Sadie's ballet friends

She even got to wear make-up for her performance

Sadie's dance was not choreographed...Miss Janie let the girls dance freely with a few props. I got a little video of the performance.

It's Raining It's Pouring

It really has been pouring here on Kauai, A LOT. I feel so bad for the tourists that have been here through all of it. There has been some flooding around the island. But the rain hasn't stopped the kids from having fun. Tonight they got their boogie boards out and skimboarded on all our puddles in our lawn in back...didn't get the camera out in time. These photos are from a couple of days ago.

Safety Art

That's Cole hiding under the Layton Construction hard hat and safety glasses. Cole's artwork will be in Layton's Safety Calendar this year. He got his award, hard hat, glasses, and a gift certificate at the Layton Christmas Party on Friday. Cole drew and colored a skatepark with all the skaters wearing their pads and helmets.

Our Norfolk Pine

I had a hard time deciding whether to get a Hawaiian Christmas tree also known as a Norfolk Pine or a traditional mainland Christmas tree... I finally decided on the Hawaiian tree. The Norfolk doesn't have the nice piney smell and it's a little harder to decorate, especially putting the lights on. But with Jason's, Cole's, and my friend Ronny's help...I finally got all the lights wired on and the kids were able to hang their ornaments. We are still using my mom's angel for a topper as well as some of her old ornaments. Thanks Mom! I guess Christmas can come now.

the finished products on the tree

making ornaments

Yes, We have a fireplace! ...and the night we made our ornaments it was actually cool enough, for the first time, that we all wanted a fire. It almost felt like winter with the fire, the cool air outside, and the Christmas music playing as the kids worked on their creations.

This is the only photo we got of us actually working on the ornaments. We got a bunch of pictures of past Christmases and made popsicle stick frames with the hot glue gun and then spray painted them gold and trimmed them with glitter, beads, stickers, and bells. The kids had fun and were excited to put them on our tree that we didn't have yet.

Lights on Rice Parade

One of our favorite Kauai traditions is the anual Christmas Light Parade. This year Cole got to be in it. He has been singing all season with the school show choir called the Sunshine Express. Hawaiian Style Santa?

patiently waiting before the parade started

The Sunshine Express

Cole singing with the Sunshine Express

cool lights

Zippin

We went ziplining for Jason's birthday....it was a gorgeous day and a gorgeous setting on the Princeville Ranch.

A little video footage

Birthday for the Coleman

Cole planned and organized his own birthday party this year. He wanted a few of his closest friends to come over and play a few traditional party games. The boys had a great time and were laughing hysterically most of the time. It was one of the most fun and relaxing birthday parties for me...I may put Cole in charge of all of our birthday parties from now on.

Giving Thanks In Hawaii

Thanksgiving happened to fall on Cole's Birthday this year. So we let him decide where we would have our turkey feast. It just so happened that we got invited to eat with two of Cole's friends' families. The other option...a feast with the Layton group (Jason's co-workers) It wasn't hard for Cole to decide...and the kids had an amazingly fun time having nerf gun wars in the jungle and eating pumpkin crunch.

One of the kids favorite activities is scoop netting...they are getting really good at catching some very cool sea creatures. We spent our Thanksgiving evening scoop netting by sunset and then Jason took Aidan and Sadie for a short night dive.

Brittle star, Wana, and Sea slug

cole, sadie, nainoa, brandon, shane, gabe, jenna, and aidan

Sunday catch up

I played catch up with my blog again today...a few fall photos.

Sweet Dreams

The kids fell asleep in our bed the other night....I love how sweet they look in dreamland.

Enrichment Success!

I've had a new calling for a few weeks...2nd counselor in Relief Society. This is the first time in over a decade that I have had a relief society calling. It's different, but I am quickly learning to LOVE it. When I was called, I was a little...okay, a lot nervous to learn that I was responsible for enrichment and even more worried about an enrichment night that had been scheduled just two weeks away, but not planned. Well, we had the activity on Thursday evening, and it was a big success! No pics...I was so busy I forgot to get my camera out. We had a GREAT turnout, a wonderful dinner, and the sisters had a lot of fun with our favorite things exchange. I have had many positive comments...including several from husbands who said their wives came home in a good mood and had enjoyed the evening. I feel much more confident about future enrichment activities...and about my new calling. Yeah!

One perfect Saturday Morning

For the first time in MONTHS....we didn't have to be ANYWHERE on Saturday morning....yipee!! We still got up early. Jason came with me on my run...he's usually at work by 6am. We got home and the kids were watching a movie and they had JUST STARTED IT....so we went to our room and locked the door. The kids didn't come upstairs for another hour or two... then we made yummy pancakes with blackberries and pure maple syrup on top with hot cocoa (Did I mention it's been a little chilly here the last couple of days?) It was a perfect Saturday morning....cuddling with my hubby.

Cole earns the wolf!

Cole was very happy to get his wolf award!

The tradition in this pack is to hang the cub scout upside down and pin the award on upside down...then once the cub scout has done a good deed...you turn it right side up again...

The Pack

Health Day at Pre-School

The kids holding their "good health certificates"

Sadie giving Joshua a ride

Aidan's Garden

Orca at Brennecke's

Jason called me early one morning a few weeks ago and said "you have to go to Brennecke's to see the whale." That was about all the information he gave me. I was on my way to take the kids to school. We drove straight past the school and down to the beach. I had no idea that we were about to see an Orca. It's not very common for Orcas to be swimming in Hawaiian waters so this was quite a sight and there was quite a crowd too. The whale was very sick and unfortunately, dying. It was a very sad for us to watch...we could even hear the whale crying in misery as it was pushed back and forth along the shoreline by the waves. Soon after I took the kids to school, the whale was put out of it's misery by the rescue team.

Halloween Highlights

Fun couples party at Karen and Will's...good food, good company, good games!

Making the jet pack for Cole's Jengo Fett costume...it turned out pretty cool!

Watching my little Sadie trick or treat with her best friend, Ethan...adorable!

Watching Aidan gobble up his candy. To him...that was pure joy!

Jengo Fett, Sadiebug, and Neil Armstrong

Ethan, the Peacock, and Sadiebug


Sadiebug making the rounds

Ladybug and Sadiebug at the ward trunk or treat

Outlet and Plug