HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

WE HAVE A NEW BABY BOY!

BORN: JULY 30

WEIGHT: 7 LBS

TIME: 11:32 HST

WE ARE VERY EXCITED AND HAPPY TO HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL CHILD.

RACHEL IS DOING WELL, BABY SEEMS TO BE WELL.

FANTASTIC!

IT HAS BEEN A VERY LONG DAY AND PREGNANCY FOR RACHEL.

SHE HAS ENDURED IT WELL. TODAY, THE DAY OF THE BIRTH, SEEMED TO BE A RATHER PEACEFUL, UNHURRIED EVENT. IT WAS VERY DIFFERENT FROM OUR OTHER BIRTHS, SORT OF A LAYED BACK, HAWAII STYLE BIRTH. IT WILL BE FUN TO SEE WHAT RACHEL HAS TO

SAY AS SHE REFLECTS BACK ON TODAY...

COLE AND AIDAN ARE EXCITED AND HAPPY

WE ARE ALL GRATEFUL AND HAPPY FOR A HEALTHY AND WONDERFUL NEW BABY

AIDAN ENJOYING THE MOMENT. HE WANTED TO HOLD THE BABY EVERY CHANCE.

SADIE, ALSO WANTED TO HOLD HER LITTLE BROTHER

RACHEL AND BABY RESTING THEIR RIGHT EYES FOR THIS POSE.

IT HAS BEEN A VERY LONG DAY. BUT WELL WORTH THE WAIT. I WISH THAT RACHEL COULD HAVE PUT THIS POST TOGETHER. WE ARE VERY APPRECIATIVE OF ALL OF THE SUPPORT WE HAVE HAD TODAY. IT HAS BEEN A DAY OF WONDER AND JOY FOR OUR FAMILY.

--JASON

Setting up Shop...Early in the Morning

It's 7:30am. It's very quiet. All I can hear are birds chirping. The boys are still sleeping. Jason has gone to work. I am STILL pregnant. I am sitting at the computer. I just looked out the window from my second story to find Sadie down below in the yard...setting up. She is setting up shop. Her Store. She is so cute and I am having fun watching her from the window as she gets ready to open up for business. She is hanging tiny purses and bags from very small tree limbs. She is setting out limes in a bucket from our neighbor's tree. She just hung a small flashlight from another tree branch. She has Legos, clothespins, and flower blossoms set up on the lava rock wall next to the tree. Now she is hanging a bracelet that she made from another tree limb. She just set out a football and a soccer ball. I am typing as I watch her. Now the boys are coming out...they have homemade paper money in their hands. They are ready to shop...and to buy. I love it! I am going down to take pictures.

Strolling with the Chicks

Our chicks are quickly turning into chickens. The kids have been taking good care of them and even love to take them for walks.

Football Fans

I can probably count on two hands the number of real football games Jason and I have watched in the last 15 years. So, I can't believe how much I enjoy watching my boys play. Aidan is playing his first season of flag football and Cole is in his second. They both play well and have learned so much from fun and positive coaches. We're grateful for those willing to share their knowledge and talents with our boys.

Aidan made the play of the game yesterday. While intercepting a pass near the end zone the football ripped Aidan's flag off. The flag didn't fall so he held the ball against his flag while running all the way down the field to make a touchdown. It looked kind-of funny, but it was a great play.

Summer Days

One of my favorite things about summer is NOT having to get the kids to school by 7:30am. I am enjoying my sleep while I can still get it. Most mornings I'm still in bed when the kids get up and they usually crawl in with me and we talk and cuddle and laugh....I love it.

I typically don't buy California peaches...I haven't had good luck with them. But as I walked through Costco a few days ago the aroma coming from the peaches in the produce section was just too heavenly to pass up. We bought California peaches and they are wonderful...not as amazing as Brigham City grown peaches...but close. We've eaten SO many peaches the last few days..we can't seem to get enough.

I've only taken the boys to the skatepark once this summer. They have been creative and made a few ramps on their own on our driveway providing many hours of entertainment and exercise.

Aidan and Cole made Sadie a dog house and out of one of our moving boxes. She wanted to sleep in it a few nights ago, but Aidan told her she would suffocate. I was glad she chose her bed instead.

Jason has been able to take the boys to work with him a few times this summer so they could earn a little money. One day they dug a trench for a pipe.

Polihale...just in time

Nine months into pregnancy...like it or not, it's where I'm at. I have to say I have been pretty lazy the last several weeks, but I got up the nerve and energy to go camping for two nights at a remote beach. I went for two reasons. One, it was on the kid's list as a MUST DO this summer. And two, it is one of my favorite places...EVER. Family trips there are always memorable. I'm not sure when we, as a family will be driving that bumpy road to Polihale again with a baby on the way and future move not far away. I thought about that a lot our last morning when I woke up to some of the most beautiful scenery Kauai has to offer. Later I sat on the beach with tears streaming down my face wondering again why I am leaving this amazing place. I took a last swim in the warm beautiful blue water with the kids and REALLY tried to savor the experience. But soon Cole's rash from all of the sand rubbing against him in his swimsuit was causing too much discomfort. Tears of pain were flowing. Then I got stung by a bee. So after a couple of days of joy and relaxation we packed up and returned home. I posted some pictures, but the pictures can never quite capture the feeling of being there.


The Klindt's camped the first night with us. Jason helped all four boys together on one longboard catch waves. It looked like a tiring job, but the boys LOVED riding those waves together on one board.

Nainoa and Cole

Eating Lunch



I let Jason take some pictures of me and my pregnant belly. He even got some of me in just my swimsuit...but we'll spare you those images.

Cole snapped this picture of Jason and me. It's a great side shot of my pregnant belly. You can see I've grown EVERYWHERE else too.


Boogieboarding fun. The boys love to run and jump the waves and do flips and tricks in the air.







After playing in the blazing sun all day it's great to kick back and watch the heavens change to to so many different beautiful hues of gold, red, and purple. The temperature drops to PERFECT and it's so peaceful and relaxing you think you're in heaven. We took all of these pictures right from our camping spot and then cooked dinner over the fire, followed by smores, and an after dark crab hunt with headlights. With no signs of rain, we all slept out in the open under the stars to a gentle breeze and to the soothing sound of waves not far off.

Kipu Falls

Chances are, if you have been to Kauai, you have been to Kipu Falls. It's a tourist hotspot, and for good reason. There is much fun to be had with rope swing, cliff jumping, and just enjoying the scenery at the beautiful falls. The place is usually crawling with tourists and last week, when we visited, was no different. But as usual, even with the crowd, the kids had a blast jumping from the swing and the 20 foot cliffs as well as relaxing in the stream and pool below.

The downer of the summer

We were surprised and saddened to find our neighbor's dog, Anu, a golden retriever had pulled apart our baby chicks' cage. The kids love Anu and she has been such a friendly dog. We forgot that she really is an animal and that she has those animal instincts.

I heard a little commotion with the chicks and we all ran to see what was happening, but we were a little too late. One of our chicks had escaped, but the others were gone. It was a sad time for all of us. Aidan had an especially hard time understanding and kept asking me "How could someone hurt someone else that is so soft?" Many tears were shed as the kids shared feelings and memories with their chicks. Aidan used a coconut for a headstone for the grave and made a design with some plumeria leaves and flowers over the sight. It was good that we headed up to Kokee Park the next day. After we returned from Kokee Sadie found another one of our chicks that had been hiding out for a couple of days...so instead of six we now have two.

Kokee Cabin

The Klindt's invited us to stay with them in the Baldwin Cabin at Kokee Park. I didn't know what the cabin looked like, but when we pulled up all my kids yelled, "We know this place!" That's because Jason and I had fallen in love with this place a few years back while exploring in the park. We even took pictures of the kids with the beautiful hydrangeas surrounding the cabin.

The cabin is very old (I wish I had the history) and was built by the prominent Baldwin family. The cabin has a lot of character. Inside, much of the furniture looks original and there are some beautiful pieces. There is even an old piano and an amazing book collection that must be worth a lot. The walls are covered with old black and white photos of members of the Baldwin family. So, of course, I was very excited when I realized this was the cabin where we would be staying. The weather was fantastic and in the morning we woke to a nice, crisp mountain breeze blowing through the windows as we cuddled under our down comforters. It was a mountain cabin dream that was real.

After dropping our stuff off at the cabin and settling in a bit. We headed to the reservior for some trout fishing. We found a great spot to set up...right where the stream flowed in and the trout were so abundant that the kids had caught their limit in about 15-20 minutes. That was without using their poles, but just nets. I was really glad, because Jason hadn't arrived yet and I wasn't sure if I would be of much help to the kids since I don't fish.





Aidan and Jason relaxing at the cabin


My sweet Aidan brought me this bouquet of flowers after a bike ride with his Dad. The kids enjoyed the different flowers we found in the park where the weather is cooler.


Aidan with the beautiful hydrangea


Sadie thought every flower was beautiful


The grass had just been cut and the kids used the grass clippings to make barricades for their nerf gun wars.



We went to Sugi Grove to catch crayfish...Ronnystyle. Ronny has been catching crayfish there since she was a little girl. She uses hot dogs for the bait and a rock for the weight. She made a line for all the kids to use to catch the crayfish with.






While the kids played I spent some time under this plum tree napping, reading, and just relaxing...it was wonderful!


The boys had fun playing football




Before heading home we took a short hike to a lookout of the canyon. Then Sadie and I dropped the boys off for a super fun mountain bike ride. It was mostly downhill with lots of jumps and ditches to clear. They were SO excited when we picked them up at the bottom. Cole said, "That's my kind of bike ride...downhill and fast!"