Hawaii!!!

We had a great trip! Both girls were fabulous airplane passengers! I get a little crazy on long flights. Trust me, they did much better than I did. You couldn't even tell they were on the first flight. Well, since we flew with the Shock football team and the team they played the night prior. Poor airline attendants! You wouldn't believe that flight. Good thing it was short. Jordyn LOVES flying, and asks constantly when we will fly again. I suppose that is good. Let's just hope she continues with this enthusiasm.

Jordyn is really easy going (about certain things) and loves anything new, adventure, traveling, etc. Hawaii is definitely her second home. She has fond memories and asks when we will be going back. She made a million friends at the pool and beach. She feels she owns the pool at the condo. Oh, Jordyn, how she cracks us up. Kennedy was not fond of the humidity and heat. She wasn't too sure about the car either. She, of the two, is definitely more laid back, so far, so I was surprised by her reaction. Overall, though, they both had fun and did really well.


Here are the highlights:

We spent a lot of time with our water creature, Jordyn, at the pool and ocean.

We ate a lot of yummy food and indulged in many treats!Of course I did some shopping! We went to a few little craft fairs, markets, etc

Kennedy is quite the little shopper!

**Jeremy and his dad hit the golf course a few times. Carrie and I enjoyed a spa afternoon and some yummy coffee! :) Ahhhh............
**No pictures, sorry!**

Snorkeling!!! I researched things a bit more before we went this time. We went to one cove I found. There are some others I'd like to see next time. One is filled with turtles. People pay to take catamarans to these coves; I saved us close to $100 (for me and Jeremy) by driving a short distance from the condo and "hiking" (I use hiking loosely) to the cove. Those of you who know me know that I'm super "thrifty." I was quite proud of myself for my "find." It was reallllllly cool to see all the sea life, and I saw 2 cannon bases!!! Super cool! It was pretty neat. Despite our best efforts, Jeremy, Carrie, and I were a bit lobster-like when we returned that afternoon. Apparently waterproof 50 SPF sunblock is pointless when you are on your tummy in water. YIKES! We were BATHING in aloe that evening. Jordyn was safe on the beach. Phew!

Lots of scenic drives. On that topic, funny story! We accidentally drove the road to Hana. The road to Hana is roughly 52 miles (from a city that took us 30+ minutes to drive to from our condo). A typical trip to Hāna takes about three hours, as the road is very winding and narrow and passes over 59 bridges, 46 of which are only one-lane bridges, requiring oncoming traffic to yield and occasionally causing brief traffic jams if two vehicles meet head-on. There are approximately 620 curves along Highway 360 from just east of Kahului to Hana, virtually all of it through lush, tropical rain forest. Many of the concrete and steel bridges date back to 1910 and all but one are still in use. It is a motion-sick person's nightmare. The typical trip is about 3 hours, but I think we made better time than that. Let's just say Jeremy took care of that. We did spend almost the entire day in the car, though. It was pretty hot and we didn't have a radio. Yikes! I guess we're a bit into current luxuries and technology. Anyway, that is another scary story in itself! Once we were at the top we toured some lava tubes. Very cool. Reminds me of some of my childhood tourism. The lava tubes were how we ended up accidentally making this adventure. The "smart" person I spoke to on the phone made it sound as if the the lava tubes were only a few miles up the mountain. Uhhhh...well, they are at the verrrrrrrrry top. Thanks, sir! I guess I will ask more questions next time. Oh, well...The drive was a potentially awful event that went rather smoothly.
Jordyn, our tour guide, through the lava tube.


We made leis at the condo. Jordyn thought it was really cool. Being that it's something crafty, of course she loved it!



We visited the aquarium. Jordyn loooooved it. Kennedy was mesmerized by the tanks and creatures. Who isn't excited about an aquarium?? Of course, Jordyn wanted to go back every day after. With our $68.00 admission for the 3 (4) of us, why not go back a few times. Uhhh....just kidding. Once is enough for that price.

We saw a hula show. Jordyn LOOOVED the dancers. She asked and asked to be a hula girl. Ask and you shall receive! :)
Our rental car was a Dodge Charger. Ideally, I would have liked it to be from the 70s; however, it was a pretty sweet ride. Had to post this for my Plymouth fans.

Grandma Carrie and Grandpa "Dentist" Dennis. :) Thanks for letting us travel with you. We had the time of our lives!

I think that's a good summary. We love it there!

Easter

WOW! We have been sooooo busy lately. I'm sooo sorry that I've not been good about updating our blog, e-mailing, calling, etc! I'm hoping things will calm down a bit SOON. Let me back track a bit here.

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On Easter, the Bunny left eggs to hunt IN the house. After the indoor hunt, baskets, and breakfast, we went to my parents' house and had dinner with my paternal grandparents. Jordyn hunted some eggs in the yard; and, as always, the Easter bunny left us all baskets at their house. WAHOO! We skipped sitting on the bunny's lap at the mall. I attempted it and Jordyn freaked out (surprise). I couldn't keep Jordyn 20 feet from the bunny AND attend to Kennedy on the bunny's lap, so we bagged it entirely

Kennedy loved her little hat (HA!)
Jordyn hunting at Grandma and Grandpa's House

Hunting in G&G's yard

Hunting for eggs in our living room

Kennedy went after all the eggs she could reach!

Jordyn with her dyed eggs. We're still in the "fake" smile mode

Jordyn dyeing eggs

The day before Easter we took the girls to the Good Samaritan Easter egg hunt. It was fabulous! They gave each child a goody bag just for coming. It was filled with all sorts of fun and cute things. There were real and plastic eggs to hunt. It was really organized and there were enough eggs for all the age groups. If only the weather had been better.....lol. Well, it didn't start sprinkling until we were finishing, so that isn't too bad.

Hunting for eggs

Why can't I hunt eggs??

Clapping, Waving, Letting Go and Cute Conversations!

Kennedy is clapping and waving now. We have been working on these things for a few short weeks. She's been waving for a while, but it wasn't obvious to "outsiders," as it is now. She's very proud of herself. She was clapping at preschool this morning. The kids were doing a number activity and Jordyn's teacher had them clap. Kennedy joined in. It was awfully sweet. She's also standing occasionally without holding on to things. SCARY!!! Closer to walking. She loves to walk holding on to our fingers, too.

Jordyn has had some really funny things pop out of her mouth lately. Today, as we were driving home from preschool, she told me that mommies drink coffee and daddies drink pop. Well, I suppose that is how it works in our house, and she's quite aware of it, but I had to let her know that some daddies drink coffee and some mommies drink pop, etc.

Yesterday she asked for a snack. I gave her some choices. After each one she said, "Ummmm...no thank you." When I got to animal crackers she said, *SIGH* "Well, Mom, I suppose." When Jeremy got home from work she was coloring. A while back I told her that paper and pencils were made from wood, which comes from trees. She pointed to a tree outside and asked Jeremy to get his ladder, cut the tree down (with scissors) and let her color with it. When Jeremy said that he'd rather use a chainsaw, as the scissors would take a long time, she told him it was fine; but he needed to go out and do it for her right now. Quite bossy, this one! Then she told Jeremy if he couldn't find his ladder he could go to the store and buy one.

A few days ago, after looking at our wedding photos, she told me that I was a princess and grandpa (a picture of him walking me down the aisle) was a prince and that daddy was a prince, too. It cracked me up. She told me that she wanted to wear a beautiful dress and be a princess, too. Good thing her dad wasn't here. He's not quite ready to think about that scenario.

Almost daily she asks what her grandparents, daddy, and uncles are doing/where they are. Usually it is during the day, so they are all at work (and her uncles are at school). I told her this and she said, "why is everyone at work and we're at home?" If she only knew how much work she really is!

There have been quite a few other funny things, but at this moment I can't remember. Maybe when I do I'll edit this to include them. She's a riot.

More Messy Eating and Outdoor Play

I feel like I don't get many pictures of Jordyn posted here. I suppose it's because she's really not into doing things on my terms and she's definitely not into being photographed. Anyway, we had spaghetti one night and manicotti another night. Holy cow! I'm guessing Kennedy definitely has the Italian running through her blood (even though she only has slight fractions running through her). She inhales any Italian-type fare as if she's been starved for weeks. As you can see it makes it all over her face, due to the shoveling! She makes a little vacuum and slurping sounds, too. Goodness! I really don't know why I have such an obsession with dirty faces. I just find the whole baby meal-time thing to be so cute and funny. Just sharing the little mugs of my messy eaters.

Oh, this B-E-A-UTIFUL weather! I hope this is not a teaser and this is the actual start of spring. It's been so great to put the girls on the swings and let Jord burn off some energy. I was starting to feel trapped indoors. I think the kids were feeling the same way. I'm waiting for a few more days of this nice weather before I drag out the rest of our outdoor toys. I think if I were to do it now it would be like washing the car. We'll see! The fresh air, the beautiful sun.....it's all so wonderful. I didn't get a lot of good shots of our outdoor fun, but here are two cute ones. We had a GREAT time!!!

Spring Has Sprung...On the Right Day!!!

I kept Jordyn home from dance this week, playdates, and preschool this morning. I probably could have taken her to preschool (most likely how she contracted the plague), but I thought we'd be respectful of the other families, just in case we're still contagious. Daddy had today off. We rode to the airport with him, while he dropped off a co-worker/friend. When we we got home we spent a little time being lazy. I was really enjoying the sun from the window. I bundled up, in my winter jacket, and trekked down to the mailbox. With how the weather has been lately, I assumed it just looked nice with freezing temperatures. I was pleasantly surprised to find it very warm with little wind. I put spring jackets on the girls and we headed out to play in the yard. Santa brought Kennedy a baby swing for the swing set. She put it to good use today and was very excited about it. However, it lulled her to sleep. It was soooo cute. Of course I forgot my camera--idiot! I wish she wasn't too big for her indoor swing! Okay, she's great at putting herself to sleep, but she might enjoy it! Anyway, back to my story! As I called to Jeremy to look she woke up. I pulled the girls around in the wagon for a bit. Then I put Kennedy down for a nap. Jordyn and I got out the bubbles and chalk (her fave!). Jeremy and I had to practically drag her inside. She's reallllly excited about her swing set this year. We're hoping she'll become more excited about her new bike. It's early, I suppose. Quite a bit of outside toys and activities that she's not seen in a while. She was pretty overwhelmed with excitement. Hopefully we can head out this weekend and take some pictures!! While Jordyn had a good time, mom and dad got a look at just how much work we have to do in the yard--yay. With nice weather comes work!

I put out our Easter decorations today. Jordyn is in love!!! She loves bunnies (animals again!). She keeps carrying around an Easter Bunny pillow. It cracks me up!!!

Risotto and the Plague

Jordyn has the worst virus. She's not been this sick in a LONG time. We've had every sort of cold imaginable this season, but THIS is like the plague. Okay, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it's been miserable. When MY kid asks to go to bed or to take a nap, she's seriously ill. She's been like a zombie!!! The first night she showed signs of illness, she woke up EVERY half hour all night long. While Jeremy and I traded off, neither of us slept due to the constant hacking and crying. She had a ridiculously high fever, which is normal for her, but it is always a bit scary. It was so miserable for her. Well, for us too! At least Kennedy had a good night's rest. I hope Jord is better soon, and that Kennedy and I are safe (Jeremy rarely, if ever, gets sick). I must say, the one nice thing about her being sick is that she's cuddly. Usually, she only wants to be touched on her terms--rarely. Lately, she's asked to be held and such. Ahhhh...it's the little things.

I made risotto for dinner tonight. This was Kennedy's first time eating it. I'm not sure if it's the Italian in her, or just the fact that she likes good food (carbs, maybe???), but she couldn't get it in fast enough. Wow! Good thing Jordyn was sick, because Kennedy ate what I had given to her and Jordyn's portion. That was on top of the meat and green beans that accompanied it. This kid can pack it away. She's starting to fill out a bit more now, too. I wonder if this is why!?!?!? She's still pretty skinny, but she looks like she's packed on a bit of baby pudge. It's pretty darn cute. Lately she really looks like a big girl. I can't believe we're on the path to toddlerhood. Oh, my BABY girl...

St. Patty's Day Parade

It's almost impossible to get a picture of Jordyn head on!

I took the girls to the St. Patty's Day Parade. I thought Jordyn would really get a kick out of it, and Kennedy loves new sights. Jordyn really liked it and Kennedy seemed amused. While it was a bit chilly, the weather held out. We did leave a little early, but it was Kennedy's nap time (she fell asleep on me) and I thought it might be getting a bit cold. Jordyn loved the candy, of course, and the animals. I think she is going to be a vet, like Auntie Dani. The horses and dogs were the highlight of the parade!!! She came home and told her daddy all about the horses and dogs. So sad that she'll never have a dog. Oh, well...there are a lot of people with dogs. She can go and visit them! I couldn't believe the candy she brought home. Even after being blocked by people and skipped over a few times. Her dad rifled through the treat bag and picked out a few pieces for himself. Aren't dads always like that???

Cruising!

Kennedy is standing more and more these days. A few days ago, I was busy in the kitchen when I heard the gate at the top of our stairs rattling. Jordyn was having quiet time, which left Kennedy. I called Jeremy up from the basement to take some pictures. This is what we saw.


I guess she really wanted to go downstairs to play with her toys (most likely her sister's toys!) or maybe to see her daddy. She's now moving from one piece of furniture to another. As I write this she has made it to the gate again. I brought her back to the living room, where she is working on moving from the couch to the table and along my legs to the love seat. Lately, when she wakes up this is how we find her. Anytime we have her hold our fingers and try to walk she laughs. Almost a little mischievous. Maybe this is a warning!!!! This is so new and different from Jordyn. Soooo much excitement!!!!!!!!

Mobius Fun!!!

Daddy loves to play at this table. He usually creates a big dam. Too many kids today. Men really are big kids, aren't they??? :P

Serious about coloring and GLUE!

More water play!

I am the center of the universe. Or at least I'm the center of this play area!

Mastering "stairs" already!!! Greeeeeeeeeeeat!

I love this tunnel. It's quite an adventure.

Last Sunday we took the kids to Mobius. It had been been a while since we've gone as a family. Grandma and Grandpa Stuart had never been, so we asked if they wanted to join the fun. They came with us and had a blast!!! The girls love Mobius!! Kennedy, being more mobile, had a lot of fun climbing, pulling, crawling, and moving around the baby area. Jordyn LOVES the water stations and food hut. Jeremy was pretty excited this time, as they had a lot of sports-type exhibits set up for him to play!!! :)

Wordless Wednesday