DAY 6

RELAXATION!!! We slept in, relaxed by the pool and drove down the coast to find an area to snorkel. As we drove down the coast, we saw several tents and shacks that people live in right on the beach. It was sad to see, however, the weather is fairly consistent so they don’t need much shelter. When we arrived at our destination, we saw dolphins in the distance, but they were too far out to snorkel towards. We saw starfish, several tropical fish and an eel. We drove back to the Hotel, cleaned up and had to hurry to catch our dinner cruise. Traffic was a little crazy so we were definitely behind and almost missed our cruise. Thank goodness for Valet parking. They were just getting ready to set sail. It was a great cruise that overlooked the city. We danced, played ukuleles, and sang happy birthday to Janson. Nolle even had the opportunity to dance with a little oriental woman who cut in between Janson and Noelle. What a great way to end the day!

Day 7

We awoke early and drove to Manaua Falls. The hike to the falls was exactly the way you would imagine Hawaii to be. The forest was thick with vines, bamboo and tropical flowers. WOW! Noelle learned quickly that it is indeed possible to swing from the vines and experimented. We then drove to Waikiki Beach and relaxed for a couple of hours. I think it is much more glorified than it really is. It isn’t all that big and there is only about 30 yards of beach from the Hotel front to the ocean water. I think if we were in our early 20’s looking to meet others we would definitely want to hang out for a while. We drove to Hanama Bay where we were able to snorkel with the tropical fish and turtles. The water was beautiful and the sea life was incredible. We would highly recommend this bay for snorkeling. Then back to the Hotel to clean up and go out for a fancy restaurant at the Marriot. The ambiance was great: live music, sunset, ocean view, and great weather.

Saying Goodbye

Our flight home was a red-eye flight so we were able to get one more full day in beautiful Hawaii. Dad and Taylor spent the morning deep sea fishing and ended up catching a 160 lb Tuna. Unfortunately we could not take it home due to the long flight and a freezer full of fish from Taylor’s last fishing expedition. So they sold it to a market. We shopped in downtown Honolulu, and went on a drive that overlooked the entire city at sunset. It incredible and was a great way to end an amazing trip. Thanks Mom, Dad, Noelle and Janson!

Surprise!!!

Noelle and Janson came over for game night and once again Lacee and Aysia had a little fun together. They took off their clothes as they usually do when they are together and then decided they wanted a bath. So they decided it would be fun to raid the bathroom closet with all of the swim gear and take a “swimming pool bath”. It looks fun doesn’t it???

Pine Wood Derby

With age, comes responsibility. Yes, with Jayden turning the ripe old age of 8, he had the opportunity to build his first pinewood derby car with Taylor. They really did a great job and Jayden went to the Hobby shop to pick out the stickers to decorate it. He took 6th place out of 18 cars. It is a harsh world when you can’t win everything. But after a little TLC, Jayden was excited for the other boys that raced and placed.

Cinco De Mayo

The kids are at the perfect age to start traditions. We learned about the history behind the holiday “Cinco De Mayo” then invited Noelle and Lacee over for a celebration. We made our own piñata which was stronger than we anticipated and took Noelle quite a few big blows to finally break it. We also ate fajitas and made empanadas which actually turned out quite amazing. I love traditions!

A tribute to all Moms on Mother's Day!

I just wanted to thank all of the special moms out there who have had an impact on me, my husband, and my children.

I would first of all like to thank my Mom for being so amazing. For those of you that don’t know her, she is the most selfless individual I know. She has raised children not only loving them, but respecting them and allowing each of us to follow our dreams however outlandish they may seem to everyone else. She has always believed in us and known that we could become whatever we wanted. Thank you Mom. I hope I can be half of the mother you have been to me!

I would also like to thank another incredible woman in my life that has changed my life forever. That would be Taylor’s mother Judi. She raised an amazing son and trust me from the stories I have heard, she definitely has been gifted with the virtue of patience!!! Without her example and perseverance, I would not have the beautiful family I have now. Taylor is such an amazing person, father and friend. Thank you for your unconditional love Judi, we love you!

Another mother I would like to thank is Dayna. She married Taylor’s Dad when Taylor was almost a teenager. Wow, what a brave woman:). She has been there for Taylor and seen him grow through some of the difficult years and I know Taylor looked up to her and her example. Thank you Dayna! We love you.

We were invited to Jared and Jodi’s house for a Mother’s day BBQ. It was fun to relax and let the kids play for a while. We have some amazing husbands!!!

Jayden’s Baptism

Jayden made the decision to get baptized this month. What a special day. He was actually baptized on his birthday by his Dad which made it even more special. Noelle and Grandma Robinson spoke and Jared and Jodi performed an amazing musical number. Jayden was the only one to be baptized from our ward this month so it was our own private baptism. What an amazing experience.

Look who’s 8!!

Jayden has turned the amazing age of 8. We are so proud of him and who is and becoming. He is so helpful around the house and enjoys being a big brother to Aysia and Skyler. He loves cooking and made the most amazing cake by himself the other night. We only wish we knew what he added too much or too little of to make it better than Mom can make. He loves playing any sport, especially soccer and is addicted to tetherball at recess. For his birthday we invited a few friends (Taylor, Reuben, Lincoln, Jackson and Noah) to go swimming at the local pool. It was a great and easy way to spend the big “8” Birthday.