The Hardin Family

Let's trim the tree shall we?

2011-12-28T18:46:00.000-06:00

This year I decided to do things a little differently. I have been extremely homesick this past year and Christmas has always made me feel better. So Matt gave me the go ahead to decorate early. And decorate I did! I decided to have Christopher help instead of trying to get it all done while the boys are asleep. The magic in his eyes was so worth it! Matt also kept up his tradition....he watched his favorite Christmas movie,Elf, while we decorated. I think Christopher had a hard time choosing between the tree and the movie.

I also made a small felt tree for the boys to decorate. All of the ornaments were also made of felt so they stuck to the tree on their own! It was a hit with the boys as well as any kids who came to play, and a few adults too!

He had to get just the right placement.

Showing off my handiwork!

Happy Birthday to me baby!!!

2011-12-27T21:35:00.000-06:00

Turning 30 is a big deal! I mean really! A BIG DEAL! And how did I celebrate you ask? I went skydiving! No need to reread that last sentence.. I will say it again for you. I WENT SKYDIVING! And it was awesome! I honestly was not scared or nervous at all. I was a tiny bit hesitant 10 seconds after we jumped out of the plane, but by that time, there was no turning back.

Afterwards Matt took me pottery painting, and to any of you who know me, I loved it! I painted a beautiful red coffee mug with black swirls. We then went to meet all of our friends at Bucca's! It is one of my favorite places to eat and with all of our friends made it that much better.

Halloween was a hoot! Christopher went as a cowboy and Henry was a pumpkin. The were the cutest.

Up until now Chris had never gone trick or treating because he was just too small. But this year we headed out with our friends Dave and Christine and their kids Trinity and Donovan. I don't know who had more fun, me or Chris.

Henry had fun riding in his little car, but the costume soon got on his nerves and he spent the rest of the evening trying to get out of that sucker!

All of the neighbors commented on how polite our little cowboy was when he said thank you every time.

He was oblivious to the candy part of it and would ring the doorbell, yell "Trick or Treat" and then run back. It took a few houses before he caught on. He even let himself into a few houses.

My little cowboy! He can find anywhere! Even in the dark.

WOWZERS! I have been slacking... well actually no I haven't.

2011-12-27T21:10:00.000-06:00

The above statement is both true and false at the same time. While yes I have been doing a HORRIBLE job at keeping you all updated. I have been increadily busy with other things. So in this short break away from my kids, and house chores I will try to bring you up to speed!

AND.... GO!

September is a major blur. But in a good way! As a family we ran the Stephen Sillers "tunnel to towers" 5k. If any of you are wondering what that is, THIS will fill you in. It was amazing to see so many people turn out! And as it were... I quite literally bumped into someone from my hometown! She and I have since become FB buddies!

Anyway, we also participated in "Light the Night" walk, to help shed light on research for Leukemia and Lymphoma. It is an organization close to both of our hearts, and we were blessed with friends and family donating money to the cause!

And now onto October....

It was brought to my attention...

2011-11-11T02:30:00.000-06:00

So I realize that it has been a while since I last posted, but life has been so grand and busy I honestly wanted to spend more time enjoying it and less time writing about it! I have a few minutes to myself so I decided to post about myself. You see, a friend recently told me that while they love reading about all of the great things that happen in our house, there have very few posts about just me. Not the food I cook, or the crafts I do with the kids, but just me. They suggested something interesting! An entry about me with as many facts as I am old. Be it past experiences or future goals. So I thought why not...surely I am interesting enough to put 30 things about myself up. So here we go!

I am afraid of the dark.. I always have been. I think it is because I am as blind as a bat, and when I have no glasses or contacts on I really can't see anything in the dark.
I love to bake! I think it is my therapy.....even though it sometimes stresses me out
I love Disney movies! And I still sing some of the songs from my favorite movies as a kid.
I try to be the very best friend I can !
I LOVE yarn. Not necessarily for anything. I just love balled up yarn.
I can not sleep with the closet or bathroom doors open. That is where the monsters stay.
I can not...CAN NOT grow plants.
I am an Army wife and so very proud to be!
My favorite color is teal, but I go through different stages of jewel tones!
I am allergic to melons.
I am dominantly left handed.
I love my name! I have never in my life wanted to change it.... Except when I got married.

I have been married for 8 years! EIGHT! And I got to have two weddings!

I regularly go snuggle with my boys while they are sleeping... they aren't big snuggle bugs otherwise.
I love my dog, even though he claims Matt and the boys as his "masters" and gets on my nerves ALL the time. I love him.

My favorite pic of Goper.

The smell of peppermint reminds me of my grandpa.

I only have one tiny picture of my Nana. I keep it in the kitchen so I see it all the time.
I do not DO NOT like orange.
I am living in Hawaii for the second time in the last decade.

I make beautiful babies!

Christoper

Henry

I hate to put clothes away. I can wash, dry, and fold them. But have a very hard time putting them up.
I love to make things. I sometimes thing my middle name should be Crafty. That has a nice ring to it.. Sarah Crafty Hardin. Although I do love my name.
I used to teach school.
I broke my nose on my second date with my husband.
I am faint of blood.
I love to do puzzles, but doing them makes me sad because I miss my friend Jenna.
I have a very big fear of balloons.
I have a lot of movies I love but there are a few that will always remain at the top : You've Got Mail, To Kill a Mockingbird, Field of Dreams, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and The Final Season
I hold my uncle Russell accountable for my love of baseball! He talked my mom into signing me up as a kid and he even took me to my very first professional baseball game. Texas Rangers vs. New York Yankees. My earliest memory of him is sitting on the couch with him watching a game. I don't know how old I was but I still remember what clothes I was wearing.
I went skydiving for my 30th birthday! I figured what better view to have than the north shore of Oahu to do it. It was amazing! I crossed it off of my list of things I want to do and have absolutely no plans on ever doing it again.

So there it is! A small portion of my life in 30 quick sentences. Did I surprise any of you?

WHAAAAAAT?

2011-08-25T15:20:00.000-05:00

I occurred to me this morning that you all are in SERIOUS NEED of a kiddo update! And while I do need to update you all on he rest of our summer, this seems more important to me right now... more for my own recollection and documentation! So here we go!

Christopher is 3 years and almost 4 months! And while he does have a rotten streak sometimes, he does have to sweetest tendencies. He is about to be enrolled in school since his speech is delayed. But Dr.s think school will be great for him, and give him he extra push he needs that I can't give him. He is going to love it!!! He also loves anything that has to do with cooking! He also loves to draw on his magna doodle. And with the help of modern technology, he has even gotten to sit down and draw with his aunt Kiki and Nana. His vocabulary, though behind, really seems to be blossoming! He loves to go to school and church to see friends! Helping out mom (that is my name now... not Mama) is a natural for this boy! He really loves to pretend he is Gopher! They are quite cute when they sit and beg for food! Here are his stats:

He weighs in at 37 lbs (still)
He is 38 inches tall
His favorite meal is PB&J with carrots and goldfish
His other favorite foods are corn on the cob, beans, cookies (obviously), capri sun, pop tarts, broccoli, bell peppers, and anything that has to do with blueberries.
I can rarely get him to eat meat. But I have learned if it is covered in BBQ sauce, it is as good as gone!
He has stipped taking a bath but still has a quiet time every day.
He really doesn't have a favorite TV show since we limited tv to couple of hours a week.
His favorite movies are WALL-E, The Rescuers, and Finding Nemo
He still loves Angie, but his WOOBIE is a thing of the past!!!
He is still terrified to get his hair cut
He is 100% left handed.
He no longer wants to be called Christopher...it is Chris. And that breaks my heart.

And now for some Chris pics...

Could he be any sillier?!

Shaving cream letters

I let him choose his new sunglasses and he chose these! He is going to land a role in the new Breakfast club remake for sure! (and no they are not remaking it...Im just saying.)

And now Henry....

I am happy to announce that Hank has been sleeping through the night for a while now, I just didn't want to jinx it. He is a real snuggle bug! He loves all stuffed animals and toys he shouldn't play with. Jumping is also a favorite! And he absolutely adores Christopher! I think he might be smaller than Chris. He is 100% mobile now and while it sill takes him a while to get from A to B he is picking up speed daily. He has started eating table foods and couldn't be happier!!! His favorite so far is wheat bread! He said Mama yesterday 8-24-11 and his uncle Josh got to hear him on the phone! He is long overdue for his first haircut, but are having a hard time letting go. Now for his stats:

He weighs 18lbs and 2 oz
He is 25 inches long
His favorite food is anything I am eating. But bread and baby cheese puffs are his loves!
He does not like grapes.
Miller is still his #1 gal although Farly the Frog is pulling a VERY close second.
He has 2 full teeth on the bottom and 2 top teeth that started breaking through 2 days ago.
He is completely right handed.
He loves to spit when he sun is coming through the windows, so he can see it catch the light. It is very gross but soooooo funny!
He pushes his lips out like a kiss and breathes really fast through his nose when he is excited!
His favorite toy is the door stopper in the hallway that going BOING
He naps twice a day once around 9 am and then again around 1 pm
He will fall asleep a the drop of a hat if he is snuggling his daddy.

And now for pictures!

Playing with the door stopper

Dr. Hardin at your service!

Loving the morning sunshine is a daily routine here!

He really loves baths in the sink! Can you tell?

2011-08-18T13:17:00.000-05:00

As you can imagine, life with two boys is crazy craziness! Never the less, here is a long overdue video update! I promise to do a for real, pictures included, update in the next 24 hours... maybe.

The other day I had so many things to do, but I just couldn't pull myself away from these guys. And I totally think it was worth it!

Henry has been crawling for a few weeks now, but I am just now getting around to putting up some videos. (I know, "Horrible Mother of the Year" nominee right here..) When trying to get Hank on the move we found the best tempter was Miller!

A few funny videos!

2011-07-27T19:41:00.000-05:00

With all of the crazy chaos of ER visits, and hospital stays there were a few funny moments! So I decided to share a few! I promise to update more on the month of July later!!!

Are you smiling yet?!

He is is mother's son!

2011-07-18T12:31:00.000-05:00

It would seem my silliness is already showing up in Henry... And I am not at all surprised... Christopher was about this age when he started showing signs of his mothers "silly disease".

But now it is Hank's turn!

Mission accomplished... NEXT!

Crafts, Papa and Jesus!

2011-07-15T20:59:00.000-05:00

This is why Christopher doesn't eat muffins very often... he tends to pulverize them. But look how proud he is!

Kiki never falls short on surprised for boy #1! She sent foam swords that were an instant hit, quite literally.

I decided to continue with the "year of homemade gifts" with leis for Papa and Melody! I learned to make them about 5 years ago when our FRG decided to make leis for every soldier in Matt's unit returning from Iraq.. after 300, I got pretty proficient at it!

Christopher decided to make leis too, with a little help from mom. Hank did an excellent job of watching!

They were very surprised!

Papa and Henry's first time meeting! Needless to say it was love at first sight!

Henry had to sleep in our room the week Papa was here. He is very much a cuddle bug and loves the frog his aunt Allison gave him. Every morning I would wake up to find him like this. Silly kid.

Last November Jenna, Jeremy, Courtney and I made a trip up to North Shore and we wandered into Ron Artis studio. The family was nice enough to give us a live concert! As soon as the music started Henry went crazy in my belly! So I decided that we would bring him back when Papa was here. They scooped him up and let him explore the instruments! He loved the piano the most!

Papa being... well... papa.

Christopher showing off his AWESOME tattoo!

They found fish!

I don't think this kid will every get tired of going to the beach!

Henry seemed to have a fine time watching everyone!

His first time putting his feet in the water!

He love it!

They filmed Pirates of the Caribbean here, and the Black Pearl is still docked at our favorite beach! So cool!

We took them to Bucca Di Beppo, and sat at the kitchen table! Afterwards we introduced them to Dave and Busters! It was so so so fun!

The next day we went to the USS Missouri. But first papa needed a little early morning snuggle time! I don't think Henry minded one bit.

Papa and Christopher played games the whole time they were here. It was either coloring, or matching or dominoes! I am so happy that they got to spend that time together!

I also got the privelage to teach VBS this year! It has been a few years since I have and it was really nice to get back to it. The theme was Big Apple Adventure and I taught 1st grade with my friend Pam. He is our classroom!

Our kiddos!

Me and Pam

Paster D and Mrs. Kathy set a goal of $400. And if we could raise that much money, Pastor D said he would shave his head in front of everyone!

We blew that goal out of the water! So Pastor D had to pay up! The kids love it!

lou lou skip to my lou....

2011-07-15T14:50:00.000-05:00

I know I know my post are very sporadic and chaotic at that... I will work on it. So how about I finish up on May?

We had the boys dedication this Mother's Day!

Christopher decided to take a seat

We also took a trip up to North Shore one morning and I couldn't resist being kinda touristy and snapped a few pictures! I don't know why but this is my favorite scenery in all of Hawaii...

Kiki and Meef AKA Kim and Lee got Christopher his first T Ball set! We are super pumped!

It was comical watching Matt try to teach Christopher to bat left handed.

I couldn't be happier that Christopher shares my love of baseball! And by the looks of this picture, Gopher is going to like it too!

Little Hank, just hanging out... he looks to tiny to me in this picture.

One of the ~~few~~ very few pictures where they are together and smiling.

For those of you who know Christopher, he is not much of a snuggler, so I took full advantage of snapping as many pictures as I could before Christopher stopped tolerating him.

You never know what you are going to find when the house gets really quiet..i.e. the shampoo incident or an impromptu nap time!

April in a nutshell...

2011-06-18T02:08:00.000-05:00

We had a very busy April and I am sad to say that I didn't take as many pictures as I would have liked to. I did get some great videos, which I will post later, of Henry rolling over for the first time. It seems most of the videos here lately are of Henry, but I do try to get ones of Christopher. He seems to have entered a "no camera" phase. Kids.

Henry started baby food and let me tell you, he was not that into it. Christopher seemed to dive into food, literally, but Hank... NO THANKS!

Christopher's first official Easter egg hunt was for lack of a better word chaotic. But we tried to make the best of it. Somewhere in that jumble of people Matt is standing over a small stash of eggs so Christopher can get a few before all of the older kids wiped the place clean.

He did not seem impressed.

His "loot" We don't do a lot of candy in our house so the eggs were prize enough for him.

Henry with the Easter bunny... Matt and I are in agreement that this bunny is slightly on the creepy side. And we don't blame him one bit for refusing to sit/stand close to him.

This is as close as he would get and that was just to give him a high-five on the way out. I just happened to reach back and snap a photo.

We also had quite a few friends from the last time we were stationed here come to visit. This is Hank hamming it up with Jean. She was quite commical in her continuous questions about how I know what to do with babies. Sadly, we didn't get a picture of when Jim, Susan and Wyatt came to visit. We did have a lovely dinner down town on the beach though.

Christopher being... Christopher.

Henry still falls asleep everywhere and I love it! I know that if he is ever quiet for more than 30 seconds he is probably conked out.

And my sweet Christopher still loves to help me cook whenever possible. I do hope that my love for cooking rubs off on him!

I know... I have been absent.

2011-06-18T01:51:00.000-05:00

But what can I say?! We have been having a blast!!! So there will probably be an influx of updates over the next day or two! It just dawned on me that I totally forgot to share our time with Matt's parents while they were here. A month doesn't seem so long, but we have done quite a bit! So here we go... AND..... GO!

Mel and Carolyn AKA Grammie and Pops came to visit for a week and we had so much fun hanging out with them! A year is a long time to not see grandparents.

The sunset they landed!

Grammie found Christopher some play glasses! He LOVED them!

I think they make him look like Drew Carey.

And of course, as with all of our guests, we ate some YUMMY food! This is my new favorite, Shrimp and Lobster Tacos.

Beach time was a must! And the boy loved be thrown around in the water!

Hank loved to snuggle... isn't he sweet?!

Daddy gave mommy a break from totting #2 around during our tour of the USS Missouri.

We took Grammie and Pops to Bucca's for a fun dinner in the kitchen.

We had a lot of fun goofing around with the staff and watching them prepare all of the food!

Henry enjoyed the show as well.

We also visited the Punchbowl National Cemetery. It was a stunning sight.

I couldn't help but snag a shot of father and son enjoying a little bit of history together.

We all had a great time! I just wish they could have stayed a little longer. But the boys got some wonderful time with their grandparents, and we enjoyed having them! I just hope that next time won't be so long.

too sleepy

2011-05-04T14:23:00.001-05:00

kjhfdaskjdfhk
Hank is in love with his new jumper! One day while cooking, he loved it so much, he just fell asleep! I couldn't help but snap a quick video.

talking!!

2011-05-04T14:22:00.001-05:00

It would seem Hank is finding his voice! He loves to jump and talk to me while I load the dishwasher.

It's Birthday Time!

2011-05-04T14:19:00.001-05:00

This year we decided to have some fun with Christopher's birthday since last year it was very low key. We rented a bounce house and prayed the rain would stay away long enough for the kids to have some fun. And wowzers did they have fun!

We decided to go with Christopher's #! favorite food.... TACOS!!

Pineapple Agua Fresca! It was sooo yummy!

I did "discovery" rainbow buckets as favors! They were filled with things like magnifying glasses, color prisms, suction cups balls, glasses ect.

We also had a craft table with picture frames for all of the kids to paint. David and Lisa were kind enough to paint frames for Robert and Hank!

Anna put her wicked face painting skills to work! Here she is turning Trinity into a panda

Christopher taking a small break from the face painting. We all thought he was a puppy, but he went back for his panda eyes.

Oh Anna... we love her! She got a little carried away with the paint. We lovingly referred to Christopher as the Bandit Panda for the rest of the day!

Then it was bounce time! The kids and dads had SO MUCH FUN! They pretended Matt was the monster and the corners of the bounce house were base. I didn't personally get to see the fun but oh my could you hear it!

Then we opened presents and had a quick cupcake and it was back to the bounce house. Everyone had such a nice time talking and playing and of course eating!

He is saying "ARRRRRRGH"

Dad had to join in on the fun!

He couldn't decided between his new big wheel, camera or the bounce house.

We knew we were going to quickly loose time for cake so we had a quick birthday song, which he didn't like, and a yummy cupcake and they were off again!

He only ate half before popping back outside. Poor kid had too many fun choices.

So he opted for taking pictures with his new camera while in the bounce house! Love that kid!

Nick getting some cuddle time with Robert!

A big thank you to Gaudencia for helping me with the party! She taught me to make the rice and aqua fresca, as well as be my voice of calm when I was getting overwhelmed.

Sweet Kali and Silly Trinity!

Christine lovin' on Hank!

Hank turns over!!

2011-04-20T13:58:00.001-05:00

What better way to get to his favorite "love" Miller? Why rolling over of course! And lucky for me I had my camera ready!!!

yum yum yum!

2011-04-04T19:06:00.000-05:00

This past weekend we hosted a game night! Guilty pleasure foods was chosen as the theme and boy did everyone come through! I tossed the idea around for few days before I decided on my guilty pleasure. I love coffee, and I love cupcakes. So I used this recipe as a stepping stone for my cupcakes. I didn't make major changes. But I decided that we were not going to use alcohol. All in all they turned out so super yummy! Usually I have a few left over that we snack on for a few days. But not this time. They were gone!

I used chocolate covered coffee beans as garnish!

They were such a hit, they have already been requested by Matt's office!

Cooking lessons resume

2011-04-04T18:57:00.000-05:00

Its CUPCAKE TIME!!!

Each time we cook together I let him do a little more on his own. This time I felt he was ready to fill the cups himself.... I was wrong. He just basically painted the paper cups but never really got the batter in. So I had to help him out.

But boy was he ready to lick to bowl! I think everyone remembers licking the spoon or bowl. And then i realized, he has to have a first sometime... why not now! Needless to say he loved it!

My first attempt at making buttercream was a bust as you can see on the counter. I just love his face though. He looks as though he is about to get caught doing something naughty.

He didn't complain one bit about the icing.

I just love his eyelashes!

I love this picture! Not only is he covered in batter and icing, he is standing under my "kiss the cook" sign. I love that boy!

March in Review

2011-04-04T18:44:00.000-05:00

Uncle Lee came to visit this March on his way home! We had so much fun playing at the beach and around the house!

Henry was scared of him the first couple of times Lee held him, but as you can see, he quickly got over that!

I personally like the drool spot on his shoulder!

Looking just like his brother....

He is on the move! One night Hank and I were hanging out after Christopher went to bed and daddy was at work, and he managed to scoot from where I am pointing to where he is now. I have a feeling he is going to keep me busy.

Daddy getting home from work just in time for Henry's morning snuggle time.

He loves his elephant "Miller". If ever there is a time he is fussy and we can't figure out what is wrong, Miller is usually the answer!

We learned about the letter "R" this week and ended with a rainbow.

And what better way to wake up from nap on "rainbow day" than with a huge double rainbow! Perfect timing!

Henry loves his jumper!

I love how you can see Henry smiling just from his fat cheeks!

Christopher was showing him all of the fun stuff you can do on that thing!

sweet kisses

We still watch Wheel of Fortune almost every night before bed! Hank has even started participating.

my boys

I gave Christopher a beading and pattern lesson with straws and yarn. He loved it!

Then I decided we would do some fine gross motor skills and learn to spread.

Marshmallow fluff on a graham cracker works and tastes great.

Add a few chocolate and peanut butter morsels and...

we have a snack!

and a yummy one at that!

Every day, every single day. He destroys his room during nap and then konks out right before nap time is over.

Henry has started joining us at the dinner table in his high chair. Sometimes he will sleep or play, or maybe talk.

But mostly he sits there watching and listening. I just can't get over how dark his eyes are. I didn't think that both boys would inherit them from me, but I sure am glad they did!

They were looking for helicopters

Sitting out there talking about their days!

I love them!

We are a craftly little family!!!

2011-03-17T02:47:00.000-05:00

Last month I made my own colored pasta as an experiment, and I have to say it turned out AMAZING! I knew I wanted to have a stockpile of craft "stuff" for rainy days and times when I just couldn't get out of the house. Well that time came when our kitchen floor had to be replaced. I plugged Christopher into his chair and gave him a lesson on patterns, sorting, counting and necklace making! All in all... a success!

I also had to make a dessert for my bunco group! This was the first one I had been to in a while when I wasn't HUGE pregnant! So I decided it was time to put some effort into it! The theme was St. Patrick's Day so I made rainbow cupcakes! They turned out so awesome! Everyone at the party thought they were regular cupcakes until they peeled them open! For all of you asking me to show you how I did it... here you go! Complete with help from my little monster!

Here is what you will need. I use icing food coloring because it is VERY bright and doesn't water down the batter!

Cupcake Monster!

I used plastic cups to keep from dirtying so many dishes.

Follow the recipe as per the directions and then separate evenly between the six cups.

Start adding your coloring to the desired brightness.

For some reason I didn't take a picture of the next step, but basically I spooned a little bit of each color into each muffin cup. REMEMBER to start with purple and work backwards or you will end up with backwards rainbows like this one.

I iced them and topped each one with a golden chocolate coin.

And VIOLA! Rainbow cupcakes! And the were a huge hit!

Nana sent Christopher and I a set of 101 cookie cutters. YES you read correctly. 101!!!! We were so excited we just had to make salt dough crafts to break em in! Christopher is really getting into helping me in the kitchen, which I LOVE! So here you go! I mixed the dough and rolled out the first set and then after that, I let him go to town!

He had such a fun time! And the good thing is, we still havent decorated them yet! I know that sounds awful, but they were cool by the time Christopher went down for a nap so I tucked them away for a future rainy day craft! GENIUS I know!

Catching up on February.

2011-03-16T20:58:00.000-05:00

After our visit with Nana and Grandpa, we hosted a "baby party"! There have been a few new babies born in my craft circle. And what better place to host a party to celebrate babies, than a house full of baby stuff! We made some new friends and had some oh so yummy food! There was even a grandmother here ready to snuggle on anyone who wanted!

Lisa and her mom Nancy!

Allison and Donovan

Henry and Robert are 4 days apart, and already buds!

Lisa and Anna being.... Lisa and Anna!

Matt ran the Great Aloha Run this year! The boys and I are so proud of him!!

Christopher has started taking his nap in the oddest places. This month is has been the bean bag chair.

so sweet...

I don't know how Matt does it... but he can get Henry to fall asleep almost anywhere.

Goofing around with Daddy!

We are still working on the potty training.....

Two peas in a pod!

Nana and Grandpa come to town!!!

2011-03-15T12:59:00.000-05:00

Nana and Grandpa come for a visit this past February and we all had so much fun! Christopher loved playing on the beach with Nana and Henry really like snuggling with Grandpa!

Christopher welcomed them with custom pillowcase artwork! He had so much fun.

On their first day here, we went to Bellows AFB to play on the beach! It was a nice surprise! Christopher got to play on the HUGE playground, and Nana got to take some much needed grandkid pics!

We also took them to Ko Olina for an awesome day at our favorite beach! Mom and Lou couldn't get over how warm it was and just how blue the water is. It made me realize just how much I had been taking it for granted. It was nice that week to just slow down and take another look around.

We also took them to a luau! And I do believe they had a really good time!

Grandpa was chosen to demonstrate how to eat poi. He wasn't a fan!

Even Henry enjoyed the hula girls!

Nana too!

The rest of their trip was full of good food, lots of playing and hanging out! We miss them already!

Henry's first smiles were caught on camera!!!

Henry turns 1 month!

2011-02-01T17:18:00.000-06:00

Henry turned one month and is growing way too fast! He weighed 8lbs 14oz and was 22 and a half inches long. He eats 7-8 times a day, and has yet to sleep a long stretch through the night, but we are keeping our fingers crossed. He is going through a bout of colic, but I keep telling myself...."it could be worse". He is a cutie pie and loves holding his head up mostly in the evening time. He smiles often, but if you aren't quick you will miss it. Christopher has really been a big help! His favorite chores are throwing diapers away and putting clothes in the washing machine. All in all I would say he loves his little brother very much!

First Bath

Einstein hair

One month!!

Brothers!!

Oh that boy!

2011-02-01T13:16:00.001-06:00

I just couldn't keep these to myself! Christopher has been a busy little boy playing football and dancing his little heart out! Hehehe!

And Dancing!

I'm dreaming of a White Christmas..

2011-01-29T12:19:00.000-06:00

Well that didn't happen for sure this year. The rains were hear almost the entire week leading up to Christmas, but on Christmas morning we woke to beautiful clear skies! And once the kids were up it was time for the madness to begin!

Christmas Eve!

Playing the new Dance game!

Christmas Snuggles!

We were blessed this year with good health, a lot of happy memories, and a growing family!

Let the catching up.... begin!

2011-01-29T11:49:00.001-06:00

Well I called it! I knew that once Henry got here it would be a while before I posted again. And boy do I have a lot to share! First of all... Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Okay here we go!

December seemed to get busier and busier as the month wound down. We had Christmas parties and baby showers, family and dogs come, and then Henry came! Here is a peek at how it all went down!

About mid way through the month Kim and the kids came to help us out with Christopher! We had a blast! We hung out, went to the beach and north shore. And basically just had a pretty good time!

Heading to the water with Kiki

Then Gopher finally made it to Hawaii! Needless to say, he and the boy were super excited to see one another. They chased each other up and down the hall for hours that first night.

And then it was time for Henry to make his appearance! And boy did he!

Henry James was born December 22nd at 12:30 in the afternoon weighing 7lbs. 14 oz. and measuring 19.5 inches. Here are just a few more pictures!

Proud Mama

Proud Daddy

Two brothers meet!

A pretty awesome kid!

2010-12-17T11:14:00.000-06:00

Well I figured it was time for an update on what Christopher has been up to and in into lately. He is ALL BOY that is for sure!

He loves LOVES any and all modes of transportation be it motorcycles, trains, helicopters, rescue vehicles and school bus (his personal favorite).
He loves to read his books and we will often find an array of them in his bed in the morning or after nap. He doesn't realize we can hear him stomp over to his bookshelf to get a little reading material.
His drawing and coloring obsession has slowed somewhat, but every now and then he will create a masterpiece. It is usually on the kids menu when we go out to eat.

Woobie and Angie are still a big deal to him, although we have begun to leave them in his room until it is time to go to bed.

He loves Super Why, Sid the Science Kid, Chuggington, and Special Agent OSO. He flip flops back and forth with Mickey Mouse and Sesame Street. But I do have to say his all time favorite show..... wait for it..... Wheel of Fortune? Yep you read right! We have a nightly ritual of finishing up dinner, and cleaning up dishes and then sitting down and watching WOF! He will sit throught the entire show and knows that when they hit bankrupt or lose a turn that it is a bad thing, and he usually say "ohhhh nooooo" and he jumps up and down screaming if they win the prize puzzle at the end. He is just too funny!
For all of you who know him, he has just recently started talking a lot. But he is really starting to pick up funny words and phrases. He loves to ask if we are sleepy when we yawn, he asks "you ok?" if we cough or bump into something. Every bug is a bumble bee, and he is quick to let us know when something is "not nice".
Dancing has become top priority in this house. If there is music playing with a somewhat "grooveable" beat, you better believe this boy will be busting a move in the kitchen. And if you are lucky, he will ask you to dance too!
And this boy loves to eat! Sure he goes through his picky stages as any kid would, but when he likes something....

He likes it!!!

At his last visit he was 36 lbs. and 37 inches tall! He is a good sleeper, a good eater, I would say all in all... A pretty awesome kid!

It's time!

2010-12-17T10:23:00.000-06:00

Well it is that time of year again! Christmas is my absolute favorite time of year. I love covering up with Christmas blankets on the couch, while watching cheesy holiday movies on TV that I have seen a million times over. And drinking hot chocolate while wrapping presents with ELF playing in the background. I even like putting lights on the tree. But one of my all time favorite things to do, and I have done it since I was a little kid... I like to go downstairs very early in the morning and plug in the tree lights and just sit. I settle down right in front of the tree and look at all of the decorations and lights and glitter. I actually decided to update my blog while sitting there just a few minutes ago! And while yes this year is a little different, well, a LOT different. The lowest the temp. has gotten here is 72 and I have yet to drink hot chocolate because of said temperature and due to the fact that I am 24 million months pregnant (or so it seems). And I have chosen sleep a few more mornings that I normally do instead of sitting in front of the tree, I am still trying to enjoy some of the things I love doing around this time. I have been making quite a few holiday snacks and gifts this year. Nothing real fancy but fun!

The Christmas tree! :)

Christopher looking at the tree with ornaments on it for the first time this year. Soon after this picture he was told "don't touch the ornaments" for the first of probably a zillion times this year.

He loves to kiss the really pretty ornaments.

Talking with Grammie and Pops on skype!

And now the yummy treats! I would show you some of the crafts I have been making, but they are Christmas gifts, and I don't want to spoil the surprise.

Our newest favorite treat (thanks Sue) Rollos, pretzels, and M&Ms or as we call em.. RPMs. So simple to make but oh-so-yummy!!!

And spicey Texas Trash! It has been a big hit this year.

Well so far that about wraps it up! Hahah WRAPS it up. Okay come on people you know that was kinda funny! The craziness is about to begin here so I can not guarantee that updates will come quickly, but I do promise to do my best. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

2010-12-01T15:30:00.000-06:00

Christopher decided to mail himself to the grandparents for Christmas! After a little while he kinda figured out who to close himself up in the box. I LOVE when he waves towards the end!!!

2010-11-27T14:20:00.001-06:00

So Thanksgiving was a SUCCESS!!! Our great friends Jenna, Jeremy and Courtney come to visit for a Hawaiian Thanksgiving. And we had so much fun! So needless to say this section will be a little picture heavy.

Christopher showing everyone our awesome view!

BEACH TIME!

Daddy burying Christopher in the sand,

Jenna soaking up the sun

I guess snorkeling really took it out of them.

Waiting for the luau to start.

The biggest pancakes I have ever seen... I barely made a dent.

Not only is his face COVERED in PB&J, but check out the kid behind him trying to swipe his Christopher's beloved school bus. When Christopher realized, the look on his face roughly translated to "PUNK you better drop it!"

I think everyone enjoyed the show!

I think Christopher enjoyed the fire dancer the best!

But who doesn't like a little hop shaking?

And what holiday wouldn't be complete without dancing in the kitchen?

Little Cutie!

All in all it was a great visit! We hung out, went sight seeing, acted like tourists, ate and laughed A LOT! Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

It's begining to feel a little like Christmas!

2010-11-17T22:29:00.001-06:00

I got a new camera this weekend! It replaced my old one that got smashed in the move this past month. So I have kind of been putting off on picture taking opportunities are relying on friends with cameras to help document a few of the past months events. The past few weeks have really brought out a craftiness in me that I am even surprised by. So I figure I might as well why not roll with it. I will not have any free time once Henry gets here.

Because of dietary concerns with Christopher, he hasn't had a lot of whole milk in his life. That being said, he has never had milk in his cereal. That is, until this week! I think he reallly like it at first because it was something completely new. But once those Cheerios got soggy... FORGET IT.

I made salt dough ornaments for Christopher to decorate. I figure they will go nicely on the Aunts and Uncles Christmas trees. And honestly who doesn't love home made gifts from kids?! He had so much fun painting them at first, but about half way through he got very serious in his holiday task. I love watching the sheer concentration on his face.

We have also been enjoying the slightly cooler weather with longer play times out back. Christopher loves to play in the "flowers" weeds that have tiny white blossoms. He also loves standing high on the wall and running as fast as he can across the yard.

And of course being a HAM!

While we were playing out back it occurred to me that I haven't been able to show my friends and family back home the infamous "paint tree" in our back yard. We call it the paint tree because it looks like it is oozing paint. I noticed it the while stuck in traffic the last time we lived in Hawaii. And as it turns out, it is in the back yard of our new house! So ladies and gentlemen, I present the paint tree!

Baby update!

2010-11-09T13:37:00.001-06:00

And let me start off by saying... YES I am aware that my blog is already decorated for the holidays. But lets be honest, with two sets of visitors, a dog and a baby coming within the next month when am I going to be able to update this thing? So this is fair warning that if you check back in March and there are still Christmas trees up, politely ignore them! So with that lets get to the good stuff!

This last doctors appointment went very well! Henry is measuring right on track as is his mama! The Dr. has been really fun in joining in on all of the fun little things we have been doing as far as guesses. Originally she guessed girl, WRONG. Now she has joined in our little poll! As with Christopher, we sent out an email asking for guesses on birth date, time, weight and length. It has been very interesting seeing what everyone thinks! It is also really fun to add to the baby book afterward! As promised, here is the latest picture! 33 weeks and counting!

Henry's nursery is almost finished. We just have a few pictures to hang and little things to clear out that have been stored there since we moved in last month. But I thought I would give a little sneak peak!!

How is this for a post card?!

2010-11-09T13:19:00.000-06:00

Just the other day I was cleaning Christopher up from breakfast and happened to look out the front window and spotted an amazing site! I had to share!

So my next question is... When are you coming to visit?

Some days you gotta dance... even if you are a skeleton.

2010-11-09T12:49:00.002-06:00

This post is a little late, but well worth it I can assure you! This was officialy our second Halloween together as a family. It is hard to believe that last year Christopher and I were dressed up as the Tortoise and the Hare and excited beyond believe that Matt would be home in a few short days! So we had to make it special! Our new friends here in Hawaii had a little Halloween bash and we all had so much fun! Our costume idea came from my being pregnant really... I had gotten my shirt early so it was decided that we would all be a skeleton family! And I do have to say, we turned out really cute! Take a look!

The skeleton family

The Dancing Family! Minus Ella... she was dancing!

The Super Hero Family!

And they Danced!

And danced...

He was rather sad every time the song ended, but bounced back quickly!

Allison, I mean Marilyn was a huge hit!

Lisa was a hit too! At least the carrots on her plate were. I love both of their expressions!

He even helped with the decorations!

David and Anna being, well, David and Anna!

Me and Henry!

One of the few pictures of Matt and I together!

The HAM!

The boy!

Doritos were discovered right away!

My favorite pictures of the entire night! He kept saying very slowly.."Peek..A..Boo"

Needless to say we had a wonderful time! We really are so lucky to have great friends here!

Bath time learning!!

2010-10-29T12:22:00.000-05:00

It came to my attention (while giving the boy a bath) that I have no been posting enough videos. So I grabbed the camera quickly and started shooting Christopher and caught him in the act of being super cute!!! While it is a little long... it is so worth watching. I especially like when he tells me his name!

We have a new home!

2010-10-05T17:42:00.004-05:00

Well our housing office called and informed us that we would be moving with a week. WHAAAAAAT? A week? So Matt and I got to work. We packed our little hearts out, and somehow got ready to move. Our amazing friends here came and helped us finish packing, moved to the new house, and unpack again. They are truly amazing and a blessing to this family! While I am not ready to show pictures of the finished product, I will share a few pictures of the house the day before we moved in! Isn't it pretty?!

That boy is a dancing fool!!

2010-10-05T17:37:00.003-05:00

Well the move was a success! We are trying to settle as quickly as possible since my time and energy is limited. We most of you who know me, know that if there is music playing that that is the best way to keep me working. So I hooked the Ihome in the kitchen and took off. And it seems to be working for the most part! Even Christopher has taken to the musical motivation and is now refining his "bust a move" skills! I shot a quick video just after lunch and let me tell you.... That boy can move! Enjoy!

Continuing Tradition

2010-09-03T20:04:00.004-05:00

Thinking back to when I was little, I have very fond memories of learning to cooking! I remember standing on a chair next to my mom or dad or Nana watching all of the steps closely. I usually would take my recent culinary knowledge and head to the play kitchen and get to cooking. That being said, I felt it was time to give Christopher his very first Cooking lesson! And what better first lesson than my Granny Faye's homemade Oatmeal Cookies! So I grabbed the boy, and daddy grabbed the camera and well... this is what happened!

Fall Fun!

2010-09-03T19:46:00.006-05:00

We are getting into the swing of swim lessons although Christopher does not seem to be a fan. I don't think it is the water he is hesitant about, it is all the attention. He has seriously hit a shy phase. He is all smiles in the pictures until the other kids get there. Then it is Mr. Grumpy Pants. But none-the-less we will keep going!

August fun!

2010-08-28T14:51:00.002-05:00

Christopher vs. Corn

2010-08-19T15:50:00.001-05:00

You might want to turn your volume down!

Summer of Fun!

2010-08-05T13:35:00.002-05:00

Well the summer is winding down, but you can bet the fun isn't! The last half of the summer has been jam packed with craziness. Christopher has really gotten into all things drawing and coloring or painting! I have to say I am very pleased with that! He has also become QUITE attached to the turtle bicycle helmet I painted for him last Halloween. So you can see him in a few pictures sporting that new look. Also his papa came to visit! He was here for a week and wow did we all have fun! Since papa has been here a few times, we didn't do much! He mostly wanted to come here to relax, spend time with "Lefty" and be still at the beach. So that is exactly what we did. If he wasn't wadding in the water, he was comfy on the couch with Christopher in his side. Once Papa left, we got back to our schedule and have recently started the boy in swim lessons. He seems to like it pretty well. I will get pictures of that next time. But for now feast your eyes on this!

It's a Boy!!!

2010-07-22T15:33:00.008-05:00

Well Matt and I went in for a fun ultrasound and we got to see our little guy wiggling and bouncing around! He did not like being pushed on and hid behind the placenta most of the time so the 3D pictures are a little hard to decipher . But we did get some good pictures in 2D! Oh yeah his name is Henry James!

The "New Boots" Dance

2010-06-26T01:49:00.001-05:00

Counting

2010-06-25T15:31:00.001-05:00

Wake up Daddy!

2010-06-25T14:56:00.001-05:00

Puzzle time

2010-06-25T14:53:00.001-05:00

2010-06-25T14:17:00.001-05:00

Randomness to follow!!!

2010-06-25T13:30:00.001-05:00

Okay so the past few months have been a complete craze with a move to Hawaii and a new baby on the way. So I have put off updating until I could take it no longer. So here in no specific order are the latest videos and pictures I hope you enjoy!!!

Baby Did a Bad Bad Thing.

2010-04-23T01:05:00.003-05:00

Silence.... while most times mothers long for it throughout the day, when it happens while cooking dinner, folding clothes or unloading the dishwasher it usually means one thing.... TROUBLE. Well trouble is what I got while cooking dinner. It seems that Christopher became bored with just coloring on paper. So he decided to continue his talents to his toy storage in the living room. While he tearfully cleaned up his mess I couldn't help but take pictures.

Funny Videos

2010-04-20T19:13:00.004-05:00

We were all sitting around Sunday watching Americas Funniest Home Videos and Christopher thought it was HILARIOUS!!!! I had to share.

Let the madness begin.

2010-04-16T11:57:00.011-05:00

I mean really once you decide something as monumental as this, there really is no going back. What, you ask, did we decide to do? We decided that Christopher was ready to sleep in his own "Big Boy Bed"!!! It has been in the works for a little while now and after a small fiasco with toddler bed rails, last night was the big debut of said bed. Well needless to say Christopher FREAKED and cried the whole time we tucked him, but he quickly (really quickly, actually) learned that he can stand on his bed and get the turtle night light. So with literally seconds of closing the door we here this little tiny clicking noises. After a quick readjustment he was tucked in once more and that was that... or so I thought. Did he fall out of bed you ask? Or wake up and start playing with his toys? Or have nightmares? NOOOOOoooooooo. He slept like a baby! But I on the other hand was anticipating anything and everything ALL night, tossing and turning ready to spring the moment I heard him make a noise.
But in all actuality, he did amazing! I couldn't have asked for a better, cooler, funnier kid! He is getting old too fast as all children do. So today I am going to squeeze him a little tighter, and kiss him a few more times, and tickle him a little longer! Because who knows what he will be doing tomorrow or the next.

I feel extremely lucky, extremely blessed and a little bittersweet too. (Wentworth Miller)

Christopher LOVES the beach!

2010-04-07T19:52:00.002-05:00

Well it wasn't too long after we got here that we packed up the car and headed on down to the beach! We decided to take Christopher to Ko Olina (our favorite beach) and let him loose... sort of. He was initially hesitant, but quickly warmed to the idea of the waves and although the water was cold, he jumped right in and barely looked back! I snapped a few pictures and video before deciding to stop watching the fun and go join! So here is a little snip of the fun we had!!!

Things they are a-changing.

2010-04-07T11:33:00.004-05:00

So in the last few months quite a few changes have occurred. For starters, we moved AGAIN. But hey it comes with the territory I guess! We are now calling HAWAII home! again. Luckily we are living pretty close to the same area as before so it makes getting around much easier. After being in a hotel for only 2 weeks, we got a house and so far we love it!

The view from our kitchen!

The neighborhood itself is pretty quiet that is until all of the kids get off of the school bus every afternoon! It seems our front yard is "prime pickins" for the neighborhood boys to play "MPs and robbers"! And WOW do they get into it! We were fortunate enough to have the interior of our house painted before we moved in, however, the paint choices look as though a toddler might have picked them out. The house was a plethora of colors ranging from brown to mustard yellow to Easter egg purple. Needless to say, we painted the first week before all of our furniture was delivered. We did take the opportunity to go a little CRAZY with Christopher's new big boy room and he now has Toy Story Alien Green walls! It looks awesome! Once we get everything unpacked I will post pictures. So check back in a few days! Other than that, Matt has started his new job okay and we are currently on the look out for a new church family. AND the BIGGEST news of all!!! Christopher is well on his way to becoming potty trained!! I was so hesitant but decided to jump right in, and he is a natural!! Every time I ask him if he wants to go he does! And there have been a few times where he has come to either Matt or me and said "please, please" and then grabbed our hand and walk us in there and then point to the potty and say "please". It is so very cute! And he gets so proud of himself once he has done it! There is usually clapping and cheering and dancing involved!

So you are now updated! I promise to try harder at remembering to post pictures ! Oh and Christopher's first tip to the beach pictures will be up soon as well!!

Pictures from September to March

2010-04-07T11:30:00.002-05:00

Here are a few pictures to help everyone catch up on what has been going on here and there! They span from just after Matt went back to Iraq to him coming home, to Holidays (not very many pictures of that) to just goofing around! Hope you enjoy!

It has been waaaaay too long!

2010-04-06T19:02:00.002-05:00

Busy. That is the only word that can explain no recent blog posts. I promise in the next couple of days to get some pictures and stories up. GAAAAA this moving with a toddler is tough stuff.

August!

2009-09-06T13:28:00.001-05:00

Matt came home on R&R and it was great!

JULY

2009-08-12T09:59:00.000-05:00

JUNE!!!

2009-08-12T09:33:00.001-05:00

MAY!!!

2009-08-12T09:15:00.001-05:00

April!

2009-08-12T08:15:00.000-05:00

Feb- March!

2009-08-12T07:46:00.001-05:00

It has been a while so I am updating!

The past few weeks.

2009-02-07T22:23:00.000-06:00

So here is what has been going on the past few weeks!

Christopher Talking to Daddy

2009-01-14T21:39:00.002-06:00

So the boy woke early from his nap and had a few things he needed to say on video.

Christopher Crawls!

2009-01-08T10:35:00.002-06:00

Over the past few weeks Christopher has been learning to crawl. But just in the past few days he has pulled his tummy off the ground!

Christmas in a nutcracker shell...hehe.

2009-01-03T15:20:00.001-06:00

Well the Christopher's first Christmas has come and gone, and boy was it a whirlwind. It was a blast, but we are glad to be home and getting back to our routine. Take a peek at some pictures taken while home!

Welcome

2009-01-02T20:20:00.000-06:00

Well it is 2009! With a new family and a new home I have been lacking in keeping in touch. So I figured what better way to let everyone know how I am doing than here! So read and enjoy as I will be updating regularly! Pictures from Christmas are in the works!