THE DUNHAM'S est 1993

What Matters Most

2011-02-12T17:28:00.000-07:00

This short clip goes along with my focus theme of the year. This is so touching from our prophet President Monson. Never assume someone knows how important they are to you, be sure to tell them!

A New Year....

2011-02-02T08:40:00.004-07:00

This year started with my heart breaking. I think I could be found in bed with tear stained cheeks and puffy eyes as the year changed from 2010 to 2011. My sweet friend Christy passed away on Dec 30..and I hope to blog more about my feelings later..but it is still too hard. However, upon being asked to speak at her funeral (totally overwhelming and scary for me) I spent the week prior pouring over her life preparing for the tribute. I have known her my whole life and in reflection that week....I began to change. The words that keep ringing through my mind are

'Of things that matter most'.

I have reflected on this thought all month. President Uchtdorf spoke on this exact topic last general conference. His talk is worth reading again. This year I am determined to focus on what matters most. President Uchtdorf breaks it down into 4 easy steps:

1. Focus on your relationship with God: 'As we seek Him, as we learn of his Son, Jesus Christ, as we open our hearts to the influence of the Holy Spirit, our lives become more stable and secure. We experience greater peace, joy and fulfillment as we give our best to live according to God's eternal plan and keep his commandments.'

2. Focus on your relationship with your family: 'No other success can compensate for failure here', we must place high priority on our families.

3. Focus on your relationship with your fellowman: We build these relationships one person at a time by being sensitive to the needs of others, serving them and giving of our time and talents.

4. Focus on your relationship with yourself: May I suggest that you reduce the rush and take a little extra time to get to know yourself better. Walk in nature, watch a sunrise, enjoy God's creations, ponder truths of the restored gospel, and find out what they mean for you personally. Learn to see yourself as Heavenly Father sees you--as His precious daughter or son with divine potential.

This month Paige turns 8. We have talked at length about the importance of baptism and how it is the first step home to her Heavenly Father. I love the innocence of Paige in this picture. If only I had a way of protecting her from all that the world wants to throw at her. I want to lock her up and keep her small and innocent. Knowing I cant lock her up, I will focus on things that matter most and hopefully arm her with the tools she will need. My heart has been broken, but it has also been changed. I am quietly determined to refocus on my relationship with God, my family, my fellowmen and myself.

http://lds.org/general-conference/2010/10/of-things-that-matter-most?lang=eng

Of special note: I used a lot of things that Christy had written in her blog as part of the tribute to her. I loved using her words. I loved reading through her blog. I am also redetermined to get back to blogging and using it as my journal. I will be making my blog private in the next few weeks..if you are interested in dropping by..please send me your email.

The Power of a Christmas Carol

2010-12-15T09:40:00.002-07:00

Christmas Carolling

Last night I took my 5 sweet activity day girls carolling. We packaged up some goodies and printed off a few favorite Christmas Carols and headed out. We left with a list of some families that we wanted to sing to, our goodies packaged up and a song list in our hands.

This Christmas Season has not been like others for me. I feel myself going thru the motions, putting up the tree, decorating the home, going to the concerts, planning the meals, organizing gifts and doing Christmas Baking. But inside I feel numb. Last night, however, for a brief moment, I felt joy. Watching these sweet girls sing their hearts out, watching the reaction of the recipients at the doorway with tears in their eyes, listening to the sweet words declaring our Saviour is born, for a moment I felt joy. I wish we could carol every night. We had a planned out list...but our list didn't go as planned. Some houses we think we had the wrong address, some houses we were asked to go to from the previous recipient. I felt we were guided to each home last night. At each home we felt the spirit and felt the joy of the carols we were singing. Watching the reaction of the people we were singing to was so enduring. I am so thankful for this moment. I hope I can find a few more moments of joy this christmas season, if just briefly.

I love pink...sigh

2010-05-19T12:29:00.004-06:00

I was browsing blogs the other day and clicked on one of Christine's links and came across this totally cute purse!! I fell immediately in love! It is about the cutest bag I have ever seen! However, I always swore I would never buy an expensive purse, for me, it is a total disaster waiting to happen. I would wreck it or lose it for sure. $40 is about the max I will spend on a purse and then I dont have to worry about losing it or spilling on it or having one of my kids destroy it. But this one .....I could almost be tempted if it wasnt a limited edition coach bag. Dang. Can someone please design me a knock off of this???

Sweet Whimsey is her name...

HAWAII

2010-04-17T19:16:00.001-06:00

Just a quick note...until I finish my Hawaii posts..I will be posting them all in order under Spring Break. So blogging backwards so they are in order. So you may have to scroll to the end to see new posts. Sorry..just want it to print that way in the book.

L :)

Spring Break in Hawaii!!

2010-03-28T18:40:00.003-06:00

Ko'olina (West side of Oahu)

Our First Stop!

Our first few nights we stayed in Ko'olina on the west side of Oahu. After a long (but direct 8 hour) flight, we were ready to get the party started! Our vacation started out with the Alamo rental bus taking off with Emily and Stephanie and half of our luggage! Travelling with 4 kids is no easy feat when you account for all the luggage, carry on's, stroller, car seat and surfboard that must travel as well. We found the bus that was to take us to our rental car and Mike directed Emily and Stephanie onto the bus and began loading the luggage. Meanwhile I was trying to navigate the rest of the luggage and remaining kids to the bus. I finally got to the bus and just as we were starting to load more luggage, the bus LEFT! With Emily and Stephanie! We pounded on the door to get the driver to stop..but he did not stop. We were trying to catch a cab or bus or anything to follow the bus...but we couldnt get anything! Meanwhile, Emily borrowed a phone and called us in tears! We quickly caught the next bus and were reunited with 2 very frightened and sad girls! Oh the tears! It took a lot of hugs to stop the tears from flowing! But we were together and all was fine. The rest of the vacation was a breeze and we managed to not lose any more kids!

We stayed at the JW Marriott and the girls were so excited because they got to stay in a girls room with just cousins! What fun that was for the kids! Apparently their daily maid service was not impressed, but they had a ball! We could see into their room from our balcony and they were having a party! So fun for them!

The girls remembered well from last year the breakfast buffets! It was truly a hilight and they can talk for hours about all the delicious food! Once again we were spoiled with a daily breakfast buffet! It was hilarious to watch all the kids and their food choices!

Stephanie and her pancake sundae! Yummy! My favorite was the mini waffles with coconut syrup, fresh strawberries, a dollop of whipped cream and shredded coconut on top! A perfect breakfast in paradise!!

After breakfast it was always straight to the beach. We love the lagoons at Ko'olina because they are perfect for swimming, splashing and snorkelling!

This cove is called secret beach and there was amazing snorkelling here. Complete with sea turtles! It was amazing to swim with them.

Rock climbing and exploring for sea creatures was popular..but you had to be so careful..that rock is sharp!

Playing in the sand and designing castles and swimming holes also entertained for hours. We bought a bunch of sand toys to entertain James, but the other kids took them and would send him away if he came near. Apparently he was more into the destroying rather than creating!

Poppa and Nonna out for a snorkel with the turtles at secret beach!

James was a pure delight to have along! He is the most easy going traveller and enjoyed every moment! He loved the beach and running from the waves! I could watch him play and explore for hours. Everything is such an adventure and delight for him!

I love watching Mike with James! Always having fun together!

A family photo shoot in Hawaii

2010-03-28T14:12:00.001-06:00

Family pictures in Ko'olina

Ko'olina is on the west side of the island of Oahu, and here is where we decided to do a family photo shoot. It was incredibly windy with on and off rain sprinkles but when we showed up to the beach we had sunshine and a spectacular sunset. These are not the photographers pictures, just my amateur pictures taken while the photographer was doing other things. The kids were so good and we had a fun few hours!

The girls couldnt stop giggling in this picture. They were watching James in the background.

Sweet Stephanie

Sweet (crazy) Paige...(she was usually goofing around!)

Sweet Emily

Mary also had her family done and they looked SOOO great in hues of blues! I loved this picture on the beach..they are looking at the photographer but thought Id grab a shot!

Mike had a dinosaur on his head to get James attention!

At the end of the shoot, the kids were able to let loose and get wet!

North Shore of Oahu

2010-03-28T13:00:00.002-06:00

Next stop was the North Shore of Oahu! Things are really laid back here and it is known for its great surfing spots! Our favorite little town is here...Hale'iwa. Great places to eat, cute surf shops and great shave ice! We came here every day we were on the north shore.

We went to Hale'iwa beach park where the little girls wanted to take some surf lessons...

So we signed up Hallie, Zoe, Sophia and Paige. After a bit of dry land training..they hit the water...

Hallie & Sophia take their first ride...

Zoe is up and looking great....

Paige is up and has the videographer right next to her. This guy catches the wave and then videos the kids....so amazing! It was a great little system they had going. The girls got a toe pull (yes towed by some guys toes) out, then a push to catch the wave! They caught almost every one! It was such fun to watch them.

Back on the beach everyone else was enjoying the sand and sun!

We thought it was such a find back on Ko'olina to swim with the turtles. On this beach they were everywhere. Laying in the sand, swimming by the shore and swimming out where the girls were surfing. The kids could feed them moss right near the shoreline. Great entertainment.

For more great surfing pictures click here:

Mary's Blog

Waimea Bay Beach

2010-03-28T12:00:00.004-06:00

Waimea Bay Beach

Waimea Bay is one of our favorite beaches on the north shore. The water is so beautiful and the waves are so fun to play in! One day we stayed a full 8 hours on this beach! What a fantastic day...tho some were sporting sun burns after 8 hours in the Hawaiian sun! Oh it is so fun!

The water is soo soo nice. We played for hours and hours in the waves. It is amazing how the waves change...there will be a nice lull and then a series of huge huge waves! We laughed and laughed. I think it will take me months to get the sand out of my ears and hair! So fun

Emily on Waimea Beach

Zoe and Stephanie

The camp...

Paige on Waimea

Cute cousins catching some sun rays!

James living the life...watching the action..sipping a soda! Life is great when you are 2!!

Hallie and Paige shared millions of giggles! Id love to be a crab in the sand listening to these 2 all day long! So fun!

Katie and Stephanie heading out for more wave fun!

Somebody getting washed up in the waves! After a wave we would have to count heads and make sure everyone came up!

Alex trying out some boogie boarding!

Waimea Jump Rock

2010-03-28T11:00:00.000-06:00

The Waimea Jump Rock....

Mike and Paige waiting to climb the jump rock

Mike looked at the rock and asked Paige if she wanted to go jump off of it...her response...an ENTHUSIASTIC....YES!!!!!! This is a popular thing to do on Waimea. People jump all day long. One time we looked up and a bride and groom were jumping off!! At first we thought they were getting married up there and then taking the plunge...but when they kept jumping again and again we learned it was actually a photo shoot.

Alex and Steff maneuvering up the rock..

All are up....

There goes Alex...always a brave one...

He jumped multiple times!!

There goes Steff!!

Trying to get jumping pictures is a lot like getting surfing pictures! You have to wait a long time to capture the action! Paige was pretty nervous and did a lot of decision making up on that rock. I bent down to scratch my leg and she jumped!!! Just my luck! Luckily Kara was right beside me and snapped this picture...which was so great (thank you)!!

Because this is all I got...the entry!

Bruce saw the kids jumping and decided that he needed to jump too..because his nieces and nephew were jumping..then he said, 'Im not really crazy about heights!!' LOL...well he went anyway...

One of the scary things about jumping is the huge waves in this area. You time it to hit a wave..but they are big!

Proud smiles..but she wasnt interested in doing it again!

Turtle Bay North Shore

2010-03-28T10:45:00.001-06:00

Turtle Bay Resort

This is the 2nd year we have stayed here and we looked forward to our return! We love the location on the North shore.

The pool is so fun for the kids and there is surfing right off the point, so fun for all! However, this year the islands were experiencing some major winds due to a system to the north of the islands and upon arriving at turtle bay we felt like we were in a tropical storm! Just soo windy! So most days we left the resort for sunnier beaches. It was amazing that we could drive just 5 minutes and be out of the crazy wind!

Every chance this boy got..he was running! I think he has been inside for 6 months he is ready to RUN! He is getting so fast and he cracks us up when he takes off! I couldn't get him to hold still for a picture...so all the pictures of him are pretty much on the run!

Even tho it was windy during our stay...we enjoyed being back at turtle bay! The buffet was amazing just like last year! The kids loved going where ever they wanted and visiting other 'cabins' (rooms). It is a great resort..just wish it wasnt so windy. As we were packing up, the wind had subsided a bit so the kids hit the pool until we left. They can swim and swim and swim!

The Bonzai PIPELINE!!

2010-03-28T10:24:00.003-06:00

Most people know that the North Shore of Oahu is famous for many surf competitions held in the winter months due to the large waves! Most of the competitions are held in the pipeline found at Ehukai Beach Park.

Dont be fooled...this is not what the pipeline looked like while we were there. This picture is actually from 2004. But this is what the pipeline CAN look like during the winter surfing season! Crazy!

While we were there...they were awaiting large enough waves to hold the Women's Pro competition...but they were not big enough the day we were there..so it was postponed. So we could have been watching a surf competition like the one shown above....but we were not.

This above picture is taken the day we were there. Definately large rollers coming in..just not good enough for the pros...so the amateurs decided to try them out.

Most of us just played and watched the waves (and ate Oreos) we did enjoy watching the boys trying to surf the pipeline...but rather than watching great rides....we watched some great wipeouts!! It was a good attempt tho! Some of us played in the white foam of the large waves...but we had to hold on tight to the kids...even the foam held some power!

Paige decided to bury her face in the sand...I guess she needed some exfoliation. Crazy girl!

Claire enjoying watching the waves.

We had a few fun hot hot hours in the sun before some dark clouds rolled in and we decided to pack up and head to the south side of the island for our remaining days! Kahala..here we come!

The Kahala (South East Side of Oahu)

2010-03-28T09:43:00.001-06:00

Our next and final stop was the Kahala hotel on the sunny south east side of the island. Within a quick driving distance of Waikiki but away from the hustle and bustle..it was a perfect location!

After spending hours at the beach, we drove to the Kahala with our cars jammed with people, luggage, beach stuff and SAND! When Peter and Amy drove up first...the bell men asked them what they were doing there!! LOL! Just checking in they said! It was quite the entrance by the Dunham family! They did greet us with Lei's and fresh face towels to freshen up..what a greeting! The kids wanted to go straight to the pool...we had been a little pool deprived. We LOVED the pool there..it was nice and warm! There was a kiddie pool and hot pool as well...so it was perfect for all ages! Our first trip to the pool we found Emeril laying around playing a game of yahtzee! He was there doing some cooking demonstrations and filming a live show. We learned that George Clooney and Elton John had just checked out...so sad to have missed George! So thus began the star watching! The hall of fame in this hotel is loaded with stars who have spent the night including every US President since it opened in the 60's!

There was a reef a distance off shore that blocked the big waves...so once again we found ourselves on a very child friendly beach!

They even had a large dolphin area with 5 cute dolphins that you could swim with! Tho we didnt jump at the price to swim with the dolphins, we sure enjoyed just watching them every day. James would watch them for hours. There were also fish, turtles and stingrays to watch too.

The kids all dressed up for dinner..with their new Lei's!

Fun in the Pool...Finally!

2010-03-28T09:17:00.005-06:00

James loved the pool and would always ask to go swimming!

Hallie and Paige were little fish!

The kids would run from the pool to the beach...back and forth all day long!

So fun!

Every day they would bring around smoothie samples around the pool! Our favorite was Strawberry Coconut! Oh it was good! I brought home coconut syrup to try and make it! Delicious!!

More pool fun...if you look closely you will see Sayad (Navreen) from Lost. He would play with his son in the pool for hours. Apparently the stars come here because no one bothers them...so we never bothered..but secretly tried to get pictures.

James practicing some jumping...

Stephanie was doing some butterfly practice in the pool...

Emily enjoying a smoothie by the pool! Yummy!!!

Diamond Head Crater

2010-03-28T07:46:00.002-06:00

One morning we got up early (thank goodness..because it was hot that day) and decided to hike to the top of Diamond Head crater.

We had James along..so Mike got quite the workout hauling him up the climb. At the end of the switchbacks there is a section with over 300 stairs to climb!!! Im so glad I was in charge of getting James down the crater...I doubt I would have made it up 300 stairs lugging him along!

But the view was worth it! So Beautiful!!

View of Honolulu and Waikiki from the top of Diamond Head.

Mary had us hopping from activity to activity! Everything was so fun and we did quite a few new things from last year! But still managed to do our favorites!

Waimanelo Beach

2010-03-28T06:09:00.002-06:00

We went to Sandy beach one afternoon and the waves were crazy..so the lifeguard told us of another beach to try where the waves are fun but not insane! So off we went to a new beach...Waimanelo. It was beautiful! The color of the water was stunning.

The kids had started in on building a huge sand couch at Sandy Beach..they were mortified when we told them we were changing beaches. They moved only with a promise that we would help them restore the couch at the new beach. All hands were on deck for this project.

The couch was actually really comfortable! So we told them to build one at every beach we went to!

James and Claire kicking back on the sand couch with some sodas!

James...doing some weird dance.

Cute little Tiki Hut House on the beach!

James on the Beach

2010-03-28T05:09:00.001-06:00

Pure Delight!!

Im starting back....

2010-03-01T15:01:00.000-07:00

I lost all my pictures, due to a hard drive malfunction. After much frustration and tears, I have learned my lesson. I stopped blogging because I was bitter....but now I'm back and I have some catching up to do. Thanks for your encouragement and for stopping by!

Big Island of Hawai'i

2009-11-07T23:13:00.004-07:00

Mike and I just got back from an amazing trip to the Big Island! A huge thank you to Kristin & Brent,my mom, Blake & Kandyce, and Michelle and all the cousins in Arizona for helping to entertain my kids while we were away. Check out my sister Kristins blog for all their adventures while we were away! The girls had an amazing time...and tho James cant tell us of the fun he had...we KNOW he was thoroughly entertained as well! Thank you Thank you Thank you!!
Life has been pretty darn crazy this week (water logged phone, police showing up at my door, new glasses for Steff, failed MRI for Em...etc) getting back into the swing of things....but I will post more from our adventure soon!

9-1-1

2009-11-06T14:46:00.000-07:00

Friday was for sure not my favorite day...it started out bad...and just seemed to get worse. Friday morning I was working and James was sitting next to me...and had grabbed one of the cordless phones. I thought nothing of it..he often sits and plays harmlessly having pretend conversations. Then all of a sudden I heard "Hello? Hello?" and immediately grabbed the phone and just hung it up. The phone immediately rang back and I thought someone just saw our number on call display and was wondering why we were calling...but NO...instead I heard ...

"This is 9-1-1 dispatch are you having an emergency??"

UGH!! I quickly explained the situation and that there was no emergency...BUT..they are required to send a squad car with lights and sirens to my house to make sure that every thing is ok...and I had to remain on the line with dispatch till they arrived! So the officer arrived and checked on everyone in the house and yes..we were all ok! I was so mortified!!

And that was the start of my day!!

Stephanie's Cross Country

2009-09-24T22:27:00.001-06:00

Stephanie decided to join the cross country team at school again this year with some of her cute friends. They had been training hard through September getting ready for their first race! Stephanie's school hosted the first meet of the year and it was a crazy WINDY day!
Cousin Hallie also races for her school (our school you cant race until grade 3) so she was all lined up ready for her race! This is such a fun group to watch...so darn cute!!

She ran hard and was having a GREAT time! So cute!

She slowed for a few pictures as she went by....

Finally Steff could line up for her race.

Im not sure how many were racing but we were guessing between 65-75.

Here is the cute cheer section, Paige, Ella and Hallie!

And they're OFF...

We couldnt see most of the race as the course weaves through a park right near the school. But near the finish we spotted a yellow shirt...and as the shirt rounded the corner we saw Steff racing her heart out!

She was BEAMING!!!

Just enjoying the home stretch here....

Coming into the finish line!

Proud Dad...luckily this was the one race he could attend! And it was so worth it to see Steff BEAM!! Way to go Stephanie!!

The fight to get Paige in her own bed....

2009-09-20T22:14:00.000-06:00

We have a little visitor in our bed....EVERYNIGHT!! This has been going on for way too long. Paige has always been a snuggler and wants to be in our bed! (Thus the determination to start James in his crib..and Never let him get started in our bed) So we have been trying to come up with ways to get her in her bed. She seems to be terrified of every little thing which is making this effort very difficult! I love Paige and she is fun to snuggle...but she is the WILDEST sleeper ever so I really need her in her own bed!

So after trying everything I can think of...I finally resorted to money. The girls have been working hard and earning money for an upcoming visit to Phoenix...so I thought maybe it would motivate her. So I offered a dollar a night for every night that she slept in her bed! She thought that sounded pretty good...but was a little bit wimpiery as I put her in bed. So then she said...she could only do it if she had every stuffy in bed with her. I was a little frustrated by this time so I grabbed a huge armful of stuffy's off her shelf and put them in bed with her! She burst out laughing so hard...and so did I! She looked hilarious!!

Stephanie has promised to help us to keep Paige in her bed by encouraging and calming her.

Eventually, Paige did fall asleep...with every single stuffy! She must have been smoking hot with all those animals! But at least she was in her OWN BED!!!!

And her OWN ROOM!! If it could only last...

PS...What is funny is I have a picture as a little girl with all my dolls and stuffed friends in bed with me too! I guess it is genetic!

An Evening in Fish Creek

2009-09-12T21:51:00.000-06:00

The start of school always comes before we are quite ready! The girls started school (I accidently erased their first day of school pics..ooops) and it was a crazy busy time getting back into the routine. We had a beautiful weekend and couldnt let it go to waste...so at the last minute a hot dog roast was planned and we headed out our back gate to Fish Creek for an end of summer evening! Oh it was beautiful! Luckily we found friends at the last minute to join us and we had such fun visiting! We are so lucky to have such great friends!!

The kids had fun in the river which was very empty at this time of year. Perfect for an evening dip!

I love it when the kids just take off and explore. I find they do way less exploring than we did as kids...so when it happens it is fun to see!

The gang all gathered!

James found the little wagon that was used to haul the firewood and he LOVED it! I dont think he left the wagon's side the rest of the night!!

Hours of entertainment in a little red wagon!

Georgia was so sweet to take him on many MANY rides!

As soon as the sunset we noticed a huge dip in the temperature...reminding us that winter is not far off. Our long lazy summer nights are coming to an end! What a fun night to enjoy!

Salt Lake City Weekend -- Temple Session

2009-09-04T23:55:00.000-06:00

I was sooooooooooooo lucky over labor day weekend to make a fast and furious trip to Phoenix and Salt Lake City! A HUGE thank you to Christy for offering to take my kids so that I would be able to go!
I flew into Phoenix early Thursday morning and Kristin and Ben picked me up! We went back to her place to visit and to wait for Blake and Michelle to pick us up for lunch. We went to Cheesecake Factory (Oh those Avocado Eggrolls....YUM) and had a really nice lunch! Then we headed straight to the airport for our flight to Salt Lake. Mom and Dad met us at the gate and we were off to a pre-wedding gathering. What a nice evening! It was so fun to see Heidi and Devon and all the family before they got married!

After a late night visiting with my sweet sisters, we arose early and headed to the temple to do a session! I was married in the Salt Lake Temple (16 years ago) and each visit brings back such great memories of my wedding day! It was so nice to return!

It was so nice to be with my family!

The temple grounds were AMAZING! The flowers were stunning and looked just how I remembered them on my wedding day! It was a gorgeous September day and we couldnt resist snapping a few pictures in between brides walking by!

Sorry for all the flower pictures in my post! They were just amazing!

My sisters Kristin & Michelle

We had a few people telling us where to look and in not one picture are we all looking the same way! LOL! We laughed and laughed the whole weekend! It was so fun to be together and not a moment was wasted!

My mom and dad snuggling on a bench!

The temple looked so beautiful against the blue sky! It was hard to get a picture because there is a lot of construction in the area! Oh how I love the history of this temple!

This is my favorite shot of it...not sure why..just liked it.

Flower...

After we had a nice lunch at the top of the Joseph Smith building, we stopped into the conference center. There was neat art work display going on and we had an informative session about the auditorium. Things were a bustle as they prepare for the upcoming October conference. We had only a short time before we needed to be to the wedding so we snuck in an hour of shopping, a quick costume change and we were off to the wedding!

It is amazing how much you can accomplish when you arent packing 4 kids along!

Salt Lake City Weekend -- Heidi's Wedding

2009-09-04T23:41:00.000-06:00

We were so excited to attend Heidi's wedding! Blake was asked to perform the marriage and was given permission at the last minute! He did an amazing job and the bride and the groom glowed!
The little flower girls were Heidi's Nieces (Taylor and Brynn) they were too adorable for words! They did a great job and were do cute to watch!

I didnt have a great postion for photos...but I snuck in what I could. Heidi and Devon looked so thrilled with one another! It was such a beautiful wedding and beautiful setting!

The newly married Mr & Mrs Gibbs

Grandma and Max looking stunning in their wedding attire! They also celebrated 16 years in August (they were married 2 days after Mike and I)!!

The wedding center piece...so pretty!

There was a fun dance after the dinner was done, it was out in the garden and was so fun! My sisters and I had no one to dance with so we had fun in other ways! We thought we were being so sneaky and decided to book my brother Blake and his wife a room in the hotel that they spent their wedding night in (he was currently bunking in with my mom and dad). So we booked a room and sent the confirmation to his email. Well, Mr Techno, has far to many email accounts and after a few texts telling him to look at his email we finally hinted that he needed to check his account. Well it wasnt the right account so he had to synch his email. AFTER waiting for like an hour he finally got his email.....we thought we were so smart...until he pulled out a key card for the hotel indicating he already had a room!! Dang. He was smarter than we were...we were only looking out for Kandyce ;). After the dancing was done...the bride and groom had a fun sparkler send off! Such a cute idea to see all the sparklers! I wasnt able to get pictures...but it was beautiful! What a great night! I just wish I had gotten more pictures!!

Congratulations to Heidi and Devon! We wish you all the best!!

Salt Lake City Weekend -- A quick trip to Provo

2009-09-04T09:00:00.000-06:00

Saturday we first stopped at Grandma & Max's place for a quick visit and to drop off my mom so she could lunch with her sisters. We didnt want to idly sit by so we attempted to help Grandma with her ironing! Sounds easy enough...but oh no...it was not! She did not want us to do her ironing! She would try dashing off with the iron, she would sit on the ironing pile....she would shift things out of site so we couldnt find them! But alas despite all her interruptions, we were able to whittle her pile down! We then headed to Provo to see my Grandma and Grandpa Bullock! They were waiting on their front step for us! We chose to go to Magleby's a place we used to eat while at BYU!
This was such a fun visit as we caught up on all the happenings in the family! Grandpa was in great spirits and cracking jokes! So fun!!

We decided to share a small dessert and thought the chocolate cake was a good choice off the verbal menu...the verbal menu did not divulge how LARGE the chocolate cake was...and we burst into tears of laughter when this was brought out!

It was delicious and we almost finished off the whole thing between 4 of us!

We then went back to Grandma's house and we first looked at all her beautiful roses!! They were stunning!

Michelle, Grandma and Kristin in front of her roses

Michelle, Grandma, Kristin, Grandpa and I

My dad and his parents!

After our trip to Provo we had time to visit for a little while longer with Grandma and Max before heading to the airport! They are so cute!
This was the end of our weekend! We had such a great time and it went by far too fast! Opportunities like this dont come often that we can be together...so Im glad we took advantage while we could! It was so great to see everyone and revisit all those places that hold so many memories for me! We loved our years in Utah and love to revisit!

Thank you again to Christy for taking my kids..and to Mike for encouraging me to go!
Thank you mom and dad for a great weekend!!

Biking Going to the Sun Road

2009-08-26T22:43:00.003-06:00

This summer Mike wanted to bike over the 'Going to the Sun Road' in Glacier National Park. He rode from St. Mary's to West Glacier on our anniversary but I was not along to take pictures. He wanted to ride it again..and this time...we cheered him on!! It was so much fun and the kids were hilarious!!

It was right dark by the time he hit the top of the pass (dont be fooled by the pictures...I had to tweak with the lighting just so we could see him) so Mike didnt ride down...too dangerous! It was fun watching him go up and the kids and I had a blast stopping along the way to cheer and take pictures! James was so cute...we would ride along side of Mike and James would cheer for daddy! So darn cute!
Way to go Mike! You can cross that off your bucket list!

Last Weekend of the Summer

2009-08-24T22:18:00.002-06:00

Mike ended up having a guy offer to take his Friday and Sunday call one weekend...so we took advantage of having one last weekend off in the summer and headed to the lake! Peter and Amy had invited a few families down so we kind of crashed the party..but luckily we knew the families and it ended up being a great weekend! The weather was perfect and the kids got along famously! We only saw them when they were hungry!
There was a jumping competition...this is Peyton in action

Stephanie

Hmm one of the twins..hard for me to tell in this picture

Stephanie
(the rest of the kids I only got their splash...lol)

they had a great time jumping and splashing!!

Then they took to the skiis! This is Peyton

Emily...she did really well this weekend. She was always willing to go and can now get up by herself! She was so thrilled!

Paige and Peyton watching the action.

Bailey...LOL...this was hilarious...we called it 'girls gone wild' but hey..she is 3!

Hallie was so cute...she can ski forever and was an inspiration for all the girls!! So cute!

Stephanie...she also did great this weekend! She can also get up on her own and is willing to help cousins get up too!

Paige gave it 2 tries..and both times got up!!

And shockingly yes..that is me in the water with a ski on! LOL!

(my family will think this was photoshopped..it has been many years since I have skiied!)

And yes..I eventually got up!

By the end of the weekend we actually had a lineup to go skiing! We are so proud of these girls!

Stephanie and Hallie waiting in line...

Emily coming home..didnt even get her hair wet!

Stephanie headed off..into a tree..lol!

This was such a fun fun weekend with great people, great weather and great fun!

It was perfect to end the summer on!

**Note...I am missing a few more picture for this post..I had grabbed Amy's camera to capture some surfing action! When I get the pictures I will update this post...

Weekend with Mike

2009-08-07T21:54:00.000-06:00

Mike ended up with a nice long weekend over our 16th wedding anniversary so he met us down a the lake! It was a chillier week but we had a great time!
I love watching James and Mike together...they definately have a special bond! James just lights up when he sees Mike!

Stephanie

Stephanie and James

All the girls are such a great help with James!

James

I was trying to get a smile..this is what I got..lol. He is really smiley..just hard to capture on film!

Paige and James in the bubble tub together! This was so cute to watch!

Part of the weekend was spent 'browsing' boats.

And testing them out!

Mike testing the 'wake'

Paige on the lookout!

We had a fun fun weekend together! I cant believe we have been married for 16 YEARS!! Where did that time go???? Crazy!

Christy and the girls come to Visit!!

2009-08-04T21:23:00.000-06:00

We were so lucky that our good friends Christy, Erica and Emma could join us for a couple of days at the cabin! We had the longest drive down...a huge wait at the border and we were stopped 3 times over the pass...but we eventually arrived and the fun began!
Stephanie and Erica

The girls swam and swam and swam and swam some more! They were so fun to watch! They just had a ball!

Cute Erica

Stephanie

Christy snuck in some well deserved moments of relaxation!

Cute girls! We really missed having Marissa along...she was at EFY this week. After a ton of swimming we hit the town....well okay..mostly Target! The girls all have matching school outfits! It was fun to shop together! We ate and shopped and shopped and shopped! Christy found some great gluten free products that she was really excited about! It was a fast fun couple of days! The girls were very lonely when you left! Thank you for coming to visit!! We are so lucky to have such great friends!!

24 Hours of Adrenaline

2009-07-24T20:47:00.000-06:00

It was time once again for the annual 24 Hours of Adrenaline race! I packed up the kids and picked up Missy for help and we headed out to Canmore. We were running a little behind schedule and walked into camp just as Mike was finishing the first leg of the race.

Missy was a great help with all the kids. She took them on little adventures and had them cheering the riders along the trail! She is so great!

Off on a little adventure!

Alex was a huge help with James all summer! I loved watching these 2 together! We would be so lucky to have James grow up to be just like Alex! We adore him!!!

James was pretty much a mud bomb the whole time he was in camp. He was into EVERYTHING!!

Canmore is such a pretty setting for this race.

Mike and James

Dirty face Paige! She was in the dirt as much as James!

We werent able to stay long this year. We saw a storm fast approaching and I knew with James it would be a disaster...so we headed off! It was fun to cheer the team!

(sorry I was unable to get riding pictures this year...James was too hard to have by the trail)

Our first visitors to the Cabin

2009-07-21T21:02:00.000-06:00

This cute little bear showed up on our doorstep when our first guest came to visit! My brother Blake and his family drove up from Flathead for an evening dinner and dip! It was so sweet of them to find this little welcome bear for us! We adore him!

I told Blake there was no boat at our dock and we had a bring your own boat policy..lol. They came without boat and the kids had a ball anyway. They loved the canoe and swam and swam with the multiples of floaties.
James loved to play with Cooper and now has a cute dog noise that he makes.

Melissa and Alex went for a swim...somewhere...

Mary and her kids came for dinner too. Blake and Mary went to highschool together and they had fun catching up on the 'olden days'.

The hot tub got a good work out with all the kids warming up from the lake! Even James and Claire hopped in!

Alex, James & Stephanie

Melissa and James

Blake cooked up one of his famous chocolate cherry bomb cake desserts for us! It was delicious! We also had a few flavors of icecream to share! We had such a fun visit! It is always great to have cousins around! When it came time for them to leave I had to pry Stephanie out of their vehicle!! Thanks for the fun visit! Come any time!!!

Ps I swear we had a picture taken on the front step...but I have no such picture..either Im losing my mind or the picture is on Blake's camera...

Island Park, Idaho -- A day trip to Jackson Hole Wyoming

2009-07-15T14:02:00.000-06:00

The Grand 'Tetons'

While staying in Island Park, Mike had the urge to ride his bike over the pass that crosses the Grand Tetons. Finally, we had a free day so he set out ahead of us and dropped his vehicle in a small town and rode his bike over the pass. We followed a couple of hours behind and picked up his vehicle and met him in Jackson. It worked out perfectly (except that he had 2 flat tires on his journey). We had the Hagermans along and spent the day in Jackson.

Our first stop was the alpine slide ride. This was a huge hit and everyone loved it. There were speedy riders and slower riders but it was so fun! Ben LOVED it and probably would have riden all day! He liked to go fast! James was too little to go so we played while the kids rode. He loved racing down the grassy hill side!

Next the girls wanted to try the bungee trampoline! It was fun too!

Then we headed into downtown Jackson for some shopping (or should I say window shopping!) Lots of fun and interesting stores but the wares are pretty pricey! We had a nice home cooked meal at a little bakery style restaurant and then we headed back to Island Park. It was a beautiful day and the scenery was amazing! We definately want to revisit this fun town! Thanks to the Hagermans for joining us!!
These antler arches were amazing and there was one on each corner of the town square! 4 in total! The girls thought Poppa would love them because he collects antlers!

Island Park, Idaho -- Scavenger Hunt

2009-07-14T20:26:00.000-06:00

We decided to do a scavenger hunt for the kids. They divided into teams of 2 and headed off to find their list of items:

They headed out and worked really hard!

Stephanie was very determined to win...she does not like to lose...

Ben and James were serious players too...

Emily hunting away...

James found a stick!! Woo hoo..its on the list!

Madison scored and found a bush full of berries!

The teams worked hard and had fun! When the items were brought in...they had found almost everything! I have no pictures of the final items..because I was judging!! They did a great job and worked together! This activity is always fun!

Island Park, Idaho -- A trip to Mesa Falls

2009-07-13T14:52:00.000-06:00

Sunday after our adventure to church....we decided to check out Mesa Falls. So we all packed up and headed out! As we got closer to our destination, I started snapping pictures out the window, noting that we were approaching some DARK clouds!!
The cars were parked and entrance fees were paid and the first drops of rain began! They fell fast and hard so we waited in our cars. Mike had taken off with our car keys and I had left a window down. Luckily, McGyver (Dad) was parked next to me and provided an umbrella! Whew!

As soon as the rain slowed, McGyver was drying off his vehicle. We all chuckled.

Here we are about to attempt the falls. We are all offspring of McGyver but not one of us was prepared in any way for rain! So we grabbed whatever items we could find in our vehicles to use as coats and rain gear! Channy the fashionista wore a cute plastic bag!

It began raining again so we sprinted for the museum to wait out the rest of the storm. This was fun and educational for the kids.

The museum. Luckily the storm moved on quickly and we were able to view the falls! Im so glad we waited because the view was worth the wait!

The falls were amazing with a mist that arose up the valley. It was so green and moist it was hard to believe we were in Idaho where typically it is dry.

My mom overlooking the falls!

James was full of more WOW's. He loved the views! I could not get him to ever look at the camera (pretty much the whole summer I only have the side or back of his head).

This picture cracks me up...

We drove up out of the valley a bit to the other falls. These were just as spectacular! Wow!

Family photo

Finally a smile from my boy!!

Sweet Stephanie

This was a great little trip and well worth it! We left with much laughter and fun memories. We will not soon forget Mesa Falls!

Island Park, Idaho -- Our Sunday Photo Shoot

2009-07-13T05:00:00.002-06:00

We attempted to attend church while in Island Park. We had been given 11am as our time to go. So we all madly got ready and out the door to church for 11am. We pulled up in the parking lot and noticed only a few vehicles. As we exited our cars...we were told there was no 11am meeting, only a 1pm meeting. Darn! So we all piled back in our cars and headed back to the cabin for some lunch. We did sneak in a few photos before the littles were put to bed!

The Dunhams

The Hagerman's

Cute Ben and his dinosaur

The Brittners
(minus Lonny who had to leave a few days early)

The Bullock's

The Boys

The Middles

Emily, Chantelle, Stephanie, Natalie

The Littles

Devon, Madison & Paige

The Mini's

Ben & James

The girls and their boys

(this picture was impossible to take..lol..the boys were not co-operating)

Grandma & Grandpa

All the grandkids

(except Ambria & Kylie)

Mom & Dad

Kids and Spouses

Mike, Lisa, Brent, Kristin, Michelle, Kandyce, Blake

(just missing Kevin, Wendy & Lonny)

Island Park, Idaho -- Boat and Lake Fun

2009-07-11T16:03:00.001-06:00

Always during the summer get together there is boating and swimming fun! This vacation because it was a new area for all of us...had a lot of sight seeing...but there was still lots of boating and swimming fun to be had! Here are just some random fun shots that I loved!

James checking out Grandpa's Boat

Kristin is always surrounded by lots of kids...they all love her to pieces!!

Blake showing us his stuff....nicely done!

Michelle still has it...and looks cute in the wetsuit!

Devon looking like a stud!

Ben LOVED grandpa's boat and was always up for a ride!!

GRANDPA...wow...still skiis like he is 19!!

Cute cousins Natalie and Chantelle

Stephanie

James

Paige

Swimming Cousins

Emily

James
Quiz: Who is in the rearview mirror???

Tubing fun...this tube was funny because you sit one in front of the other...so once you got going, you could only see one person!

Island Park Reservoir

Island Park, Idaho--Yellowstone Day 2

2009-07-10T21:15:00.001-06:00

Our second day in Yellowstone was very different from the first day. Today we headed up to the canyon and falls area! Every stop along this road was a spectacular view! This post has many photos..but it was stunning!

Lower Falls - Yellowstone National Park

Paige just hanging out....Im pretty sure her dad took this picture!

James and I at the lower falls area! James was in awe. His new word this trip was WOW! Every where we went....WOW WOW WOW!

Dad showing James the falls and hanging on tight!

Stephanie watching the falls.

Kristin and Ben at lower falls.

We saw a lot of animals today. Some beautiful herds of elk with babies and lots of single buffalo guys. This guy was on the side of the road....

NOTE: all my buffalo pictures were taken from the safety of the vehicle.

Upper Falls - Yellowstone National Park

At this look out for the upper falls, you come down along the river and then....

You are standing looking straight down on the falls! It was amazing but extremely hard to capture the feeling on film!

This was another amazing look out point.

Mike and I at inspiration point.

And our last friend of the day....walking along the side of the road! Mean looking guy!

Island Park, Idaho ---Yellowstone Day 1

2009-07-09T20:44:00.000-06:00

This year, my family decided to try something new for our summer adventure. A large cabin was rented in Island Park, Idaho on the lake. When I say large...it held all 25 something of us quite nicely! This area is beautiful and Yellowstone was just a few miles away so that was our first adventure while in the area.

I have never been to Yellowstone National Park and had no idea what to expect. This is a large park and you end up driving and stopping along the way to see what it has to offer. While driving we would all of a sudden hit a traffic jam...these are not usual traffic jams because it usually meant something exciting was along the road to see. The first jam we got in was an 'eagle jam'. This one...not too exciting. Large eagle sitting in nest. The next jam was a little more exciting...we knew from how long it was...it was something good. We all hoped for a 'bear jam' but we got a 'buffalo jam'. This was a huge herd of buffalo to the side of the road. They are ugly animals..but impressive. What was interesting was later in the day we returned this same way and every single buffalo was gone! I was surprised.

You cant make a trip to Yellowstone without stopping to see Old Faithful Geyser. Named because it is very reliable and every hour it erupts. So we stopped and ate our lunch while we awaited the show! It was very cool to watch.

I cant remember how high this thing shot up...but pretty amazing.

This was our lucky day at Yellowstone...because just down the path is Castle Geyser. It is not as faithful as Old Faithful and hard to catch. Rumor had it that it was going to go off within the hour so we headed down that way.

It was a bit of a wait. But with fun cousins and dirt along...all were entertained!

Ben gave up watching for this one....it was a good one too...he would have enjoyed!!

Castle Geyser...well worth the wait.

Castle Geyser

We had a few more stops this day including a few paint pots. We loved having all the family along to explore with! It made the drive and waiting so much more fun!!

The Playground!!

2009-07-04T13:21:00.002-06:00

This Playground has quite a history..so it deserved its own post! Mike bought this in Kalispell right after we moved into our house. He thought the kids would LOVE it....so he hauled it back to Calgary with plans to put it in our backyard. Well, upon looking at the size of our backyard...we decided it would take up the whole thing (no joke) so we decided a better place for it would be at the cabin. So, Yes, we hauled it all the way back down after it spent 18 months in our garage (the kids could only dream of playing on it one day). Luckily, Mike had lots of help setting it up and it was an ALL day project! A Huge Huge HUGE thank you to Brian, Brian, Christine, and Dan (the foreman) who put in hours of work in the hot sun!! The kids LOVE it!!

THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

Cost of Playground: $1000

Time spent to haul it to Calgary: 5 hours

Time it sat in garage: 18 months

How many times the girls asked to play on it: 1 million

Time to haul it back: 5 hours

Time to assemble: 16 hours X 5 people

Smile on James' face when it was all done: PRICELESS

thank you

Cabin on Lake Blaine

2009-07-02T12:43:00.000-06:00

For years my family and Mike's family have been enjoying the Flathead Valley in Montana. My family has met up every summer in Whitefish and Dunham's have had a place on Lake Blaine for nearly 20 years now! So needless to say this area holds many many great and happy memories for both of us! WE love coming here and never miss an opportunity. I like to call it my 'happy place'!! Im sure I share my happy place with many others as there is definately something about this area that is easy to fall in love with.

So this year was especially exciting for us because Mike and his brother Peter found a place on Lake Blaine and we took possession in June! So the summer has been busy and fun trying to get it set up! Amy and I have hit Target numerous times to attack our list..and just as we get it whittled down a new list forms but it has been fun to put it together!

There is a ton of grass for the kids to RUN and plenty of stairs so we are all getting great exercise lugging stuff up and down (just try a 30lb baby)!

The dock has been entertainment for us all summer! It is in need of desperate repair but it is on next years list. So we did what we could to make it work. The ladder was useless...but in late August we found one buried in the bushes so we grabbed it and the ladder is as good as new now! One guest fell thru the dock (luckily was not hurt) and that hole was causing concern but has since been patched. On extra wavy nights the dock is holding on by a few bolts..but with a little tightening it survived the summer!

We did not have much extra to put in the cabin so we have been scrambling trying to come up with a few essentials. Peter surprised us all by whipping up this kitchen table at the last minute! It is amazing and he has big plans for more projects. It is hard to tell from the picture but the table seats about 22 people! It is enormous!

This is the great room which is right next to the open kitchen. What I have fallen in love with is that every area of the house has an amazing view of the lake. We have had fun chasing mice, watching slugs (which Amy hates!!), killing spiders (Hallie stepped up and killed a large one for her auntie who was 'allergic') and combating wasps this summer (I wont mention the wasp sludge). The kids think it is great fun and have handled all of our new friends well. We look forward to many many visitors and memories!

Summer Therapy

2009-07-01T13:13:00.000-06:00

I know it has been awhile since I have blogged, my sincere apologies, I will be catching up on summer events as I plan to print a book from my blog..so I need to have it up to date!

Summer began, not as we had anticipated. Mike had taken a nice 3 weeks off starting the second the girls were out of school. However, little James got some terrible flu bug the sunday before school let out. It was so not fun..he was really a sick little guy. We eventually took him to the childrens hospital because he was not able to stay hydrated. After receiving IV fluids for a few hours he was able to get a boost in recovering from the virus. However, we were due to leave for Montana in 2 days and we didnt know if he would be well enough. We had a uhaul rented so we could transport a bunch of stuff to the new cabin (more on that later). So Wednesday came and we decided to load up and see how James was doing on our day of departure...Thursday. Mike and I stayed up late Wednesday night loading the uhaul and we had it packed full ready to go. We were so excited and we were all in need of some time together. Wednesday night...both Stephanie and Paige woke up in the night SICK!! I was devastated. So Mike went ahead as scheduled to Montana and I remained behind to care after my 3 out of 4 kids that were sick. This was a sickness unlike anything I have ever seen or care to see again. The girls just laid on the couch with their buckets throwing up every 20-25 minutes. It was heartbreaking. And it lasted FOREVER. They just couldnt seem to get rid of the virus and I soon feared that I would have to take both of them in for rehydration. Sunday came and they still were not great..the throwing up had basically stopped but they had no energy and just laid around complaining of aching stomachs. By Sunday night, I lost it. It had been 1 week of constant throwing up and caring for sick kids, I had not left the house not to mention the 24 hour a day laundry. I decided we would leave Monday morning hoping we were over the worst. I knew I could not take one more day on my own...

So Monday morning we left....

And we took a chance that the Going to the Sun road would be open...and it WAS! I was so thrilled. This road is in Glacier National Park..and is absolutely breath taking. It had just opened 2 days previously and I was so excited. This was truly therapeutic for me as I unwound from a terrible week.

The road passes by 2 beautiful lakes and the views along the way are stunning.

Now I have driven over this pass so many times. I never get tired of it...I am always excited to return! It is my favorite part of the drive. It is different every time you drive it. There is a wall called the 'weeping wall'. In June it is overflowing with water and I drive right under to soak the kids with the sunroof open....by late summer it is hardly weeping at all. The wild flowers are crazy beautiful all summer! The wild animals are always fun to spot along the way..Mike rode his bike twice over the pass this summer and both times was just a few feet away from a bear!

Sorry for all the photos (remember its for my book)...but this was a truly therapeutic way for me to start the summer. We got off to a rough start but it was all perfect from there on out! We had an amazing summer and I cant wait to share it with you!

Healing Days Day 2 & 3

2009-05-30T12:28:00.004-06:00

Let the healing begin....

After our long day at the hospital, Emily was glad to be at home to do the remainder of her healing. Morning brought some delicious cupcakes from our friends the Lacey's! Emily was so excited! She loves cupcakes!

Emily was not in too much pain but just wanted to be laying on the couch. She was not eating much of anything, sipping on Gatorade and dipping into some Jello but still not hungry. Her pain was very manageable to my surprise!

She chatted for just a moment on the phone with Grandma. She still was very sleepy and not much energy. She loved the pick me up tho...every little bit helps! Emily put on a hat and big sunglasses and did sit outside for a moment to enjoy the beautiful day! Wouldnt you know it..it has been the nicest weather this weekend!!

Saturday brought a puffy eye and a bit more pain and discomfort. After today the swelling and redness should start to subside. She has been snuggling this bear almost every second of being at home!!

Saturday morning also brought another fun surprise!! A CANDY BOUQUET! Emily was beaming when this showed up at the door! It is so cute! Thank-you Grandma and Grandpa and Kristin, Brent & Ben! She LOVED it!

(apparently it was supposed to arrive on Friday...but due to our extreme heat they couldnt deliver it! LOL)

Emily's Surgery Day!

2009-05-29T11:04:00.006-06:00

Strabismus Repair

Last month we were in to see Emily's Opthamologist and we discussed with him a procedure that Emily could have done called Strabismus repair. Basically it is a manipulation of the eye muscles to bring the eyes into alignment better. Her right eye was left with no sight following her surgery as a baby and the eye does not align properly with the seeing eye. This was something that we knew could be corrected when the time was right and we were in no rush. We discussed it with Emily and her doctor and agreed the time was right.

The night before Emily's Surgery was so fun for her! She was in the tub following her pre-op instructions (she read every word and followed the directions) when the doorbell rang and it was her cute friend Emma Nash. She had come to deliver the cutest little package of fun things for Emily! She brought a cute cd, bath products and fun treats for when she was feeling better! Emily was THRILLED! Then the doorbell rang again...

It was the Humphreys with the FUNNEST balloon! It had a message attached and everytime you hit the balloon we could hear their good well wishes! SOOO cute! They also brought the softest teddy bear which went right into her hospital bag! And lots of cute cards and treats! SO FUN! Emily was so thrilled and wasnt expecting anything!

The little package also included some new books about a girl named Clementine. Emily had the 1st one read that same night!! She LOVES to read!

Here we are arriving at the hospital with our admitting papers. Emily was getting a little upset that I was taking pictures...but she will thank me later ;). Ill post more about that later. Emily was a trooper. She showed not a moment of nervousness at this point and I was impressed. I had butterflies in my stomach wondering how I could put her through this. I wondered throughout the day how we ever got through a brain surgery with her...

Emily arrived at her little bed. Bed 31. She unpacked some of her stuff and we put on her cute hospital wear.

She was not thrilled to look like a candycane but I told her she looked delectable :). The little bear did not leave her side...he even went into the OR with her. I wasnt even allowed in the OR but Mike was able to go in with her.

We had a lot of waiting time prior to surgery. Emily read and read. I played a fun game on my phone called Diner Dash. Emily and I would pass it back and forth trying to get our restaurant bigger and better. It was a fun app to get through some waiting time.

(Emily and I are so NOT ready for a job in the restaurant business. Our customers were not happy with us.)

Mike was on trauma service but popped over from the Foothills which is conveniently right across the street. He passed some time by reading through Emily's THICK hospital file shown here. Some hard memories are tied up in those files. Soon it was time for surgery. Emily had a few moments of nervousness and a few tears but was such a trooper. I was truly amazed. She was in surgery for just about an hour and another hour in recovery. We were paged when she was being returned to her room and we beat her there.

Now Emily has had a general anesthetic numerous times and she usually wakes up very irritable, panicked and sick. That is what I was preparing myself for. However, she reacted totally differently. She was sooooo sleepy. We would try to get her up to drink something and she would sleep sitting up! Any way we placed her she would just mumble to us and go back to sleep. She was quite sick and could not drink anything! After discussion back and forth with the endocrinologist and her anesthetist we came up with a treatment plan and finally around 10pm we passed most of our criteria for discharge and we were on our way home! I was relieved...we did not want to stay the night!

Emily was still very sleepy and I got her into the wheelchair and she fell asleep. She looks like she is in pain here...but she isnt...she is fast asleep.

I got her into the van and..yes..she fell fast asleep. I got her home and tucked into her bed and she fell fast asleep and slept alllllll night.

As far as how her surgery went...we think it went great. She is in very little pain and had just tylenol in the hospital to manage pain. I was completely surprised. Her eye is very red and slightly puffy and she keeps it closed. The few times she has opened it for me and looked at me...I can notice a difference already. So we are optimistic that we will get a good result! I will post more on her recovery and results! So far so good!

Thank you to all of you for your sweet gifts, phone-calls, emails, texts, messages, etc. I love technology...Emily felt so loved and supported!!

Thai Chicken Noodle Salad

2009-05-24T18:57:00.005-06:00

THAI CHICKEN NOODLE SALAD

Marinade:

3 Tbsp lime juice

3 Tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic minced

1 1/2 tsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Marinate 4 chicken breasts for 1/2 hour, then bake @ 350 for 40-60 min. or til done.

(Note: We BBQ'd the chicken tonight and it was great too)

Peanut sauce:

1/4 c. peanut butter

1/4 c. honey

1/4 c. soy sauce

1/4 c. water

Heat sauce ingredients together, whisking til combined.

Layers for the salad:
romaine lettuce chopped or torn

rice vermicelli cooked (follow pkg)

cooked chicken sliced up

chopped green onion

chopped peanuts (optional)

peanut sauce

chopped cilantro (opt)

My sister Kristin is in a recipe funk (see her blog link) so she wanted me to post a recipe. This is one of our favorites and perfect for summer! My friend Christy made this for me when I was on bedrest and I LOVED it! All my girls LOVE it too! I also want to plug my SIL Christine's blog if you are looking for some delicious recipes. She has been posting some awesome Vegetarian Dishes (complete with pictures)...so drop by her blog for some fresh new ideas!

Grandma and Auntie Mary Visit!!!!!

2009-05-23T08:28:00.007-06:00

We were so lucky this week to have fun visitors! My Grandma Bullock and Auntie Mary were on a road trip and our house was one of their stops!

James was so friendly and LOVED the attention! He would bring all his toys over to Grandma to play. He would play peek-a-boo and try and find his new friends when he woke up in the morning!

The girls LOVED getting to know Grandma and she taught them some new card games! They loved playing and hearing her stories! We laughed and laughed. As soon as I picked up the girls from school the first thing they would ask was if Grandma and Mary were going to be around! So cute!

I loved visiting with my grandma and hearing how everyone is doing. I loved her stories from the past including the story of my Grandpa's cousin from Taber that was 'murdered'!! What scandal! At one point my grandma said....

'Oh we NEVER thought we would be this old! (giggle giggle). When I married your Grandpa I would have bargained for just a few years! It was war time and you just never knew how long you would have to be together.'

My grandparents have been married 67 YEARS in June! My grandpa will celebrate his 91st birthday in August. He has always treated my grandma like gold!! What an inspiration! Im also so impressed with my Grandma's memory! (WOW). She is so good to point out the good in people and overlook their faults. She says

'In the end....you just have to treat others kindly...nothing else matters.'

What a gem my grandma is!! Auntie Mary was a bubble of sunshine and just how I have always remembered her! These ladies were BUSY while here. They had so many old friends to connect with and they had such nice visits with each of them! We loved having them come visit! Thank you Grandma and Auntie Mary for brightening our home for a few days!!

(I didnt even get a picture of Auntie Mary...she was so popular and off visiting!)

I forgot to mention that my grandma went out to the air museum at the Calgary Airport. They are working on a display that will hilight my grandpa and his helicopter business that he started with his 2 brothers here years ago...BULLOCK HELICOPTERS. The display is called 'From Horses to Helicopters'. My grandma loved this title. He did many things with his helicopters and one hilight was mountain rescue. Before helicopters the rescues were done by horse. What a change the helicopters brought! My grandpa and his brother sold the Helicopter business when the 3rd brother was killed while flying in one of the helicopters. This was devastating for them and they lost all enthusiasm for the business. The display will be up in July with a similar helicopter that they flew. Cant wait to see it.

Calgary Zoo

2009-05-16T20:02:00.007-06:00

The sun was shining FINALLY FINALLY FINALLY so we decided to head to the zoo. We had tried around Easter break but there was NO parking anywhere and we decided it would be far too busy...and Im not one for crowds. So we ventured off today and it was busy...but the kids had so much fun! We went with the Humphreys and Marissa was so great at keeping the kids entertained. They had as much fun climbing rocks and exploring caves as they did seeing the animals!!

The climbing rocks were PACKED...but Stephanie found a climbing spot all to herself and struck a pose.

CUTE GIRLS!!

We did see animals and James was very interested. The bear gave us a nice show and came right up to us! The baby mountain goat was so cute dancing on a rock and the whooping crane was strutting his stuff too!

The hippo was hilarious and we all started singing 'I like em chunky' from Madagascar II. He was sunning himself and then went for a dip and the crowd was watching!! I felt sorry for the buffalo (this one is blonde) and voted him ugliest animal in the zoo (didnt help that he was shedding his winter fur). The giraffe's were active and the baby adorable. We even viewed a video of the baby giraffe being born...the girls were all quite disturbed by it!

Fun at the park!

These were some funny shots....I LOVE the one of Erica being a bear!! She is far too cute to be scary. Missy was striking a stunning pose on the rock with her Sunny D. Paige was posing with the Elephant's behind...and if you look closely...Missy is poking her face in there too! The girls all had a ton of fun and James loved all the sites!

This picture was my favorite of them all! She reminds me of Florida!

My personal highlight of the day was the baby gorilla! She turned 1 yesterday and she was playing with her mom. It was the CUTEST thing to watch them! It reminded me of the way Mike plays with James! Adorable! She was the cutest little thing....for a gorilla!

Our 1st Tree

2009-05-14T19:10:00.006-06:00

Paige was SOOOOO excited to get a tree at school today!! She could not wait to get it planted. Unfortunately we are just starting to do our yard...so if we planted it today...it would not survive the yard work ahead in the next few weeks. Soooo we compromised and decided to put it in her cute pot she made until we could properly plant it in our yard! She got it all planted and then was concerned when she read that the tree could grow to be 30ft tall! She thinks she will need a new pot! I explained that we would house it in the pot for a few weeks until we could get it planted in the yard. Then we could just sit back and watch it grow to be 30ft tall! She cannot wait to see it full grown! Hopefully we wont kill it in the meantime...wish us luck!

RDL Walkathon!!!

2009-05-11T14:14:00.002-06:00

Friday was the school walkathon! James and I were volunteers and assigned to walk with K-Grade 2...who were walking 4 km. Emily and Stephanie were walking 8 km and Mike showed up at the last second to walk with their age group! It was a special treat to have him there! After the long walk there was a great lunch put on and the kids were HUNGRY! Luckily the rain held off until we were done and it started sprinkling as we left the parking lot. It was a really fun event! Thanks RDL!!

Private Island

2009-05-06T21:54:00.008-06:00

I was browsing today on the web....home with a sick baby. I decided to look for vacation spots when I ran across this private island!

This is a beauty, located in the Bahamas, you can rent not just one but 11 islands, which have amongst them 40 private beaches. You can stay in a grand 10,000 sq foot manor or a number of other choices. You can go alone or bring 24 of your best friends and spread out amongst the accommodations. There are numerous activities including a huge drive-in theater with lounge chairs on coconut beach, numerous pools, biking, snorkelling, kayakingall the meals and snacks included, all tropical drinks included, etc etc!

Are you convinced yet that this should be your next island getaway??? It is all yours...they only rent to one party at a time!

Isnt that sand just beckoning you??? Amazing!!! You can have all this at

MUSHU CAY in the Bahamas!!

Oh and the cost for all this luxury is only $37,500/NIGHT for up to 12 ppl.

Celebrating 10 years!!! Surgery date April 30, 1999

2009-04-30T12:37:00.005-06:00

SURGERY April 30, 1999

Complete Resection of Craniopharyngioma

After searching hi and lo for a certain scrapbook...I came up blank. I know exactly what scrapbook and what box. But, alas, we have moved numerous times since then and it is at the moment buried. So this picture was sent to me by my mom. She advised us to take pictures during the whole surgery ordeal, she said that one day Emily would be interested to see and read about her surgery. The day is here, Emily has been asking and luckily we did take a picture. Actually only 3 were taken in the hospital. It was a tough ordeal and Mike didnt care to remember it. So we only took 3...and I will continue searching for that scrapbook. Until then, this picture was taken a few weeks after her surgery.

Surgery day was the hardest day of my life. We had the sweetest aenesthesiologist who has since retired. He realized the delicacy of the situation and sat me in a rocking chair and passed me Emily. He allowed me to rock her gently as he put her to sleep and then gave me a few moments with her before he took her from my arms. We then waited. Emily had received a beautiful blessing the night before her surgery and we were optimistic that things would go well. We waited in a small waiting room off the Icu area. We were told the surgery would be close to 8 hours. Kristin and I occupied our minds by playing game after game of yahtzee (thanks Ola). After just 5 hours, our surgeon, Dr. Hamilton emerged. We were shocked to see him so soon but this turned out to be smashing news! The tumor had begun to invade a few areas of Emily's brain. The optic nerves, the hypothalamus and of course the pituitary gland. Dr. Hamilton was concerned prior to surgery that the tumor was adhered to the hypothalamus and would not go near the hypothalamus to remove any tumor cells as this would cause irreversible damage for Emily. However, Dr. Hamilton went in and was able to deflate (drain) the tumor and as he did so...it fell away from all the structures we were concerned about. It fell right off the optic nerves and right away from the hypothalamus. The pituitary gland was a loss, but we pretty much knew that and were prepared for that. The tumor grew right along with the pituitary gland during development and there was no way to separate the two structures. This was not unexpected news and we were prepared for it. We were thrilled when Dr. Hamilton told us that he was able to cauterize the remaining cells of the tumor and that he was able to perform a complete resection of the tumor (meaning he got every last darn cell!!) The surgery could not have gone better and I attribute this not only to the skill and care of the surgeon but also to the many prayers offered on Emily's behalf.

The surgery was done...but we still had to face recovery. This was BRUTAL! I cant even go into detail...just know it was torture. I was with Emily at every moment of her recovery and because she couldnt speak it was so so difficult to know what she needed. She did not sleep because she was on a high dose of steroid. Her face swoll so large that on day 3 her eyes were swollen right shut and they would just cry these huge tears. The doctors were testing her for something called diabetes insipidus so they were only allowing her to take in so much liquid at a time and the poor thing was starving. We eventually began sneaking her liquid because we couldnt take it anymore (turns out she did not develop this condition). It was exactly 3 weeks before she gave us her first smile post-op. That was a great moment and I remember it well...it was then that I knew we would all get through this and be alright! Over the next few weeks and months we realized another miracle had occured. Emily could see again. We weren't sure as to what she was seeing or how well. We were just thrilled she could see. Our opthamologist had warned us that the optic nerves were not forgiving and once moved, rarely did they regain function. We tried patching one eye to see if it was just being lazy...but it wasnt being lazy. It did not see so this drove Emily CRAZY (duh) and patching did not last long. She could see and we took that as a miracle and to see with 1 eye is sooooo much better than none! We made it through diagnosis, we made it through surgery, we made it through recovery, we learned how to manage Emily's medicines, Mike passed his medical boards just 2 weeks after her surgery, he then graduated Medical School (where he received special mention and a standing ovation), we found out baby # 2 was coming, we celebrated Emily's 1st Birthday and Mike began his surgical residency! Crazy crazy time for us!

We continue to manage Emily's health conditions. This is truly an amazing thing for us. She does so well on her growth hormone and her other medications. The amounts change frequently with her growth and it definately isnt a perfect science. Overall, she can be managed easily with a few ups and downs. She is still being monitored for any re-occurance of the tumor. Unfortunately these tumors, tho benign, tend to re-occur even with a complete resection. So we now have graduated to a yearly MRI to check for anything and so far nothing! We are now 10 years out and feel more confident with each passing year that we have seen the last of that tumor! Emily is truly a blessed little girl!!

Spur of the moment trip to VANCOUVER!!!

2009-04-21T17:30:00.012-06:00

Vancouver April 2009!!!

My girls had spring break last week. Mike had to work so we were planning to have a STAYCATION and find some things to do around town. However, at the very last second we accepted an invitation to visit the Dahl's in Vancouver! We decided, packed up and were in Vancouver less than 24 hours after we decided to go! The girls were sooooooooo excited to go and see cousins and PLAY PLAY PLAY! They were great helpers as we got ready to go. The weather was so nice in Vancouver! The sun was shining so we headed to the lake for some swimming! Well the water was FRIGID..but some of the kids didnt care and headed on in. We all had to work hard to keep James out of the water because he was bound and determined to get in and play.

James escaping to the cold lake!

One of the activities of the week was the Vancouver Aquarium. The kids all loved this. It started with a really cute Dolphin show which James LOVED! We also saw a Beluga whale show, A Sea Otter show, and a bird show (also a hit with James as it is one of his few words 'B'). We loved the sharks and the jelly fish. They had all kinds of creatures beautiful and strange. It was such a fun afternoon and in the sun too!

These kids LOVE to swim. So of course we had to have an afternoon of swimming! They swam and swam and swam. They loved the high dive board and the wave pool & slide! They had strict photography rules in the pool so I couldnt get many photos...but it was such a fun pool and all the kids had a ball!

While we were there all the trees went into full blossom! These trees were stunning and we all enjoyed finding them! They looked like fluffy puffs of clouds everywhere we went. I didnt get great pictures of them..but the trees were so stunning I had to include what I could get.

We loved walking around in the sunshine and eating Italian Gelatos! Delicious! I cant speak for the other flavors...but I enjoyed Coconut Cream!! Oh it was good....wish I could get another!!

The little girls chose Marshmallow Smurf...light blue in color! They said it was YUMMO!!

We also walked around down by the port. The kids loved to play on the fun ship park! As the sun was descending it got a little chilly. We walked out to the pier and ran into cousin Katie with her cute friends. I think she thought we were spying on her and taking pictures....but we soooo were not! It was total COINCIDENCE!!! She is so cute! (PS if you look closely in this picture you can see Katie and her friends way down at the end of the pier...we had NO idea!!

We had to quickly snap a photo...it was so cold and windy the further out we went on the pier. We were feeling really sorry for the bride getting pictures...she looked FROZEN!

We had a FUN FUN getaway! Mary and her family are so fun to visit! The kids played from sun up to sun down! They hated to leave...but alas more parties are in store this weekend! A huge HUGE HUGE thank you to all the Dahl's for letting us bunk in and take over their house! Thank you for all the delicious meals and treats!! We felt truly spoiled!! Mary kept telling her friends that her sister in law and her 4 kids were in town visiting and every time she said it I had to gasp..that is a lot of kids and to have all of us invade your house is truly generous! Thank you for the fun fun spring break!

Blogger note: this was my first attempt at a Collage...I think it is too small...Ill have to work on that!

10 Year Anniversary

2009-04-20T17:33:00.008-06:00

Columbine 10 Years

Ive been pondering a lot today about this anniversary. I remember it so clearly. As the tragedy was unfolding in Columbine we had our own tragedy unfolding in our lives. It has been 10 years today that we found out Emily was seriously ill. Today we met with Dr. Astle our pediatric opthamologist. We met with him exactly 10 years ago today with our 10 month old daughter. He delivered the news to us that day that Emily was blind and something was wrong along her optic nerves and that he highly suspected a tumor of some sort. We were devastated and returned home awaiting an MRI the next day to see what exactly the problem was. I remember watching the situation unfold on TV in Columbine and crying tears for those students and for Emily. I remember holding Emily and looking at her tiny little head and wondering how something so terrible could be going on underneath the surface. I couldnt believe it and I remember wanting to take her and just run from it all. It was a terrible day in my memory and I remember it acutely...and it has been 10 years! Ive been thinking all day about the whole experience we had with Emily. She has many questions about how we knew she had a tumor and what the surgery was like. It has been interesting to recall those memories and share them with her. I even downloaded today the one CD that would calm her thru all of this....Andre Bocelli. To this day, Mike cannot even listen to the CD. I can because Emily's story has a happy ending. She is perfect. She does everything any little 10 year old girl can do. She loves life. She loves to laugh. She does not dwell in self pity at the doctors appointments and medications she has to endure. She simply does it and understands it is part of her story. Today the girls said that maybe Heavenly Father gave her the tumor because he doesnt like her....I quickly corrected that thought and said Heavenly Father sent us here to be tested, we all will have different tests, and this happens to be one of Emily's tests....when we pass our tests we can return to Heavenly Father with our heads held high. We then talked about different tests that we might be given and how we might endure them. I was sure to point out (tho so easy to forget) that we will not be given challenges we are not strong enough for. Heavenly Father knew Emily was strong enough and brave enough and could overcome this challenge in her life. It was such an uplifting moment with my girls! I love each one of them. I love Emily and the challenges she faces. I love that her story has a happy ending.

We also booked a new surgery today. After much deliberation and debate over the last 10 years we have decided to fix Emily's eye. Her eye waivers and does not follow her good eye. We have decided it is time to fix it. So May 28 is the day! They will pull her muscles around her eye tighter so that it will be able to follow her good eye more closely.

And on a lighter note....the girls also asked today

WHAT CAUSES A TUMOR??

I said...well if you come up with the answer to that..you will be a billionaire. Stephanie says, "Ok come on guys...let's all figure it out! Let's put our thinking caps on so we can be billionaires! So that is the latest money making scheme around here. Forget chores..they are going for the big bucks!!

BRACES!!!!

2009-04-07T16:49:00.004-06:00

Emily had a FUN day today! We decided to see as many doctors as we could in one day! We started at Endocrine and got a fresh supply of growth hormone. We get 3 months at a time and I happened to look at the price tag today...4,755.00! WOW! So glad that is covered by the Alberta Government. It is pricey to grow this girl! Next we went to her Vision clinic to do a visual field exam. The results were the same as last time and she does have a bit of a deficit in her visual field in her good eye...but not much..so we are thankful! THEN the most exciting stop of our day...the ORTHODONTIST!! Emily said goodbye to nice smooth teeth and hello BRACES!! Here she is before her appointment....

And AFTER...notice she is still smiling. In a few hours the pain will set in tho. She was so good and brave as it takes quite awhile to get these things put on. She signed a waver to brush and floss and eat only things on the allowable list. She has promised not to eat popcorn, licorice, pencils, hard candy, ice, nuts, gummy candy, apples, carrots, and GUM! We are posting the list on the fridge as a reminder for us all! She got the COOLEST new TOOTHBRUSH!! It has a timer that goes on the mirror. She is to brush for 4 minutes and it tells her what area of her mouth she should be focusing on. It also tells her if she is pressing too hard! At the end it gives you a smily face for doing a good job! The other girls are going to want one to...Emily was so excited about it. She can also earn 'Duncan Dollars'. She can earn up to 3 Duncan Dollars per visit if she is 1. On time 2. Brushes well 3. Has no broken pieces. Then she can use her Duncan Dollars to buy things in the Duncan Store. I had the same Orthodontist a million years ago and I DO NOT remember getting an awesome toothbrush and Duncan Dollars! She is soooooo lucky!!! Cant wait to see the new smile when we are done!!

North Shore

2009-04-01T10:22:00.007-06:00

After the wedding we all piled in our vans and headed up to the North Shore to the Turtle Bay Resort.

We opened up our window and had a nice view of a building and first thing the next morning we switched rooms. We needed more room to sleep all the kids and we definately needed a better view. It worked out great. We had 3 couches and could have cousin sleep overs in our room.

The kids loved the pools here too. This is a funny picture of Paige after putting on the sunscreen stick. The kids were really great about sunscreen and loved the stick.

They had a fun baby pool that the girls liked to take James in.

One night we went for a delicious dinner at the golf course and James just wanted to run! He ran and ran and ran and played with cousin Alex!

Alex taught him to say the word Bird (B) on the trip. He was always looking for B's and pointing! So cute...thanks Alex!

We tested out some fun beaches while on the north shore!

This beach is not on the north shore...but somehow we ended up here for the day! Notice the warnings!! LOL!

The waves were huge and Ive never seen so many ppl in the ocean in one place at one time! I dont know how they did not crash into each other! We almost lost Alex at this beach! He was having so much fun in the waves but at one point was in a panic. Luckily, the uncles noticed quickly and were on him in a flash!

We did get a special treat as we watched whales swim by!

This was at Waimea Bay...the same warnings were posted here. The lifeguards were hilarious and would warn of incoming shore break swells and would keep coming over the intercom wondering if anyone needed directions to a safer beach. I wonder if they were speaking to us?? LOL.

I think we were all mesmerized watching these incredible waves crashing...it was hard to get a picture of them.

Luckily James was fine to hang out in his stroller!

One day the waves were calm enough here that we could actually take the kids in...if we were in the safer right side of the bay. It was so fun to be rolled around by the waves! I just wish we had had more safer days.

The family had a picture taken on the beach and we were missing James. He was peeking out watching us all...oh he cracks me up! Here he is waving at us!

Here is the picture he was not in!! LOL!

So I think that is the end of our Hawaii trip! We had a blast with so many fun memories! We enjoyed great food, delicious treats, great company, way too many cokes, loved the sunshine, loved the beauty of the area, we laughed and laughed, we ate and ate, we played and played! It was so fun to have all the kids together and I don't think they will want to vacation without cousins along ever again! They loved bouncing from 'house to house' they called it. A non-stop party!! Thanks for a great vacation Dunham's!!

Polynesian Culture Center

2009-04-01T09:34:00.005-06:00

One day the girls and I went to the Polynesian Culture Center. They were so excited! I loved having a day with just them and not having to worry about James. The center has each different island that you can visit and learn about. We made it to most of the islands. They had informative demonstrations that taught about the people and cultures of each island.

We passed by this fishing area and the girls were soooo excited to fish (I was not so excited...I dont like fish). So we gave it a whirl...and luckily...no fish were caught. They did have fun trying tho.

Paige trying to catch fish.

Plumeria's are my FAVORITE Hawaiian flower. They are so pretty. They were in full bloom when we were there in October and just starting to come into bloom this trip. There were not many out yet...but I did find a few! I love this picture!

The island of Tahiti.

Hibiscus. These were all over the place in all different colors. There was a path of them at our first hotel..in bright yellow. When I walked by first thing in the morning (5am) they were all closed tightly...but as soon as the sun is out...they open up so wide! We loved looking at all the flowers!

Shave Ice is a huge treat in Hawaii (Mike says they must not have slurpees). We loved trying different flavors and mixes! What a yummy treat! I think they should have them in the hospitals for recovering surgical patients to enjoy ;).

Steff and Emily enjoying their shave ices.

The culture center is so beautiful and green with waterfalls everywhere. We watched an Imax show about the dying coral reefs around the world. The girls loved it and now want to find ways to save the coral reefs. Im wondering how to do it from our wintery home in Calgary...LOL.

Paige was testing out her hips to do the hula at the Luau that night.

Off to the Luau...

These smoothies were served in pineapples and the girls were so excited!

At the end of the Luau the girls were invited up to hula on stage with the dancers. They had a great time!

We are off to the night show. It was a great show...but a little long so we left a little bit early to beat the crowds. The girls were tired after a full fun day of learning!! Im so glad we were able to go!

Bruce and Kara get MARRIED!!

2009-03-31T14:52:00.007-06:00

Saturday March 21, Oahu Hawaii

Bruce and Kara

The girls were SOOOO excited for Bruce and Kara to get married! They could not wait to see her dress and see her walk down the aisle!

Kara walked down this beautiful lane lit by tiki torches and surrounded by water...it was beautiful.

Unfortunately it was a tough day for James to endure and during and after the ceremony he was requiring much attention...so I didnt get too many pictures afterwards. Kara and Bruce looked so excited and thrilled with each other!

Bruce and Kara and most of the kids

Mike and Emily

Bruce just before getting married

Paige

Emily

Paige walking James before the wedding began

The girls and I

Family shot...not great..James was restless

Stephanie getting ready

All the cousins...we were just missing sweet little Claire!

Surfing Oahu!!

2009-03-31T09:32:00.006-06:00

One of the hilights of the trip was the surfing! Mike hauled his 7'6" surfboard all the way to Hawaii and wanted to put it to use! The other boys rented boards for the whole time we were there...and they were definately put to good use!

The first surf the boys found was at the Coast Guard beach near Ko'Olina. We only made it there once and should have gone back.

Mike

Alex...what a little surfer dude! He was out with all the uncles! This kid has no fear!!

MARY!! What a cute surfer girl! I think she got up her first wave!!

Brian had some surfing experience from his Mexico trip and could get up every wave he caught!

The boys. There was a nice surfing spot right where we stayed at turtle bay and even a viewing area which made it nice for those trying to take pictures!

I dont know why...but the waves look way bigger in real life.

Peter

Brian

It was so fun to watch these boys out surfing. They had endurance and determination! Surfing is not an easy sport. You have to wait forever for the right wave! They spent hours out there!

This shows where they were surfing...we would just stand on the side and watch and snap photos...it was a great location!!

Finally the whole family arrives!!!

2009-03-30T22:11:00.007-06:00

This was the most popular pool! It was so fun with caverns and waterfalls to explore and a slide! We couldnt get the girls out of it! James was a little bit trickier to watch at this pool...but he loved it too!

This picture of James cracks me up! Mike says it looks like he is missing a limb...but if you look closely he is doing his cute little wave so fast!! We love his wave!

We met Nonna and Poppa for dinner this night! They were the first to arrive. James loved playing with Poppa in the hot tub and watching the sunset! James did go for a little dunk but all was fine!

Another shot of that great sunset!

FINALLY the cousins arrived!! They got right busy and started playing!! They played and played and played! Running from one activity to the next! Never a dull moment!

Mike stopped in at Home Depot and picked up some serious shovels for serious sand castle building!

Love this picture of Emily! What a sweetie she is!

Here is Alex taking a toss of the frisbee! He was non stop energy!

James again in the sand!

I could never get him to look at me...he was always far too busy! His hair cracked me up because of the humidity...he had a few CURLS!! Just in the long hair right behind his ears...two little curls! So cute!

Paige going digging with the shovel...take special note of her slithery tongue in this picture!

The rest of the gang hanging on the beach! It was so fun to sit and visit and drink cold drinks!

Going to the BEACH!!!

2009-03-30T21:19:00.009-06:00

After all the pool exploration we headed to the lagoon for some real sand and ocean! The girls loved these lagoons!

The lagoons were so nice! The sand was beautiful and the water nice and clear! They were perfect for the girls!

We had the first 2 days to play before the rest of the family arrived. The girls were so excited for the cousins come! The anticipation was mounting by the minute! They couldnt wait to show them the lagoons and fun pools and to test out their hotel and pool too!

James sat and watched for only a moment before he decided he wanted in on the action!

Mike loves to play frisbee with his girls. He played with me too...that is until I launched the thing into the lagoon and he and Emily had to go hunt for it! I thought it could be a lost cause...but because the lagoons were so clear...it was quickly recovered and he didnt ask to play with me again! LOL!

So we let James out...and he immediately turned around and started backing down for the water! I said he reminded me of a turtle...making its way to the water! It was so cute!

It was so fun to watch all these kids in the sand and ocean! They would each find their own thing to do and easily amuse themselves. James loved it!