7 years ago today...

I LOVE YOU!

visitors from WA

We were so lucky to have Grandma and Grandpa Turner out for a visit. We were also lucky enough that Zac could take the whole week off while they were here. Unfortunately they managed to bring some rainy weather with them from Washington - not that we were sad about it but I always feel bad when people come to visit and the sun doesn't shine. Last October while my family were here Zac was certified to pilot a pontoon boat on Kaneohe Bay so we took the Turner Grandparents out for a ride. We all enjoyed ourselves despite the rainy windy weather. It is always so much fun to stand on a sand bar in the middle of the bay. It's somewhat surreal.

I think Grandpa just had fun in the water!

Buddy did get a bit cold and as you can see he spent most of the time cuddled with Grandma. How did she get out of having her picture taken?

While here we also went to the PCC (short for Polynesian Cultural Center). This time was so much more fun. The kids were a bit older and the weather not quite so hot as the last time. Zac and I realized this was probably our last "Hawaiian" experience before we leave the island.

Because this activity involved a stick, Andrew loved it. They each had to see how far they could throw it. I know you are all thinking, how easy. But really quite hard. Don't you also love the look on Grandpa's face. He was such a fierce warrior!

Sweet Anne watching the Hula girls. All day long she asked, "When are we going to see the hula girls?" She loved the Horizons show that night.

Out of the whole day we really enjoyed two things. The first being the IMAX film Coral Reef we watched and then when the kids got to go fishing. They could have stayed their all day.

two more teeth...gone

Tooth #1 - Mom pulled it out under the guise of seeing just how loose it really was.

Tooth #2 - Fell out while eating a hot dog. Anne said "Mom their is something crunchy in my food." Mom said, "Spit it out!" We thought she had swallowed the tooth but after some digging we found it, much to Anne's relief.

what is that out there?

I just really loved this one of the kids. It was right when we got to the beach, a beach we have never been to before, and they had just hit the first wave of the day. I love how happy they are to be there even though we have been to the beach a hundred times before.

Mostly I just like this one because I never have pictures with the kids and I. Usually I am on the other end of the lens. Unfortunately I am also in a bathing suit!

Can you all see what the kids are looking at out in the water. There we are sitting on the beach building a sand castle when I look up and think, "Is there someone drowning out there?" No, no one was drowning. It was a monk seal come to take a look at what was all the excitement on the beach. The kids wanted to go out and pet it. They had to settle with just looking at it. It was so funny. The seal just swam up and down the beach. It almost ran into a few people who weren't paying attention. Crazy!

happy easter

We had a wonderful Easter here. Friday night as is our tradition we colored our eggs. This year we tried dunking as our coloring method. Zac and I both agreed we liked last years sponge painting method better after Andrew accidentally spilled purple dye all over. Saturday the kids received their Easter baskets. I left a trail of eggs from their rooms down to the baskets. Andrew stopped and opened each egg on the way to see what was inside. Sunday was a good day too. We have 1pm church so there was no hurry to get ready. The kids were even happy to take some pictures in their Easter finery. We had our traditional egg salad sandwiches (got to eat those Easter eggs somehow) then we were off to church. After church we went to one of our favorite beaches for a walk and a family picture. Anne was so confused as to why so many people were swimming at the beach on Sunday. I told her that they just don't believe in keeping the Sabbath day holy like we do. She said, "Mom, maybe they just don't know the Sunday rules yet." So true Anne, so true.

helping daddy at work

As many of you know Zac will be starting a fellowship in Pediatric Cardiology in July. Well he has been anxious to get a bit of a head start. He has been learning by watching how to do the echo of the heart, but in order to really learn he must have an actual heart to look at. Anne was more than happy to volunteer. Andrew was too worried about his daddy "looking" at his heart. One can only imagine what his three year old mind was thinking. So down to the hospital we went. Zac spent about an hour getting acquainted with Anne's heart. She was so excited to see her "real" heart. It really was neat to see and Anne was such a good patient.

st. patrick's day shopping

Turns out we had the "luck of the Irish" today as we ventured out to the Waikele Outlet Stores. I went to get a shirt for Andrew for Easter and came home with tons of excellent deals. As you all know we are moving to Pittsburgh this June. For those of you who really know me you know I like to be prepared for the changing of the seasons clothes wise. In other words I have always shopped at the end of each season for the next year. Today was a good day. I was able to get sweaters and pants for both the kids...that is if they don't have a huge growth spurt between now and September.

Today the kids were little angels in the store so we decided to take a ride on the Waikele Trolley. Nothing exciting for me, but they really love it. We rode it down to Old Navy, shopped some more then rode it back up to the outlets. A perfect end to our shopping day.

the hunt

Andrew had a fun day at school on Thursday. First they made these cute bunnies out of a toilet paper roll then they finished their bunny basket made out of a juice carton. Then to top it all off they had a Easter egg hunt. I have to admit that when I looked around I didn't see too many eggs myself. I just thought someone had hidden them really well. Andrew started looking but then said, "Mommy you help me I don't see any." Well come to find out someone had forgotten to hide most of the eggs! The helper quickly hid the rest and then Andrew was off. He had a blast.

grandma sweetheart

We just had the most wonderful impromptu visit from my mom. She and I were talking last Monday about when would be a good time for a visit. We were both searching the Internet for good prices. She entered in the next day just for kicks and found it was a excellent price. So she flew out Tuesday night! We had so much fun. We talked, she taught me how to make her bread, she wrestled with the kids, we went shopping, she sent Zac and I out on a date then cleaned the whole house while we were gone, then the next day she took the kids to the beach while we had our Open House! She really was a life saver and came at the perfect time. I really enjoyed having a friend to hang out with all week long. Love you Mom!

While she was here she did Anne's hair everyday. Everyone was totally amazed by all her diferent hair styles. Anne just loved it. Whenever anyone would say anything to her about her hair she would tell them, "My grandma sweetheart is here visiting and she does my hair now." She was so sad when I just did her hair today in a plain old ponytail. I guess there are just some thing that only grandmas can do. This is the hair do that she did on Anne on Sunday for church. After church Anne insisted on doing Grandma's hair. See the picture above.

mom's bread

One of my yummiest memories growing up was my mom's whole wheat bread. It really was a wonderful day when she made her bread. There was the time we spent watching her mix the bread, then how she would roll it out then spank each loaf to get all the air bubbles out, then there was the smell. Oh how I love the smell of her bread cooking. After the bread would come out there would be the contest over who would be the lucky one to get the "caboose" or the "heel" of the bread. My mom would say, "Who wants the caboose?" And then the first one of us six who said "I do!!" would get the coveted slice smothered in butter.

I have always wanted to learn how to make her bread but I lacked certain tools of the trade. First I didn't have the all important Winter White Wheat. Second, I didn't have a Bosch, only a sad Kitchen Aid which couldn't mix six loaves even if I tried. Third, I didn't have the dough enhancer - the true secret of my mom's bread. When my mom visited last October she brought me a few bags of her wheat flour...that was one of the things I needed. Then with her visit this week she brought the next tool. The dough enhancer. She told me I didn't need the Bosch because she could walk me through the recipe for just two loaves instead of the six that she makes.

So mom walked me through the process and I have to say I was so delighted with the finished product. Not only did my kitchen smell like heaven but my stomach and taste buds were also truly satisfied. Mom and I ate the round loaf for out lunch! So yummy. Thanks mom!