Aloha!

Jeff and I spent a week in Maui with our friends Mark and Allison. My brother Glen, his wife Kathy and their family were also there. Glen's family went out 1 week before us. They spent New Years Eve there. So they were only there for 2 of the days with us but we had a fabulous time!

Some of my favorite things/places in Maui......................

I love this church! The stained glass windows are so pretty when the sun hits them. I have to photograph it every time I go to Maui.

Waterfalls, green rolling hills and green mountains.

And of course all the pretty foliage. I love the flowers and the flowered bushes and trees.

We went over to Paia which in on the North Shore, and the waves are huge over there.

The North Shores are where all the big surfing competitions are held

You can tell how big the waves are by looking at the surfers next to them. Do you see that guy in the bottom picture on the left side.

Here are some rocks. Notice how low the water is on them, then look how hard it crashes against them. These rocks had to be at least 9 feet out of the water and the waves would just come splashing right over the tops of them.

My brother Glen, his wife Kathy and their kids.

Jeff, me, Alli and Mark.

On one of the nights we went back over to Paia to eat at Mama's Fish House. It is also one of my most favorite places. I go eat here every time I come here. If you ever get to Maui, you HAVE to eat at Mama's!

It is nestled in the most beautiful setting. It sits right on the beach of the North Shores so you can see the amazing waves. The window's lift completely up so you essentially dine in an open air restaurant. The walkway into the restaurant goes underneath this really neat tree that grows in a U shape.

Mark got a piece of baked Mahi Mahi with Kahlua Pork, Poi, grilled bananas and sweet potatoes with coconut milk, in a coconut shell to go as a dressing over top.

And the rest of us got Macadamia nut encrusted mahi mahi, stuffed with lobster, crab and Maui onions with asparagus on top, with corn and Maui rice.

Sidney saw this picture and thought that it looked gross. BUT IT WAS DELICIOUS!!!!!!!

Then for dessert we couldn't decide, so we ordered a few and shared them. We got chocolate pie with a carmel cookie crust, (yum!) and banana macadamia nut crisp served warm with vanilla bean ice cream (yum yum) and creme brulee! (and yum again!)

That carmel cookie crust was so darn yummy!

We hung out on the beach................

Played in the ocean................

And whale watched. I took this picture from the beach. Humpback Whales were blowing their spouts all over and they would breach and splash their tails. It was too hard to actually catch a picture of a whale in the air because I never knew when and where they would jump. So....... I have a lot of pictures of the splash they would make after they would enter the water again.

But mostly we hung out at the pool. We rented this cabana for the week. We would lay out, nap, read, swim, and just flat out enjoy ourselves there.

I reacquainted myself with an old friend while I was there. Meet Mr. Lava Flow! (virgin of course!) Pina Colada with strawberry puree, blended with ice cream.

We stayed at the Grand Wailea, which is my MOST favorite hotel in all the world! And I have stayed in quite a few! This one takes the cake. I come here and I don't even want to leave the resort. I absolutely L O V E the pools here. It's like a miniature water park.

The adult pool.

They have a couple big water slides and then smaller ones with a lazy river and pools all over and all the pools, waterslides and lazy rivers connect. The only pool that doesn't connect is the adult pool. It is by itself. They also have a water elevator. The only one in the world. See that silver door with the circle window in it in the middle/left side of this bottom picture. That's the elevator.

SO FUN!

We all went to the spa one of the days and had wonderful massages and sat in the mineral baths and got exfoliated. Didn't want it to end!

One night we went over to Lahina to a comedy/magic show called Warren & Annabelles. We have been to it 3 times before and we have loved it every time. You will laugh your butt off! Again, if you ever go to Maui, you gotta go to Warren & Annabelles! It is a totally clean show. No swearing or any kind of vulgar language. You could easily have your kids here, BUT children are not allowed. Everyone has to be 21 and older with ID because they serve alcohol.

Warren is the comedian/magician and Annabelle is the ghost that haunts the building.

To get into the room, you have to go into this one little room first that has 4 doors and secreate doors. You are given a key and then you are given clues by Annabelle. Then you have to find your way out. Eventually, a false wall slides open when you solve their riddle and you go in and you can eat. Then Annabelle, the ghost, entertains you for a little while. She takes requests and plays the piano. (of course you never see her because she is a ghost). You just see her chair turn toward you while you say your request, then she plays the song on the piano that you requested. Then you go into the theatre for the magic show.

Since Mark and Allison had never been here before, they got picked to be one of the couples that sits upfront with the comedian. Basically he makes fun of them the whole time while he does magic. It is totally entertaining! But if you do go, know that the whole event takes about 4 hours.

On our way to the show in Lahina, we drove past the famous Baynan tree. It is SOOO big. It takes up like 1/3 of an acre. It was raining so hard on our way there that we couldn't even roll down the window. So we had to stop by one our way home. Unfortunately the pictures didn't turn out well because it was dark but you can at least kind of see the tree.

The limbs have grown and grown to the point where they have branched off and grown down into the ground making a new trunk. And then that tree trunk grew and grew until it's branches grew down and made yet another trunk and so on.

It was really cool.

On our last morning there, we went to Kihei to have breakfast at one of my favorite spots. The Kihei Cafe! The food portions are ridiculos! GLUTNEY! Jeff and I had enough food on our plates to feed 4!

Jeff got an omlet with hashbrowns and I got my ever favorite: banana macademia nut french toast with cocoanut syrup and whipped cream. It essentially was dessert for breakfast!

We had the most wonderfully relaxing time! I am sure that I gained 10 pounds while I was there. Our company could not have been better! Can't wait for the next time I get to go back!

A lesson learned

Years ago when I was in my mid 20's, I used to like to go grocery shopping late at night. After I had just spent half the night before up with a baby and then been to work all day long, the last thing I wanted to do was swim through the store isles with a cart full of grocery's with a hundred other shoppers and then stand in a check out line forever. So I usually left around 11:30pm. Well this one particular night I had gone to WalMart and for some reason I had Jens with me. He was really small. Like 2 years old. Maybe 3. I had parked on the far east end of the store. I was not one if those people who would drive circles trying to find the closest spot possible. My mom is one of those people. If I park right next to a handicap, it still is not close enough for her. I need to park her in the first and closest handicap stall there is available! Drives me CRAZY!!!!! So, I had parked in a stall completely by itself, off on a side where really no one was around. We went in, did our shopping and headed out of the store. Just as I was about to exit the building, I realized that I was walking out the wrong side of the store doors. I was walking out the far west doors and I was parked clear over on the east side, alone, and in the dark. I said to Jens, "Oh, we are going out the wrong doors...." and just as soon as I said it, I stopped and turned my body only around. I didn't even have time to turn my cart because there was a man standing so close behind me that I don't know how I didn't know he was there. He was seriously so close that I am surprised that I couldn't feel him breathing down my neck. He was taller than me and in a black jacket. He seemed to loom over me. He was a total creeper! I instantly got chills up and down my legs and arms and the hair on the back of my neck stood up. STUPIDLY, I just turned back to Jens and kept pushing him out the store doors. Stupid, stupid! Hindsight, I should have never done that! I should have just whirled around him, went to the front of the store, told them there was a man following me and had an employee walk me out. But I didn't. I didn't! I continued to walk Jens out as fast as my legs would walk without breaking into a dead run. I looked like one of those speed walkers, racing across the parking lot. He continued to follow, a small distance away but keeping in stride with me. I looked behind me at him constantly! He had to know that he was completely freaking me out. I wondered how long he had been following me. Had he followed me through the store? Had he scouted me out? Was I his prey and didn't know it? I then noticed an old car pull up slowly down one of the isles. It rolled down it's window part way. The man following me leaned in and said something quickly to the driver. He never stopped walking and the car never stopped rolling, they just said something quick to each other. Now I am really panicking! I am thinking, "Great! These two are in cahoots with each other. One will grab me and throw me in the car while the other punches the gas and little Jens will be left out here alone. Or worse yet, they might kidnap Jens!" I started to jog with my cart. I was half way to my car. I start to tell Jens, "Listen son, when mama gets to the car, we are not taking our groceries with us tonight. I want you to stand up out of the cart seat when we are almost to the car, I am going to grab you and we are going to jump in and you are going to drive with me on my lap for a minute." He asked me why and I just said that mama was in a real hurry. I just didn't want him to fight me about getting his prize that we had just bought from the cart or have him try to get in the back in his carseat. We were almost to my car and I decide that the man was far enough away for me to take my groceries after all. I throw Jens in the front seat and shut my door. I pop my trunk and I am literally throwing my groceries in the trunk. Eggs, bread, milk, didn't matter. I threw them in. I slammed my trunk down....................and then I saw him. He was standing in front of my car against the hood! All blood left my legs. I was so scared! I was so mad at myself for wasting those precious 30 seconds! I could have been out of here and I wasted them on a few sacks of groceries!!! I RAN around my car, he was coming toward me and I threw my drivers side door open blocking him from me. I looked him dead in the eye and said, "EXCUSE ME!" I jumped in, locked the door, stuck the keys in the ignition and just then the car that he had talked to drove slowly past me. And the man just walked slowly past my car door and kept on walking. I started my car up and peeled out of there! I drove a good ways away, pulled into a well lit and busy gas station and then got out and buckled Jens in his seat. I don't know where else the man could have gone. I was parked along side of the road, there were no stalls past me. He had to be coming for me! He had to! And if by some chance he wasn't, don't you think that he could tell that he was frightening me? Surely he could tell and if he wasn't after me then he should have backed off. I cried the whole way home and cried some more when I got home and told Jeff. It was one of the most frightening experiences! It took me several years to go shopping at night again. And I only go shopping if I HAVE to. And I always say to the bag boy, "I need some help out." Sometimes they look at me funny because I may only have one sack or just one gallon of milk. But I just say to them, "I really don't need your help, I just want you to walk me out. I am a woman and it is dark. They get it then and they always walk me out!

So the moral of the story is: Be aware of your surroundings! Know who is close to you, who is watching you and know if someone is following you. I now constantly check behind me while I shop, just to see if I can see anyone following me. I am very aware in the parking lot and I park close now. Keep yourself safe!

Ringin' in the New Year with a BANG!

Today my niece's and nephew came to play with my kids. They played for the day and into the evening. Molly kept wanting banana bread so this evening I decided to make some. I made it, put it in the oven and stepped into the shower. I usually only just shut my bathroom door and I don't lock it. I have this little nagging thought in the back of my mind that says, "What if??? What if something happened?? What if something happened and my little kids needed to get to me and couldn't because the door was locked?" So anyway, there I am just barely getting wet when out of nowhere my 3 year old Molly and my niece Gracie come in and open up my SHOWER door -- aaaggh!--

"Mom!" Molly says, "Dad and Jens and Jaxon are going outside to let off fireworks!" --------- "Ugh? Okay! Now get out!" I say.

Not one minute later they came back in! This time they were saying that the banana bread was done. ----- Done? I think. Surely not already. But they tell me that my timer was beeping. So I tell them to go and get dad. I then wash my hair, condition it, and then wash my body. And next thing I know, they are back AGAIN! Only this time is was only my niece.

"Come quick!" she says. "Molly is trying to get the bread out!"

I thought they had got Jeff to get it out. At least 5 minutes had passed since they first said that the oven was beeping. Surely it is burning and now my little 3 year old is trying to get bread out of a hot oven??? So I jump out of the shower, wrap the towel around me, (well as much as it will wrap around my chubby body) and quickly head out into the kitchen. And sure enough, there is my little 3 year old with hot pads in hand and she is just starting to open the oven door. I grab the hot pads from her and bend over (the towel bends up) and I start taking loaf after loaf out. When much to my dismay I hear a 12 year old boys voice behind me say, "Oh Boy!" I whirl around to see my son Jens, pale white in the face, and my 12 year old nephew who are just coming in.

"Stay out! Get out!" I yell.

I couldn't get out of that kitchen fast enough! So today is only the first day of January and I have already seemed to manage to scare not 1, not 2, but multiple young children. I am sure I was a sight. Half wrapped in a towel, bent over, crazy wet hair......... Oh Lord, help us all!

Merry Christmas 2010!

We had a great Christmas this year. My nephew's birthday is on Christmas Eve and this year he tuned 18. So we went over there to have dinner and celebrate with him. (kind of a day that you're not going to be spending with your friends....) After that as usual my mom came and spent the night with us. Each year on Christmas Eve evening we go to the cemetery and put candles out on our grandparents graves. Our city and our neighboring city have had that as a tradition for many years now. It is really pretty to drive through the cemetery at about 9:00pm and see hundreds of glowing candles. After we came home and put the kids to bed and went to bed ourselves. Then the Old Fat Man showed up! Miss Molly got the cutest little Pinkalicious bike.

Jens got the new mitt he wanted.

And Sidney got the minke blanket that she so desperately wanted. I don't have a clue how to sew but thankfully I have friends and family who do. They did a great job!

Two words: PILLOW PETS

Who ever came up with this idea has had to make millions! Every kid I know loves them. Why? To me they are just one big obnoxious stuffed animal and I will never find closet space for it. My kids have wanted one forever and Santa didn't let them down. Cade got the dog he wanted.

I don't know if you can tell but Molly was so excited when she realized what she was opening up. Yes. A Pillow Pet!

Cade got this really cool Land Shark knee board. Or at least it seemed really "cool" at the time. It says to always wear protective gear while riding it. Helmet - knee pads - elbow pads. I half serious, half jokingly said to my mom that he should probably wear a mouth guard too. Well later in the day on Christmas while none of us adults were really paying attention, Cade took his Land Shark outside to ride it. He was still in his pajamas. He certainly did not have a helmet on. Heck, he didn't even have on shoes! My driveway is on a slant, so he started at the top of the drive and went zipping down the drive, hit the crack where the gutter meets the road and face planted. The knee board totally stopped where the two meet and he kept on sliding. Only on his face instead of the board.

His poor little face is all road rashed. He even has road rash on the inside of his lower lip. He had dirt all over in his teeth. I felt so bad for him!

So long story short: If any of your kids received this fabulous little toy, make sure they ALWAYS wear protective gear with it!

As for us, we decided that we aren't going to keep it! Tomorrow it goes back to the North Pole!