Aloha Oi.... How we love you Hawaii (part 1 of 3)

We love, love, love Hawaii! It was a great two weeks and we are sad to be back in the snow and cold. We survived two 14 hour travel days with a 23 month old and now feel like we can do anything! Hawaii was beautiful and everything you can imagine. The weather was around 82 degrees the whole time and could not have been more perfect. We ate, swam, ate, played and ate some more. Don't you love being spoiled by your mom?! We were lucky to be able to stay with my parents, Chuck and Judy, in their condo. They took care of us is the best way to summarize everything, let us stay in the master bedroom, took care of our little boy (it was like we didn't have to be parents!), and fed us. (did I mention we ate alot?!) Not to mention they were also great company! We stayed on the big Island in a town called Kona. While we were there we were able to go on a snorkel cruise where we saw 6 whales (one was only 30 ft from the boat) two different kinds of dolphins, and Captain Cook bay. Did I mention that this snorkel cruise was baby free? We also went to a Luau where dan was introduced to fire dancers. There is a reason they tell you not to try this at home, dan has singed the hair on his face and arms trying to "practice". (JK but I do think he contemplated changing careers) Here are some pictures to summarize it all. Hope you all enjoyed your January as much as we did!

Mom and Beckett playing in the sand at Hapuna beach.

Beckett loves the sand and digging.... he is just like his daddy!

swimming in the pool at the condo.

My mom found the coolest kids park I have ever been too and Beckett was in Heaven. It was nice to be able to do some fun things for the kid too since I don't think he will fully appreciate the fact that he has been to Hawaii.

Can you say huge? We ate a few shaved ice, about 8 McDonald's icecream cones for Anne, and a few other treats. Why do we get McDonald's from Hawaii you are asking... becaue I love it that's why so back off!

Beckett loved the huge walk in shower and liked it even more that he got to dry himself off and be wrapped in a towel just like his dad. Did I tell you that the kid has been peeing in the potty and even did a number 2. He likes to tell us he needs to "pee pee" and sit there. Doesn't always come out but I'm just happy he's excited about it. I plan on fully starting potty training at 2 (I hear boys are harder and you should start at 2.5 but I really want him to be potty trained by the time baby girl arrives!).

A little hike we went on that led to some huge waterfalls.

Hapuna beach at sunset, isn't it beautiful!

Here is "lizard man" Dan found this crazy looking lizard on a bush and picked it up. Don't even ask if I touched it, you know the answer! He also caught a lizard outside of our condo and the lizard dropped it's tail which began to twitch on the ground. I was freaked out about it but don't worry, dan picked up the twitching tail and gave it to our son! Gross!


Finally here is a pregnancy update:
These pictures are from Hawaii when I was 22 weeks. (dan likes to call it the "deuce-deuce")
This pregnancy has been great, I've been able to keep the heartburn down to a minimum (always have tums on had though) and am keeping with my goal of gaining under 25 lbs. (gained 50 with beckett so this will be interesting to see how it turns out)
My doctor thinks we will still be having a large baby. She said how much weight you gain is a very small factor, the biggest are my weight at birth (8.13lbs) and my husbands weight at birth (10.15lbs). Not looking good. She did say that girls are generally a quarter of a lbs smaller than their brothers but that the second baby is generally a quarter of a lbs more than the first. Guess we will have to wait till May to find out!
This pregnancy is going much faster than the first but I know I have a long ways to go... more updates to come!

try not to look at my face, this was 10 minutes after waking up. Thank goodness pictures can't hold smell, morning breath is not great!

Black sand beach, turtle and tide pools.

How cool is this? The sand was pretty fine too... I would have expected it to be really rocky.

Classic shot, everyone looking but Beckett. On a side note he will look and smile at you if you get him to say "Cheese". Why do all kids fall for this?

This water was freezing but as long as the kid has some rocks to throw he is happy as can be.

Mom braving the cold water for a pic with her little monster

Beckett showing his "wocks" to daddy.

We were too lazy to put his swim suit and diaper on so the kid had to go out in this. It's amazing how quickly those diapers will fill with water... simply amazing!

You wouldn't know by looking at it, but this turtle was delicious.

It was low tide so we saw two turtles in the little tide pools like this. This one was actually pretty big. His shell is about 3 feet from top to bottom and 2 feet wide. (hard to tell in a picture)

Daddy and Beckett looking at the turtle. Don't you think it would have been great if we had Beckett riding one? Too bad for turtle protection laws, we could have some awesome pictures.

Another tide pool day. Beckett was happiest where he could play with rocks (throw them) where mom and dad weren't telling him not to hit other people.

Isn't that cool?

I hesitate to put this picture up simply because I look like a chubby pregnant lady (not that the non-pregnant lady looks too different but you get the idea) but it is a great caption of the water and how clear everything was.

Place of Refuge and North part of Big Island

King Kamehameha I

My mom (Grandma Judy) and Beckett in-front of above statue.

Our own little fam.

Beckett practicing his camouflage skills in the bushes. He needs a little work!

This is the place of refuge. Apparently people could come here for safety and if they made it in the walls no one could hurt them. (this is all before the white man came and ruined everything! Thanks a lot Captain Cook.) It was really cool to walk through and we actually saw two sea turtles in the water where you can see my mom and Beckett looking. Beckett kept trying to take his shoes off to go swim with the turtle and seemed very upset when we wouldn't let him. What kind of parents are we?!

B loved this little statue because it was his size, the only problem was all the pictures I got of are him looking at it/ touching it, not looking at the camera! Stubborn little guy.

Apparently Dan and I think we would also make good statues... what do you think?

Too much???

It's a...

New Year and we are so excited about all we have to look forward too! Here is a re-cap of 2009:

-Beckett turned one and learned to walk (now he is a complete terror!):)
-Dan graduated from BYU!
-Dan got a job.
-We moved to Connecticut.
-Anne and Beckett got to visit family in both Utah and Colorado.
-We welcomed 2 nephews (Kai and Owen) and one niece (Mabel) to our families.
-And finally, we found out that Beckett is going to have a little SISTER in May! We are super excited and will post more about that later. (I tried to scan in a picture of the ultrasound but couldn't upload it to blogger!)

Snow Days

Today was a semi-snow day here on the East coast. One of the things we were surprised about is how they are not afraid to cancel church or have a late start date. We were supposed to get a big snow storm out here with 10 - 15 inches of snow so we figured everything would be shut down. It's weird coming from places that snow regularly to think that they would cancel church for snow but with so many hills and road systems that were obviously put together before city planners were around there is a need. This morning I was kind of hoping for a nice snow day but we only got about 6-7 inches so church was just a late start. It's a good thing Christmas Sunday (the Sunday before Christmas) is my favorite. While church was not canceled we did have a 2 hour late start. We ended up going early so Dan could shovel snow (he even volunteered for this!) and I could practice with the Choir. Part of the motivation to go was that I had made 75 individually wrapped Christmas cookies for Primary and there was no way I was going to let those sit around my house tempting me all day long... so anyways, here are some snow pics:

Learning to walk in the snow with all his gear on. (thanks Mimi!)

Playing with daddy while mom made a snowman which dad and B ended up kicking down. What nice guys!

We've been doing a lot of Christmas baking lately and everytime I put on my apron Beckett thinks he needs his on too. He even pulls over a chair so he can "Help me". Helping here involved beating the gingerbread with the whisk he pulled out of our utensil holder.

I made real homemade ginger bread houses to decorate with the kids I watch after school. I debated on just doing the graham cracker houses but decided that I would just attempt the real thing and I'm glad I did! I even made the special frosting for decorating that is super gross (although Beckett would disagree with that statement) but sticks like glue. Here are the kids decorating:

Here is my mostly finished house, but lets be honest, if it isn't done by now it probably won't get anything else on it.

A few months ago I decided to redo Becketts's bumper pad and this is how it turned out. I was really happy with it since it took a long time to do! I even made a matching crib skirt to go with it. I may do pillows too if I ever get around to it!

And finally here are the cookies I made for the primary kids. I had planned on reading "Jimmie's Christmas Star", my favorite Christmas story, but church was only 1 hour so instead I just handed out the cookies. Bellow is the story if you want to read... always makes me tear up a bit but I love it!

It was the last primary day before Christmas. The classroom had been beautifully decorated. There was a tall pine tree glittering with tinsel and ornaments. At the top of the tree was an angel. On the wall hung a large picture of the three Wise men. And above their heads, the teacher had a shining silver star to guide them on their way.

Miss Lucy Travers stood before her class of small children and told them the story of the babe in the manger. Most of the children knew the story by heart. But Jimmy, the new little boy of perhaps six or seven years of age sat in rapt attention as if he it might be new to him. Seeing the large brown eyes fixed so intently upon her. Miss Lucy said, “Is there something you would like to ask me Jimmy?"

"yes’m please, teacher, what is a manger?"

"Gee ain't you never been to primary before?" Giggled young Charles as a ripple of amusement, ran over the class. Miss Lucy frowned quickly at the offenders and turning to the new little boy said softly. "A manger, Jimmy, is just a place in a barn."

"Oh, and did the little Jesus have to sleep there?" "Yes, he did, and it was too bad, for he should have had the nicest room and the softest bed in all the world."

Jimmy thought a moment, then said seriously, "but you said, the wise man came to wor—wor--worship him." "Yes, they did, guided by a star." "What is wor—wor---worship Miss Lucy?" "To worship means to love." "Then it was all right sleeping in the manger, I mean, if folks loved him." "Perhaps it was" said Miss Lucy.

"Little Jesus had his mother, too. And if babies have their mothers, a barn's all right. It's a heap more better’n a fine house and a soft bed --with nobody-- to love you."

Miss Lucy looked serious, what could the little fellow mean? He was nicely dressed, he looked well fed, but it was easy to see he was not happy. So solemn, he was, for such a little boy. He talked too old for his years, too. She must find out what was the trouble. So, when the class was dismissed, she asked Jimmy to wait. "What to do you want me to wait for teacher?" Asked the boy, "Oh, I just thought we'd have a little talk and get better acquainted. I think we are going to be good friends."

He smiled at her. "I'd like that, Miss Lucy." "Now, sit right here beside me, Jimmy and tell me something of yourself, your Mother, and Daddy." Jimmy's small chin quivered and his beautiful eyes filled with tears. "I haven't got--- any -- mother ---and daddy----I'm an orphan. They got hurted and killed -- -- in an ole car."

Miss Lucy placed an arm about the boy's shoulders and drew him close. "I'm sorry dear, I didn't know. Then whom do you live with?" "I live with my aunt and uncle, Mr. and Mrs. Ramey. And my little baby brother lives there too."

"Oh, so you have a baby brother? How nice." " Yes, he is nice. I guess -- maybe he's most as nice as little Jesus was." "What's his name Jimmy?" "BOBBY!"

"What a lovely name for a baby brother. I must come and see him sometime soon, may I?"

"Yes, he'd like you, Miss Lucy, you are such a pretty lady."

"Thank you, dear. How old is your brother?"

"Four months old. And you see. He's too little to miss them like me." Tears were again near the surface, so the teacher said hurriedly, "But your aunt and uncle, they will be your new parents now, won't they, dear?" "We they give us a home and food and clothes to wear, but -- they don't give us -- any -- loving and boys need loving more’n anything.

" Of course, they love you, Jimmy, I'm sure. Your aunt and uncle must be very fond of a fine boy like you and that adorable baby. Only perhaps, they don't show it."

" No’m! They don't want us. They don't like little boys. I heard ‘em say so one night after I was ‘sposed to be asleep."

Here was a problem, a heartbreaking one, thought, Miss Lucy to herself. She determined to see what could be done. So she took Jimmy's address and decided to call as soon as possible. Gathering up her lesson papers and visual aids, she had used in her lesson, and she noticed Jimmy looking longingly at the large Silver Star.

"Miss Lucy, could I -- please, borrow that start?"

"You may have it to keep Jimmy, for your very own. It's lovely, isn't it?"

"Yes’m, Thank you teacher! You see, I need it for Bobby and me."

"What do you mean, Jimmy?"

"Oh, nothin’ much. I just got a sorta idea." "Is something worrying you, Jimmy?"

"Well, nothing I can tell you, teacher."

"Then maybe you can tell God about it."

"How would I do that?" Asked the boy earnestly.

"Well, just pray, you know."

" I don't know any prayers."

Poor little fellow! Evidently his parents, who had loved and been so loved by the child had not given him any religious training. Miss Lucy supposed, and rightly so, that the boy had never attended Primary before. He had never heard, until today, the story of the babe in the manger. He had not been taught to say the little prayers most children know.

Miss Lucy roused herself from her thoughts as Jimmy asked timidly, "How does a little boy pray -- teacher?" "Why, praying -- dear, is just talking to God, as you would talk to me or anybody else." "And would God hear me?" "Yes, dear, if anything is bothering you, just kneel down by yourself and tell God about it." "Thank you! Miss Lucy."

"And now I must let you go home, but remember, you are to come to primary every week. I need you in my class. And Jimmy, don't forget to talk to God about whatever is in your heart."

Mr. and Mrs. Ramey were out at a Christmas party celebrating with their friends and Jimmy was busy carrying out a plan of his own. Lying quietly in bed, He waited for several hours, until he was sure the one maid of the household was sound asleep. Then he arose, dressed himself, and lifting the sleeping baby from his crib, he wrapped him warmly in his coat and blanket. Staggering under the load, he let himself out the side door and placed the precious burden in his little wagon that he had put there for this purpose. The snow was deep, but the moon and a single star shone down upon them and Jimmy was not afraid. He felt happy, happier than he had for a long time. The streets were deserted at this time of early morning, and nobody watched the children go.

"We're going to find a manger for ourselves, Bobby, and somebody to love us. You know, little brother, a manger is just a place in a barn. And there is a barn, a nice one, a few blocks from here. Nobody lives there, and will do like little Jesus did and stay all night." The baby opened his big blue eyes and smiled at Jimmy.

"We're going away from folks that don't want us, Bobby, and God will send some wise men to wor -- wor -- worship us like they did little Jesus. wor -- wor -- worship means love, Bobby."

On and on he trudged, dragging the little wagon through the ever-deepening snow. Soon their tracks were entirely covered, and Jimmy was becoming very tired and cold. However, as the flakes fell faster, the boy quickened his pace, and presently drew the wagon and the sleeping baby into the shelter of the old barn. Taking the star and a tack from his pocket, Jimmy bent over the baby and whispered softly. "Bobby, I've got us a star, and I'm going to hang it outside our manger, and when folks see it, they’ll come and wor-- worship you and may be they’ll love me a little too.

This important task completed, the tired little boy knelt down beside the wagon and began to pray "Dear God, teacher said I was to talk to you if something was bothering me. I don't know much about praying God, but I'll do the best I can. I hope you're listening. We are here in our manger, only it's different from little Jesus, ‘cause he had his mother with him. I'm not much good as a mother to Bobby, but I'm all he's got and maybe I'll learn. We’s just two orphans, ‘cause our mother and daddy are gone off to heaven. Maybe you know ‘em. It's awful lonesome, being orphans, God." The baby stirred in his sleep and Jimmy paused in his prayers to cover him more closely with the blanket, so he failed to see two scared faces peering in at the window. The boy resumed his prayer. "We live with our aunt and uncle, God. They is nice folks, but they don't like little boys. They give us food and clothes and beds to sleep in, but they don't give us any loving."

The three-hour search had been too much for the two at the window, and now, weary and ashamed a sob broke from the throat of the listening woman. The man placed an arm about her and the boy went on:

"My primary teacher said the star brought people to wor—wor—worship the baby in the manger, and I put my star outside, so somebody might come and wor—wor—worship us. …Somebody who wants two orphan boys. Course, I know it's mostly baby's people love, God. And I can get along. But Bobby needs a mother, and God, if someone don't come, do you s’pose You could make me sort of a mother for Bobby?"

The woman could stand no more and is the prayer was finished, Jimmy found himself smothered in the loving, tearful embrace of his aunt. The baby opened his eyes and smiled up at his uncle, who caught and held him close. Bewildered, yet somehow comforted, Jimmy said in a trembling voice, "Auntie, Uncle, what are you doing in our manger?"

"We've come to take you home, Jimmy, to a real home,. with lots of loving," said the man huskily and Auntie, through her tears, added: "Yes, darling, we saw the star, and we've come to worship you both."

Merry Christmas to you all!

It's beginning to look a lot like...

Happy Holidays! Dan and I decided we should make some Christmas cookies this year and since we don't really make many different varieties of cookies we got onto marthastewart.com and went through her millions of recipe's to find the perfect one. (code for the easiest one to make with the ingredients we have at home) We decided on some molasses spice cookies that looked delicious. Beckett was so excited about it that he decided to help too.

My 2 handsome boys in aprons:

Our littlest helper:

Dough getting ready to go into the oven:

The finished product fresh out of the oven... soooo good!

Dan enjoying the first cookie (also checking for quality before inhaling the whole thing)

It was a great night. To make it even more perfect we put "Elf" in to get us in the Christmas spirit. Beckett has thoroughly enjoyed it and especially loves to dance to the music.

In other news:
We are getting excited for Christmas in Denver followed by Hawaii in January... Jealous? :)
We had snow for the second time today (the first was in October... none since then, so crazy!)
Beckett is getting his second set of molars and likes to point to them so we know. He also is learning more words everyday, sometimes we're the only ones that can understand them but oh well. He's a very happy kid but lately likes to test Mom and Dad with EVERYTHING! WE have a toddler on our hands!
Dan and I are busy with church callings and taking care of a little monster.
Nothing else to really tell so Happy Holidays in case you don't hear from us for a while!

Happy Halloween