A few new pets

My poor kids...They are dying for a pet. Eden has even resorting to catching flies, yes flies for her pets. She can catch them in mid air. Kind of like this guy.

Well, when we returned to Hawaii, a family of 4 toads had moved into our back yard. And Eden didn't skip a beat. She carried them around everywhere (outside), and her side kick followed her everywhere. Over the next few days, they eventually dissappeared...suprise, suprise. But, they sure had fun while they were here.

It shi shi'd on her....though the picture portrays her as sad, she was really just kinda grossed out and dissapointed. Hi there little toad. ;-)

We're Back!!!

Ya, I know....it's not news anymore, since we have been back for nearly 2 months now. I can't believe how much time has flown since our loooooooong and wonderful vacation. We've now been back for as many weeks as we were gone, and I am finally getting around to writing about it.

We were happy to have our Dad back, and the kids were ready to get to the ocean. Since I hadn't slept in the past 24 hours + and had survived a 6 hour flight with 2 kids...Jonathon allowed me a nap on the couch while he and the kids headed to the beach. When I joined up with them, this is what I found. And like I said, we are back....

Back to crab catching And back to being silly...like putting crabs in our hair on purpose. ;-)Back to sea glass collecting back to exploring

And back into the swing of things

Back to blogging

Hi! I am feeling ready to blog again. I went on a break there for a while. I think I was on photo overload from the 6 weeks vacation....wait 7. Anyway, it's easy to accumulate A LOT of photos over nearly 2 months with family. And I am feeling a little homesick, and a little heart sick today.

I realized that Eden starts school in a year. Yes, I realize that it's still a year away....but I know it's going to fly by. Am I wrong? Does she really start in just a year? And then, I realized just yesterday that Tex is old enough to attend play groups! There is this fun play group in my neighborhood, and we haven't been able to make it. Well, at least I thought we weren't able to go. We skipped it mondays because Eden was always at Happy School. And come wednesday, we were either sick, or just couldn't make it. But, last night I realized I could just bring Tex while Eden was at Happy School. I couldn't believe my baby was old enough to attend social functions.

So, today...we went. And you bet he had a great time running around with the kiddos. And he wasn't even the youngest there. I just can't believe my babies aren't babies anymore!

Though we toooootally miss being closer to family and mainland friends....I must say I did enjoy watching the beautiful sunrise over the ocean this morning as I strolled along the beach.

And I know that this Hawaii phase of my life won't last forever. And all too soon, our time here will end as well. So, today my attempt is to just enjoy the moments I have.

hacked, bugged, feeling violated

Just a bit irritated. I just tried to find my blog online...and the unthinkable, unimaginable happened. Google said, "BLOG HAS BEEN REMOVED."

Say WHAT???????????????

I wasn't sure if I should be mad, sad, sobbing, calling 911? I just imagined all the posts from the past 3 years of our lives

g
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e

d
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a

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just. like. that.

Luckily, that was not so. Apparently some "suspicious activity" had been taking place on my blog, the sort of which I have NO IDEA. But, to take care of the problem Google froze my account. To which, I am actually grateful.

Now, I have signed up for the 2 part sign in. Which honestly, I suggest you do as well. It's kinda cool, makes me feel all high tech.

Here are the parts.

1. You put in your password and login.
2. You instantly receive a text to your phone with a specific code to finish logging in.

Kinda cool huh? I definitely feel much much muuuuuuuch more secure now.

And, in cooler news. I heard today that some company, mypublisher.com I think, is offering UNLIMITED PAGES in a hard cover book $35. Amazing ya? And after this evening, I am going to do just that. Print my blog in a book. I don't know what I would do if I lost all those fun posts and silly stories.

Where the Blond Comes From

So, today we were on a walk and a neighbor who was trying to be neighborly and friendly, pulls his truck to the side of the road to stop and say hi to the kids and I.

He asks how we are doing and mentions how the kids have grown. Then he says, "But I still just have one question. Where does all the blond hair come from?" (Which honestly, I sometimes wonder if people expect me to confess infidelity or something. Like, "Oh ya, well we were going through a little rough patch a few years ago, and I had a one night stand. Well, 2 actually now that I think about it. I just have a thing for blonds when I am mad at my brunette husband")

But what really surprised me was Eden's (slightly enraged) response to the question.

"Jesus gave that to our family!!!!!!!!" And she stomped away muttering something else under her breath.

Somehow, I don't think my neighbor really noticed her answer, though I was having a hard time keeping myself from laughing as he was talking about how Tex is going to be a real Dennis the Menace.

After he drove off, I asked Eden to explain her answer to me. And she said she was mad because our bodies are special gifts from Jesus and he gave us our arms, our legs, our hair and our whole bodies.

I guess I just really never know what that child is going to say...but I love how she keeps me on my toes.

Aaaaah, well one thing is for sure. My 2 little blondies are definitely my precious gifts from a very loving Heavenly Father.

My little brother is getting married

And he proposed in the craziest, ultra cheezy way, I could imagine. Maybe one day I'll share the story here. For now, just picture my skinny tall little brother, dressed in a cheetah print toga, standing at the top of the stairs in a Jungle Themed room that looks just like this, surrounded by flickering tea lights, dry ice looming over the bath tub, and the room filled with fog from a fog machine, while Can You Feel The Love Tonight is playing in the background.

He pulls out a ring that looks a lot like a ring-pop. Well, it was a ring pop decorated with rinestones and such.

And as he is telling my Mom, Eden, and I the story and we are hanging onto every word he said,

"And Kait took the Ring Pop and was trying to push it on her finger and getting a little irritated cause it wasn't fitting."

To which Eden burst into the conversation with...

"I know how that feels! I hate it when that happens. And you try and put it on and it's too big and spins all around your finger."

:-)

Congrats Micah and Kait! We are all excited for you two!

Posts will return shorty

I am off the electronic wagon lately.

For instance- my computer is broken. I am currenly borrowing my husbands work lap top...which takes forever to load photos. So, I just wanted to get this message out.

-And-

I lost my cell phone over my Christmas vacation. Suprise suprise. I'm pretty sure I lost my phone the last 2 vacations I have taken.

So, please help me get back into the swing of life by sending me a text with your name so that I can add your name back into my phone. My number is the same...my phone just looks different.

Thanks friends!! Can't wait to get back in touch with you!

Love,

Matti