Holiday Season 2011

We had a wonderful holiday season, as apparent to my non-blogging. Here's a quick recap...

THANKSGIVING

Thanksgiving was spent in Oregon (thanks to some very helpful family members) and was a wonderful vacation. We were able to eat tons of yummy food, go shopping and even spend a day swimming. No snow made for perfect travel as well.

PRE-CHRISTMAS EXCITEMENT

We came back ready to begin our Christmas season with our local light parade that sadly lasted all of 5 minutes. One positive thing - we were able to take home still warm children.

We also made it to the festival of trees this year. Chad and a group from work played their ukeleles at the festival. The picture below is when the boys were helping them sing Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.

McCoy's (and Azure's now because he spends all day with McCoy) favorite people were at the festival of trees - Sally and Jack Skellington.

Even without snow, Christmas was constantly on all of our minds. Boston made a Lego scene, we took all of them to visit Santa, and Kayden sang a solo in the 3rd grade Christmas program.

Kayden is bottom left. Before the show, he said they had to wear toilet seat covers, but Chad showed him a picture of what old time carolers wore and then it seemed doable.

COUSIN FUN

Two days before Christmas, we were able to play and exchange gifts with the local cousins. An ideal thing for this bunch (especially my kids) would be an indoor trampoline room, but we managed to have them all gather for a short time for present exchanging and a picture. They are all close friends.

In order of age and size (for now). Kayden, Carson, Elijah, Boston, McCoy, Clarissa, Azure.

CHRISTMAS EVE

Christmas Eve day we took the kids swimming for almost 4 hours. This needs to be a tradition, as no kid (or adult!) had trouble going to sleep that night. In the evening we did the nativity, gave them new pjs and an ornament and read a story before tucking them into bed.

Kayden - the wisest wiseman

The first year I didn't have the be Mary! McCoy ASKED to be Mary and did a fabulous job!

I think this photo was the only time that Azure was actually laying still to be baby Jesus. Boston was Joseph.

Kayden: Dragon pjs and Hawaii ornament. Boston: Mario pjs and Angry Bird ornament. McCoy: monster pjs and Jack Skellington ornament. Azure: Elmo pjs and Elmo ornament.

Chad reading The Littlest Angel

CHRISTMAS DAY

Christmas morning was magical as always with little ones. They woke up and saw that Santa came. We opened their Santa gifts and played with them for a little while before eating some cinnamon rolls and attending church. The minute we got home from church, we changed back into pjs and opened presents and played the whole day! It was perfect!

Happy Halloween 2011

Pumpkin patches, playing in the leaves, carving pumpkins, dressing up and getting lots of candy. That pretty much sums up our kids' vision of Halloween time.

Getting ready to pick out our pumpkins

Hay bale maze where we all played tag

Giant pumpkins at the pumpkin patch

Azure LOVED the inside of the pumpkins and helped everyone empty and refill them the whole time. McCoy on the other hand would not even touch the inside, thanks to an Annoying Orange video of carving pumpkins.

Beth: flower, Chad: manta ray, Boston: Bowser from Mario Bros, Kayden: humuhumunukunukuapu'a'a, McCoy: Oogie Boogie, Azure: Elmo

Playing in the leaves with our friends, the Lewis family

Trick or Treating at a house turned into the Haunted Bridge

The CANDY

McCoy was Woody the Saturday before Halloween when we went to a few events and then he wanted to be a skeleton for trick or treating.

It was a perfect Halloween and Azure is still calling anything scary "the RAR".

Hawaii - need I say more?

We were lucky enough to spend a week in Hawaii in October with our oldest son, Kayden and Beth's parents. Chad's parents came to Utah to spend the week with the 3 youngest boys and Aunt Cara came from Arizona to help out as well. It was a fun week for all! Here are some of our highlights from the big island of Hawaii!

SNORKEL and BEACH

As soon as we set foot in Hawaii, Kayden was asking when he could go swimming. Our first stop was to get snorkel gear and then we headed to our hotel and the lagoon there for his first try at ocean snorkeling (he'd been practicing in the swimming pool all summer). This is the view from our room where Chad and Dad were reading and sleeping and Kayden was snorkeling.

He was a champ from the beginning and we all couldn't stay out of the water from that point on. We swam with MANY turtles and beautiful fish.

The best snorkeling in our opinion (although it was really good all along Kona area) was near the Place of Refuge, called Two Step. Below is the from the Place of Refuge and then Kayden swimming with his first of many turtles.

MANTA RAY

We wanted to take one chartered boat trip and we let Kayden choose from a few different trips. He chose to snorkel at night in this bay where giant manta ray gather to eat plankton. This was a trip I will never forget!! They came belly to belly with us and were so graceful. The picture below is the ray going to belly to belly with Kayden and Chad is on the left and my mom on the right.

Because it is the newest island (thus the live volcano), there are so many types of beaches: green sand, black sand, mixed black and white, white, etc. Here's Chad at the black sand beach.

LUAU

We went to our resort's luau one night and all loved the dancing show and the food. Here's Kayden when they took out the pig.

TEMPLE

We were able to go to church on Sunday at a ward that met right next to the Kona temple. Then on Tuesday, Chad and I did a session at the temple in the morning and had breakfast together.

VOLCANO

We spent a day at the volcano. We were able to go to the lava tube and then hike across a flat bed of lava from the 50's for 4 miles. We saw the crater active with gas all day and then stayed until it was dark, so we could see the glow of the crater at night. Remarkable place!!!

HILO SIDE

We went to the Hilo side of the island for a day where there are lush rain forests and gorgeous cliffs and waterfalls.

KAYAK

On Friday, we rented a kayak and Chad, Kayden and I took it to Captain Cook Monument and snorkeled there. It was so fun to be out in the ocean and is so peaceful and clear there to snorkel.

This is a picture of the sign at the place where we rented kayaks. The nicest man owns the property and rents out kayaks, but some crazies try to come and take his business. The sign was a fun joke on the trip.

GOODBYE

We went to numerous beaches, wandered around Kona quite a bit, drove everywhere on the island, but gave you just a snapshot of our adventures. We also slept wonderfully and the weather was PERFECT!!

This is Chad and Kayden saying goodbye to Hawaii (for now anyway) and boarding our plane home from Kona. Amazing vacation!!