The Anderson Six - (being overrun with girls)

Northern California

2010-02-07T17:28:00.000-08:00

We went out to Roseville for Cassie and Tim's reception out there and spent a few days with Chris & Nat and family.

At the Railroad Museum.

Lexi and Bailee with their cousin Lylee.

Baile and Grandpa Keith at the reception.

Adam taking a picture of himself.

Family picture with the newest member of the family.

Chris, Shelly and Ashley.

Bailee with Cassie and Tim.

Dad and Bailee after her bath.

Denver Temple Fountain

2010-02-07T17:26:00.000-08:00

We don't seem to get many opportunities for a picture of just Shelly and myself but we had a chance when we went to the temple for Cassandra's wedding.

Bronco Game

2010-02-07T17:24:00.000-08:00

While we were in Denver for Cassandra's wedding Adam and I went to the Bronco game.

December 2009

2010-02-07T17:19:00.001-08:00

Maddie's First Birthday!

Christmas morning with Maddie.

Bailee showing off a present.

Lexi and her dog, Bolt.

Adam getting ready to open a present.

The girls got a dollhouse and Maddie didn't waste any time climbing into it.

Sunshine Generation Christmas 2009 - Adam

2010-02-06T22:14:00.000-08:00

Adam performing Feliz Navidad.

Sunshine Generation Christmas 2009 - Lexi

2010-02-06T21:32:00.000-08:00

Lexi performing Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

Sunshine Generation Christmas 2009 - Bailee

2010-02-06T21:05:00.000-08:00

Bailee saying the introduction and singing We Are Santa's Elves.

Christmas Rootbeer 2010

2010-02-06T20:41:00.002-08:00

The kids are getting old enough to help out with the bottling now.

Lesi helping fill the bottles.

Bailee was in charge of putting the caps on.

Adam did quite a lot of the capping.

And the girls each had to try it as well.

Our friend, Gabe Keil was over so we put him to work washing bottles :)

LOOK OUT LEXI!!

Empty Post

2010-02-06T20:41:00.001-08:00

Maddie's First Steps

2009-09-29T12:56:00.001-07:00

For the last week or so Maddie has been taking a step here and there and last night I finally caught in on camera.

Delta Trip

2009-09-28T07:10:00.000-07:00

After the tournament up in Vail we decided to take Hwy 133 over McClure Pass and head to Delta for a quick visit. We hadn't been as a family since before Maddie was born so a stop to see family was long overdue.

We stopped by Hays Creek Falls right outside of Redstone to take some pictures.

Lexi absolutely loves horses and asks us all of the time when we will be getting one for her.

Adam, Lexi, Bailee and Maddie with Great-Grandpa and Great-Grandma Graff.

Vail Soccer Trip

2009-09-28T06:49:00.000-07:00

Adam had a 3v3 soccer tournament in Vail this summer that we went to. The tournament was only a couple of days but we went early and stayed later so that we could have a sort of mini-vacation. We rented a vacation home with a couple of other families on the team in Gypsum. It was a beautiful time of year to be up in Colorado Rockies and we had a nice time.

Lexi and Bailee enjoying an afternoon fudge bar.

Maddie had just started getting really good at getting around and the girls were constant companions for her.

Maddie with mommy.

Lexi and Bailee with their friend JT

After the tournament everyone was exhausted. This is Lexi with Justin after a long day.

Adam came home and was passed out within minutes.

Time Flies

2009-09-24T14:34:00.000-07:00

Maddie was in her Jumper one evening while I was making dinner. All of a sudden it was quiet and I turned around to find this.

Feeding Maddie and the girls just can't keep from hovering around her.

Haircuts

2009-09-24T14:31:00.000-07:00

Both of the girls wanted their hair cut shorter so here they are!

Adam's Summer Soccer Tournaments

2009-09-24T14:11:00.000-07:00

This summer Adam's Sparta team participatied in 3 tournaments and took first place in all of them. Way to go boys!

This is from the USA Cup.

This one is from the Sparta Cup.

And this is from the La Roca Pioneer Cup.

Maddie's Mohawk

2009-09-24T14:10:00.001-07:00

Maddie and her stylish mohawk.

Zoo Again

2009-09-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

My Aunt Carrie Jean came up to Salt Lake for her son's baseball tournament and we were able to go to the zoo with them. My sister Chelsey and her kids were able to make it as well.

July 4th Parade

2009-09-24T13:50:00.000-07:00

Lexi and Bailee waiting for the Fourth of July Parade with their friend Riley.

Lexi and her buddy Riley.

Some Cousin Time

2009-09-24T13:46:00.000-07:00

Adam, Lexi, Bailee and Maddie with their Grange cousins Hunter, Kenyon and Elise.

Zoo Time

2009-09-24T13:40:00.000-07:00

The kids actually went to the zoo pretty often this past summer. This is from one of the times with Mom and Grandma Arrowsmith and they got shirts and hats.

They love posing with the animal statues.

Riding the new carousel.

Maddie Playing

2009-09-24T13:37:00.000-07:00

This is from when Maddie was 6 months old and starting to enjoy listening to the musical sounds her toys make.

Some Summer Pictures

2009-09-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

This past summer Bailee started recreation soccer. She is hilarious to watch play. Adam and Lexi both started playing when they were 3 too but it is amazing how different they all are. Adam was completely self confident and ran like crazy and could read where the ball was going very well. Lexi thought her soccer shoes were Super-Fast shoes and made her run extra fast and was a little speed demon who was always trying to dribble the ball close and turn with the ball while everyone else would just run up and kick it as hard as they could to whichever direction they were going. Bailee on the other hand has just one speed. She doesn't walk or run but rather has this sauntering jog that is just so cute to watch.

Lexi went over to a friend's house earlier this year and came home and said she wanted the training wheels off of her bike because she knew how to ride it without them. I was a little doubtful as I took them off and when I offered to try and help her she just said no and took off. I was a little sad that I wasn't the one to help her ride by herself but was very proud of how proud she was with herself.

This is Bailee with JT, one of her friends that she plays with at least 2 or 3 times every week.

Lexi and Bailee in the backyard posing for mom.

Wow - a picture with Adam. Lexi and Bailee all smiling and looking at the camera.

Adam and Chicken Little - 2nd Grade

2009-09-24T13:01:00.000-07:00

At the end of 2nd grade Adam's class did a performance of Chicken Little.

Easter Time!

2009-05-02T08:49:00.001-07:00

Lexi wanted an ice cream cake for her birthday this year.

After their easter egg hunt in the backyard.

Grandma Anderson made some easter dresses for the girls this year. They are sooooo cute.

Sunshine Performance - Spring 2009

2009-05-01T16:24:00.001-07:00

The kids had their Spring performance at Wheeler Farm this year. It was a little cold and cloudy but they still performed. Bailee is finally old enough to be in it this year so this is her first performance. She did quite well even though she likes to look around at everyone else to see what they are doing.

This is Adam, Lexi and Bailee performing You Are My Sunshine.

Lexi and Bailee both performing On Top Of Spaghetti.

Lexi had a solo for My Dog Rags. Sunshine Generation has helped a lot in her shyness and sef-confidence.

Maddie's Baby Blessing

2009-03-29T18:03:00.000-07:00

We gave Maddie her baby blessing today and had a nice visit with everyone after. She was full of smiles and laughs today and did really great during the blessing. The first counselor told me afterward that he kept sneaking looks at her during the blessing and she was just watching everyone around her with a huge smile on her face.

Late Posting

2009-03-29T16:42:00.001-07:00

It has been a few months since I have put anything on the blog so I finally went through some pictures since Maddie was born and will post a bunch.

These ones are from January so Maddie is around 1 month old in the next few ones.

Lexi is Momma's big helper. She is always wanting to hold Maddie and give her attention.

All of the kids are great with Maddie - most of the time. There is always a lot of passing around and fighting over who's turn it is to hold her.

For Bailee's birthday we had a small family party at the house and she wanted to go and eat at the Mayan.

Adam, Lexi and Bailee were invited to a friend's birthday party at a big bounce place where they had lots of fun.

Bailee convinced us a few weeks ago that even though it is a little chilly out in the evenings we can still do s'mores.

Adam and Lexi had just as much fun!

Maddie at about 2 months. At her checkup she was a whopping 15 pounds and 4 ounces but since then has basically kept the same weight and is growing some more.

I came upstairs one morning and found Bailee clomping around in my sandals, eating a banana and rockin' out to Go Diego.

Each teacher at Adam's and Lexi's school picks one child each month who does a great job towards that month's theme. It is called the Principal's Pride award. For the month of February is was for empathy and Lexi and her friend, Ryan, got picked in their classes. She was soooo proud of herself for receiving this award.

For one of our family activities we went to the Hollywood Connection and let the kids mini-golf, skate, and ride rides. Adam doesn't seem to care much for skating but Lexi can't get enough of it. Bailee didn't think much of it but certainly liked sitting on the stroller and being pushed with Maddie around the rink.

I would have to say that their favorite ride was the Bumper Cars!

Nothing like an early spring snow!

Last week Lexi had her Kindergarten Nursery Rhyme Program. Her rhyme was Little Bo Peep and it is pretty hard to hear her since she talks so quietly but here it is.

Madisyn Sage Anderson

2008-12-17T23:11:00.000-08:00

Madisyn Sage finally joined our family at 12:41pm weighing in at a whopping 9 pounds 5 ounces and 19 1/2 inches long. Maddie and Shelly were doing so well by the next morning that the doctor let them come home. It hardly even feels like we left home.

Anticipation

2008-12-17T05:30:00.000-08:00

On Monday we called Shelly's doctor to request if she could schedule a time to come in and be induced since her arthritis has been flaring up so bad. He told us to call Wednesday morning to make sure that the Labor and Delivery department wasn't crowded so that she could go in for voluntary induction. We just called and looks like today is her lucky day. We are getting ready to head up to the hospital right now and hopefully will have some news for everyone really soon.

Temple Square Carriage Ride

2008-12-12T09:08:00.000-08:00

Every year we go down to Temple Square to see all of the Christmas lights and to take a carriage ride. We decided to go a little earlier than usual this year since there is no way we would try and go after Shelly has the baby. Shelly's sister Alicia and her boyfriend joined us. The kids' favorite part is getting hot chocolate and waving to all of the other horses.

Pinewood Derby 2008

2008-12-12T08:24:00.000-08:00

Adam had his Cub Scout Pinewood Derby a few weeks ago and it was a lot of fun. There were basically 3 kids that kept getting first and second in all of the heats. Adam ended up tying for second place after 20 or so races and so they had a 4-heat tie breaker which he won keeping him in second place overall.

The video below is one of the races where Adam actually barely beat the car that ended up taking first place. (His car is in lane 4 - the farthest from the camera) All of the parents had a blast talking smack and we look forward to next years derby. For next year Adam is already asking to try and design a car that looks like a big boat for some reason.

Time To Catch Up

2008-11-11T15:40:00.001-08:00

Sorry it has been so long since we have posted anything. The last few months have been crazy and every time I think about getting caught up I get distracted by something else. Sometimes I feel like a chicken running around with it's head chopped off. As soon as I get something finished there seems to be two more things that need to get done. Anyway, I am just piling a bunch of pictures into one post and putting some captions with them.

Adam had several soccer games this summer, three times as many practices and 3 tournaments - one of which was down in Las Vegas over Halloween weekend. His team is a U8 team and one of the tournaments they entered was the Sparta Cup in the U9 division and they went away with first place. Adam is an awesome defender and even when he gets put in as a forward he always ends up running all the way back to defense because he is so concerned about not letting the other team score. With the weather becoming cold outside his team is now playing indoor futsal and he is loving that as well.

Chris and Nat came and visited this summer and we were able to get all of the cousins together and go to the zoo.

We took the kids to the Utah State Fair and they spent most of the afternoon riding rides.

My sister, Chelsey, made these cute skirts and headbands to match. Aren't they just adorable!

The Ringling Bros. Barnum and Bailey Circus was a little too long of a program for Bailee so Adam became the perfect pillow for her.

Adam & Lexi during a trip to Gardner Village - Sibling Love - If only it was always like this. LOL

Lexi and Bailee with their friend Peyton playing dress-up.

Bailee and Peyton - Best Buds.

A quick stop at Cove Fort on the way down to Vegas. I remember stopping here with my family when I was younger. Shelly had never been and neither had the friends that drove down with us so we decided to stop and take a break.

Adam got baptized last month! Thanks to everyone who came. It was a great day. What a wonderful feeling it was. I can't believe my little boy is growing up so fast.

For Halloween this is what the kids chose. We tried to get the girls to pick a princess or a more feminine costume but they wouldn't budge.

Lexi and her Sunshine Progression

2008-08-10T08:48:00.001-07:00

Lexi's Sunshine Generation class had a float in the children's parade for Pioneer Day. She has been excited about this for the last 2 months since she has known about it. She has definitely come a long way since she started and is no longer so shy when performing. I don't have a picture of it because I forgot the camera but they just did another performance yesterday at the Salt Lake County Fair. Adam was at a soccer tournament all day and Lexi and I left long enough to get her to her performance. After dropping her off at the stage and taking my seat to watch the kids came out for their songs. During one of the songs I see Lexi come forward to the microphone and she belts out a whole verse to the song that is a solo part. She smiled and sang loud and you could understand her perfectly. I was completely caught off guard and was so proud of her. Apparently, the boy who had the solo didn't show up and the teacher chose Lexi to do it. She usually does the actions and sings softly when they perform even though she runs around the house all day with Bailee singing them loud. This was a huge milestone for Lexi and her public shyness!

Marker Monsters

2008-08-10T08:41:00.000-07:00

My brother Chris and his family came out from California for a visit and we were able to spend some time with them. In the past, Bailee has confiscated markers and likes to draw on her arms but this time she was able to find a canvas to draw on - her cousin Lylee.

Temple Quarry Hike

2008-08-10T08:29:00.000-07:00

The kids also had a Primary activity last month where we went to the Temple Quarry and did an activity where they had to find and mark off thing that they saw and the short little hike. They had a great time and were very engrossed in finding the things to mark off. Afterwards they all got some ice cream bars for all of their hard work.

Mercer Reunion 2008

2008-08-10T08:12:00.000-07:00

I have been so busy lately that I haven't had a chance to post anything from the last month so let's try and get caught up. Last month over the 4th of July we had our Mercer Family Reunion. It was great to get together with so many relatives and we had a great time over the weekend visiting and spending time with all of our extended family.

We took Adam and Lexi and did the Timpanogos Cave hike. They did a great job hiking and it felt so good inside the cave after that hike up. :)

The next day my sister, Cassie, came with us and we took all three of the kids rafting down the Provo River. It was very mild but at least had a few exciting areas for the kids. Adam, Lexi and Bailee kept wanting to hang on to the side of the boat and float along in the water. I would definitely recommend this trip for anyone with younger kids. They had a blast and it is a great family activity.

The kids also had a great time with each other and all of their cousins. It was a great weekend!

Sweet & Sassy

2008-07-14T20:26:00.000-07:00

Lexi was invited to a birthday party at Sweet & Sassy. It is this total girly girl place that does updo's, makeup, dress-up and a whole lot of pampering. The girls get to walk the runway to music and dance. Lexi is so very shy when she is in groups and I was amazed that I actually got her to look at me and smile.

S'mores

2008-06-15T11:47:00.000-07:00

Shelly wanted to get me a firepit last year for father's day but I think she really wanted it more. However, at the time, I couldn't find one that I really liked so I said we would just keep looking. Time passed but I always was on the lookout for one that I liked. About a month ago Shelly again told me that she was going to get me a firepit for father's day and told me about one that she saw. I, of course, didn't like it that much but she said if I didn't find one that I liked that she was going to go ahead and get it. I spent a few weeks looking through ads and browsing stores but still no luck. I was finally resigning myself to the fact that I was just going to have to settle for the one that Shelly first saw when I happened to be at Target getting something for the kids when I passed the Seasonal section. There it was - and it was on sale. I immediately asked a salesperson to get one for me when they said that they didn't have any except for the floor model which they wouldn't get rid of for at least another month. I had them check the other stores and they said that the store in Murray had two. They told the store to hold one for me and off I went. When I got to Murray it took them 10 minutes to tell me that they actually didn't have them but they were "ghost" locations. Aaaarrrrggghhhh. Again I asked them to check the other stores. They said that Jordan Landing showed two as well so we called there. No one answered their phones though so I got the number and started on my way there. By this time the kids kept asking why we kept driving around and that they were hungry and wanted to go home. Right as I was reaching Bangerter Highway I finally got through to someone at the store. I asked if they indeed had two firepits and if they could hold one for me. They checked and said that they did have two in the backroom but they were already on hold. The guy then said that Murray and Sandy both have two and I should check there. I laughed and told him that the computers were wrong because I just came from those stores. He said the new South Jordan store wasn't completely set up on their stock communication system and gave me the number for them to try. I called and after a few minutes on hold they said they showed that they had one in the backroom. I asked if they would mind going back and double check to make sure that it was actually there. It took about five more minutes and by the time the girl got back on the phone I was almost to the store anyway but she said that yes it was there. I said I would be there in just a minute and gave her my name. Woohoo! After a couple of hours of running around the valley I finally was able to get the one I liked. The best part was setting it halfway in the trunk and trying to tie it down so that it would stay. It's a good thing I always keep some tiedowns in the vehicles. The kids were happy that I was happy and that we were finally going home. Yay!

The first thing the kids wanted to do though was roast some marshmallows and eat some s'mores. Adam enjoyed roasting the marshmallows and eating the s'mores. Lexi liked trying to barely get hers brown and then freaking out when it would catch on fire and then giving it to mom so she could eat the burned part. Bailee enjoyed stuffing the marshmallow immediately into the rocks in the fire and catching it on fire. Then she would give it away and do another one. We did get her to eat one but she spent more time getting it stuck to every part of her other than in her mouth.

Lexi Graduates

2008-06-10T09:25:00.000-07:00

Lexi had her graduation performance yesterday. She has blossomed in preschool this year. When she started the year she would hide by her teacher during performances and now she ended the year singing and dong the actions throughout the whole show. We are so proud of how much she has grown up!

Bailee's Trauma

2008-06-10T08:24:00.000-07:00

Last night the Elder's Quorum hosted a night out at the Bee's game. We all went and the kids were giving plenty of snacks and candy and kazoos to keep them busy and happy. In the bottom of the 3rd inning one of the Bees players fouled behind the first base and nailed Bailee right in the side of her head. She had been standing up in front of the seats talking to me when WHAM! Talk about a heart attack. As I was running my hand over her head looking for blood gushing out she was screaming her poor head off and just wanted to lay down on my shoulder. After not finding any blood I started focusing on finding a big goose egg on her head but all I could feel was just a small bump. Talk about having a hard head. At this time Adam was proudly holding the ball that had hit Bailee's head and then hit his knee and landed in the seat next to him where Lexi was hitting. Adam found it and was proudly trying to show Bailee it the whole time. The stadium medics came up and asked if we would mind bringing her down to the first aid office so they could examine her to make she she was doing alright. During her exam she would listen and answer everything but kept saying the ball hurt her and then would hold her head. It was soooo sad but oh so very cute. They asked her if she at least was able to get the ball and she said 'Adam ball' so they gave her another ball to have so she wouldn't have to fight over it with her brother. She seemed to be acting just fine so we declined an offer to go to the hospital and then they gave us some advice and signs of a concussion to watch for. I went and got Bailee a sno-cone which she was ecstatic about and went back to our seats. Since half of our ward was there she got a standing ovation of applause when we came back and 2 bags of snacks and candy and she finished the game as if nothing had happened except to tell everyone that talked to her that the ball had hurt her head.

Adam is holding the ball that hit Bailee and Bailee is holding the one that they gave her in the medical office.

Making Some Changes

2008-05-29T21:03:00.000-07:00

Over the last month or so we have finally decided to start making some changes to the front yard and the exterior of the house. It has almost been 4 years since we moved in and it is definitely overdue. I know I have a picture of the front of the house from a few years ago but it is on a disc somewhere. For now you can just see the work in progress. We still have a new front door coming and we will probably paint it the same green that we did around the windows or maybe we will just leave it white. It depends on how lazy I am when that day comes. :) I just barely did all of the mulch so I still need to do a lot of planting but it is coming along nicely. It is amazing the difference that it makes to have all of those ugly bushes and ivy gone from the front yard. I especially like the curbing that we put in and I think the green looks well. I think that the next thing to change is the old and ugly rain gutter that runs the length of the house but have yet to start that project. We'll see.

Mother's Day Moochers

2008-05-23T07:32:00.000-07:00

For Mother's Day we got Shelly a fruit bouquet form Edible Arrangements. This used to have pineapple, cantaloupe, and chocolate-dipped strawberries. Adam stole almost all of the chocolate-dipped strawberries and the girls stole most of the regular ones. They definitely loved sitting on the counter and eating fruit for 30 minutes. This ended up being their dinner because they ate too much to even have a couple bites of food later.

Hawaii Outfits

2008-05-23T07:27:00.000-07:00

I am finally getting around to posting some more pictures. These ones are from a couple of weeks ago right before we left for church.

Ode to Joy

2008-05-22T22:35:00.000-07:00

Adam wanted to start playing the piano a few months ago so we asked a friend and neighbor who taught lessons and she happened to have one slot open. This is his very first recital. He memorized Ode to Joy the first week and always rushed through it and played it really fast. His teacher told him to try and slow down the middle part and as you watch you can see how hard he is trying to not go fast and be deliberate and slow - almost to the point of too slow. He is so cute playing this.

Another Bun in the Oven

2008-05-20T08:48:00.000-07:00

We found out a couple of weeks ago but am finally getting around to posting it - Shelly is expecting again. Adam and I are hoping for a boy to try and and even things out for us but we are still a couple of months away from finding that out. Shelly had to stop most of her medications that she was taking to keep her rheumatoid arthritis under control and is feeling mostly joint pain from the arthritis and not morning sickness. I think she would rather have the morning sickness though. We are definitely very excited to be adding to our family. It looks like Shelly will be due somewhere around December 17.

Sunshine Kids

2008-04-13T17:33:00.000-07:00

I recorded Adam & Lexi's Sunshine Generation performance but haven't put it on the computer yet so here is a picture at least.

Lexi's Last-Minute Bash

2008-04-13T16:36:00.000-07:00

We had 5 soccer games to go to on Saturday and were not looking forward to three of them being up in Bountiful starting at 9am. Lexi's birthday is next Tuesday and we are just going to have a birthday dinner for her but on Friday she decided she wanted her soccer friends to come over after her game in the afternoon and play in the backyard. We had a 2-hour break between the end of her game and Adam's last game so we called her friends and set it up short notice and almost all of them came and just partied in the backyard. We ran to Costco and got a cake and some food and we had an impromptu birthday party for her that she loved. The funny thing is that she is still expecting her dinner birthday.

This is a few of the kids who came.

These are a couple of Adam's friends who have siblings that came for Lexi's party.

Cousins

2008-04-13T16:27:00.000-07:00

We went up to Chelsey & Kevin's last week when Mom and Dad came out for General Conference. We tried to do a picture with the cousins that were there and this was the best that I was able to get. Oh well. - almost had them all looking.

Remember This Game?

2008-03-25T19:12:00.000-07:00

Last week at the end of Family Home Evening the kids wanted to play a new game.
Remember this?

And this is Bailee's attempt at it:

Hawaii Trip

2008-02-17T11:36:00.000-08:00

Shelly and I just got back from a vacation in Hawaii. It is the first time we have been away from the kids for more than just a couple of days. We spent six days on Oahu and then took a five day cruise from Honolulu to Los Angeles. It was amazing and we have plenty of pictures to share with you.

Our first day right after we checked into the Pacific Beach Hotel on Waikiki Beach.

That night, we enjoyed a wonderful Hula right on the beach. What a great way to start off a relaxing vacation.

Just as the sun was getting ready to set.

This is the anchor at the USS Arizona Memorial Visitor's Center at Pearl Harbor.

This is the foundation for the stern gun turret of the USS Arizona, one of the few parts of the ship which remain above water.

The USS Missouri.

Almost done with the audio tour of the USS Arizona. The USS Bowfin submarine is in the background.

Getting ready to try and learn how to scuba dive. We went with a group out off of the west coast of Oahu.

Shelly surfacing with her instructor after her 40-foot dive. If you are wondering where I am at......well - let's just say after about 25 minutes of trying to continuously breathe through my mouth and not my nose compounded with an impatient wife who passed off her certification in about 2 minutes - I decided to go back to snorkeling. I will definitely try again and maybe sometime in my life I will get farther than five feet under water.

They had some nice warm water to rinse off with which Shelly was very happy to have.

After my frustration at scuba diving I was ready to go para-sailing. We convinced mom and dad to come and observe.

TAKE-OFF!

This has to be us way up there. Thanks to mom for taking over the photography for us.

At the end of the ride we get a nice refreshing dip in the blue ocean.

I can't quite tell if Shelly is enjoying her adventure-filled day of scuba diving and para-sailing.

Mom thought that since we had so much fun that she may as well give it a try as well and it seemed like dad was already chomping at the bit. This was of course the whole plan when we invited mom to come and observe and I must say that it was a complete success. Way to go! (By the way - I have plenty more pictures as proof but I liked the dip in the water the best.)

While mom and dad were up on their ride, two humpback whales surfaced twenty feet in front of the boat and gave us all quite a show.

The next day we took a drive to the East and followed the shoreline. One of our first stops was Hanuama Bay. It is supposed to be one of the best places to snorkel. We'll save that for next trip.

Next stop was at the Halona Blowhole, which is a natural tube in the rocks that spurts water up when the waves come crashing in.

Right next to Halona Blowhole is what is called Sandy Beach. This is a wake-boarding only beach because of how shallow it is. The water all over is soooo beautiful.

As we round the west side and start going farther north we come up to Chinaman's Hat Island. We stopped here and found plenty of shells to take home.

This is on the BYU - Hawaii campus. We stopped for lunch before we headed on into the Polynesian Cultural Center which is right next door.

Our first stop in the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) was the village of Samoa. It was a great show full of coconut husking and cracking, fire starting, tree climbing, dancing and lots of laughs.

At the end of the day at the PCC we stopped by the waterfall for a picture together. We had a great day at all of the villages, watching the canoe parade and dance, going to the big luau and watching the amazing horizons show.

The next day we headed inland to the Dole Plantation pineapple fields. There is nothing like extremeley fresh pineapple. I probably ate 20lbs of it the whole trip.

We ended back up in Laie (which is where BYU - Hawaii and the PCC was) to visit a friend of dad's who served at the same time as him in Hong Kong when he was on his mission.

We also stopped for some pictures at the Laie LDS Temple.

Our final morning in Hawaii included a tour to some of the places we had already seen but definitely didn't mind going to again. We added Pali Point to our list of places to visit which is where over 300 warriors jumped to their death instead of surrendering to King Kamehameha, who became the first King of Hawaii. This was definitely one of the windiest places on the island.

One of the last stop's before we went to the port to board the cruiseship was the Punchbowl, which is the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.

We then boarded the Pride of Hawaii and got underway. This was the last voyage as the Pride of Hawaii. The ship was on it's way to the Mediterranean and was going to LA to be rechristened as the Jade.

We had a wonderful 5-day open sea cruise to LA. One of the last evening we got together with what family was there for a photo after lots of lobster.

We arrived in LA and said goodbye to the Pride of Hawaii. Aloha!

Welcome!

2007-10-03T13:13:00.001-07:00

Thank you for visiting our family site. It seems like everyone has a blog page now so we figured it was about time we made one too.

We will try and post pictures often and keep everyone up to date on the happenings in our family.

We love you all!