Hawaii Part 1

We recently returned from Hawaii. I've been waiting to say that for who knows how long. Andrew and I considered a Hawaiian cruise for our honeymoon over 6 years ago and obviously that didn't happen. Clearly, we've been wanting to go for quite sometime.

This post is overwhelming to me and has taken several days to compile. We had a blast on our trip and packed in so much. How do I do Hawaii justice? I don't want to forget anything or ramble on. That being said, I'm going to break my post down into several separate entries.

Let me start from the beginning. We've been watching flight deals to Hawaii for several months and have attempted to buy tickets on a couple of occasions only to be disappointed and learn the deals sell out fast. I didn't think we were actually going to go to Hawaii because it felt like we were going to give up after so many failures. By the way, "we" refers to my family. Everyone was able to come except for my brother, Joel. 

We jumped on buying some flights to Oahu and I'm so glad we did. We ended up flying to Long Beach and staying overnight there on Monday, May 13 at my parent's condo. James enjoyed seeing the condo because he often hears that Papa is in California. We had pizza and went swimming. At first, James was NOT a fan of the pool (which is typical as of late), but he warmed up to it with his adventurous daddy and splashed around.

We flew early Tuesday morning from Long Beach, CA to Oahu, HA. What a long flight. I was most nervous about the flight more than anything this trip. Entertaining James for 5 and 1/2 hours sounded daunting. We didn't realize how good it would be that James didn't sleep well the night before in CA. He ended up sleeping for almost 4 hours on the plane! I was a happy camper and got to leisurely read my book. (I finished 2 books on the trip-- a sign of a successful vacation!) 

Also noteworthy... James got pretty scared on the plane and tucked his eyes into Andrew's elbow-crack (is that even a thing?) which helped him fall asleep.

How do I best summarize our trip? I've decided to break the trip down into commonly asked questions.

Where did you stay?

In a vacation rental home a rock throw away from the beach. We were on the island, Oahu and stayed in Kailua. My mom and Jeff nailed the place. It was like we were on a private beach. The views were breathtaking, the sand was white and the water was pleasantly warm. It was convenient to be able to decide on-the-spot to take a walk on the beach, or head over for the sunrise/sunset because we were so close.

Pathway to the beach

The house had a huge gathering area which could accommodate our large group. There were 10 adults and 3 kids.  

One of James' favorite features about the house was the backyard. It made me want a yard even more than I did before. (Don't talk to me about moving right now.) James was entertained for hours playing outside in the ocean breeze with his cousins.

The house decided to give us a warm-welcome our first morning. We awoke abruptly to several fire alarms going off at 4:40am. They were extremely loud and went off a few times. The best explanation... It was so humid that night that the smoke detectors were set off. (All of the batteries were replaced that day in the fire alarms and we didn't have a problem the rest of our time there.)

Did you go snorkeling?

Yes and we weren't too far from a famous snorkeling place-- Hanama Bay. We had heard that snorkeling in Hanama Bay gets extremely crowded and you can't find parking as the day goes on, so we headed there bright and early. It was extremely nice of my parents to babysit the grand-kids while everyone else went. 

The scenery surrounding Hanama Bay was beautiful! 

There were definitely some pretty things to see in the water! We were there during low tide, so it was a bit shallow and at times I felt like I was encroaching on the fish. It was weird because seeing fish underwater kind of went in spurts. Sometimes we would see lots of colorful fish swimming around, but other times we didn't see many.

The middle picture shows that it was cloudy and dark when we first arrived. In fact, it was actually raining the majority of the time we were there which wasn't really noticeable when you were under the water. By the end, I started to get cold though. The sun came out right when we were getting out around 9am. 

According to Andrew, "He had one of his best snorkeling experiences ever." 

Did you get snowcones while you were there?

Most definitely and thanks to my brother (who served a mission in Hawaii), we knew of a well-known place to try called called Matsumoto Shave Ice. After tasting it, I can see why it's so popular. There is no going back after having ice cream at the bottom of your snow cone.

Side note... We ate these at about 9:30am. There is always room for dessert, right? I ate every last drop.

You've been warned.... There is still lots of the trip to cover, so my blog may be taken over by Hawaii for a bit.

Annual Piano Recital

My annual piano recital took place today! I'm relieved it's over and may have justified Cafe Rio for dinner and a new dress purchase. I have been working with students in preparation for this recital since January.

This year I used a different location... The Lehi Arts Center. I was hoping to use the same venue as last year, but they no longer rent it out. It actually ended up being a positive thing because the new location was better. The piano was excellent, there was plenty of seating, and a plethora of natural light.

I was so proud of my students! I was a little worried and maybe even skeptical about how it would turn out. Consistent practice is always a struggle. My students blew me away! 

Max, Drake, Adam, Willem

Miles, Rachel, William

I played my fair share of duets

Unfortunately Connor and Graham weren't able to make it to the recital. They were definitely missed! 

Piano has been on my mind a lot lately since I'll have lots of changes coming this summer with a new baby. I will likely be cutting back the number of students I teach which I'm bummed about. I itch to teach and I'm so grateful I have the opportunity to do something I love on a regular basis. 

I have so much support which doesn't go unnoticed. My parents, grandma, and Andrew + James all came to watch. My dad chased James around outdoors during the whole thing which was a relief. My mom took the group picture. Andrew and James weren't sick this year, so I was excited for Andrew to see my students perform. (Now some of our conversations make more sense to him ;) My sister who is traveling abroad right now even texted me to check in and see how it went. 

Sending people home with cookies is never a bad idea. (Luckily there were some left for the actual recital. I think I had 4 this morning.) This year I took the cheap route and made homemade chocolate chip cookies instead of relying on Costco.Thanks, Joanna Gaines, for a superb recipe. 

I try hard to make recitals low-key for my students. A recital that only lasts about 20 minutes isn't too shabby and hardly gives the students a chance to panic. I still remember being nervous and having shaky hands while I performed growing up. Sugar is always a good way to entice students to want to come and not dread the experience too much.

On our way out of the Lehi Arts Center, my dad said, "There were no tears, so I'd say it was a success!" Amen to that.

In the flyer I spread around town to advertise my studio, I listed "annual piano recital." I've held myself accountable each year. I'm thrilled that I didn't commit to more than that. Until next year...

Frequent Location

Does your phone ever pop up with frequent locations and tell you how many minutes it takes to get there? When I was working, my phone would tell me how many minutes it took to get to Cascade Elementary each morning and to get home in the afternoons. 

Lately, my "frequent location" is near Main Street in Pleasant Grove. It's the library! According to my phone, it's about a 5 minute drive. I look forward to walking there when spring decides to come and stay. 

I went to the library 3 times THIS WEEK. On Monday, I took James to the rhythm and song music class. On Thursday, wee-read (story time), and on Friday, I returned my book-club kit. Whew! Bringing James to the library is quite an adventure and usually involves me losing him at least twice and him escaping to the elevator. This week was no different.  

The Pleasant Grove library is quaint which I have mixed feelings about. I like that I recognize or know many of the librarians, but sometimes they lack the books I'm seeking.

Anyway, the library has become a big part of my life since having James. I love to have something to think about other than motherhood or bills and reading is that outlet for me.

My goal is to read 55 books this year and I'm 3 books ahead of schedule! Wohooo!

I recently did 2 things that were out of the ordinary for me.

THING #1: I re-read a book. This is something that I rarely do. You know it must be a book I cherish and it was, "Educated." 

THING #2: I forced myself to read a parenting book. With all the reading I do, I should be bettering myself, but let's be honest... Most of the books I read are strictly for fun and pleasure. We're deep into the terrible twos in our household, so I decided it was time to buckle down.

Of course, the day after I started my parenting book, a book I've been on hold for at the library for OVER 6 MONTHS became available on my kindle. That same day, the library emailed saying another book I've been eagerly waiting to read was available for me to pick-up.

I made the hard choice and forced myself to finish the parenting book before reading either of the other two books. Let me just say, it wasn't necessarily a page-turner and it took me 5 days to finish. I'm happy to report that I'm done! Phew! I rewarded myself by reading the first chapter of one of my long-anticipated books.

The parenting book is called, "Peaceful Parents, Happy Kids" By: Laura Markham and overall, it had good things in it. I've already implemented some of the strategies mentioned and seen success. That being said, I don't agree with everything that was stated and did find the book to be quite repetitive at times. I'm proud of myself!

Who knows what I'll be onto next? I did promise Andrew and set a goal to read a Fantasy book this year. This will be EXTREMELY challenging for me and I've already tried and failed to do it once this year. Maybe next time will be different?

What's your "frequent location?"

A Few Years Overdue

We have been fortunate to acquire lots of the furniture in our house from relatives. Furnishing a home can cost an arm and a leg, so we really appreciate it. Over time, we've slowly been replacing and adding furniture of our own.

When we lived in Rexburg, my grandparents kindly gifted us a chair. I've always loved the fabric on the chair! Years later, we still have that chair. Unfortunately, it has been semi-broken for a few years now. When you sit in the chair, you sink pretty low to the floor. I have been ignoring the problem for far too long. We've tried to make it work by putting some old, thick, chemistry textbooks underneath the chair to help support it. Andrew has looked at fixing it, but it appears to be pretty irreparable. 

Lately, as I've attempted to sit in the chair, I've been uncomfortable and have found getting out of the chair to be even less fun. (Maybe it's pregnancy?) I decided to start looking for a new chair. I've casually been looking for quite a while, but I was a motivated buyer for 2 reasons: 1) We get our tax return soon 2) I'm hosing book club.

I was able to find a chair I love and I got Andrew's approval which was harder than expected. To be honest, this is kind of "Andrew's corner." He writes here in the evenings and reads his book in this chair. I tried to talk him into a cheaper chair, but I'm glad he told me to go for comfort and not all price. (This did still meet my budget goal of being under $250 though.) Drum-roll please. I finally ordered a new chair! It arrived yesterday. Andrew is a good man and knew that I wanted it put together immediately. He set it up the instant dinner was finished and I'm pleased with the results. (So is he!)

As Andrew was moving the old chair down into the basement (for now), the bottom of the chair seemed to break even more. I tried to convince Andrew that we for sure need to get rid of the chair now, but to no avail. He's too attached. Maybe I'll use the fabric and re-purpose a new chair? 

James is a fan of the new chair. He was giddy when the deliveryman dropped it off and it was pure torture for him to have to wait ALL DAY for Daddy to come home and put it together. When it was all set up, he looked at it and said, "It looks pretty good!" He seems to think it's his chair and has spent a fair amount of time sitting in it. Of course, he broke it in within minutes and left marks from his grimy fingers. 

Don't mind his shirtless state... Dinner is messy.

We're now in the market for a sectional couch, so we'll be on the lookout for one of those. Hopefully this process won't take years, but if it does, I guess we can always put some thick textbooks underneath our couches for extra support.

Birthday Season

Whew!

The Ditto home survived birthday season.

I always forget what a whirlwind the month of February is and now March is just an extension of that craziness. (Thank you, James)

We kept up our usual tradition and went to Tucanos to get our free birthday meal. Two of our friends in the ward are fellow February birthday-ers, so we all went together and made it a party.

Kyle and Kristee Chandler (Lyla's parents)

Andrew and Cynthia Hollis (Maeve's parents)

To be honest, the month kind of runs together because it was so hectic. I know we also went to The Cheesecake Factory (with a giftcard) as part of our celebration. 

Andrew and I bought ourselves a T.V. for our bedroom and that was our joint birthday present. Wow, shows are so much better on a giant screen instead of on a tiny tablet in bed. 

This year I felt truly spoiled and loved on my birthday. This was a huge confidence builder. I haven't always had the best friends, even though I've put in lots of effort over the years.

I want to document all the nice things that were done for me, so I can remember how loved I felt. (Not all of these things were done on my actual birthday)

• My friend blind-folded and kidnapped me after Andrew's church-ball game. She then picked up some of my other friends and drove me to a breakfast place I've been wanting to try. Sooo yummy. She even paid for my meal!
• The primary children sang to me. (I think this has been the case for at least the last 4 years)
• Andrew picked up Cafe Rio on my birthday.
• My friends sang "Happy Birthday" to me at bachelor night.
• One of my friends picked up take-out of my choice and invited me over and our kids ran wild while I was adventurous and tried Vietnamese for the first time.
• Andrew came home with flowers and chocolate on my special day. 
• The primary president wrote me a thoughtful card, gave me delicious chocolate, and a bath bomb.
• A counselor in the presidency dropped by beautiful flowers.
• A friend sent me a long, thought-out text from across the world that said some really heartfelt things.
• My "ministering sister" brought me some lotion.
• A friend took me out to lunch at Cubby's and man, it really hit the spot. She also introduced me to their cookies which is going to be a problem.
• My sister sent me a book.
• A friend brought me Reese's Puff cereal. It didn't last a week.
• My grandma took me to lunch.
• My friend sent me a pizza giftcard.
• Andrew watched a chick flick of my choice with me. (I highly recommend Dumplin on Netflix.) I'm now in love with the song 9-5.
• My mom made my favorite meal and had a birthday dinner for me.
• My brother and his girlfriend brought over take-out and cupcakes.
• My mom came to my Piyo workout class with me!
• Andrew brought me breakfast in bed.

The list goes on. I didn't even mention the countless texts and birthday videos that were sent to me. I hesitated listing all of these kind acts people did because I don't want it to come off the wrong way. I'm not trying to brag or make anyone feel bad or left out. I was honestly overwhelmed and amazed by the friendships and relationships I have in my life at this point. This definitely hasn't always been the case, and I truly feel blessed. I have lots of thank-you cards to write and upcoming birthdays to remember. 

The last part of birthday season is the fact that James is now 2. What? 

As with any first child, he was spoiled rotten. We threw him a pizza party. Looking ahead, we definitely don't plan to go this all-out every birthday especially since we want a big family. (I'm already feeling bad for baby #2.)

There was plenty of food. I ordered a couple too many pizzas. We also had chips and salsa, soda, fruit, cupcakes, and cookies.

Please note: Pizza Hut had the best deal going at the time. Don't read into my pizza pick more than that. (I'm often asked what the best pizza place is.)

I had 2 games/activities planned for the evening. A pinata and Pin the Pepperoni on the pizza. Both were smashing successes among James and his two cousins. The adults enjoyed watching the show.

James got pretty close to the candles. I'm surprised he didn't burn his face. We did practice blowing out candles a lot in order for him to actually be able to do it on his own.

His pride and glory

James got so many presents... It was like Christmas. He was so spoiled! Nothing beat the leaf blower though... Not even the kitchen Andrew and I got him. He wouldn't put this thing down and it even caused some tears at one point. 

I love living near family. Thanks to Giggi and Go-Daddy (Grandma and Grandpa Denning), Grandma Langlois, Nana and Papa, Jeff, Lindsey, Simon, Esther, Jessica, and Chris for coming and making James feel like the center of the universe. I'm cherishing some extra time to myself while James breaks in all of his new toys.

Let the chaos dissolve, until next birthday season...