34 and counting....

Celebrating another birthday here in paradise - this time mine!  I have a friend who says that each year is such a blessing - we are alive & should never back away from stating that it's our birthday.  So - yes, my birthday was yesterday!  I woke up and just wanted to spend the morning reading.  Simple pleasure.  I was trying to finish the 2nd book in the Hunger Games - so I let the kiddos enjoy the Wii for a time before I came down to get the morning going.

While I was getting ready, the children decided to put the trampoline and sprinkler to good use!

And Acie - the crazy dog! - stood under that trampoline and playfully gulped at the water.  The children thought she was hilarious, and the dog thought the sprinkler much too entertaining.  They were a great group to watch that morning for some time!

 Look at this boy!  Ready to turn 7 next week - looking so grown up and strong!

And this boy is just all fun and playful character!....

We drove into Honolulu and picked up Bryson at the airport - yeah, for the perfect birthday present!  We ran a little late, as driving along the highway from the North Shore, it's only a 2 lane highway and I was behind a pair of tourists on scooters, and I spent about 5 miles going 30 miles an hour.  It was so hard to keep my patience when I just wanted to get around them and get to the airport!  I couldn't call and tell Bryson that we were running late, because unfortunately the day we were at the beach, my phone was in a bag by the water and it ended up getting wet.  I think the second time the phone gets wet - the luck runs out.  After the waterfall and now the beach, the phone was not making a comeback in the rice container.

After getting a new phone, we stopped at an outdoor part of the mall for a Hula show.  However, it was so slow in starting and we realized we'd see another Hula show at the Polynesian Culture Center for the Bryson's birthdays.  Instead we realized we were all really hungry & so we ventured off to find something to eat.  We were in the heart of Waikiki - a really nice street, which reminds me of 5th Avenue in NYC....and there tucked back in a building was a place I'd heard about and thought we should try.  Duke's.  However the wait was for 30 minutes!  Hungry people have a hard time waiting that long!

Instead, I looked at the menu for a place just upstairs - Hula Grill (we couldn't get away from Hula!) and so we walked up and realized we could get right in.  And we still got to sit out on a balcony and have a fabulous view of the ocean - one of my requirements of a place to eat!

Thankfully the waiter had the great sense to put the chidren's food order through first - and Jacob dove into his hamburger as if he had never eaten!  When these boys hit the teen years we are going to have a huge food bill - they eat so often right now, I can't imagine them eating even more!   

I had wanted something seafood - and the waiter recommended Seafood Chowder.  I wondered why a soup would cost so much & I was really hestitant to try it...however, it was hands down one of the best dishes I have ever had!  The picture below doesn't even begin to show how large it was...it was about the same width as a large dinner plate and really deep.  I loved the lobster tail and the huge shrimp tucked throughout the chowder - and then the combination of coconut milk and cilantro was divine!  I was so full from the chowder that when the waiter showed up with a huge piece of chocolate ice cream cake - the children were happy to have more than their fair share of bites.  What an incredible meal it was!

Bryson asked me today (Sunday) if I had a great birthday - and I told him yes and no.  Yes, because I was able to spend it with my family.  The kiddos played happily in the morning so I could read my book, and I think overall we were all pleasant with each other during the day.  No - because I realize that turning older means more things that I start to think of that I want to do, and realize how fast time is going.  It's a bitter-sweet moment when you look at life & realize how fast time really does go.  I jokingly told Bryson that this is my last year before I probably hit mid-mid life crisis.  I said that I wonder when we hit 35 if we'll feel that we are hitting that final mark before things start sliding toward 40 and then everything gets really caught up in the whirlwind of life, family and all the many events that will all start to slide together.

I'm thankful for life.  I'm thankful to celebrate birthdays.  As that means that I am here.  I'm able to take a breath each day and live in the moments that have been granted to me.  For that, I have received many birthday wishes granted over the years.  Health.  Happiness.  Memories.  Fun.  Experiences.  All this and more come together to make the goodness and richness of my life.

Happy Day!  

Happy Birthday - Miss Madeleine

Madeleine turned 9 years old today!

It's 10pm and we just barely turned the light out in the children's room. We are all exhausted from a fun day celebrating the life of our little miss.

I have a lot to write, but my eyelids are heavy as well.

I just wanted to save this spot on blogger-world with the date February 19th....so that tomorrow or the next day I can come back and actually write on this specific day what a great day it was. It was full of family. Ice skating fun. A friend sleepover last night (staying up until midnight - probably another main reason we are so tired today!) and the love that Madeleine felt through many generous presents.

What fun a birthday is.....more updates to follow.

To Madeleine - 9 things we love about you!

Happy Birthday to our sweet Madeleine!

We are so lucky to have this amazing girl in our family!  Here are 9 fabulous things about Madeleine:

1) Madeleine you are a born leader!  Perhaps being the oldest helps you out, but you have great leadership quality which we see daily as you help me around the home, with your brothers, and is looked towards as a leader in your class and school.  Being Class President has helped you accept leadership in a new area - and watching you blossom in this new role has been such a joy this year!

2) You are such a beautiful girl!  Inside and out.  You have been blessed with a kind heart that wants to help out....growing each year with being able to look at a situation and find ways to help those around you is a special gift you have been given.  At times you can be cautious as you see a new situation, however your heart is always in the right place!

3) Smart, smart, smart!  Not only do you have a great ability to be smart about how to lead - but Madeleine you are a girl who has a bright mind and a love for learning!  How amazing it has been to see you grow in your desire to learn and all that you have been taught and how it adds onto what you are capable of.  You especially love literature - both reading and writing it.  The growth in your writing this past year is evident in your essays, personal narratives and the work you bring home from school and do here at home.  I love that you are enjoying expressing your thoughts, opinions and views through the written word....it has helped you be able to express yourself more easily in many different ways - what a blessing and what a gift you have!  

4) Reading! Watching you pick up a good book to read is one of my greatest joys!  I love that you'll take recommendations on what to read....currently you are finishing the 'Little House' series, and I love when you tell me about what you are reading and learning about Laura Ingalls life.  I shouldn't be that amazed when you finish a book - but sometimes I still can't believe between everything else on your schedule, that you find the time to read and finish a book (usually around 200 pages) about every 2-3 days.  And again, your interest in reading has lead to adding to your knowledge....what wonderful choices you are making!

5) Sense of style!  I love how you put your outfits together, and then add a flair with a scarf, or one of your fabulous headbands, little bit of bling from some jewelry or your shoes.  Your teacher this year is just in love with your outfits and constantly tells me that she just loves when you walk in the room to see what you'll be dressed up in that day!

6) Internal Alarm Clock.  Your body has a very keen sense of what time it is.  I've never had to wake you up, or get you moving in the morning - you just seem to know what time it is and you wake up at the needed time.  Even if we it's earlier than usual!  You are able to balance your schedule and do what is needed in the time allotted you - whether that is getting ready for the day, doing your homework, practicing the piano or any number of jobs ---- you are amazing to use your time most effectively and I never rarely have to remind you to stay on task.....rarely as after all you are still human! :)

7)  You love to participate in activities!  If you could, you would be doing things from sun-up to sun-down!  Currently you are doing ballet on Monday, Piano and Girl Scouts on Wednesday and Activity Days with the girls in church on Friday nights.  The only reason you aren't doing more....is that I can't figure out how to get you everywhere you want to be without having your brothers fall apart because of the busy schedule!   You love to get into new projects and on Tuesday & Thursday you enjoy being able to have time to play with friends outside or to enjoy your American Girls.....which you still love and play with using your imagination to a level that really makes us happy to see that you are still enjoying these more simple joys in life!

8) This past year turning 8, you stepped into a new responsibility with being baptized as a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and receiving the Holy Ghost.  You have learned how to listen to the promptings this year --- you are learning how to let it guide your life.  There are times when it seems you have been able to listen and see the ways it can bless your life.  You've also had some times where you didn't make the right choice - and with consequences you realize the importance of always trying your best to listen and obey the teachings of our Savior and to follow those promptings that you are now able to receive through the gift of the Spirit.  It's a learning process - and one that you seem to be taking seriously as you have matured in a beautiful way of spiritual understanding this year.  It will be wonderful to see how you continue to grow this next year. :)

9) Change and adaptability!  You help to create a stability in our family while we have gone through some different changes with this move and look forward to different changes in our future.  You have learned that change is going to be inevitable in life, and your ability to adapt to different situations shows that you again are maturing and growing in ways that are blessing you and our family.  I find that I include you in talking about possible situations for our family - example being that we are seriously considering moving this summer.  I worried that you would take things too seriously and get worried - however you seem to be able to understand that there are things we need to discuss before decisions can be made and although you are excited and nervous about some changes - you do your best to realize that life can always through in a few surprises in life and that we can never plan completely for what will happen.  It really has helped me to have you be so mature about our families new, exciting and sometimes crazy adventures!

We love you so much Madeleine!  We remember that first time driving home with you in the car and hearing you make all those precious baby sounds and having it sink in that we were your parents!  From the beginning you have been bright eyed and ready for whatever experience life has to offer.  We love you and your excitement, that you are our sweetheart and we loved celebrating you and another amazing year in your beautiful life!

Happy 9th Birthday!