Hawaii Part 1

SOOOO, we've been home from Hawaii for almost two weeks now and I have purposely avoided this blog like the plague. Why you ask? Well...month long vacation+2 cameras+camera obsessed mommy+2 budding photographers= 600+ pictures. No, I'm not posting them all on here (though it may be close) but the thought of covering a month of partying and sorting through all these pictures scares me.
Finally decided 1. skip the final few weeks before we left (baked lots of goodies, went to lots of Christmas gatherings, had a little family Christmas so we didn't have to lug presents on the plane etc)and 2. break the trip down into parts. No particular stopping points, just go at it until I have to stop. Try to put up a new "part" each day, or every other day, or something along those lines. So here's part 1....
EARLY morning Dec. 8th drove through a blizzard to drop Junior and Kalei off to the airport. SCARIEST experience ever, pretty sure I aged a good 10 years on that drive. But off they went and despite the fact she'd been up ALL night the night before with a fever (no worries she cut 6 teeth in the time we were there)thanks to Cheetos and a lot of entertainment on Daddy's end, Kalei enjoyed her first airplane ride.
And in no time at all they were relaxing and enjoying a beautiful winter's day in Hawaii.

Meanwhile, back in blizzardy Provo, I dropped the boys off at preschool, picked up a rental car, came home and loaded er up. Picked the boys up from school, finalized things at home (aka procrastinated until the storm was far out of sites) then we were on the open road, destination VEGAS (we had frequent flyer's with Hawaiian Air and that was the closet place they flew from).
Luckily we had some wonderful friends who let us stay in their very fun house (the downstairs is a little boy haven complete with a mini basketball court) for the night. Despite the fact the boys had talked about our trip daily for the past year, they wanted to stay at the house for "just one more day". Alas we were there long enough to get some wiggles out and crash. Awoke the next day at 4:30 am and were on the open road again to catch our 9:00 flight.
The boys favorite part of the whole trip was the bus ride from the rental place to the terminals.

As we were waiting to board the fun began. Tavita started complaining his ear was hurting. Great! I had sent the Tylenol with Junior in case Kalei started feeling yucky. Now I had Mr. Ear Infection Prone complaining of a sore ear. Of course about 2 hours into the flight Tavita was in tears because his ear was hurting so much and he was getting a fever (meanwhile Brayden was done with traveling and WAY to anxious to get to Hawaii and I had 2 kids in tears) I asked the flight attendant for some Tylenol but apparently it's a HUGE ordeal for them to administer drugs of any kind. He offered to start the emergency procedure (it involved notifying the pilot, calling a doctor, filling out paperwork blah blah blah) because he felt so bad for Tavita. I told him to give it some time and I'd try to put them to sleep. Luckily I was FINALLY able to get him and Brayden both like this

It didn't last near long enough in my book but at least gave them and me some sort of a break. Oh, as for Tavita's ear, I get the mother of the year award. I was really dragging my feet about taking him to a doctor (we have great coverage as long as we're in network with Intermountain which is only in Utah and Idaho outside it's pretty useless unless it's a major tragedy). Was trying some earache relief drops and some garlic oil. Decided to take him in the next morning but it was too late. In the end he wound up with a ruptured ear drum, was at the doctors, on antibiotics and ear drops and was out of the water for a chunk of the trip (toward the end we cheated with ear plugs)
Anyway after a VERY long and whiny trip (luckily they were very polite to others and whined for my ears only) we at last were enjoying the view they ask to see all the time when they web cam with Grandma and Grandpa

The boys were there long enough to drop their luggage, pull out their suits and change then they were off and running. Here's a series of pictures from our first trip to "Grandma's Beach" aka Clissolds Beach.
Brayden and Vita playing with their cousin Jenson

Kalei's first time at the beach, wasn't sure what to think of it

Tavita trying to tip toe through the coral (they were TERRIFIED of eels because Uncle Jonathan got his toe chomped on by one a few months back)

Little Beach Bum action

Little blurry but Brayden as always had NO FEAR of the water. This kid would live in the ocean if he could. Became quite the accomplished swimmer while we were there.

LeiLei starting to feel a little braver and stood up in the water

In the end, she decided she liked sand best

Boys on the other hand didn't want to leave the water, even when it was getting dark.

Meanwhile, Junior and Jenson where busy hunting down some dinner

The next day Ryan went and grew up on us and graduated from college.
Brayden giving Uncle Ryan a lei (made of Reeses of course, he knows his uncle)

Group pic

Twinners

All the traveling finally caught up with Tavita

Just wanted to show off Brayden's photog skills. He LOVES to take pictures

Congrats Grad!!! (another piece of Brayden's work)

After graduation, we wound up where else but...THE BEACH (no worries we were there EVERYDAY but Sunday, the wedding and one or two others).
Junior relaxing, enjoying the fact he's here instead of in the 2 feet of snow Provo was being hit with at that time

Lei Lei got buried

The boys had chicken fights (their standing on a log

Vita played for awhile then his ear started buggin him, then he went back out again. That is why I was so slow to take him in. One minute he was saying his ear hurt, the next he was off playing like there was nothing going on. He's too tough for his own good

When uncles are around, you get to go out to the deep blue sea (actually by the end of the trip they were going out farther all on their own)

Going on a log ride

Well, that about does me in. I'll have to save the rest for another time. I know I only covered 2 days and no, there won't be 15 more post like this. Most days were just spent lazing around on the beach and I don't know one day to the next. In fact,
for some reason when I uploaded the pics from one of our cameras it scrambled them up so can't guarantee if they're in order or the right day but at least we know what beach.
Few updates on what else has been going on:
-Bowzer chewed up the carpet on our top step while we were gone (he had someone visiting him ever 2-3 hours but was still lonely)
-I'm no longer in the primary presidency. I now teach 13(9 are boys) lively 12 and 13year-olds Sunday School. To say we have a mix of some strong personalities is an understatement. By the end of the year there'll be 17 of them. It's crazy, it's loud but we have fun and believe or not manage to get a gospel message.
-The boys are no longer in preschool, doing it at home instead. It's been going pretty well. For some reason they are filled with a desire to call me Ms. Sam (apparently it's a very good preschool teacher name, at least that's what they say). We do real educational stuff like have science lessons on hot and cold and the effects it has on different things. Like butter melts faster then marshmallows because marshmallows are more solid. And if you mix them together it makes a great coating for rice krispies. Then if you get them cold it turns into something you can cut and eat. We also got some counting in there counting out 40 marshmallows, 4 T of butter and 6 c of rice krispies.
We do other lessons too but the rice kripsy treat ones are the kind they talk about. It amazes me how they have related it to so many other things as well. Guess they learned something.
-The boys are now doing Tae Kwan Do instead (we now pay $60 a month instead of $290 a good trade). They love it and we love the entertainment of watching them do their moves
-Kalei has decided she knows how to use a toilet. She has yet to actually use it but she refuses to wear a diaper for hours at a time and says "ShiShi" over and over again while she sits on her little toilet. Carries it with her every where she goes. Also loves to say "stinky" when she's left a present in her diaper. Is OBSESSED with "babies" and "shoes" and talks about them often. Loves to eat "gawkgoos" (crackers) and "nannies" (bananas)

Reason number 8 we bought this house

When we were in the process of house hunting there were several things that attracted us to this house. Liked the layout, it had a basement apartment for extra income, close to work, close to shopping, secluded (people always get lost trying to find us), thought it had character and with a little work we could make it our own (how ignorant we were to the amount of work it needed!), great view etc. On the list of things that caught our attention was the backyard. The majority of it is a little hill, some of it is a hill with a steep drop off (well like 4 feet) and then there's a decent enough flat area (nice patio and enough room to play catch if you're under the age of 8). For summer activities it holds nothing spectualar, though the large amount of shade provides for great BBQs but for the most part summer playing takes place in the front yard in sprinklers and on the slip n slide. However, in the winter our backyard becomes a killer playground. The hill is HUGE in the eyes of the little ones and they have the time of their lives sledding/tubing down it. As for the steep drop of part, it's become a tradition to build a sled run going from the top of the hill all the way into the front yard. The greatest part of it all is we don't have to go anywhere to take part in the fun, a HUGE advantage when you spend 1/2 hour getting ready to go out, but then reach a freezing point all too soon. Those that want to stay out to play can and those that want to come in and sip on hot cocoa can.
With all that said, we had our first real big snow on Sunday so on Monday the tubes and sleds came out. The sled run is in the process of being built but there wasn't enough snow to build it all the way up over the rocks to make it a smooth ride. That didn't stop Brayden and his friend Carson, they just went sailing over the edge and endured the now 2 foot drop. We thought we were being slackers but not getting all the bags of leaves out of the back (see previous post for an idea of the insane amount of leaves we get) but boy have they come in handy. They make the best bumpers in the world. The kids would sled down hit the bags that were protecting them from the patio and continue down and slam into the ones protecting them from the steps. They looked like ping pongs, it was great! WE managed to escape with only one minor injury (I hadn't properly bumpered far enough across the steps and Tavita managed to hit right next to the last bag, flew up and slammed into the patio post. There were tears but he was good to go a few minutes later)
I mostly took video but did get a few pictures in.
LeiLei's first time actually playing in the snow, she wasn't sure what to think

But after Daddy sent her flying across the patio a couple times she was hooked

She was on this tube for at least an hour having Jr push her around or even just casually walk around pulling her.

3-way collision and a dog

Snow angels (a lot of the snow had been scrapped up to use on the sled run)

Brayden gunning down the hill

Tavita making the trek up

Brayden being a gentleman and pulling Emma up the hill, man did he work hard at it!

Then of course I have to end with some randoms.

LOVE this pic of the boys helping Junior with the dishes

A few weeks ago the boys came up PLASTERED with blue marker all over their face and bodies proudly proclaiming they were "haka guys". Junior decided the damage was already done and turned their random scribbling into some fine art work.

They nailed Kalei as well which she was NOT happy about. She came up with the most disgusted look on her face.

Lastly, a fine way to end the post is with this beauty.

This is what is left of poor Kalei's pinky after it had an encounter with the treadmill. It got stuck between the belt and the side of the treadmill and just sanded away at the skin. If you look closely, you can see where it almost reached the bone. We've been keeping Band-Aid (use about 9 a day) in business but it's healing up well. The doctor took a look at it during her 18 month check, said she'll definitely have a scar (obviously) but as long as we keep it clean and it doesn't get infected (has to stay covered til all the white and gray is gone, only pink skin allowed) then we should be good. Our main worry now is keeping her finger mobile. With so much scar tissue that is going to build up we need to make sure that she stretches her finger regularly so she can bend it once it's healed up. She's a little trooper though!

Fun Conversations

As always, have other things/events I need to catch up on. However, I wanted to record a few memorable conversations that have been had over the past week.
First on occured last week when we were in the car and had our two neighbor kids with us. They had been talking about growing up and how long it takes to grow up. A few things established in the conversation:
- Carson will be the first to grow up (he is after all 6) but he doesn't even need to worry because he's not a teenager yet, that doesn't happen until you're like 88.
- Bowzer won't die until they're grown up then they'll be really sad but it's ok cause they can get a new dog, a small one they can carry around.
Highlight of the conversation:
Carson: So if I'm gonna be really old first does that mean I have to marry a really old girl?
Brayden: No, you get to marry whatever beautiful girl you want.
Tavita: WHAT? (imagine lots of inserts of laugh, what the hecks, and smart aleck remarks inserted throughout the conversation, that was about the extent of his contribution)
Emma: He wants to marry ----(I forgot her name)
C: YEAH I DO!!!
B: Who's that
C: Oh, she's so pretty and she's 7 but she doesn't want to marry me.
B: You should marry Emma Hall (not Emma his sister of course who was in the car)
C: She doesn't want to marry me either. (Pauses then gets really excited) But, But I'm gonna trick her you guys. I'm gonna get her. When we're old I'm gonna ask her to marry me and she'll say no. I'll say, good cause I don't want to marry you either. Then I'm gonna hide. I'm gonna hide somewhere dark and when she walks by I'm gonna jump out behind her, scare her and marry her. Then she'll be stuck!
(Junior and I are busting up laughing in the front. The kids find this to be a very feasible and wise plan)
C: Brayden, who are you gonna marry? I'm marrying Emma Hall so you need to pick someone.
B: UMMMM UMMMM UMMMM (in deep thought for a long time)
Meanwhile Emma has her hands in begging position, eyes closed saying: pick me, pick me, please pick me, please, please, please pick me
B(looks at Emma): AHHH, I don't know who yet, but she's gonna be beautiful.
Conversation continues about growing old.

A couple days ago I had just finished vaccuming the downstairs. Tavita comes down "WOW Mommy, it looks so clean!"
M: Doesn't it feel good to have a clean room? (being that it's the playroom, it usually gets bombed 10 minutes after I've cleaned it)
T: YEAH IT DOES!
M: Should I go do the upstairs now or should I go cook dinner?
T: NO MOMMY! Don't cook dinner. Your cooking makes me fat, don't do it.
Saunters of to go attend to other matters.
I just stood there dumbfounded, then cracked up becaues it was hillarious, then got a little worried about the fact my 3 year old is worried about getting fat.


Yesterday I was talking to Brayden asking him his thoughts on moving (nothing is remotely in the works, just talking hypothetically).
M: If Grandma and Grandpa were to move somewhere, would you want to go to?
B&T: YEAH, YEAH, YEAH
M: We could move there!
B: NO WAY!
M: Why not?
B: We live in Utah, our house is in Utah
M: We could get a new house
B: No, I would miss my friends too much
M: You could make new friends
B: Nah, I'll stick to my old friends, I don't need new ones.
M: What if we got a new, bigger house.
B: I remember when the Short's house was really little and blue. Now it's really big and brown so if we need to make our house bigger then PSSH (waves hands in the air) no problem. We'll just make our house bigger.

Today at the grocery store. We take about 10 steps in the store and Tavita freaks out, runs in front of the cart plants his feet and uses both arms to stop the cart, yelling, "STOP, STOP, STOP, RIGHT NOW!"
M: What's wrong?
T: There's flowers (points to a display of flowers). They're flowers for you get some!
M: Not this time I don't need flowers
T: (still very insistent): Yes you do, you NEED them (ever since he was very young he's thought all flowers are rightfully mine)
M: I'm not buying myself flowers, tell Daddy to buy me flowers.
T: NO, I'M A BOY I CAN BUY THEM FOR YOU. Get them right now.
I'm a bad parent and still told him no, we had come in the store for other things and didn't budget for flowers (they were huge fancy boquets). In retrospect I feel kind of bad and wished I had helped him find something smaller and more reasonable. Oh well, something daddy can do. (HINT HINT haha)

Fall Fun

Why is this time of year SOOO insanely busy. I feel like we hit the ground running every morning and don't stop until we go to bed. For instance yesterday I got up at 6:15, was at the grocery store at 6:45 and litteraly did not stop until 10:30. All 3 meals were eaten standing up while doing other things. The most frustrating part is at the end of the day, the list seems to have grown rather then shortened.
Despite my grumblings I LOVE this time of year and all the activities going on, we have a Halloween activity of some sort or another everyday this week except today (and that's only because it's snowing/raining and it was an outdoor activity, yes it's october and we have a nice sprinkling of snow on our lawn). I have to admit I've come to love the fall and the cooler weather with the beautiful leaves, cool air, the baking,etc (the only thing that keeps me from fully enjoying it is knowing what's around the corner).
Anyway, with a lot of activities comes a lot of pics. We haven't gotten pics of every event as we are still without a camera. Here's the happenings over the last month or so. They've all been taken with a camera phone or or video cam but at least we have the memories right!
First a few randoms from our phones!
Here is the KING of Halloween. Tavita talks about Halloween everyday, all year long (SERIOUSLY!). We have a daily dance party to Halloween music and have to make some sort of Halloween craft/treat at least a couple times a week. (Need any ideas we've come up with some easy fun ones, sadly I haven't taken many pictures)

The three stooges (The blonde one is their brother from another mother)

Kalei showcasing the pumpkins from our garden. Note the Halloween books she's sitting on. The boys set up a whole display around the pumpkins.

The boys and their beloved pet Hoppy (look closely at Brayden's finger) They took very good care of him for a few days, attended to his every need, talked to him, brought him along wherever they were playing. I started to get worried their beloved pet would die on them and cause some serious heartache so I convinced them Hoppy's family was worried about him and needed him to come back. There were a few tears but they said they were glad they made Hoppy and his family happy again.

Random picture of the kids playing at Wal-Mart but it's a great shot of Brayden's mop before we finally convinced him to cut it.

As I mentioned in the previous post, Junior recently completed his first 5K about 5 weeks ago.
Here are his cheerleaders all geared up and ready to go.

Getting ready to race, obviously very deep in thought.

The video camera was to slow to get any pictures of him actually running, so here Junior is reinacting his run to the finish.

The sweaty trackstar

Junior and most of the 100 day heart challenge crew

Tavita and one of our Halloween projects: candy corn cookies

The finished product. Tavita loved this one because he got to use a rolling pin, pizza cutter, knife and piping bags.

Two weeks ago we did a movie night at our house. We hung a big sheet on the wall, Junior got a projector from work, and the neighborhood came over. The kids loved it, I think they loved the postmovie dance party the most!

Tavita rolling in the popcorn. There was more popcorn then carpet when all is said and done, thank goodness for vaccuums.

Kids were literally scaling the walls, leaping in the air, rolling on top of each other. It was hillarious to watch, the amazing thing is despite the chaos, it was all laughter and no tears.

On Saturday we went to the pumpkin patch we go to every year. The kids love it because they get to cut their own pumpkins then have a few other activities. We love it cause it's FREE (aside from the pumpkins)
Kalei would've been content hanging out with this mule all day. She was enthralled.

Kings of the haystack!

"She thinks my tractor's sexy!"

Mommy n LeiLei

Apparently we have 4 children, who knew!

In search of the perfect pumpkin.

"Not quite sure what these things are, maybe if I sit on it, something will hatch out of it!"

Brayden cutting his pumpkin

Tavita cutting his pumpkin

Kalei's turn!

Junior with the pickins'

"I can do it, I know I can!"

Who needs a sand pit, when you can have a corn pit?

Brayden doing what little boys do best, exploring!

We had new neighbors move in behind us. It used to be a bunch of single guys now it's a family with 4 kids (ages 6,4,3,2). We LOVE having them there. We get along with Luke and Erin really well and our kids play great together. Only problem is because of the way things are laid out you have to walk down the street and around the corner to get to eachothers houses. On Saturday Junior and Luke took care of that problem.
I present to you the, "Hobit Hole"
Junior and Luke hard at work. They had no plan, just kind of let things unfold as they went along.

Practicing their "deer in headlight" look!

The kids with the finished product (It even has self-closing hinges!). They LOVE it! They find every reason imaginable so they can use it.

After the project we had a little fall fest. Our backyard gets a TON of leaves. Here's an idea. I started leaf blowing, decided it was a bit self-defeating so gave up. Two hours later it looked like this. It had been completely clear from the tree over.

Junior brought these boxes home from work. They were used as coffins, leaf containers, hide-n-seek tools etc.

Brayden in a leaf frenzy

Rolling down the hill

They waged war against the blower

Brayden and Emma performing a zombie dance for us

Kalei, wasn't sure what to make of it all, but she slowly joined the fun

Luke being pulled into a leaf war

After all of Junior's hard work, Tavita quickly dismantled it all (and had quite the mishevious grin while doing so!) Oh well, that's what we do, we rake piles for the kids recreation then after a few weeks we finally bag them. After all, what's the point of fall leaves if you can't play in them!