homecoming.

there is a tug out there.  and it started spinning and spraying water up.  that's when i lost it.  there was something about that view.  

she was close.  so close!

my sweet friend, m, called while we were waiting at the pier and had heard he was coming home soon. i told her to come on by.  so she did!  gave up her plans for the morning and stood there with us!  (i got to take pics for her hubs homecoming a few months ago!)

and there she is.  d was straight up!

four of us!

and there's the fifth!!  together again!

another view.... the mighty o'kane with her lei...

man, that was a good kiss!!!

can you tell i was happy??

i love this man.  he is ALWAYS worth the wait!

doesn't he look a little excited??

home. 

love.

so thankful to have this man home...  

getting ready...

getting the car washed.  he was less than a fan!

swimming... 

relaxing!

sleepy beach baby...

homecoming dinner for the families...

some of my girls!  my ohana!

decorating the fence.  this panel was my handiwork!!!  

love it!

watching the sun set.  knowing my hubs was just out there...

the full fence!

swimming underwater!

making daddy's sign!

it was a fun week getting ready...  nails and toes done.  playing downtown where my mom and her girls were staying.  getting the house cleaned.  a fun week.  sheets washed.  dishes put away.  kids cleaned.   

the week went perfectly.  not stressful, not overwhelming.  just right.  and just tiring enough that i wasn't up too late just staring at the ceiling the night before!!!

as for today...  my three boys are sick.  but it's fun to have them so cuddly!  (at least, the two that aren't at work!!)  i am hoping i don't get it... not sure if my reaction is psychosomatic!  although, after cleaning up so much, there are a few things i am not dying to eat anytime soon...  

gone nuts...

daddy helping crack nuts at the mac nut farm...

jamey doing it too!

such a big girl!

us and our boy!!!

love this!!

aww....

loves him some food... any food.  any way he can get it!

mac nut farm!

we finally got to take daddy (and pop-pop) to the mac nut farm.  it is my favorite touristy tour/polynesian event.  so good!  i was glad that d liked it as much as we did.  it's where so many movies and tv shows are filmed.  and it's totally local.  they just stop the "bus" (i use that term lightly.  no windows or doors, you just pray it starts!) to cut you down some fruit.  whatever is in season.  and as much as you can eat!!

when we were done there, we went across the street to kualoa ranch for lunch and to pick up some meat.  it's local and grass fed!  what could be better.  by local, i mean, the cows are grazing as you drive in!  and again, movies are filmed all over kualoa ranch.  think "jurassic park" and "lost".  

snow day in hawaii nei...

waiting for snow to come!  with ice cream...

mmm...  

boots, and a sweater she had shed!

look at the snow falling!!

there it is... all 40 tons of it!!  the concussion from the "falling" was quite big!

climbing on top of the snow mountain!

that's the temp when the snow fell!!

we went to one of the malls last week where they were having snow fall!  it was so much fun.  we spent a lot of time waiting (because it was a tiny parking lot and i was afraid it was going to fill up... so we got up there EARLY!).  we shopped a bit, got ice cream, bought socks to be mittens, and a bucket.  

it was a good day.  a lot of fun!  

yay!!!

just saying... this boy LOVES to eat!!

we went to the ships' Christmas party a few weeks ago...  those are my sexy target shoes... and stef's bridesmaid dress!  

i put my hair in rollers...

hilton hawaiian...  i went shopping for d's outfit that day!  good thing i did... his black pants were totally dirty, his khakis had a hole in them.  and i totally wanted him to wear that tie!  it's got anchors on it!!!  

LOVED the curls the curlers gave me...  sadly, it was completely flat by the end of the night...  the joys of a tropical island!!

i love this man!!!

we had a blast!!!

my sweet c friend had a friend tell her how to get more storage!  and, not sure if i did it right, but it worked...  so, here's the blog!!!

sadly, we didn't win anything at this year's Christmas party...  but next month, when d is on leave, we are going to use LAST years' gift...  can't wait!

undecided...

story of my life right now...  but, especially on what to do about the blog...  if anyone has suggestions, feel free to shoot them my way.  i put pictures on shutterfly.  if you want the link, shoot me an email!

but, here is our life.

nora can read.  she can really read!  i am so proud of her.  she also reads just like me.  she skims.  and thinks she knows what it's going to say.  only for the bigger words right now.  but it's what i do when i read!  however, i am so AMAZINGLY proud of her!  (mommy moment to brag...  she is reading at a first grade reading level..  the way they do it, it's 6 months in to 1st grade!!!)  she has rough moments at school, and i am trying to figure out the emotions of a kindergartner.  and so sad to realize that girls are girls, even at 5 years old.  but it seems to be better now.  and i am spending a lot of time praying!!!!

this week, she did a puppet show about Jesus and the first Christmas.  and then about Jesus and the first Kwanza.  and then Jesus and the first Hanukah.  and Jesus' ladle.  it was sweet!!!

james.  he is 3 and a half.  and all of it!  he's also a middle child.  he's so fun.  and so sweet.  and so rambunctious!!!  i love him.  and i try to give him the attention he needs.  today, i went to his Christmas party at school.  they did this "jingle walk" up the street, singing.  it was so sweet....  he wanted to hold my hand the whole time and lit up that i was there!!!  and then, he kissed me.  and kissed my cheeks.  and my nose.  and my forehead.  he is getting really good at swimming.

christopher.  he LOVES to eat.  i mean, LOVES to eat.  it's so sweet!!!  he LOVES to eat.  and move. and he wants to be a big kid.  SO. BAD!!  he still army crawls everywhere.  and fast.  he crawled up the stairs to the landing the other day.  by himself.  so, it's about time to get the gates out!!!  and he pulls up.  on everything.  he's so big!!!  he's chatty, and smily, and so sweet.  such a good baby.  he has the prettiest blue eyes and blondest hair!!!  and i love when he laughs!!!

we are staying busy... enjoying having david home and being a family.  we went up to the north shore the other day to do waimea falls.  and the falls were closed.  but, they were filming "hunger games" there.  super cool!!!  the falls were closed because it hasn't been rainy and there was no water!  so, we went to the beach and had a blast!  there were no toys for the kids.  and they had the most fun!!!

david and the kids are in the Christmas play at church this weekend.  it's so fun to watch them.

so, until i decide...  

transitions...

i can't believe it's been three and a half weeks since d got home.  it's been absolutely wonderful.  d and i went downtown for a few nights and then enjoyed sunday and monday with the kids.  then, he went back to work.  and i hated the thought at the time.  but in so many ways, i think it helped our transition be normal.  life was back to normal almost right away.  there was no just sitting and staring because we had all this free time.  three kids and life will do that to you!

so, d went back to work and we continued on.  it has been so great.  we all love having him home, and he has been loving being with the kids.  we have been to fellowship group, birthday parties, Christmas parties, church, school, etc.  it's been so fun to have david with us in all that!

christopher has started doing "so big".  it's so sweet to watch!  and he eats.  EVERYTHING!!!  fish, black beans, green smoothies, fruit, gluten free waffles...  he LOVES to eat.

james is enjoying school.  he is a sweet boy who needs love and attention!  my sweet middle child...  he is crazy into super heros and legos.

nora is reading up a storm.  she's reading at a first grade reading level.  it's been fun to watch her grow! and such a big girl!!!  loving her!  all three... really.

that's life today...