what we wore...

i wore that skirt on easter, 7years ago.  it's from gap.  

the shirt and cardi are both target...

i got n's new skirt from target.  her shirt is a school shirt!

huggies.  nuff said.  

sweet boy wanted an "american girl" doll so bad!  (sissy just got one...)  so, here's his pirate.  for significantly less.  and he LOVED it!

school friends out to dinner...

a beautiful rainbow the other day...

playing with mr. m.  teaching him "runaway choo choo"

snuggling and reading.  

today...

i made some baby food last week.  check out those peas and green beans.  love me my vitamix!!!

snuggling the other day on the couch!

playing outside...  he totally posed for the camera!

btw... totally loving "bringing up boys".  it's got some great insight for this girl who has no idea about boys!!!

i love this boy!!!

just hanging out!!!

sweet boy.  

that's as best as i could get him to pose!!!

my view from the blanket!

my view on the blanket!!!

the kids have been sick.  which means i have been busy.  i made a quilt front, two new sets of curtains and rearranged our family room.  amazing what can get done when we are homebound!!

yesterday, c, who was already sick, had to come pick something up.  i begged her to let me go for a quick run.  i had a GREAT 3 mile run.  it was wonderful!!!  while i was out running, a friend from church stopped by with dinner for me.  as a surprise!  what a wonderful treat!  and someone else brought in my trash can this weekend.  i have some great people in my life.  

sometimes...

my sweet kids before bed the other night...

nora playing her "guitar"...

james as a pirate...

at a promotion ceremony for a friend last week on the missouri...

how i found the boy after his nap.  sweet thing!!!

the dude abides...

sleeping while camping!

just waking up in her sleeping bag...

my boy and me...

we went for a post camping run... the boys fell sound asleep!!!

today, chris had his first follow-up hearing exam.  there was not a whole lot different that the last one.  he passed a test that he had previously failed.  it was all good news.  there were some tones he couldn't hear, but she couldn't tell if it was age or boredom with the test or something else.  

so, at the end of the day, he can hear.  pretty well!  all good news.  we go again in december.  

views from the camp site...

sunset...

the moon rising over our site...

the sun setting...

looking out towards haleiwa...

artsy...

the view from our site...

more towards the beach.  

love this beach!

from the beach... looking up at the camp!

doing mountain climbers on the beach!!!

everyone says "it takes a village" when talking about raising kids.  i have felt that so much this summer.  there has truly been a village surrounding me!  it has been fantastic.  from dads willing to take my boy to the bathroom when we are out, to uncles coming and roughing the boys (and girls) up.  

from friends who cook dinner on important occasions, or come over just cause.  and friends' husbands willing to look at cars, or unclog toilets that just won't unclog for me!  i am truly thankful for the village that surrounds me.  

i am so blessed by the "ohana" here that has taken care of us.  

camping... cause we can!

my boy and his stick!

car and chris....  snuggling!

eating her teddy's burger...

dinner!  (yes, dinner camping was fast food.  at least it was teddy's burgers!  but, seriously, our tent, sleeping bags and camping stove are on the mainland.  so, i wasn't about to attempt an elaborate meal!  so, we picked it up on our way in...)

that face...  with the chocolate caked dirt.  and that grin.  

the sunset...  it was AMAZING!  

can you still see it?  nora was too busy for me...  she wanted to go play with her friends!

s'mores!

chris was so entertained by k!

my tent buddy... she put up with my three kids!!  (one of whom decided that 1 am was the perfect time to scream bloody murder for about 10 minutes!  awesome...)

our campsite!

again with the view from the campsite!

my girl... picking "dirty berries".  that's what the girls called them!

down on the beach with my boy!

the keiki!

so, we went camping this weekend.  i took my three kids camping on our anniversary weekend while david is deployed.  cause i can!  after i had decided to go, carley offered to stay in our tent, if i wanted her to!  (she was planning to go anyway...)  so, she bunked in with us!  and it was so fun to have her...  

the kids had a BLAST!  an absolute BLAST!  nora was in hysterical tears when we left.  and we will see everyone at church tomorrow!!!  they loved the s'mores (gluten free!!).  and the "tent sleeping" part of it.  james asked for a tent in his room tonight!!!

one of the guys had volunteered to bring and set up a tent for us.  i talked to he and his wife for awhile about it.  they told me they camp with an air mattress and pack n play.  so, i brought our air mattress and pack n play.  and realized, the night before we were leaving that our sleeping bags were in massachusetts.  

so, i packed sheets and quilts.  and i grabbed the sheets that were on the top.  and didn't think twice.  (side bar...  we only have the double decker air mattresses...  the good ones!  so, that's what we brought.  and it can only be filled by electricity.  so, i used my car to fill it and had to carry it to the tent.  not realizing that it wouldn't really fit into the tent.  so, we let some air out.  while everyone was laughing!!!  and giving me a hard time.)

so, we finally get it into the tent. and i pull out the sheets.  they were pink.  yeah, that got more laughs!  i took it all in stride.  and laughed right along with them!!!  

other than chris being crazy overtired at 1 am and screaming, it went so well.  we had so much fun.  and the kids are dying to do it again!!!