St. Patrick's Day

This year St. Patrick's Day fell on a Saturday over our Spring Break, so we really had no excuse not to go down to the block party in Chinatown.  Granted, we needed to go early before the crowd got too rowdy for our two little leprechauns.  But it was a good excuse to go to Honolulu for a few hours. After about 10 minutes, the kids got tired of being around a bunch of adults just standing around and talking so we lasted all of about an hour there before going to dinner in Waikiki.  At least we made the attempt.....

Taking everything in

The girls

Dylan with Uncle Jerrod

Pinterest isn't just a waste of time...

The reason I'm behind on blog posts is that I've found a new way to waste my time on the internet...Pinterest.  I think I need a schedule for when to blog, when to facebook, and when to pinterest so I don't fall behind :)  But, all that perusing on Pinterest inspired me to get a  little crafty and try out a few projects.....

Easter themed table centerpiece - Easter grass, plastic eggs, peeps, and greenery

Fabric covered boxes...Canvas Art!

Corkboard coverd in fabric, spray painted old picture frame....Jewlery holder

Turtle Bay Stay-cation

Our spring break from school was back in the middle of March so we took advantage of a special they were having at Turtle Bay resort up on the North Shore. We spent three nights up there, which gave us plenty of time to play and relax and feel like we were able to get away.  We played at the pools and hot tubs, hiked around the bay next to the resort, played at the beach, and went into Haleiwa for dinners each night.  The kids LOVED being at a hotel for a few days, and Gavin was sure to tell anyone that wanted to talk to him that he didn't live at the hotel, he was just visiting :)

View of the resort from our hike

After dinner at nights we let the kids run wild down in the conference area of the hotel.  No one was there and it provided lots of room to run off energy!

The boys being silly!

We hiked around the bay.... always exploring!

Discovered a new smaller bay on our hike.... LOVE when we find something new on the island!

Spent lots of time at the beach by the resort.

Mark got to go surfing one morning....something he rarely gets to do anymore.

The boys were a captive audience watching Mark surf.

Exploring the grounds of the resort ....the kids played and I snapped away!

Mothers and their Sons

Being the mom of only boys means I've had to embrace (or work toward embracing) several things....

1. There will be lots of rough play. I've got to get used to it. Boys don't like to play with Barbies, they like to take Barbie and dunk her in the toilet.

2. Building off #1...wrestling is here to stay.  I'm not sure if Gavin and Dylan will have a choice in that matter.

3. If I want to be more than the cook and maid to them, I've got to get involved in their rough play and sports.  I'm not really the "team mom" type of person, but guess I'm going to have to suck it up and do it!

4. Mark and I have a high probability of ending up in a nursing home someday.  They like to call them "retirement communities" these days, but still the same thing.  Girls take care of their family/parents, boys take care of their wives'. (Steve and Joan, don't worry....you can live with us if you want someday. We will be one big Brady bunch...my parents, you guys, and us :)

5. The bathroom is an undesirable place when there is a house full of boys. Splatter. I'll leave it at that.

6. This list could go on and on, but I'll finish it off with a story....
The other day Gavin whispered in my ear, "I have a girl friend."  I asked him her name and he said "Sara." He then proceeded to tell me that Issiah loved Sara.  So, I asked him if he loved Sara and this was his reply:  "No Mommy, I'm only in love with you."
                      MELT....................MY.....................HEART!
So although having boys means all of the above, it also means being the first love of two of the most handsome, smart, outgoing, and rambunctious boys I will ever know.

On the funny side, my sister-in-law Shelley sent me this awesome article the other day that I knew was blog-worthy when I read it.  It is written from the perspective of a mother of boys to her future daughter-in-laws.   It.is. FUNNY!

Mom's of Boys are Jealous Shrews....So Here's a Contract For Your Son's Future Wife

Happy Birthday Marley!

Our Marley girl turned 8 on February 23rd. Being a spoiled and very loved dog, the boys and I threw her a birthday party.  Gavin and I baked cupcakes, Marley had her usual canned-dog food cake, we sang to her and she got a new rawhide :)  Love you Marley girl!!!  Here are a few of my favorite pictures of her over the years....

One of the few pictures I have of Marley as a puppy.  Love that rascal face!

Her 1st Birthday

Marley loves the beach...digging holes, swimming, and getting everyone and everything sandy!

Marley and Gavin

8th Birthday party!

She may look like an old lady, but she still has a lot of spunk :)  She looks about excited as the boys do to get their pictures taken!

Waikiki Aquarium

We've had some "winter weather" (rain) lately that has kept us from the beach....so we went down to the Waikiki Aquarium last weekend.  Luckily, as we were in the aquarium, the weather cleared up and we were able to go across the street to the zoo for awhile too.  Thanks to Grandma, Gavin and Dylan are "regulars" at the Honolulu Zoo.  We've been about four times since January! 

Dylan happily posed for pictures for Mommy, but Gavin wasn't so cooperative. He couldn't be bothered to stop and smile long enough for me to get any of him inside the aquarium.  

Loved looking at the fish!

Picture with my favorite aquarium exhibit...jellyfish....that you can't see in the picture. 

The aquarium has a big grassy area outside that the kids were able to run around for awhile. 

LOVE this picture of them!

Dylan's Shenanigans

A glimpse of Dylan's newest "developments"..... 

Climbing and escaping are added to his bag of tricks.

He has mastered the art of multi-tasking at a very early age. Laundry and bath can be done at once.