August 15th-21st
warning: this is LONG (but it is our last week)
I can't believe that this is our last and final week. The weather didn't really cooperate with us that well, but we still ventured out and had us a great time. We even had the chance to go into Haleiwa with Jon for work and while we were there we stopped and got us an amazing shave ice. The kids (3 older ones) and I even got to go to the night show AGAIN over at the PCC. It even seemed better the 2nd time, because the guy from Samoa (the one who cracked open the coconut and made milk) did firedancing. Let me tell you he is good. I was so glad that he happened to be firedancing that night so that we could see him. If you haven't gone to the PCC it really is worth the trip.
This is one of our favorite beaches, because every time that we have gone we have pretty much the entire beach to ourselves, and I'm not just talking about a little beach but it is maybe 1-2 miles long and great sand and waves. It is called the KOKOLOLIO STATE PARK. I have loved watching the kids get more adventures in the waves. I can't believe that we have been able to have this adventure as a family, I just hope that they will always remember this. The other great thing about this beach is that it is only 3 minutes from our house (by car). 
Jake just jumping up AGAIN after getting rolled over by the waves. It just doesn't seem to affect him, he falls over and over and just gets right back up and goes at it again. He seems to really love it, and I love to watch him. I am really going to miss that part of Hawaii.
Sometimes the waves would get so big at the breaking point that they would go over the kids heads and they would jump and try not to get pounded by the water. Believe me when I say that you get POUNDED. I was out with the kids swimming just past the breaking point where you can just ride the waves WITHOUT getting pounded and we were headed back into the beach and I wasn't watching the waves and a HUGE one came in and totally took me out. All I remember is just rolling in the water not knowing which end was up. Thank heavens that the kids had tubes around their waist and just rode the wave in, I wasn't so lucky.
Jake just jumping up AGAIN after getting rolled over by the waves. It just doesn't seem to affect him, he falls over and over and just gets right back up and goes at it again. He seems to really love it, and I love to watch him. I am really going to miss that part of Hawaii.Sometimes the waves would get so big at the breaking point that they would go over the kids heads and they would jump and try not to get pounded by the water. Believe me when I say that you get POUNDED. I was out with the kids swimming just past the breaking point where you can just ride the waves WITHOUT getting pounded and we were headed back into the beach and I wasn't watching the waves and a HUGE one came in and totally took me out. All I remember is just rolling in the water not knowing which end was up. Thank heavens that the kids had tubes around their waist and just rode the wave in, I wasn't so lucky.
Crazy little water bugs! When we go to this beach just plan on spending about 4 hours just hanging out in the water and sand. I can't believe how fast the time flies when we are at the beach. I could really spend the whole day just sittin in a chair watching the kids, if only they didn't have to eat!
The kids get so sandy when they just play in the waves right where they are breaking so if I get in with the kids I go beyond where the sand is. If you look at the water notice the brown water (LOTS & LOTS of sand) just beyond is the blue water and that is where I swim.
Is it bad that I could just take picture after picture of this crazy curly haired little man? He does some of the funniest things, when he is in a good mood. Catch him without food or sleep and watch out! But we still love him, and the other kids just love to TAKE care of him (when he lets them)
The kids would jump out of the water and plop right down in the sand and start building all sorts of things. Their favorite was pretending that they were cooking and making pies and muffins and cakes. Favorite is soup...you can just imagine lots of sand and water, but it kept them happy and busy. What more could I ask for?!?
Who knows what game these two had come up with-just as I was figuring out what they were playing, they would change it up on me. I pretty much stayed out of it, unless I needed to test their cooking.
This time at the beach Kenadee didn't go in the water at all, she spent 4 hours just playing out in the sand. She did make some amazing cakes, with decorations and everything. I see a great chef coming out in her...so far as long as it involves sand!!
Here she is making one of her creations!
Jake trying to make a cake and carry it somewhere!! He was just a grunting trying to carry it, what a muscle man!
Her creation is done and doesn't it look great?!?
The waves were getting a little big and so Curtis and Bailee would lift Jake up and help him jump over the waves. They had a great time just a giggling and all.
Celebrating over something!
Still playing in the sand, I don't know how she kept herself busy the whole time, but she did!
Same beach-KOKOLOLIO-different day and this time Kenadee decided that she wanted to swim. Again we spent hours here playing. This is the day that I actually got pounded in the waves, I just told it earlier.
Can you surf on a boogie board??? Well Curtis is sure giving it his best shot, but the minute that the waves would hit him it would knock him off his board. He sure loved it though!! I sure caught that wave just right, it is starting to curl over, it kind of gives you a glimpse of the size of the waves.
You would think that I would have enough of them playing in the water, but I don't, each day they get a little more adventurous and get better with handling the tug and pull of the water. It is amazing how you can learn to handle the waves.
Bailee didn't seem to care where the sand was while she was busy playing. The sand never really seemed to bother her in the least either. She figured out just the right type of sand that you need to build just the right sand castle, too wet won't come out of the bucket, too dry and it just falls over the minute you take the bucket off.
Two cuties just taken a stroll along the beach. All of the kids (Bailee, Kenadee & Curtis) were so good with helping keep on eye on Jake. The biggest problem was actually fighting over who Jake's favorite was. He could really get them going!
We were finally brave enough-thanks to my mom-to stop at one of the many shrimp shacks on the side of the road to try the shrimp. About 10 minutes from where we were living are tons of shrimp ponds and when they say fresh they really mean fresh. Take it out of the pond and cook it. While my mom was there she was the one that wanted to stop and try the shrimp so on our way to Sunset beach (with mom) we stopped and picked up a plate of butter garlic shrimp. I have to say it was really good, the girls even liked it. The only thing is that we had to peel the shrimp, but it was really good. So anyway we (me and the kids) stopped again and this time we tried the coconut shrimp-it just seemed fitting-well it was good, but the butter garlic was better.
So here they all are giving it a try-I even got the boys to try it. They said it was OKAY! At least I got them to try it.
SHARKS COVEA couple of days before we were leaving we had our daddy come home from work early (4:30pm) and take us to Sharks Cove. If you have never heard of this you really should. It is awesome, better than Haunauma Bay-fish wise about the same but FREE and you are completely protected from any waves. It is beautiful at the same time. You are in a cove (hence the name) and you have reefs all over and in some places it is deep and others you can touch which was nice for the kids. So we would snorkel and then let them rest. They didn't have anything to float with, they just had to swim. These 3 little ya-hoos got tired of snorkeling and so I took them back to the beach so that Jon and Bailee could keep snorkeling.
Beginning of the sunset. So this is part of the view of Sharks Cove. That hill looking thing is the back of the cove so the waves crash against that and it keeps the waters still in the cove. You can be standing in the water and just look down and see fish swimming around you. I loved it, and so did the kids.
Jon and Bailee snorkeling, and a better view of the wall of rock.
A little inlet that when the tide started to come in you could watch the water rush in, still no waves though! You can swim all around these rocks, it was great.
Coming up to adjust their masks and spouts-is that right?!?
Eating cheese-its and playing in the sand-sounds like a great combination doesn't it?!? Then rinsing his hand off in the bucket.
Kenadee just being a tease-what a cute group of kids.
We can be friends!!
More and more snorkeling..... 
Just another pretty shot of the sun starting to go down.
Hanging out in the water, they were dancing at one point together. We got there around 5pm and we pretty much had this place to ourselves. Which is what I wanted it just makes it easier to keep an eye on all the kids. Morning and afternoon at this place you can't even find a place to park or put your stuff. This is a very popular place to learn how to scuba dive. That is the next thing that the kids want to learn how do to!! Sound like a great idea to me.
You just won't find a pretty place anywhere if you ask me!
I think that is Jon and Bailee right there in the middle of the water. If not it still is a pretty picture.
This for sure is Jon and Bailee coming out of the water, it started to get to dark to see the fish. So they got out, it really is the only way to get Bailee out of the water.
This is my favorite picture of the sunset! It is shimmering off the water and then the rocks, I just love it.
Trying to get the kids and the sunset all in the same picture seems to be a challenge for me (or my camera) can't decide which. Now I have proof that they really do like each other, even if sometimes they say that they don't!
I like this one too! The colors are just amazing. You really just have to keep shooting once it gets to this point or before you know it is is done and gone.
My little muscle men! Even in the matching swimming suits.
Another shot of the sunset! I just can't get enough of these.
You can't see them very well but the kids were all standing there just watching the sun go down. You have to look really close to see their outlines.
What little cheese balls!!! But they are MY cheese balls and I love them to death.
Jon told them to each do a pose and this is what we got!
It was our last morning there and I was getting up early to get ready to head to the Aloha stadium to go to the swap meet and I walked outside and this is the view that greeted me. I just love that you can see the rays of the sun trying to peek thru. It was a stormy day that day, but the sun was givin it its best shot.
I was just standing in our front yard, man am I ever going to miss mornings like this.
Before we left for the airport we decided to take the kids to the visitors center and have a look around. Since this is as close to the temple grounds that we could get. We could go into the parking lot of where Jon was working, but weren't allowed out of the car. So this is as far as we could actually walk.
The great sister missionaries came up to us, and offered to take our picture, so it is a rare occasion when we are all in a picture together and this is really the ONLY ONE so enjoy.
Well that is it for our summer! We are on our way home and heading back into the real world with school and all that that involves. I can't believe that it has gone by this fast. It was one of those great experiences that I will remember for the rest of my life. Just our little family all alone together in a small house and only each other to rely on. I am forever grateful for the chance that we have had to do this together as a family. I am forever grateful that I know that my little family is TOGETHER FOREVER!! I love all of them very much!! Thanks for such a great time together-love ya lots!!
Beginning of the sunset. So this is part of the view of Sharks Cove. That hill looking thing is the back of the cove so the waves crash against that and it keeps the waters still in the cove. You can be standing in the water and just look down and see fish swimming around you. I loved it, and so did the kids.
Jon and Bailee snorkeling, and a better view of the wall of rock.
A little inlet that when the tide started to come in you could watch the water rush in, still no waves though! You can swim all around these rocks, it was great.
Coming up to adjust their masks and spouts-is that right?!?
Eating cheese-its and playing in the sand-sounds like a great combination doesn't it?!? Then rinsing his hand off in the bucket.
Kenadee just being a tease-what a cute group of kids.
We can be friends!!
More and more snorkeling..... Just another pretty shot of the sun starting to go down.
Hanging out in the water, they were dancing at one point together. We got there around 5pm and we pretty much had this place to ourselves. Which is what I wanted it just makes it easier to keep an eye on all the kids. Morning and afternoon at this place you can't even find a place to park or put your stuff. This is a very popular place to learn how to scuba dive. That is the next thing that the kids want to learn how do to!! Sound like a great idea to me.
You just won't find a pretty place anywhere if you ask me!
I think that is Jon and Bailee right there in the middle of the water. If not it still is a pretty picture.
This for sure is Jon and Bailee coming out of the water, it started to get to dark to see the fish. So they got out, it really is the only way to get Bailee out of the water.
This is my favorite picture of the sunset! It is shimmering off the water and then the rocks, I just love it.
Trying to get the kids and the sunset all in the same picture seems to be a challenge for me (or my camera) can't decide which. Now I have proof that they really do like each other, even if sometimes they say that they don't!
I like this one too! The colors are just amazing. You really just have to keep shooting once it gets to this point or before you know it is is done and gone.
My little muscle men! Even in the matching swimming suits.
Another shot of the sunset! I just can't get enough of these.
You can't see them very well but the kids were all standing there just watching the sun go down. You have to look really close to see their outlines.
What little cheese balls!!! But they are MY cheese balls and I love them to death.
Jon told them to each do a pose and this is what we got!
It was our last morning there and I was getting up early to get ready to head to the Aloha stadium to go to the swap meet and I walked outside and this is the view that greeted me. I just love that you can see the rays of the sun trying to peek thru. It was a stormy day that day, but the sun was givin it its best shot.
I was just standing in our front yard, man am I ever going to miss mornings like this.
Before we left for the airport we decided to take the kids to the visitors center and have a look around. Since this is as close to the temple grounds that we could get. We could go into the parking lot of where Jon was working, but weren't allowed out of the car. So this is as far as we could actually walk.
The great sister missionaries came up to us, and offered to take our picture, so it is a rare occasion when we are all in a picture together and this is really the ONLY ONE so enjoy.
Well that is it for our summer! We are on our way home and heading back into the real world with school and all that that involves. I can't believe that it has gone by this fast. It was one of those great experiences that I will remember for the rest of my life. Just our little family all alone together in a small house and only each other to rely on. I am forever grateful for the chance that we have had to do this together as a family. I am forever grateful that I know that my little family is TOGETHER FOREVER!! I love all of them very much!! Thanks for such a great time together-love ya lots!!