Curious George

Mai got to bring Curious George home from school for an assignment. We took some pictures, and the girls had a fun sleepover with him.

A New Table

I have been wanting a larger dining table especially since we invite people over to eat so often. Earlier this year Jesse's co-worked asked if anyone wanted this table she was getting rid of. She had planned to refinish it but just didn't have the time. Jesse told her we would take it. She and her husband delivered it to us, and it has been my project. I had to sand down the entire thing.

I really liked the natural color of the wood, so I decided just to coat it with polyurethane. I first tried oil-based since it is more durable, but I didn't like the amber color that came with it. Instead of just coating one small area, I did the whole bottom which I then had to sand down again.

I finally finished with the water-based polyurethane, and I absolutely love it! I turned out so beautifully.

Ballet

A lady from the Ripon ward in our stake named Shelly Waters is teaching ballet to the kids for free for their ward Christmas party. Cambria and Cosette are loving it and they are so darling. I'm excited to see their progress and watch their show in December.

This Boy

We are all so grateful that Magnus came to our family. He is such a light, and he brings a lot of joy to our home. 

My Little Cleaners

For quite a while now, Magnus has loved anything broomlike. As long as it has a long handle, it's good. So naturally, whenever I am sweeping or mopping the floor, he wants to help as well and then sometimes, Cosette joins in. I love being home with these two!

Cambria's Bike

We got Cambria a new bike for her birthday. It came a few days late, but she loves it. At first, we thought that this particular bike was sold out, but it came available again. We both love the colors and the basket, and I love that it's encouraging her to go and have fun outside.

Church Selfies

Mai has been coming to church with us and she is practicing songs for the primary program with all the kids. I love that she wants to come with us each week. I looked at the pictures on my phone and found that she and Cambria had some fun in sacrament meeting. I sure do love these girls.

Back to School 2022

Cambria has been lucky that her birthday has fallen on the last day of summer break the last two years. We celebrated her birthday and the next day the kids were back to school. Atreyu is a seventh grader and Cambria is a fifth grader. Some days really seem to pass by slowly as a parent, but the years sure do fly by. I'm thankful I get to watch these kids learn and grow. They are both so smart and I know they will do well this year. Cambria is very excited that her friend, Kristina, is in her class again. 

Happy 10th Birthday Cambria!

Cambria is 10! I don't know why the kids have to keep growing up so fast, but they don't listen to me when I tell them to stop. Cambria loves to play with Cosette and her friend, Mai. She loves swimming, jumping on the trampoline with the sprinkler, watching YouTube videos, collecting Squishmallows, and doing her own gymnastics. We went to Texas Roadhouse to celebrate, and she chose the have Nothing Bundt Cupcakes for her cake this year. They are so tasty! I'm so thankful I've been blessed with this girl and her easy-going attitude. Unlike her mom, she is very slow to anger, which I appreciate so much. I love this girl so much and I love that I get to call her mine.

Oahu

After five days on Maui, we jumped on a plane and spent the remainder of our trip on Oahu. The lines at the Maui airport were crazy! We barely made it to our flight in time. The kids were so worried, and I just had a constant prayer in my heart that we would make it. Prayers are definitely answered. Once we arrived, we unloaded our luggage at the AirBnB and then spent the evening with some of George's family from Manteca who were also visiting the island.

The next day we explored a little bit of downtown Honolulu. George took us to a cute little shop with amazing shave ice and then we went to the national cemetery which overlooks the city. I was surprised at the amount of traffic. I was so glad Jesse did all the driving for the whole trip. 

  

The next day we were able to attend sacrament meeting in one of the churches. I had talked to Jesse about getting professional pictures taken while we were in Hawaii, but we agreed that we didn't want to spend that much money on it. So, while everyone still looked nice after church, we stopped at a close beach and a stranger took the picture for us while George waited in the car as there was no parking. The picture turned out great! I just had our brother-in-law, Seth, lighten us up a bit since we were standing in the shade.

We then spent a little time at the swap meeting doing some shopping after which we headed to the home of George's grandson, Keoki, where we spent the day with wonderful company and delicious food. I'm so glad George was able to spend time with his family. He was so happy, and I know it was one of the highlights of his trip.

The next day we spent making the loop around the island. There were so many beautiful views! We even meet a man with a parrot along the way. Jesse isn't much of a fan of birds, but the kids and I had fun holding and interacting with it. We stopped at a beach for lunch and then Jesse took the bigger kids swimming. The water was a bit rough, so Cosette didn't go in until the end with Jesse for a bit. She spent most of the time with me, Magnus, and George playing on the beach.

We were able to spend some time at Pearl Harbor. I totally spaced taking any pictures, but it was such a wonderful experience. Even Atreyu and Cambria were super interested and loved reading the different facts and stories at the visitor's center. We then went to the swap meet again and then played at Waikiki beach. Every time we'd tried taking Magnus in the ocean up to this point, he would cry and cry. He also didn't like it when I went in the water. For some reason, he was okay with it on this beach as long as we didn't go out to far. 

The next day we did more touring. We went to Leonard's Bakery where we savored these heavenly malasadas. Oh, I wish I could have more now. They were absolutely delightful.

We made our way to the Dole Plantation and then to the Laie temple. I've always seen pictures of it, but it was so lovely be there in person to see the beauty and feel the spirit there on the grounds and in the visitor's center. The temple was one of my favorite stops of the entire trip.

We explored some more of the island and stopped at a roadside store for lunch which we enjoyed on the beach which also had a cute little swing.

Our last stop was to visit George's granddaughter, RaeAnn, and her family as they all weren't able to be at Keoki's on Sunday. They were such a sweet family. It was a wonderful way to end the trip.