Disneyland

We landed in Los Angeles Saturday afternoon.  After getting our rental truck (not a car, we had too many bags) and getting to the hotel, we all went to bed.  We had gotten up at 4am so jet lag was not a issue thank goodness!  The next morning we got up early and headed 7 miles down the road to Disneyland!!!

It was an amazingly great day.  We spent 14 hours in the park and went home tired but happy.  The kids were the perfect ages.  We didn't have a stroller or kid carrier, they were tall enough to ride everything, and wanted to!  Justin carried a backpack with our refillable water bottles. And the best part was Eric was able to walk the entire day!!  My phone said we walked 25,000 steps and the kids did amazing.  Not one request to go to the hotel pool either!  A great success!

 Prime parade watching spot.

 We lucked out with the weather too.  The high was 73 the whole time we were in LA.  We all wore jackets!!

 Sleeping Beauty's castle

 I do not do spinning rides.  Good thing I have a husband that will!  The kids loved the teacups and I loved watching them.  Check out Justin's face in the picture.

 Several rides Eric wanted to ride in the front seat.  That's not always possible but he's a brave 5 year old!

 Another highlight was the Jedi training academy.  The kids all got a chance to train to fight a bad guy.  As you can imagine they loved it!  Eric is getting is lightsaber below.

 

 Will and caroline practicing their moves.

 Caroline battling Darth Vader!

 Will defeating the dark side!

 Eric dodging an attack from Darth.

 After making their own lightsabers, they were thrilled to meet a storm trooper.

Saying Goodbye

The last few days in Hawaii flew by!  We had VBS every morning and fun activities in the afternoon with friends.  

One night while waiting for a table at a restaurant, a stranger walked by and told me I needed to take a picture of my family.  So I did!

                                             

The housekeeper at the hotel arranged the kids' lovies like this after changing the linens.  They thought it was great.

One afternoon we went to iTrampoline with friends.  Everyone had a blast!

And the tears when you have to say good bye!

Friday night we went to our friends, the Phillips, for dinner.  It was nice to not have to eat out and sad farewells.

We had a beautiful double rainbow to bid us farewell as we boarded out flight.

Aloha Hawaii!  We will miss you.

Crouching Lion

Sunday after church and decorating my room for VBS we drove way around the North Shore, past Turtle Bay to do a hike that has been on our to-do list.  Bonus that we got to go with our good buddies, the Phillips.  

Gina is one of my best good buddies and one of the girls I do my fun Fridays with.  Her middle son, Lincoln, is one of Eric's good friends.  

 The point to the top right is the "crouching lion".  It was a little too steep and tricky for the kids and I was the only adult to go up there.

 See!  That's me on the top!

 From the top, I took this picture looking back.  That is Caroline in the green shirt.

 The trail was not long but very steep.  There were ropes to help in many spots.

 The view of the bay and the valley behind it.  So pretty!

 That's Justin and Eric standing where Caroline was in one of the pictures above.

 The zoomed out picture of Justin and Eric.  They are in there right about in the middle.

 The Kahana Bay and the valley.

 Panorama of the view from the top.

 Group shot!  I look crazy short in this picture.  Gina and Ken are really tall though.

 The kids using the ropes coming up and down.

 Dinner was at Ted's bakery (yum) and Will asked Harper if she wanted to sit in his lap.  She did and it was so cute!

 The sunset at Sunset Beach as we headed back to the hotel.

Another fun afternoon with friends!  I am SO going to miss this place!

12u Champions

Saturday morning was an early one.  We had to get up, pack, have breakfast, get the car and load it, and be at Pearl Harbor as close to 7:30 as possible for Will's first flag football game to start at 8am.  Of course it's not just putting the bags in the car because we have too many for them to fit.  So we have to put 2 large rolling duffels on top of the Yukon and our beach chairs and tie them down.  Straight up Clampetts!!

We made it to the first of Will's games in time.  It was a tournament and if they won the 1st game then they would play in another.  3 total wins means they won the championship for their division.

 Will is playing up a division.  He's in the 12 and under league.  He is the youngest on his team and the oldest is 12.  He held is own and had a great season!!  His team won the first 2 games and in the championship game towards the end, his team was down, Will got an interception and almost got a touchdown!  It was so exciting.  He was thrilled and his team mates patted him on the back and told him great job.  It was hard for him to fit in with some of these boys and they often times didn't throw to him or teased him for being slow.  But making big plays won them over.  The next play his team scored and that was the winning touchdown!  They were champs!!

Happy boys!

 Caroline, Eric, and I left Will and Justin at Pearl Harbor to head up to Schofield for Eric's last t-ball game.  His season is not over yet but it was his last game.  He was thrilled to get his trophy!

 After Eric's game we checked into the hotel here at Schofield, unloaded the car, went and got my teeth cleaned, then went back down to Pearl Harbor to watch Will win!

Way to go Will!!  It was so fun watching you have a great time playing flag football.

Fort DeRussey

Friday morning we went next door to the Hale Koa to the Army Museum at Fort Derussey.  We had never been and Caroline really wanted to check it out.  It was a great little museum that had lots of writing.  Not the best place for a beginning reader but the big kids really enjoyed reading about all the info that was there.  Eric and I enjoyed the pictures and other artifacts that were displayed.

 This is a cannon but not the original.  The original was MUCH bigger and was a disappearing one.  Meaning it was raised up over the wall to shoot at enemy ships with a range of 14 miles.

 Pillow face wars that happened in the room.

 Every Friday night there are fireworks at the Hilton.  Which is conveniently right beside the Hale Koa.  We went up with the Morgans to watch the quick display.

 Eric said if he was in that tank that he would shoot Will.  Such brotherly love!!

 Mom, take my picture on this cannon!

 Sunset was very pretty Friday night.  There were a few people watching the fireworks.

 The Morgan's boys (ages 18 and 20) played tag, ninja, and other games with an ever growing number of kids on the beach!  Will loved hanging out with the older boys!!