We made it to Hawaii at last! Over 5 years later. Not much has changed, beautiful weather, gorgeous beaches and ono local food. The kids did great on the airplane, both taking naps and eating well. Today we are celebrating Camden's 3rd Birthday. We'll go down a few blocks from out hotel and try the Big Kahuna mini-golf and maybe hit the beach for the 4th day in a row. Here is a run-down of what we've done so far on our much-needed vacation:
Day 1 (MON) - Left for the airport around 5:30 am. Got to Hawaii around noon, couldn't check-in yet so we hit the beach waiting for the electricity to come on in our hotel (yeah, not exactly the Hilton). The kids got soaked in the beach in their clothes and we looked a little ghetto at the beach but oh well. Walked down to the Waikiki Beach Walk, the kids got soaked again in their clothes in the fountain while we enjoyed people watching. Went to dinner at Chili's but the kids were so exhuasted they fell asleep before eating. What a long day!
Day 2 (TUES) - Ate at McD's--portugese sausage, eggs and rice (kids loved it). Finally got our trolley tickets and headed down to Ala Moana. Soaked in the calm shallow beach then hit the food court at Ala Moana. Our first taste of Korean Food. Mmm, love that bibimbap. I managed to eat everything despite this constant feeling of burping up everything I eat 24-7. I got my nails done (have to have some pampering) and walked around the mall a little. Headed back on the trolley to the Hilton Hawaiian to see the tropical penguins. For dinner we ate at the International Marketplace food court. The kids tried local saimen (ramen) with spam but didn't really like it. So we ended up giving away a lot of food to a poor old homeless man. We sat for a while and watched some Hawaiian steel-drum music then went back and crashed for another night.
Day 3 (WED) - Woke up to breakfast at IHOP, had a great waitress. Headed on the trolley once again to the Zoo. The kids really liked that, they even had a Keiki Zoo I didn't recall the last time we were here. The kids got to crawl inside a giant aquarium with Koi and loved the playground. Finally made it over the the beach near the Duke Statue and picked up some much-need sand toys at the ABC store. Kaitlyn wanted a snorkel and I was surprised just how quickly she took to it. She enjoyed floating around looking for shells and seeing little fish. Camden attempted the snorkel but just couldn't do it, bless his little heart. So he had fun playing in the sand. We went back to the International Marketplace for dinner and this time we had Chinese, Vietnamese and Filipino food. Caesar ordered his "chocolate meat" once again so he was happy and I had some Seafood Pho which was great for my uneasy stomach. Oh, almost forgot. On our way back to our hotel after the beach, we were walking down the Ala Wai and I looked up to see a jogger headed our way. As he got closer I could tell he was a familiar face. Then he looked at me because I think he knew I knew who he was so I smiled a little. Guess who? It was BEN from LOST!! A LOST sighting how cool. I know you are jealous Marie :)
Day 4 (THURS) - we'll keep you posted on how Camden's birthday is. I can't believe my little boy is 3 years old!!!
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Caesar's New "Toy"
So Here it is! Our (other) new baby. A 1966 21-window Samba driven from Calif. by Uncle Al and Auntie Irma. In Caesar's own words, "It's a 50 footer." It looks great from 50 feet away :) It will take a lot of time and TLC to get it running but for now, it adds some interesting decor to our front yard. Al recounts the trip here with many "thumbs up" signals from other drivers who were no doubt admiring this historical piece of metal and it's potential. Even police officers would pull behind them to have a look. The kids are so excited and can't wait to go for a ride. I can only imagine the looks I would get dropping off Kaitlyn to school in such a vehicle. I suppose the nurses at work are right, Caesar needs some fun in his life after all, he works hard. So if you care to take a peek at the peach monster, come on over!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Virginia Bound at Last, 2 years later
At the end of July we finally we made it back to Virginia! I didn't find out until about 2 weeks before our trip that we would actually make it so I was thrilled. We stayed with my good friend Wendy and her family in Virginia Beach and had a wonderful time reconnecting. It was so nice to get out of the Arizona heat for a change and be back near our old stomping grounds. Kaitlyn and Emma got along so well, I was very pleasantly surprised at just how much they have grown and picked up right where they left off 2 years ago. Camden enjoyed meeting Emma too and still talks about her. We also got to meet baby Lola whom we rarely get to see pictures of (hint, hint Wendy :) ) and boy , was she the cutest and happiest baby I've ever been around. I'm quite jealous. All around it was my favorite vacation because I have been missing Virginia and it was so nice to have a good friend to talk to. Hopefully we didn't overstay our welcome being there so long. Thank you Wendy and Jeb for your amazing hospitality!!
Our first sights down at the boardwalk.
Camden fell asleep about 10 minutes prior to landing in Atlanta. The nap didn't last too long but I had to snap a picture to show just how cute he looked.
We used to fly home about every 6 months for about 6 years while living in Hawaii and Virginia Since we've been grounded for about 2 years this was exciting for the kids to ride an airplane.
Camden actually did quite well. He stayed in his seat and was really excited.
A giant crab.
Playing in the sand at the beach.
King Neptune.
Fish statues near the boardwalk.
Getting a glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean.
Testing out the waters for the first time.
Picking up Emma from her Art Camp.
Seeing just how the waves work.
Relaxing on the beach. What a nice clean beach and such soft sand.
Emma and her baby sister Lola.
An evening dip in the ocean was so much fun.
Camden didn't like the sand on his feet after getting out of the water. They both had sand all up and down their bathing suits too. We aren't used to the beach so it took some getting used to.
A lovely sunset.
Hiking up his shorts which are always falling down.
Riding the waves and having a blast. They came pretty quickly but were not too big or forceful.
Some down-time at the mall.
The big whale at the mall.
An ocean themed play area was pretty neat.
Riding the two-story carousel at the mall, we've never seen one of those before.
Late night ice cream break after our dip in the ocean.
Baby Lola surviving our muggy trip to the park.
Camden loved this little claw, he wanted to take it everywhere and called it his "weapon."
Kaitlyn and Emma in the front yard on the disk swing.
Weeee, how much fun is this? Sorry kids, we can't have one in Arizona the trees aren't tall enough.
Even mommy gets in on the fun.
Cape Henry Lighthouse.
The view from the top of the light house of Fort Story where the lighthouse sits.
Mommy and Kaitlyn enjoying the view. Poor Camden had to get left at the bottom, strict rules.
Posing in front of the lighthouse.
The view from the top of a park called "Mount Trashmore" because it used to be a landfill.
Scoring a few small shells.
All Camden wanted to do was to run in and out of the water with the waves chasing him.
How cute is Lola? Looks just like her dad.
Wendy, Jeb and Lola at Fort Story.
More lighthouse photos.
Kaitlyn at her old stomping grounds in Richmond Virginia with our old friends and neighbors Bryce and Jason. I could not get good pictures of them because they were being so goofy :)
Our favorite past time when we lived in Richmond was to ride the train at Short Pump. We managed to get on the last train for the evening so that was a major bonus! We had dinner with our friends and neighbors Jim and Jenny and Margaret and her girls Anna and Rebecca. We had ice cream after and even got to see part of a movie that was showing on the lawn. It was a perfect evening. I really miss that mall. We don't have anything like it here. I wish we could've stayed another couple of days in Richmond .
Meeting little Ali for the first time. Ali lives next door to our old house. The kids always loved Scott and Alexis' dogs looking out the window when we would come home. I did not get a photo of Anna and Rebecca either, the girls next door who always played with Kaitlyn and were so good with her. Thanks you guys. It was so great to see you all. We miss the old days when we sat out front in our lawn chairs while the kids played in the culdesac. That never happens in our new neighborhood so it was really fun to do that again.
Outside our old house, hasn't changed much but the kids are 2 years older. Jenny kept joking that I should knock on the door and ask to see the inside. I'm sure they wouldn't be too inviting since we left them a bat problem (well not entirely our fault). I would rather remember it the way it was since we had so many fond memories in that house. I miss sitting out on the porch and seeing the leaves change colors in the fall. I know Caesar doesn't miss having to pick up all the pine needles.
Back to Virginia Beach before coming home. Our wagon ride at "spider park". I have to admit it was pretty humid but I didn't mind so much.
Trees! What a concept.
Emma trying out Camden's eye patch.
Kaitlyn even says, "Argh."
Well, the picture doesn't exactly show it but prior to this, we had quite an event at the hotel. Upon checking in, Camden managed to get his left arm stuck/wedged between the two sliding glass doors. I panicked and screamed and fortunately the men at the hotel knew how to pop the glass off the track to get him unstuck. He cried for a while and it left a good bruise. It's a good thing the folks at Best Western had cookies in lobby to calm him down. So he got a special pirate toy that night to take his mind off the excitement.
Our first sights down at the boardwalk.
Camden fell asleep about 10 minutes prior to landing in Atlanta. The nap didn't last too long but I had to snap a picture to show just how cute he looked.
We used to fly home about every 6 months for about 6 years while living in Hawaii and Virginia Since we've been grounded for about 2 years this was exciting for the kids to ride an airplane.
Camden actually did quite well. He stayed in his seat and was really excited.
A giant crab.
Playing in the sand at the beach.
King Neptune.
Fish statues near the boardwalk.
Getting a glimpse of the Atlantic Ocean.
Testing out the waters for the first time.
Picking up Emma from her Art Camp.
Seeing just how the waves work.
Relaxing on the beach. What a nice clean beach and such soft sand.
Emma and her baby sister Lola.
An evening dip in the ocean was so much fun.
Camden didn't like the sand on his feet after getting out of the water. They both had sand all up and down their bathing suits too. We aren't used to the beach so it took some getting used to.
A lovely sunset.
Hiking up his shorts which are always falling down.
Riding the waves and having a blast. They came pretty quickly but were not too big or forceful.
Some down-time at the mall.
The big whale at the mall.
An ocean themed play area was pretty neat.
Riding the two-story carousel at the mall, we've never seen one of those before.
Late night ice cream break after our dip in the ocean.
Baby Lola surviving our muggy trip to the park.
Camden loved this little claw, he wanted to take it everywhere and called it his "weapon."
Kaitlyn and Emma in the front yard on the disk swing.
Weeee, how much fun is this? Sorry kids, we can't have one in Arizona the trees aren't tall enough.
Even mommy gets in on the fun.
Cape Henry Lighthouse.
The view from the top of the light house of Fort Story where the lighthouse sits.
Mommy and Kaitlyn enjoying the view. Poor Camden had to get left at the bottom, strict rules.
Posing in front of the lighthouse.
The view from the top of a park called "Mount Trashmore" because it used to be a landfill.
Scoring a few small shells.
All Camden wanted to do was to run in and out of the water with the waves chasing him.
How cute is Lola? Looks just like her dad.
Wendy, Jeb and Lola at Fort Story.
More lighthouse photos.
Kaitlyn at her old stomping grounds in Richmond Virginia with our old friends and neighbors Bryce and Jason. I could not get good pictures of them because they were being so goofy :)
Our favorite past time when we lived in Richmond was to ride the train at Short Pump. We managed to get on the last train for the evening so that was a major bonus! We had dinner with our friends and neighbors Jim and Jenny and Margaret and her girls Anna and Rebecca. We had ice cream after and even got to see part of a movie that was showing on the lawn. It was a perfect evening. I really miss that mall. We don't have anything like it here. I wish we could've stayed another couple of days in Richmond .
Meeting little Ali for the first time. Ali lives next door to our old house. The kids always loved Scott and Alexis' dogs looking out the window when we would come home. I did not get a photo of Anna and Rebecca either, the girls next door who always played with Kaitlyn and were so good with her. Thanks you guys. It was so great to see you all. We miss the old days when we sat out front in our lawn chairs while the kids played in the culdesac. That never happens in our new neighborhood so it was really fun to do that again.
Outside our old house, hasn't changed much but the kids are 2 years older. Jenny kept joking that I should knock on the door and ask to see the inside. I'm sure they wouldn't be too inviting since we left them a bat problem (well not entirely our fault). I would rather remember it the way it was since we had so many fond memories in that house. I miss sitting out on the porch and seeing the leaves change colors in the fall. I know Caesar doesn't miss having to pick up all the pine needles.
Back to Virginia Beach before coming home. Our wagon ride at "spider park". I have to admit it was pretty humid but I didn't mind so much.
Trees! What a concept.
Emma trying out Camden's eye patch.
Kaitlyn even says, "Argh."
Well, the picture doesn't exactly show it but prior to this, we had quite an event at the hotel. Upon checking in, Camden managed to get his left arm stuck/wedged between the two sliding glass doors. I panicked and screamed and fortunately the men at the hotel knew how to pop the glass off the track to get him unstuck. He cried for a while and it left a good bruise. It's a good thing the folks at Best Western had cookies in lobby to calm him down. So he got a special pirate toy that night to take his mind off the excitement.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
How We spent July
What can I say, I slacked off in the picture department this month. I really, really needed a mental health break this summer and took it. This is why you are just now seeing and hearing about our summer. For the most part, we hit the pool every Wednesday for private swim lessons with a co-worker of Caesar's, Miss Nicole. Thank you so much Nicole!! She was awesome and we enjoyed traveling to Anthem which was a nice change of scenery from our neighborhood pool. They have so much that our community doesn't have. Camden in my opinion, is a great little swimmer at his age thanks to Nicole. I'm so impressed how much he learned even though he cried during every lesson. Kaitlyn is also much more comfortable in the water and I can handle them both on my own when we go to the pool. I didn't get to snap any pictures in the pool since I was always helping with Camden. He is so comfortable in the water he stays under more than anything else. Future Michael Phelps? Oh, and I threw him off the diving board during class one day and he handled it pretty well. Such a trooper. But as I recall, he did have a hard time sleeping that night so I think it gave him nightmares :(
Little Princesses having a fun time dressing up to pass the time this summer. This is Ella and she used to come to our house once a week to play while her mom was busy working. Kaitlyn and Camden just love it when she comes over. She and Camden have been known to hold hands at times :)
Camden showing off his Superman muscles. Even though it was hot as heck, he still managed to keep this fleece costume on all day. It was so precious to watch him enjoy dressing up.
Showing off their outfits from Tita Rosie and Cousin Chris they got for them in Mexico. Our playroom was under construction for about a week while we painted 4 coats (what a pain) of mango-colored paint to brighten it up. It came out pretty good in the end.
A doctor, princess and superhero.
Up, Up and Away.
This month was the month we had our driveway ripped out and a huge drain placed across the length of the garage for drainage. No other home in our neighborhood has undergone this drastic measure to my knowledge, lucky us! So much for quality homes. Hopefully with the addition of gutters we will no longer have flooding in our garage from the heavy monsoon rains. Of course it's hard to tell since IT NEVER RAINS HERE!
We spent our 4th of July in Anthem, another community in Phoenix. We finally saw fireworks, something we haven't done in several years. The kids enjoyed the rides and bounce houses. It was actually not too hot that evening, thankfully.
This ride is always a hit.
Little Princesses having a fun time dressing up to pass the time this summer. This is Ella and she used to come to our house once a week to play while her mom was busy working. Kaitlyn and Camden just love it when she comes over. She and Camden have been known to hold hands at times :)
Camden showing off his Superman muscles. Even though it was hot as heck, he still managed to keep this fleece costume on all day. It was so precious to watch him enjoy dressing up.
Showing off their outfits from Tita Rosie and Cousin Chris they got for them in Mexico. Our playroom was under construction for about a week while we painted 4 coats (what a pain) of mango-colored paint to brighten it up. It came out pretty good in the end.
A doctor, princess and superhero.
Up, Up and Away.
This month was the month we had our driveway ripped out and a huge drain placed across the length of the garage for drainage. No other home in our neighborhood has undergone this drastic measure to my knowledge, lucky us! So much for quality homes. Hopefully with the addition of gutters we will no longer have flooding in our garage from the heavy monsoon rains. Of course it's hard to tell since IT NEVER RAINS HERE!
We spent our 4th of July in Anthem, another community in Phoenix. We finally saw fireworks, something we haven't done in several years. The kids enjoyed the rides and bounce houses. It was actually not too hot that evening, thankfully.
This ride is always a hit.
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