Sandwiches that save puppies from burning buildings

I promise I'm not a procrastinator. 

This post has been a long time coming... 

Here are a few photos that didn't make it into the last post.

This way, horsy! 

And this way... 

She found this all in one haul.

Trying to set up a game. 

Thursday Dad and the four younger kids spent the day at the beach. Meanwhile Chloe and I did school. (That was also the last time I blogged... *ducks head*) 

In the afternoon Chloe and I spent hours and hours and hours getting ready prepared for our senior pictures photo shoot in Wailea. Wailea is an hour away so that's why we needed hours and hours and hours, but not really. We only needed about an hour and that's because we were using the same bathroom and I had to curl my blanket of hair and she had to straighten her's and everything else. "Everything else" does not mean she had to straighten everything else. (Just realized how that sounded. But because this is all crossed out who cares!) 

Sample shot. (Mom took this.) 

(The shoot went really well, by the way.)

Friday was another beach day. (Never ever can you have too many of those.) 

This was the first day she wore swim suit pieces that matched. 

Playing "Solitaire." 

My collection so far on this trip. 

Can we say Superman? 

Yup!

After dinner Dad took all the kids to get frozen yogurt in Whaler's Village.

We try to look cute when we try on stuff that isn't ours. 

Saturday Mom, Gabe, and Ava took the bus over to the airport to meet Nana, Grandfather, Uncle Phil, and Aunt Lauren. The rest of us went to the beach and eagerly awaited their arrival. 

The view from the cabana. 

Christian did some fishing. 

(He caught these, smashed their heads, 

then cut them up to use them to catch bigger fish. Not sharks.) 

By the time everyone arrived late afternoon people were worn out, but still adventurous enough to go out to eat at Bubba Gump's. 

Sunday morning we all walked down to church on the beach. That was such a sweet, sweet time. 

Then we got breakfast at Island Vintage Coffee again. Uncle Phil wanted to try "the peanut butter and mango sandwich that those of us back home have been hearing about for years that is so good it saves puppies from burning houses." He liked it! 

We spent the rest of the day on the beach with our family and friends. Although it was cloudy and raining-ish we still had a wonderful time. Sadly, it was Rene and Phyllis's last day in Maui. *Tears* It took some convincing, but they let me take their picture before we all hugged them goodbye until next year. 

Phyllis and Rene. 

That night we all went to Cheeseburger in Paradise. We sat at one table upstairs and listened to the live music done by our favorite guy here- Brooks Maguire. 

Gabe asked him to sing "Happy" or "Eye of the Tiger"

but he did not know those. 

He did, however sing for me "Here Comes the Sun."

This man also sang to Mia and Ava both when they were babies. 

Right next door we got gelato for dessert. 

Stories about snakes were the main topic of conversation. 

This was the setting of a poem I wrote last year 

about trash in the ocean based off a conversation with a friend. 

Monday Mom, Dad, Aunt Lauren, and Uncle Phil went on a creationist tour of the road to Hana. It was a 12 hour tour, so Nana and Grandfather cared for the rest of us at the beach. 

The bigger fish that is not a shark. 

Tuesday morning Mom, Aunt Lauren, and I went and got our coffee while the men prepared purchased cinnamon rolls, purchased sausage, fruit that we did not grow ourselves, and eggs that were not pre-cooked. We all gathered on our porch and ate while looking out at the ocean, telling stories, and trying not to choke from laughter at all the stories from the tour of the day before. 

HOW IS SHE SO CUTE???? 

After our day at the beach it was time to go get family pictures taken at Kapalua Bay. 

Before. 

During.

After. 

Mia's hair. 

Yes, these are pine trees and they grow right next to palm trees.

Sneak peek!

The shoot went great! Uncle Phil was a fabulous "make people laugh so their smile is really natural and pretty" person. Just as we finished it started raining. 

Wednesday morning Mom and I went to have our coffee on the beach with a side of really good conversation. 

It was a wonderful day to all be at the beach and not have to go do anything. So far I have read 8 books. 

We finished the day by all gathering after dinner to watch Cinderella and eat popcorn and chocolate covered macadamia nuts and then *drum roll* see all the pictures from the senior and family shoots!! Our photographer is so amazing, she was able to get them all edited that day so we could see them the very next night! 

That Moment When 

You spray hairspray in your eye.

Your brother who is not eight spills a 28 piece stamp set on the floor of the store and you both get to put them all back together. In order. 

Gabe starts to make a get well card using a coloring page showing Washington's death bed. 

You spray perfume in your eyes. (Sense a theme?)

You can't talk.

You can't spell. (And that one?)  

The Herd: Quoted 

"I'm just smarter than you think!" -Mia

"The perfect way to choke your baby- give it gummy bears!" -Gabe

"You are never touching Kate again." -Me

"Doesn't that look good?" -Christian showing me his four random different flavors of frozen yogurt, half a dozen random toppings, mixed in with whipped cream and sweetened condensed milk. 

"No." -Me 

"I can't wait for bedtime!" -Mia  

"Why?" -Mom

"Because when it is bedtime, time goes faster and then it'll be tomorrow before I know it and then the day will go by and it will be night and the others will be here!" -Mia 

"I have no idea how lady's swimsuits work. They are too high-techy for me." -Christian 

"Just get kitchen tweezers!" -Gabe meaning to say "kitchen tongs." 

"Next time you can just call *insert name of neighbor boy* to come kill the snake!" -(Can't remember who said that) to Nana who had to kill a snake in her kitchen because no one else was around. 

"Yeah, *insert same name as above* would love to do anything to impress Lydia's family." -Mom

*I face palm* 

"I locked on the long war...and now I can't even talk! I'm sorry!" -Me to the man who answered the door- the door I had not meant to knock on.