Ahhhh...Vacation

Sunny, warm weather.
Walks on the beach.
Relaxing.
Eating great food.
Sightseeing.
Going on a zipline.
Having ice cream.
Reading.
Walking through town.
Long drives exploring the island.
Watching a Luau.
Sitting on the balcony.
Taking pictures.
Smiling.
Laughing.
Enjoying.

Enjoying every moment!

Road to Hana

You don't come to Maui without taking the infamous Road to Hana. We were told that over and over.

So today we spent the day traveling that amazing road.
It was gorgeous.
It was crowded.
It was long.

When we started out at 8am, it was sunny and warm.  As we got closer to the hills, we hit rain and the temperature dropped 10 degrees.  But we continued on and we are glad we did.  By the afternoon, it was hot, we had the top down on the convertible, and we both got a lot of sun!

There were wonderful views.  Countess waterfalls.  Narrow roads and lots of traffic. We stopped for lunch at a roadside stand.  We had ice cream in Hana.  We stopped numerous times to take pictures and hiked to get to the beaches.  Then we continued on and drove around instead of turning back (like you are 'supposed' to do.) I'm glad we did.  It was even more beautiful after Hana.  Until we got to the other side...the side that doesn't get rain.  It went from lush greenery to dessert.  Amazing!

What a great day!

Enjoying every moment!

Trucks

There are many words and phrases that describe Cannon.

Caring.
Persistent.
Protective of his brother.
A perfectionist at some things.
Loves books.
Remembers everything.
Creative.
Independent.
Always asking questions.
Learning.
Loving.

And, of course, he....
Absolutely loves trucks...of all kinds.

Today we got to watch two different cement trucks up close as the neighbors had their patio poured.  Cannon watched for about an hour and kept a close eye on the trucks. He realized they didn't have their drop axles down when they backed in.  He noticed one truck had two drop axles and the other one only had one.  Then he speculated on why that was.  He noticed how the body of the truck spins faster sometimes depending on what the driver does.  he noticed everything...

I like how he notices the details on things.

Enjoying every moment.   

Currently...

Currently...

...I am finishing up my packing for our trip to Hawaii.
...Cannon had his last swimming lesson for this session.
...I am trying to catch up on my reading of the many magazines I have.
...Colson belly laughs when you tickle him.
...Chris is watching, White Collar.
...we love this warm, summer weather!
...I can't stop thinking about getting my classroom organized.
...Cannon loves to eat peanut butter on a tortilla, with sliced bananas and chocolate chips.
...Chris drove the Chevelle today.
...the laundry needs to be folded and another load needs to be started.
...I made banana bread today.
...we went to Walmart for the third day in a row.
...the boys are loving the pool.
...Colson and Chris went to a car show this evening in the Chevelle.
...Chris took Cannon out to McDonald's to celebrate his last day of swimming.

The boys riding in the cart at Walmart.

Forcing myself to sit, read and relax.

The kitties sprawled out on our bed this afternoon.  

Chris and Colson heading out to the car show.

Enjoying every moment.

Soaking Wet

On warm days like today there is nothing like a splash in the pool!  Even if that pool is only 3 feet in diameter  and only 10 inches deep....

The boys had fun today getting totally soaking wet...more than once!

Cannon likes to play in the pool with his toys, but he also likes to jump in, splash, kick, make waves and about every other thing he can do!  Not only does he get wet, so does everything and everybody around him.

Colson loves to throw things in the pool, especially his blanket which I fished out a number of times.  He likes to play with the Tupperware and pour water over himself.  Colson doesn't like to get in the pool, but between Cannon splashing and Colson dumping water on himself, he gets plenty wet!

I had a good time watching them and loved hearing their laughter.

The boys also had fudge bars (me, too!) and played on the big toy...naked.

Enjoying every moment.

Today's Photos

Here are just a handful of pictures describing our day:

Lots of playing with trucks of all kinds today.

A workout for me while Colson napped.

Laundry.  There is always laundry.

AC hanging out on the steps.

Colson.  So darn cute.

Cannon eating a peanut butter, banana and chocolate chip wrap!

 
A trip to the library = lots of new books to read and listen to!

Reading Mastery lessons with Cannon.  We've only got through lesson 13 but he's doing well and reading lots of new words!  So proud of him!

Snacks packed for this afternoon/evening.

Colson at Cannon's soccer practice.

Goldfish crackers.  Always a hit!

Cannon at swimming tonight.

A nice header.  It immediately started to swell and I'm sure will be black and blue.

Enjoying every moment!

A Few Photos

Busy day.
Busy rest of the week.

Here are a few photos from the last couple of days:

Cannon drew a picture of a truck and trailer(s) and then wrote a sentence about it.  When I asked him about his writing he told me (as he was pointing to each of the "words") that it said, "I want to buy a big rig."

Chris and I the night of my reunion dinner.

Reading on the way home.  Love this!

Watching the cement truck at the neighbors house.  They poured the steps today.

Chris taking Colson and Cannon for a ride on the lawn mower. Colson is driving.

The boys at school this afternoon...walking down the hallway holding hands.

Colson riding around on the scooter.

Enjoying every moment.

The Reunion Weekend

1992.

20 years since I graduated from Evergreen High School.

It doesn't seem that long ago!

We had a great weekend celebrating the Class of '92.  Friday, classmates met at Bahama Breeze for socializing and reminiscing. It was great to see everyone.  For the most part, with the exception of two people, I recognized everyone. I enjoyed seeing people I haven't seen for 10...or 20 years and tried to get around and 'get the scoop' on as many people as I could.  Saturday, we had a catered dinner in Burien.  We played a fun game which helped everyone mingle, had a great dinner and yummy desserts. I was able to catch up with a few more people that weren't there on Friday night.  Sunday, we met at North SeaTac Park for a laid back and relaxing BBQ for families.  Cannon and Colson had fun playing on the toys and we all grazed on the tremendous amounts of food!  Again, I enjoyed talking with people, catching up and re-connecting. Thanks to Facebook, we'll be able to stay in touch with most everyone.

Enjoying every moment.

This Is What Summer Is

Summer.  Sigh.

We are so glad you are here.

The laid back feeling during summer is just what we need.

Summer is about staying up late and sleeping in.
Summer is about lots of free play time.
Summer is about catching up on scrapbooking and organization.
Summer is about reading.
Summer is about playing outside and enjoying the sun.
Summer is about spontaneous trips.
Summer is about growing veggies.
Summer is about smiles and laughter.
Summer is about camping and vacations.
Summer is about baking and trying new recipes.
Summer is about swimming lessons.
Summer is about bike rides.
Summer is about boating.
Summer is about BBQing.
Summer is about relaxing, refreshing and rejuvenating for the upcoming year.

Enjoying every moment.

Cute Kids

I know most of the blog posts are about Cannon and Colson!  Well, our lives definitely revolve around them!   I need to make an effort to include "more" of Chris and I in posts, too.  :)

So....don't you know that we have two wonderfully cute kiddos!?

I know it's true but I also hear this almost daily from strangers.  It sure warms a mother's heart!

Today, Colson and Cannon came to school with me as I spent a couple of hours in the classroom.  They kept themselves busy for the most part.  At home, they also spent time playing together and separately and I'm thankful for this.  It's wonderful to have a sibling to play with.  It's also wonderful to be able to play independently.  Cannon played forever with his trucks.  He also spent time listening to books on CD and played Candyland.  Colson independently played with trucks and trailers, with Cannon's pretend motor and with water outside.

Cannon also had soccer and swimming this evening and he did great!  He ran hard, swam hard, followed directions, and just gave it his all.  We are very proud of him!  I'm glad to see that 'drive' in him.

And a bit of non-kid info...
We are still in the middle of painting the trim on the outside of the house.  We have the second bathroom all ready to paint tomorrow night and I am continuing to clean out and organize.  I took another 10 bags to the Goodwill today.  Feels good.

Enjoying every moment.

My Helper

Cannon's been a fabulous helper for me.  Not that he always hasn't been...he loves to help.  But now he's able to do much more on his own.


Today he unscrewed the face plates in the bathroom so we could paint.
Today he picked up weeds and dumped them.
Today he helped me scrap the paint off the trim of the shed so we can paint.
Today he helped me spray weeds around the house.
Today he dumped out the pool water, sprayed it out and put fresh water in.
Today he started the dryer for me.
Today he filled up the baby shampoo bottle that was empty. 

He did obtain a war wound today while helping.  I'm not exactly sure how it happened or what part of the trailer hit his head, but the trailer came down and hit him on the top of the head.  We had some major blood, but it stopped and it didn't warrant stitches.

Love this kid!

Enjoying every moment.

Florida Photos

Chris is still talking about his whirlwind trip with Sebastian to Florida.  He finally sent me the pictures he took.  It looks like they had a great time!

We missed him when he was gone but we're glad he was able to enjoy a spur of the moment 'adventure!'

Enjoying every moment.