Bring it on!

Well, this is Bradon's 7th year in basketball. He started playing for the YMCA in Kindergarten, and has played basketball for different organizations every year since. He finished up with his Colony Middle School team in December and now he is playing in the Valley Competetive League again. He really loves it and I just can't hardly wait till Saturdays when I get to watch him! He is really developing as a player and his ever-increasing height helps too. He is CONVINCED that he will be playing in the NBA one day... hahaha. I will wish him luck and cheer him along in the meanwhile. Cuz I'm #24's Mama! Woot Woot!

I MISS THIS....

Hawaii was so beautiful = not that Alaska isn't the most beautiful place on earth. But I miss the waves crashing on the shore, the warmth of the sun on my shoulders and the gentle breeze that brought hints of the sea to your senses.

Family pictures from Hawaii

Zoo in Hilo

We traveled to Hilo one day, the other side of the island. Can you believe the zoo there is free? The kids fell in love with the silly monkeys and the Siberian white tiger. Look how close he was to my babies!

aloha

Aloha

Mason only says a few words.... Mama, Dada, num num, yeah, dit doo (thank you). But out of the blue in Hawaii he copied me when I said aloha. I got a kick out of it and had Brandon video him with my phone. Of course, not that we are home he won't say it again.

Donovan learns how to snorkel

Donovan got brave while we were in Hawaii. He learned how to snorkel and swim underwater. I had to watch him closer each day because he ventured further and further out into the deep waters and large waves. He had a blast and kept going back for more. He wants to go back soon!

Hula Daddy Coffee Plantation

http://www.huladaddy.com/watch-kona-coffee-grow.htm

While in Hawaii we had the wonderful time visiting the Hula Daddy Coffee Plantation. They took us on a tour of the place, we did coffee tasting and it turned out to be one of my favorite experiences in HI. We ventured down into the growing area where we were taught how to pick coffee. We split our beans, tasted them and then were shown and taught about the roasting processes. I had my first cup of extra fancy coffee - the most prized coffee available! It was divine! The coffee bean tasted sweet and fruity in your mouth. And did you know that some coffee beans do not have a half split? These are the rarest coffee beans in the world - and both Donovan and Brandon picked one of them while we were there. You can go online and watch the tours or even watch them roasting their coffee live on the webcams. Talk about amazing. I realized nearly everything I thought I knew about coffee was wrong. For instance.... the medium roasts actually have more caffeine than the darker roasts. All you night owls keep that in mind!

Family Vacation, Dec 2010

We celebrated a short Christmas this year then zipped to Anchorge and boarded the airplane to take our first family vacation as a family of six. We ventured to Kona, Hawaii and let me tell ya, I didn't wanna leave. We stayed at a friends house up on the mountain. It had three bedrooms, two baths and was perfect. We were able to cook our meals, and relax. I am ever greatful to my friend Sherri for letting us stay at her home. Mom and Dad met us there and it was special to share the time with them (and have the extra help!) One day, we chartered a fishing boat to go marlin fishing but got skunk. Bummer. We did, however, see whales, porpoise and other small fish. Aside from the charter, we didn't do a whole lot of the many things the island had to offer, it was just too expensive for 8 of us. so, we mostly just hung out at the beach. Which is what I wanted to do in the first place! Brandon learned how to boogie board like a pro and even tried his hand at body surfing towards the end of the trip. Phillip got to snorkel and we saw soooo much more at Turtle Bay then we ever saw on Oahu in past trips. In a one minute glance I saw more fish than I ever saw on our honeymoon. Yellow, striped, long, short, fat, weird and beautiful... we saw such a wonderful array of saltwater fish. There was an abundance of sea turles as well. The boys sat on lava rock a mere 10 inches from them as they fed and basked in the sun. I didn't get to parasail like I had hoped but this time together was sooo worth it. Donovan learned how to swim underwater but it was Mason that surprised me. He was not intimidated by the huge waves crashing on the beach. He was ready to trudge out there, preferably without us. He even learned how to boogie board, not bad for a one-year-old! We can't wait to go back. Phillip things we should try Maui next. Hopefully it won't be another 7 years between our visits because I miss it. already.