The last of Hawaii

I love to take pictures of the American flag being flown in different places that I visit.

Justin and the kids getting off the helicopter.

Family picture right off the helicopter.

Napoli Coast line. This is my pilots favorite spot on the island of Kuaui.

This is the waterfall in the Movie Jurassic Park. It was more beautiful in person than any shot I could take through the window.

This is one of my favorites! It was taken outside our hotel room!!!

These are a few of the pictures we took on the helicopter ride and other random pictures from Hawaii.

GROSS!!!

According to my husband I am unamerican because I hate hot dogs and ketchup. Not just hate but detest. The smell makes my stomach turn and my appetite disappear! So needless to say this is about the grossest thing I have seen in a long time. Just the visual made me not want to eat the very yummy sandwich I had just ordered!!

it's hot!! Can I go back here?

To the left you will see Mermaid Madisen. She wanted to be something on the beach since a few days before we made Tanner a "girl". We tried to make her a muscle man but she didn't want to kneel down in a hole so we settled on a mermaid. There are no pictures of Tanner because he doesn't think it is fair that he was a girl and Madisen got to be a girly thing.

Below are pictures of Wailua

Trails. We had the luau in the evening so we spent the day sight seeing and playing at he beach. That evening we went to the Grand hyatt for their luau. It was completely lame. I DO NOT recommend it!!

Way too much money for a buffet and lame show. But seeing that that was the only thing we did that we thought was lame it was all good. The picture of Justin and I and of Tanner in his way cute hat were taken at the Grand Hyatt hotel so it was good for a great back round. The show was so lame Tanner feel asleep! Yep there he is sleeping at the table. We left early and from what we hear didn't miss a thing!

Some times he knock's my socks off...

Yes folks I am now 30 years old and feel as though I have earned it. Some people feel like 30 is such a big deal and the dread it. I don't feel that way at all. I actually like being 30. I have 2 great kids, a successful business, a wonderful husband. Everything I ever dreamed of growing up. I have. Every year my birthday comes and goes and Justin gets all stressed out about it. This year was no different. Not only is it smokin' hot and we are super busy at work but there wasn't any "thing" I really wanted. Sure there are things I could buy just to have but nothing really that I wanted to spend the money on. While in Hawaii we discovered that we, both Justin and I, love Cake Boss. It is on TLC on Monday nights at 10pm. Watching them make these crazy cakes is so fun and I envy there artistic abilities. Let's face it I have very little myself. One night about a week before my birthday Justin was again hounding me about what I wanted and I still had come up with nothing. We sat down to watch Cake Boss and when it was over I said, "I want a cake like that." Thinking he wasn't paying attention and only answering him with that answer to get him off my back I totally forgot about it. As you can see he didn't. The next day he called 5 bakery's made an appointment and went in for a consultation. He tasted cakes, frosting's, fillings, picked out the colors, and designed the cake. Oh to be a fly on the wall at Freed's Bakery that day. He was there the same time as three other engaged couples were there designing their wedding cakes picking out my cake. It was not only beautiful but delicious. Sometimes he knocks my socks off. I love him so much!!!

Angels among us.

Have you ever seen a couple that looked sosatisfied in your life? This weekend was the

Don and Ora Latimer Family Reunion in St. George, Utah. These are my grandparent, my mom's parents, and they have ten children, 56 grandchildren, 97 great-grandchildren with three more on the way. Yes that's right soon they will have 100 great-granchildren. Of these we had 157 (i think) in attendance. And what a wonderful weekend it was. On Friday we met a church building where the kids, played, danced, sang, we had face painting, and they even made bead necklaces and bracelets. We split for dinner and met back up at the church for Family Home Evening. We talked about being the clay in the potter's hand and they handed out clay to everyone to mold. We molded everything from tree's to temples, and various types of animals. A couple of people got hard clay and couldn't really mold anything. The object lesson went on that if we have hard hearts we aren't as easy for our Savior to mold. My Aunt asked if we thought our grandparents had hard or soft hearts and hands then ask everyone if they had any memories we wanted to share about Grandma and Grandpa about how they have shared their soft hands and hearts with us. Madisen raised her hand and when called on she "Grandma always play tea party with me when I come to her house." Grandma got teary eyed and I got teary eyed...ok we were already teary eyed. We are Latimer's what do you expect. Several stories were shared but because I cry too much I was hoping that one of my siblings would stand and say what I knew all of us were thinking which is they took care of us after my Dad and brother died. We lived with them for a while, when we were sick we got to go to Grandma's house where she took care of us. When we lived in the house directly behind them Grandpa made a fence that went over the wall so that we could just go over the fence instead of walking around. The back door opened up into their bedroom and I am sure I never called before going over and they always welcomed us with open arms. Usually fed us too! Grandpa gave us blessings when we needed them. He came to the school several times to change a flat tire on my car. They took care if us but most important they took care of my mom. After Dad died Grandma slept with her for a month. I will never forget that. She didn't leave her side until she was ready to try to be on her own. I love them and they are the best grandparents in the universe and they are mine!!!

Follow me up a tree!!!

Yep that's right they are dang cute kids!! May be even the cutest kids you have ever seen. It's okay to think they are cuter than your own. I won't tell anyone you feel that way.

If we were at the bar at our condo in Kauai and I couldn't find Tanner I knew just were to look. He was in the tree. On day one he found this tree and climbed it as far as his little monkey legs would take him. I loved this night. Justin and Tanner were going to go see Transformers but seeing how there is only a few theaters on the entire island the line was wrapped around the building to buy tickets and that brought them back to the condo for some kalua pork nachos. I had gotten Tanner and Madisen ready fro a night out so they were clean and cute and smelled good so when I let them go play on the beach in the surf I also sent Justin up to the room for my camera. The sunset was beautiful and my original plan was to shoot some scenic shots of the sunset and the beach and our view and ended up with some really great shots of the kids. I was soaking wet from the waste down by the time I finished. The kids laughed, ran, squealed and had a blast just running and climbing trees to an hour or so and then it was up to the room to watch Cake Boss and settle down for the night. Have I mentioned yet that I want to go back?

More from Hawaii

Tanner while in Poipu found this "Chief's necklace" on the beach. We tied it on for him and made him the boss for the rest of the day. He got to choose where we ate and weather we stayed at the beach or went back to the pool. He loved it.

My skinny kid! You can see his ribs in this picture!

Jenessa, Madisen, Justin and Tanner in the pool at our condo Kauai!!

Tanner and Madisen in the ocean. Thanks heavens someone was thinking and brought lots of floaties so that my kids didn't drown. The current was so strong and after a few hours Madisen was being flipped and tossed around even in the floatie. That was when we were able to plead our case to Chief Tanner and beg to go back to the pool. Madisen said to him, "my belly is full of the yucky salty water and I am gonna barf on you if I get any more in my mouth."

Sunscreen, sand, the ocean, umbrellas, Red Vines, my kids laughter and Diet Coke what more could anyone need in this life. I know I have said it tons but I love watching them on the beach. So carefree, very few rules, the vast ocean that seems so huge and always makes me think about what is really important in life. High tides, low tides, just like life and all the beauty, wonder and adventure in between!