Adams Family Fun 2007

Commercial Break

2008-09-21T22:39:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates things have been crazy :)

While the flurry of new photos and words are being compiled please take a moment to enjoy a link from our sponsor http://www.kiddooddle.com/ (ps - the site may not be migrated to the new host yet so in the interim check this out - the key to kiddooddle)

Buy Keyan's art on all kinds of swag!!! click here!!!

Sariah's noises :)

2008-07-24T23:17:00.000-07:00

Sariah - makes a grand entrance

2008-07-24T09:43:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, July 22nd at 5:59 PM (a minute early, so she must be more Ariazand than Adams) Sariah Margaret Adams was born. After 4 days of labor where Sariah would go from head up to head down everytime she was checked Dr Watts recommended a C-Section. We sure are grateful he did as she had her chord wrapped around her neck twice!

Later Mahdis had some complications and had to go back into surgery but is doing great! More on that later. Sariah is calm, loves to sleep and eats really well. Many people say she looks like Ammon with a little Keyan for good measure. She has dark hair like both of her Grandpas and may possibly have Krebs eyes, looks like the middle name may apply nicely.

On the funny side, I had to throw a little french flair into the getup, and I found instruction for C-Section Prep, that show where to shave the GUY, wait, what? How can a Guy get a C Section :). This one is going to Jay Leno. Check out some shots and videos and stay tuned for more.

School's out for...

2008-06-15T17:07:00.000-07:00

Keyan and Ammon celebrate the last day of School with a big party at Sugar House Park.

Then with summer comes all kinds of fun, like running through the sprinklers, sneaking the camera,

and Lego creations. Keyan is helping me build a website to showcase all his artwork, and even sell some of it. Check out his store by clicking me!

Finally the Summer of 2008 will go down in history for our family as the year Princess Sariah joined our family and the year we finished her castle. Mahdis has been doing her best to fight off the heat and has actually been feeling really good lately. The contractions are getting stronger and that tends to wipe her out for a while but she still finds the energy to play with the boys.

As for the castle things are progressing as well. Windows, doors, plumbing, HVAC, electrical and the roofing are all nearing completion. We even got the fireplace in! We found out the water in Riverton is like drinking from Utah Lake (which if you've never been it doesn't really have a bottom, just increasing levels of sludge). In other words we've had to install quite the water purification system at the last minute. Regardless of various issues that have come up we are getting very excited to move in!

Ammon Soccer

2008-06-01T22:00:00.001-07:00

Ammon got to play on the soccer team coached by Mondis. He and Emma really tore it up. Ammon had the good fortune of scoring the winning point in the game of the season. All's well that ends well.

He really enjoyed running and kicking, but most of all, he loved it when the ball went out of bounds or was out of play and none of those kids could go anywhere. So he had a built in audience and victim pool. He loved to tickle them, ask them what their name was, play tricks on them and just have fun.

He'll be back!

Woodsy

2008-06-01T15:30:00.000-07:00

So the boys have been cranking on getting our house framed up. We've had a few funny issues with neighbors and their kids but so far nothing too serious. The crew lost about 4 days due to some weird rain storms that have been hanging around, but it looks like we'll be done framing this week.

We've been having fun selecting all the finishing touches and can't wait to see them all go in.

The garage is the most exciting for me as there is plenty of headroom now for the skateramp which will fill the entire 3rd car portion of the garage. With a garage door on each side it should be easy to cool things off in the summer. Plans are to have audio and video strung into the garage so we can record Keyan shredding to the server and then check out his steez later.

Recently we've come to appreciate the view this lot offers, from the 2nd floor you can basically see the entire Wasatch Front, from the U to Timp - stoked!

Check out the pictures and the pano video :)

Mud

2008-05-15T05:49:00.000-07:00

Flatwork was done on our house, today the framing starts. Always nice to see some neighbor kids' bike tracks in your new basement floor :)

Mouth full

2008-05-12T22:09:00.000-07:00

Mahdis and I got to do one of the last Ultrasounds for our little Sariah (testing the name). Seems like just like her Dad, she's a natural at inserting her foot in her mouth.

All seems to be going well!

Somethings a foot

2008-04-30T09:05:00.000-07:00

Footings went into the house yesterday, fun fun fun!

#11 Jersey comes out of retirement

2008-04-29T20:57:00.000-07:00

As Utah mourns the loss of famous #11 Chris Brown, his legacy continues as his niece and nephew continue the tradition. In a heated contest between Purple and White Ammon and Emma maintained their Uncle's prowess by constantly sharing the burden of breaking away, and then passing (ish) and the other scoring. Here's a video clip of Ammon breaking away and Emma finishing.

It was a close finish but all parents were just glad to see everyone having fun.

B

Buried Treasure

2008-04-26T14:25:00.000-07:00

We've been working for months to find the location disclosed on a secret treasure map. We finally found it and then bought it and hired some big tractors to come in and dig off the extra dirt so we could dig for the treasure.

Today we paced the hole and found exactly where the treasure should have been. Enough words, watch the video!!!

Arggh!!

Spring is here!

2008-03-30T18:43:00.000-07:00

We've been enjoying the coming of spring. To kick it all off Amy(my little sis) and her husband Jim came down from Alaska and brought some snow with them, i think they got 2 feet of fresh! It was great to see them. Next we got to see Mahdis' sister Pardis for a few days, missing them as they moved to Portland. Then Jason (little bro), Gretchen and the girls came from Oahu and celebrated Easter with us all, that was great! We even got to spend a whole day together at Snowbird. Those girls are good surfers, but they are even better skiers! We even found some time to steal some eggs from the Neff's big hunt.

Finally Dad took the week off to enjoy the snow while it lasts and ended up getting a bit hurt, not too bad but enough to remind him that he's not 20 anymore :). Keyan even went up with Dad on the last day of the break to crank some great turns.

Ammon had a school play and Keyan (Tae Kwon Bro) got his yellow belt in Tae Kwon Do which included breaking a board with his bare hand for the first time!

Mom is getting more and more pregnant and we recently found out that we are having a girl! We are sooooo excited!

Please feel free to send us some names, we've had some French suggestions already, thanks Roland and Virginie!

B

6 Months off?

2008-02-10T15:30:00.000-08:00

Sorry, but we've taken a few months off. Here's a quick video Keyan made so check it out and i'll get an update done later tonight, i hope. (see below)

Okay - back to the keyboard after the boys have gone to sleep and Mahdis has her warm water to drink. A quick update. First Mahdis is pregnant and all indications are its a girl. The world is a much sadder place recently as it has lost 2 of the sweetest people to ever lived, my grandma Avila Gardiner and Mahdis' grandma Maman Behjat. However on the brighter side our sister Pardis had a baby girl, and my best friend Sterling and his wife Tiff (my sister in law) had a baby boy Taj.

After returning from Hawaii we spent a few months with my Mom in Sandy, had a blast eating all the things there that Mahdis prefers us not to. However we finally found a place to rent close to the kids school (Carden) while we search for a lot. We had one and lost it due to a legal dispute on the land and then have just recently placed another under contract, we'll see how that goes. We have been working on 2 floor plans and are getting excited to get started.

Keyan and Ammon are both loving Carden, they have performed numerous poems and songs with their classes and just love the uniforms (not). They are making friends and enjoying the environment there.

I am consulting for a few companies, a new home construction consulting firm, a home theater/golf simulator and media server group, a video game device, an indie band support start up, and the worlds leading carbon bike parts company. Things are busy but not too bad, we still have a weekly board meeting that takes place at Brighton and we've had non stop storms bringing us to a base of around 10 feet before February, and at least 5 days that were so deep it was almost too much to ride.

I'll drop in some random shots as well for your enjoyment. Hope all is well with you.

Brenner

pow?http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpQOOXQk5dc

Alooo Haaa

2007-08-17T15:54:00.000-07:00

Last 2 days!

Thursday August 16

Amazing day! It was beautiful and we went surfing with Uncle Bryan at Chuns. (Check out the Video Links on the top right) The waves were small and a bit choppy, but we were able to enjoy them. The whole gang joined us today; Gretchen, Jason, Avery, Brin and Lili. I was surprised that I was able to catch as many as I did given my balance issues, but I had a great time. Keyan is a little ripper. He seriously is amazing. I wished we lived closer to the ocean so he could really get into surfing. We are always starving after a surf so we went to get some Asai bowls for lunch and then headed home for a nap. After our rest we went into Halewia for some last minute shopping. It was a fantastic day.

Friday August 17

This is our last day in paradise. We have had a fantastic time, but everyone is ready to go home and get back into a routine. The kids are excited for school and Ammon is ecstatic about his upcoming dinosaur birthday party. I just want to discontinue living out of suitcases and find a home. I like to be settled. We will forever remember our experience in Hawaii. This morning we are going to spend a few hours at Sunset beach and then we will clean up, eat lunch, pack our stuff and say farewell to Jason the girls and the Krebs. We are going to drive into Honolulu a little early and try to hit the Bishop’s Museum and then we will catch the red eye flight and head home. I will miss the blue skies, slight breeze, fragrant air, and slow life style. It has been wonderful to be able to get rested and prepare for our next phase in life. Hmmm I wonder what we will be doing next?

Rainy day fun

2007-08-15T13:51:00.000-07:00

Since its been raining non-stop we took the chance to digitize Keyan's Pirate book.

Enjoy.

He asked that I disclose the following: Keyan Adams is the Author and Illustrator of this book. (he approved this wording)

Also Keyan would like to warn parents that only kids older than 12 should read this book, like Uncle Jake and Andy's age.

2007-08-15T00:50:00.000-07:00

Monday August 13th

Since we again stayed up late still watching both the news and the meteor shower it was a late start. Sure is nice sleeping in :). We got all dressed for the beach, applied sun screen and then lunch, after all that Ammon fell asleep. So further delayed by nap time we finally took off to check out the Turtles just down the street. When we got there we found 4 huge turtles sitting on the beach “sunning”. Then Keyan and I got in with them and swam around with mask and snorkel watching more turtles feed and swim around. Afterward we left to do a little shopping in Haleiwa (Hall ee – ee va). Mahdis got some great shoes, and I lost some time looking at a sick new Fish surfboard. I really wanted it, but for $750 Mahdis was right, just didn’t make sense.

We returned home for dinner and I bolted out for a surf at Chun’s. The wind was ripping so the waves were bigger and scattered. I caught a few and got tossed on a few. It’s fun to start feeling more comfortable out there paddling around. On my way back I stopped at the break just down the beach here and it was even better, bummer.

Spent more time watching the hurricane as it gets stronger and closer. The big island is shutting down most services and waiting for the storm to hit. The fire seems to be under control, and the earth quake was minor, but close to the volcano that has been going off for a week or so.

Tuesday Aug 14th

We started the day early, with little sleep. Dropped the boys off with Gretchen and headed to Haleiwa Harbor to go scuba diving. We didn’t boat out too far when the chop started to get bad. We had to pull back from our planned dive and start with what was supposed to be our 2nd. It was a cool little crater that serves as a turtle feeding area. We saw a few big ones hanging out. We saw a huge Moray Eel, and tons of other fish. For the most part though we were just trying to brush off the dust from not diving in a few years. It was great to get back in the water and get used to all the equipment.

The next dive was a cool wall that started at 20 feet and ran down to 70 feet. We tried to stay around 40 feet and swam along the edge of the wall. There was amazing table coral and all other kinds of coral and fish. We did get to see 2 turtles and got a ton more comfortable. Mahdis was soo excited and it was great to see her eyes light up and see her with so much energy and enthusiasm.

We picked up the boys, came home for lunch and naps. Keyan opted to watch “The Real Roswell”. Cable is a fun thing, he’s now sure there are beings on Mars who made a huge face building, and that UFOs are visiting us all the time. Combine that with a few meteor showers and his imagination is going full speed. He also works on his books during most nap time for Ammon. He’s written and Illustrated 2 books, one about pirates and one about superheros.

After lunch we went to the beach around the corner from the house. Keyan jumped on the surfboard and I would push him into small waves and he’d stand up, then Ammon jumped on and would just lay down on the board and say “faster, faster”. Mahdis went on a great swim and came back to catch some sun. I snagged the board and headed out to the local break. I met up with a local kid and his Dad, then another guy paddled out. We caught some great waves from the Hurricane swell and had some fun talks while waiting. The day before I had been slipping off the board and some new wax made such a difference today. It’s great to feel sort of like a local and catch waves at what feels like ‘your’ break and ride it all the way to the beach. Then to walk home, hose off, grab a shower and down some amazing home made macaroni and cheese.

Great Day!

Sunday Photo update - commentary pending

2007-08-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

Friday August 10, 2007

Keyan had his first surf lesson today. He was amazing. I was a bit nervous about the falls and how he would handle swimming deep in the ocean, as well as getting nailed by the waves, but he did marvelously. He caught every wave the instructor pushed him into and rode each one almost to shore each time. He was honestly the best one in the lesson (adults included). Snowboarding and skateboarding has given him an obvious edge. Uncle Bryan said he was the best student of the day. We are going to sign him up for another lesson next week. He loved it. Brenner joined the lesson group and surfed. He caught so many waves he can hardly move at the moment. I think he paddled his arms off. During the lesson Ammon and I played in the sand and made sand creatures. He was such a good sport. I hope he can take the lessons next year when his swimming has improved, although we might let him go tandem with Uncle Bryan. After surfing we ate acai bowls for lunch and then took some well deserved naps.

We met Jason and the girls at gas chambers for dinner. I went for my usual swim and when I was exiting the ocean I noticed this gentlemen take an odd body posture. I normally don’t pay too much attention to people but he caused me to be alert and then I figured out why. It was Matt Damon and Sean Penn. What a greeting! I was too shy to say anything but mumble a hello. I’m sure they just wanted their privacy anyway. I guess they were hanging out with Jack Johnson. We noticed him with his family a few minutes later and since he lives a few houses down they must all be hanging together. That brought my celebrity sightings to 5. Maybe I should have shot photos and made a few hundred thousandJ. The girls came over and had a sleepover. Keyan and Ammon were so excited. We ate popcorn and did some crafts. They all slept together and it was adorable.

Saturday August 11, 2007

We played with the girls and did some more crafts until they had to go then we just lounged around all day. I went for a run and saw another celebrity. I don’t know her name though - I must be a magnet. I can run for 8 minutes on my leg. It feels good to be able to do something other than swim and walk. I went to Halewia in the afternoon to shop a bit. Brenner and the boys stayed home and played while I was gone. It was fun to wander around without having to worry about anyone breaking anything, disappearing, or getting grumpy. The news is warning everyone about a category 4 hurricane. It will come close to the islands next Wednesday so we went to the grocery store and stocked up on groceries and water just in case we need it. I don’t want to get caught in the mad dash to the store the night before the storm is going to hit. I just hope we can fly back on time next week. Brenner and I went outside and tried to watch the meteor shower, but we don’t have a good view from here so we are going to take the boys out tomorrow and see what we can see.

Sunday August 12, 2007

We stayed up late so we were slow to get up. We headed to church but didn’t last long, we went home and all took a great nap! Then we went to the beach to lounge in the sun and play in the small waves. Then we met Jason, Gretchen and the girls at a house on Gas Chambers, a door or 2 down from Jack Johnson’s. We even got to check out quite an engineering feat of a treehouse(this one's for you Chaz). We had some amazing fish from Jason’s friends, some great shrimp and some chicken and terrific salad, Gretchen really hooked us up. Jason was nursing a sun burn from earlier that day (pansy), so we finished dinner, made a fire and smores there on the beach and all laid down in the sand in the dark watching the meteor shower. Gretchen offered a nickel for each shooting star and we think Brin took most of the money. We heard of the approaching hurricane Flossie just of the big island, and even heard that the same island had a 5.3 earthquake. We panicked a bit as we don’t have our 72 hour kits or anything and did what we could to stock up just in case. To add to the fun there was a huge wild fire that sprung up by the Dole Plantation and burned huge right toward Jason and Gretchen’s house. They were with us and even brought their dog just in case, but it kept the fire trucks going all night.

Digging into the local scene

2007-08-08T17:36:00.000-07:00

Friday August 3, 2007

It was a beautiful day for a hike. The trade winds have come in and it keeps pretty cool so we headed to Wiamai Falls. It was a stunning hike of about ¾ a mile. It was a perfect distance for the children. The flora and vegetation were breath taking. I could not get over all of the unusual shapes, sizes and colors of the flowers. The variety of trees and the various ways their roots grew was also impressive. It reminded me of the rain forests in Australia.

The waterfall was beautiful. Brenner and Keyan could not wait to swim to the base of the falls. Ammon chose to wade in the shallow end and attempt to catch fish with his hands. He has been trying to catch a fish since we arrived in Hawaii. I hope he gets one. They have begun to master lizard catching so naturally fish will be next. The water lilies were unbelievable. I enjoyed photographing them and messing around with all of the various camera settings.

After the hike we were ready to cool off and get some lunch. Acia bowls have become our favorite meal. They are extremely yummy and nutritious not to mention cool. We finished our lunch and decided to hit three tables once again for more snorkeling. Keyan decided to venture out with me this time. We swam together all the way to the first table and climbed on top. Keyan had a great time. He is much more comfortable with the wild life. We saw needle fish, angel fish, parrot fish, and much more. He is so cute in the water. If the fish get too close to him he starts flapping his hands trying to scare them away until they are at a comfortable distance. Ammon enjoyed doing his “surfer moves” and blowing bubbles with his snorkel and Brenner was able to see more wild life and go for a good swim.

Later in the evening we had the missionaries over for dinner. Elder Abrams and Elder Stuart are wonderful missionaries. We have always enjoyed having the missionaries in our home for dinner and we were thrilled for the opportunity to have them over while here in Hawaii. I must admit this must be a beautiful mission. They shared a lovely message with us. I pray my children will be able to serve missions and bring the joy of the gospel into many people’s lives.

Saturday August 4, 2007

Today was a thoughtful and emotional day. We drove into town and toured Pearl Harbor. We toured the Pearl Harbor Museum, explored various authentic torpedo’s, periscopes, and viewed an operating submarine. We were privileged to watch a video summarizing America’s entry into WWII and the attack of Pearl Harbor. A lot of the movie was actual footage. It was a moving video. After the video we rode a boat to the USS Arizona memorial. Over 2200 service man were killed on December 7, 1941. All of the visitors were reverent and respectful at the memorial. I was struck by the spirit I felt there and grateful for our opportunity to live and raise our family in this country. I am always impressed with how much visiting an actual site impacts you. No matter how much you have studied something or see it on television the real version is always much more impressive and influential. Keyan is having a difficult time understanding war and the necessity of it. He has asked a million questions and I think he will remember this experience. On our way home we stopped at Costco for necessities and then the boys headed to the beach to cool off and watch the sunset. We were exhausted after dinner and slept like angels.

Sunday August 5, 2007

Another week has passed in paradise. Church was once again wonderful. The spirit in this ward is incredible and the people are wonderful. After church we snuggled on the couch watched a movie and then headed to the beach. I just adore watching the boys play in the surf. I especially enjoy watching Ammon try and walk in his flippers and wear his mask with snorkel. It has been a wonderful week and I think Brenner and I are finally getting rested. It is nice feeling well again. We just have to figure out where the next phase of our life will take us. I love reading to the boys in the evening. They smell so nice and snuggle up so close to me, it is a mothers dream. Mahalo.

Monday August 6, 2007

What an exciting day. We had the opportunity to visit the Polynesian Cultural Center. Kathy Krebs friend, Mele offered to use her friend and family card points to help us with our entry. We are so grateful for her generosity.
What a magnificent center. It was wonderful to learn about all of the various islands and their cultures. The music and dancing was amazing. Brenner was selected to join the Tahitians during their hip shaking, knee scissor segment. I think all of the Persian dancing finally paid off. He did fantastic and we enjoyed cheering him on. Ammon loved the spear throwing activity at the Tongan Island and the IMAX reef film. During the movie he said, “Mom they put the shark in their for me. I love sharks. There’s like 100 of them”. Keyan loved it all and has mastered the art of sticking out his tongue and yelling when he is happy. Each village had various activities, games, and native dance and musical performances. It is an amazingly well done presentation of so many cultures. I am so grateful for this experience. It was a wonderful day.

Photo Catchup - here some shots of the Dole Plantation from earlier in the trip.

Week 2 of 4 flies by

2007-08-05T19:39:00.000-07:00

Thursday August 2, 2007

I can’t believe we have not written since Sunday. What a fun filled week. We are now officially new colors. The sun has transformed us into different people. Brenner is still claiming ‘not dark enough’ and begging for a reduction in sunscreen applications, but I am holding strong on the skin cancer prevention program. Keyan has been complaining most of the week about the pace we have been keeping them under and so we decided to mellow out for a while. We have spent a lot of time coloring, playing Uno, napping, window shopping at the surf shops, skateboarding, riding the four wheeler, playing missions, swimming, and watching movies. We tried to go Sunset beach at least once everyday and Brenner and I continue to do our regular exercising. We just slowed down and it has been really nice. I have had a lot of time to ponder and just enjoy my environment. It has been lovely.

Monday was mellow. Brenner went surfing with Kalee and Kaulin on the South shore while the kids and I hung out at Sunset. Ammon is such a fish. He is really enjoying the water and doing his “surfer moves”. Keyan got a salt water rash and became a bit uncomfortable so we only swam for an hour and half and then headed back for lunch. Brenner and the cousins got home shortly after us. He had a great time, but unfortunately he hit his foot on the reef, cut it and hit a sea urchin getting a spine deep into his foot –ouch at least he was able to catch a few waves and hang out with Kaulin and Kallee. Kallee is so cute, very mature for her age, and very athletic. Keyan just adores her. We haven’t seen too much of Kaulin. He’s been out with his friends and on many adventures most of the week. We went to dinner later that evening with Kallee at Haliewa Joes. It was a lot of fun. The kids tried calamari and loved it. I would have never imagined my kids trying not to mention enjoying eating octopus. Ammon got such a kick out of eating their heads and tentacles. Brenner enjoyed crab cakes and I devoured some Ahi with some wonderful sauce. The sunset was spectacular. We sang songs on the way home. Keyan and Ammon made up silly verses to ‘I hope they call me on a mission’ most of which consisted of potty humor. I am sure the reading of 8 Captain Underpants novels has nothing to do with that. Kallee and I had to pick the four wheeler up from friends and so we enjoyed a moonlit ride. We giggled the whole way home. I felt like I was 13 for few minutes. It was fun. We then had a quick family night and headed for bed.

Tuesday was much of the same. We rested at home. It is amazing how tired all of us still are. The boys were pretty grumpy most of the day. Little spats here and there and not wanting to do anything –at least until their cousins came over. The girls started school this week so we have not seen them as much, but they called and wanted to head for the beach so Keyan and Ammon decided they wanted to join them. I hung back and prepared home made Mac and cheese while they enjoyed the beach. Everyone came back happy and excited. They all ran in the sprinklers for 20 minutes just laughing and chasing each other. I wish I video recorded some of it, it was really funny. Then we all sat down and ate together. It has been so much fun getting to know Avery, Lily, Brin, Gretchen and Jason better. They are a wonderful family and their girls are hilarious. I implemented my usual dinner antics to get my boys to eat their food and the girls just loved it. I ask them not to eat their dinner and if they ate it I made some sort of dramatic disgusted look and pleaded for them not to eat their food because I do not want then to grow, get prettier/handsome, or gain intelligence. I just act completely devastated when they eat and for some reason this works. They laughed and laughed mean while it just helped get Ammon and Keyan to finish their dinner. After dinner we all went to bed early.

Wednesday was yet again another mellow day. We knew the Krebs were leaving so we did not want to do anything until we could see them off to the airport. After they left we went to Sunset again and swam. I was able to swim for 25 minutes consecutively. My Achilles is really getting stronger and I saw some amazing fish life, including a sea turtle. I can swim forever as long as I am wearing a snorkel and mask. I can’t get over the beauty and diverse wild life. I forgot how much I love the sounds while under water. I love hearing the fish eat, the crackling, and popping sounds. It is so soothing to me.

Keyan’s rash was bothering him again so he went in with Brenner while Ammon chose to stay and continued to swim up a storm. He put on his mask and snorkel and just swam his heart out. He was singing in the waves, pretending to be a baby crocodile and blowing bubbles with his snorkel. I love watching that little guy. He was yet again upset when I told him it was time to head back, but this time he said, “Mom I’m having too much fun to go back” I just told him we could come back later and he was satisfied. For some strange reason as long as I tell him he can do something later he is satisfied. Even when we go to a store and he really wants an item if I just say we might get it later he is fine. I hope this last forever! After naps we went to get some Acai. It is the best smoothie I have every eaten. It is a combination of all kinds of berries mix with ausi (brazilian berry), granola, and bananas. I loved it, we all loved it. We will definitely get more of those. After our snack we came back to the house and prepared for our family photos. Daniel Ruso, the photographer who has been staying with Kaulin said he would take some photos for us. We met at Pipeline at sunset. We could not have asked for a more beautiful evening. We actually got some nice pictures considering the kids were not very cooperative. They lasted about 15 minutes even with M&M bribery. I felt guilty because we interrupted some honeymooner’s sunset. They were trying to film it right where we were taking our photos, but they were not as upset as I thought they were. Afterwards they spoke to me for quite awhile and mentioned how anxious they were to begin there own family.

We went back to the house for dinner and got to know Daniel better. It was nice to have an evening to get to know him. He is a very talented photographer and a joy to get to know. We found out that he’s one of the top 10 most published surf photographers in the world right now. We are very grateful he shared his talent with us. We will cherish our photos even if Ammon is pretending to be a pirate in most of them J

August 2, 2007

Today we decided to go to the Sea Life Park. Ammon has been dying to go to the Aquarium and see some sharks so we figured this would be a good compromise. It was soo hot there I thought we were going to melt, but the kids did not seem to mind and had the time of their lives. Ammon’s face was priceless when he was watching the dolphin show. When the dolphins would jump out of the water he was speechless and enthralled. I could not help, but giggle at his excitement. We enjoyed observing and feeding the green sea turtles, watching the sea lion show, and looking at the gigantic sea life aquarium which included two sharks! Keyan and Brenner enjoyed swimming with the Manta Rays. Keyan is so curious and eager to learn knew things. He was so cooperative and willing to do what the biologist prompted him to do. I was impressed at his courage to touch and hold the Manta Rays. He did not display any fear, just slight caution and curiosity. Brenner has always wanted to swim with Manta Rays so I was excited for him. I know it was not in a natural setting, but at least he was able to touch, feel, and observe them up close. Ammon was so disappointed he could not go in and Keyan was so encouraging. He kept saying, “Its okay Ammon when you are older I will bring you back here and we can go in together. Don’t worry Ammon you will have a turn and I will tell you all about the Manta

Rays”. Ammon bought a shark grabber and was ecstatic. We headed home for the scenic drive, dinner, and a movie.

The Big Update

2007-08-02T13:59:00.000-07:00

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Friday, July 21, 2007

Keyan and Ammon are enjoying playing in the sand, chasing the waves, and exploring the beach front. Ammon was a little hesitant at first, but each day he grows more and more confident. I would not be surprised if he is swimming in the ocean by the end of our vacation. Our first day here was spectacular. We were greeted with a beautiful cascading rainbow that spanned the ocean. We built a sand turtle on the beach and tried to protect it from the on coming waves by building a protective barrier and motes. We established some Hawaii rules which consisted of 1) watching the sunset as a family each evening 2) chocolate chip cookies ever day 3) respect the homes we have been so generously permitted to enjoy 4) GRUMPY is not allowed to attend any activities. After running a few necessary errands we went to Pupukae Park or more commonly known as “Sharks Cove” to do some snorkeling. Keyan loved it. He is such a water rat. Keyan and Daddy explored the whole cove. They saw a sea turtle and numerous fish life. Ammon was hesitant and nervous about the reef rocks and the water and chose to stay in the shallow end with me, but he enjoyed pretending to be a crocodile and watching Keyan and Dad swim around. We ended the day by watching the sunset together on the front porch, eating cookies, and then racing back to our sleep house for more Adventures of Captain Underpants and sweet dreams.

On our second day we decided to head for a mellower beach, Waimea. Pipeline has big waves at the moment and is not safe for little swimmers, but the surfers are enjoying it. Waimea is a beautiful beach with kid friendly waves and cliff jumping. After we set up our chairs and prepared to run into the ocean I noticed some dorsal fins in the distance and was astonished to see a family of baby Spinner dolphins. There were probably about 30 of them. They were very playful and friendly. We are going to try and go back to this beach on another day and see if we can swim with them. According to the lifeguard the baby dolphins come into the bay each morning to nurse. It would be wonderful to witness this. We are going to plan a day and paddle out early to watch this event. Ammon was already feeling more confident and began to get into the water more independently and completely with Daddy’s help, but he still preferred to stay on the beach with Mommy. He requested the creation of a crocodile and we made an amazing one together. He frequently brings me white flowers for my hair. When I tuck them behind my ear he says, “that’s cute Mommy”. Keyan enjoyed running down the sand hill and jumping into the waves. He played and played in the water. He loves it and I am amazed and what a wonderful swimmer he is and how fearless he is when learning new things. I enjoyed a nice swim and jumped off of the 40 foot cliff. It was fun to do something I enjoyed during my youth. It brought back many Lake Powell memories.

Today we spent the day at the beach. In the morning we went back to Shark’s Cove where Keyan enjoyed more snorkeling and Ammon actually put his mask and snorkel on and stuck his head in the water. He would only look directly down, but he is getting more courageous each day. I am so proud of him. We had to pry him out the water instead of Keyan. I have a feeling we are going to have to do many more snorkeling adventures. In the afternoon we headed over to Gas Chambers where we met up with Jason, Gretchen and the girls. I think Lili has a crush on Keyan. The kids love their cousins and enjoyed playing in a tide pool most of the time as well as body surfing. We ended the evening with smores and a beach fire. The kids took turns telling scary stories and we just enjoyed everyone’s company.

Each day Brenner and I take turns walking on the beach and then swimming. It feels great to get a workout and it is really helping my healing process. Although extremely sore, my Achilles is doing well and the sand is helping strengthen my calf and ankle. I wish I were 100% and able to enjoy the surf. I do not feel comfortable enough to surf right now, but these waves are really tempting. Brenner is enjoying the water. He loves to play around in it as much as possible whether he is snorkeling, surfing, body surfing, or just relaxing in the waves. I enjoy watching him. This time with our family is priceless. The opportunities we have to witness such beauty and experience this island for such a long period of time is remarkable and well worth our two thousand mile move. The fragrant smells, textures, the time to think, the time to observe my children and get to know them better, and the time with Brenner are extraordinary. I have missed having him around over the years. It is nice to have my prince back for awhile. I wish he never had to leave my side I feel complete with him around.

July 22, 2007

Aloha! We were greeted by the Waialua ward with this customary greeting. Each speaker begins with this greeting and the members enthusiastically return with the same salutation. I was very interested to find out that aloha means unconditional love. What a wonderful way to greet your family, friends, and neighbors. Church was wonderful. There were many friendly people and wonderful lessons/talks given. Ammon growled at a young girl in primary and caused quite the ruckus. He said he was pretending to be a raptor and the young girl was not amused she ran to her father saying “those boys are being mean to me” Brenner knew who was to blame and with a chuckle we had to give Ammon and Keyan a mini time out in the hall. I hope the ward will still welcome us back next week. After church we raced home for a quick change and lunch and headed to the local arts festival with Jason and Gretchen. All of the children had a blast getting their faces painted and making crafts. Keyan chose a skull and cross bone painting while Ammon selected a T-rex. He proudly displayed his T-Rex to anyone who would admire his arm. After the festival we headed to the Adams home. It is beautiful and the boys had so much fun playing dinosaurs with the girls. They set up their own dinosaur land and chased each other around devouring plant eaters. Ammon was so upset when we had to leave. He has been pouting saying “that was not fun” when he is upset about leaving an exciting event. I have been trying to let him know that his phrase choice is not appropriate, but he has not grasped it yet. Lilia asked her Mom if she can marry cousins – we think we know which one she is referring to. I think it is so cute. I wish we lived closer to the girls they are adorable and get along great with the boys.

The Monkey Pod trees are beautiful. I think they are the most amazing tree. I love staring at them across all of the landscapes. There wood is absolutely breath taking. I may have to buy some art piece or bowl before going home. I can’t believe a week has almost passed. I feel like we have just arrived.

July 23, 2007

Day 6 Pipeline House

What a glorious ending to a fantastic stay at the Pipeline homes. The sky erupted with color this evening; pink hues, purple, yellow, and vibrant clarity. Tomorrow we will leave these homes and head to Sunset Beach. I can’t wait to explore a different beach and continue our journeys. We spent the day with Gretchen and the girls snorkeling at Hanauma Bay. It is a natural reserve and is glorious. We saw various fish life. Keyan and Avery hung onto a boogie board and paddled out to the coral reef with me. They had a wonderful time seeing puffer, angel, and parrot fish, as well as some brain coral. I became a little nervous when we were pulled into a shallow reef. It was difficult for me to continue pulling the children while getting blasted by the waves and hammered into the reef. The kids were scared for a few moments but they were able to settle down and help me get us out of there. We buried Brin and Keyan in the sand, boogie boarded, and I taught Keyan how to float and dive. Brenner saw a huge eel while snorkeling and was able to join a school of fish for awhile. Gretchen and I took off for a snorkel and enjoyed the wild life as well. Ammon continues to conquer his fears. He had a wonderful time doing his “surfer” moves while body surfing in the mild waves. He could not get enough, and once again while departing I heard his famous phrase “This was not fun”. I tried a different approach today and told him it would be better if he said, “Mommy I had so much fun I don’t want to leave”. I also explained that if he says something is not fun people will think he never wants to do it again. He was quite for a moment and then said, “Okay Mommy. I’m having fun. I don’t want to go”. Let’s see if he retains this learning moment tomorrow.

Once we made it back to the house we ate dinner and Brenner headed out for an evening surf. There were no waves. He was greatly disappointed. He has been dying to ride the world famous Pipeline. I hope he will get his chance before we leave this Island. I am now going to settle into the new and last Harry Potter book and get a goods night sleep (I hope). Brenner has been snoring so loudly lately I feel like I have a new born baby awakened every 2-3 hours. He offered to sleep in the other house, but I love to have him near me. It’s worth the interruptions. Good Night J

July 24th 2007
Happy Pioneer Day! We moved from the pipe house today into the Sunset house. This one isn’t on the beach, but close enough. It is one big beautiful house! We are so fortunate to be able to stay here. Later in the day Kaulin and Kallee Krebs arrived from California to stay with us, as well as Kaulin’s friend, Daniel. They are hoping to be able to get some surfing in. We rested a bit and then headed to the beach for an afternoon swim. Ammon made a new friend, Liam. They enjoyed body surfing together and pretending to be various animals. Keyan loved being the big brother and telling them to be careful and showing them the safe areas to play. I was so proud of Ammon. Liam was playfully throwing sand at him and instead of loosing his cool and crying, hitting, or running away he looked at him and with a soft kind voice said “Don’t throw sand, I don’t like it”. It was great to see him handle a difficult situation well. He also began to repeat over and over, “mom this is my old friend Liam. He is. He is my friend”. He is so cute.
Keyan body surfed a ton. I was really nervous at one point. A huge wave came in and Keyan was slammed right beneath it. He has not learned where to stand when a wave is coming in yet and unfortunately was in the wrong spot when the wave broke and nailed him onto the sand. I ran over awaiting a frightened scream and cry, but it was silent. He just slowly got up rubbed his eyes a bit and headed back for more. I was impressed. I thought for sure he was at the very least scared, but I was obviously wrong. I am sure we will all sleep well tonight.

July 25th 2007

Well, it has been one week in Paradise. Today we got up a bit late and slowly got ready to go to the beach. We met Gretchen and the girls at Waimea. I was reminded of the joy I experienced trying to park at the U of U, as we had to wait for a parking spot to open. After getting snaked a few times and waiting it out I finally got a spot. Once on the beach Keyan threw on his life jacket and ran straight into the water to play with Avery, Brin and Lou Lou. Ammon and I played in sand as Mahdis went for quite a long swim with her snorkel and mask. I guess she even jumped off the big cliff there again and swam all the way back. So I got to be the Daddy Aligator and Ammon the baby, Keyan was the big brother in between sets of body surfing. Ammon finally started playing in the small shore breaks and then when we did a big family hug he came out and joined all the fun. He’s so much fun to hold and swim with. Then it was my turn to snorkel as someone spotted a turtle, so I followed it around for a while working out my sore muscles from previous days of swimming and surfing. The girls left and we finished up body surfing swimming around and headed home for lunch. Yummy left over tacos and the kids watched “Over the Hedge”.

Kaulin and I took that chance to break out the boards and head out to the “Gas Chambers” house for some waves. Jason was just getting back as we set up boards so we got to talk for a bit. Kaulin was great showing me to start from and giving me tips. I paddled my guts out and missed a few. Even backed away from a big one that would have been amazing!! Exhausted I tried a few more times and caught one, but couldn’t get the board to turn so I fell over. Then I caught another but really it had already broken and I was just getting pushed by it, however when I stood up I felt a sharp pain in my lower back and tingling all the way down to my toes, so I swam in. Kaulin was killing it, catching all kinds of waves and having a blast. I watched for a while and sets really dropped off. We stopped by the Pipeline House on the way back and his old girlfriends family had just arrived, he went back later for dinner with them.

Mahdis, Kallee, the boys and I had dinner, yummy tacos, and then headed out to the beach for a small campfire. It had just rained a bit so it was hard finding dry wood. We got a bunch of small sticks and just fed it a ton of nearly dead pin needles which fired up pretty good, but also smoked a ton. The boys had a blast throwing things in the fire and we all enjoyed watching the sunset.

July 26th

Up around 7 today as the sun gets the boys up. We decided to have a beach free day to let our skin get a break. We got already and went to the Dole Plantation. We spent an hour in their “worlds largest maze” looking for 7 hidden stencils that enabled you to complete the challenge. Keyan and Ammon took turns leading us and did great splitting the duties and guiding us like boy scouts through the maze. We did use some “shortcuts” in certain places to speed up the process as it was getting really hot. Then we walked through the shop and bought Pineapple ice cream and then jumped on the historic train that circled some fields. They had a local girls choir Voice Over the whole time including some of their songs which was great! The one thing I remember is that a skilled planter can plant over 10,000 plants in a day, I think they said that would cover 2 Acres! Gnarly, maybe after taking some Cocoa leaves on the way out to the field J. Anyway there were some gentle winds and big soft clouds rolling across the elevated valley so it was quite a beautiful setting.

After a quick nap, at least for me as Mahdis played referee for the boys, and then back in the car for the nearly 2 hour drive into Honolulu. We had a late start so I was pushing it, kind of like pushing a watermelon through a straw. One guy in a hurry and 20,000 other people “taking it easy”. We did get there on time and dropped Mahdis off to an appointment while the boys and I drove into Waikiki. Kind of like a mix between Rodeo Drive, Hollywood and Huntington Beach, with a little Maui flava for fun. We pulled over and played on a Monkey Pod tree, the boys were swinging on the vines like Tarzan, tons of fun. Then we picked up Mahdis, found a health food place for dinner and drove back with the crowds. The drive is really beautiful for about 80% of the time, so no stress. Once home Kallee joined us in watching “Open Season”. The boys were all cuddled up next to Mahdis and looking sooo cute. They laughed so hard at some of the movie and it was great just to hear them laugh. Ammon is really getting a distinct laugh and growing up quite a bit. He really wants to go to the Aquarium here and see sharks! He also has mentioned a few times in the last few days that he misses his toys, he even asked today when the moving guys were going to bring his toys back. Cute, but sad at the same time. I hope we can quickly make some decisions on a home once we get back.

Right before typing this I went down to check on Kaulin and his roomy, a surf photographer for Surfing Magazine, and they were trying to set up a pirated copy of Transformers from his laptop to the home theater set up. I helped and then watched a few minutes looks good. Then came up to have some yogurt, chips and ice cream as the organic Avocado Wrap just wasn’t cutting it. Mahdis has been reading Harry Potter non stop and is going for broke tonight. Almost a full moon!

Sunday July 28, 2007
Day 10

We had a wonderful day. We began our day early by driving into Honolulu and shopping at the flea market. It was huge. It was wonderful to see all of the craftsman and their beautiful pieces. I enjoyed looking at the Monkey Pod woodwork, the many different Islander jewelry, woven baskets, and the wonderfully colored fabrics. We did not last very long due to the heat. It was not comfortable shopping while so hot. We only walked through half of the market, but I was able to buy some beautiful earrings and a few gifts for family and friends. We got lost on the way home, but since we are on an island we were not too concerned. We just enjoyed the glorious mountains and the drive. On our way home we conferenced called with the Adams clan to find out Andrew’s mission destination. He is going to St. Louis, Missouri only a hop and a skip away from Jacob in Kansas City, Missouri.

Kaulin and Kallee Krebs have been staying at the house with us. It has been fun to have them with us. Keyan adores Kallee, constantly asking her to play Uno with him. They go skating together on a friends ramp and Keyan is beginning to pump independently. I can’t believe how quickly he is growing. Ammon is becoming more and more independent each day. He is getting better and better with the potty and now that he earns a gumball each time he goes potty we are seeing a greater increase in his success. He just loves gum and when he is motivated there is no stopping him.

After a little rest at the Sunset house we packed up for an evening swim at the beach. We headed for Wiamae for smores and moonlight cliff jumping. Keyan accomplished his first cliff jump today. We are so proud of him. He jumped off of a 15-20 foot cliff!
He climbed up the rocky point and walked out to the rocks edge a little nervous. Uncle Jason swam in the ocean below to reassure Keyan of the landing and make sure the water was deep enough. Keyan was hesitant at first. He was nervous about needing to jump out far enough to avoid hitting the rock ledge. Brin climbed up and showed Keyan how to do it and once he had that visual he said, “Mom I can do this I’m ready”. He had a determined stance and focused eyes when he counted to three and leaped into the ocean. I was so proud of him. We talked about courage and how life often challenges us, but if we face that challenge, prepare ourselves, and face it we feel more confident and encouraged when the task is completed. Keyan accomplished a great goal today. He was truly nervous before jumping off the cliff, at one point he almost left, but he gathered up courage and with the help and example of his cousin he over came his fear and jumped. Ammon was also spectacular today. He went straight into the water without hesitation. He is getting really comfortable in the ocean before I know it he will be swimming and floating comfortable in the water independently. After our water play we lit a fire and began to make smores. It did not last very long due to a rain burst, but we made the best of it. Brenner was determined to keep the fire going and tried a million tricks until Jason told him it was okay to put the fire out. Brenner really wanted to see the full moon, but it was hiding behind the clouds and we were unable to see it rise. After a few fireworks we left Waimae to return to the house for a sleep over with the girls.

Sunday July 29th

The girls were up early so we made pancakes and then all gathered on the floor to assemble shells with holes we had collected to make a necklace for Mahdis. Avery laid out most of the shells with help from some of the others. Then Jason came to get the girls and we headed out to church. It was great to be back at that ward, good people, great sacrament talks, one a sister referred to our efforts towards missionary work as Good, Goo-ood, and Goo-oo-ood. It was a great talk with some touching stories.

After church we went to Jason and Gretchen’s for a barbeque. We had great Shrimp, Mahi, an amazing rice/mango/black bean salad and some fresh cookies from the bakery down the street. The kids all had a blast making water balloons and playing dinosaurs in the front yard, not to mention rides on the 4 wheeler with Kallee. Then we drove home through all the Sunday traffic, there were tons of small Toyota trucks all jacked up with big tires and wide axles. Ammon fell right to sleep so when we got home we put him in bed and I took a nap with him. Everyone else including Jason and the girls went to the beach for more fun. Afterwards Mahdis and I took a long walk on the beach and put the kids to bed. We started watching Casino Royale with Kallee and she fell asleep.

Camping out on Pipeline

2007-07-23T23:56:00.000-07:00

Okay, so we aren't really camping out, but rather staying in a small complex of 4 houses just south of the famous "Pipeline" and "Backdoor" surf breaks on the North Shore (Oahu if you didn't know). My cousins Ken and Kathy have been gracious enough to let us take over this amazing place for a while. If you aren't familiar with this place, here's how it looks during the winter, and what makes it famous.

Mahdis is working up much more detailed reports for each day, but I figured I'd get some photos up as quickly as possible, click on them to see them larger.

We've spent some time with my Brother, Jason, and his family of girls, swimming, snorkeling and making smores at sunset.

We met Greg Noll today and got his and Rabbit's signatures in his book. And we've spent tons of time on that long walk from our place to the beach, I think its 9 stairs :), swiming, playing and checking out the amazing sunsets!

Check out the photos and keep checking back for more updates. Assuming we can get consistent access to the web, we're hoping to get shots up from Montreal, Niagra, Palmyra, Batavia, Manhattan, and Yellowstone, as we've been quite busy since we left Vermont.

Later,