The Good Stuff

Here we go again...

2011-05-06T14:04:00.000-07:00

While I was working this morning I went in the house to grab something. Thad and Ave were up eating breakfast and playing. Thad asked me if I got his email, I said no. What does it say? He replied, "Oh you'll see." I went back to work. A few minutes later I remembered what he said. I checked my email and there it was, the acceptance letter to Utah State! I RAN back into the house hugged and kissed him and told him how proud I was. Logan, get ready because here we come!

5 weeks to go

2011-05-02T15:15:00.000-07:00

Where has the time gone? It seems just a few days ago that Thad graduated and now we will be heading back to Utah in just 5 short weeks.

Laie Temple

2011-05-02T15:08:00.001-07:00

Happy Easter

2011-05-02T14:57:00.000-07:00

Ward Camp

2011-04-12T15:03:00.000-07:00

Aloha Oe Sunday

2011-04-10T15:10:00.000-07:00

Haunted Tour of Honolulu

2011-03-17T15:03:00.000-07:00

The big one...

2011-03-03T15:06:00.000-08:00

Hotel rooms are the best

2011-02-27T15:24:00.000-08:00

2011-02-26T15:16:00.000-08:00

Spring Cleaning

2011-02-19T16:30:00.000-08:00

First of all let me say, Utah family and friends don't get your hopes up. This is just a SPRING CLEANING post. We are NOT moving home. YET...

Hawaii friends, don't worry. We won't be going anywhere for a while.

A few weeks ago I got into one of my cleaning modes and decided that it was time to "de junk", as my mother calls it, and get rid of all the stuff we don't use anymore.

The other day I was talking with my good friend, Erin and she told me that she did the same thing but instead of just giving all of her clothes away she decided to post them and has made a little bit of money to purchase new clothes. So I am politely borrowing her idea. (Don't worry, she knows I am doing this)

Everything below is for sale. Let me know if your interested in anything.

All of the clothing is $5

Size S

Charlotte Russe Size M

Merona sweater from Target! Size S
Charlotte Russe Size L (although runs small)
Size M
Size M

Tommy Hilfiger purse $5
Brand New never used Swiss Army backpack $50 Retails for $119.99
Fix It Software $15
Kitchen Sharpner $3
Baby Bottles $1 each and Nipples $3 a pack
$5
$10
$20

Bright Stars Tummy Time Pad $5

I dooo!

2011-02-19T16:29:00.000-08:00

Avalee is obsessed with bubbles lately and "I doooooooo!" A few weeks ago Thad taught her to say I do when you ask her a question. It is the cutest thing ever. She starts off in her normal voice and then drags out the do and ends it with a high pitch ooooo! It is so funny and cute.

The problem is when she is walking around the house saying, " I doooooooo" "I dooooooo" "I doooo" and neither one of us have any idea what she wants. The other day she kept pointing to the kitchen sink while I was feeding her saying it over and over again. I thought she wanted to get down, so I got her out and put her on the ground. Complete melt down. She was crying and crying stuttering out "I doooo's" in between her cries. I finally figured out it was the bubbles she was pointing to and saying " I dooooo" to.

Happy Late Valentines!

2011-02-19T16:23:00.000-08:00

For Valentines this year, we got a babysitter, and went to the beach. Just me and my hubby! It was amazing, let me tell you. I felt so light as we were leaving the house. We only had a few beach towels in our hands and some water. I kept saying I feel like we are forgetting something. Probably because going to the beach usually involves a diaper bag, a cooler, a umbrella, a beach chair, towels, snacks, baby sunscreen and hat, etc. Thad and I waded out to goats island so we could have our own private beach. We walked around the island once we got there and spotted some whales, went for a nice swim together in a private cove and then hung out on the beach listening to some music. It was so much fun and the best part was it was FREE!

Lately Ave loves to hide from us. One morning Thad searched the house over and over again looking for her while I was at work. He couldn't find her anywhere. He started to panic a little because there isn't that many places she can be in our small apartment. He said the scariest part was that he called for her over and over but she wouldn't respond. He finally found her hiding in our closest quiet as a mouse.

My sweetheart made me the best V day dinner. Steaks, sweet potatoes, rolls, asparagus and sparkling grape juice. It was sooo good. And yes, those are homemade cards to each other.
I made White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake and it was a little slice of heaven, if I do say so myself.

A visit from G & G Powers

2011-02-18T16:38:00.000-08:00

My parents did come and visit us. They were here for 10 days and how is it that these are the only pictures I have!!! Ugh. They have been coming to visit us about every 4 months and I guess I have really taken it for granted because I barely get the camera out anymore and I already regret it. We had so much fun while they were here!
We hiked the Lighthouse, ate at Orange Tree, laid out on lots of beaches while the guys snorkeled, went shopping, ate and ate, cooked and cooked and sewed! I had a few things I had bought that were not modest so my mom helped me alter them so I could wear them to church. I can't believe how talented my mom is. I look up to her so much. Thanks Mom!
Having two other people to help take care of Ave was REALLY nice!

Catch of the YEAR!

2011-01-12T10:34:00.000-08:00

52 POUND FISH!
Here is the man who shot this thing! Go Aaron!

While driving to Kaneohe the other day with Ave, Thad looked out into the ocean and called me immediately saying that the it was perfect conditions to go spearfishing, something he has been wanting to go and do for a while. How could I say no to my sweet husband who has turned into the housewife since graduating so I can keep working? I told him sure and he said ok I'll bring Ave back. I went on with my day watching Ave while doing a few meetings for work and working on transfers in the hale. He called Aaron Nelson, who is a pro at spearfishing, and off they went! During my day I thought to myself a few times, I really hope they catch some fish and have fun doing it. At about 530 when I was finished with all of my meetings and work obligations it was time for dinner. I grabbed Ave and her stroller and we were off to the cafe for dinner. I stopped by my RA office to talk to Megan for a bit and make sure things were running smooth. All of the sudden our door flies open and it's Thad with the most excited look on his face. He tells me to hurry and come out the side door and he runs off. I quickly grabbed the stroller and we went after him. Aaron had his truck and as I walked up to it I saw it... The BIGGEST fish I have ever seen! 52 whopping pounds to be exact! The boys were so excited about this catch. Aaron goes spearfishing all the time but this is the biggest catch he has ever got. It took 3 grown men and a good half an hour to reel this guy in. I'm so glad that Thad had fun and we will be eating fish for a while it looks like!

13 Months

2010-12-27T02:22:00.000-08:00

My sweet little angel. Life is SO much fun with Avalee right now. She is at such a fun age. She is learning and growing so fast. Just today I was in her room hanging up her Sunday clothes and when I turned around she was up sitting in the rocking chair. I couldn't believe that she had gotten up there all by herself. Then she started smiling and moving her body back and forth to make the chair rock and squealing in delight.

The other morning I was getting ready and she reached into my make up bag, pulled out my mascara, and started twisting the top the opposite direction of the bottle. The lid started to unscrew and I had to quickly take it away from her. She protested of course, but how did she know that?

Most of the time when we go to change her diaper we say to her, "Let's change the bum" She is now walking around calling everything a "bum" We better start watching what we say.

She has learned how to fake smile and waves to everyone as we pass them in her stroller and blurts out "Hi!" She is quickly becoming one of the most popular girls here on BYUH campus.

She is walking all over the house and surprises me when she walks around a corner instead of crawling. I'm not use to seeing her up on her feet all the time.

She knows where her eye, head, nose, mouth and toes are. She is constantly pointing to her nose lately, because she has a cold. She will reach for a tissue and wipe her nose and then smile and clap her hands because she knows she is doing something smart.

Last night, she spilled some water on the carpet. I cleaned it up and left the towel over the wet spot. The next thing I know Ave has the towel in her hand and is wiping up the floor. So cute!

I love my sweet baby muffin more then words can describe and I am so thankful for her spirit and the joy she brings into our lives.

Christmas in Hawaii

2010-12-27T00:49:00.000-08:00

Santa found us!
Ave was so excited to open all of her presents. We started at 9am. We let her open each one at her own pace. She played with her present and when she was ready she would crawl back over to the tree and pick another one. She opened her last present at 730PM.
We stayed in our PJ's all day and played with Ave's new toys, watched a movie, Skyped with both families, ate yummy food and took a few naps. It was the perfect Christmas.

Aunt Roz was so sweet! She mailed us a Christmas present. Rascal Flats and 27 dresses! Thanks Roz.
Ave playing with her toys. She got so many presents. She got a toy bus that sings The Wheels on the Bus song, a air ball shooter that shoots 3 balls down a slide and back up into the air while playing a song, a few books, some shoes, a small piano, a baton, a new Christmas outfit for church, a inner tube for the beach, a new car seat and a cute Leap Frog Dog that sings and says her name. She was such a good girl this past year as you can see! (Thanks to everyone who gave her presents!)
She was so excited for each present. New shoes!

Helping Mom open her present from Dad.

Thad got me tickets to go see the Broadway show CATS in Honolulu. Neither of us remember when we went out on a "real" date, so he thought for Christmas he would get me a hot date out on the town! We'll start with dinner at the cheesecake factory (I've never eaten there and have always wanted to) a romantic walk down Ala Moana Beach Walk and then onto CATS! I can't wait! Our big night out is next Thursday. I'll be posting pictures for sure! He also got me a awesome media card that will upload each picture I take right to our computer. It should make blogging so much easier!
Thad opening his Christmas present! I was so excited for him to open this.

I found this amazing back pack, with the help of a good friend, (Thanks Devin!) for his camera. It's so sweet! It has so many compartments for all of his lens, flashes, batteries, etc. He can wear it three different ways and no matter which way he wears it his camera is right at his fingertips and he never has to put his equipment down. So nice!

We also have been wanting to get away. Thad is such a camper so for Christmas I found this awesome tent for super cheap! I hope we can plan a trip soon and get away for a break.

Christmas Eve

2010-12-27T00:35:00.000-08:00

As tradition, we let Ave pick one Christmas present to open on Christmas Eve. She has been playing with this one present for weeks now and it was the first one she went for. It was from my mom and dad. She opened it and it was the whole collection of Baby Einstein DVD's. (Which she loves!) We couldn't believe my parents got her this. Thanks so much Mom and Dad! As you can see Ave was VERY happy with her present.

Ready to watch her new movies.

For Christmas Eve dinner we made Asian Chicken Salad with rolls. It was scrumptious!

We also made sugar cookies.
Ave loved them!

Time for a bubble bath

Opening her Christmas PJ's.

All warm and snuggly in her new jammie's!

She helped both of us open our Christmas Eve PJ's too.

She was very curious about Thad's pants, so...

We let her play in them. She loved it!

Last present to open before Santa comes.

David & Olga are Married!

2010-12-18T01:55:00.000-08:00

This past weekend I lost two of the most wonderful girls I know as my RA's. It was a hard weekend for me because I consider both of these girls a part of our family. Actually, all 4 of my RA's are like family to me. But I am happy to say that I am losing Olga to a wonderful man who is going to take the best care of her and my other RA, Tia is going to serve a mission in Brazil! I'm so excited for both of them!
Olga with Ave and Megan. Ave can actually say Olga's name. It is the cutest thing ever!
The happy couple. Neither of them could stop smiling all night.
My sweet Olga. My favorite thing about Olga is she ALWAYS has a smile on her face. She has a special way of making you happy just by being around her. I'm always happy, smiling and laughing when I'm with Olga. I love it!
My girls! Words cannot express what these girls mean to me. Megan, Olga, Me and Tia. (who will be serving in Brazil shortly!) They are so much more then just the girls who help me run Hale 1. They are my friends, my sisters, Ave's Aunts. I love them so much!

Ave and Megan. After having Avalee I had a REALLY hard time letting anyone watch Ave who I trusted. I can't explain it. I just didn't feel comfortable leaving my baby with anyone here. But then we got this job and I met Megan. Megan watches Ave all the time for us. I don't know what we would do without Aunt Megan. Ave goes to breakfast at least twice a week with her and Megan is constantly watching Ave while I work and Thad has school and homework.

Cutting the cake. The top almost fell over!
Dancing the night away! Congrats David and Olga! We love you!

Summa Cum Laude

2010-12-18T01:20:00.001-08:00

Thad GRADUATED college today! Not only did my amazing husband graduate, but he graduated Summa Cum Laude! For those of you who aren't aware, that is the highest honors you can graduate with from BYUH.

I can't believe that we have been here for two years now and he is finally done. The time has gone by way too fast. He has worked harder then anyone I have ever seen to get this degree. Not only did he get his degree but he did his very best and gave his all to get the best grades he possibly could. His example has been such a huge blessing to our family. I look up to my husband for always doing the best in all he does. I'm the type of girl where I like to get things done, just to mark them off my checklist and be done with it. Thad, is the exact opposite of me. He does his very best and is very thorough. We really do balance each other out. I love you and I'm SO proud of you hun!

For those of you wondering we will not be moving home for a while longer. My boss got my job extended for up to one year here. So we'll see what happens once Thad starts studying for his GRE for Grad school, what jobs he finds and what the Lord puts in our path. Everyone keeps asking us when we are coming back to Utah and the best I can say is between June and Dec of next year. I know that Heavenly Father will direct us to where we are suppose to be.
The Holladay's! Wa hoo Tara and Thad!!!
One of Thad's friend gave Ave her own lei, but it was too small for her neck as you can see.
Thad with his old boss Michael Johansen. His baby is 2 1/2 months old and she has the cutest, chubby checks I've ever seen!
Good ole' Dr. Ford. Gotta love this guy. He has impacted our whole family so much. I'm really grateful for him.
Shaking Elder Tom Perry's hand.
Go Thad!
The happy grad with the happy babe.

Dolly and Devin Northrup. I love this couple so much. They have really impacted our lives, especially Dolly for me. They are moving to Utah so hopefully its not goodbye for too long!

I hope they call me on a mission

2010-12-10T02:14:00.000-08:00

My cute RA, Tia is going on a mission! She got called to serve in the Brazil Mission. I am SO proud of her!
I have been able to be around for a few mission calls in my hale and I love it every time! You can feel the spirit so strongly. I remember the exact day that Tia was prompted to go on a mission. She came and told me about it right away. I was so happy and proud of her.
The gang.
Tia was all smiles and tears when she read her mission call.

Watch out Brazil! Here comes Sister Hinderliter! Wa hooo!

Cleaning out the fridge

2010-12-06T23:49:00.000-08:00

Who knew that cleaning out the fridge could be so much fun? For Ave it is! I think she loves the fridge so much because it's a place she can't play in and it has so many different shapes and colors. Any time we open the door and she sees, she crawls as fast as she can just to get a peek before we close the door which inevitably means a few cries of protest.
We might have to put a lock on this thing once she is strong enough to open the door.
Up in the fridge and on her tippy toes, reaching as far as she can into the back

Ave's FIRST birthday

2010-12-06T22:04:00.001-08:00

Weighing in at 20lbs and 12 oz and 30 1/2 inches tall (98th percentile might I add) Avalee is ready to celebrate her very FIRST birthday! We spent all day baking and frosting cupcakes and decorating the house getting ready for her big party.
We had all sorts of different flavors, colors, and sizes of cupcakes for the special occasion and we drank Lime Rickey's! Yummy!
The decorations turned out so cute thanks to Brynn, Thad and Maikeli. Brynn and Maikeli came to stay with us. It was so much fun having them with us. I miss them already.
The birthday throne
Ave playing with Alicen. She's the closest thing we have to a Grandma out here.

Avalee got all sorts of presents! A small piano from Olga and David...
A swimming suit from Danielle, Joe and Hinalei...
I just loved her wide eyes in this picture. She was getting so much attention she wasn't sure how to take it all in.
and a "sparkely" bouncy ball from HyeWon.
We mixed her cupcake in a souffle bowl to make it twice as big as a normal cupcake and Jenna and Megan put all of their skills into decorating the top. It turned out so cute! The best part of course was watching Ave smear it everywhere and make a huge mess. She loved it!
All smiles for this purple party girl
I love this little girl more then words can describe.

After a quick bath and a Binky in the mouth, she was getting a little fussy with all the attention, we set her on the floor and she went straight to her baby grand piano and started playing. (That's from Mom and Dad. I found it on craigslist for a steal and couldn't resist getting it) It was so cute! Grandma Stott gave her a baby which she absolutely loves! The minute she opened it she pointed to it and said "Turtle" (she calls EVERYTHING turtle and then gave her a hug. It was so cute! We got that part on video camera. Grandma Powers gave her some new clothes and the cutest shirt that says my 1st birthday which she wore all day.

Thanksgiving in Hawaii

2010-11-28T22:31:00.000-08:00

This was our first Thanksgiving without our families. (Last year didn't count because we were in the hospital having Avalee.) We had the opportunity to have it with a bunch of friends but we decided to have it in our own little apartment, just the three of us. It was so much fun and WORK but we will never forget our little Thanksgiving in Hawaii. We made stuffing, sweet potatoes, home made cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, rolls, pumpkin pie, banana cream pie and of course the turkey! We started cooking at 8am and ate at 330. By the time we got done eating and cleaning up it was 5 o'clock. We sat down and watched a movie. It really was the perfect day.

More Thanksgiving Pics

2010-11-26T22:50:00.000-08:00

Avalee has been taking her first steps this past weekend. It's the coolest thing to watch your baby progress so much. She is going to be walking any day now. We can't wait!

I am so thankful for my family. I can't imagine my life without either of these two. They are the joy of my existence. We had so much fun spending the whole day together cooking, talking and just hanging out.

Kailua Beach

2010-11-25T23:42:00.000-08:00

Living in Hawaii you kinda forget you live by the beach with work, school, baby and life in general. So we decided to not only go to the beach but also venture out to a beach we hadn't been to yet. Kailua Beach, it was so beautiful. White sandy beaches, but the best part is how shallow it is.
Ave had the best time crawling all over and exploring.

She loved it when the waves would crash up on her while she was crawling around. She would squeal in delight.

Working on her backside for a nice tan.

Cute little lime green britches!

Photo Shoot

2010-11-02T13:00:00.000-07:00

Thad is taking a photography class so we took Ave and did a little photo shoot. I absolutely LOVE the pictures we got!

Tinkerbell

2010-11-02T02:04:00.002-07:00

Here are just a few pic's of Halloween. Don't worry! I will be posting more.... A LOT more! Enjoy!

Laie Temple

2010-10-22T15:05:00.001-07:00

Thad went to the temple the other night with his friend Devin, and they took tons of pictures of the Laie Temple. Isn't he amazing? I LOVE this picture. If you double click on it you will get the "full affect" I can't wait for the temple to open next month.

Welcome Kirby's Baby!

2010-10-21T22:42:00.000-07:00

Finlee Ann Uffens just arrived. Mom, baby and Dad are all doing great and we wish them nothing but happiness!

Happy Halloween

2010-10-19T13:59:00.001-07:00

As you can see Hawaii has been really difficult for us. Thad has gained SO much weight because he sits around all day doing homework, Ave is into everything and is constantly making a mess of herself and I'm lucky if I can pull myself together.

Happy Halloween! This week for FHE I just happened to pull out the Halloween activity! It said to make some homemade costumes and take pics of yourselves. Thad is a lazy couch potato and I'm a worn out mom, Ave is just a mess with chocolate all over her. It was a fun night and the perfect picture for all of you to see since I haven't blogged in so long!

We had spaghetti squash for dinner

And then watched Hocus Pocus and ate pumpkin seeds and drank hot chocolate. I know we live in Hawaii but I am desperate for Fall! So, I've decided to make my own Fall.

No candy in there yet.

Ave is getting so big and smart. She makes us laugh everyday and it's amazing how fast she is learning.

She loves to say "Ohhhh!" all the time

When we say "yay" she claps her hands and just the other day I was watching the tale end of Oprah, a rare treat for me, the audience started clapping and then Ave started clapping. I couldn't believe she knew to clap just from hearing it.

She is obsessed with this turtle on our fridge. One day in a desperate attempt to get her to eat something I pointed to him and said,"Turtle" She was fascinated and right away was saying, "Tootle" It's so cute!
These two play together every chance they get.
I love watching them.

Thad teaching Ave how to kick the ball. She caught right on.
She LOVES books and loves being read to.
She loves to play with her toys and exploring anything around the house she can get into
The cupboards in the kitchen are a new adventure for her.
She knows she is so smart getting into them. Look at that smirk!
More playing with Dad.

Life doesn't get better then this.

Technical Difficulites

2010-10-14T00:52:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to upload pictures for the past two days with NO luck! I don't know what's going on. Thad got a new portable hard drive and I'm trying to take our pictures off and download onto the blog. Needless to say, it's not working! I will keep trying.

Growing up too fast

2010-09-20T00:46:00.000-07:00

Today she tried some mac n cheese for the first time and loved it. Of course.

This little girl is growing up so fast. She is one week away from being 10 MONTHS old. I can't believe it. Only two more months and she is going to be 1. Here she is drinking her sippy cup from a straw.... YES, a straw. She thinks she is a toddler already.

2010-09-18T00:26:00.000-07:00

This past few weeks have been so busy for us. We decided to take a break. We drove to Waikiki and went to the aquariaum. Ave loved it! She was so excited to see all the fish and different creatures. It was the perfect day.

Her personality is really coming out and we are enjoying every second of it.
This little guy had orange fangs. Ave was in a trance watching on the fish.
I mean seriously. Doesn't Thad take the coolest pictures?
Fishy!
The moment I could steal the camera away from Thad for a few seconds I hurry and snapped a pick of him and Ave. He has such a passion for life and capturing the moment, that he isn't in many pictures any more.
What a perfect day to visit the Aquarium.

The Aquarium is on Waikiki Beach. We have never really hung out here before so we decided to stay. We are always amazed at how much stuff we have to pack to the beach.

Taking a nap on the beach after a long, hard day of playing at the Aquarium and in the ocean.

Waikiki just before Sunset. I love the sail boats.

I love her little scrunched up face in this pic.

We grabbed a brochure from the Aquariam and saw there was a huge 50 block party just right up the street from the beach, so we thought we would join in on the fun. There was music, dancing and singing.
We had so much fun walking around and letting Ave look at everything.
Ave loved these stars that lite up. I wanted to get one for her room but it would just be one more thing to pack home.
Ave got a little hot walking around downtown Waikiki in her jammi's
Downtown Waikiki. . We got home at midnight. Today, I felt like I was on a mini vacation. A MUCH needed break for us all!

9 Months

2010-08-31T01:26:00.000-07:00

Our little baby is 9 months old. She weighs 19 lbs 4 oz and is 28 1/2 inches tall. She is growing so fast. She is a little turbo crawler. One day about two weeks ago she went from her army crawl to full on crawling. The very next day we were in the kitchen and Thad starts laughing and tells me to come over. She was crawling as fast as she could towards his phone.

She pulls herself up on anyone and everything. She loves to wave and move her body whenever she hears music. It's so cute! She says hi, momma, dadda, ball, and is working on saying mouth. OH and the other day she said uh oh. It's really amazing how fast she is learning. Thad answered his phone and said hello and she tried to say hello with the same tone and everything.

I love every second of being her mom. I couldn't have asked for a better baby. I would do anything for this precious little angel. She is so sweet and happy, unless we walk out of the room. She HATES being by herself. Of course she really isn't but when she can't see us she lets out a few yells.

Shark's Cove

2010-08-31T01:05:00.000-07:00

I think this is Ave's favorite place in Hawaii, Shark's Cove. It has just enough water for her to sit in all by herself and splash all around. We had so much fun!
Thad is so amazing at taking pictures. They are so artistic.

Thad buried Ave in the sand for the first time and she loved it.

Of course, she had to try it.

She found out pretty quick it has a really rough texture, but that didn't stop her from trying to eat it the rest of the day.

Look at those toes!

Hi guys!

She LOVED swimming with mommy's help.
Her teeth are getting so big. I love them! They are too cute when she smiles like this.

Ahhhh! More Mom, more!

Getting ready for a awesome sunset.

I really love Shark's Cove. It is the perfect place for us. Thad can go snorkeling for a while and Ave can sit and splash in the water all day. What about me you ask? If my husband and baby are happy, then I'm happy.

Seriously? Thad takes the most random, coolest pictures. I love them!

Aren't the clouds with the sun rays awesome?

And there it is.. Good ole' Shark's Cove at sunset.

The GREATEST shower on earth

2010-08-17T15:09:00.000-07:00

I have the BEST husband, hands down! He helped put this baby shower together, not only once, but TWICE! After working on it for about 4 hours Friday night, we woke up to disaster! It had all fallen down. I am so blessed to have such a awesome guy.

One of our very loved friends, Jackeline, is moving to China this week. She is expecting baby #2, and we weren't sure if she ever was given a baby shower. It hit me while I was laying in bed one morning, 5am to be exact, that I needed to do something for her. Later that day I talked with Lauren, and she was on board. We were on a mission!
Surprise!
After some research, Lauren and I decided to go with a circus theme. It was perfect! We had so much fun going to town together and picking everything out.
Popcorn, chocolate fountain, red vines, animal crackers, whoppers, cracker jacks, fruit striped gum... I think we got it all!
Ahh Jackeline, we are really going to miss you!
Ave playing with her clown nose.
Sylvia, lil' Jackeline and Dolly. Dolly is SO AWESOME! We called her and Devin, her hubby, Saturday morning and they were right over to help us with decorating and cleaning! Trevor, Lauren's hubby came too, but I didn't get a pic of him! Thanks Preisthood holders! You are the best!
Dad and Ave enjoying some snacks
Lauren and I really loved this! I think we should do it again! After some time passes right Lauren?
Do you feel like we are in a giant tent?
Summer, Ave, Katie, Jackeline, Lauren, Syliva and Jaime. These girls are so great! Especially Lauren, thanks so much for being inspired and willing to serve others!

Quite Crafty

2010-08-10T15:15:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was feeling like I needed to create something. I get in these moods quite often, but rarely have the chance to act on it. It was a relatively quite Saturday night, Ave just went to bed and Thad was watching TV, so I pulled out the fabric, hot glue gun, and book of matches and had at it. I really love making things, especially for Ave. It's so much fun! So here it is, some more flowers for her headbands. I LOVE this green one.
This little Miss Mae, is growing up so fast! That is one of the many nick names that I have for Ave. She is scooting around everywhere and is getting up on all fours and can go a few feet before falling down to her tummy. She rolls over, sits up, waves, points at things, smiles (on purpose) and loves to laugh. We started her on finger foods about 2 1/2 weeks ago and she absolutely loves feeding herself. I did have to put her on formula. She is growing so fast and my body can't produce enough milk for her no matter what I try. It's sad and the first time I feed her formula I got teary eyed but she is doing great. We love her so much.

Here are some of the flowers I made that night for Ave. They are so easy to make and fun too! I have some new ideas so I'll be posting those soon.

Another crafty idea. I was in charge of the enrichment activity a few weeks ago and one thing Thad and I struggle with is having FHE. So for enrichment I made copies out of a book that has great FHE ideas for newly weds and bought some cute jars and grabbed stickers, yarn, ribbon, markers and all sorts of paper to decorate our FHE jars. It was a huge success! Here is mine. It's so nice to be able to come home on a Monday night and just pull out your Family Home Evening lesson or activity. We love it!

We decided to go on a hike for FHE also. Hauula Loop Trail, it's awesome!

So beautiful. All three of us really enjoy getting out of the house and doing things outdoors. Somehow it always helps us feel closer to our Heavenly Father.

The troopers.

Ave was so tired after a hour of hiking. She finally passed out with her head bobbling all around. LIFE IS GOOD. REALLY GOOD.

No luck

2010-08-09T02:07:00.000-07:00

We went back tonight to see if we could catch any pirates, but no luck! It was pretty cool to see all of the fog over the water with a dark creepy ship. I'm excited for this movie to come out already!
The ladies...

We saw it!

2010-08-08T18:47:00.001-07:00

Yesterday we drove to Kaneohe just to see the filming of Pirates. It was pretty exciting! No famous actors or anything but it was really cool. I don't think this is the Black Pearl though, it looks different and we heard it's the captains ship.

Today at church one of my friends told me that she saw Johnny Depp last night! Me and my friend, Court are totally going tonight to see if we can catch a glimpse.
Ave was such a trooper, it was really hot!
From afar
This huge square box in the air is called a filter. Thad taught me that. It's to give the actors just the right lighting while filming. Sweet!

Dragon's Nostrils

2010-08-08T18:31:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went for a hike with our good friends, Court and Garrett. "Aunt NeeNee and Uncle G" to Ave. She loves them so much and we are really blessed to have such awesome friends.
We hiked down a huge mountain to get to these two holes. At first it's no big deal until the tide rises and water comes shooting out. Hence the name, dragons nostrils

The long journey down the mountain
The ocean is just a few feet from the dragon's nostrils and the waves were crashing all around us. It was awesome!
Avalee is very adventurous for being only 8 months old
Court and Garrett getting sprayed by the waves
Thad is so artistic. I love how he got our reflection in this pic
The happy family

F.H.E.

2010-08-08T17:54:00.000-07:00

For Family Home Evening we decided to go for a walk and just talk. I have been wanting to take Ave to the swings, since she had never been on one by herself.
As you can see, she LOVED it!
She couldn't stop smiling and laughing

Wheeeeeeeee
"Daddy, what are you doing?"

Black Pearl in Kaneohe Bay

2010-08-06T17:38:00.000-07:00

The Black Pearl of Pirates of the Caribbean has arrived in Kaneohe Bay. I LOVE this movie and it's my favorite ride at Disneyland. We are going for a drive tomorrow to see if we can spot it. Wish us luck! Who knows, maybe we'll even see Johnny Depp.

A day at the Fair and Beach

2010-07-24T19:13:00.000-07:00

We went a art fair in Haleiwa. It was so fun to get out.
Ave is getting so big. She is two days away from being 8 months old and is scooting all over the place. She is getting her two top teeth in and today we noticed she is getting two more top teeth in!

She loved her toy
Her first tatoo... (hopefully she never gets a REAL one.) ha ha
She loves her daddy so much

We are really going to miss living in Hawaii when we have to leave

Thankful

2010-07-24T02:16:00.000-07:00

Thad has been spending so much time with Ave and I don't know what I'm gonna do now that he is back in school. I am truly so blessed to have him as my hubby. I don't know what I would do without him.

These past few weeks have been SO busy! I have been swamped at the hale with new students checking in, current students leaving and students moving into my hale from other hales or off campus. Hale 1 is the most sought after Hale to live in because it's the only hale that has kitchens in it and is a apartment style. We have also been having training for the last 3 weeks and with all that's been going on I got sick! Ave had a runny nose and then I started feeling sick and then Thad got it too. Of course mine turned into a sinus infection like it always does. That is one thing I am dreading about Utah. I get sick all the time during the winter and Thads allergies are awful in the summer! I have the best RA's (resident advisors) ever! I don't know what I would do without these awesome girls. I am so grateful for all of their hard work and dedication to the hale and our awesome residents.

I also was in charge of a enrichment activity this week. It went really well, but was so much work. We made FHE jars. We decorated them and put lessons in the jars so every Monday night you just open the jar and pick a lesson and WaLah! Your done!

4th Of July

2010-07-24T01:52:00.001-07:00

3rd wedding ring

2010-07-24T01:46:00.000-07:00

Thad is on his third, yes THIRD wedding ring! The first one he lost on a camping trip with Shea in Utah and the second he lost snorkeling with my dad in Haunama Bay. He looked for both of those rings for at least a hour with no luck. We finally ordered him his third wedding ring and it's so nice to see him wearing one again. I don't think that he has learned his lesson. Today my friend Courtney came over and asked if I heard how Thad almost lost his wedding ring today. I said no and asked what happened. She explained that he was twirling it on a table with a umbrella holder but the umbrella wasn't in the hole and it fell down into the hole. He came back home and grabbed a hanger to fish it out. By some miracle he got it! He didn't tell me any of this and when I asked him he said he forgot! I'm not sure I believe that or not.... ha ha

Tantalus Drive

2010-07-24T01:24:00.000-07:00

Such a happy family
I have to say that I am pretty impressed at myself. Thad has such a eye for awesome pictures, but I took this one above!
There are no words to express how much I love this little girl.
So sweet
So happy...
A view of Waikiki

Happy Birthday Thad

2010-07-01T16:53:00.000-07:00

Me and Ave snuck home from church to decorate for Daddy's birthday. She played with Tigger in her crib to help Mommy. Such a good girl!
We really wanted Thad to feel loved and appreciated on his special day so we pulled out the crape paper and made some signs for him.
Thad didn't want cake for his birthday so I got creative and made Fruit Pizza. I think it's our new favorite dessert!

Happy Birthday Hun! I can't believe how blessed I am to have you as a husband and father to Ave. You are always working hard to better our future and putting our needs before your own. What a great example you are to us. We are truly so blessed to have you in our lives. I've never met anyone as patient, kind and understanding as you are. How'd I get so lucky? I know I never have to hold back with you and you will always be there for me no matter what. Thanks for showing me what unconditional love is. WE LOVE YOU!!!
Ave wanted to try some too
Yummy!
This was my favorite sign we made. Glue with glitter sprinkled on top.

A knock at the door

2010-07-01T16:07:00.000-07:00

I have the best girls that live in our Hale! We have Hale prayer every Sunday night but since it was Thad's birthday and he had been in meetings or at appointments since 8am I told the girls I wouldn't be there tonight so I could spend some time with my hubby on his birthday. So later that night we got a knock at the door and they had all made cards for him and sang Happy Birthday. It was so sweet! We love our girls!

Visitors

2010-06-21T20:51:00.000-07:00

Kirby and Travis came to visit us and we have been having so much fun with them. We went to spitting rock and had a picnic...Travis proposed to Kirby at Pipeline. Of course she said yes!
Avalee decided that the ocean can be a fun place to play...
I've been working out my arms... Ave is a great helper with that.
LOTS of pictures on the beaches...
Smiles all around!

A quick update

2010-06-17T14:26:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry I've been awful at blogging. I thought I better put up a few new pictures of Ave for all of you. We will be going private soon so please leave your email address if you haven't already. Thanks!

Going Private

2010-06-11T21:19:00.002-07:00

We are getting so many weird random comments on our blog so we will be going private but would still love for you all to be involved in our lives. Please leave your email and I will send you a invitation. Thanks!

Happy 6 Months

2010-05-29T02:34:00.000-07:00

I know I say this every month, but how does time keep flying by so fast?

It was so fun to feed Ave tonight. She has been so curious about food and wanting to taste everything so we decided it was time. She LOVED it!

She currently weighs 17 lbs and is 28" tall. 95% for her height! I wonder where she gets that from?

Who knew a little mini me of Thad could be so adorable?
I would kill to have Avalee's eyelashes. They are so long and perfectly curled.
Nana Stott will say, "look at her skinny neck" for this picture.

Ave's first apple

2010-05-23T03:14:00.000-07:00

Today we went up to the point to have a picnic. Thad made yummy grilled tuna fish sandwiches. We took some water, chips and an apple too. Lately, Ave knows when we are eating and looks intently at us with big curious eyes, begging to try a taste. Today it was an apple and Thad took this picture at the perfect moment. We love her face in it!

Hale Prayer

2010-05-18T23:43:00.002-07:00

Every Sunday night we have Hale prayer. I really love the spiritual thoughts that the girls give. It brings our hale closer together and gives me a chance to meet some of my residents on a more personal level. Of course, they all LOVE Ave.

Happy 3 Year Anniversary

2010-05-17T23:12:00.000-07:00

Today is our 3 year anniversary. I cannot believe how blessed I am to have such a awesome husband. He is always doing the most thoughtful things for me. I have such a hard time falling asleep lately because I am so worried about things going on in the hale, or things I need to get done.. The last two nights he has "tickled" my back until I fall asleep. I know he is exhausted from school and work but he is always putting me before himself. I am such a stresser and he is so laid back and care free. We really balance each other out. I cannot imagine my life without him. He makes me want to be a better person by his quiet example. I look up to and appreciate my husband. I know that I have truly been so blessed to have him in my life and as my eternal companion. I love you Thad!

Cooking

2010-05-17T08:12:00.000-07:00

Today I was really in a cooking mood. I'm glad I was because Thad was so busy with school and work we didn't have time to go out and celebrate. I know, everything in my life revolves around eating food! I made Gingerbread Pancakes for breakfast and they were divine! Here's the recipe. I strongly suggest you try them, they are so yummy!

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground dried ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 cup molasses
1 1/2 cups water

Directions

Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ginger, and cinnamon in a bowl; set aside. Beat the egg in a separate mixing bowl with the vanilla and molasses until smooth. Whisk in the water until completely incorporated. Stir the flour mixture into the molasses mixture until just combined -- a few lumps are okay.
Heat a lightly oiled griddle over medium-high heat. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto the griddle, and cook until bubbles form and the edges are dry. Flip, and cook until browned on the other side. Repeat with remaining batter.

For dinner I made a chicken pot pie from scratch. Again. So delicious! I am not the best cook but I must be getting better because both of my dishes today turned out amazing! This was really easy to make and scrumptious!

Ingredients

1 pound skinless, boneless chicken breast halves - cubed
1 cup sliced carrots
1 cup frozen green peas
1/2 cup sliced celery
1/3 cup butter
3/4 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 3/4 cups chicken broth
2/3 cup milk
2 (9 inch) unbaked pie crusts

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C.)
In a saucepan, combine chicken, carrots, peas, and celery. Add water to cover and boil for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, drain and set aside.
In the saucepan over medium heat, cook onions in butter until soft and translucent. Stir in flour, salt, pepper, and celery seed. Slowly stir in chicken broth and milk. Simmer over medium-low heat until thick. Remove from heat and set aside.
Place the chicken mixture in bottom pie crust. Pour hot liquid mixture over. Cover with top crust, seal edges, and cut away excess dough. Make several small slits in the top to allow steam to escape.
Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until pastry is golden brown and filling is bubbly. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Mama

2010-05-16T20:33:00.000-07:00

If this link won't work you can go to youtube.com and search for somerly3114 and then click on mama.

The New Place

2010-05-14T22:27:00.000-07:00

Front living room
Kitchen
More Kitchen
Avalee's room (no she does not sleep in her crib yet, mommy isn't ready for that)
Our bedroom with a cute sleeping baby
The back spare bedroom

Family Hike

2010-05-14T01:52:00.000-07:00

We went up to Hauula for a little evening hike. Thad has been working so hard in school and I'm super busy with work and Ave. We both needed a break and thought a hike would be a great way to get out and away from the hale for a little while. It was so fun!
My whole world in this picture.
Avalee is such a sweetie pie. I love her so much. I can't believe how blessed I am to be her mommy. I love every minute of it.

We definitely need to get out more. Hawaii is going to be over in one short year and we really want to experience as much as we can while we're here!

My New Life

2010-05-11T02:21:00.005-07:00

The other day Thad and I were outside taking pictures of Ave and me. After looking through some of them, I couldn't help but pointing out all of my imperfections. My sweet sweet husband walked over to me with tears in his eyes, took my face in his hands and told me how beautiful I am. I felt overwhelmed. Am I really that pretty to him? How does he see that when all I see are flaws? The answer came clear and strong. He has a Christ like love for me.

I know that the worlds view has affected my perception of my image. My insitute teacher use to call Cosmo magazine "women's porn" because it makes us envy those size 2 women . On the outside they look perfect, but on the inside most of them are a wreck. They are so unhealthy and are far from being perfect. It's called AIRBRUSH people!

The other day one of the girls in the Hale told me about this video, "My New Life". I watched it and cried my eyes out. Be warned, it is a tear jerker. I cannot believe how strong and amazing this young woman is. She was badly burned in a plane crash and she talks about her experience. She talks about how hard it is for her as she gets ready in the morning and longs for that woman she used to be. Her looks are no longer the same. She says, "As women we long to be beautiful and attractive." She has a new perception of what true beauty is and goes on to talk about how this trial has turned into the biggest blessing in her life.

Heavenly Father created us in his image, therefore we are already perfect. It is a gift from him. We should cherish and be thankful for what we have been given. I am going to try and be better at loving me for me and not being so worried about how I look all the time. What a inspiration!

My New Life

2010-05-11T01:38:00.000-07:00

Congrats Grad!

2010-05-11T01:37:00.001-07:00

My cute friend Court graduated online from Utah State. She worked so hard for about 5 years on getting her degree and graduated with a 3.8 GPA! We were so proud of her, we really wanted to surprise her with a party since she wasn't going to walk or have any pictures of her in a cap and gown. So we all put our heads together and devised a surprise party. We decorated with streamers, balloons, cake and ice cream. It was great!
The 3 happy couples. Isn't it weird that Thad is the shortest guy in this pic? Garrett and Lucas both play basketball, so that explains things. I promise Avalee's head is not cut off! She was asleep so Thad was holding her laying down. It looks funny though

Renovation

2010-05-07T01:48:00.000-07:00

This is our kitchen in our apartment. One of the first things out of the previous Hale moms mouth to me when we met was the kitchen has a awful sewage smell that comes and goes and we have no idea what it is! So after begging and pleading with housing they finally started to look into the problem and ended up ripping out kitchen sink and cabinets.
It has been a long week with all sorts of strange men in and out of our house and no access to our kitchen.
The culprit!
Here is the finished product. It's way nice and smells great. The only problem is notice the difference in the counter tops? They told us that they are knocking down our hale in 2 to 3 years and building new hales so they didn't want to spend the money on redoing the whole kitchen. We are very grateful for what we got and getting rid of that awful smell!

The Chair

2010-05-07T00:57:00.000-07:00

My cute friend Brynn left us this amazing chair! We love it so much. It used to be red with white polka dotes and as soon as I got my hands on it I changed it into this lime green masterpiece. Ok, my mom is the one who re upholstered it( with safety pins) I LOVE it! It's my favorite piece in my apartment. I had to put Ave on it cause she was so happy and all smiles.

5 Months

2010-04-27T23:09:00.001-07:00

Has it already been 5 months? Time seems to be flying by lately. Avalee is growing up so fast. I LOVE being a mom for so many reasons. Here are just a few:

1) I love waking up to a sweet smiling chubby face every morning
2) I love how she helps me to be more Christ like.
3) I love the joy and happiness she brings to everyone around her.
4) I love the extra load of pink laundry I do.
5) I love that I have my own doll to dress up and put headbands on. She really is the best accessory.
6) I love the smell of her baby lotion.
7) I love that she knows I'm her mommy.
8) I always have someone to talk too.
9) I love getting to sit down and snuggle up close with Ave about 6-8 times a day
10) I love watching her laugh with her daddy.

Precious sleep

2010-04-27T02:34:00.000-07:00

I should be sleeping right now. My little angel is snuggled in her warm bed and my determined husband is up late working on his homework. It's 11:30 PM and I should be in bed.... but I haven't blogged in about TWO weeks and I am having withdrawls! I need to update you all on our life. We have been so busy! We moved out of TVA and into our new place. Thad was amazing and moved everything pretty much by himself. I helped with one load then stayed at our new apartment to start putting things away while Ave slept. My parents came last Wed and it was so good to have them here and help us finish moving and decorating our new place. I am still learning a lot of things about my new job since I only had a 2 hour crash course on how to take care of the dorm and 119 girls. Phew! We are so grateful for my new job and the opportunity it gives me to be able to stay home with Avalee. We couldn't ask for anything else from the Lord we are so blessed! I hope you all really enjoy this post since I should be snoozing away with Ave right now.

It's about time

2010-04-27T02:06:00.001-07:00

Ave is really starting to enjoy her tummy time. Whenever she starts to fuss I put her on her tummy with some toys and she LOVES it!
Look at those pearly whites. They are getting so big. You can see our new place a little bit in this picture, but I will take some pics of the whole apartment soon so you can all see our new home. We really are enjoying it.... besides the cock roach problem! Yuck! That's a whole other post though
Love this adorable smile
Passed out with her bink and her sea horse. What else could a girl need?
This is how my husband moves. Hawaiian style baby!
We made the most yummy meals while my parents were here. Omelets, fajitas, stir fry, smoothies. Mmmmmm. I'm getting hungry just thinking about it.
Finally, some proof that my parents actually came to see us. I lost my camera in the move and I feel so bad that I didn't get more pictures with them. These are all from my phone. ( see the yellow tint.)
We went to Haunama Bay so Thad and my dad could get there fill of snorkeling. Mom, me and Ave just lounged around on the beach. This is our new Kelty carrier we got for Ave. It's amazing!
Isn't she the cutest
Ave still takes baths in the sink. She is definitely too big for it, but since our new place only has a shower we don't have a choice! I don't know what I'm going to do in another month or so.

Seriously so blessed

2010-04-06T02:08:00.000-07:00

After having Avee I thought I would be returning to my previous job working as a office manager for a local electrician on the North Shore but going back to work was so hard with Avee and the company wasn't doing so well and couldn't afford to have me back, even though my boss REALLY wanted me to come back anyways. I have been cleaning the local theater 2 to 3 times a week but it has been a challenge with finding a babysitter or putting Ave in a backpack on my back. I have enough back problems as it is! Thad and I have always felt so strongly about having me stay home to raise our kids. It's what the Lord has commanded and we know that if we will follow his commandments we would be seriously so blessed.

The end of the semester is coming up and we are completely out of savings. We have been so concerned how we were going to make ends meet. Then my cute neighbor, Dallyn, came up to me in church one day and said that the bishop had called her about the Hale position (dorm parents) He asked if she knew of anyone that would be interested in applying. She immediately felt the spirit prompting her about us. After telling us her prompting, Thad and I felt strongly that we needed to apply. Later, Thad told me that he felt inspired to apply last year but we couldn't because we weren't full time students at that time. So we applied for the job, had the interview in front of 4 people, and prayed for the Lords will to be done. We felt really good about things.

This morning I got a phone call congratulating us and asking if we would accept the position. Of course we said yes! It has been bittersweet because our good friends Courtney and Garrett also applied for the position and they didn't get it. We are so sad to be moving away from them. They are so great. They have watched Avee for us while I clean the theater quite a bit and we appreciate them so much! They love Avee as if she were there own niece. What a blessing they have been in our lives.

The Lord truly knows our needs in life, not just our wants. I know that we wouldn't be able to continue our education and our journey here in Hawaii without this job and we feel seriously so blessed that we have been given this awesome opportunity to serve 119 girls that will be living in our Hale. We can't wait to start! Did I mention it comes with a upgraded 3 bedroom apartment instead of our current 1 bedroom?

More Easter

2010-04-04T21:03:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed to be living within walking distance of a temple. I love it and really doubt that I will ever live this close to one again so we are taking full advantage of it. It has been closed the whole time we have been here, but should be opening this August sometime. We can't wait!

Nana sent this cute "carrot" and Ave couldn't get it into her mouth fast enough.
So big sitting up in her stroller. She doesn't really like laying down anymore.
We colored Easter eggs and it was so much fun and brought back a lot of childhood memories.

Ave's 1st Easter

2010-04-04T01:04:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter everyone! I almost didn't do anything for Easter this year because well, frankly we are poor college students. Then I realized, this is Avalee's first Easter and even though she won't remember it I want to start the family traditions now. So we drove to the dollar store and found these baskets for 99 cents each, the grass for $1.89 for the whole bag with three different colors and then went to Foodland and got some candy. I did it all for under 7 bucks! I'm quite proud of myself I have to say.
Here it is! She is totally sucking her thumb.
I swear she gets sweeter everyday.
Nana sent us these ears and I had to get a picture with Ave wearing them. I love her cute little smile in this pic.

Thanks Nana! We always enjoy getting packages from home. They mean so much to us.

Happy 4 Months Avalee

2010-03-31T23:42:00.001-07:00

I still can't get over how big Ave is getting. Everyday she is doing something new. She has found her thumb and likes to suck on it. It seems every time I pull the camera out, she stops and looks at me like what?

She is also starting to figure out that she can move her hand when she tries. She looks at it so intently, opens and closes it a few times and then shoves it in her mouth as fast as she can. It's so funny! I will keep trying to catch her in action

Cleaning Laie Palms Theater

2010-03-31T13:50:00.001-07:00

I forgot to mention in previous post that when Trina and Lee were here they came with me twice to clean the theater. It was such a huge help. It really spoiled me and now I want help every time I have to go clean.

Ave was so cute she rode around on dad's back and eventually fell asleep. She really loves being in the back pack. I think it makes her feel like she is a part of the action.

Avalee has discovered her feet

2010-03-27T01:34:00.000-07:00

I came around the corner to this! I started laughing so hard. She has definitely found her feet.

Spitting Rock

2010-03-27T01:31:00.001-07:00

After everyone left I was pretty sad so Thad, Ave and I decided to go around the island and see some new sites that we have been wanting to see. This is called Spitting Rock and the view is breath taking!

Family pic. Poor little Ave, her face is completely covered by her hat. I think I am overboard about her being in the sun. I keep sunblock on her constantly and she has to have a hat if we are going to be outside longer then a few minutes. Our friends let us borrow their back pack to carry Avee around in. It was such a HUGE help while the family was here. Thanks Susan and Aaron! We finally found one online and it should be arriving any day now.
The tide rises and forces the water to shoot out of this cave. It's really neat! You can't tell in these pics very well but you have to walk down the side of the cliff, like behind us in our pictures, but it's not as steep.

More of the family vacation

2010-03-27T00:49:00.000-07:00

How am I so blessed to have these two in my life? I learn so much from both of them everyday.
Avalee and Dadyy testing the water. She really enjoyed getting her toes wet.
We hiked up to the Lighthouse after a long day at Haunama Bay and it was perfect because as we were coming down the sun was setting and we got some really neat pictures!
It was so fun to have Trina and Lee stay with us. We really hope they can come back for Thad's graduation!
Thad is such a good daddy. It makes me fall in love with him even more every time I watch him with her.

Avalee was such a trooper the whole time the family was here. We drug her all over the island and she was so exhausted every night. I love her sweet crooked smile in this picture.
The top of the Lighthouse hike.

Haunama Bay.

The boys went out playing frisbee golf as usual but this time it was at night (don't ask how they play at night). When they came back Lee had a bloody fat lip. They told us how Lee went down to watch for the frisbees so they wouldn't loose them. As he was standing there watching and waiting for the others to throw, something hit him so hard in the face it almost knocked him down. He couldn't understand who or what hit him so hard. Sure enough it was a frisbee. Thad had thrown one of the disk golf drivers as hard as he could. These frisbees are heavy and sharp. They're designed to slice through the air. Apparently they do the same to lips. Bryce and Thad didn't yell a warning of "four" because they thought Lee was looking right at the frisbee and knew it was coming.

Happy Birthday Lee

2010-03-17T11:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Lee's "39th" birthday, at least that's how old he told us he was turning. Trina and Lee went to the PCC for the day and after we all went to Kahuku Grill for their world famous coconut shrimp, which is so yummy. Then we sang happy birthday to Lee and had pineapple upside down cake. It's great to have family here and be able to celebrate these special events with them. We love it!
Two proud dad's.

I can't believe how blessed I am. I have the coolest mother in law and all of my sister in laws are such sweethearts. I miss having girl talk and it's been awesome catching up with these two.
Thad still loves to show off how strong Ave is. He never gets sick of it.
Mason and Ave talking and playing together. It's fun to watch them interact. Poor Mason has had a fever the last few days over 100 degrees. He has been such a trooper. He received a blessing from his dad, Uncle Thad and Grandpa last night and is doing much better already.

Family in Hawaii

2010-03-15T21:23:00.000-07:00

They are finally here! We are so excited to have Trina, Lee, Tessa, Bryce and Mason here with us! Here is what we have been up to so far. I LOVE how Mason is showing off to Avalee and she is looking over at him. Ta daaa!
Going for a walk to the temple. Ave looks a lot like I did when I was a babe in this picture.
Ave, Papa, Nana and Mason at Temple Beach
Nana with her babies. She was SOOOO excited to see Avee, it was really sweet.
This is the first time dipping her toes in the ocean. I was nervous it was too cold for her, but Thad said she would be fine, so reluctantly I handed her to her daddy. I'm a very protective mommy! I can't help it, I worked so hard to get her her.
I love this little angel so much. Words cannot describe how grateful I am to have Avalee in our lives.
Love this cute little face.
Hanging out at the beach with dad.
It's true, I match Avalee to me a lot, but today I didn't do it on purpose, it just happened. She is a great accessory to all of my outfits though.

Teething

2010-03-07T01:17:00.000-08:00

Our precious baby girl is just barely 3 months old and she is already teething! I didn't think it was possible but all the signs were there. Drooling, slight fever, irritable, hand in her mouth all the time and just not feeling so good. Sure enough we felt a tooth coming through. The very next night Thad told me to come over and announced that he felt a SECOND tooth! My little baby is growing up way too fast. She has been such a trooper since both of her teeth have been cutting through. We are so proud of her. (If you double click on this picture and look closely you can see her two teeth on the bottom)

Family coming to Hawaii!

2010-02-24T19:09:00.000-08:00

Tess, Bryce, Mason, Trina and Lee are ALL coming to visit us in Hawaii in just two short weeks! We are so excited to see them all and hang out! They found cheap tickets on Hawaiian Air just a few days ago. I still can't believe they are coming! We can't wait!!!

Nap Time

2010-02-23T18:11:00.001-08:00

Ave loves her purple sea horse that Nana and Papa gave her for Christmas. It soothes her right to sleep. It's so funny how she loves to have something touching her face to help her fall asleep.

Silking

2010-02-18T13:28:00.000-08:00

Let me clarify what the term "silking" means for those of you who don't know. When we were growing up my older sister, Roz, had a silk pillow case and was constantly putting it up to her face, especially her nose. That's the only way she could fall asleep. She trained our younger bro, Sean to do it when he was little and then all three of her boys. So here is Ave "silking" on her own! Too cute!

The Best Valentines Day Ever

2010-02-16T17:15:00.000-08:00

We haven't been to the beach since before Christmas! Yes, I know that we live in Hawaii and that's crazy, but it's hard with a new baby. Thad has really been wanting to go but I was so beat after this week of working at the theater, Haircuts for Haiti, watching Ave and trying to keep up on everyday chores that I wanted to stay home and relax. So after going back and forth all morning long of what we would do, Thad won and we stayed home and had the best day! This was by far the best Valentines Day I have ever had, being the with the two people I love the most. Here's a look at our day...

Thad is on his THIRD, yes, THIRD, wedding ring! Our 3 year anniversary is coming up this May and I am beginning to wonder if he thinks he gets a new wedding ring for each year we've been married... He lost his first one in a river while he was hiking and his second snorkeling.
He got me a new phone! It was only $18.88 at Walmart. I know it's Walmart, but I love that store sometimes.
Then we made a nice V-Day dinner. Steak, rice, asparagus and rolls! Yum! Ave was asleep after it was all done cooking so we got a nice quiet dinner.
Homemade cards to each other... I have been craving sugar cookies so bad lately, so I decided to make some. Thad's mom emailed me a recipe and I got to work. Ave was so good and just hung out in her swing while mom was cooking. Notice how she's holding her binki and sucking on her hands.
My dough did not quite turn out. It wasn't sticking together, so I threw it away.
Thad's dough. Seriously! He is such a better cook then me. Apparently, the directions weren't very clear and I guess EVERYBODY, but me, knows that when your making cookies you have to beat the eggs and mix the sugar in with them BEFORE adding them to the dry mix. Opps!
Avee was so good while we were baking.
Helping mom make the frosting. We didn't have red, so we went with a blue green color instead.
Smiles for dad...
Ta da!
Oh! We couldn't forget our daughter for Valentines Day! She got a bumbo!
I found it on craigslist for only $20 bucks!
As you can see, Avalee really enjoys her bumbo. All smiles!

Haiti

2010-02-12T16:01:00.001-08:00

Isn't this poster amazing?! Thad made it for me! He had to do a project in one of his classes and he decided to do this. I still can't get over how professional and awesome it looks! This isn't very big here, but if you double click on it you can see all of the details. He spent a few hours on this and I really LOVE how it turned out!

Smiles

2010-02-11T00:34:00.000-08:00

Ave is changing everyday. Her newest thing is laughing. She hasn't quite figured it out yet, but she tries so hard. Most of the time she ends up squealing in delight instead. It's so cute!
I mean how can you not love this smiley face
I love her look in this one. She doesn't want to lay down anymore and even when we prop her up on a pillow, she uses her new found stomach muscles to sit up. We've got to get her a bumbo chair.... and soon!

Playing with Dad

2010-02-04T11:51:00.000-08:00

Thad loves to play with Ave. It's really sweet to watch. Sometimes he freaks me out with the stuff he likes to do. Here he is showing me that our daughter can stand up with no help. Of course 1 second later she starts to fall and he grabs her but they both have fun scaring me when they do stuff like this!
I have to admit, I was laughing too while these two were playing. Look at her face and she's pushing so hard.
"Mom, look at me! Look at me!"
Avee likes to have blowouts so we are constantly bathing her in our kitchen sink. She is too tall now and can't stretch out all the way. It's time to upgrade her to a real tub I think.
Look at that fat little belly! I love it!

Haircuts for Haiti

2010-02-03T12:44:00.000-08:00

As I watch the news, I am so saddened by the images I see and the stories I hear of the thousands of homeless and helpless people in Haiti. I feel so strongly that I need to be helping out in some way. As a new mother and a wife of a full time student, I feel helpless because my husband and I are poor college students with nothing to give. Through inspiration I realized that I do have something to give. I can give my time and my talents. I may not be able to physically go to Haiti to build homes and bandage wounds but with your help I can donate my talents in other ways. I need your help with a service project. I am a cosmetologist and have been cutting and coloring hair for over 5 years. You can help Haiti by allowing me to be your stylist for one month – the month of February. If you or anyone you know is willing to change your monthly routine and trust me with your hair, I will donate all of the proceeds to the LDS Church’s Humanitarian Services Emergency Response who will then use this money to help with the tragic events that have recently taken place in Haiti.

The first presidency has asked the members worldwide to help with the efforts in Haiti. (See video below) Here are some ways you can help in this service project:

-Set an appointment

-Donate money to the fund

-Donate your own time or talents to the project

-Spread the word

Have I Done Any Good in the World Today?

2010-02-02T22:57:00.000-08:00

Christmas with the Cousins

2010-01-30T18:47:00.000-08:00

I just was looking at Jade's blog (my sis-in-law) and realized I never posted this super cute pic of Ave and all of her cousins. You should have seen us cooing, bribing, making all sorts of noises and sounds trying to get them all to look in the same direction at once. Someone should have been filming us! It was too funny.

Pictures on the beach

2010-01-29T14:52:00.000-08:00

We actually got these pics done before we went home for the holidays when Avee was only 2 1/2 weeks old. Our good friend Jen took them and they turned out amazing and were great Christmas presents to both grand parents.

2 Month Doctor Visit

2010-01-28T12:05:00.000-08:00

We just had our 2 month doctor visit. Avee is doing great. She now weighs 12 lbs 4 oz. and is 23 inches long.
The "mean" nurse had to give Ave her immunization shots. THREE of them and they were not fun. The nurse had me hold her legs while she gave her the shots. I have never seen my baby cry so hard. I got all teary eyed. It was a hard day for both of us. Thad couldn't make it cause he had class. We really needed daddy...
But as soon as we got home he was there to love on both of us and Avee calmed down quite a bit after he held her for a while. It's so cute how much she loves him.
She even let us put her in her swing so we could eat dinner. Then she started foaming at the mouth.... hmmmm Rabies maybe?? ha ha ha Her little dress was soaking wet when we were done eating.
Finally passed out in our bed after a long, hard day. Going to the doctor is no fun!

FHE

2010-01-26T18:22:00.000-08:00

We are trying to be better at having FHE but have found it hard so we thought we'd invite some friends over for motivation. It was so fun! I made a yummy raspberry pie, they did the lesson and to top it off we played Ticket To Ride.

Dolly and Devin. Avee LOVES Dolly! It's so cute she just stares and smiles at her.

Helping dad and she did a great job, because they won.... OF COURSE! Thad always wins no matter how hard I try to beat him, it's really frustrating!

The good stuff

2010-01-25T16:38:00.000-08:00

Avee is growing so fast. We can't believe how strong she is. It's fun to watch Thad play with her. She is his favorite! Always smiling, cooing, and laughing when he talks to her. It's so cute. I just sit there and watch with the biggest smile on my face. Could I be any more blessed?When Avee was born she was a complete angel for the first few days of her life, hardly ever crying or fussing. Then we brought her home and it was a whole different story. She fussed all the time and cried most of the night. Thad would stay up with her to give me a break, but we could tell her tummy was really hurting her, but couldn't figure out why. While we were in Utah, Trina told us that Thad was ten times worse when he was a baby. She said looking back she thinks it was the milk in her diet that bothered him so much. Milk still hurts his tummy to this day. So out of desperation I took milk out of my diet and about 5 days later we had a totally different baby. Well, this week I thought I would try to introduce some dairy back into my diet and see how she did. We started with some pizza. Bad idea! The next few days she has been gassy, fussy and not able to sleep. I was having a hard time not being able to eat dairy, but after watching my poor babe in so much pain, it's much easier to make the sacrifice. I would do anything to keep her out of pain.
Here we are after a long sleepless night taking a nap. The only way she could sleep was on her tummy on me. I wonder where she gets sleeping with her mouth open from?? =)
Apparently Thad likes to take pictures of us sleeping. He said that when he woke up, he looked over at us and she had the biggest grin on her face, but then I moved and he only caught the half end of her smile.
Mom this post is for you. Look how cute my hair is! And I did it all by myself. The cute clip that Trina made for Avee helps it look even cuter! I already love having a daughter and borrowing her stuff.
Thad can always get a smile out of her. She LOVES him so much!
Our friends gave us this swing at a baby shower. At first, Ave didn't love it, but now we set her in it and turn it on and she passes right out. It's so nice!
Notice anything new in this picture??? We got a new stove... FINALLY! Our old stove kept turning off when we turned it on. It would take about twenty minutes to get it to stay on.

Family Picture Time

2010-01-21T21:37:00.000-08:00

Here is the whole Powers gang... well almost. Jordan is serving his mission in Utica, NY. Isn't my family huge? I love it! When I was little I always wanted to have TEN, yes TEN, kids because we all had so much fun growing up together. Now that I'm on the other side and would have to raise those TEN kids myself, I've changed my mind. =)

Happy 2 Months Avee!

2010-01-21T15:50:00.000-08:00

Avee has found her hand and she LOVES to suck on it. She is starting to prefer her hand over her binky.
Playing with Tigger.
We can't believe how strong she is!

Kicking and pushing....

Almost there....
And she does it!!! She can roll over all by herself! Is that normal at 7 1/2 weeks???
This little girl is already growing up so fast! The other night she rolled over, and not by accident either! She did it three times in a row. It's so fun to watch her learn and grow but I have mixed feelings about her growing up.

Berry Sweet

2010-01-15T23:18:00.000-08:00

7 Weeks today

2010-01-14T21:52:00.000-08:00

I can't believe our little girl is already 7 weeks today! It feels like time is flying by so fast. We went for a walk today and it was a little breezy so I wrapped her up in this cute blanket. It's actually a hooter hider/ car seat cover/ blanket that my aunt and cousins gave me. My cousin Jenny made it. I love it! It's so versatile.

Baby

2010-01-13T15:26:00.000-08:00

Avee Mae trying to wake up. She still has that dang cold we got in Utah and sleeps all day. I really want to get her on a schedule but I feel so bad waking her up from naps when she's sick....
Jade and Paisley let us borrow this cute dress and it is perfect for Hawaii! She is so precious in it!
I know that both grandma's are dying for some new pictures of Avee Sorry! I haven't really taken any since we got back to Hawaii, but I will be better at it!

Christmas Eve

2010-01-13T12:30:00.000-08:00

All the grandkids together on Christmas Eve in there new jami's that grandma got them. Except Avee, her little outfit was too cute for me to change her and we still had to go over to Thad's families house so they could see her. We didn't take any pictures with Thad on Christmas Eve because he had the flu... Yuck!
Beau Beau loving on Avee
I miss my sisters so much! I wish I could pack them and bring them to Hawaii with me. Hopefully at least one of them will be coming to visit us this year!
I love this pic and aren't her little brown boots the cutest! Having a girl is so much fun to dress up like a little doll. I love it!
I love this pic of my dad with Avv and Livi.... and Livi's horse!
Grandma with her girls

So tired after opening all her presents and seeing two families