Island Roos

11 months WOW MOM!

2012-01-23T16:16:00.000-08:00

Can I have some of that banana?

Not by the hair on my chiny chin chin!

Pat a cake, pat a cake...clapping is so fun!

I love my cousin Wes!

What mess? Oh this? Cats sure are messy, right mom?

Check out these bad boys. Thats right 3 teeth!

So many reasons to get a dish washer.

But this is the cutest reason

I can't tell you how much I love this boy! He is so much fun. He lights up when he sees Hanalei and daddy! He is so easy going. Anyone can't get him to show off those big yummy dimples!

While in cali he said his first word. Dog, thanks strudel! He signed it at the same time otherwise I might have missed it. It sounds like "og". Since we got home from our trip he has perfected all done and immediately claps after he signs it! If he had his way Waimea would attach his hands permanetly to my hands so he could "walk" around the world. He loves to be outside and loves his trike! I am so blessed to have him in my life!

Wai Guy

2011-12-16T16:45:00.000-08:00

Helping dad fix the moped

10 Months Already!

I love this Kid!

He is so stinking cute. Lately he is a crawling machine. Gets where ever he wants pretty quickly. If he had his choice, he would travel by holding on to the fingers of rusty or myself and walking around the house. He is in love with two things, Hanalei and the kitties. No one can crack him up like they do. Much like his older sister he is a talker. He just babbles on, and can scream louder than something that small should be able to. He finally got a tooth but he doesn't really like showing people. I will try later for another tooth shot.

My Girl!

2011-11-16T18:45:00.001-08:00

People always say that Hanalei looks like Rusty. She is all Rueckert.

She might look like a Rueckert but the Wilcox in her sneaks out every now and again.

She has grandma's green thumb

She loves to sing, especially while watering tomatoes

She loves kitties, definitely not from her dad

Wait for it...wheels are turning

Thats MY girl!

Imagination

2011-11-16T18:37:00.000-08:00

My little Hanalei has a great imagination. She loves to be a mommy to her dolls, call people on the phone, and give creative reports when dad asks what we did that day. Its so fun to see her expand her mind. Lately we have been making forts and having pretend picnics. This time we had a rain storm so we needed an umbrella.

Feed Me!

2011-11-16T18:28:00.000-08:00

Waimea is getting so grown up now. Its crazy how big they seem when you can pretty much throw whatever dinner is, on their tray. Even ribs, Which is surprisingly a great teether with nutritional benifits. And for dessert Waimea dimples. Yummy! Love that boy!

Can you tell me how to get,

2011-11-01T10:37:00.001-07:00

How to get to Sesame Street?!

Oscar, Big Bird, The Count, and Elmo

My Big Boy!

2011-10-26T16:57:00.001-07:00

Waimea 8 months

As I am looking as these pictures I am just smiling and falling more in love with this little guy. He is such a great baby boy! So scrumptious! I want to slow down time and savor him. He is just growing too fast. Lately he has been trying to crawl. For about a month now. He just ends up doing lots of pushups. He has sitting up down pact. This makes playing and bath time and anytime more fun. No teeth yet. He is now sleeping in his crib for naps and bed time. Which means I end up getting him when he wakes at 3:00 am so he won't wake Hanalei(The kid can wail). And again at 5:30-6:00 am. I love him anyways.

Right after the beach.

Washing off sand and playing with the hose

First time sitting up. He is so proud of himself!

He loves riding on Hanalei's tricycle.

He is really good at staying up on that thing

Pondering life

Waimea Loves:

His family

Checking out that adorable baby in the mirror

Eating

Books

Blowing bubbles

Being nibbled on

Walks

Swinging

Baths

Being outside

Cats

Trying to feed himself

Things we love about Waimea: EVERYTHING!

My Princess...sometimes

2011-10-03T18:10:00.000-07:00

When I look at Hanalei and the things she loves most, I think of my own childhood. I loved my dolls and dressing my cats, but I also loved to play with the boys.

Recently she has been getting more excited about princesses and magic wands and such.

Grandma Wilcox sent this fairy outfit

And Granny sent this homemade tutu

When they first came in the mail she said Im too big, and later I'm too Little. When she finally decided she was the right size she didn't want to take it off.

But she still loves Mo'os and more recently these awesome goggles

I was surprised when she let me put this baby gecko on her

He stayed with her for a while, and when we tried to get him off he was hesitant

Our neighbor works at Turtle Bay Resort

She found these goggles by the pool

She still loves Helicopters and HAIRplanes. Rusty and I always joke that she is going to be a pilot when she grows up. I love my little princess/tomboy

Update

2011-09-01T17:24:00.000-07:00

Hanalei...2 years 5 months

My cute girl! She is a little sponge. She talks nonstop. Some of the things she says make me laugh. "Oh my gossshhh" "thank you, welcome" "I want to watch Icky Mouse" this one I hear all the time.

She is finally loving nursery and runs to the nursery leader screaming "aunty!" when she sees her at church. I catch her singing ABC's or twinkle little star but she rarely will sing on demand.

She is my little mom lately. She is really getting into her dolls, one in particular she named baby Sophie. She nurses sophie, puts her to sleep with a blanket and feeds her in Waimea's bumbo. She will put baby Sophie in her room and say night night and blow a kiss just like I do to Hanalei. It is so sweet.

SHe has her opinions, yes she does. And she has decided she doesn't like baths, brushing her teeth, and going to bed. They still happen but man does she throw a royal fit!

Potty training is going great!

Hanalei got some underwear from

Grandma that actually fit her little bum.

This is our new Kitty Pineapple.

We rescued him from the Dole plantation, hence the name.

Daddy made this awesome toddler book shelf for Hanalei.

She can find and put back the books all by her self

Hanalei playing with a baby chick we rescued.

He didn't make it. Hanalei's first lesson on death

We stopped on the way home from Church to look at the turtles.

There had to be 10 turtles that day.

One of Hanalei's favorite things to do is color in her "Art Studio"

We set up a spot under the house where she can use her markers.

She makes a huge mess but its okay cause she's under the house.

Notice her seat is a skate board.

My nude model. She loves to wear my shoes around the house.

This time she happened to be naked. I know it is strange

for some to see so many pictures where she is naked, but it is

stinking hot and we have been potty training so clothes come off a lot.

how cute is her hair by the way?

Hanaleis is seriously so good with Waimea. She plays with him,

fetches toys and diapers, and does this high pitch baby talk that is so cute.

Waimea...6 months

18 lbs...hello! He is in the 80% for his height. He is my big boy! He is such a good baby. Happy and a smile that could melt butter. He loves his family. Hanalei and daddy are easily the only things that could distract him from "dinner with Mom". He is talking his own talk and he sounds like a boy, deeper sounds. He can roll around now, and is super strong.

He is eating all sorts of yummy baby foods and cereal. He loves rice crackers and mommy's milk.

I love this picture! He loves this cat!

Pineapple is really good with him.

Even when Waimea tries to eat him.

This is Baby Sophie.

There due dates were 6 days apart but Waimea

came early so they are almost a month apart
It's fun to watch them learn and grow together.
Rice cereal. Not sure at first, but lovin it now!

Play-doh fun!

Everything is in the mouth now.

I am just waiting for a tooth to show up.
He loves his toys and freaks out when he drops them.
My hawaiian baby. Flower in his ear, he is spoken for by mommy!
I am gonna have to beat the girls off of him he is just too cute!

As for Rusty and I we are doing great too. We both can roll over and are 99.9% potty trained. I wish I could say I slept through the night but Waimea makes that pretty challenging. We are loving our little family and our wonderful life.

It's Potty Time!

2011-08-01T10:36:00.000-07:00

In the past I have given half hearted attempts at starting potty training with Hanalei. I had my excuses: New baby coming, a big family trip, horror stories from my friends own potty efforts. Well, the time has come.

We started last week and Hanalei is a champ. We watched some videos on YouTube. She was pretty excited about elmo being on the potty. I made a sticker chart that we both decorated. It was time. That first day was pretty messy and lots of tears. We got through it.

Can you tell which part I decorated and which part Hanalei did?

She often gets herself up on the potty and

comes running out to me screaming,

"I did it!"

Outside is where she prefers to do number two

Getting rid of the evidence

If we stay home and just hang out she is 100%. Two Sundays in a row she has been accident free at church which is a huge accomplishment. She gets a little distracted at friends houses and has had some accidents in those situations.

We are still working on poop. She has done it probably three times in the potty. Her preferred spot is out in the yard somewhere. I don't recall getting a dog, yet I am constantly picking up poop. She has come a long way. Not too long ago she would cry when she needed to poop, so I am just happy that there are no more tears.

She is pretty proud of herself, and so are we.

She loves purple anything,

and purple underwear are now at the top of her list.

This might be my favorite picture of all time.

Yosemite with the Rueckerts Part 1

2011-07-22T16:58:00.001-07:00

Our trip started off a little hectic. Rusty left his carry on at the gate in Honolulu. So before we could meet up with his family we had to go shopping. Why didn't I forget my bag!? He had two pairs of underwear. Needless to say, we did a lot of laundry.

The first night with the Rueckerts we stayed at this cabin.

Don't you just love this swing?!

While Rusty went off on a grand adventure with his dad, Spring and Rondi,

Kendra and I walked around the village with the kids.

I am sure Kendra and I were more tired after our day

We were constantly surrounded by amazing views.

Here Hanalei points out yet another waterfall.

Cool picture of my daredevil family

Plenty of rocks to climb and fall off of

Yosemite Falls behind them

Waimea along for the ride

Probably Hanalei's favorite part was the bus.

She was very excited to ride probably because

she wasn't strapped in a car seat

We took the bus a lot

Both of my kids were troopers, sleeping when they could

The roots of a giant sequoia

When we saw the deer hanalei was done hiking.

We sent the others ahead to see the sights and

we enjoyed a family of deer

What's the sign for deer?

We told her that they were a family. So she kept saying

"Daddy deer, Mommy Deer, Brother Deer, Sister Deer"

She is adorable

Five gems in this Picture.

One Giant Sequoia, Two deer, and Two Cute Boys

Can you tell they are ready for a REAL nap

Check out the size of that pine cone...and that baby!

While we waited for the bus to take us back,

Hanalei played on these tree stumps

Typical boy, teasing the girls

It was a fun adventure.

We are excited to do it again when the kids are older

Which baby is it?

2011-06-12T17:59:00.001-07:00

One of these babies is Waimea and the other is Hanalei.

Don't judge me for putting my little boy in a dress.

It is ammo for when he becomes a sassy teenager.

Summer is here!

2011-06-12T17:46:00.001-07:00

It is staying light a little later these days and Hanalei loves to just go play in the sand. We snuck away one evening and were treated to an amazing experience.

The view at three tables was treat enough

But a monk seal decided to nap on the beach to really make the night great

Hanalei acted as if this was a every day thing.

She was completely in her own world until the seal did a big snort.

Then it had her full attention

Me and my "BIG Baby"

She likes to be called BIG lately and in most cases

Big Baby is pretty accurate.

The sunset was perfect just like our night

Mother's Day

2011-06-12T17:31:00.000-07:00

I know it was a while ago, but I have been busy, ok fine, I've been too lazy.

Here are the pics with me and my babies!

Rusty got me a beautiful ginger lei. He took Hanalei to the store to buy it and she actually picked it. The purple orchid lei is from church. I love being a mom x2.

2011-05-21T00:52:00.000-07:00

It's days like this that make me never want to leave Hawaii

She is getting so fun a t the beach.

I know it looks like a mermaid

but we called it a fish cause she doesn't know what a mermaid is.

Off to do our important work...snail hunting

She is very determined to relocate the snails. She will do this for hours

How cute is that bum. Thanks for the cute suit Aunt Shelly!

In her hand is one of the snails. They are pretty small but full of entertainment

Tickets for the gun show anyone?

Marty enjoying the Hawaiian lifestyle on the SUP

We love our life!

Now when are you coming to visit us?

My Growing Kids

2011-05-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

Hanalei...Two Years, Two Months

Loves:

My iphone

movies

swimming with mom

playing in the sand

looking for crabs and snails

talking on the phone, She will say, "Can you hear me?"

books...favorite at the moment Queen of Hearts a valentines day book

singing...favorite is Wheels on the Bus

cupcakes and gum, she asks for them constantly even when there are no cupcakes to be seen

counting things

I think her favorite color is purple because she always is drawn towards it. If their is a choice of colored cups or spoons or shoes, she wants the purple ones.

Hanalei Loves "Clay-Doh" as she calls it.

Granny got here this play-doh kit for her birthday and she can't get enough.

She loves to poke it with tooth picks and cut it with the spatula

A trip to the waikele outlets. There are more of these rides here

than anywhere in the world... okay I'm assuming, but there are a lot!

What's this you ask? Potty training?

We have given it a try a time or two.

We have been successful once while playing outside.

You can guess what's in the bowl...fine I'll tell you. #2

We found this little guy in our house. Hanalei said, "Little 'C'"

She knows her letters A-Z and is now learning their sounds.

She is one smart cookie!

Waimea...Three Months

At his two month (closer to 2 1/2) apt

he weighed in at 13 lbs 5 oz

He is sleeping better at night. He gets real cranky in the evening but thank goodness he takes a binky. He loves to sit up or stand up while I hold his hands. Then he gives you some adorable smiles and if your lucky, a few coos.

Waimea as you can see is getting

bigger and more adorable every day

While Hanalei played outside on the playground,

Waimea decided to take a nap in the baby swing.

Murry our kitty is always with us. He is like a guard cat.

When we go on walks he is waiting at the end of our drive for us to return.

He slept a long time...Heaven
How did I manage to get such a cutie pie

(teddy bear was totally forced into his arms but he had a good grip on it)

Rusty's little brother Marty is staying with us for the summer.

Waimea was Marty's first diaper change

The Kids

Hanalei fights us every night to get in the bath

but always has fun once she is in. She knows it all leads to bed time.

Waimea loves the bath. It calms the beast. He kicks and kicks.

Hanalei got kicked a few times in the bath and says "stop it please"

Can you see those cute dimples?
Her hair is getting outta control but she is reluctant to let me do it.
Her first pony tail...back to the drawing boards

Do you see how massive my boy is?

Easter

2011-05-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

I was excited for Hanalei to really get into the

decorating portion of Easter. Rusty always does.

SHe was very excited about getting the dye everywhere

But when it came to the eggs she just wanted to eat them

Waimea was a little cranky... thank goodness for binkis

The next day we had a Easter party at our friends.

Hanalei found a piece of candy that needed to be eaten immediately

while hovering over her next victim

Bubbles are a toddler pleaser

I have some cute men in my life

Waimea found some eggs too
this is what happens when you ask Hanalei to smile. Adorable

Happy Easter!

Melts Your Heart

2011-04-16T18:46:00.000-07:00

Every now and then your kids say something that really gets you all emotional. A couple days ago Hanalei woke up and I pulled her into bed with Waimea and I. She cuddled right in all cozy with Waimea and said, "My family". I had to take a picture to capture that moment. I love that she knows what family means. I LOVE my Family!

The Mural

2011-04-04T19:06:00.000-07:00

So masters finished their work and had some time to play too. I am in love with this room. Hanalei loves it too. So for those of you less fortunate to never have been to Hawaii, this is depicting an actual place. This is the bay that we live by. I know, poor us! Waimea Bay and the Valley are beautiful. Our baby boy is named Waimea because of the joy that this place has brought to Rusty and I.

I love the trees blowing in the breeze.

This Church tower is somewhat of a historic landmark.

We live right next door to it.

I've put Waimea here a few times and he just looks at all the pretty colors

This ones dark sorry, lighting

How fun to sleep on the beach everyday

Anytime some one comes over she points to her favorite things:

Church, peacock, boat, waterfall, helicopter, rocks and trees. So she pretty much points out everything, cause she loves it all.

Waimea jump rock, where Rusty fell in love with me

Hanalei loves to feed the peacocks in Waimea Valley

She is obsessed with helicopters

this one is the coastguard that flies by often

looks kinda like Nemo

Often there are boats in the bay when it is calm.

THis last weekend was one of those days.

There was a boat in the bay and then one further out to sea.

She said "A little boat, and a big boat!"

Thank you so much to my mom Dee Dee and to my sister Sallie! You did awesome!

He Chunks Up Nicely

2011-04-01T16:20:00.000-07:00

One month and eating well!

One Week

2011-03-27T23:34:00.000-07:00

My Awesome friend Breanne, took these pictures for me. They turned out awesome! This is only a portion of the photos she took. It's crazy how much he has changed already since these were taken.

Hanalei has mixed emotions about her little brother. She loves to bring him a blanket and a binki. She says multiple times during the day, "Silly Brother" or "Silly My-may-ah" That one melts my heart. She tends to flip out when I need to nurse or hold the baby. She will say, "Grandma Hold the baby." Or who ever else is close, any one but mom hold the baby!!

Waimea is a great baby. He cries when he is hungry, or if we have been neglecting him for too long. He is generally easy going. He likes to eat often. I am anxiously awaiting the night he will sleep more than 3 hours with out needing to nurse. It's amazing us moms don't crash every time we get in the car.

He's Here!

2011-03-01T20:56:00.000-08:00

Waimea Lincoln Rueckert
February 20, 2011
6 lbs 7 0z
20 inches

Well, it all started with a pedicure. My friends Breanne and I were pregnant together. So we could whine and complain to each other about all the fun things that happen to you. Also we could justify a much needed pedicure. We got to the salon and the man doing my feet tells me about the last pregnant lady he worked on, and how her water broke right then and there in their shop. I said to give me the same pedicure (haha). We then went shopping for an outfit to bring Waimea home in and had a great ladies day. That evening we went to our land lords 50th party and stuffed our selves full of the biggest crab legs ever and lots of spicy shrimp. So so good. That evening I was getting ready for bed with my usual discomfort at the end of the day. I started feeling a lot of tightness in the tummy. Then again, and again. We started timing my contractions. Every 1-2 min. We decided that was pretty close and better start heading to the hospital. I wanted to shower and rusty scrambled to get things ready. As we headed out the door we woke up Dave and told him we were having the baby and to listen for Hanalei.

We checked in at the hospital just before 2:00 am on Sunday morning. After a few hours I was dilated to a 5, so they said nows the time to get the epidural. It took a few tries to get it. Not fun. Eventually we were good to go and it started kicking in. A couple things happened: One my left leg was dead to the world. You could have cut the thing off and I wouldn't have felt a thing. The other result was that my contractions slowed dramatically. They finally decided to break my water. That helped. Then they started the pitocin. It was go time soon after.

The nurse checked me again and I was at a ten. She told the doctor the baby was ready and I was ready. SO as they all got ready I was just hanging out. It was so nice not to be in pain. I could actually pay attention to what was going on. I pushed with two contractions and there he was. What a miracle. Rusty and I both cried a little and I held my beautiful boy.

About ten minutes after he was born he started breathing hard and they were concerned. After giving him oxygen for about 30 min they decided he needed to be in the NICU and be hooked up to a CPAC. I was devastated. I wanted to love all over him. I wanted to nurse him. I wanted to snuggle him up in a warm blanket and just stare at him for hours. Instead I had to be wheeled to him and hold his little hand while he was hooked up to wires and tubes. I knew he was fine and would be fine but I wasn't. We didn't know how long he would be there, or if we would be able to bring him home with us. I was broken inside. I didn't want to talk to anyone about it because I just would break down.

After this initial bad news, the rest of the news was good. After a day and a half he was coming to the room with me and nursing and after a LONG checkout process from the NICU he was coming home with us.

He is beautiful. He looks so much Like Hanalei did at this point. He eats frequently day and night, so everyone is tired.

Hanalei is still adjusting to brother. The first few days were awful. If she wasn't freaking out because I was holding him, she was wanting to hold him and count his eyes. We have told her so many times not to touch his eyes that she now scolds her doll and says, "No Eyes!" She tells me when he is sad, wants to climb in the basinet with him, and constantly kissing him with her runny nose and all.

We are so blessed. I feel like life is perfect. We just have so much to be grateful for.

Brother

2011-02-11T16:48:00.001-08:00

Well I am so horrible with this pregnancy. I have documented nothing. So here are a few pictures of Hanalei's Brother

Our little space peanut

Baby's got back but no butt

Do all my children have to look like pirates

Keep it clean

So at one of my appointments the doctor was concerned that I was measuring small. So he scheduled an additional ultra sound. I was bumbed that I had to go all the way in to town for yet another appointment but excited to see baby again. They did the normal ultra sound and he was in the 52nd percentile. So then she took these just for fun!

I think he looks like Rusty...Nose and Mouth at least

Our Friend Oly said girls just say the baby looks like them in these pictures because the babies always look so creepy.

Well there he is. I love him already. Can't wait to hold him and kiss him!

For the artists in the family

2011-02-11T11:59:00.000-08:00

Ok so that could be pretty much anyone in my family but me. I'll be more specific. These pics and blue print sketch. are for Sallie and my Mom. They are coming to help me with the baby and also paint in the kids room. I am so excited. So the rest of you will have to wait for the AFTER pictures in about a month.

All Girl, Growing Up

2011-02-09T15:55:00.001-08:00

First time getting into mom's makeup...

But not the last time.

Some of the other girly things Hanalei loves are:

Picking her clothes

Requesting dresses

Always picks pink or purple

Mothering her baby doll and teddy bear (puts a blanket on, puts them to bed with a kiss, pats their bums on her shoulder)

Funny things she is doing or saying:

Sweeping

Obsessed with closing doors and lids

Being bossy to mom dad and little boys

Shakes her head so her hair flies everywhere then says "your turn"

Points to her self and says "me" then to Mom and Says "you" Then i chime in and we go back and forth

Always wants two of everything

"Bye bye, Later"

"Monkey in the tree" then looks to the side with a surprised look

The other day she grabbed Rusty's face and started mumbling to him as if she was scolding him.

At the zoo with Reiley and Miley Looking at Elephants

Smart things she is doing:

Counting to ten

Identifying numbers 4 and 5

Identifying many letters

The other day she was holding my Olay face lotion and she said "o" and then "y"

She requests the ABC song nightly and can say most of the letters in order

Recognizes when there are 2 of something "2 blankets" or "2 Helicopters"

I just love watching her explore and become more independent.

Back to normal

2011-02-09T15:36:00.000-08:00

I have decided that this move is just the beginning. It has been crazy. I feel like every day I either had a Dr. apt i was going to (weekly now), or a cable/internet/fridge guy, i was waiting for. If it wasn't that, I was painting, then moving our stuff back to our old place so they could bomb for termites. Then motivating my self to unpack boxes and clean. The bulk of the move has finished but we are far from normal. Every night we have some project. Well, Rusty has projects. Granted they are usually things that need to be done, but I am ready to have him come home and just be home. As soon as we are done with our projects, this baby is going to come. And we will have to figure out a new normal. That one I am excited about!

As for the new place, I am so happy. Rusty and I finally have a room to call our own. Hanalei loves to play in her room, usually she tells me "come on" then "sit" while patting her bed. Then she will bring over what ever toy we are going to play with. She is such a bossy little thing, but it cracks me up. Yesterday she told Rusty, who was talking on the phone, "all done, bye bye" cause she wanted his attention. Night time in her own room was no problem at all. But naps have been up and down. SOme times it would be 45 mins I could hear her playing or walking around.

So I decided I needed to have a routine. Much like the evening routine, just shorter. Read a few books, turn on the fans. The big thing too was telling her what was coming. So far it is working.

She is so precious to Rusty and I. We are constantly just ohhing and ahhing over her. I can't wait for her to meet brother! We all are so excited to have him with us.

Christmas 2010

2011-01-07T16:41:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas eve at the Skaff's house.

I busted out the santa trucker hat that my roomates and I made many years ago.

Hanalei is so stinkin adorable in it!

Christmas this year was pretty great! We didn't spend a ton of money cause we are really trying to save our pennies. Plus with a new baby and moving in to a bigger place soon, we are going to be spending enough!

One of Hanalei's favorite gifts from grandma. She played with it all morning.

note the bananas in the background. Our neighbors gave us them because they knew Hanalei loves them.

Foam letters and numbers to nurture Hanalei's love of learning

Daddy and Hanalei playing catch with the wrapping paper balls. You can see her ball on the top of the picture. Good shot ehe?

She loved the shirt Grandma gave her, but she kept calling it a dress. WHenn I opened a shirt from my mom for myself Hanalei grabbed it and put it up to herself saying "dress".

The pants were a little big but she still wanted to wear them that day!

Not hte best Picture of me but you can see my belly a little.

Rusty and I got each other games. We have played both already and had a lot of fun!

Bowling

2011-01-07T16:07:00.000-08:00

When we got back from our trip we were greeted with some pretty hairy weather. So Breanne and I were on the hunt for indoor activities. I wasn't sure how Hanalei would do. She really enjoyed it.

Breanne Jonny and baby bump

Hanalei and Jonny did pretty good taking turns

At the end Hanalei grabbed a heavier, pinker ball. Who's kid is this?

She knew the heavier ball would be an advantage in knocking over more pins

One game was sufficient for Hanalei. Jonny happily finished her game for her.

20 and 21 months...slacker

2011-01-07T15:42:00.000-08:00

I know I am way behind. I blame the holidays, traveling and the two kids that suck the energy out of me. Hanalei is still growing and learning like crazy. She pretty much talks faster than I can keep up with. She still is signing which helps me interpret some of her unclear words. She loves the signing videos and requests them multiple times during the day.

Because of the signing videos she has shown interest in learning colors, numbers, and letters. She has somewhat mastered her basic colors and is now really soaking up numbers. I bought foam numbers for the bath and we practice every night. It is hillarious. She will sometimes skip a number then repeat the same number 4x. Every now and then she surprises me with a perfect count to ten, then she cheers for her self. Saying "job" for good job! Don't you just want to squeeze her!

As I was putting away dishes one day I discovered this little friend in our blender

Hanalei was in heaven

This was a rare find at the tide pools. I have never seen a sand doller in Hawaii. Infact Breanne picked it up thinking it was a rock. Pretty awesome.

We drove down to the zoo for a day of animals. Jonny and Hanalei were making all the noises for all the animals. They even made up noises for the giraffe. It sounded a lot like a lion. When we got there it was closed because a big water pipe broke. So we went to the aquarium.

It is no fun getting sick especially in your eye.

SHe had to get drops in her eyes every three hours for a week. Poor her and poor me.

A few pics I missed from the trip.

She had a lot of fun with her daddy, even in the coldy snow.

doesn't Rusty look handsome?!

Hanalei thought cutting cookies was fun, but Grandma's M&M dispenser was ever better.

The biggest change for Hanalei was getting rid of her baby crib and getting a big girl bed.

She always wants to help.

This needed a little tweaking...perfect!

Now for the real important work, putting together the toddler bed, and ripping this foam in to teeny tiny pieces.

The First night she took her time falling asleep. She didn't cry, but she was too excited to sleep. The next day for her nap I was really nervous. She cried and cried. I set a time limit for when I would go get her. 20 min later this is what I found. Success! Woo Hoo!

One of Hanalei's favorite words is silly. And one of her favorite people is daddy. Silly Daddy!

We sure do LOVE this Girl!

Coldy Utah

2010-12-10T14:42:00.000-08:00

Everytime we go to Utah in the winter, we hope for a froze lake. We know going in early December our chances for ice were thin. Pun intended. But to our excitement we were lucky to have ice good enough for a few days of ice hockey. A real Christmas miracle.

Before the ice was sketchy, Hanalei and parker had some fun on the ice.

Hanalei is going to give those boys a run for their money.

The best way to get around on the ice, the Katie express.

After the ice party Parker was Caught purple handed, or gloved!

We got some sledding in.

Kendra always up for an adventure.

She plowe into a few bush at the bottom of this hill.

Hanalei went a few times but wasn't really in to it. I think she was ready for a nap. It was hard to know when she was ready, we had been in too many time zones by this point.

Parker was gung ho

The boots, gloves and hat lasted a few minutes.

Even though she hated the winter ware we were glad troy and katie found some for us.

We started this game with great conditions. But by evening it was getting pretty slushy in spots.

I went after the puck and started to sink. It was so scary. I naturally dropped to all fours and still was sinking. I then was on my "baby" belly, grabbed the puck and scooted back to safer ice. What a rush.

This snowman represents kendra,

who is always afraid that someone is going to fall in the lake.

Can you say, Calvin and Hobbes?
Rusty thought it would be funny to put these on the road for Mike when He got home from work. He got around them. Some neighbor kids nocked em down.

We went to Crown Burger and stuffed our faces full of yummy food

Then off to Temple Square to see the lights

It wasn't as crowded as I thought it would be, so we went up to the Christus Statue

Hanalei loved it. She keept pointing out the stars, the moon, and the sun. She was excited to show everyone Jesus.

It was a great trip. We had lots of fun playing. By the end of this trip we were pretty exhausted from raquetball, hockey, Snowboarding (i didn't go), sledding and just staying up late playing games. We will be rested in about one year, when the ice is frozen again.

Thanksgiving in Cali

2010-12-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

Today I was catching up with my friend Breanne. She asked what we did in California and as I recalled some of the things we did, I realized we went to the duck park quite a bit.

We went with Aubrey Grandma and Aunt Sallie

You might notice in these pictures Hanalei feeds herself just as much as she feeds the ducks.

Aubrey threw her snack cup into the pond.

Grandma enjoyed feeding the ducks more than the girls, we had to ration the bread.

Due to complications in our flight, on our way back from Utah we had another day in Cali. Grandpa skipped rotary to have a picnic with us. It was a gorgeous day.

We found a nice shady spot under a tree.

Hanalei is totally starting to pose for pictures. I think its hillarious.

Feeding ducks perched on a tree is safer.

We did tons of other fun things while in California. Rusty played full contact golf with my dad and brothers. Followed by laser tag and of course turkey football. Some of the guys went to a car show, while the girls and kids went to the zoo. Mostly we visited with family, played games, and took a huge family photo. The most exciting thing we did was clean up throw up. It was a real barf-o-rama at Grandma's house. One by one kids and adults fell victim.I avoided it, thank goodness, but Hanalei and Rusty weren't so lucky. Despite the loads and loads of puke laundry that needed to be done, we had a blast. Good food and great family that I love! Much to be grateful for.

Washing the Car

2010-11-20T15:52:00.000-08:00

Living on the North Shore, or by any ocean is the best, I love it. But with a new car Rusty is constantly washing it to keep the salt water from destroying it. Hanalei loves to help.

I love this zoner look

Dad will show you how

She had a near melt down when dad took the towel, so she got her own rag

Now we can really get down to business

The Zoo

2010-11-19T15:34:00.000-08:00

I have been wanting to take Hanalei to the zoo for months but I wanted Rusty to go too. We finally made it happen. It was such a fun day.

A Rare Family Photo

She is truly stunning, even with all the dirt on her legs

Jonny and Breanne came with us. Marilyn, I mean Hanalei loves Jonny

I wonder what she is thinking about in this moment

One of the higlights seeing this very large picture of a Gecko (Mo'o)

As if we don't see enough of them in our apt.

The cutest monkey at the zoo

She loved every spot we visited. I should have taken more pictures as always. It was fun to see her say and sign many of the animals we saw.

They had a ton of tortoises at various spots around the zoo. We happened to see some maiting. The male was making some crazy noises that scared Hanalei half to death. Jonny was excited to learn what a turtle says.

19 Months

2010-11-09T15:49:00.000-08:00

I am SO big now!

And look at all my Hair!

Things I'm doing now:

*Saying Prayers...(melts mommy and daddy's heart)

*Coloring like crazy, not just on paper

*Requesting to use the potty but no potty yet

*Talking a bunch some of my new favorite words are

ahcock - Peacock

lello - yellow

frucl - Freckle

buder - brother (signs and points to my tummy)

Ah Man!

These Koi Fish were Crazy Revolting

Some for the Peacock Some for Me

Daddy is brave, those peacocks can be scary

Things I love:

*Feeding chickens, peacocks, fish, and sometimes kitty

*Books

*Helping mom do everything (laundry, cooking, cleaning, even peeing...sigh)

*When Daddy comes home

*Hiding under pillows and blankets

*Playing with the cd case (and ripping the slots in the process)

*Going on walks bikes and mopeds

*Skyping with my family (so FUN!)

*Swimming and digging at the beach

Favorite Foods (She asks for them by name):

Noodles

Toast

Apples

Peaches

Carrots

Crackers in all varieties

Cheese

Chicken

Candy

Cereal

Dip (ranch dressing, she'll eat just about anything if she can "dip dip")

Juice & Milk

Cookies or Cookie Dough?

2010-10-07T16:37:00.000-07:00

Survey Says...

Cookie Dough!

Hanalei's vote - Cookie Dough

Lala's Vote - Cookie Dough

Cookies - 0

Dough - 2

What's Your Vote?

18 Months...Finally!

2010-10-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

A rare sight...Hanalei keeping anything in her hair

This is an age I've been waiting for. She will finally be in Nursery! I will actually be able to listen during Sunday School.

All joking aside, this is such a fun age. We have gone from two naps to one. A hard transition but much needed. This gives us lots of time to do fun things in the morning. And because we pushed the nap back to 12 noon, we wake up happy and stay happy for the evening.

Things I'm Doing:

Running and therefore falling a lot (fun at the beach not so fun other places)
Asking what's that about everything even stuff I already know
Repeating words Mom or Dad teach me (she is a sponge right now)
Turning the oven dial (so Naughty)
Saying Jonny when we drive to Haleiwa
"Helping" in the Kitchen

Enjoying the cinnamon apples for dad's 2nd place Ice cream entry, Carmel Apple

Everything is more fun with a friend

Things I Love:

When Mom and Dad sing "Jesus wants me for a Sun Beam" (she requests it often by saying bean! and then Jumping. Before we can finish the song she is saying and signing again!
Still in love with the Moon and Stars
Signing Time (we got some new DVDs that are teaching colors, zoo animals, etc)
Coloring (now that she can sign and say colors she asks to do this activity a lot)
Playing in my tunnel
Climbing in any box or other tight spaces
Playing/exploring under the house (our house is raised and we keep her old toys and food storage under there. She likes to dig in the dirt.)
Moped Rides with Dad
Playing Peek-a-boo in the closet
Being chased, or chasing mom and dad

Box Car Classic with a Kitty Twist

She actually got stuck in this hole and cause her quite the scare

Not too many brown Lizzards by our house.

Rusty saved this one from our ferocious kitty then gave him some pineapple

16 and 17 Months

2010-09-08T10:38:00.001-07:00

My How Time Flies...

Things I'm Doing Now:

Playing under the house while mom gardens

Only taking one nap

Talking and Signing like crazy

Saying names of people I love

Playing more independently

Playing "Boo Boo" in the Closet (peek-a-boo)

Pointing to Mom's Tummy and saying Baby

Moving and Lifting things like her chair and boxes

Jumping off rocks at the beach Into Mom's arms

Sun bathing in the sand

Swimming and going for a ride on the paddle board

What's for Dinner?

She loves getting in to small spaces like a cat

Boxes are her favorite

She has become quite the climber, up the chair on to the table

This picture captures two of her favorite things; poop and any book with Jesus in it.

Things I love:

Jesus (She finds him everywhere. Books paintings. She always pulls out the scriptures and flips through until she finds a picture of "Jee Jee")

Stacking Cups

Baby Signing Time

Purses and shoes, mostly mom's shoes

"Helping" in the kitchen

Geckos Kitties and Dogs

The Moon (She wakes up requesting the "moon please") and Stars

Eating tomatoes and strawberries from the garden

Food that I can dip in Ranch

Moped and wagon rides with dad

Helicopters and Airplanes! I hear them from miles away.

Which purse goes best with my blue dog

She loves her playmate Jonny. Usually she just watches "Jah Jah" run and laughs at everything he does.

That last hour of church is brutal. Dad took her outside. A few more weeks till nursery.

Things I'm Saying and Signing in Red:

Things I'm Only Signing in Black:

Things I only Say in Blue:

Apple-Bapl Ball Banana-Nana Baby Bath Blanket Boat Bubbles Bus Car

Carrot Cold Cookie Dada Day Dirty-Dido Dog Down Fishy Food Go

Grandma-Mama Grandpa-BahBap Hat Helicopter-Too Too Too Hot

Horse Hurt-owie Juice Kitty Mom Moon Nice Night Outside Please

Shoe Sky Sleep Sorry Thank You-DayDo Train-Choo Choo Up

Airplane Balloon Bear Bike Bird Book Brush Teeth Bug Cereal Clean

Coat Cracker Diaper Doll Drink Flower Friend Game Laugh Leaf Milk

More Music New Peach Pear Play Potty Rain Sad Share Snow Soap

Socks Star Sun Telephone Wait Wash Hands Water Where Wind Yes

Chicken Duck Jay Jesus Jonny Mo'o-Momo No Piko (belly Button)-Dido

Animal Sounds:

Cat-mouw

Chicken Bababa

Cow-Mooo

Dog-Woo woo woo

Horse-Kneeee

Monkey-Ahh ahh ahh

Pig-kah

Rooster-Do do do

Nothing says Summer like a big slice of Watermelon

Is this the craziest cutest mullet you ever did see? It's actually starting to curl in the back. The other day I tried putting it into pig tails and it was ridiculous. I was just laughing for the 2 min. she left them in.

Hanalei is looking for

2010-09-01T13:00:00.000-07:00

Her little brother or sister.

She wont find the baby until March 14th if baby is punctual.

We are very excited for Hanalei and for us. Having another baby means more fun and more work but we know there is lots of room in our family.

More Please!

2010-08-09T16:41:00.000-07:00

Somehow I think Hanalei would have given up nursing a little easier if she had known what whip cream was.

Well she knows now, and she wants more.

"Um, are you gonna finish that?"

Sparkler

2010-07-19T10:31:00.001-07:00

"Wow, oohh, hotz!"

Just Like Mom

2010-07-03T13:08:00.000-07:00

I know Most people when they see Hanalei thye Say "Oh, it's a little Rustina" cause she definitely looks like rusty more than me. But when it comes to actions, she wants to be mommy's little girl.

This picture shows her with three of her favorite things. Her stroller, her purse and her beach cover up.

That beach cover up has been her favorite article of clothing lately. I think because it has a zipper. The other day we went to the beach and she got cold. So i put it on. then she wanted to go back in the water so I took it off. Freak Out! She melted. So I put it back on, back to the water, took it off again, melt down again. So I finally left it on and she went right into the water with it. Crazy kid. So when we got home I hung it to dry, and she pulled it off and brought it to me to put on. She is obsessed. The thing stinks cause it never fully dried but the next day she wanted it again.

I love that girl!

15 Months

2010-06-28T12:46:00.000-07:00

Things I'm doing now:

Feeding my self

Tantrums, big ones!

Kicking in the bath and at the beach

Throwing my diapers and other things in the trash

Waving and saying Bye Bye to planes and potty in the toilet

Things I Love:

Milk (prefer mom's but will drink from a cup too)

Dogs, Cats, Birds, and Fish

Boats

Playing with Friends

The Beach

Walks

Exploring my neighborhood

Books

Bubbles

Holding anything with a Handle (purse, shopping bag, etc.)

Sweeping

Mom and Dad

Hanalei loves bubbles but she always wants to hold the wand and container which many times results in a big soapy mess. I try to get her to blow but she always puts it in her mouth.

Shopping anyone?

No matter how many times I sweep I just can't get rid of this furry mess

Things I don't love:

When mom takes away her make up

When I can't do it myself

When Dad goes to work

Getting molars

Chronic Runny Nose

Time to get pretty

New Words:

Neigh

Bye bye

Bath

Hat

Hotzz - Hot

Fishy - Fish

Mamo - Mo'o Hawaiian for lizard

Mahma - Grandma

MuhMuh - Mum Mum (crackers)

Buhble - Bubbles

New Signs

Water

Milk

Mom

Grandma

Grandpa

Bird

Cat

Dog

Car

Airplane

Boat

Bath

Hanalei, My Toddler

2010-05-24T10:22:00.000-07:00

Hanalei Is Learning Like Crazy!

12-14 months

Things I Love:

Mom and Dad

Dogs

Helicopters, planes

The Moon

Books, my favorites are Airplanes at the Airport, and The Going to Bed Book ( they both have a Moon in them)

Eating strawberries and green onion from the garden

Nursing, but mom is getting stingy

Drawing pictures

Things I No Likey:

Shots and blood work (mom let them do that to me!)

New teeth

Nails being clipped

Diaper changes but I am fighting less

Words:

Dada - Daddy

Dah - Dog

Mama - Mommy

Doll - Ball

Ah o - Uh oh

Oohh- Moon

Woo woo - doggy noise

Doe - No

Signs:

Baby

All done

Shoe

Fish

Hat

Food

Please

Thank you

Ball

Wash Hands

Mother's Day

2010-05-23T13:34:00.000-07:00

For Mother's day this Year I wanted to go play tennis. So instead of going out to a nice place to eat I decided that I would rather have Rusty beat me in tennis. I hate losing. Next year I will take the dinner. But I did get a lovely lei from my hubby. It smelt delicious.

So looking back on this last year as a new mother, I have enjoyed my roller coaster ride. The ups just seem to be getting more and more thrilling and bring me pure joy. Those downs can bring me down and get me so frustrated but are quickly forgotten when hanalei gives me a zerbert on my tummy. I love that girl, more than I have loved anything. She makes me happy everyday! I am so grateful to be a mother. It makes me grateful for my own mother. It makes me feel grateful for my Father and my husband. It makes me especially grateful to know I have a Heavenly Father who has given us a plan and so many tools to raise this child in faith.

The Fruits...

2010-04-30T11:16:00.000-07:00

Of our Labors

Hanalei Loves the garden. Well she loves the tomatoes in the garden.

Yum Yum YUM!!

More Please!

Our tomato plant was very fruitful. We shared with our neighbors for many weeks

We also grew green beans and Green Peppers.

We let some of the green peppers stay on long enough to turn into red peppers

of course we had some strawberries.

We also planted cilantro, mint and snow peas.

Gardening has been a real rewarding experience. I know my mother is probably shocked to hear that from me. I never liked it when I was younger. Now what should we plant next? Any thoughts?

The Party!

2010-04-16T18:42:00.000-07:00

Well, let me warn you that I took zero pictures because I am a bad mom. But luckily I have friends who took some. So here is what we ended up with.

It's not a party if there isn't a pinata

Pin the tail on the donkey was a big miss, that is no one hit the target

So here is my introduction to the years of cake decorating to come. I felt like I had to pull out the big guns because my family goes all out on the cake. How'd I do fam?

Dallin seems to think I did a great job.

As much as I tried to encourage her to get all messy, all she really wanted was rice! What kind of kid prefers rice to cake and frosting!?

We sure do love this girl!

It's crazy that one year ago we welcomed you into this world.

Nothing has brought me greater joy than to experience life again, for the first time, with you.

The Big One...12 months

2010-03-26T19:27:00.000-07:00

Feed Me!

My new tricks:

I can sign and say ball but it sounds more like doll

I nod my head for yes and

Shake my head when I am doing something I know is wrong

I drink from a straw which makes mom happy

After I see a dog I make a dog noise ( high pitch whimper)

I Still Love the Beach!

I always have my bucket and a spoon for digging

As soon as I go outside I head to La'akea's House I call him "Ahah"

I like to climb the rock wall with my Dada then go down the slide

I love looking for chickens, Dogs, and now Helicopters!

A few days ago I almost grabbed a baby chick

12 Whole Months!

11 months

2010-02-26T18:15:00.000-08:00

Things I'm Doing Now:

Running, sort of

Signing "All Done"

Clapping

Saying Dada, yeah and Dah (dog)

Dancing

Climbing: stairs, couches, slides, and lots of other scary things

Giving kisses with my mouth wide open

Giving zerberts on mommy's tummy

Wearing shoes

Things I love:

Cats, Chickens, and Dogs

Feeding the Chickens (they come every morning)

Playing in the Ocean

Sitting on the stand up paddle with My Mom and Dad

Playing With La'akea, Dallin and Lily my neighbors

Taking Baths

Doing anything outside

Tomatoes

Things I Don't Like:

My nails being trimmed

Changing my Diaper and my clothes

When the sprinkler gets me all wet

Utah

2010-01-30T15:13:00.000-08:00

Hanalei got to meet Great Grandma Rueckert

Thanks to Rusty's mom watching Hanalei, we were able to play. Not just snowbaording but Hockey too in their frozen lake! Rusty and I were the lasts ones off the mountain!

This is the cabin we stayed at. It was beautiful the whole time we were there. We played games and did some sledding.

These guys might look tough but they are push overs.

We learned a new game about beans. It was a ton of fun!

Nestor's brother Miguel came with his wife Lacey and their baby Vander.

Rusty always refers to Miguel as his brother. It was fun to see them.

Hanalei in deep thought as she explored this winter wonderland

She was happy to be outside even though she had to be bundled in her bear suit from aunt Sallie and her beanie from Granny.

Parker tasting a delicious ball

Carson was pretty fearless on the sled

Asher would rather play with the ice sickles than go down that hill

This is where Brielle hung out most of the trip, she looks warm and chubby!

After all the fun in the mountains we had to rush back for Brielle's special day. She was getting blessed.

Cousins are too much fun!

Hanalei with her Aunt Spring. Notice how focused she is on that object.

"I think I could fit that in my mouth."

To the founders of the family! Thanks for a great trip! And for no broken bones.

Cali to See Cousins and Friends

2010-01-28T10:04:00.000-08:00

Yet Another Airplane Ride

One of the few sunny days we could get out of the house

Lots of time with cousin Boyd

These two fairies, Carina and Claire, took a break and played with Hanalei

Bath time is always more fun with Aubre and Boyd

We Met up with the Graves at an indoor playground at the Golden Arches

They had a blast on the slides and mazes while the rest of us chatted

Peek-a-boo

10 Months

2010-01-26T14:34:00.000-08:00

Things I'm Doing:

*Walking up a storm

*Talking like crazy, mostly Dada, and ditty (kitty)

*Getting teeth. I have two on the bottom and one on the top

Things I Love:

*Bike Rides

*Riding the Horsey (mom or dad)

*Chickens and other birds

*Cats and little Dogs

*When the kitty licks me

*Taking all the blocks out of the basket

*Stacking cups

*Mommy and Dada

*Playing in the trash

*Holding my clothes while I walk around

*The Beach

*Baths, especially with my cousins Boyd and Aubre

Things I don't Like:

*Getting my diaper changed

*Getting dressed

*Teething

On the Move

2010-01-04T14:21:00.000-08:00

Hanalei has been climbing on everything. She is so stinkin cute. Many of you know we have been showing her baby signing time to help her talk to us. She loves it but doesn't sign anything yet. She did make up her own sign for I want to climb or get on that. She lifts her little leg up and holds it there. Cracks me up every time!

Here is a video I made of some of her new adventures!

9 Months

2009-12-26T10:44:00.000-08:00

I know your thinking...didn't she just turn 8 months. Well, I am just slow to blog these days. Our computer is in the same room that she sleeps in, SO it makes it tricky.

Today is a blog day...Many posts to come!

Things I am doing:

Making funny noises, lots of spit
giving mom zerberts
climbing stairs
putting my foot up in the air if I want to climb or get up

Things I Love:

Climbing, any and every thing in sight
Still love kitty, birds, and some dogs
Bike rides
Daddy, now that he is home more, he's growing on me
My new piano
Stacking cups
Riding in my car
Swings
Balls
Balloons

Things I don't love:

Ear infections
Fevers that wake me up all through the night
When the doctors take my temperature...down there
My mom putting bows in my hair
When people get a little too loud, it makes me cry

Picky

2009-12-18T10:28:00.000-08:00

I blame Rusty. Hanalei decided that she didn't want to eat baby food anymore. Who would blame her. But what the heck was I going to feed her now? So I looked online for recipes. I found a pretty cool site. I tried three different recipes.

The first one was a teething biscuit recipe. I cut them into hearts and they turned out pretty cute. I didn't take a picture...oops. She liked these but they weren't worthy of a meal supplement.

The Next thing I tried was sweet potato fries. She hated them. Way too much work for her to just smash them with her fingers.

The last one I tried from this site was baby meat balls. I used ground turkey and added the sweet potato fries she didn't like. You use wheat germ and baby cereal instead of bread crumbs. She really liked these. SO finally I had success.

These next two are my own genius. I was able to sneak in some baby food to my baby by adding baby cereal and baby food to a smoothie. If you use squash or sweet potato it doesn't make it taste weird. She really likes this. If you have excess smoothie you can freeze it in an ice cube tray then put them in a ziplock baggie for later use. So easy!

This one i like to eat too. I cut up an apple then put a couple slices in a bowl with water a cinnamon. Cut it in the micro for just over a min. or until soft. Then cut it into cubes. It taste so stinkin good. I usually put them in some baby cereal and shake it until they are coated. Then Hanalei can grab them easier.

It's a good thing Hanalei is so cute, cause she is a lot of work! I'm sure she is trying to say, "Thanks Mom"

The Eddie

2009-12-07T21:13:00.000-08:00

Hanalei familiarizes herself with the board she will be riding in a few months.

On December 6th and 7th, the waves at Waimea Bay were massive. Some even had 40 foot faces. For the first time in 5 years, the Eddie Aikau surf competition was held. The whole island and many others rushed to the North Shore. Naturally, our minds turned to money, so we sold bottles of water to the thirsty visitors at a 75% profit margin.

This is the view from our neighbor's house.

Kelly Slater catches a bomb of a wave.

Our Elder's Quorum President air drops into a 40 footer.

Hey Blue Eyes!

2009-12-01T12:34:00.000-08:00

A phrase Hanalei hears almost daily. Many times from strangers walking on the bike path. Her eyes really are stunning and its the first thing people comment on when they see her.

8 Months

2009-11-26T10:50:00.000-08:00

Things I'm Doing Now:

*I can stand all on my own

*I am Teething...fun!

*I am eating baby food again

*Sleeping better at night(I get up to eat @ 4)

*Climbing up the step to our house

*Climbing onto my chair, then standing on it

Things I Love:

*My Kitty, birds, dogs (from a distance)

*Bike Rides

*NURSING

*That's not My Puppy book

*Knocking Down the Blocks

*Walking with Mom or Dad holding my hands

*Baby Signing Time! (I would watch it all day!)

*Mom's Cinnamon rolls...yum!

Things I no likey:

*When mom leaves my sight

*my face wiped

*one of our neighbors...I won't mention names but he makes me cry every time I see him)

Halloween...all month

2009-11-09T13:30:00.001-08:00

The first Pictures started in California With Aubrey. Sallie was going to leave the next fay so we woke both babies from a dead sleep to get the shoot in.

Aubrey handled it a little better than Hanalei

We got a few good ones of both

Cutest little bugs you ever did see

Next we had the Halloween party for Mother's group

Hanalei's first experience with candy

Edible bug
With friends Corbin (Scooby) and Tara
Now She is getting the hang of it
Ladybug Infestation

Hanalei and Lily
Next was the Ward Trunk-or-Treat

A lot of people went all out on decorating their trunks

Marching in the parade with her Daddy, I mean Raphael
Lastly we carved our pumpkin on Halloween day
Dad wasn't sure he wanted her to dive in to the mess

She had so much fun squishing and pulling the slimy stuff
so many fun textures
Of course eating it was fun too
It did make a big mess but nothing a little water and soap couldn't handle

7 months

2009-11-09T12:21:00.000-08:00

Hi there!

Things I'm doing now:

Eating finger foods all by my self

Sitting up

Crawling

Pulling my self up on everything!

Bouncing

waking up way too much in the night wanting to eat!

Look what I can do Grandma!

Things I love:

BEING OUTSIDE!!

Paper (eating & ripping)

Swings

Pots

sticks and rocks

Mommy and Daddy

screaming happy noises

singing and reading

games like peek-a-boo, and pat-a-cake
Things I don't like:

Vacuum

When mom leaves my sight

falling, but i do it all the time

getting my diaper changed

I love standing on daddy's hand.

The Reason for the Trip

2009-11-06T09:50:00.000-08:00

Sallie, Ray, Aiden and Aubrey

Wilcox and Mc Arthur Families

Scotty and Garrett

Andrew and Warren

Poor Jen broke her toe while I was visiting.

Shelly Me and Hanalei, I brought this poor girl into the family.

This is what the family started as. Two Parents and 7 crazy kids

And this is what we look like now.

The whole lot of us. Only People missing were Rusty, Dave's Jenny and their kids

Correction...Many are missing...Boyd, Wes, Zach, and Carina were not there either.

I am so grateful for the temple and my Eternal Family! It was such a special day. I was so glad I could be a part of it.

A Great Pet!

2009-11-06T09:48:00.000-08:00

This little guy made frequent visits while I was in California.

Apple Farm

2009-11-02T18:13:00.000-08:00

Hanalei and I recently went to California to visit the family. It was good times as usual. One of the highlights was going to the Apple Farm up in the mountains. I wasn't really prepared for the cold. While I could still feel my toes we managed to pick some yummy raspberries.

New Tastes

New Stains

We all pitched in to make some cider. First we had to put the apples in water.

Next you suck on your fingers like so.

Then some one stated cranking while others dropped apples in the grinder.
The guy helping us was a hoot. He had about 4 visible teeth. He told us not to worry if their were stems or leaves on the apples. He said sometimes bees will get grinded up but they just add vitamins to the cider. Any guesses as to which vitamin? Vitamin Bee! That joke was funny the first time he told it, not so much the second time.

good form
Next we had to press all the apple chunks down, catching only the juice

funnel that cider into the jug

last, have a photo op with the man behind the cider magic.

After this the gang picked pumpkins from the patch, I didn't get any pics because I was feeding Hanalei and trying not to freeze. Then we had some yummy treats from the bakery. Good times had by all.

What's it going to be Weaver?

2009-09-29T15:15:00.000-07:00

Hanalei and I made a new friend at the beach. His name is Max and he is a weaver. He practically begged me to let him make my "son" a hat. (She was wearing a blue shirt, but pink shorts and a head band) I said sure and this was the end result.

What do you do to Prepare for a Tsunami?

2009-09-29T14:56:00.000-07:00

Pedicures of course!

A girls gotta look her best...even in a state of emergency. Turns out the warning has been lifted and we won't be eating our food storage after all. But it was ice knowing we had it.

CALI! part 1

2009-09-22T13:21:00.001-07:00

WATER PARK

WE started in the Lazy River

Aiden liked it, Hanalei...not so much

The kids enjoying their Birthday picnic

Grandma Dee Dee and Hanalei-dee

Uncle Milk and Cousin Alex

Aunt Liz with our cousin Aubrey

Hanalei and Mommy...this is more like it

ROOT BEER with G-pa

bitter beer face
root beer: an acquired taste but the bottles those are always fun...*burp*

A Step Back

2009-09-22T13:08:00.000-07:00

I have neglected the blog due to loss of camera cord.

Lets take a walk down memory lane.

Hanalei Eats Rice Cereal: 5 months

Rusty helps Hanalei by making the right face

Hanalei kept leaning her head back when we fed her so I held her head

WARNING: No topping off!

This is the way I roll!

2009-09-22T13:02:00.000-07:00

Hanalei made it very clear that she was too big to be laying in her car seat as we cruise around. She would much prefer to stand in her seat and see the world like the rest of us do. It sure did turn a few heads. She would often hold onto the black bar like she was steering the stroller.

Clean Up!

2009-09-16T17:30:00.000-07:00

I Know...I'm Cute!

HappY, HaPpy...

2009-08-26T10:35:00.000-07:00

JOY, JOY!

So I got a call today from my big sis Liz, thats not a fat joke. Liz is pregnant with her # 5 child. Of course this in its self is so fun because my other big sis Sas and my self just had babies. Aubre (sallie's girl) born March 16th, Hanalei born March 26th. Here is a sneal peek at their photo shoot:

Now here is the happiest news ever. Sometime in January they will be joined by their cousin, ROBIN! Yes it's a girl. So happy for Liz, and her daughter Claire! And so joy for the cousin trio!

Nothing better...

2009-08-18T13:58:00.001-07:00

than a nap at the beach

Everything is Cute when it's Little

2009-08-18T13:54:00.000-07:00

The Big Move...4 months

2009-07-21T13:36:00.000-07:00

No we're not moving...but Hanalei did. Into her big girl crib! I can't believe how tiny she looked the first time we put her in it. She was getting way to big for her basinet.

Now she can spread out!

A litttle update on Hanalei... as she approaches 4 months

Hanalei Loves:

sitting and standing with help
sucking on everything, blankets, toys, hands, washcloths
trying to roll over (she has done it but not mastered the technique)
the fan but they are growing apart
grabbing toys, hair, the kitty, leaves or anything in reach
being outside under trees, she could spend hours outside and we usually do
to sing when I play the Ukulele
to sit in her bumbo chair and play with her toy
the beach for about 15 mins and then is ready to go. Luckily its across the street.

We love our little munchkin. How could we not!

My little Cutie Pie

2009-07-15T12:38:00.000-07:00

Hello to all you Hanalei fans...Just thought I'd post some adorable pics of my baby. Enjoy!

First Bath in a Big Girl Tub

Feeding the Turkeys with Grandma Wilcox at our Condo on the Big Island. They Love Honey Bunches of oats and Raisin Bran.

"Let me at em"...our scraper.

Pineapple any one?

I might like the water just a little bit

4th of July

Photo Shoot

Thanks for the dress G-ma!

One of Hanalei's favorite places: under the plumeria tree in our front yard

ADORABLE!

And the name he shall be know by is...

2009-07-07T15:35:00.000-07:00

Murry Mana Pua Brigham Rueckert

We liked too many names to pick one so this way we can call him whatever we like and it will still be his name. Besides most of the time I say Kitty any ways.

I never thought I would get such responses to this post, thanks for all the suggestions!