{Day 7}

With us having an early and busy day yesterday we all took it easy this morning. We slept in, lounged around and then we took turns kayaking in the ocean. Our beach house was literally across the street from the ocean, so we carried the kayaks across the street and launched just feet from our house. 

Nate and I paddled out as far as I dared to go. I got scared once the waves were curling over, but as along as I was safe from those waves I was good to go wherever. Being on the kayaks was so relaxing and peaceful because there wasn't anything around... just me and Nate and the water!

Once we were done with kayaking we packed up again and went the other way on the island to a different beach. Jackson has come to love the ocean and was always willing to go out with Nate... that is as long as he could cling tight to his Daddy's neck.

We did our usual beach routine of lunch and toys but this time we brought the boogie boards which was fun.

 Nate also helped Jackson build a sand castle. He has wanted to build one every time we went to the beach so he finally got what he wanted. It was so cute watching the boys work so hard to pack the sand and make the perfect castle. Andersen was hoping to help as well, but that lasted only a few minutes because he started knocking it over every time Nate would uncover a tower.

 Look how cute these two are! Jackson was so proud of the finished castle and spent the rest of the time making sure the little kids didn't smash it.

With Andersen being fired from the castle project, he found other entertainment with Nana. Nana pulled a chair right up to the waves on the shore and started piling the sand in a hill so Andersen felt like he was building his own sand castle. Before long a wave came up too far and melted his pile of sand. He thought it was so funny and then it became a game for the two of them.

I don't know who was enjoying it more, but I know Nana must have been in heaven. This picture below has to be one of my favorite pictures I took all week!

 After the beach we took munchkins home to get cleaned up and nap before we headed over to the Polynesian Culture Center. We didn't get there early enough to see any of the shows from the different cultures, so we went right to dinner at the buffet.

 After dinner we still had about an hour until the show started so we walked around looking at the different shops. Nana gave Jackson the idea of getting a tattoo just like the other boys so he was set on doing that first. After the jet was painted on his arm, the attention was on their stuffed animals. Originally all the kids had frogs, but in another shop I found really cute turtles with a baby turtle in a pouch on top of the shell that I was able to talk the boys into getting instead. I am so glad they changed their minds because I thought they were super cute, plus Andersen says "baby turtle" in the cutest voice so it is fun to have him say that even though we are home. It will be a little reminder of the fun times in Hawaii every time we hear "baby turtle".

To finish the night we watched the show "Breath of Life". This show was pricey so I am not convinced on doing it again anytime soon, but it was definitely worth seeing it at least once. Jackson was so tired that he didn't make it all the way through, but Andersen was a champ. He sat on the edge of his seat captured by it all for the entire show! I even caught him shaking his body a little bit trying to dance to the music.  By the end of the show it was late again and time to get kids home to bed.

"I am so tired I can't even walk" {Day 6}

 We started the day off at the Aloha Stadium for the weekly swap meet. We made the loop around not finding too much lute other than the boys (or Chase) buying 12 pairs of shorts! Nate and Ryan did find a temporary tattoo stand to snap some matching tattoos to Uncle Chase. Alicia shared her coconut with everyone and Jackson got his toy jet that he was begging for!

After a couple hours we made the short drive to Pearl Harbor Marina do to the free tour to the Arizona. We had a 2 hour wait until our assigned tour so we walked over to Schooners restaurant for lunch to help pass the time.

After lunch we still had an hour until it was our time for the tour. We walked around the grounds checking out all the different memorabilia honoring those effected that day. Eventually it was time to start our tour. It starts out with a short video giving a brief history of what happened and why December 7th was such a tragic day. Funny story: Right as the lights went dim and silence was had over the crowd, Jackson asked so seriously "where's the popcorn?". It was HILARIOUS because not only did our family hear but the whole audience got a good laugh out of it as well. A few minutes later Jackson crashed and before he knew it, it was time to wake up. He wasn't too excited about his short power nap and when it was time to go on the ferry ride Jackson said "I'm so tired I can't even walk". He was full of funnies. The ferry ride took us out to the Arizona where we could see different areas of the ship under water and the wall honoring all those lost on that ship that day. My favorite part was seeing those that have passed away after December 7th, but wanting to be buried with those fellow men that they served with that day.

After Pearl Harbor we went to Sunset Beach to snap a few of our own family pictures.

Here are a few of the favorites.

Today was definitely a long day of hopping around the island and I think we all felt just the way Jackson described early. After pictures we were so tired that we grabbed Pizza for dinner and came back to the house to eat because we were all "so tired that we couldn't even walk!".

{Day 5}

Today was another beach day along the North Shore. We stopped at Banzai Pipeline first. We ate lunch and then walked down to the beach to play. It was such a beautiful beach and the sand was amazing. The only bad part was the waves were a little too dangerous for the little munchkins. There was a good wave that came in and swept Jackson right off his feet. The protective mom in me came out and it definitely freaked me out watching him ride the wave back down the shore. It wasn't ideal to pack up everything and trek back to the car to find another parking spot for a beach, but it was definitely worth it for the safety of the kids and the ability to relax a little while they play.

I now understand why they had this sign posted. Too bad I didn't see if before we got comfortable.

After Banzia we drove down to Waimea area again to spend the rest of the time at Waimea Beach. Waves were still coming in and out pretty fast because of the wind today but it definitely was a lot safer than the first spot so we stayed and played. Today was really hot so the kids found the shade under the umbrella to play in the sand and enjoy snacks.

Today also was the day Andersen really started to get comfortable on the beach. He was running and playing all over the place. It was so cute to watch him jump all over Nate while laying out and run up and down the shore chasing Jackson.

The highlight of this beach was the boys opportunity for a local experience. All along the shore you would see a group of guys fishing. They would travel down shore following a school of fish. Jackson was so interested in what these guys were doing and being able to see the fish they were catching that I went with him to watch the fishermen. Supposedly this type of fishing only happens once a year and lasts about a month. These local men were so willing to let Jackson watch and see their fish that they even let him reel in a couple fish once they were hooked. Andersen even got in on the fun! The boys were loving every second of it and it was so fun to see them so happy.

To finish off the day we drove down to the famous Matsumoto's Shave Ice for a cold treat. Luckily the line wasn't too long and we had our shaved ice within a few minutes. Who knows what upset Andersen but the second we got them he freaked out forcing us to leave and enjoy our treat on the run. Eventually he calmed down enough that we could stay around the area to visit a few of the shops. Of course nothing was too intriguing to buy, and personally I wasn't super thrilled by the shaved ice but it definitely helped cool off after a long day in the sun.

{Day 4}

Today was such a fun and busy day!! We started by going to Waimea Falls for a hike/stroll to a beautiful waterfall. Once we got up to the top they have it all set up with life jackets and floaties to be able to go in and swim. The deepest area is 30 feet deep! We probably swam for 30 minutes or so and then made the walk back down to grab some lunch. Jackson found a stick and kept calling himself Master Shifu from Kung Fu Panda and then Andersen had to follow along and do exactly what his brother did. Before you know it all 3 kiddos had sticks, but they came in handy during lunch to scare the peacocks away from us while we were eating.

Since we were already over by the North Shore we planned to stop at the beach on our way home from the hike. This time we stopped at Haleiwa Beach Park. This was a lot busier than the other beaches we'd been to but it had these paddle boards to rent for entertainment. We all took turns paddling out and then coming back. It was hilarious trying to watch the boys paddle because for some reason they all kept falling in. Alicia and I on the other hand never once tipped over. Tina was even a good sport and got out there and tried it. She did get up, but she did have a good fall that we caught on camera!

And while we were waiting turns for the paddle board we did the usual and played on the beach. Andersen is getting a lot more comfortable around the water which makes it more fun for everyone, but he still is hesitate to get too far into the ocean.

This long day of fun in the sun pooped these munchkins right out! They crashed hard on the drive home, but after a little power nap they were ready to go play again for a few hours. When we got home we all showered, at dinner and later played Phase 10 until we were all ready for bed.

A day of rest {Day 3}

 With today being Sunday, we all got up and ready to go to the first hour of church. After church, we came home, ate lunch and took a family nap.

 After all of our naps we took a long drive over to the North shore to look at all the beaches along that side of the island. Definitely a lot better and prettier beaches than where we were at the first day. We watched some kite surfers and walked up and down the shore and then took the long drive back. Definitely a day of rest that was needed!

We're finally in Hawaii {Day 2}

With all of us being so tired from traveling the day before, we all slept so well. The only hard thing is adjusting to the time change because we all woke up at 5:00 Hawaii time {9:00 Utah time}. But being up so early we got to see the morning sunrise right outside our house. We literally are right across the street, just feet from the beach. I could get used to waking up to this view every morning! We spent most of the day lounging around the house trying to plan our week of entertainment and gathering a grocery list. Later the boys watched the BYU game while the girls went for a drive. We drove towards La'ie to see what was around us, then stopped for groceries, and then brought home pizza for the boys and game. After the game we all went to Kualoa Beach Park to let the kids play on the beach. Our boys have never been to the beach but Jackson has been looking forward to it for awhile now. That is all he could relate to Hawaii when we talked about it... Beach and the ocean. So once we were finally at the beach, his first comment was "we are finally in Hawaii!!"

We weren't too impressed by this beach since it was really rocky, but this view of Chinaman's hat was pretty from where we were at.

Besides the rocks though, the kids had a blast and that is all that mattered. Andersen wasn't too sure what the sand and waves were all about so he spent most of his time hooked to Nana or me. Jackson on the other hand only took a few minutes to warm up and he was out rolling in the waves. Jackson was a little nervous to go out too far in the waves by himself but once he linked on to Nate he was a happy camper. They played forever out in the ocean tossing the football back and forth and then piggy-backed around over the rocks. Later Andersen decided to be brave enough to hang on to Nate as well, but just for a few minutes and then back to the sand he went for snacks.

After the beach we all came home for showers and dinner and later Nate and Ryan drove to the airport  to pick up Uncle Chase. The kids and girls stayed home and watched shows and before you know it they were crashed again after another long day!

The final Countdown {Day 1}

 The Rothe family has been waiting almost 9 months for this day. For Christmas last year, Tina gave us all a trip to Hawaii. A few months ago we finally bought the plane tickets, and a week ago Jackson was getting so excited that a countdown was needed for him to understand how many more sleeps until the big day. Jackson was so excited that he even kept packing his bag every night so he was all ready. I loved that he even included his scriptures in his packing one night, that I had to take a picture. A week of cutting off links, it was FINALLY time to go to Hawaii. We made it to the airport Friday morning and started with a short flight to Phoenix, and then an incredibly long ride to Oahu. Jackson was such a big helper at the airport and loved pushing Andersen in the stroller while Nate and I carried the bags.

 The first plane ride was awesome! The excitement was still going strong for Jackson and Andersen was ready for a nap, so before you knew it we were to Phoenix waiting for our next flight. Now the flight from Phoenix to Oahu was a NIGHTMARE! Who knows what happened to Andersen, but he turned into a monster and screamed probably at least an hour and half of the plane ride. I am sure everyone around us was going crazy, but there seriously was nothing we could do to console him. We were desperate for help so Nate gave Andersen a blessing right there in our seats and it wasn't more the 5 minutes later that Andersen was out cold for at least 2 hours! Thank goodness for answered prayers... It really was a miracle! Since it was a 6 hour flight we spent the last couple hours coloring pictures for the flight attendant and eating all the snacks we had.

Many hours later we landed in Oahu, and we were on our way in our rental car to meet up with Nana, Ryan, Alicia and Presley at the beach house. We literally spent the entire day traveling and made it to the house 12+ hours after we started. We were all so tired and exhausted of traveling that we crashed not too long after we got settled at the house.

6 years

Yesterday Nate and I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary! We spent the day at work and playing with the kiddos but later that night Nate and I went to dinner at Tepanyaki while Tina watched the boys for us. It may seem like just another normal day but it was filled with all sorts of good news that will be changing our family. This new year is already looking better than the last year. I Love You Nate and can't wait to see what this next year brings our way.

A fun day with the Christensen's

The morning after the big boys camp-out they met us girls and little boys at the Herriman Parade. This is a tradition for the Christensen's so I am glad we tagged along this year. Jackson loved every second of the parade and Andersen of course was happy as long as he was constantly fed the candy the floats were throwing at him. There is something more fun about small town parades because they create a sense of unity through the community, plus it makes it more fun when you see people you know. Nate's cousin, Dr. Rosvall was in the parade along with his Aunt and Uncle driving the float. As soon as the parade was over we made it home so the smelly campout boys could shower and nap before we headed down to Orem Days.

The Christensen's brother, Jordan, has his own quesadilla stand he runs every year for Orem days so another tradition of their family is to go down to help out where you can and have fun at the same time. Man were we exhausted before even going down, but we are glad we did. Our boys loved all the fun rides and Nate and I loved our very own Paco's (Jordan's quesadillas) for the first time. Andersen wasn't too sure about the carousel or any other ride for that matter, but as long as he could see Jackson he was having fun. I would say most of the time we spent chatting or helping in the Paco stand so the little munchkins got creative for entertainment. They wanted to play in the trailer that all the Paco equipment came in so us adults let them play in the giant play pin while we relaxed knowing they weren't going anywhere. Hours later we took off and watched the fireworks from our car. Everyone was exhausted and so ready for bed by the time we got home that night, but we definitely would do it all over again because it was such a fun day with the Christensen's.

CAMPOUT

The beginning of this summer Jackson and Nate had their first fathers and sons camp-out with our Stake. Jackson was so excited and it made it even more fun that his buddy Landon and his Dad Scott shared a tent with them. From stories shared later on, it sounds like they spent the night playing like usual wild and crazy boys hyped up on a bunch of sugar they ate for dinner. I think Jackson loved the tent idea, but Nate said he woke up in the middle of the night not sure where he was and was trying to get out of the tent.

After a decent night of sleep they were up and on their way home to meet us at the Herriman Parade, but not too fast because Nate slashed his tire on a screw sometime at camp. That makes 2 for 2 on flat tires during stake activities, but I guess he needed new tires anyways so its a good thing the screw came before the new tires!