Kauai

 We were able to go to Kauai with my sister Kim and her family for spring break. Our plane tickets were bought way back in July so we have been planning this trip for a long time! Kim was SO kind and watched our kids quite a few times so we could do activities without children. 

One morning we hiked the Na Pali coast to a waterfall. Breathtaking!

This beach is one of the deadliest beaches. They have a sign to show all the deaths. Don't worry we didn't go swimming, but is was gorgeous. 

Easter Sunday we went to church, drove around the island, saw Waimea Canyon in the rain and stopped for shave ice. My favorite was coconut with macadamia nut ice cream. 

 During the week we went to different beaches around the island, but we continued coming back to Hanalei Bay. It was close to our condo, had great sand, safe area for the kids, and most importantly beautiful. Boogie boarding and playing in the sand were the most popular with our group, however we tried stand up paddle boarding and surfing as well. 

 

Nora's dress

Soren-aka- sand monster. He was in heaven at the beach. Sand covered his body from head to toe and it didn't bother him one bit. Our bags had to be covered with towels so the sand monster wouldn't get into them. 

 Every night the kids went toad hunting. They were very successful finding these big toads around the condo. 

Nora and Eva

 Catching crabs

 One of our splurges was going on a boat tour of the Na Pali coast. Kim again watched our kids and her own (four total), while Gavin, Jeff, Lars and I went to the tour. The boat went straight under that water fall and into a cave. It was crazy how powerful the water came pounding down on us. The cave was neat, but somewhat creepy. I kept thinking the boat would hit into the sides. It was a tight fit going in and out. 

 On the tour we saw tons of spinner dolphins and giant sea turtles while we snorkeled (no photos). 

View of the Napali Coast. 

The last night we went to a scaled down luau in Hanalei. Nora wanted to see the hula dancers. She even told her preschool teacher how excited she was to go to Hawaii so she could see the hula dancers. They taught the children a dance. After the luau she asked how you become a hula dancer. I am not sure if hula dancing is good career, but I loved watching her on stage.

Sunday Best

 How in the world do people get good pictures with both kids in them? We struggle, but I love these pictures because of the imperfections. Permanent marker on Nora's cheek, Soren's wrinkly shirt. 

 Slobber over the red jumper (teething). 

This is my favorite though, because they are both laughing at their silly mom trying to get a smile.

Grandpa Alan and Grandma Kathy

 We had the luck of the Irish in March because we had both sets of Grandparents visit. We went to Point Reyes Station and the National Seashore one day. We loved exploring the area on such a nice day. I have been a few times and it usually cold, overcast, and windy (but beautiful nonetheless). We went to the beach, a lighthouse, saw elephant seals, and ate a delicious lunch in Point Reyes. 

 Soren is interested in getting his picture taken;) As soon as you put him down he was running towards the freezing cold water! 

 Nora and her funny pose.

We also spent a day in S.F. with my parents. Randall Musuem for the kids, and then we got takeout Mexican and ate lunch at a playground in the Mission. Fun weekend! 

Grandpa and Grandma

 Lars was watching Soren one night. Soren woke up from a nap and was upset. Lars cuddled with him and he fell back asleep.

 Soren in sunglasses. Why do children love to try on sunglasses, hats and shoes?

 Nora coloring while she waited for friends to come over for dinner.

 Grandpa Ramon with Nora, and Soren.  They came out to see Meg and Sam's play. We were lucky to have them stay with us one night.

Nora and Grandma Patsy had fun making jewelry together.

Birthday Celebrations

 I am lucky because I have an amazing group of friends. They are smart, funny, talented, and extremely kind. We run together so we have spent many hours talking, laughing, and  at times crying.

Amy planned a fun birthday celebration for me. Our husbands came home early from work so we could head into the city for the evening. We went shopping at Zara and all of us found something. We ate at an Italian restaurant on Belden Alley. It has a European feel with restaurants lining the entire alley. The food was delicious and we had a wonderful time celebrating my 28th birthday. Thanks girls!

Winter Escape

 For Christmas I gave Lars a weekend in Sequoia National Park. I thought it would be perfect because the package included cross country ski rentals. Can you imagine skiing in such a beautiful area? My thoughts exactly. However mother nature decided not to cooperate. There wasn't enough snow so the lodge wouldn't rent cross country skis and the snow was super crunchy and rough. 

It was cold and beautiful and it will sadly be our only snow experience this year. We enjoyed exploring the area and dining at the lodge. Yum!

Soren's 1st Birthday

Soren had a low-key birthday. He had mac and cheese and peas for dinner and a big piece of cake for dessert. 

He ate a lot!

His gift was a rocking moose, which he loves! Both he and Nora get on and rock.

At one year old he gets into everything. Favorites of his our toilets, polly pockets, my utensil drawer in the kitchen, and electronics. When he sees Lars' computer he shakes his head "no" because he knows he isn't supposed to touch it, however he still goes for it. 

This week he started taking his first steps, but he is far from actually walking. His crawling is very fast. He loves to be outside. When he is inside he wants to be held. He comes up to my knees so many times a day and says "mama, mama". His attention span is short, and he goes from one thing to the next quickly. 

He says mama, dada, no, and "ba" for ball. 

We love him so much. He has brought so much joy into our family.