Maui Part 1

J and I had the opportunity to take a trip to Maui, Hawaii in June without our kids. We can't thank J's sister and brother in law enough for taking care of our children for an entire week. They had 5 boys all under the age of 10 for a whole week.

We started the week off with some surfing. This was probably one of my most favorite activities that we did. We took a surfing lesson and then after the lesson they allowed us to keep the board for the rest of the day. I was able to get up a few times all by myself!

The following day we did a snorkeling adventure. We went with a group called Blue Water Rafting and did the full excursion which took us to Molokini to snorkel and also the Kanaio Caves. This was the only snorkeling company that would take people to the Kanaio Caves. I can see why because the water was so rough the closer we got to the caves. It's a good thing I took some Dramamine before we left otherwise I would have been sea sick. I did enjoy going over the super big waves. It was almost like we were on a roller coaster. We were also able to see some spinner dolphins along the way, which was an added bonus to our trip. The tour guides told us that you don't always see them. After we left the caves they took us to Molokini to do some snorkeling. J was always the first one out of the boat and the last one in. He loved snorkeling!! He said he could have snorkeled all day long. After we finished at Molokini they took us to a place called Turtle Town. It was so neat swimming next to the giant sea turtles. 

Here are just some random pictures of the view from our balcony. 

We ate a ton of Hawaiin Shave Ice! We also ate a few times at a taco truck in Kihei. They were the most delicious tacos we had ever tasted. We stayed at Kannapali Beach which was about an hour from Kihei. It's too bad we weren't closer because we probably would have eaten there every night. We are eating shave ice at Ululani's which is the best place to get delicious shave ice in Hawaii.

We also did some walking around a town called Lahaina. They had a lot of really fun shops and really good places to eat. They also had the oldest Banyon tree on the island of Maui. 

Another highlight from our trip was going to a magic/comedy show called Warren and Annabelle's. It's another activity I would highly recommend adults doing while in Maui. Our friends recommended we do this, and I'm so glad they did.  We were chosen as one of the couples to sit at the front and get picked on. I was nervous, but it turned out great!

I was called up in front of everyone and I helped him with a magic trick!

TJ Turns 2

TJ turned the big 2 and it's quite hard to believe. We had a small family get together at our house with cake and ice cream. There are so many great things to say about our little TJ. At his recent doctor visit he was 27 pounds and 33 inches. The pediatrician told me that he speaks very well for a 2 year old. He now talks to us in complete sentences. His favorite shows right now are Team Umizoomi and Thomas the Train. He is still really attached to his thumb and blanket. I'm kind of hoping he just eventually gives up the thumb sucking habit. He sleeps great at night and will take a 3 hour nap during the day. He can throw a temper tantrum like no other, but someday that strong willed personality will hopefully be to his benefit.  He loves to sing the ABC's and count to 10. He loves his bear and penguin stuffed animal. His favorite food is yogurt. He doesn't like any type of foods that have a different texture. He loves wrestling and running around with his brother Camo. Happy Birthday TJ!! You are such a fun little boy and we are so glad you are in our family.

Wildlife Safari

We recently found a Travelzoo deal for the Wildlife Safari. We hadn't heard too much about it, but thought it looked like a super fun place to take the boys. We ended up getting it and told Camo we would take him there for his birthday. We ended up going a couple months after so that the weather was a little nicer. Camo asked everyday how many more sleeps until the Wildlife Safari. He was so excited when the day finally arrived. With the deal we purchased, it allowed us to drive through the safari twice. We got there mid morning and drove through it first, then played at the playground/petting zoo before we drove through it the second time and then we headed home. It was so fun to see the animals so close. There was a giraffe that stood right in the middle of the road so that we couldn't pass. There was an ostrich that almost stuck it's head in our window. It made Camo and I nervous so we rolled up our side of the window. The outdoor area was also really cool. They had a really fun playground for the boys, petting zoo, a cheetah exhibit, reptile area, train, a fish pond and some other really fun things to see. TJ loved the petting zoo. I'm starting to realize that he is quite the animal lover. After we burned a little energy off there, we went back through the safari one last time. I love doing fun things like this with our little family. It was a lengthy drive and day but one that our family will never forget.

Camo Turns 4

I can't do a blog post all about TJ without doing a post about my Camo. He recently just had a birthday and turned 4. He insisted that we get him a monkey cake. I knew I wasn't up for the challenge, but good ol' Albertson's was. They made an adorable monkey cake. He loved it! We celebrated with family and friends on Super Bowl Sunday. It was a fun night for all of us. We had a lot of food!

Camo is such a thoughtful, observant boy. He is always asking questions. If somebody is hurt he will constantly ask me if they are doing better. If I lose something, he can almost always tell me exactly where it is. He keeps me in line. He is a rule follower and if anybody is breaking a rule he will let me know. He is really starting to love to play with his brother. TJ is getting a bit tougher so they like to wrestle with each other. Camo's favorite food right now is popcorn. His favorite cartoon is Team Umizoomi and Wallykazam. He has also recently been fascinated with dinosaurs and always asks to watch dinosaur shows on netflix. He loves to dance and we frequently have dance parties. He is starting to understand humor and loves to tell jokes. We love this boy so much! He has brought so much joy into our family. Happy 4th Birthday Camo!!!

My Baby TJ

Except he's not a baby anymore. He will be 2 in about 5 months and I can't believe it. Time really does just keep getting faster and faster. In the moment it seems long, but then you look back at the years and realize how quickly they go by. There are so many things I can say about this little boy. He is such a smiley, happy boy. It definitely didn't start out that way. We dealt with a lot of colic from him as a baby. He still loves his blanket and thumb. He is starting to transition to 1 nap a day instead of the 2. He shares a room with Camo and they both sleep great through the night. TJ loves to talk. We started noticing him jabber a lot over Christmas in Texas. Now we are starting to understand a lot of words he is saying. Some of his favorites are cool cars, ready set go, one two three, eggs, water, cereal(with all 3 syllables), Camo, daddy, mommy, bebe(blanket), penguin, doggie, kitty kat, go, bite, and train. I could probably go on and on. This kids vocabulary is unbelievable. He absolutely loves his daddy. Whenever J gets home from work he runs to the door yelling daddy and lifts his arms up. TJ does have a cranky side to him. He likes to throw tantrums which we didn't deal with as much with Camo. I guess it just means he will be determined. He can be a picky eater at times. One day he will eat something and the next day he won't even take a bite of it. Some of his favorite foods are french fries, applesauce, yogurt, noodles, cheese, and believe it or not I fed him mushrooms the other day and he was gobbling them down. He doesn't like driving in the car for very long. He loves being outside. He is always saying outside, outside. He loves to dance and our family has dance parties quite frequently. TJ also likes to read. He will grab a book and sit right down on my lap and yell read.  TJ also adores Camo. If Camo is reading books Turner will sit down right next to him and read books. If Camo is playing cars TJ is right next to him doing the same. We love you TJ!!!