The missing ingredients for happiness...

We got the boys new life vests to help with safety and they (mostly Connor) were really excited to try them out. So we started out our beach trip Fri. by walking to the beach along with Nikki, Grandma's dog. Almost as soon as we got there it started pouring. The boys were not amused! If you've ever been to HI you know that it rains frequently and can be hard but usually doesn't last long. So, we stuck it out and hoped for the best. Haydn DID NOT want to get out of the stroller and play at the beach. After being rained on he was even less ready to play. Connor and I started playing with the dog--throwing her ball and watching her swim to get it. Magically that intriqued Haydn and he thought it was hilarious to watch the dog swim. He wanted out of the stroller to throw the ball. From then on it was all smiles. We threw the ball a while then went swimming and the dog swam right with us. Haydn loved the dog swimmming right up to him and would stick his feet out to touch her as she came up to him and then laugh when she tickled his feet with her nose. Later he was even running in and out of the shallow waves by himself. REAL PROGRESS! It was so nice to see him having fun! I knew it wouldn't take long. Apparently Haydn liked his vest just as much as Connor because he wouldn't let me take it off to rinse him off when we were headed home. I had to pry it off to give him a bath later.

Playing at the Park

My Mom has this great little playground right near her house. Here are some pics of the boys playing and being best buddies. The little cars you see seem to go everywhere with my boys. I only brought a few toys and the boys seem to fight over this little red car constantly...i don't know what is so special but they both seem to see something I don't. The last photo is how Connor helped Haydn reach the top of the slide. I thought it was so funny I had to take a picture.

First Beach Day

Today was our first real normal day in Hawaii. We are all still trying to switch time zones. It's hard on the boys to sleep in til noon CT time (6am here). Needless to say we've had a rough couple nights. I firmly believe that they can't continue this cherade for long, they are SOOOO sleep deprived, so it can only get better, RIGHT! Despite our tiredness we did have some great fun today. We started off the day playing with Grandma's dogs. The boys are IN LOVE. After they were too tired to play anymore we brought them home and I tried to get the boys to go to the park to play. With tears in his eyes, Connor cried, "Mom, we can't leave Jazmine(the smaller dog), she'll be all alone." We got to give them a bath tonight. The boys liked getting wet with them.





















This afternoon we took a beach trip. It was supposed to be low tide according to some website I checked but it wasn't, oh well. Connor jumped right in with NO hesitation. Haydn for once exercised some caution and didn't like the sand or the water at first. He wanted to be held tight. If I moved one arm away he'd grab it and move it back around his body. We did get him in the water a little and he warmed up to the sand quickly. He'll be a crazy man in no time I'm sure.

The Big E

Connor's best friend, Jonah, had a birthday yesterday and he invited us to join them for a New England tradition, the Big E. It was so fun! We got to ride some rides, see farm animals, watch a circus, as well as learn a little more about all the New England states (they had mock state houses for all the states with booths inside about all kinds of stuff that state was known for). Connor's favorite part was the fast race car ride. Look at their faces-SHEER JOY! Happy Birthday Jonah, and thanks for letting us join you!

Joy School Clan

Last week some friends and I started a Joy School for our preschool aged kiddos, Anika, Connor, Jonah and Keslie (Haydn and Isaac aren't involved but they don't know that). It has been a blast! The kids LOVE it and are doing really well learning the lessons. This week was my week to teach and I had so much fun watching the grasp concepts and learn songs and do art projects. I have to say it's a lot of work but TOTALLY worth it. I hope my kids look back and remember joy school as fondly as I do. Thanks Mom!

Oh NO...

Connor is getting just a little too crafty. Here's some funny things he said today...

I asked Connor where Haydn's sippy cup was and he answered, "In the play room." I asked him to go get it and he sighed and replies, "I wish I said I don't know!!" I hold my laugh in and tell him to please go get it. He then walks into the playroom, picks up the sippy and hides it, then turns to me and says, "I can't find it Mom." Yeah right Connor! It's a good thing that you grow eyes in the back of your head when you become a Mom.

On the way home from church today, Scott and Connor were being silly and Scott was copying everything Connor said. Finally in frustration Connor looks up and says, "Help me Heavenly Father! Daddy is copying me!" At least he's got the right idea about who to turn to for help with a problem.

Sooo tired...

We had such a fun morning, just me and the boys, playing around! Obviously we played hard because this is how Haydn ended lunch. I love, love, LOVE it when they fall asleep in random places like this. It doesn't happen often so I'll take it when I can. What a cutie!

So I can teach my kids.....

We constantly tell our kids they need to stop growing but they keep doing it! Connor is especially insistent that he needs to grow up to be a Daddy. Here is our conversation at lunch...
Connor: Mom I don't want to eat my crust today.
Me: Why, it's yummy and healthy.
Connor: But Anika and Keslie don't...(thinking) hey, does it make me grow!?
Me: Yup!
Connor: (very enthusiastically) Good, I need to grow up to be a Daddy so I can teach my kids.
Me: What would you teach your kids?
Connor: Umm...to work and how long to microwave things, and how long to cook things, and how to sleep and take pictures, what to eat at lunch time and how not to cry
Me: You have to work on learning all those things so you can teach them really well huh!
Connor: Yup, I am! Oh ya and I would teach them not to touch hot things. Do you remember the mark on my hand...it's still not gone, I don't think it is going to get gone Mom.

Oh how their little minds work! I love teaching my boys and can't wait for him to get his dreams too.

Caterpillar to Butterfly

Thanks to my great friend, Denise, we were able to watch our very own caterpillar grow from a tiny little guy, into a big fat caterpillar, watch it make a cocoon and burst out into a beautiful butterfly. My only regret is not taking pictures at all the stages. Both the boys loved watching the caterpillar eat all the leaves we gave it and grow and they were ecstatic this morning when we found it had come out of the cocoon and was a beautiful butterfly. We let it get a little more steady and then sent it off into the world. What a fun experience! Thanks again Denise.

Labor Day Fun

We had so much fun as a family over Labor Day weekend. We went to the children's museum here and played mini golf there. The kids loved it-Connor because he's totally into it, Haydn because he loves balls and fun places to roll them as you can see. We also found a new hobby we love--GO KARTS! We did this a few weeks ago for the first time and over the weekend we found an even better place to do it. Connor is in HEAVEN when we go as you can see from the constant bright smile on his face. Haydn loved it too. We did some bumper boats too. Connor and I got much wetter than we were supposed to but it was beyond a blast. I just love seeing the sheer joy on our kids faces. It's so fun to have boys!

California Trip

I stole a couple pics of the wedding from my sister's blog because I mostly took videos of everything. Here's Haydn with his new little cousin Ben.

This is all the married Hall/Harrison granddaughters--me, Jessica and Katie

Here's all of the bride and groom's immediate family and grandparents

Haydn had a blast playing with my cousins here's a pic of them playing nintendo together, trying anyway!

While in CA we got to go on a very quick jet ski trip for a couple hours one evening. This video is of a cool jet ski trip my uncle Jeff did.

The best part of the river trip was being able to take Haydn on his first jet ski ride. HE LOVED IT. This video is a couple min long and mostly for posterity so if you really don't care you don't have to watch. I took Haydn out on the jet ski and you can't even see the cutest part because he is saying "Yeah!" over and over and tossing his hands in the air with it sometimes too. He is such a cutie...and a daredevil as we already know!