28FEB15

I'm not sure why it took us so long to start doing beach BBQs but it quickly became a favorite weekend activity.  We were all very happy that Travis made it home in time to get a few weeks of McGrewe time in!  We are so lucky to live on this beautiful island and to be here with the Holtgrewe's has been the icing on the cake!!  This is Pokai which is our current favorite beach because it's somewhat close and you can bbq on the beach, plus the waves are low in the protected bay, and the snorkeling (for shells Nate and Travs favorite!) is great...  A perfect day in the books!

 

Nate and Trav reping the home state!

Bucket head David.

This girl!!

Our little beach

Playing in the sand!

These kids will play ALL DAY LONG at the beach!

The best part... FOOD! ;)

Yep we stayed till sunset!

26FEB15

The girls were still in school when Trav started leave so we were able to drop David off with Cristine and head out for a hike!  It was raining on the East side of the island so we hit up the west side Ka'ena Point.  I did this hike with Ashley and the kids over the summer but it's along the coast the whole time and it's absolutely beautiful so a second time was definitely in order!  One way the hike is just over 2.5 miles but about 2 miles in you enter a bird sanctuary and dogs aren't allowed so we turned around at that point (we had planned on a different hike where Tucker would have been fine.)  It was a beautiful day with my handsome husband.  So happy to have him home!

 

 

 

21FEB15

Lucky Ryan!  Daddy got home just in time to celebrate her seventh birthday!!  Ryan is our little love bug.  She will hug anyone at anytime.  She will make friends with anyone at anytime.  I'm pretty sure her friends that are boys think she's a boy but her friends that are girls know she is a girl.  She is super easy going and can be calmed down in about 5 seconds flat.  Even with all that she holds her own.  She doesn't let people walk on her at all.  She has her own opinions and she sticks with them when they really matter.  She may invade your personal bubble sometimes but that kid can make your day with her sweetness.  Happy Birthday sweet sweet Ryan Pyper!!

 

For her party she just wanted legos.  Lego anything and everything.  Super easy party to plan!  She picked a cake at the store (with Trav just getting home this made me super happy.)  We played a couple games, ate pizza, cake, and ice cream, unwrapped presents and spent the rest of the day putting together Legos and playing with friends.  She said she was very happy with her day.  Love this girl to pieces.

 

Waffles and Strawberries!

Birthday girl (her cute homemade lego favor bags)



One of the games we played... We dumped 500 legos and took turns rolling a dice to see how many legos they got to pick.  We went around the circle till all the legos were gone and then they all got to make whatever they wanted (and take the legos home as part of their favors!)

Working hard!



Ryan had a simple guest list which was Anya, Eric, Hannah, Will, and Lex and David.  My kind of party!

Lego candles and a goofy daddy.

Present time!

18FEB15

Ah Army life.  Trav left for his fourth year long deployment and it sucked.  Like they always do...  People ask if it gets easier or harder or better or... Truth is it's just different.  Each time Trav has deployed we've added another kid so it's gotten busier for sure.  I've been blessed by wonderful support systems (although even what those look like changes...)  every time he's left.  He likes what he's doing while he's gone and that makes it that much easier because everyone wants their spouse to enjoy what they're doing. 

 

This deployment may have passed by a little quicker than the past 3 and I think there are a few reasons for that... 1. We were in Hawaii (I know we were in Germany before and I LOVED Germany but I love to be warm and on a beach so very much) 2. More kids means not a lot of down time which means weeks pass quickly.  3. Older kids means even more activities on top of school, homework, etc. 4. It was the fourth time we've done this and it had probably the best communication we've ever had.  We talked (Skyped) USUALLY every other day at least.  Travis knew what was going on at home while it happened and that made it much easier on me to have him to still bounce stuff off of (not sure if that was easier on him but...)  5. This is going to sound selfish but I took time to take care of myself with running... I still raced (a few with the kids but more by myself.)  I know it sounds lame but working out was great for me.  I had my own goals not just goals for the kids...  There are a lot more reasons some are personal some just aren't necessary to write down but although the time went by a little faster this time I could not wait to start counting down days of when this handsome soldier of mine would be home.  (Such a long countdown it was because it took him almost 2 weeks from the time he left his post in Afghanistan till he arrived in Hawaii!  Hurry up and Wait...)  Finally it was time to get us all dolled up and head to the airport and it was such a fantastic (different than ever before) homecoming!!! 

 

Let the month long vacation begin!!

 

16FEB15

The Great Aloha Run!  The most popular run on Oahu.  This was the 31st annual run.  It starts at the Aloha Tower (downtown) and ends at the Aloha Stadium.  It's 8.15 miles.  I ran it last year with Travis and had a great time with him but my time was not great.  This year Ashley and I went in to it as a training run for our 10k that is coming up but after the first mile I was feeling so great we decided to go with it (Ashley is a much faster runner than me so when we are staying together she is able to go whatever speed I'm up for!  It makes for a great training partner for me, maybe not so much for her but, she doesn't complain... much.)  I feel like I had the run of my life!  I'm not sure if it's just consistent running, mentally just being ready, adrenaline, knowing Travis was finally coming home, or just all of it combined but the speeds I was going I didn't even realize I could do for that long of a distance.  I'm still not fast.  I still can improve but, dang if this isn't probably the most proud of a run I've been since I finally got my under 30 minute 5k (which by the way is about the pace I kept on this run for 8 miles not just 3!)  This is why I love running.  That feeling of finishing 8 miles and feeling strong and happy and proud...  I just love it!  It was a great run all around for me and finishing next to hundreds of the soldiers in formation was the icing on the cake!

Love that this girl is as obsessed with running as me because it does seem insane to think we pay money to get up stupid early and run on a public street! :) 

Just proof of my time. 1:18:04 that's a 9:35 average per mile. :)

This is a screen shot of my finishing photo.  I would really love to buy it bc my face says it all to me.  How GREAT I felt at the end!!  But the pics are 30 dang dollars!!!  Also proud to finish next to Ashley!

Finishers ready for some good ole Denny's for breakfast!!!!

06FEB15

I finally got to go on a field trip with my beautiful sweet oldest daughter!  It didn't sound all that exciting when I heard we were going to a Taro Farm but it turned out to be SOOO interesting and FUN!  I am so glad I was able to go and spend the whole day with Alexis and her friends!

Bus Selfie!

First they learned all about the Taro Plant and what they do with it.  Did you know you can do anything with Taro that you do with potatoes?  Most of the time you only hear about Poi which I do NOT care for but trying this fresh taro made me realize it's good I just don't care for the poi... First they boiled it then they used a shell to skin it.

Then they got to mash it down and try it (it really tasted pretty good!)

This was made from real lava rock!  How cool is that??

They got to make bracelets from the leaves of the plant.

After that they went out to where the plants were and loosen the mud by walking all around where they plants grow. 

Some of the plants they pulled!

They finished up by cleaning up in the pond, changing, and having some lunch followed up by a little singing along with the Uke!   Have I mentioned how lucky we are to live here??? 

03FEB15

I love my family and I am so excited that we officially just had our last month without Travis!!  He should be home this month and that is the best thing I have said in a whole year! Pictures from January!

Pirate Ryan.  She made her own hat, telescope, and map (stuffed into her shirt!)  Then she said take a picture mom!

This kid can use the phone like no 2 year old should be able to.  He has also mastered the art of a selfie.  This was just 6 of the only 100 pictures of himself I found on my phone one day! 

When you have 2 older sisters and you win Pretty Pretty Princess you get your picture taken.

I never get pictures of Travis and this one is my absolute favorite!

This kid LOVES stickers!  He makes shirts out of them. :)

Look how cute he would be with glasses!!!

I had a day not too long ago.  It was a not good day and this was how it ended!  Wax all over my poor baby.  Luckily scensy is made to not burn and the worse part was pulling it out of his hair! (actually it ended on a good note when Cristine came by with poke and flowers because she knew my day had been terrible!  Love her!)

Ryan seems to have taken to math!  She loves adding and subtracting and even trying to figure out multiplication.  She asked if she could count her money and I came into her room and found this.  She had made a whole math equation out of her money.  CUTIE!

Dress up at Anyas!

Then Lex and Anya came down and said they were TRYING to dress up as ridiculous as possible.  They won.

When he lets me do his hair I DIE!