30MAR15

A few random pictures from March.  March was a great, busy, fun month for the McBride family!

 

 

How cute is this uniform Grandma Kerry bought for David??

We finally took the front off David's crib (He never tried crawling out so I was in no rush...)  The first night I heard a thud and went to check on him and he was fast asleep on the pillows we set up for him in case he fell!  Cutie boy.  He has been doing great in his big boy bed!

These 2 have a very special oldest/youngest relationship.  He was sick and this is what she set up for him. 

Dressing up for Saint Patricks Day!

Girls only Cinderella Movie date!

29MAR15

Most of Travis's leave was spent hanging out at home.  We really like being at home and after being gone for a year Travis was enjoying just being at home and not being busy (which has definitely changed now that he's back at work AND taking a class...)  We are so happy he's home and these are the last few leave pictures...

 

He made homemade bread with the kids twice, cinnamon rolls once, and scones (that's what he grew up calling them they reminded me of sopapillas!) I love to cook but baking is definitely not my thing so I love watching him show the  kids the stuff he grew up with!

Yup they washed my car!  I'm so clean in the house but my car?  Not so much... It drives Travis crazy so he just does it for me and shows David the ropes.

One day when the girls were at school we got to hit up the Aloha Stadium Market with NO kids!!  Plus with Brenda and Orson (followed by sushi at our very favorite place in the whole world!)  It was fun and this is the ONLY pic I have with Brenda and Orson...  :/ Also taken with my brand new selfie stick.

The girls were so excited to show Travis the ropes at Wet n Wild. 

David now CONSTANTLY tells Travis he is scratchy and needs to shave which is just a ploy bc he wants to shave with him.  My 2 boys!

26MAR15

We hiked Hanauma Bay a couple years ago when we first got to Hawaii and we had wanted to do it again but it kept not working out...  Finally we planned a day and decided we had to go because it was going to be the last time we could hike with the Holtgrewe's before they moved... :(  I woke up feeling horrible so or plan was to just head up to the top of the road and see how everyone was feeling.  This is actually a fairly difficult and longer hike for the kids but we got to the top and they all wanted to keep going.  I was feeling better so we decided to go for it!  It loops around and then you have to head straight back up a steep climb.  The kids rocked it the first time they did it and we all rocked it this time!  (Even David walked a good portion of it!) 

 

Great group of hikers right here!  If you can't tell by our awesome hair it is SUPER windy on this hike.  This was the top of the road!  Also I had David's carrier so Ryan and Lex were going to take turns with the camelback but Ryan ended up carrying it most of the way except when Eric and David took their turns (So chivalrous!)

Perfecting our selfies with a selfie stick.  Yup that's right don't judge!

This is where it loops back down to.  The bay is right behind us and that's koko head in the way back.  It's just breathtaking and I really like this hike!  A LOT!

Cristine can we go back to this day???  Pretty please?

David's turn to walk with the camelback.

Cutest little hiker ever.  He carried it for about 5.5 seconds. HAHA!

This is the part you go down to loop around and it's so pretty!  That's Lex and Anya.  They took up the rear naming random things along the way!

The crew.

Cuties stealing moms sunglasses!

Eric's turn! (He asked I swear!)  And that's the climb to go back up.  It's so steep and it was so windy!  Even this downhill part made me nervous but the kids had no issues!

There they go!

Taking a break to snuggle Anya of course.

LOVE this!  Before and After. HAHA! 

19MAR15

Travis and I were excited to get in a little more difficult hike!  We heard Ka'au Crater was beautiful and had a few difficult parts but not too bad so we decided to go for it!  It has 3 waterfalls along the hike and you could stop even just at the first one and it would be worth it.  You can also go to all 3 and then basically climb the third one and you get to the rim of the crater and go all around the crater. 

 

We got to the first one and then the second no problem.  Coming up to the third one there was a part you had to climb down that was basically just mud and a little rock.  It was also starting to sprinkle at this point which made me more than a little nervous.  I love hiking but I'm not an adrenaline junky...  We got to the third waterfall and it seemed like the rain was slowing down so we headed up.  This part definitely scared me because you're basically climbing up right on the side of the waterfall and it's rocks and mud and although there are ropes it was a bit scary for me.  The third waterfall is also the longest one and seemed to go on for forever but we made it and I was excited to be on some less treacherous terrain! 

 

 Then we started heading up to the rim and the rain really started coming down.  Plus we were so high up and the fog was so heavy I will not pretend that I was not completely petrified with sheer drops on both sides and about an 18 inch pathway to walk on.  The rain made it so slippery so we only got about 1/3 of the way around the crater and decided to be smart and head back.  The rain was really coming down and even as we were coming down we would literally have to slide on one foot until we got to a good place to slow down (which for me was when I ran into Travis and he stopped me...) 

 

Once we got back to the third waterfall there is a way to bypass all the waterfalls and take an easier route down (Thank goodness!  Going up is one thing but going back down would possible have put me over the edge!)  We took that and headed back down to the truck, soaking wet, cold, and so beyond happy we got to do this EPIC hike!  If it hadn't scared me so bad I would definitely love to do this one again because the views were amazing and the feeling of finishing was fabulous!!  It ended up being about 6.5 miles according to mapmyrun...  I just love hiking in Hawaii!!! Thankful for the opportunities we have had here!

 

 

First waterfall.  Also where Travis accidentally dropped our good camera (that we have had for 7 years!) straight into the pool at the bottom!  Tragic!

Second waterfall (the first and second waterfalls you climb up the side of so they're much easier than the third even though they are way steeper!)

This was the first part that was a little difficult for me.  It was just so wet we were slipping!  Luckily I had Trav to guide me down and he even helped 2 girls that were hiking together and we ended up staying with them until they turned around at the top of the third waterfall.  Good guy that husband of mine!

This is the third waterfall.  It went all the way to the top and it's so hard to get pictures to do it justice!

Getting ready to climb the third.

Here we go!

Not even halfway up!

Sexy hubby!

This is the beginning of the ridge.

The actual crater which is covered in marsh.  We threw an apple and heard it hit the water which you couldn't even tell was water.

Can you tell how foggy it was!  And how soaking wet we were?? 

It was so beautiful and green!

Perfect hike with my perfect man!!

16MAR15

I turned 34 this year!  I know women "my age" don't like to admit their age but not me.  I feel like I have made the most of those years and I'm so happy with where I am!  I am really only posting a blog about my birthday for 2 reasons... 1. To brag about the great people who spoiled me on my birthday and 2. To brag about getting to go to dinner with this view!!  I know I'm not the nicest person but it's my blog and let's be honest there's not a lot of you really reading it so... :)

The weekend before my birthday we had a beach day (hence our glow!) and after Nate and Cristine came over with this delicious peanut butter and chocolate cake (seriously it was soooo good and my very favorite of everything is chocolate and peanut butter!) We played games to along with my brother and Brenda who were here visiting and I got all of ONE picture with them??!!  Terrible!

The morning of my birthday I slept in and Trav took all 3 kids to the store!  I got waffles and strawberries and beautiful roses!  Travis also got me a beautiful sunrise shell necklace and matching earrings.  Best kids and husband ever!

That night we went out to dinner with Orson and Brenda at one of our favorites Longboards (it's only our favorite because the view can NOT be beat!)  It was right at sunset too so it was absolutely BEAUTIFUL!!!

Taken from my iphone.  I mean honestly?  Breathtaking!  What a perfect day!

10MAR15

Of course while Travis was on leave we had to get some hikes in!  Alexis ended up pretty sick for about of week of leave so we had a lot of hanging out at home which was actually kind of nice but before she got sick we were able to hit up a couple trails.  This was Kealia trail.  This is in the North West part of Oahu.  Most of our hikes are more on the east side so it was a total different view which was nice.  It's also over by where they do all the skydiving and stuff so part of the view was watching the jumpers!  I would REALLY like to work that in before we leave this island!  This wasn't a long trail but we enjoyed a nice easy hike (followed by the best breakfast burritos in the whole world at a place called Konos!) It was a pretty trail mostly just switchbacks up to a picnic bench and the views were from the trail because the top was mostly covered by trees.  I am so happy Travis is home and that we are able to hike together again!!!