Hawaii!!!

This is just a record for me so that when I do a photo book I can remember what all we did!!! ;)
Day 1 (Saturday): Fly in, check into condo, swim at the pool, sunset on the beach at Kihei boat launch, shopping and ice cream!
Day 2 (Sunday): Get snorkel gear, practice in pool, headed to the beach (Keawakapu) in the crazy wind, sunset on the beach in Kihei (Kama'ole)
Day 3 (Monday): Zipline at Tropical Maui Plantation, Lahaina to shop, see Banyon Tree Park, visit Ululani's Shave Ice (the Yamashiro's) and watch a Lahaina sunset!
Day 4 (Tuesday): Morning snorkeling at Ulu'a Beach and Mokapu Beach. Great snorkeling for fish on the reef in between the two beaches! Went shopping in Kihei at the open markets. Sunset on Wailea Beach (Just Scott and I, the girls swam at the pool with Grandma!)
Day 5 (Wednesday): Morning snorkeling at Maluaka Beach. Pretty nice with lots of fish! Amazing beach, we had a little area all to ourselves! Kids played in the waves a lot. Took a drive to Pa'ia (a little hippie town) and watched the windsurfers and the turtles at Ho'okipa Beach. Sunset swim in the pool!
Day 6 (Thursday): Morning snorkeling at Po'olenalena Beach. Not as great there but we saw turtles!!!! Finally!!!! Drove to Lahaina in the afternoon for a little more play in town, then a nice drive (aka nap for the girls) up the coast. Went to the Royal Lahaina Luau. Very fun!!!!!
Day 7 (Friday): Drove to the I'ao Valley and saw the I'ao needle. Beautiful formations in the valley of the West Maui Mountains. It was so green and beautiful, with a foggy cloud cover at the top. There was a river going through as well that we splashed in.
Day 8 (Saturday):
Day 9 (Sunday):
Day 10 (Monday):
Day 11 (Tuesday):

Kite Festival

We went down to the kite festival to join in the festivities. It's always such a fun thing that we do at the beach with the kids. The weather was beautiful and the kids actually got to play in the water! We had lots of beach time, a bonfire and family play time. It was great!

Happy 8th Birthday Emma!

I'm not sure how it happened, but Em turned 8. Some birthdays bother me and some don't. For some reason they seem to be the even years. I had a terrible time with her turning 4, 6 and 8. 5 didn't bother me at all. 8 has really hit me hard - really hard. We celebrated Em's birthday at the beach this year for the first time and she had a terrific time! We had the party at Waikiki Beach! We also had a mini celebration at our house on her actual day.Emma, you are growing up and becoming such a big girl now. You're so caring and loving, and try and take care of everyone. Your biggest obstacle lately is trying not to be the mommy, but the big sister! You are a natural born leader on the inside, and you let that show at home and in your small comfort groups of people. You are also becoming a leader at school. The kids are looking up to you, and looking to you for help and guidance. You're really enjoying that role. You're so excited because you're coming home with new games that you have learned on the playground, like cat's cradle and hand clapping rhymes. It's fun because those used to be my favorite games to play, too! You are so in love with animals. You basically lead through your days with the interactions you have with animals. You are telling me you want to be a veterinarian now, and I think you will become one some day. You have the drive and determination to achieve whatever goals you set for yourself. Speaking of animals, I was going to sell or give away our really mean chicken, because she was pecking at your and Sara's feet. You decided to adopt her as your own, saying you really don't mind her pecking at you as long as you have boots on! That's so like you to want to save every animal that comes across your path and keep them for your own. Only you would love a cranky chicken! That's my girl. You are so loving and compassionate towards animals. You are also excelling in the sports you have chosen. Coach Fox says he expects great things out of you in gymnastics, and you've just starting learning the level three bar routine! You are so excited for that! You are also ready to go the next step in horse riding instruction, which is going to Julia, the older girls' teacher. You're sad about leaving Miss Kathryn, but she'll still be there for your lessons and she says it's getting to be time. In the spring you may move up. You love to read now, and will go lay in bed and read your chapter books all by yourself. You get that love from mommy. I love to disappear into a book for a while, too. I'm so proud of you, the big girl you're becoming and the wonderful person you are. I love you!

Anaconda, Montana

We were so lucky to be able to travel to Montana for a family reunion this month. This was no normal family reunion either! It was the celebration of the Cullinane - Calnan's being in The United States for 100 years, from Ireland. There were a few hundred people, from all over the world who joined us, that were all family. It was an amazing and incredible experience and a great learning experience about our family. I learned so much that I didn't know before. The Calnan's in Butte and Anaconda are somewhat of a fixture in that area. There were 10 children born of John and Ellen, so there were lots of them to go around! Everyone was so excited we were there, and we were featured on the front page of the paper. We spent time learning about our family, listening to old stories, getting to know each other, swimming, partying, having campfires, sightseeing and joining an An Ri Ra - A huge Irish festival. There was also lots of Jamison's passed around! ;)

4th of July

All throughout the time we were at the lake for the 4th of July, I was reflecting on what an amazing thing we have going there. Every year without fail our family shows up to be together. We all come together to just be, hang out, catch up, relax and enjoy one another. I am so thankful that my girls have this tradition to grow up with as I did. It is a little girls paradise. They have tons of older cousins always fawning over them, loving them and taking care of them. Not to mention all the aunties, uncles, grandmas and grandpas that they have there! This time they both learned how to cast a fishing pole, real it in and Sara even caught her first fish! All that was taught to them by one of their great cousins - Emily. We didn't even ask her to do it. That's what's so great about the lake. Everyone just does their thing, and they all look out for each other. Later in the weekend the girls had their makeup done by their older cousins Kyra, Kevyn and Caitlin. They went swimming, were taken on boat rides and played games, picked berries and made homemade berry milkshakes, and on and on. We have such a special family and are so blessed to be able to spend time with them. I wish it was more often, but we do the best we can. 50 years ago my grandparents took a huge leap of faith in buying the lake property. They wanted a place they could take their kids to that was on the water but safe. My grandpa being the only one working, money was tight, raising all those kids and sending them to Catholic school. They still decided it was a priority and stretched themselves to do it. I am so thankful today that they have, because it has created 50 years of amazing family memories and will continue to do so for many many more.

Way behind and no way to catch up!!!

*Some fun things that have happened in our family over the past two months...
Emma learned how to blow bubbles with her gum!!!
Sara learned how to snap her fingers!!!
The other day Sara said "I think the guy...in the sky...on the moon...he got the rain and took it...and the girl had the sun!" So sweet and cute. I guess she was excited to finally see the sun like her mommy was!
Farm life - we lost another chicken, but the kids are loving the baby chicks we have. We also lost our kitty, Bailey. She's been gone for about 4 days now and we're so sad. We've had her for almost 9 years. We have Bucky, our pony, at our house full time now and the girls are loving riding him all the time!
Sara sang in her class for the moms for a Mother's Day special event. She was in her element - being up there in front of people performing! It was so sweet and brought tears to my eyes.Emma participated in her first horse show with Bucky! We are so proud of her. It was a big stretch out of her comfort zone, and she was a rock star!Sara is excitedly waiting to perform on the stage - her dream come true! She gets to perform ballet and tap in the end of the year recital for her dance company! This is her and her class practicing their ballet dance. They are the cutest group of three and four year olds ever!The kids teamed up with the Houston girls to make Team Cousins - running to raise money to build a school in Africa! I was so proud of my girls. Emma ran almost the entire mile without walking, and Sara did about 3/4 of it by herself. The other 1/4 was helped along by Daddy's shoulders! ;) Great job girls!We went to the Starlight Parade - our favorite parade of the year!!! We spent the afternoon with the Houston's and the Ullom's. The Ullom's really know how to have a party!Emma got in the $100 club for Run for the Arts and was recognized at an all school assembly for her efforts in running and raising money for art programs in her school. They earned over $17,ooo for their school!Emma was recognized at the end of year Parade of Planets at Vega for gymnastics, and she got to showcase all that she has learned this year. Boy does that girl have the body for gymnastics! Check out her middle splits! Sara is on the wait list for Coach Fox, Emma's coach. As soon as dance is over she's going to start up gymnastics as well for the summer. She is smitten with Coach Fox. Can't you tell?Mikey, Jenn, Mackenzie, Parker and Marlee came to stay the weekend with us! The kids had so much fun riding Bucky, swimming in our new pool, playing on the play structure, catching frogs and tadpoles and climbing trees! Jenn and I went and got manicures and pedicures and Mikey inspired Scott to try and start learning to play the guitar again!
We are so looking forward to summer - especially July when we get to spend so much time with amazing family and friends relaxing and doing what's important in life - just being...

Sara Anne

I can't believe that my baby is 4 years old already. Happy Birthday to my sweet fancy girl! We love you so much. You bring so much joy to our lives and our days. I love how you want to wear big fancy dresses everywhere we go! It doesn't matter if you're going to school, to the grocery store or the park, you always want to wear big fancy twirly dresses! You love all the Christmas dresses and Easter dresses we have and you make such good use out of all of them! You love your sparkly shoes and wear them all the time! You love your tights, too! I always have to reassure your teachers that it's okay for you to play in these dresses, and to please let you paint in them, too! I've finally talked Daddy into letting you wear your dress up clothes with him to Home Depot. I'm sure you get the cutest looks from everyone when you're there! Most mornings you wake up wondering if you can have cookies or doughnuts for breakfast. What's so great about that is that you remind me that we need to enjoy life and not take it so seriously all the time! You are so good at making friends wherever you go, because you're not shy at all. You love people and always want to be right in the middle of things! You try and tell people you're 7 so that you can be like Emma! Your greatest frustration in life is that you aren't 7 and you can't quite do all that your sissy does yet. Someday you will be there, and I'm sure it won't take long. I love how in the mornings you will lay to still next to me, even though you're awake. You just lay there quietly all snuggled up to me, and rest your hand on my arm lovingly. You are my snuggler when it's rest time! But, when we're out and about you stay far away from me, exploring and not being held back by anyone! I love you so much sweet girl. You will always be my fancy girl.

Arizona, Day 4

Today we spent the day at the Phoenix Zoo! We had such a great time and spent about 7 hours there. The weather was amazing and the zoo is great. It's ranked one of the top 5 zoos for children in the US. The girls were dying to start by riding the endangered species carousel. There were exhibits that you could go inside with the animals, and many places where they used natural elements to fence in the animals, such a water. It was nice to see the animals without cages around them. These were the wallabys we went in with! They were so calm.There was a really neat area full of bronze animal statues that the girls sat on and got pictures with. The elephants were so huge! They were all full size replicas. Can you see Emma on the elephants?My favorite part was when we went into an area full of monkeys where there were no fences between us and them. They were jumping over our heads from tree to tree and running across the path we were walking on.Emma was thrilled to see Scarlet Macaws there. She just had to have her picture taken next to them. It was her favorite part of the zoo, and then the monkeys next. She chose her souvenir for the day to be a stuffed Scarlet Macaw.
Sara's favorite part of the day was going in an area where you can touch Sting Rays. She loved it and was so brave! We spent a lot of time in there! Her favorites were the baby ones!
We also rented a paddle boat to go through a "lake" they have, and the kids got to ride a camel!
The picture above is the natural landscape outside of the zoo on the side of the road! These are called the Red Mountains behind the girls. Scott was dying to try In N Out, so we went there for dinner, and then onto Baskin Robbins for ice cream!!!