Alexa's Mama is in Hawaii - day eight

Yeah! We've made it through....Alexa is in bed sound asleep....if she makes it through the night it means she only had her paci 3 times - last Thursday night, Saturday night and Sunday nap time - now if she just doesn't give her Mama a hard time because MiMi rocked her every night at bedtime .....hhhmm.... wonder if Mama will be upset about that :)

MiMi was also able to do the whole blog thing each day but as you can see she fell down on the picture taking job - that's probably why there aren't too many pictures of her own children!

Well - it's been real and mostly really fun!! Maybe MiMi will now get her own blog started - will keep you posted on that one!

We'll be picking Autumn up at the airport tomorrow at 4:30ish barring any blips on the flight plans!

We're glad you're going to be home soon, Mama!

Love,
Alexa, MiMi and Pop

I love fish!! :)

Today is my last full day in Hawaii...and we have been making the most of it. We slept in this morning and then Linds made cinnamon rolls for breakfast...of course she didn't eat any of them because they are too fattening!! :) Then Sev had an appointment to go to so we headed off to Hanauma Bay to go snorkeling!

The drive out there was nice and I got to see Koko head, which Linds and Sev are planning to climb next weekend. I can't say I'm sad I'm missing that one!! I saw the staircase leading to the top and it looked rough. Anyway, back to snorkeling. We got to Hanauma Bay, and the weather couldn't have been better!! :) We really picked the best day to go. I am super disappointed that I didn't have an underwater camera, but the last one we got didn't turn out, so I didn't get another one. Now I wish I had. We saw some awesome fish! They were gorgeous, and everywhere. I really enjoyed my first snorkel...and I can't wait to go again...I hope I don't have to wait too long!! LOL!! :) Then we finished our afternoon by laying out on the beach and soaking up a few rays!

After our snorkel we came home and got ready to go out to dinner. We walked to a restaurant close to the apartment, and can I say that it was delicious! The food has been amazing while I've been here, and we still have a few places we are going tomorrow before I leave. My flight isn't until 10:45, so we basically have all day to play on the island again. I am excited because Sev is going to go exploring with us...which among other things will mean we have a photographer. Well, actually Linds says that she will take pictures of the two of us because she is sick of being in pictures with me! :( I am always making her take pictures...and she is always complaining. LOL! Then when she actually agrees to take the picture with me she fusses because she doesn't like her smile so we end up taking 50 trying to get a good one!! Anyway...tomorrow should be fun.

I have had a great time being in Hawaii, and part of me is sad that my time is up tomorrow, but I am DEFINITELY ready to see my Lexapie! I have missed her like crazy, and I am so ready to be home with her. I know she has been in great hands while I've been gone...but I am sure that those hands are ready for a break! Lindsey and Sev have been wonderful hosts, and I am so appreciative of everything they have done for me while I've been here. I hope to have some more great pictures tomorrow, but I doubt I will get them posted before I get home. Here are some "Lindsey approved" pictures from today...LOL! Hopefully my next post will be from the mainland! Pray that my trip back is better than the one out!! :)

This is the beach at Hanauma Bay...the views were gorgeous!

The view of the coastline...and the coral below where we snorkeled

Me with Hanauma Bay in the background

Linds and me with Koko Head in the background...good luck hiking that one!! :)

Linds and me with Hanauma Bay behind us...this was after we snorkeled.

Alexa's Mama is in Hawaii - day seven

We had a great night last night and the little nannerbug awoke in a good mood this morning! She only wanted a sip of milk but was ready for her oatmeal. We even got out of the house early and MiMi was at work before 8 o'clock.
Aunt Sylvia surprised us by inviting us for supper tonight which turned out to be great because MiMi had her first Bernina Mastery class tonight! What fun! I learned how to use the walking foot, got to practice a little free hand quilting with the Bernina Stitch Regulator and appliqued using some different decorative stitches! There's lots to practice before the next class on the first Monday night in February.

I also got some more Christmas fabrics to make a few more quilt squares so I can start putting together a Christmas quilt from the squares I bought during the Quilt Shop Hop Jodi & I participated in during July of 2006.

While MiMi was at her class Alexa stayed with Pop and Uncle Jerry came over to help out. Mama called to talk to Alexa and tell her good night before her bedtime and MiMi got home just in time to tuck her in!

Only one more night Lexapie and Mama will be on her way back from Hawaii! I can't wait to see how excited Alexa is to see her Mama on Wednesday!

We love you, Mama!

Alexa, MiMi & Pop

Our night on the town!

Yesterday we had a BLAST!! We started our day by renting a pontoon boat and heading out on the ocean. The weather wasn't what we had hoped for, but we still had a little bit of sun. We saw a few sea turtles and some fish, but mostly just coral. I was actually surprised when we got home to see I got more sun than I had expected.

After we finished on the boat, we headed home to get ready for our night out. Lindsey wanted me to experience Honolulu night life...so we headed downtown. We started our night with dinner at PF Changs. If you haven't experienced their lettuce wraps then you need to try them! We had a bunch of different food, and it was all awesome. I am so glad we have on in Greenville so I can go when I get home! :)

Next we started walking downtown. Sev warned me that we would be doing lots of walking and that I might want to rethink my heals...he has no idea!! :) Men are so silly...LOL...we did do quite a bit of walking, but my feet never bothered me a bit, just as I had suspected. It was sweet of him to let me know though. We went several different places before meeting up with some other friends of theirs at Nashvilles. We spent the rest of the night there, and had a blast. I didn't know how to two-step when I got there, but I do now. LOL!

I wish we were going to have time to go out again because we had such a good time! I told Linds today that I'm starting to feel sad about leaving, tomorrow is my last full day on the island. I have had so much fun being here with Linds and Sev, but I am really missing my Lexapie, and I can't wait to get back home to her.

Hopefully if everything works out tomorrow we will get to snorkel...and if not it will be nice just to hang out with Linds. I can't wait for Linds and Sev to come home so we can hang out more often! Today we were basically lazy all day...we were out pretty late, so it was nice to sleep late, and have a nap this afternoon. Then tonight Matt and Val came over for a dinner of appetizers. I helped Linds cook some of it, but for the most part she did it all by herself. Everything turned out great!

Well, it won't be long before I'm home with my sweet baby again...and I can't wait! Here are two pictures of us from last night!

Linds and me out downtown!

Us just being us!! :)

Alexa's Mama is in Hawaii - day six

We've had another good day and Alexa is in bed tonight after talking to her Mama on the phone - yes, she actually talked and said "Mama, Mama, hello (more like hewoh) and bye bye" while listening to her Mama talk to her.

Today we were pretty low key after returning home from church both this morning and evening. Alexa had a good time playing with her friends there as well as playing here at home with her kitchen, play table, multiple books and big duck!

Hopefully we'll all have a good night tonight and be ready to start another week of work and daycare refreshed after a great weekend!

Love to Mama!

Alexa, MiMi and Pop

Alexa's Mama is in Hawaii - day five

We're half way there! And for the most part Alexa has done really well. That's not to say she doesn't miss her Mama as evidenced by her questioning where Mama is several times during the day but she continues on with her routines without problems.

Today Alexa spent the morning and early afternoon with her Great Aunt Sylvia while MiMi helped with moving Grandpa & Grace. Alexa loves to go for stroller rides so even though it was 43 degrees when they started out they braved the cold this morning and went for a ride! Alexa and "Sibby" were both bundled up and Alexa enjoyed riding and being outside.

After a two hour nap MiMi and Pop picked Alexa up and we headed home for play time and to get ready for a supper of left over home made soup. Grandpa and Grace came and ate with us and Jerry came over later officially to take care of Alexa so MiMi could get some things done but we all know the truth - he's crazy about Alexa and Walker and sees them whenever he gets the chance.

Mama called Alexa before bedtime and now she's off to bed and sleeping soundly! Good night Mama, we're glad you were having a good time with Lindsey & Sev out on the pontoon boat enjoying the water and getting some sun. Have fun tonight downtown!

We all love you!

Alexa, Mimi and Pop

Here are a few pictures for you to enjoy!

Alexa has taken over Pop's chair and remote control!

Pop's made it back into his chair and Alexa is sharing his cake.

Alexa "washing" off the ink marks she made on her hands with Jerry's marker. Notice she's at her kitchen sink! Jerry told her to wash her hands and she went straight to the sink.

Fish Tacos

As I mentioned in my post yesterday, Lindsey and I decided to hike Diamond Head. She had already told me that it was for the views from the top, not for the scenery along the way...well, she was right! I was super proud of us because we hiked to the top and back in under an hour!!

Before we hiked Diamond head we went to Duke's for some fish tacos. Lindsey had told me how good they were, so I thought I would try them. She was right, they were pretty yummy!! :) She got the buffet there and I sampled a piece of pork prepared the local way. It was also pretty good. We were both in agreement that by the time we got back to the car after the hike that our lunch was gone. So, we came back to the apartment and picked up Sev because he had to go to class, and we headed to base. After we dropped him off we headed back to North Shore to get an icee at Matsumoto. The icee was good too, but way too big for me!

Since we were already on that side of the island we decided to try out a shrimp truck for dinner. There are several, so we stopped at Macky's...it was featured on $40 a day with Rachel Ray. The shrimp was really good, but after eating almost all of my icee I was pretty full. We brought the rest of our shrimp home...I'll probably have some tomorrow! :) After we had our shrimp we came home and got ready to go out. We met Sev and some of his friends at the bowling alley. We bowled 3 games and had a great time.

Then this morning after Sev's class we all went out on a boat. We had reserved a ski boat, but they are STILL down, so we got a pontoon instead. Although the weather was a little iffy, it was still just fun to hang out. We did finally get in the water, and although it was cold, it was still fun to look at all the coral. I have to say, however, that my feet are torn up because of it. I didn't get any good pictures while we were on the boat today, but I have some good ones from yesterday at diamond head and last night bowling.

We are going out in downtown tonight...they tell me it's quite an experience. I am really looking forward to it, mainly because I've never been out in a big city before. I'm used to Spartanburg and Greenville where it's pretty small...compared to Honolulu! Hopefully I'll have some good pictures to post tomorrow.

Oh, and tomorrow we are hoping to go kayaking, and last time they went Linds and Sev got some really good pictures, so I hope that will turn out to be successful as well. I've never been before, but until yesterday I had never had fish tacos or hiked Diamond head either, and both of those were great!! :)

Enjoy the pictures...I hope I will have some great ones to post tomorrow too!! :)

Linds and me at Duke's...the look on her face says it all! She was sick of me talking about pictures!! :)

The view of the crater from the top of Diamond Head

The lighthouse below Diamond Head...isn't the water just beautiful!!

Another view of the crater from the top...that's where we parked to start the hike.

The coastline from the top Linds and me with the water behind us

The view of Waikiki beach from the top of Diamond head...you can see Lindsey's apartment building and Duke's where we ate lunch

Once again...Lindsey's true self coming out...it's so hard to get a good pic!! LOL Just kidding...love ya Linds!

The better picture of us at the bowling alley