In recipe heaven...

Thanks to Kimi I have a new addiction! It is called pioneerwoman.com/cooking. I am one of those really weird people that loves nothing more than to peruse a cookbook for hours, especially if there are pictures. I find it hard to resist buying a new cookbook or cooking magazine... especially when Sam's Club has them for cheaper. They carry my favorite magazine's cookbook which is Cuisine At Home. Yum!! My mouth is watering just thinking about it... but enough of that... I am really here to talk about this ladies blog. I guess that she is a bit of a Renaissance woman and blogs about homeschooling, photography, and cooking... and maybe even more stuff. I haven't tried any of her recipes, YET, but fully intend to! They look AMAZING!!! I know that some of you are into cooking, like me, so if you haven't already heard of this blog, check it out! It is a lot of fun! Now to decide which recipe to try first.:) Many mahalo's Kimi!!!

We were so honored to be able to host Kimi, Jared, and Lydia for a night on their cross-country voyage to San Diego. Eliana and Jared got along realy well, and had a blast playing together. Eliana was crying after they left because she forgot to give Jared something to remember her by. I told her not to worry we would see them again. Disneyland sounds like a great place for a reunion... what do you think Kimi?! Lydia and Kai weren't very interested in each other, other than to poke each other in the ear and face a couple of times.:) It was a wonderful visit, just missing Jeremy... next time!:) Praying for you guys as you make this transition!! Thanks so much for coming out of your way to see us!!

Enjoying the gorgeous weather!!

The Monday after Easter was a gorgeous day, even got up into the 90's. Jon had a rare day off from work, so we headed outside to enjoy the warmth. Jon took the kids to the playground and let me go for an outdoor run along the river, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Eliana had a blast at the playground. She is losing some of her timidness and getting more brave with the things that she will try and do. Kai enjoyed watching everything from the jogging stroller front seat. (He is usually in the back bucket seat, so the front was a treat for him.)

My Valentine's gift...

I had bought these Hawaiian quilt patterns at the Swap Meet when we were in Hawaii in 2007. My plan was to frame the smaller ones and then hang the big one on a quilt rod. They have just been sitting around all these years, because I am a complete slacker mostly... but Jon found them and unbeknownst to me, took them to Hobby Lobby and had them framed for me. They were my Valentine's gift. I absolutely LOVE them! They turned out just as I had envisioned them when I bought them. Now we just need to hang them up.:)

Our little ballerina

These pictures are from February... I am just horrible at keeping this blog up to date. Eliana took her first ballet class this year and LOVED it!! These pictures are from her last class, which Jon and I got to attend. She was so excited to have us there, especially her Daddy... and then she told us that when she saw us watching her she got all embarrassed and nervous.:) She did a great job and we are so proud of her.

Kai is 10 months old!!

I cannot believe that my sweet baby boy is now 10 months old! He is as sweet as ever and we are enjoying every moment watching him grow. He is a very busy boy! He started crawling shortly after the New Year, and then within just a week or two of that accomplishment, began pulling himself up on things, starting to climb, and taking steps while holding onto things. He is doing everything a lot sooner than his big sister did and a lot closer together. It makes the child-proofing of the house very interesting. There are things that Eliana never tried doing that Kai is determined to do... as evidenced by his trip to explore the dishwasher. He has already had his first taste of Maka's food and seemed to enjoy it, so we are very quick to get her food up and out of the way whenever he is roaming the house. He still refuses to try and learn to sign... he has "all-done" down but has no interest in any of the others. Oh well, I will keep trying and see if he signs the words first or decides to just say them.:) He is my little cuddler and loves to have his face touched. He will pull your hand onto his face and hold it there, especially if he is sleepy. He and Eliana love to hold hands in the van any time we are driving somewhere. Someday I am going to have to try and get a picture of that. He loves the outdoors and goes to lift the blinds and peek out them first thing everyday. If I have the windows open in the front of the house, he will stand there and jabber out them to the world beyond. His hair is continuing to grow and is even starting to curl up in the back. I am so curious to see if he will have the curls that Eliana had as a baby. Won't that really confuse people... and Asian looking baby with a head of black curls! It is so hard to believe that I am going to have to start planning his first birthday soon. Better buy him a pair of running shoes, as I am almost positive he will be walking/running by his first birthday. Crazy, precious boy!!