aloha...from maui

happy greetings from the tropical paradise of maui, hawaii...our favorite place on earth, as of yet! our third trip to this magical island was nothing short of pure bliss! it was even more enjoyable, because we were able to enjoy it on our own...no planned events, no one we knew, no schedule, etc. we stayed at our favorite hotel on the island in wailea, the fairmont kea lani. though the hotel has aged a bit since our last trip there, it is still magnificent, with superb service and suites. there is nothing quite like having a cute boy deliver chilled towels or pineapple on a whim! we thoroughly enjoyed the "adult" pool daily, only after a scrumptious breakfast at seawatch (overlooking the gold course at wailea cc) or the kihei cafe on the strip in kihei. we both took a liking to coffee during our trip, though i favor a diet coke first thing in the morning! it was fun to awaken early, and start the day. our days consisted of breakfast, a bit of sight-seeing, pool or beach time, spa time, lunch time, shopping time, cocktail time, dinner time, late night cocktail/music time. i am typically a night owl (1 am-ish, is my bedtime)...but in hawaii, i arose early...and dozed off by 10 every night! (still struggling with that tendency now!) since we had travelled to maui previously, we did not feel a strong urge to see all of the sights, snorkel, whale/dolphin watch...we simply relaxed. ahhh! it was dreamy, i must say! we were lucky enough to score one night, at tommy bahama's in wailea, as our fav musician on maui, jamie lawrence performed. a perfect evening...as always. we LOVE him! according to the great number of pics i took, the trip was unbelievably wonderful (i posted more on facebook), i can merely provide a sampling of our adventures (most of which involved food)! unfortunately, i missed the puzzled look that appeared on garry's face after day 5, when he asked if i missed the kids (i said, "not yet") which is still fresh in my mind. this was truly a much needed vacation for the soul. just so you all know, i finally missed them by the time we headed home! thanks garry, for making it so special! i look forward to many more trips to magical maui with you! how many more years till we retire?

coleman...ready for some football

a few pics of the first saturday of football scrimmages with coleman! he was so excited to put on all of the gear...including his number 8 jersey with his name! he looks sooo tough, huh? actually, looking at the huddle he seems sooo little! coleman had a great day, with his team, "the cyclones" winning both games! he made an awesome tackle, however, i was so intently watching, i missed a pic! the positions he is playing are wingback, quarterback & safety. dad is one of the coaches, which makes it even more special...note the sideline chat! looking forward to a fun season of football!

first days of school 2009

goodbye summer, hello school! the kids have all officially returned to school within the last week, and i must admit, i am a bit sad! coleman's first day of third grade was thursday, august 20th. his teacher is mrs. robinson (the same teacher austin had), and so far, he is quite pleased! she nearly fainted on "meet your teacher" night, as austin towered over her! yikes...time flies! coleman was excited to board the bus in his new clothes and shoes, and with his new backpack in tow! hampton was also present for his departure, repeatedly telling him to have a good day...and to come home soon! he happily (tongue in cheek) hugged on her, posed for pics, and boarded the bus with a smile, despite the mom cam.






austin eagerly welcomed his first day of seventh grade, on friday, august 21st. he reports that the days are "long and boring" thus far. typical, i guess, considering the age! posing for the "first day of school" pics was not fun for him...and you should've seen the look i got when i suggested that i would take a pic of him boarding the bus! no hard feelings on my end, as i SO remember those days. i am thankful that he still hugs me and verbalizes that he "loves" me, even in the midst of friends! dodger was sad to see each of the kiddos make their grand exits to school...now he is home with just me...and he honestly seems depressed!



hampton started preschool at chapel hill on wednesday, august 26th. she was a bit anxious upon our arrival, but quickly warmed up to the nine other sweeties in her room! she was most happy about the "no rest time," and thoroughly enjoyed the crafts, snacks, and showing her teachers (mrs. jennifer & mrs. thee) that she could write her name using a different color for each letter!






wishing you all a happy school year!

high school musical

per hampton's request, we scored tickets to wichita music theatre's live performance of "high school musical 2" this afternoon (hampton's new favorite movie, which has been playing on repeat mode in my car for the last few months). originally, coleman wished to join us (as dad was golfing, and austin was with friends); however, during church, he decided he was no longer interested! luckily coleman was able score a playdate with a neighborhood friend for the afternoon! jessica, our long time babysitter and friend, since we made the move to wichita, joined hampton and me, for the matinee! what an incredible show, and fun girl time! hampton thoroughly enjoyed each and every second...and happily serenaded our car ride home with the musical selections she recalled. following the car ride, she could not withstand the urge to sing and dance her favorite songs from the show! oh my! shall we say, "diva?" hampton did tell me following the performance that she "could be gabriella, maybe next week!"

4th birthday luau

aloha! we celebrated hampton's fourth birthday among friends and family, with a luau at our home. this was her special request, as she has recently taken a liking to hawaiian music! she invited several young friends, including cousin, evie as well as some older girlfriends, who were excellent helpers for the duration of the party. yeah! the girls enjoyed painting wooden flower frames prior to "leilani" arriving to teach the girls hawaiian words and dance! they all did fantastic, as she was able to hold their attention for nearly an hour (on the hottest day of the summer, i might add)! we then feasted on kid-friendly tropical island fare before yummy cake and cupcakes. it was a wonderful day, providing memories to last a lifetime! we are especially thankful for the friends and family who have been a part of our lives, and watched hampton grow into the little girl we know today! mahalo!