iHeartFaces Post

I decided to try something different. I have been reading various photography blogs and came across one called iHeartFaces. They have a contest each week where readers post their favorite pictures from the category of the week. This week's contest is called "Beach Faces". I had a hard time deciding. Decided to go with the LAST PICTURE POSTED in this post - Andrew at Cape Cod. But... I also decided to post a few more. I somehow got the order all mixed up!

Please Pray for Stellan

Please pray for Stellan. Medically speaking he is doing really poorly and is being airlifted to Boston Children's. Pray for Stellan's parents (nicknamed MckMama and Prince Charming) and for his two brothers and sister. God is sovereign and in control no matter what, but I am quite sure that MckMama are pleading for time with Stellan here on earth.

Kauai Cacao Beans

Just sharing more pictures from our trip. We toured a cacao bean plantation while in Kauai. Nathan loved running up and down the paths and picking up sticks and rocks. The other kids loved sampling the various fruits... and, of course, the 10 different varieties of chocolate!

Malia listening to the guide talk about the cacao beans.Cacao Beans: The white coating was nice and sweet, but the beans were pretty bitter.Alex and Daddy taking a break and looking at flowers.Do you know it takes two years to grow a pineapple?Elizabeth playing in the bamboo.I loved the red bamboo.Bird of Paradise

Sea Turtles

Finally getting around to posting some more Hawaii pictures. Here are the long promised pictures of the sea turtles that we got to swim/snorkel with....

Simply. Amazing.

Christian, Elizabeth, Aunt Jan, Andrew, and Mama Bear ready to head out on our adventure. Our entire group.

Swimming out to the coral reef. I was so proud of how well the twins and Christian did. It was challenging for them but they hung in there! We swam out quite a way. Christian in front of the new hotel being built.

Andrew on top of the "raft". He had been hanging on to the side looking into the water, but then found himself face to face with a turtle... he spent the rest of the trip doing his best to see fish from on top of the board!Christian checking out the fish! Mama Bear having some fun! Elizabeth feeling more brave.

Three Things

Someone sent me an email and asked me to answer the following questions... Decided to post it just because.... I've deleted questions and then added some of my own. Feel free to tell me about you! :)

Three names I go by:

1. Mommy
2. Kari
3. Miss Kari

Three jobs I have had in my life:
1. Counselor
2. Missionary
3. Tutor

Three places that I have lived:

1. Goleta, CA
2. Herndon, VA
3. Caldwell, ID
(and Buffalo, NY, Boston, MA, Hattiesburg, MS, Fairfax, VA, Amherst, MA....)

Three TV shows that I watch (if I ever watch TV!):
1. Survivor
2. America's Got Talent
3. Dateline or 20/20

Three places that I have been to:
1. Kauai
2. Philippines
3. Finland

Three places we travel to often:
1. Denver, CO
2. Portland, OR
3. Boston, MA

Three of my favorite foods: (Including but not limited to!)
1. Fruit of any variety
2. Chinese food (Beef with broccoli or Chicken cashew)
3. Blackberry pie (made by my mom)

Three things I am looking forward to:
1. Our next vacation - which we haven't even planned yet!
2. Seeing my Mom in two weeks
3. Getting a new computer and learning photoshop

My own "Up To" Post

I read MckMama's blog on a daily basis and she shared what she and her family were up to today... and invited her readers to leave a comment on her blog with what they had done this weekend.

I left a rather verbose comment in her comments section and decided I would copy and paste it here.... And... if anyone even reads this blog... you can leave a comment letting me know what you have been up to this weekend! :)

This is what I wrote:

I am having a thoroughly delightful weekend BY MYSELF - a gift from my Prince Charming, whom I call Papa Bear. :) He took our four small and not so small children to Boston to spend the weekend with his parents. He does this every once in a while and I LOVE love love him for it..... even though I cry as soon as the van is packed and they are backing down the driveway. How is it that I can so desperately want them to go at the same time that I desperately want them to stay?!! I love "me" time and I miss my family at the same time. I guess that is a good thing.

So... what have I done with my time? I spent last night cleaning every inch of my house - with no interruptions. And... guess what?... it is still clean today. What bliss! It's the small things in life, right?!

I've paid bills, run a couple of errands, watched some TV, had dinner with one of my best friends - an uninterrupted dinner at that! I had a nice long phone conversation with my sister who lives thousands of miles from me. She gasped when I told her that I had just finished unpacking the rest of our suitcases from our vacation together two weeks ago. :) They were mostly unpacked.....

And... my favorite part of the weekend... I've been catching up on photos, reading more about my camera (Olympus E-510), and making photo books for my kids and for grandparents and aunts and uncles.

Tomorrow I'll go to church, hang out with some friends, get the grocery shopping done, and eagerly wait for my husband and kids to come home.... and then hope that they want to go away again for a weekend sometime real soon! :)

It is nearly 1 AM here in MA and I should be off to bed... but I drank some diet mountain dew earlier in the evening and I am WIRED... so maybe I'll get even more done on my to do list (like add profile info to my blog, collect receipts to submit to the insurance company, make some bread with the rotting bananas on the counter...) And... no... I didn't just add things to my list that I had already done just so I could cross them out... nope.... not me... definitely NOT me.

LISTS

I had to laugh reading MckMama's "Not Me Monday" post the other day. She wrote that she makes lists of lists and that she writes things on to do lists just so she can cross them off. I make TONS of lists and... I guess my daughter is following suit at eight years of age.

This is what I found last night while cleaning up: :)

ELIZABETH'S RULES

1. try not to fight
2. wash hands after being outside
3. No boys allowed in room without asking (Only Nathan and Daddy may come in without asking)
4. be respondsable
5. act older

Jack Water

Elizabeth (age 8) is always writing... she goes through reams of paper each month and usually writes at least one poem/story a day. Here is one of her favorite stories. (I'll leave the spelling the same as she had it)

JACK WATER

Once upon a time there was a little boy named Jack. He was flying a helacopter and it started crashing and he landed in the water. He got his snorkling stuff on and went under water. He saw dollphins, fish and a seahorse. Then Jack saw a cave and went in it to see what was in it. There was a stingray and a seaturtle. He wondered where he was in the midle of the Pacific Ocean. Then out of nowhere he saw gold. He ran over and touched it.

He wanted some food so he got out a speer and stabed a fish and ate it. After he ate he took out a map of the Pacific Ocean and found out that he was 300 miles away from California. But that was to far to swim but he brought his good luck charm so maybe that would help. So he said I wish I was 1 mile away from California. Nothing happened so he looked back at the gold and said it again.

Nothing happened so he said its five o'clock. I better find a spot to sleep for the night. He walked farther into the cave and the water was up to his nees. He took off his gear and said, "I guess that gold wasn't lucky after all." He found a rock and pulled out a blanket and went to sleep. In the morning Jack put back on his gear and went out of the cave and he was in California. He was very happy!

The end.

Sandy Sandy

When we told Nana and Papa that we were naming our third child Alexander, they told us that in Ireland he would be called Sandy (Alexander - Sander - Sandy). Here are pictures of our Sandy Sandy.

Girl Cousins

In case you can't tell, I've been having a blast playing with my camera. I have some beautiful subjects and stunning backgrounds!

Tropical Fruit

One of the best things about Hawaii..... Eating lots of this..... sweet, juicy pineapple. You can buy them at roadside stands on much of the island. The kids devour an entire pineapple in one sitting! I won't miss the $6 per pineapple price though!!!Tomorrow's trip.... the chocolate plantation..... more yummy things!

Horse Back Riding

Almost a week ago, Elizabeth and Malia got to enjoy a morning of horseback riding along the cliffs overlooking the ocean. I think you'll see from these pictures that the girls thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Malia LOVES horses and according to her it was her "dream come true". She was all set to do it over again the next day. Looking at the horses in the field down below..... All smiles! Mama Bear asking the girls to pose for pictures... not as happy about that.....Elizabeth - nervous but also excited! Malia who grinned ear to ear the entire time!

Watching the horses again.....Uncle Robert joined the girls on the ride!Malia's horse, "Blue".On her horse at last!Riding along the bluff.