Maui Ocean Center

Sage Addie and Jer

Ella

Ivy Ben and Sage

Jake

Family

Frogs and Geckos

Proud of his catch!

Gecko Whisperer!

While we were in Maui Jake loved to catch frogs at night outside our lanai, and he is really good at it. He will bring them in show everybody and then he lets them go! We also nicknamed him the Gecko Whisperer cause he can really catch the geckos! In the late afternoon out by the pool the geckos really come out and Jake would just pick them up and they would attach onto his shirt, they would stay with him for a while and they off they would go. Frogs and Geckos kept him entertained for hours!

Maui Family Vacay!

A day at the beach!

Happy to take a swim on our 1st day!

Good grief how many bags are there?

Excited to be on our way!

The whole family, minus Dana flew out to Maui on July 22nd and returned home on August 12th. Ben stayed until the 5th returning early for work. There were moments when I thought that maybe 3 weeks was to long--but now that I'm home I think I could have actually stayed longer! I love beautiful Maui and our condo in Kapalua. We have vacationed there since 1983 and I never get tired of it. Amber and her family haven't been there for three years so they were really loving it. The girls and myself talked of all the wonderful memories of past vacations in Maui--there have been many changes on the island but in most ways it stays the same BEAUTIFUL!

Needless to say our travel days were the most challenging of the trip--departure 5 adults 2 children 1 toddler and 1 infant = 4 large suitcases 2 large duffle bags 2 carseat bags and 2 strollers plus carry ons--good grief we were a small army! I am reminding myself right now way way over packed--next trip pack very little and carry on only--hummm, we'll see! I think everyone had a good time, maybe wish they would have done a little more or seen a little more, but just relaxing at the condo or hanging out at the beach or pool was pretty dang fun!!

4th of July

Waiting for the fireworks to start!
Little Ivy floats in the pool!
Happy swimmers!
Am's and her girls!
Not ready to get out of the pool yet!

Wow this was a crazy week! Amber and Ivy came down on Friday and Ben came down with Jake and Ella on Saturday night, and a flu bug came with them, not a great start to our 4th of July family week. They all survived it and Ivy didn't get it at all. We managed to get lots of swimming and hanging out together as a family in.

Camping at the Beach!

The beach house (aka the trailer)
Sadie Faith Addie and Ella
Sage and Addie
Beach Bunny Ella

While Ella was down Sage, Jer, Addie and myself went beach camping. We really had a great time, our Hartman cousins were camping also a few spaces from us so Ella had so much fun playing with Faith and Sadie. I haven't camped at the beach in years and have forgotten how much fun it is. We had pretty good weather and Ella loved jumping the waves.

Busy Summer So Far!

Birthday Girl!
California Adventure
So Proud!

Our summer has been busy and full of fun family activities! I really love the summer because I really get to spend a lot of time with my grandkiddies. The week after Jake got out of school he came down and stayed with us for a week, we hung out, worked on leggos and he spent a night at Sage and Jer's and while there Jer helped him make his boxwood derby truck. We made a quick trip to Disneyland then met up with Amber to celebrate her birthday at Farrell's Ice Cream Parlor---Wheww! Jake returned home to go to Scout Camp (he's now in Cub Scouts) and Ella came down for the next week and we went beach camping at the Silver Strand.

Gymnast

Ella has been in gymnastics this year and the gym had their Spring Showcase. She is such a Cutie Pie and did a really great job!

Book Signing

Teresa Giudice was at Warwick's in La Jolla for a book signing of her new cookbook Fabulicious and I really wanted to see her as I am slightly addicted to all of the Housewives on Bravo TV. I purchased two books for autographs, one for Sage and one for Amber and after waiting about an hour I met her and got the books signed. She is adorable and very sweet and I'm glad I went to the signing. While I was in line I met some really neat ladies and two really cute sisters. One of the girls Denice has a really great food blog: Ourdailyfeed.blogspot.com Please check it out.

Mother's Day

My little loves-Addison was not liking the picture taking!

I hope one of these days to get a photo of everyone smiling with their eyes open (me included)

All of the girls

Our Mother's Day weekend was busy and fun! Addison's birthday was on Mother's Day and Sage had her 1st Birthday Party on Saturday. On Mother's Day we went to breakfast and then to Sage's to hang out for a few hours before Amber and her family headed home. It is always so fun for us all to be together.

Easter

Sage with Addison it's her 1st Easter

Ivy's 1st Easter also

After our Easter Egg hunt we found Ivy in a basket

Love my girls and their kiddies

Ella, Addison and Jake with their Easter Baskets

The Birthday Girl

Sage celebrated this birthday for the first time as a Mommy!

Ivy's Blessing

Amber's sweet family

Little Ivy on her blessing day

The family minus Ben (he was getting the ham ready)

Amber and Sage with their darlings

I haven't blogged in such a long time--there is probably way too much to catch up on so I'll just hit the most recent events. The 1st being Ivy's blessing on April 10th which was also Sage's birthday. We went to Amber's ward for the blessing then had a family gathering at Amber's.

Weekend at Amber's

On saturday I went to Amber's for a weekend visit. We went for Sushi on saturday night, on sunday we just hung out and Am's made a fantastic pizza and on monday I helped Jake get his Lil Passport Map on his new bulletin board. Jake as always is so fun and easy, Ella is my adorable little princess, and Ivy is the sweetest with those BIG blue eyes. I always wish we lived closer so I could see them more and give Amber a helping hand every now and then! Leaving is sad but I always start planning my next visit on the drive home.

My New Obsession?

I have a relatively new and recent obsession BLOGS. I am obsessed with decorating and style blogs. There are so many amazing and creative bloggers out there that do so many fabulous projects. I am seriously so inspired by them! A few of my favorites have even been featured on The Nate Burkus Show (another fav). Censational Girl, Pen and Paper Flowers, Bella Inspirations, Happy Homemaker, My Life-My Loves, Little Green Notebook, Dear Lizzy, The Farm Chicks, My Sweet Savannah, Dreamy Whites and others are just so fun to take a peek at. Now I just need to put some of these fabulous ideas into action!

Sick Baby!

Addy and Ivy before sick week!!

Last week was really difficult~~our little Ivy was in the hospital. She finally came home on Sunday and their lives are getting back to normal. Our whole family has had miserable colds with Ivy and Addison being the sickest!

Visit and a Project!

Two weeks after Ivy's arrival I went back up to visit. Sage, Jer and Addison also went along so we had a fun family week-end. While we were there Jake had a school project to do and the family was encouraged to help. The project was to make a building you would see in your town. He was given a small cereal box to use the rest was up to him. Jake came up with the ideas and Sage on the computer and me with scissors and exacto knife helped Jake create his project. We really had fun and I think it is pretty amazing!

Our New Granddaughter!

We are so excited to welcome our new granddaughter! She was a week early, Mom and Baby are doing great! Big Brother Jake and Sister Ella are thrilled to have a new baby sister!

Ivy Elizabeth Lowry

January 7, 2011

4:00 PM

7 lbs. 10 oz.

19 ins.

It's a New Year!

I was planning to blog about resolutions-you know to make some or not, cause I'm not the best at keeping them! Instead I thought I would reflect a little on 2010. This was still a difficult year for many and like most folks these days I have been more conservative in many areas of my life. When I reflect on this year for our family it was filled with many blessings, we have a beautiful new granddaughter Addison. Sage and Jer are loving parenthood and Addison just makes life happy and fun for all of us. Jake, our handsome grandson, was baptised in December. Honestly, Jake is just the most delightful child, I wish everyone a child like him. Ella is my darling Minners, she is such a little girly, girl. In November she turned 3 and had a Princess Party and she is every inch the Princess, or at times our little Diva! Love her so much. Addison will be 8 months old on the 8th and she is really coming into her own--she is crawling like crazy, takes fewer snoozes and is already free standing when she's not thinking about it! We look forward to a new granddaughter in a few days-so we are starting 2011 with lots of hugs, kisses and joy with her arrival. I feel so lucky to have this family and all the joy it brings me. And so after reflecting a bit this is what I resolve for 2011--to continue to love and enjoy my husband, children and darling grandchildren. Anything else that I would resolve to do would probably fall by the wayside anyway. However, I do resolve to live 2011 as joyously and as happily as possible and I hope all of you do the same!