Nick Skydiving Video in Hawaii

Nick went skydiving on the North Shore of Oahu.  While suspended in the parachute (not shown), he was able to see Pearl Harbor in the distance and in the beach below, a couple of humpback whales. An awesome experience and nicely done video by "Range" who jumped out next to us!

 http://youtu.be/wRN6SIROrIc   (had to re-post without sound because of copyrighted music)

Watercolor Easter Eggs

We made a stencil out of a cereal box for an oversized Easter egg and painted with watercolors. It only took Violet three seconds to spill her cup of water! We moved away from the paint with her and used markers instead.

Showing off his "dirty" water. The kid loves a muddy color.

Our decorative accents.

Max's creation. I mentioned he likes muddy colors, right?

Violet's masterpiece of spilled water, yellow paint and purple marker.

Science Experiment

I've really been trying to keep the kids away from the TV or iPad - I figure that will be their "babysitter" when the new baby comes along - and involved in more hands-on activities. But, with their age difference, it's hard to find something simple enough for Violet and stimulating for Max. Luckily, the internet is swamped with lots of ideas. Here are pictures from our latest science experiment.

Supplies: tall glass of water, baking soda, vinegar, and raisins

Add baking soda and raisins to water. Pour in vinegar and watch the raisins bubble up and down the glass.

Keep stirring for more bubbles and tornadoes. 

Kept the kids happy for a long time!

Pictures Galore

Here are about 350 pictures of our entire trip to Hawaii. Mostly are scenic, so check them out when you're bored. Enjoy!

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Mahalo, Hawaii!

We got back from Hawaii last week and even though we desperately missed the kids, we didn't want to leave. The picturesque views, weather, people, food and shopping were enough to make us want to stay forever! Here are some highlights from our week-long trip in paradise. If you'd like to see all the pictures, I'm uploading them to shutterfly. I'll include a link to them shortly.

The Royal Hawaiian (nicknamed Pink Palace by locals). Truly one of the nicest resorts we've ever stayed at.

The resort grounds.

View from our room.

An early morning walk on the beach with Diamond Head in the background. Yet not that early since we awoke most days at 4am.

Nick's skydiving adventure.

His training lasted about 3 minutes. I would have backed out right there!

Phew...he's alive!

Our helicopter ride.

Diamond Head.

Not long after this view, I started to feel a little queasy. So, Nick took over the camera!

The Dole pineapple fields.

USS Arizona memorial. You can sort of the see the outline of the ship underwater. 

Our final night in Oahu. A surprise dinner aboard the USS Missouri in Pearl Harbor.

The spot on the Missouri where the Japanese signed the truce to end World World II.  

Nick receiving his official Circle of Excellence coin from the CEO and Executive Team at Waste Management. A very proud moment (dare I admit some tears from his pregnant wife)!

Before heading into the tent for dinner, we enjoyed a sunset view from the ship.

 

Kauai trip. The view from our room.

We hopped the railing to get to this tiny waterfall we spotted on our way up the mountain.

Waimea Canyon. We were told you rarely see the canyon this green or the river running through it. But because of the rain they had the week before we arrived, this was our unusual view.

A short hike to see other views of the canyon. 

Lunch stop in Poipu on our way back from the canyon. 

Opaekaa Falls 

Roosters and chickens everywhere you went. Because of the hurricanes they've had over the years, the chickens were spread all over the island.

Construction workers chopping off coconuts from the palm trees. We even snagged one for the trip home. 

Another Mile Marker 0. Only other one we've seen is in Key West.

Kilauea Lighthouse

Wet cave along the drive to the end of the road in Kauai.

Dry cave.

A couple gifts for the kids back home.

We shipped pineapples back home to Max.