Hawaii

Grant is getting ready to go to Afghanistan for 6 months and decided he really wanted to go on a vacation with the family before he left.  Because he is active duty right now we were able to fly the whole family to Hawaii for free through the military space A.  Space A means if there is space available on the plane you can ride. If not...sorry!  You never know what plane you will get.  We met Grant in Reno and then drove to California.  On the way we stopped at the salt flats to get some photos.

Bre wanted to see if it really tasted like salt.

We needed to fly out of Travis Air Force Base in California that next day.  We weren't leaving until the morning so we took a trip to San Francisco.  It was beautiful.  We saw the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz. The kids couldn't get enough of San Francisco.

We stopped by a local bakery that made bread into animals.  It was pretty cool!

I had to take this picture. We were walking along the wharf and Bre could smell all of the fresh sea food.  She couldn't stand the smell. 

Just like any airport you have to get there early and wait.  In our case it was first come first serve. Here we are keeping ourselves busy. The difference is this one is on a military Base.

Here we are ready to Fly!  We were very lucky.  We managed to get on a commercial flight that stops at Travis Air Force Base.  It was so nice.  We were treated better then first class on a regular flight.  We had steak and chicken, we got to pick the movies we watched, and we were even given hot towels to wash up with.

We arrived in Honolulu where we booked some military cottages on the beach.  The view was incredible.  The bugs, ants, and mice not so great!

Here is our rental car!  It was a Kia! Go Kia!

Bre Posing after being buried by her dad and brother.

Austin thought I needed a hand for a foot! Poor Marissa got stung by a Jelly Fish that day.  It was crazy!  But I was so proud of her.  She got right back in the water the next day.

We went to Pearl Harbor. Austin almost got cut out of the picture, but what do you expect when some else takes it.

So, after 2 days in an infested bungalow ,and me going insane, we packed up and went to the Hale' Koa which is a 5 star resort that the military owns right on the beach in Waikiki.  It was so nice and relaxing.  We loved it!

Here we are at our favorite place to eat breakfast....IHOP!

Next we went to the Polynisian Cultural Center to a Luau.  The food was OK, but the entertainment was awesome!  Well worth the time and  money! We took a boat ride and got our picture taken with the Grim Reaper before they started the haunted Lagoon.

Next we went to Hanauma Bay.  It was beautiful It was protected by a reef which made excellent snorkeling.  We saw huge fish and actually got to swim with a large turtle.  The kids were  in heaven.

Our favorite place to hang out was a beach a few miles from the bay.  It was where all the locals would go.  The waves were incredible.  Of course we looked like tourists.  We couldn't handle the big waves.  We got beat up pretty good, but we loved to just sit and watch the professionals boogie board and surf. Here Austin and Grant are ready to try it out.

Austin loved it!  He couldn't get enough of it.

Right next to the beach is the blow hole.  You can see it in the background of this picture.

Bre decides to join in the fun.

Nice wave Bre!

Then Marissa joined. After pictures were taken I got a few rides in myself.  It was a blast!  Although the waves were so big that they would suck you back out if you weren't careful.  It happened to me a couple of times.  It scared me to death.  You don't realize the power of the ocean.

Grant caught a big wave here!

I love this picture.  I got the surfer in  mid air.

Of course all of that playing makes you tired.  We teased Austin about catching flies with his mouth.

While we were there we celebrated Grant's birthday.  We went to Outback and enjoyed some great food. 

We hated leaving, but we had to return to reality. We flew back from Hickam Air Force Base on a C-17.  We were very lucky.  They only took the first 25 people.  We were the last to get on.  About 30 others didn't get on. The C-17 are the planes that carry the cago and open in the back.  It was far cry from our plane going to Hawaii, but it was a ride.  Here are the kids looking at cargo and watching the military run some pretend first aid drills on a dummy.

Here Marissa and Austin stretched out in the back while they ate their boxed lunch.  I still can't believe we flew on it.  It was an adventrue and a great trip that will always be remembered. I loved spending time with my family.  I am so lucky to be around such fun loving people.

My son is growing up way too fast!

That's my son Austin.  He is always the one having the time of his life.  I am so proud of him.  He is growing up to be quite the young man.  He just was ordained a teacher by his dad last Sunday and then tonight he was awarded his Life Badge in the scouting program.  He only has his Eagle left to get.  He plans to have it completed before his dad returns home from Afganiastan.  I couldn't be prouder. He really takes care of us three girls while his dad is away and he honors his priesthood.  I have been so blessed to have him in my life.  He is truly heaven sent. I just wish time would stand still so I could keep him this way forever.

The Davis High Homecoming

Here are some pics of Bre Going to the Davis High Homecoming. Erik needed to smile more. Bre is as gorgeous as ever!

Even Boo thought she looked Hot!

The Funeral

The Funeral for Denise Honey was amazing! The spirit was so strong. I loved being surrounded by my family and being there for my brother We were very sad at times and we laughed other times. The feelings that were most abundant were the feelings of relief. We all agreed that the thought of Denise not being in pain and knowing that she is with her daughter Jessica made everything a little easier.

Denise Honey's family

A photo with my mom.

The cute cousins together!

All of the members of the family were able to get a flower from on top of the casket to remember the day.

All my brothers and sister together for a group photo.

Deinse Honey

Wednesday I got a call that Denise, my brothers wife, had finally lost a long hard battle to cancer and passed away. We all knew it was coming and said our good byes on Sunday, but you still aren't prepared for all of the feelings and emotions that come with losing a loved one. My poor brother has been through so much. He lost his oldest daughter and now his young wife. It pains me to see the suffering, but knowing that she is now reunited with her daughter comforts me. Losing Jessica broke her heart. Denise was a compassionate, loving person who loved everyone she came in contact with. She will be missed, but I know I will see her again smiling and no longer in pain.

Denise and Teresa

School Begins!

I can't believe another year of school has started. Between moving, school starting, and birthdays it has been crazy! Still it is nice to get back to a consistent schedule. Here is my cute teaching partner and my new class for this year.

Austin and Marissa started their new year in a new school. Legacy Jr. High is the amazing. It has high tech everything including a playground with video games. They both were overwhelmed with the size of the school and being new, but they have both met new friends and are loving it.

Bre is now attending her 3rd High School in 1 year. She is now at Davis High School. She misses Bountiful High, but is getting use to Davis High. She also received a spot in the Pharmacy Tech school. Only a couple from each high school get this privilege. It was very competitive. We are so proud of her. She will hopefully graduate from High School with her associates in Pharmacy Tech. Way to go Bre!

Marissa's Birthday

Marissa celebrated her 14th birthday before school started. Here she is enjoying her breakfast of orange rolls and bacon.

Her favorite gift was a Robo Hamster. She is so cute. The dogs could not get enough of her. We put her in a clear ball to run around the house and peekaboo will follow her everywhere. Sometimes she will nudge the ball with her nose when she gets stuck.

Marissa had a birthday party with some friends where they ate cake and watched movies on our new flat screen. She had a blast! We love Marissa and we are so glad she is our daughter. She is an amazing person.

Moving Day finally Arrived!

Moving day finally arrived quicker than I expected. We had a lot of our family out of town and it was the only two days that Grant could get us moved. We were worried about how we were going to move everything with so little of people. In fact I was stressed. We had a prayer that morning which put our minds at ease. Thanks to our amazing new ward we had about 10 men show up to help. They were an answer to our prayers. We have been so blessed. We love our new home and we love being here!

Ok...so I told all of the men that I would feel horrible if anyone of them got hurt so they needed to be careful. Sure enough a member of the bishop bric was carrying our entertainment center down the stairs and tripped and fell hurting his ankle. I felt so terrible having all these men help us, but to have one of them get hurt. Agh! He ended up going to the doctors and finding out he had a really bad sprained ankle. He felt so bad he broke our entertainment center. It was the least of my worries. The men were so cute they had pictures of him on face book for everyone to see. Apparently he does this often when he serves. Did I mention he also tore the knob off my washer? I am very happy about this. It just means I get a new washer. And if you get a new washer you have to get a new dryer. LOL Thanks James!

Another great weekend with friends!

We had a blast with the Dusenberrys. They seem to love our life style in Las Vegas. Stay up late, sleep in, swim, and barbecue. We headed to the strip one night to check out the sights. We loved it! Thanks for coming! You are amazing people.

Birthdays!

Let the Birthday Marathon begin! Every year we celebrate 3 birthdays in 4 days the week school starts. It gets a little crazy with all the parties and presents. It is like having Christmas in the summer. So we decided to spread them out. Austin wanted to have his own birthday since he has always shared his with his twin sister. He decided that August first would be perfect. It was a blast! He got this new remote helicopter. It is pretty cool if I do say so myself. Breanna celebrated hers a week later. We did this all in Las Vegas which made it that more special.

Breanna got a new phone for her birthday! She loves it!

Orange rolls and hash browns are the kids favorites for their birthday breakfasts.