John & Jennifer Howell Family: January 2007

Christmas until Now

Well, sadly we didn't get any real pictures at Christmas. I was feeling fairly sick and just making it through the holiday was about all I could do. We skipped a lot of traditions and meals and just sort of missed Christmas it seems. But I do have pictures of the boys in their Christmas pajamas (John included), and then here is one with Weston playing in the crawl tube from Grandma/pa Howell for Tyler (which is an all time favorite around our house!)

John was able to get some video of Christmas and maybe we'll do something with that one year, but for now. Christmas was fun for the boys, they were spoiled and love the additional toys they now have. Weston and Tyler both will spend hours just playing which is really nice - until they either do or don't want to play together and that will cause emotional upset for being bothered or being abandoned?????? I still can't figure that one out!

And that is all until I can get the camera out again and enough energy to take some pictures! This sick is starting to get better, but my hips are going hay wire again..... we'll see what happens next week!

Our little souvenir from Hawaii

Just to let everyone know, if you don't already. We are expecting another little munchkin sometime in July. At least that is what all the predictors say. I've been really sick for the last few months and not exactly thrilled about the whole prospect since it was somewhat unexpected, at least it was a whole lot faster in coming than expected! I am starting to feel a little better and though this pregnancy is totally different from the last two in sickness, body changes, and everything else imaginable.... I'm starting to get used to it.

We are all excited and anxious to be finished with the pregnancy portion of this adventure, but first to know the gender, which is still a few months off. Weston is convinced it's a girl and says the funniest things about the baby in mommy's tummy and the baby in his tummy. I hope it's a girl only so we don't have to deal with the disapointment he'll have if it's a boy!

This is the announcement we used. A fertility god we found in Hawaii (random chance that I got pregnant. We had been looking for a fertility god/goddess for years and thought Hawaii should have some, so we looked so we could have them when eventually we had another baby... oh well! Not a lot of dust on those!)

Hawaii

So this posting months later may not be the most effective, but at least I wont feel like I missed posting part of our lives or that we skipped something!

Hawaii was a blast. John and I were able to go to Maui for about 2 weeks the beginning of November with his company (who payed for everything except our play!) We decided to leave the boys with my parents and just enjoy Hawaii and not have to worry about naps, hungry/bored kids, etc.. We absolutely loved it.

We saw most of Maui except for the Hana area. Their bridges were out from a previous storm and we had so many other things we wanted to do so we weren't worried too much, though we want to go back and explore more!

We can hardly wait to go back!

Sunsets in Hawaii

Snorkeling

John and I were able to go snorkeling everyday we were there. (except sundays!) And we loved it. We went to a different beach each time and saw probably every fish there was to see!

Monday, the 2nd day we were there, we went with a group of friends on a pontoon raft tour to see the lava caves/lava tubes. Snorkeling in 2 different spots and then over to Molokini - the crater just off of Maui with at least 20' crystal clear visability. We were even able to see sharks - it was really cool!

Road trip to Hana

We were given great advice (by Casie) to stop and get shaved ice in Paia - it was the best ever. Even in comparison to other on the island - really it was incredibly smooth and silky!!! Anyway - we stopped on our way to Hana, enjoyed Paia for a while then headed up, stopped and checked out the beaches on the north east end and planned to spend the day in Hana.

The bamboo Rainforest/ Waterfall Hike

While Driving to Hana, we saw some of our friends on the side of the road, they had just finished a hike to three water-falls. An un-marked hike, through a bambo rainforest. They thought it was great - their kids enjoyed it and had fun playing in the water-fall pools. I was unwilling to swim in dirty water - but I thought the hike would be fun - so we changed in the car - into the swim suits we had on had (just in case we did get wet) and opted to abort our trip to Hana and try the hike!

We started out - entering a forest from the side of the road, where one small 2foot section of fence was gone and just sort of went! They said stay left the whole way and we sort of did that too!

The start was great. We had to jump a little ravine, and cross a little river (I in my thick, somewhat slick sandles, and John in his sandles) we came to another section of bamboo - and every direction looked like a path.. find the left path took a few tries! But the bamboo was really cool!

We found the first water-fall. It wasn't huge - but it was remarkable! It had a little pool of water and it was nice. We took a few pictures and started heading to the next water-fall. The hike got a little more difficult/slick/steep, and when we made it to the 2nd water-fall. The pool of water was fairly large and the rounded back wall was cool -but the water-fall a little smaller. The 'stay left' policy brought us to a sheer rock wall - looking steep and slick. so we figured that couldn't be it and followed the river a little until we couldn't and the only way to go was up.

Up the side of a hill/mountain/cliff - whatever - and where there was no straight path. At least not until after we made it through, up, over, and under the twisted branches and steep hill area. Then it was straight - up. It was okay for a while but then got more slick and more steep and we had to hold on the branches, roots and foilage to pull ourselves up.

I kept telling John it was the wrong path - that there was no way our pregnant friend (7 or 8 months?) would do this with her kids. He was sure we were okay - because they said it was steep but got better. So we kept going.... to the top... of the other side of the mountain - no where near the river and no where close to a level ground area! Going up was the easy part apparently, because as it started to rain on us in spurts, the only way down looked like sitting on our rumps and sliding down. But too worried about staining my $10.00 pair of pants - I gave in and scaled down.

Hiking to the 4th waterfall

We had made the 1st three waterfalls, and I successfully didn't have to swim in any of the pools. They definately didn't fit the image I had in my mind - where you always see this beautiful Hawaiian girl rinsing off in the fall - while the water surrounding it is crystal clear. This water looked like it could crawl away on it's own. I, apparently, was alone in this opinion as everyone else before and after us - including John swam in the pools. I just couldn't do it!

Here are some picts of the trail - up and down. The beautifully and quite flattering picture of my backside is to show how steep the incline was. I wasn't bending over in the slightest, and John was right behind me - (obviously as my back side looks really large - at least I hope it isn't that big!) On the way down the option was to hold on to roots or folliage until we could slide down to the next branch, hoping they didn't tear out, or to sit down and just slide. I didn't want to ruin my pants so I opted to hang on for dear life!

We got a little lost on the way to the 4th waterfall because following the trail left didn't seem right - when the trail went straight up a slick rock face for about 10 feet. It looked like the end of the trail - not a stepping stone! But alas, it was just that - and that wasn't the bad part. The trail we took while we were lost and the trail to the actual 4th fall was much, MUCH worse!

Nothing compared to the last leg of the correct trail to the 4th fall... Bolders and little pools to walk through - after we scalled a nice 15 - 20 foot rock face. They had a rope ladder there, but I still thought I was going to die. Especially as it started raining and just added to the slippage!

When we finally made it to the fall - we had swam through a good 100 yards of yulk (apparently water) to a spot where we could scale up to the top of the fall. I wasn't willing to swim any more - afraid that something was going to start eating me. But after all that the 4th water fall was horribly dissapointing. It was a good sized ampetheatre of 20' high, sheer rocks with nothing but a little trickle of water coming off one of them. The worst part was that I had to swim through the muck again and on the way back I fell on the rocks somehow completely landing flat on my left side - really hard (pict of me in the right side looking very upset and starting to bruise on knee). It was all I could do not to cry and foot on the rock somehow was hit and it still hurts 2 1/2 months later, putting shoes on, Tyler stepping on it or just tapping it. Our guess is that it's broken - but since there isn't much to do I just live with it. And then we didn't get a picture because we weren't willing to swim with our camera - or go back through it all.... sorry, use your imagination!

On the way out of the Bamboo forest it started to pour on us. We were so drenched by the time we got to the car that the water just kept dripping off - all the way home. And it was a long drive home on a narrow road with a lot of switchbacks and a lot of sharp turns over rickety bridges! What an adventure!

Haleakala

Haleakala (spelling might be off) is the major volcano on Maui and I think one of the major ones in Hawaii. It is 10,000 feet in elevation and used to be higher. So traveling up the volcano is about 40 - 60 min of short switch backs, taking you from sea level to the peak. It is incredible not to mention very nausiating. We had to stop and walk around a few times so I didn't get too sick. But by the time we got down the volcano - I was so sick, we had to stop and take a major break/lunch so I could adjust. I have to say though, where we stopped had a little deli and they had the best ceasar salads and sandwhiches we have had in a long time - better than most and they were pre-prepared!?

The drive itself is amazing as you go from beaches to lush farm land to higher elevations looking a lot like the deserted stretches in Utah and New Mexico, the Rocky Mountains and then .... nothing. No vegetation, nothing. We went through the clouds up to looking over the tops of all of them to the other volcano's and other islands. It was so amazing. But oh so cold!!!

I think when we left it was 75 - 80º and once we stepped out of the car it was high 30's to low 40's. We were not prepared clothing wise or wind wear either. The wind speeds had to be up to 50 mph or so, probably not - but if felt that way! It was an amazing experience. My eyes watered, and my cheeks felt chapped withing seconds of being outside. Not to mention John and I both were a little dizzy and headachy from the drastic change in altitude!

Beaches

Here are just some of the beaches we were able to go visit, including Big Beach and Small Beach (which happens to be a nuddest colony beach!- last pict)

Pretty much every day we saw a wedding take place on the beach we were at, well all except for small beach, but I wouldn't put it past those who enjoy walking around struting what should be covered!

The Old Lahaina Luau

This was recommended to us by our friend Casie (great tour guide!!!) and we loved it. This was our last night in hawaii and definately the most 'hawaiian' thing we did. At least it seemed the most historically hawaiian.

They had assigned seating, so when we showed up it was so relaxed, we all waited in a line to go in and be seated where they served mai-tais and fruit drinks to everyone. They handed out flowers to put behind the ears and explained the correct side of the head for your social standing (married/single/looking/not interested!) When we were ready to go in, they took us by couples, gave us fresh lei's and introduced us to our server for the evening. He then walked us to our seat, which happened to be a pillow on the floor next to a stubby table (to eat more correct to historic hawaii). Then gave us a run down of the evening, told us to go walk along the water and enjoy the sunset and optional booths they had, until they were ready to serve. It was an open bar, so we kept being asked what we drank. We enforced that we didn't 'drink', he had a good laugh and then brought us a virgin pina-coloda. I had planned to drink as many as I could - but they didn't taste as good as the others I had had in days previous.

Dinner started with a lot of authentic (possibly, as much as they could be) dishes to hawaii. I had already eaten my share of sushi for the trip, so I stayed away from most of the fish, but they had great rice, vegetables and salad. John was brave and ate the strange looking/smelling and really authentic stuff. not very good - but the experience was fun!

We had three other couples at our little floor table and all of them were really nice and really chatty, so we had a great time.

The hula dances were amazing. To watch them shake their hips so fast and not loose their balance was amazing! I loved the drum dancing and after trying to take a few pictures and realizing they just wouldn't turn out. I stopped and enjoyed the rest of the evening. They had a special dance on the water, under the moon-light for all the 'newly-weds' and 'anniversary' couples. Our waiter came up and forcefully said - 'lovers, get over there' and pointed to us and the group heading to the water. One of our table mates came and took a picture - we may or may not see that, her camera was on the fritz!

It was a wonderful last night in hawaii. I am still in awe at how perfectly clear, stary and warm hawaiian nights are. We hit a good time - it wasn't even very humid for the majority of our trip.

Last day in Hawaii and coming home with Weston and Tyler

The last day in Hawaii, we slept in and went snorkeling for a last hurray. Got checked out of the condo, and just toured around keihi again and made it to the airport in time to check in and get to the terminal with only 30 min or less to wait to board. We had a decent flight home. And though it was a rather late night (getting to my parents at 2:30 am), and an early morning with the boys. It was a lot of fun and I'd do it again. (Hawaii - not so much the late night followed by the early morning!)

Seeing the boys again was a lot of fun. I think it took them both a little while to realize we were back. After the initial waking up and giving hugs - it only took about 15 min. Before we or they couldn't go anywhere to do anything unless we were together, holding hands. They had a lot to show us, but seemed rather excited to get in the car and be with mommy and daddy to go back to our new house!

Tyler and Weston we are told did rather well with Grandma Liz and Grandpa Steve. But we've been told stories of locking dad out of his bathroom which make me think there is more that we aren't being told. But they did have fun and I think know grandma and grandpa better than before!

Tyler sprouted 5 of his last teeth (4 molars/canines) and now has them all in place and has decided to stop eating. Not making sense, but things stopped making sense about the time that Weston started walking!
Weston is doing great... he seems a lot more 'adult' in just the last few months, which is fun and obnoxious all at the same time! Life is definately interesting and back into gear - somewhat, and I think I miss Hawaii more and more as it gets colder and colder outside!

Halloween

Just so I can update and not feel like a total slacker! Here are some picts from Halloween. There are no pictures of me or John, as I was working with my Young Women, and John doesn't belive in dressing up; so here are the boys in their attire. Weston a big scarry shark (ha ha) and Tyler a litle goldfish! And then playing with my costume the next day!

They both LOVED Halloween - at least for the warmer/earlier parts! Weston and Tyler went with their friends through their neighborhood and each came home with little buckets overflowing with candy. We have given a lot away and still have bags left (It's been almost 3 months!). Tyler could have cared less about all the candy - once he was cold he was apparently done with the games and wanted to go home and eat dinner and go to bed.

Weston loves to wear his shark costume even now and will run around trying to eat everyone. I don't think he figured out that they were both "fish" but either way - they were cute and had a ton of fun! And they both love to wear my Fairy Princess things.... Weston is convinced they are butterfly wings and that if I put them on I will be able to fly! Tyler just loves to put on the hat and wave around a sparkly gun and shoot everyone!!!!