So, What's Up?

I continue to not do a very superb job of keeping this updated. I would say it's because I have run out of time in the day, but that simply is not true. The truth is, well, I just haven't been good at keeping it up. Sorry.

Alas, here is what's been happening in our household lately...well, since we returned from Hawaii. Jackson started swimming lessons and gymnastics again. I would love to say that he has totally caught on to swimming, but that is simply not the case. I feel confident that he has improved, but if he were to dump forward from the swimming noodle in the pool (which has happened), I'm certain that he could not totally bob his head up and swim to the side. That said, he is kicking and moving his arms but the blowing bubble thing needs some improving. He'll get there...just quite possibly not THIS swimming season.
However, since we are in Vegas, I am certain that we have quite a bit more swimming season left!!

We hit 104 degrees this afternoon, and not much wind. Apparently, it gets much hotter. Great! We have gotten a ton of use out of our pool and hot tub and are now reaping the reward of waiting "patiently" to get a house with a pool. It's getting it's workout! We spent the afternoon of Father's Day out in the pool and then grilling and roasting marshmallows over a fire pit. TOTAL fun!! It was Jackson's first S'more experience.

As you can see from the pictures, the floats (that were purchased the day before Father's Day ) have water guns attached! Complete fun in the pool, I must say!




Cody is gone right now. He left on Monday, planning to be back on Friday...well, that was the ORIGINAL plan. As you military wives know, things change...now he won't be back until Wednesday of next week. Not a surprise to me in the least bit. I guess it means we get to watch more Disney movies in the evenings and enjoy eating pizza and whatever other meals I decide to "create" from what is in the house. I get so lazy when he is gone and end up cooking interesting things from what's in the pantry...or not cooking at all!

And, that's about it...nothing totally exciting, but, quite possibly, not all that boring either. That is, unless you talk to our son, who continues to tell us that everything is boring...seems to be the buzz word lately.

Ahhh...Hawaii

Alright...caught...I have now gone over a month without updating this. Not sure why but it seems like I've gotten sidetracked and gone away from updating the blog...either that or I'm not traveling to cool places that I can blog about!! Never-the-less, Cody and I were just joking the other day that I now have something to blog about...WE GOT OUT OF VEGAS AND TOOK A VACATION!! That didn't seem so novel when we lived in Scotland, but it appears that here it might be a bit of a novelty.

Anywho...Cody was taking a work trip to Hawaii, so since it fell the week after the long Memorial Day weekend, we decided to tack on 4 days and take a vacation to Hawaii!! Although Cody has been to Honolulu and stayed on Waikiki about a dozen times for work, Jackson and I had never been. So, we started a count down calendar about a month ago and took off for our 9 day Hawaiian stay on the 27th of May and returned last Saturday, June 5th. It was absolutely wonderful to relax by the pool, play on the beach and in the ocean and take in the sights of beautiful Oahu (nevermind someone else cleaning the hotel room, making the beds, going out to eat, etc. etc.)! I began asking Cody if there was any opportunity for him to actually procure a job out in Hawaii...hmmmm, chances are mighty slim. Alas, I suppose that means we'll have to take more vacations there!! Below are pictures from our time in Paradise!

Out of all the days, we figured we spent about 6 days lounging around the pool and beach...and I'm talking like 4-6 hours straight! I mean, isn't that what Hawaii is all about?!?!?




On Friday, May 29, we took a trip to see the Arizona Memorial and then traveled up to the North part of the island to spend the majority of the day at the Polynesian Cultural Center.





(Notice "where" Jackson is standing?? By Okinawa! We thought it would be a cool picture...for those of you who don't know, that is where Jackson was born.)





On Monday evening (May 31), we went to a Luau. It was a fun time! Jackson got a shark "tattoo" which he proudly showed off!!





For those of you from Okinawa, you may remember Coco's Curry??? Well, Hawaii has a few and we scouted one down and THOUROUGHLY enjoyed our Japanese curry...and even left there with the most expensive, small bottle of sesame dressing that I have been craving since we left Okinawa 3 years ago!!




One of the days that Cody was working (Wednesday, June 2), I had decided that we needed to spend it away from the pool and beach and out of the direct sunlight. Lucky for us, it was a slightly overcast day! Jackson and I took a bus to see the Waikiki Aquarium and the Honolulu Zoo.




Friday, June 4, we took a trip to the Dole Plantation and enjoyed some famous Pineapple Dole Whip/Ice Cream!! I was mistaken when I said that I thought Jackson could not finish one of the largest ice cream cones I have ever seen!! He's a boy with a sweet tooth...like his Mama! (Even Daddy shared in the ice cream eating fun...which for him is unusual, as he is NOT a sweet eater!)





And, who can forget relaxing by the beach at Duke's (if you have been to Waikiki, you know Duke's!) THREE times! Great food, great company, great views and great memories!





It was a fabulous time!! We enjoyed seeing Cody for a few days and spending some much-needed "family-time" in "Paradise" together!

And now...........back to our regularly scheduled program, already in progress!!