Aloha Hawaii!! (Oober long post!)

Casey and I finally went on an awesome vacation, that actually went perfect, unlike our honeymoon in Vegas. Read our anniversary post if you don't know the story haha! But anyways, we left tuesday the 25th for the 6 1/2 hour flight to Oahu Hawaii! We stayed on the Waikiki side of the Island, and had a partial view of the city and ocean. We stayed in a hotel call the Aqua Aloha Surf and Spa. It was kind of old school, but we were out and about anyways to really want to sit around and enjoy a hotel room! I love the hotels and restaurants there because there are no doors! It's so open because it is just so warm!! The only thing is there are tons of birds flying around in and out begging for food! But here is a little layout of our fun time there!

On the Plane!

Day 1 when we flew in: We went to the closest food place to our hotel becuase we were starving after our long flight! KFC! Haha, it was the closest and we knew what to expect from it! After that I immediatly wanted to see the beach and the ocean! So we went back to our hotel, got our swim stuff and headed to Waikiki beach!! Here's a fun fact! The beach is very pretty, but we learned that the imported all the sand from Australia! Otherwise they would be blacksand beaches, becuase of the volcanos! So the was interesting to learn! So that is what we did on the first day. We watched the sunset and went back to our hotel to sleep! We were exhausted!

Day 2: We just wanted to relax! So all day we found a place on the beach where not very many people were, and just swam and laid out! It was so nice! When we were hungry for lunch we went to a little place right on the beach (it wasn't very good) and I watch some old bum steal some girls shoes. After which Casey and I had went over and told her. She was to scared to go get them, so Casey kindly went and asked the bum if he could have them back. We weren't sure how the bum would react, but he gave them back! It was too funny! After that we went back out on the beach, swam and laid out some more, then walked downtown to see the sights. Not that cool, we weren't really into the city part of Hawaii. We found a place called Dukes and decided to try it out. We didn't like it all that much, we got a dish that we thought would be something else! But we did get some yummy fruity drinks that were delish! After that we kinda just hung out on the beach a little more and went back to our hotel to sleep!

Our fruity Drinks!

Day 3: We went snorkaling at Hanauma Bay! This was seriously my favorite part of visiting Hawaii! It was so beautiful! The water was so clear, and we got to see so many cool fish! This bay is kept natural and clean, no fishermen or boats are allowed so as to keep in nice, and the coral doesn't get ruined! Also we learned that this bay was where only the old royals were allowed to bathe. We had so much fun doing this, we did it for hours! It's like a completely different world once you get your head under the water and start following the fish around! This is highly recommended if you visit Hawaii, it is so much fun!!

The beautiful Bay!

Snorkal Gear!

Day 4: We rented a Jeep Wrangler

and drove it to hike up Diamond Head, which is an old Volcano Crator! I like to call this hike, "Hike of a thousand stairs!" If any of you have been on this you know what I mean! This hike was very interesting, we learned that in 1898 when the U.S. annexed Hawaii, that harbor became a main defense lookout because when your at the top you can see so much! So they built a fort on the highest part of the crater, which is what you hike up to. The first bit that you hike is actually a trail, but then you have to go through a tunnel which makes it easier the go through the mountain to the fort. After the tunnel comes the stairs. And I'm not joking when I say it's like a billion (264) stairs! My legs were certainly burning and Casey and I were so sweaty by the time we got to the top! It's a very cool hike, and certainly worth it once you get to the top! After we hiked Diamond head, we decided to drive around to the north shore! I like the north shore alot better than Waikiki. The pineapple feilds just went on for miles!! On our way to the north shore we visited Turtle bay in hopes to see a turtle. But unfortunatly there were none. However we went out on this little natural dike made of volcano rock that had a ton of blow holes where fish and crabs would get stuck, so we saw alot of little crabs!! Most of them were black and looks like big spiders, so naturally I didn't like themm and didn't get too close. When we left turtle bay and continued onto the north shore, we noticed lots a little old trucks selling shirmp! We stopped by for lunch and it was so yummy! I love shrimp and they were big yummy shrimp and not at a bad price!! After we ate our lunch we found the beautiful Hawaii Temple. Sadly for us it was being renovated, so we weren't able to do a session, but we stopped by the visiters cented were we met a sister missionary who was also from Logan utah! That was so much fun for us and her! When we left the temple we drove by the ranch where they made Jurassic park and other movies! We didn't take a tour though. We tried really hard to find a cool rain forest hike, but the roads were a little confusing for us, so we didn't end up finding one. It was pretty rainy that day anyways so I guess it's good we didn't find it, or else our shoes would have been very muddy!

Turtle Bay

The Temple

Day 5: We went to Pearl Harbor to see the Arizona Memorial! We got there at about 8:30 in the morning, but ended up having to wait a few hours till our tour started, so we headed over to a Swap meet nearby and I bought some fun gifts! And a few things for myself as well! When we were finished with that we headed back to pearl harbor, ate a snack and walked around the area where they had some cool information. When it was time for our tour, we hoped on a boat which took us over the the Arizona Memorial. I've heard that it is and eerie place, becuase bodies are still entombed in the ship. I didn't feel that way at all however. They treat that place as those soldeir's final resting place, so it is very respected. It's very interesting too, becuase you can still see oil coming up out of the water, after all those years! I'm still trying to figure out why they couldn't get the bodies out, I forgot to ask when I was there, and the internet is being dumb! So if any of you know please share!! After we visited Pearl Harbor, (and on memorial weekend!) we finally found our awesome rainforest hike!! It's called Manoa Falls Hike, and it was so pretty and lush!! The trees were just huge a and green, and we so so much bamboo! Casey and I just really enjoyed this hike. It was a little muddy however, and of course I fell, but it wasn't too bad. I only got my hands muddy haha! But it was just an absolutely beautiful hike! I do wish I would have thought of bug spray though. I came home with alot of bites!

On the Boat to the Memorial

Arizona Memorial

Big Tree!

My muddy hands!

Manoa Falls

Last Day: We wanted to end this trip by doing something really cool! So we went..... SKYDIVING!!! I have been before, when I went to San Diego, but Casey has never been and I kept telling him how cool it is! So the morning of the day we left, that what we did! So much fun! They drop you over the ocean and you free fall for about a minute, and then when they pull the shute, you coast around over water and land for about 5 or 6 minutes. It really was such a fun experiance for casey and I, and if you ever get a chance to do this, do it!! Since I had already been before, I volunteered to jump out of the plane first, then Casey went right after me! Casey loved it! It was so fun! After we went skydiving, we decided to spend our last hours in Hawaii on the beach! I'm glad we did too, so I could get my great Hawaiian beach tan! We just relaxed and ate huge snowcones! It was the perfect ending to our fun vacation!

The Plane we jumped out of.

Aloha Hawaii!

10 Things

Thanks Chelsea!

Terms of this award: must list 10 things about yourself, thank the person who gave you this award and pass it on to 10 wonderful bloggers.

1. I have been married to Casey almost a year and a half, and I just barely changed my name! Haha I'm the worlds biggest procrastinater!

2. I love the Vampire Diaries! Casey and I watch it every thursday religously! (highly recomended!!)

3. I have a dog named Scooter. He is a Schnauzer. Many of you may know my family, and we have always always had Schnauzers! They are our favorites! My sisters and I have kept the tradition going, Jaydale has a girl named Roxy and Manda has one name Hearken. We love them!!

4. One day when Casey and I have a house, I want a farm! Chickens, ducks, goats, the whole She-bang! I'm not sure how Casey feels about it, but that is what's going down.

5. In two days, Casey and I are going to Hawaii! We are so excited!!

6. Last year Casey and I bought road bikes! We enjoy riding them together often. And being able to get in shape while doing something I like isn't bad either!

7. This year my sisters and I started a softball team. I love softball! Playing with Casey is the best too!

8. My left elbow is double-jointed.

9. I cannot sleep without my baby-blankets.

10. And last of all, I hate to take care of plants. And I think they hate me too..

I tag!

Jesika

Chelsie

Jaydale

Amanda

Jenni

Sam

Anna

Raquel

Danielle

Karen

Ashley

Busy Busy Busy!!

It seems like just when we have the weekend to spend some time together, everything happens all at once! It either all or nothing!! This weekend was super fun though because one of my good friends Becca Schwabb got married to Scotty Olsen! Saturday was the day and we helped them celebrate by first going to their Wedding luncheon at the Coppermill! It was so fun to see them all married and such, and it was a yummy meal too!!

Chelsie Becca Scotty and I

Casey and I

In between that and their reception, Casey's friends and their wives were have a BBQ, so we went over for that! It was so much fun catching up with everyone that we hadn't seen in so long! It was rather hard eating again, but we did it!!

The Girls: Me, Sam, and Holly

The Guys: J'Dee, Casey, Tom, and Tyler

When we left the BBQ we headed over to the Eccles theatre to meet my good friends Kacee and Zack and they cutest little girl Teygan, where Becca and Scotty held their reception! It was so pretty and she looked beautiful in her dress! I'm so happy for the two of them! They are a darling couple!

Following the reception, Casey Kylee and I met our friends Tom, Sam, Holly and J'dee for a movie! We saw Robin Hood. It was actually pretty good, but it took us all till the end of the movie to realize that the movie is about how he became Robin Hood and not the actual story of Robin Hood, but I liked it all the same! So that was our very eventful weekend!

Sunday was more relaxing. Kylee slept over saturday night, so sunday morning we all went to church and then came home to lay out in the sunshine! It was so nice!! A little later we went and had dinner at Casey's parents's house, it was yummy! Casey and I went for a motorcycle ride together, and it was so much fun! We just drove all around Wellsville, and it was awesome because I love Wellsville so much!!

Well hope you are all doing well!!

He did it!!!

That's right folks! Casey is a college GRADUATE!!! I'm so very very proud of him! He has worked so hard for this and it's so crazy that he is finally graduated! He still has to go on and get his masters in accounting, but to have these 5 years behind him is comforting! I can't express how pround I am, he's such a hard worker, and I'm proud he is my husband! I know he is doing this so that we can have a good life together, and it will be worth it in the end!!

So for his graduation, I knew all the restaurants in Logan would be way crazy, so I suggested we have a fun family Barbaque. It turned out very well in fact, and we had plenty of room in our backyard that everyone could just park it and hang out! We had hamburgers and hot dogs, and alot of people from both sides came to support Casey and to congradulate him!! After our little barbaque we headed up to Casey's Graduation. It was indeed boring, but inspiring at the same time I guess. I was so proud when I watched him cross that stage!! Congradulations honey! I love you!!!

The Roaring 20's!!!

Every year my whole family attends the Annual Blue Ribbon Bennefit Dinner and Auction for the Child and Family Support Center. Each year is a different theme, in previous years themes have included "Phantom of the Opera", "James Bond: 007", and "Pirates of the Carribean"! And this year's theme as you probably guessed by my tital was "The Roaring 20's!!" And it was so so so much fun this year! We all dressed up and so many other people that came dressed up as Flapper Girls and Gangsters! The evening included taking pictures with a prop, walking around all the silent action items, and also the drawing items! So many great places donated so much stuff for us to auction off and it really turned out great!! After dinner the entertainment included a few dancers, and my sisters and I sang 3 songs by Renee Olstead! She is like the female version of Michael Buble. So that was scary but I think we did well! (I hope!) The live auction was also very fun, alot of very cool stuff was auctioned off. Other than all the it is a very fun social event, and it was very fun to see how everyone had dressed up. And also it was for a very good cause that I know most of the people there were very passionette about. Even like a feel like a don't do much for the center, I certainly love the place and what it does and offers! I certainly try my best to go to fundraisers and events! But other than being a Crisis Center for children, it offers so much more in preventing child abuse, with tons of classes, and the crisis hotline! I blogged about this last year, and posted some of the facts about child abuse in the U.S. and in Cache Valley, and I would like to do that again, just so some of you are more educated on what the Child and Family Support Center is trying to prevent.

Each day in the U.S., more than 4 children die as a result of child abuse in the home.

• More than three-quarters (78.7 per cent) of the children who die are younger than four years of age.
• Of these fatalities, 89 percent were under the age of eight; 43.6 percent were under the age of one.
• One of every seven victims of sexual assault reported to law enforcement agencies were under the age of six.
• Among rape victims less than 12 years of age, 90% of the children knew the offender, according to police-recorded incident data.
• Child abuse is reported approximately every 10 seconds.

I got this information from the CFCS's website, these are certainly not all the facts, but if you would like to check out the website and see what else the Center does please do! http://www.cachecfsc.org/

It honestly breaks my heart to here about children who are abused in different ways, because no child or person for that matter should EVER have to go through any kind of abuse. Children are supposed to be little, and curious, and giggly, and full of life and energy! Not scared and afraid to be home or around those who should love them. We can all help. Even if you feel you can't do much there are plenty of ways to help. One being that you can run the 5k/10K the Center is holding the 1st of May in Wellsville. More information about the race and other fundraisers will be on there website. We should all help let them be little...

Here are some pictures of our fun evening at the Dinner!

Me and My Gangster!

Grammy and I

The girls!

The whole Family!

Baby Animale Days!

Any of you who know me best know I love love love animals!! So I absolutely had to go to Baby Animal Days at the American West Heritage Farm! It was tons of fun this year because I got to go with my sisters Amanda and Jaydale and my nephews and niece. The six of us always do so much together, and I'm so greatful that I'm so close to my sisters that we can do all of these fun things together. This is something I also would have enjoyed doing with my husband, had tax season been over yet!! But anyways, going with my sisters and the kids was super fun because the kids were just so excited to see the animals! Tatey loved the goats! But he wasn't too sure about the baby calfs! He wouldn't even go near them. I think Kylee and Wyatt loved everything they saw! They even had some cute tiny little baby bears there from Yellowstone! So that was very fun to see! Here are some fun pictures of our day!


Wyatt and Kylee pettin the baby moo!

Tatey loved riding the train!

Me Manda and Tatey all riding the train! Kylee Jaydale and Wyatt were further in the back

Jaydale and I

I always love to get group shots of all of us when we go somewhere fun!!

Easter!

This Easter was tons of fun this year! My whole family ate a yummy dinner up at my parents house. After we all were very stuffed, we went outside where the Easter Bunny left all the kids lots and lots of eggs! They all got way too much candy! They were fun to watch getting their eggs. They did go all crazy like my siblings and I would, we would be running and searching everywhere!! The kids were just walking around picking up eggs haha, it was funny! After they found all their eggs, we drew up another 4 sqare court, becuase all that lovely (horrible!) snow washed ours away, and we showed Jesse a mad game of 4 Square! We have so much fun playing together, and I'm so happy I have a husband that like to do that kind of stuff with me, and I'm glad I have such a fun, close family where we can enjoy all the fun things!! Hope you all have a fun Easter!!

The whole fam!

Tatey and Dax searching for eggs!

Kylee and Wyatt



me and Casey

4 Square fun!