Welcome to Sobeks' Chaos

Memories

2012-01-20T09:52:00.000-08:00

As I was looking back through some photos of the kids, I am reminded of how little and innocent they were! I forgot how cute my Joshua is with ALL of his teeth (Haven't seen that since 2008). or how much my girls looked alike back in the day:) Too precious! I sometimes wish I could go back to those days, it seems almost simple the problems then versus now. I know back then, I thought life was rough, but honestly, those times when the twins were little, and Josh was at home under my constant care, they didn't have the outside influences like they do now. But I know they have to grow up sometime:( Much to my dismay....hopefully new positive memories will still come about when least expected:)

Getting Back into the Grind

2012-01-10T11:15:00.000-08:00

The older two are back in school, and me and my girls are TRYING to get into a routine again with learning, playing, SHARING, playing, coloring, school time, and playing some more. (Hence the emphasis on sharing:)) We are lucky enough to live close to friends from church who started a pre-school co-op. They have had a lot of fun meeting new friends and learning how to interact with kids their age. Mommy is helping them with their letters and trying to recognize and write their own names, colors, shapes, etc. Mommy is very excited to get them into Kindergarten, WHOA-HOOO!! I am a wee bit excited to have some "ME" time again this fall:)
David is busy with work, and I am still working at Chili's, and trying to keep the house "tidy" it is still quite an accomplishment to do with 4 sometimes 5 kids! (my hubby is included in this). I guess I can say it is a work in progress, (almost 10 years but who's counting, right?)
I have made a goal of doing a craft once a week either with my kids, for my kids, for the home, etc. SOMETHING. I am not a crafty person, but since Pinterest is my new Best Friend, I have found some really cute ideas.
So there u have it, our family in a nutshell~lots to do, so little time:)

New Year = New Me

2012-01-04T12:11:00.000-08:00

So as this being the beginning of the New Year, I have set some goals I hope to attain for myself. Unfortunately, if I write them down and am not able to keep up with them, then it is a daily reminder of my failure...so, let us just say that I want to be a better mom, wife, child whisperer, worker etc., by making myself better from the inside out. My first pit stop will be my calling in Relief Society, by hoping to touch the lives of the sisters in the ward, and understanding Heavenly Father's idea(s) and plans for me as to how I am able to fulfill and grow from being in the Presidency. From there, I just hope to be able to see the good in my children when I have come to my wits end! (For some reason that keeps getting closer and closer!) I would love to have everyday be a productive one, but I think my mind and body have other ideas:) For now, let's just take one step at a time, and hey, writing this counts for something right??

Frontier Army Museum

2011-12-29T10:35:00.000-08:00

My Mom and us girls all went to the Army Museum here on post. I am amazed at how many museums they have here in Leavenworth, and the best part is they are free! This one was very rich in history and known artifacts about Leavenworth, and how this post came to be. Some of the more interesting facts (to me) were about the Army wives. They were not allowed on post unless they were laundresses, and only 4 at a time were allowed on. They ended up marrying non-commissioned officers and being able to stay on post after being married for a year. Crazy huh? Some of the military weapons were huge and very heavy back then. Plus all the Infantry gear they had to carry was quite a load. We also got to see the many different stages of carriages throughout the years that were developed. It was really cool;) The girls all loved the life-sized horses, and the detail to some of them was un-real! I definitely wouldn't mind going through that one again and really being able to read everything.

This is what the General's wore back then.

This is what the Enlisted Soldier's barracks looked like. (Where they slept)

This is what the women wore who were allowed on post as laundressess.

KC CHIEFS

2011-12-29T10:14:00.001-08:00

David and Hailey got to go to a pro-football game on Christmas Eve. It was the KC Chiefs against the LA Raiders. Even though it was maybe 39 degrees outside, they had a great time together, with lots of photos and of course the memory to last a lifetime. The game got off to a rocky start, and two minutes left in the 4th Quarter, the Chiefs tied the game. The Raiders intercepted shortly into overtime and won (unfortunately). David and Hailey both want to make this a tradition to go every season:)

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T16:07:00.000-08:00

We have had a very busy week with Julia here, and then my mom coming. We have tried to fit in as much as we could, and in the midst of it all, my Mom broke her toe! Yes, unfortunately she dropped a heavy bookend on her left pinkie toe, and broke it. It swelled up nice and pretty, with black and blue markings to boot. Luckily, this was after our Zoo and pre-shopping adventure so she has a few days to re-cover before the chaos begins again:)

I got some snap shots of the kids in their Christmas pj's and some more pictures to come:)

I hope everyone has a great CHRISTmas and remember that family and close friends always make the season bright.

Let it Snow

2011-12-21T11:58:00.000-08:00

It FINALLY snowed here in Leavenworth, KS. The forecast has been projecting it on and off for a couple of weeks, and it finally did last night. Oh, what a beautiful sight it was. Even though it was only about an inch, it still was beautiful to see first thing in the morning:) My girls have never seen snow so this was a big surprise for them. I woke Julia and Hailey up when I got home from work so they could play in it for a little bit. They actually were able to roll snowballs and throw them at each other! The not so fun part was all the frozen water in the morning. It made for quite a slippery sidewalk. Hailey actually fell trying to get out the sled. (Yes, they were dying to try it out.) Here are some photos from our little snow adventure:)

As you can see, whatever was in the sun had already melted, so my kids were really just sledding on grass:)

Baking, Baking, Baking

2011-12-19T13:01:00.000-08:00

We have had the pleasure of having Julia stay with us, but of course it did not come without any bumps in the road. (unfortunately). For one thing, Josh brought home a "stomach bug" that has been going around his school. He was throwing up about twice an hour for 7 hours straight. YUCK! Well, come to find out, his class had 7 kids out with the same thing! No good! The next day we picked Julia up, then Saturday, David and I had a version of it, and yesterday Audrey had it right after church. Terrible timing! But as we are praying that it stops picking us off one by one, we decided to have a baking day. Julia, Hailey and I were in the kitchen for most of the afternoon baking away, and we are going to deliver some of the goodies tonight, while looking at Christmas lights. Here are some pictures of our kitchen adventure:)

Christmas = Busy

2011-12-14T20:13:00.000-08:00

This week has flown by, and I still am not totally prepared for Christmas but at least my tree is up, my gifts are bought (not all of them sent yet..Grrr), and partial goodies made. BUT~ I have done playgroup this month, mastered the art of cleaning up after throw-up, have managed to get control of the laundry, and got the kids' Christmas gifts for their teachers and all the goodies for their classes besides the normal doctor and dental visits that happen to fall this time of year for our family. On a better note...da, da, DA! In one week my MOM is coming..YEAH! We haven't had family for FOUR big and very long years around the holidays, and finally my mom is breaking that not so great tradition. I am very excited to have her come, and Hailey gets a surprise visitor this Friday, her bff from Hawaii just got stationed at Ft. Leanardwood, MO, so we are traveling half way to meet the McIlquam's so Julia can come and stay for a week! We will be busy, but would not have it any other way during this holiday season! Hope yours is as joyous and bright:)

Unexpected Haircut

2011-12-04T22:18:00.000-08:00

I guess I wasn't lucky enough to have only ONE child experiment with scissors. Some of you may remember when Hailey decided right before family pictures on Easter, but she chopped her bangs up to her scalp as she was cutting her horses' hair, and that took a while to grow back. Well, now Avery cut Audrey's hair in chunks all in the back. I was at work, (why do these things happen whenever Mommy isn't home? I am starting to see a real pattern here!) the girls got into Hailey's room again and took her scissors to cut their Barbie's hair, then their blankets, then Audrey, I assume, signed herself up to get her own hair cut. The "funny" part (if any of this is considered funny) is she decided to stroll in front of Daddy while he was watching his Bears play football to see if he would notice! Ummm....yeah he noticed all right! Needless to say, they are no longer allowed out of his sight when he is home with them. (we will see how long that lasts) I am truly amazed at some of the things they come up with to get into! I do not have any doubt that I WILL have grey hair by the time I am 40 without fail!

The picture up top is so deceitful because that is when they show Mommy how cute and adorable they are, but they can be the littlest stinkers to say the least when you turn your back, even for a second!

UPDATE! When I looked at it this morning, that is when I had a good cry, because the back was much shorter than the front. I could not make it even, so I decided to take her and have it professionally done. I knew they would have to do an A-Line type cut on her, and yet another surprise, when the lady was cutting her hair, underneath the top layer, was about a dime size amount of hair that was no less than 2 inches from her scalp.

The next few are her at the salon. The lady was really nice, but Audrey wouldn't budge, she was mad, and as some of you know very stubborn! In the end, the lady offered to paint her fingernails if she smiled, and finally she did...

Tis The Season

2011-11-29T11:53:00.001-08:00

Even though the song states "Tis the season to be jolly...". I am feeling more like "Tis the season to be overwhelmed, exhausted, not enough time in the day to get everything done..la, la, la LA!"

I know not everything has to be perfect, and the tree trimmed just right, or the right amount of perfectly wrapped gifts under the tree, etc. etc. etc. But I do feel that I should try my very hardest to make it special and unique for the kiddos. When you throw traditions in the mix, it can get to be just too much! So, I have proposed to my family a new way of doing things at Christmas time. We DO NOT have to have the tree up, Christmas lights on the house, and all the decor out on Thanksgiving weekend. We CAN drink hot chocolate every night if we want to, we CAN go look at lights numerous times in different neighborhoods, (Not just on Christmas Eve), we CAN let the kids wrap their own gifts to each other, (this will be a hard one for mom), we DO NOT have to have all the shopping done before December, and most importantly, we CAN actually try and ENJOY the season, and remembering the Spirit. If I can achieve at least two of these things, I will be a happy camper:)

Thanksgiving 101

2011-11-24T07:19:00.000-08:00

As we slave in the kitchen on Thanksgiving, I am reminded of the song "Because I have been given much, I too must give.." I am very fortunate to have such a giving husband and family. Even when I feel down or alone, I know that they try to cheer me up as best they can. I have a roof over my head, beautiful and healthy children, and a husband who provides for me. I have the church to guide me and give me added comfort in times of great despair. As some of you may know I just received a calling in our new ward as 2nd counselor in the Relief Society Presidency. As I feel VERY overwhelmed, my blessing when I was set apart gave me such admiration and strength for my fellow ward members, and the Bishop, that I know there is a reason for this. I just hope I can give to them as much as I know I am going to receive.

I want all of you to know how much I appreciate and love your friendship and guidance throughout the years, for you have pulled me out of the darkest of times, and enlightened me in the best of days. Have a beautiful and safe Thanksgiving everyone:)

Josh Turns 7

2011-11-12T14:32:00.000-08:00

Today was Josh's Birthday, and ,I am reminiscing about how he was little, and such a cuddle bug. I love how he always wakes up happy and excited to start a new day, ready for any adventure! He of course woke up very excited and wanted the world to know that it was his birthday. He got some cool toys from Mom and Dad, some fun board games from Grandma, and some birthday $$ that he couldn't wait to spend. After breakfast, we went to Wal-Mart so he could spend some of his cash, and then to this really cool restaurant called the "T-Rex Cafe". It is really animated with dinosaurs and themed rooms. We were in the "Glacier Room" with a HUGE wholly-mammoth in front of it, and every so often the "Ice Sculptors" above us would change different colors. They had a "Fern Room" a "Friend-a-sauros" room, etc. They all had Dino's that would occasionally talk or roar. It was very loud to say the least in there. The food was "OK" at best but the dessert was spectacular! They had one called the "chocolate extinction" that had four slices of cake with ice cream topped with whipped cream and butter-finger bits, and in the middle of it was a dry-ice volcano thing that would erupt when they brought it out to the table. Needless to say, Josh's face and smile was priceless:) Due to technical difficulty, my camera stopped working all-together when it came time for the b-day song. (of course, just my luck). I was only able to capture one picture from the restaurant, but at least Josh will have the memories:) He was tuckered out by the end of the day, and happily playing in his room with a $12.00 sword he got.

I guess I can definitely learn from this experience because no matter how much u spend on them they always find happiness in the little things...in my case it cost me roughly $12.00 to make his day:)

Kansas City Zoo

2011-11-07T18:34:00.001-08:00

This past week we went to the zoo, and it was such a nice break! There was so much to see and do, that we didn't even get to half of it. One of the coolest things they have is a polar bear exhibit, where you can see him, and he had a viewing area with a big pool so you can see underwater this HUGE polar bear swimming and doing flips, it is really cool. There are a lot of animals here that we didn't get to see in Hawaii, so all of us were in "Ah". They also have a carousel,a tram, and a train ride. During the summer, they even have a boat ride. I liked the Africa part of the zoo that is over 95 acres of animals like elephants, giraffes, zebras baboons, cheetahs, gorillas, exotic birds and other wildlife associated with that country. I am so glad we went, and the kids did a great job, especially with no strollers, no capri-suns, excess snacks, no diapers, no extra clothes, MAN! I could definitely get used to this:) It was part of Josh's b-day treat, and with the annual passes, what we didn't get to see, we will see again sometime in the near future.

Look at how big those paws are!!

These last couple are of the kiddos having a good time:)

These next two pix. are too funny of Josh, he is definitely animated:)

Happy Halloween 2011

2011-10-31T19:03:00.000-07:00

The kids had so much fun trick-or-treating and carving out pumpkins! The neighborhood was full of kids, and the weather was perfect for a night out! A cool 65% and crystal clear. We went with some good friends that are here from Hawaii the Henry's and Josh and Ryan ended up both being Batman:) The girls of course were the cutest witches ever, and Hailey was a ninja. Avery was the trooper of the night, keeping up with the older kids and Mommy. Audrey got about two block down and 45 minutes into it and wanted to go home and hand out candy with Daddy. There was a cool haunted house that actually won for best decorated house on the street. They gave each of the kids one piece of candy, and if they went in they got two more pieces when they came out. Avery and Hailey did it, Josh came out crying, and Audrey heard the music and turned back around. Overall, the night was a total blast, and I had so much fun with my kiddos! Can't wait until next year:)

This next one is my favorite picture...

This is some of the kids running out of the haunted house

This is the final result of our pumpkins:)

Hailey turns 11

2011-10-29T15:09:00.000-07:00

Today is my Hailey's 11th B-Day, and even though it saddens me a little bit, I am truly amazed at what a wonderful and beautiful young woman she is becoming. She is so thoughtful and caring when it comes to her twin sisters, and even though Josh and Hailey fight A LOT, she still shows so much patience and love. I have to admit, I miss her when she was little, and I could still hold her and cuddle. She has always had those big beautiful blue eyes, and gorgeous eyelashes. I am so proud to have her as my own while here on earth.

This is what she got from David and I for her birthday, she was very excited to test it out...

This is the video I took at Applebees of the waiters/waitresses singing to her; she looks so mad, but I know it is just because we embarrassed her...YES!!! BTW Josh was so excited to see Waldo, he couldn't believe that he worked there!

Pumpkin Patch Advenutres

2011-10-21T14:32:00.000-07:00

We went to the pumpkin patch today, and it was so much fun!! The kids had a good time, minus Audrey getting scratched by a dog. (Yes, it was a traumatic couple of minutes!). We got some good pictures finally, and the weather did not disappoint! I am glad the family is enjoying a change of scenery, we will see if that keeps up once winter comes:)

Where is That???

2011-10-10T18:52:00.000-07:00

So we are here and FINALLY in our house, but the mover's from Hawaii packed our house completely upside down! The girls' clothes were in boxes with garage things, they packed a half a loaf of bread, (can u imagine what that looked/smelled like?), they packed a bottle of vegetable oil UPSIDE DOWN in a box, and of course it dripped down the entire box. GEEZ! And we aren't even done unpacking yet!

On a brighter note, David's car is being delivered tomorrow, and David starts work tomorrow. We have set up the bedrooms, and the kitchen but I still have about 20+boxes in the garage that need to be unpacked and put away.

Hailey and Josh started school here, and I love the school and the neighborhood so far. Hopefully no more "surprises" when we unpack!

Fall Colors mean SEASONS!!!

2011-10-02T12:07:00.000-07:00

I finally remembered my camera when we went out exploring, so here is some of the shots I captured. We crossed into Missouri today and we literally live about 2 miles from the border. The Missouri River is the border in between the states, and what a site to see! It probably isn't much to some of you guys, but remember, I grew up in Southern California, so a lot of these sites are new to me. The gas prices are a definite plus here at only$3.09 a gallon. I also learned what "Amber Waves of Grain" looked like, that was cool to see. The weather is another bonus of around 46-50 degrees in the morning and at night, but during the day it will get up to 76-80 degrees. Definitely a nice change! We have had to wear close toed shoes, and my feet do not know what to do with themselves.

Another welcoming surprise is my friend Desiree from Hawaii is here with her family, so Josh already has a buddy. He just had his first sleepover the other night and he was beyond excited to learn that his buddy Ryan is here to spend time with him. But the negative for sure is the sales tax! It goes by county/zip code here, so for instance where I bought the kids' furniture it was 9.625, but in Leavenworth it is 8.30. Geesh!

We actually spotted free roaming buffalo on our travels, and saw a TON of cows and deer. I also remembered to take a picture of our new house (see above)! Hailey and Josh start school on Monday, so I will post pictures of that as well soon.

This is a picture of downtown Kansas City, Missouri.

This is what it looks like coming onto post from the main gate...

This is what a lot of the business buildings look like on post. Pretty huh?

We're Here

2011-09-29T18:04:00.001-07:00

Well we made it safe and sound..minus almost breaking a computer, and losing David's phone we are good:) The breath-taking views, and lush scenery is such a welcoming site! I love that it is fall season, and the trees are turning colors!! I have registered Hailey and Josh for school, we have seen our new house and it is exciting to see it, & to visualize it becoming our new home.

I was able to buy Josh some new furniture, and the girls' a new dresser and night stand at

fab-u-lous prices.

What I think is also unique is how expansive the land is here, I guess since it is not a premium like in Hawaii, and even in parts of California; it can go on forever! With rolling hills, and green grass, etc., etc. ,etc.

What the kids are not too fond of, is how things close due to seasons; like the pools, the Dairy Queen. (weird huh?!) Certain outdoor activities that they are used too having year round and can't.

Overall, we are excited to see and enjoy more of our surroundings!

ALOHA Hawaii

2011-09-18T22:11:00.000-07:00

Well, this is it for us here on the beautiful island of Oahu, Hawaii. we will definitely miss the beaches and all the beautiful scenery. We took a drive one last time around the island and I captured some cute photos of the kiddos. We also stopped one last time at Aoiki's for their infamous shaved ice w/ice cream at the bottom. As of tomorrow, we will be officially homeless for about 3 weeks!! Wish us luck, and the start of a new chapter in the Sobek's life:)

Our LAST Memories

2011-09-15T20:08:00.000-07:00

So as our end approaches here on the island, I am reminded of all the wonderful things this beautiful island has to offer. The price /smell and freshness of pineapple, the scenery of course, the chocolate covered macadamia nuts at ridiculously low prices, the cultural song/dance they play before every movie. The PCC for learning about different cultures brought together. The beautiful temple. Of course some of the great and beautiful people I have met and will be everlasting friends with.

There is always a flip side however, and I am GLAD..no..ESCTATIC to not have to pay an arm and a leg for shipping, to not know what season it is except for what music is playing, and what relatives say is going on as far as weather. To be able to drive to wherever you want to go if you want to. To see family more, and to have SEASONS!!!

SO BRING ON THE NEXT ADVENTURE!!!!

Soccer Game Experts

2011-08-28T16:41:00.000-07:00

Starting New Again!

2011-08-28T15:38:00.000-07:00

Even though this month has been full of surprises, unexpected adventures, and more$ spent, we DID NOT account for my computer crashing! After having a neighbor look at it for two days, we have come to the conclusion that somehow, someway, my hard drive crashed and their is no way to get all my photos back. Our last resort is for David to disconnect my hard drive and get a connector to the new computer and access my pix. that way. (it is called a slave drive, it might not even work). Anyway, $450.00 later, I have a new computer (laptop). Besides spending almost $2000.00 to have David's new car shipped to our door in Kansas, I would say we are already in the hole, and technically haven't even started yet!!!! the movers are coming tomorrow, and so the next chapter of unexpected's will happen yet again...such as life I guess. I had so many pix to post on this season's soccer too... ARGH! Very frustrated, but what can you do, just keeping swimming, just keep swimming, as Dori would say; trying to focus on the positive:)

Happy Birthday to You X Two!!

2011-08-07T22:36:00.000-07:00

Yes, my girls' 4th birthday was today! They had a little b-day party at the Burger King here on post last night. They had fun with all their friends and I loved all the cute little things they got! I was pleasantly surprised by how much they actually APPRECIATED their gifts! They were thanking everyone before moving on to the next. I am in awe sometimes on how old our kids can act, but yet still be so little at the same time:)

This first week of school flew by, we only have six weeks left, so I am hoping it will go pretty fast/smooth as well. (Hey, I can dream can't I?)

I hope everyone has a great new school year and looking forward to all the stories my kids will come home with from school:)

Look at how big their smiles were here when we started singing to them:)

Then this one below they covered their eyes..so cute:)

First Day of School 2011

2011-08-01T11:05:00.000-07:00

Here are Hailey and Josh on their last "First day" in Hawaii. Hailey was nervous, it was also her first day to ride the bus. They sure do grow up fast.

We're Moving Part #1

2011-07-26T16:05:00.000-07:00

I think there will be A LOT of additions to this whole moving process, so I am numbering them for my own joy and relief once it is over!!! We have established three things so far.
A~ we are flying home (LA/Southern Cali.) for 3 days in order to drive to Kansas. In which we incurred a HUGE dilemma over the 2nd car business. (Where to ship it, when to ship it, timing a rental car, etc.) It has become a huge pain in the neck! Since the military will ship 1 car, we are shipping the van to L.A. where we will make the trek to Kansas with four kiddos in tow. (Just so everyone is aware, NO this was not my first choice.)
B~ the kids' last day of school is Sept. 16th. We will check out of housing on the 19th, and stay downtown in Waikiki for two nights when we fly out on the 21st.
Finally C~We are shipping Household goods, before unaccompanied baggage because we get Aloha furniture on this end(apparently you do not get this accommodation everywhere). That way our furniture will be there when we get a house.
PHEW!!! That is just the beginning...wish us luck:)

We're Moving!!!

2011-07-11T16:33:00.001-07:00

We just got the word last week, we are moving to Fort Leavenworth Kansas. We are very excited to be back on the mainland, and within driving distance of family. We have a lot of planning to do as many of you know, so here we go on a new adventure:) I really do like change, it is the timing, and planning of it all that can get overwhelming (as many of you know). David has to report for duty on October 10th, so we are planning on arriving their September 28th. That is all we have planned so far. Hopefully with a little luck and good ideas from all of you, we can have a better experience than last time!!
I am really looking forward to shipping costs going down for us, the cost of gas, groceries, and most of all SEASONS!!!! (Besides seeing family within a two day drive is always a plus:))
I will keep you updated on all the luck and/or bad decisions along the way!

4th of July

2011-07-06T16:12:00.000-07:00

Our last 4th of July here on this beautiful island was a lot of fun for David and the kiddos. I unfortunately had to work a double, so David took them to the festival/carnival here on post. They got to ride the rides, and see all the action up close! They came home for a break, and then met up with some friends from work (David's work) and got front row seats for the fireworks! The kids are still talking about it, so I am grateful to David for making it memorable for the kids! These pictures are my ATTEMPT at trying to get a family shot before we started the day, and as you can see it went from ok~to~not so good in a matter of 10 minutes. The best shot was of the five of them walking away down the street! (shown above). I hope everyone got to spend "America's Birthday" with family and friends!

This was the all my "picture takes" outside, I did not realize that Hailey was upset due to hair issues, and the sun was in everyone's faces, not to mention how HOT it was already!

Attempts #1-5

Mom's Visit

2011-07-01T21:11:00.000-07:00

My mom was here for 10 days and it seriously flew by. I already dreamt that we were just picking her up at the airport instead of dropping her off:( I LOVED coming home to a clean house and knowing that the kids would be well taken care of. ( As all of you know Mom's are so good at, and in my case MIL's too:)) You are the best, mom!! I had to train at work 5 out of those 10 days, and so the time we had, we tried to squeeze as much into it as we could. We had a couple of good/great days at Bellows, at the pool, watching movies, we even threw a garage sale!! I just wish as always it lasted just a little bit longer. Towards the end of her trip we realized we didn't even take one picture, but don't worry mom, the memories our implanted in our minds, and that is what is most important:) I am so glad you came and helped out as much as you did! I could not have done these past ten days without you:)

Operation Purple

2011-06-18T12:41:00.000-07:00

Hailey had the unique opportunity to go to camp here on Oahu at a place called Camp Erdman YMCA. For two weeks out of the year they hold what is called "Operation Purple" for military families (their children). It is 6 days of non-stop fun! These are all pictures she took while she was there. She had so much fun, and created a TON of new friends and memories. We missed her terribly (this was the first time I had no contact with her for almost a week!) I was able to send her e-mails, and see pictures the camp took, but she was not allowed to call or write back. Among the many activities they had planned, her favorites were the archery, the swimming, and Military Appreciation Day. They had all the different divisions in the military come out and do different things with the kids. These are almost all the pictures she got to take. (they weren't allowed to take their cameras on everything) I am so glad she got to do this. It will be something she will always have to remember as a little "Independence" she had while she was here in Hawaii.

This is when we got home. As you can see she is very tired, I am glad she had fun but I sure did miss my pumpkin:0)

I got a NEW job!!

2011-06-10T22:01:00.000-07:00

Notice the NEW is capitalized because let's face it, we already are Mom's, wives, caddies, housekeepers, playmates, referees, etc., etc., etc. But, after going through our finances and discovering that we will lose COLA (Cost of Living Allowance) moving back to the mainland, and having to use a HUGE chunk of our savings for the move (the military re-emberses you after you pay out of pocket first). We decided that if I got a job, we could save as much as possible, plus the bonus is I can transfer..so are you ready to hear where? I got a job BACK at Chili's:) I am actually really excited about it. I knew I had the experience, but I was worried about my availability. They didn't seem to have a problem with it, and were so "honored" (as they put it) to have someone with so much experience on their staff!! I feel very blessed for this to happen and hopefully it will ease our minds when the move and all that goes with it comes along:)
So...let the re-training begin! My Mom is also coming out for 10 days on Father's Day and unfortunately, I think that just falls into play when the training starts, but with a little luck, and wishing~we should still have a great time, with what time we will have together! Have a great week everyone:)

Beach, Beach, & More Beach Fun!!

2011-05-29T17:32:00.000-07:00

I combined all of these pictures into one group. We went to the different beaches that we like here on the island while Grandma was here, and I think it was well worth it! She got to see turtles at some, and AMAZING views and scenery at the others. We definitely had a great time with her being here, and we will miss her now that she is gone. The kids thought she was here to stay! Too cute; here are just a few of the wonderful pictures we captured from her visit.

Graduations Galore!

2011-05-25T18:50:00.000-07:00

I decided to combine all the graduations in one post, so please bere with me this will be a long post. Hailey's was first, and simply the best!! She graduated 5th grade, and had a very special graduation, with a slide show, and a singing celebration from the kids. They gave them diplomas, and each of them made their own leis out of tea leaves. In Hawaii, it is tradition to give a lei as a sort of good gesture at your accomplishment; the more leis, the more love and good wishes you have received. I was so proud of her, it actually brought tears to my eyes to see her so grown up. She was anxious about going up in front of everyone and receiving her diploma, but I think she is glad she did. Here are some pictures from her big event...

After Hailey's graduation, we took her out to breakfast before we had to be at the twins' preschool graduation song/certificate presentation. Here are some pictures from that event.

Finally, last but definitely not least, my Joshua graduated for the 2nd and final time from Kindergarten. (His b-day is in November, so we held him back on purpose last year.) His teacher did a slide show of the class throughout the year, and made copies for each of the kids. It totally brought tears to my eyes!! He was VERY excited to leave Kindergarten behind, and he actually thought he starts 1st grade tomorrow! Too cute, we sadly had to tell him not until August, but at least he is happy about school!

Maui Trip

2011-05-24T18:26:00.000-07:00

David and I were fortunate enough to go to Maui for a couple of days while Grandma was here, and it was so much fun! Of course it went by too fast, but I will have to say my favorite part was R~E~L~A~X~I~N~G :) David went snorkeling for a few hours, and I got to catch up on a really good book laying out on the beach. We did A LOT in the time we had, but I wouldn't change that for sure. David's favorite was the Haleakala summit. We went up to just over 9,700 feet to watch the sunrise. We had to get up at 2a.m. to get on the bus for the tour, but I have to say it is a MUST if you have never done it before. You never view the sunrise the same way again. The next day we went out for an adventure by driving the "Road to Hana". It was interesting to say the least. The road sometimes STOPPED being a two lane road, and you just prayed that you weren't going to get slammed into by oncoming cars..it was CRAZY!!! But the scenery was beautiful; so lush and vibrant, all the colors and the waterfalls, very enchanting. Here a just a few photos (I took over 200) from our great vacation.

Remember 2A.M.~no laughing at my glasses!!

Honolulu Screamer

2011-05-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

David, Grandma, Hailey and Josh all got to go on a "screaming" fast boat ride along the harbor in Honolulu last Saturday. While they were waiting, they went sight seeing around downtown. They said the boat ride was very fast and the best part for Josh was that they got soaking wet! Here are some pictures from their adventure!

Twins' 1st Field Trip

2011-05-22T15:42:00.000-07:00

Avery and Audrey had a field trip last Thursday to the Aquarium here in Honolulu. Grandma and David both went, which I was so grateful for, because I have been sick since last Sunday. They said they had a nice time, and the girls look like it was so much fun! Here are some pictures from their special day.

JPO Competition

2011-05-19T16:57:00.000-07:00

Hailey had her JPO Competition (Junior Police Officer) last Thursday in Waikiki, and it was really exciting! They had over 40 schools participate and about 1400 students involved. They even had the Chief of Police there to congratulate the kids. Hailey's school was second to last, so we got to watch the other schools in action while we waited. They had to do four drills, each in phases. As a Lieutenant of the Police department yelled out each phase, the kids had to know the drill, and be in "perfect" synchronization with one another. Hailey did very well. Even though her group was not all in line with one another, the lowest possible score the judges were giving out was a 98%. Overall the kids practiced hard and tried their very best, and that definitely deserves an A+!

May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii

2011-05-12T00:23:00.000-07:00

Today was Hale Kula's May Day Performance, and it was really neat to watch and learn about their culture. They had a boy and a girl represent all the islands and explained a little bit about what that island offered to the Hawaiian culture. The May Day Queen did her own dance for everyone at the end, but the biggest enjoyment I think for the crowd was seeing the staff perform! They had a Ladies number which our own principal performed, and then they had the Men do a number which was totally full of character and very amuzing to say the least. Of course, I am very partial to the dances my little Joshua and Hailey did. Each grade had a "themed" song where they dressed according to what the song was about. Kindergarten did "The World is a Rainbow", and 5th grade did "Fireworks" by Katy Perry. They really practiced hard and it showed. The weather did not disappoint, (we have had non-stop rain for the past 6 days!) but it definitely could have been less humid! Here are just a few shots from such a fabulous day..

This is where the King and Queen and all their "Royal Subjects" sit. I don't know if you can tell, but the rainbow is actually all the handprints of the kids in the school.

This is his student teacher Ms. Akuna. She was wonderful with the kids.

Here is Josh walking his chair to put into position before the performance.

Our principal is in the middle in the black, go Mrs. Iwase!!

Hailey's Class was in white, and Julia is in front of her in blue for her class. (Hence the theme red, white and blue for the song.)

This was our May Day Queen, and she lives two doors down from us, Kaycee Paul. She did a fantastic job!

Near the end...

2011-05-08T13:55:00.000-07:00

As the end of the school year approaches, I am excited for all the upcoming events. Hailey graduates 5th grade!!! I know, very hard to imagine, she has become such a beautiful and glowing young lady. Josh will be in 1st grade next year and he is very excited to begin "real school" as he puts it. The girls are almost fully potty trained..YES!!! They just need a little help at night, but during the day they have been fantastic!! My Mother in law is coming tomorrow for three weeks to share in all the festivities, so the kids are very excited. We have May Day celebration coming up this week, as well as Hailey's JPO competition pictures soon to follow. I hope everyone has a very blessed Mother's Day and a glorious week ahead:)

Handsome Boy..

2011-05-01T13:41:00.001-07:00

This is the suit I got Josh for Easter this year. He has never had a suit before, and I love him in it. He looks so handsome, it actually made me a little sad to see him look so grown up, and not my little cuddly boy. I hope wearing this today and being in his "best clothes" he will behave during Primary. One can always hope right?

Easter Mourn..

2011-04-22T16:28:00.000-07:00

Last Easter, we had an immediate/unexpected change of plans with my Dad's passing. It has been hard this last year without him. Hearing his voice, listening to his comments, jokes, etc. But most of all just knowing that he was there when I needed him. I guess the comfort of my Dad is what I miss the most. So, this year on Easter, I will be thinking about you Dad, and remembering only the good things. I guess that is what everyone remembers with Jesus Christ and what he has done for us. In a way Dad, you will be honored just like the Savior on this special day. I love you, and will forever miss you...

Fun Run Friday

2011-04-17T15:42:00.000-07:00

Friday was Hale Kula's Fun Run, and it was a success! Possibly because it rained throughout most of it, possibly because it ran so smoothly, or possibly because everyone was having a great time. At any rate, Hailey and Josh were very excited to run their little hearts out:) Plus, I got to run with each of them, so that was an added bonus for sure! Here are some pictures from the big race!!

The Little Things

2011-04-11T00:05:00.001-07:00

This past week has been especially hard for me, and well I didn't know if I could get through it but miraculously it all worked out. Monday was the year mark for my Dad's passing, and Wednesday was some not so great news at the Doctor's, plus some added stress onto David and his job, plus Sunday was Ward Conference and the Stake Presidency was coming to "observe"; add that to the normal everyday hustle and bustle of life with four kids, and well....it can go downhill pretty fast. Magically however David and I still found time to go out on a date and it was just what the doctor ordered. It was just one of those times where everything seemed to happen at just the precise time it was suppose to. It took me back to when we were dating and I couldn't get enough of seeing him and spending time with him. It really was wonderful. It gave me that extra boost to make it through what should be a much better week. It truly is the little things in life sometimes that make all the difference.

BBall Season

2011-04-02T23:01:00.001-07:00

Josh's Basketball season is officially over, and his team the "Bear Cats", actually went out with a 6-2 final count of wins and losses. They had their end of the season party, and Josh seriously got the coolest trophy I have ever seen! We asked him if he would play again, and he said he would have to "think on it, I am too excited about swimming with the sharks." I am taking that as he is excited for swim lessons, which start on Tuesday. (no sharks are involved I promise). Here are some pictures from his party...

Fun in the Sun

2011-03-28T19:25:00.000-07:00

We finally were able to go to the beach. It was a lot of fun. My girls and I went with some good friends. (Josh wanted to have a play date instead with his buddy from school). We were there for a good three hours. There was a jellyfish warning as well, but we still decided to take the adventure. We saw the black pearl, and of course the scenery is just breath-taking. Everyone had a blast!

Spring Break part 2

2011-03-19T13:26:00.000-07:00

We went to the Children's Discovery Center and it was fantastic! There were so many different things to touch and explore. I have never been to something like this before, but it was really cool! It had three levels. The first floor was all about "our town", so it had a courthouse, a post office, a grocery store, a library, etc. All of these places had interactive things to do and touch. All of them had dress up clothes for whatever theme the place was. Josh's favorite part was the puppet show. You could create your own! It was too cute. They had a news room, with microphones, and T.V. cameras all around. The second floor was all about Hawaiian culture, and what you can see here on the island. It had a ship replica from Pearl Harbor, and a wax statue of a Navy men. They could plant their own pineapple, build a fort, do construction, make a dance video, learn how to sew, etc. The third floor was more misc. It had a house with a white picket fence where you could grow vegetables, and water flowers. It had puzzles to test you on what cultures eat what foods. You could drive a bus, here different languages speak different animals. There was so much to do, the kids didn't know where to start.

Unfortunately, we had to end Spring Break on another visit to the ACC for Hailey, she has an ear infection. The beach will just have to wait for another day :)

Spring Break 2011 part 1

2011-03-15T21:44:00.000-07:00

We have ten days off for Spring Break, and I don't know about you, but we started ours off with a BANG here in Hawaii with a Tsunami Warning! Yes, we were under watch since that devastating earthquake and Tsunami in Japan, then it turned into a warning with the Civil Defense setting off the siren every hour until 2:45a.m. Sure enough about 6 hours after it was "lifted" for us at about 7:44a.m. on Friday, we were hit with some pretty tough waves that did some damage on the Big Island and Maui . Of course nothing at all like Japan, but still pretty scary!

Besides that we have gone to the zoo, and to the Hale Koa, and to the Children's Discovery Center in downtown Honolulu. We have been having a lot of fun! Here are some pictures of all of our adventures. Hope you guys have all had a good week!

The first group of photos are from the zoo. We ended up taking another family with us, minus the adults, so it was 11 children 2 adults in all!!! The Dustin's (their mom just had knee surgery) have 4, I only had 3 of mine, and the McIlquham's have 4 as well. Also, just to confuse you more, the Dustin's have twins too!! (A boy and a girl, also, they are 7:)) At any rate, Jasmine and I did well managing them all, they were really pretty good, until the end when we had one injured (my Hailey..that is another story), and the Dustin twins felt like throwing-up, plus my Avery had a very upset tummy (until she was able to go potty at home, again another story).

This is a cute pix. of Evelyn, Marcos, Audrey, Avery, and Jacob

The three amigos Hailey, Emma, and Julia

Here is most of them except Clay, Jacob, and Audrey you can't see, she is sitting directly behind Julia...

Here is one of the Dustin twins Charity, and my twins...

This is by far my favorite picture. Audrey was sooo excited to chase the birds and even the peacock, despite our warnings!!!

By this point we had three men down, and Avery was about to be the fourth. (you can see her at the bottom, she was crying that her tummy hurt.)

This next set is from the Hale Koa Resort in Waikiki. It is a military hotel and is open to all military whether you are staying there or just going to enjoy their amenities. We went with Lucy and two of her girls. It was so beautiful, the weather was great!

These next two are of Josh and Hunter, she was really great at playing with him.

Performance

2011-03-12T13:34:00.000-08:00

Josh and Hailey had a singing performance at school this past Thursday. They did really good! David got to go because I unfortunately had to have a root canal, but all is well. I came out of it with flying colors and the Endo specialist was fantastic. We also had a Tsunami scare this past Friday, but again we were lucky and truly blessed! This upcoming week is Spring Break for the kiddos, so we will have some pictures from that. Here is some video footage from the stars..

See if you can tell his nose is bothering him..

Here is Hailey...

Family Time-Out

2011-02-27T21:20:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we went on a family outing. It was totally unexpected and so much fun! We went to Manoa Falls, and to Barber's Point. We of course had a couple of catastrophes along the way, but who doesn't when they have kids? Avery walked only about 5 ft. before she tripped and skidded up her knees, so she didn't walk AT ALL on this hike. Manoa Falls is a beautiful hike through the Rain and Bamboo Forrest; and it is .80 of a mile one way. Needless to say our little trooper was Audrey, she wanted to hold her " Hailey's" hand the whole way up. She stuck it out all the way there and back walking with us, and even if she slipped here or there, she did a great job at picking herself back up and trudging along. Josh was excited to venture off on his own, as he was our "leader". Afterwards, we ended up going to the beach at Barber's Point, w/out unfortunately realizing they had no showers until it was too late. My buddy was Avery, she didn't want any sand or water touching her knees. All in all, it was a day full of memories, and lots of pictures to boot :)

Enjoy, and have a good week everyone!

New Trikes

2011-02-20T20:28:00.000-08:00

The girls got some new trikes to ride outside, and well they will not get off of them! They like having their "OWN" things once in awhile, and they are loving the little bit of Independence we have given them. Sometimes I think they are growing to fast, and other times I wish they were older! here are some photos of their new "coveted toy".

The Bear Cats #4

2011-02-12T18:37:00.001-08:00

Josh had his first Basketball game today and his team did surprisingly well! They were the home team, so they wore their jersey on the white side. (I am learning this as I go, so Basketball jerseys are reversible for home/visitor team) They play 8 minute quarters, with a minute in between and a 5 minute halftime. He got to start and they have 5 players on at a time while playing a FULL court. It was interesting to say the least! Josh was into all the running, (gee, what a surprise) and he even got the ball a few times. There are three players on the team who have played before, and needless to say they dominated the game. Josh was among the other 5 that..well..just wanted the ball, and wasn't quite sure what to do with it once they got it. I am glad they didn't call on NO dribbling, because I think everyone was doing that. All in all we were winning the game all the way until the two minute warning, and then they scored twice to make the final score 12-8. They tried their very best and in the end, they seriously were dragging their little feet to the benches.

A+ for effort, and better luck next time Bear Cats!!!!

Jump Rope 4 Heart

2011-02-09T19:25:00.000-08:00

Hale Kula Elementary had a Jump Rope 4 Heart today, and you could donate $ to support the cause. Needless to say, it took a HUGE amount of effort to come up with $2.00 for the kids. (Mainly because I forgot). Josh was soooo sad that he didn't have his dollar, until I surprised him and showed up right as they were walking out to the parking lot. Here he is jumping his little heart out=-)

In case you were wondering, I did not get Hailey jumping because she says she is not very good at it, so she didn't want to.

We're Going to the Zoo, Zoo, Zoo How About You?

2011-02-02T11:41:00.000-08:00

This past month has been pretty hectic, but we managed to squeeze in some fun here and there! Since David got passes to the Zoo again, I decided to take my girls (minus Hailey) for a day of it. It was pretty mellow, and I must say they were tired when it was all said and done! For those of you who are wondering, NO we haven't heard anything new about where we can go, but we have had three "Yes's" as to being able to leave this summer, so let's hope for the best=-)

The peacock actually turned around for me, and they finally got Lions back at the zoo.

All Audrey could talk about was she wanted to see the "giraffe, giraffe, giraffe". So when they had one that you could sit on, her and Avery climbed right up and posed!

This was their treat afterwards. They wouldn't even look up to take a pix. you would think they were thirsty or something?!?!??!
These next couple of pix. are just random of some projects the kids had to do for school this past month.

Hailey had to do a Biome on a specific rain-forest. David helped her (of course) it turned out terrific!!!

Josh had to do a "100 day" project for school, and he chose Popsicle sticks. I love how it turned out!

When You're The Best of Frineds...

2011-01-22T21:08:00.000-08:00

My girls are too cute. I have caught them on several occasions sharing a laugh, a hug, even a kiss or too. Granted they fight a lot too, but most of all, they just love each other. The picture on top is my favorite. I was brushing their hair after bath time, and their new saying is "comb softer mommy!! comb softer!" So, as they tried consoling each other, I actually had a camera on hand, so Voila=-) Here is another occasion of them actually S.H.A.R.I.N.G. It is funny how kids will know the meaning of that word some days, and others look at you with such perplexity!

All in a Nutshell

2011-01-14T15:00:00.001-08:00

Since the New Year has begun a lot has happened over here for the Sobeks! First off Josh started Basketball for the first time and loving it! Hailey has been doing JPO and actually won an award for JPO student of the Month for excellent community service!! Awesome job to my Hailey bug=-) The twins are active and alive as ever, loving school and making messes is their specialty. David is still on days and we have some potential places to go..crossing our fingers it is in the summer, but it might just have to be in the winter. We put in a request to "curtail" for the summer, but we won't find out for another couple of weeks. (it just means we are requesting to leave early, usually people are assigned to other units when they leave ahead, but David being on the medical side, you are not attached to anyone).

The picture up top was when we went out to celebrate some friends' b-days. It was a lot of fun, we went to Gordon Bierch at the Aloha Tower. I am also proud to report that my working out is paying off, and I was able to fit back into those cute jeans!

We have had some incredible hurricane like weather here this month. My kids had to wear pants/jeans everyday to school this week which is rare. We actually had thunder/lightening. A lot of flooding, and downed power lines, houses lost due to mudslides because of it. At one point they didn't even deliver mail or pick up trash due to inclement weather. Here is a clip from our backyard.

I was trying to catch the lightening..but you only see a little bit. The rain comes down sideways and the wind picked up for the first time (since we've been here). It reminded me of back home=-) BTW the little blurb of the rainbows in the kitchen was of the girls interpretation of how to make one..did you notice one was in a circle with all the colors mixed and one was a rainbow, but the colors weren't in order. Too funny that my girls are so opposite!

New Years Resolutions, and Blah, Blah, Blah.....

2011-01-03T22:26:00.000-08:00

I think this New and Wondrous year ahead will only promise what I give it in return. So with that in mind, I fore-go resolutions because A. I write them down and forget about them..B. Will be gung-ho and then stop half-way through with a written reminder that I failed. C. Have new things to worry about and decide that particular resolution was not worth it to do/try in the end. SO....

1. I promise this year I will not yell at my children 1 less time a month

2. I will try to read my scriptures more

3. I will TRY to spend less (at least think about what I am buying..need versus want)

4. Instead of seeing things from my point of view, try to see them from someone else's

AND.. in return I promise to be more optimistic/appreciative/and more deserving of my Savior's love.

There...that is my New Year's/ New Life's achievement/goals to work on....

I genuinely hope that everyone makes this New Year better than the last; progress is always a step forward not backwards.

Christmas Chaos at the Sobeks

2010-12-26T17:32:00.000-08:00

It looked as if Santa's elves decided to throw all their extra wrapping paper and bows in our family room, because by 7:15a.m. our house was a disaster! Needless to say, the kids had a blast, and loved everything they got. We heard not one "peep" for most of the morning as all the kids headed in their own directions to play with their shiny new things. I was hoping for a nap, but I had some baking/cooking to do because some really good friends invited us over for Christmas dinner. A good time was definitely had by all! Our kiddos had no naps, so after the festivities at the Gilbert's the kids settled down for hopefully a long winter's nap (aka quick to bed=sleeping in time for Mommy the next day!) Here are some pictures from yet another chaotic but pleasurable time at the Sobek household. Happy New Year everyone!!
This first bunch of photos are from Christmas Eve, my children did not want to take pictures, so as you can see, there aren't any good ones of all 4 of them looking at the camera...

This one is after about ten attempts..someone is getting upset, can you guess who?

Here she is full melt-down and all....

This was after I told her she could open Julia's present if she smiled for me...

This next bunch is from Christmas afternoon at the Gilbert's. They have a beautiful backyard with lots of leg room to stretch out and enjoy yourself in!

This is one of my favorite pix. David captured..it is as if the whole world is passing her by and she could have a cared less...

If you are wondering about the band-aid, she wanted one about three days ago, put it one needlessly, left it on too long, and now she actually has a boo-boo there because of it!

I promise I am ABSOLUTELY up to no good!!!!

I love these next two pix. also. They are my little Ave teaching herself how to swing....

Uhhhh Babe?? Do you have a question or concern you would like to ask me????

These last two are for your enjoyment only. I was riding a bike, and actually kind of forgot how!! It has been way too long..needless to say I did not fall, but it was scary at times all the same!

Christmas Parties Galore

2010-12-16T20:39:00.000-08:00

Josh's class had a Christmas party and they sang some cute songs. Here are some pictures ffrom his last day, he is as animated as ever!

First, they played musical chairs to the sounds of Christmas music...

This is the class playing pin the star on the Christmas tree (His teacher is spinning him)

Here they are getting ready to sing...

Here is the first one of Josh and his musical talent...

Here he is enjoying the goodies..so cute!!!

The girls also had a Christmas party and Santa came and surprised them. This is the first time they got to see him, so I was really curious to see their reactions...

These two ladies are their wonderful teachers, Ms. Josephina, and Ms. Aunite Beth...

This is my two little ones waiting ever so patiently for Santa to arrive....

Here is the man of the hour...

At first Audrey was soo excited to see him, BUT......

Once he got up and personal, trying to shake everyone's hand, she refused! Covering her eyes and all!

Avery was one of the only 3 children that would sit on his lap from the class, but she would not take her fingers out of her mouth to save her life!

Trying to get a picture with my girls....

Well I hope everyone enjoys the Holdiays with friends and family, and remember the reason for the season!!

Gingerbread House

2010-12-10T21:28:00.001-08:00

Josh had his annual Kindergarten gingerbread house event a couple of weeks ageo. I am pleased to say Daddy got to go this time. Here are some pix from the event:

Here is the final project...

On another note, Hailey got placed permanently on JPO at school. She is no longer an alternate. This whole week she had to wake up early and stay after school to do it. Way to go Hailey! We are very proud of her!

Josh's Famous Last Words

2010-12-06T14:59:00.000-08:00

Lately Hailey and Josh have really been getting on each other's nerves. (Ok, and definitely mine too!) So I have recently thought of this little "game" if you will of where they have to stop what they are doing (usually yelling at each other) and say something nice about the other person. This usually calms them down and gets them thinking. Well Josh started for once and said something nice, and Hailey vice/versa. Then Hailey says "mom, how about you? can we say something we like about you?" I say "sure". Josh steps right up and says "This is easy, Mom gives us expensive things when we're good, OK things when we are OK, and she spanks/yells at us when we are bad." I said "Josh that wasn't necessarily a compliment", and he says "Sorry Mom, but if I got more of the expensive stuff I would have nothing to fight with Hailey or the babies about!" I didn't know whether to laugh or be upset. All I know is he definitely is paying attention, even if I think he isn't! Hopefully he will learn one way or the other to BEHAVE!!!!!

FHE Fun

2010-11-29T20:21:00.000-08:00

Tonight for FHE we decorated the Christmas tree. The kids had a lot of fun. I got smart this year and bought some plastic balls, so no broken glass everywhere! also this past weekend David was able to decorate the outside with lights all a'glow. He even braved the higher part of the roof, just over the girls' bedroom. Way to go Babe!

Here is some pix. of our family fun...minus David unfortunately he had to work. We ended the night with Home Alone 2 and some homemade popcorn from my mom's Christmas gift she gave me last year. Happy Holidays!

Unfortunately my car is blocking the bushes where there is a netting of lights over them.

FAMILY=THANKFUL

2010-11-24T15:54:00.000-08:00

My girls are doing great in Pre-School, Josh is soaring in kindergarten(academically any way), and Hailey is becoming such a beautiufl young and vibrant lady. I am so tahnkful for my Husband who works so hard for us, to keep us afloat and happy financially as much as possible. I really feel blessed. One of my favorite things I still get is "homemade" crafts from the kids. The girls now have started, and it makes me smile from ear to ear knowing they are so proud of their work. I love my family and am so grateful you guys are in my life=-)
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!!!

See if you can you tell whose little hand is whose!

Josh is learning about "The First Thanksgiving". He had to put together a book describing it for his family. They also learned two songs about the Pilgrims.(Sorry it is a little blurry)

This last clip is of Joshua singing...

Laie Hawaii Temple

2010-11-21T15:30:00.000-08:00

Today was the temple re-dedication, and President Monson, President Eyring, Quentin L. Cook, and Elder Walker from the seventy were all here speaking at the temple. It was a great and humbling experience to know that my "little" two hour contribution of time helped make fellow members and on-lookers have an enjoyable experience at one of the most beautiful places on earth. My family and I went through it on Veteran's Day, and it gave me such a sense of security, and warmth to know I have another place I can come to in a time of need. President Eyring's talk I think I loved the most because he named three things we should always do/remember when going through the temple. Gratitude, Light of understanding, and to feel the love of God. It is always up for interpretation, but I especially thought about the Light of understanding and how it applies to myself in that to have a greater light and knowledge from within, I need to have a better understanding of the scriptures and the Lord from the inside out.

President Monson is one of my favorite Prophets (besides President Kimball) because he almost always relates a story or a personal thought to his talks. This time he opened with "Temples are built through trials, tears, and testimonies." I loved that! I am so glad that Hailey and I got to go together to share the experience.

When our family went on Veteran's Day, I decided to TRY and get some photos of us in our Christmas clothes to put on our Christmas card we send out. Well, as you can see above Josh went from bad to worse when it came time to look our best. The kids actually did great through the temple and even for the video, but it was almost 2 o'clock in the afternoon, and they hadn't eaten lunch, and even though I promised them all McDonald's..it was to no avail. They were done! So here is what I got much to my dismay, and yet I will always remember that at least we did it together.

This is actually my favorite pix. I took. David is right in front of these three holding Audrey

5th Grade Science Fair

2010-11-18T21:06:00.000-08:00

The fifth graders at Hailey's elementary school had a science fair this year, and Hailey (to my surprise) was really excited about it. She chose her topic (with the help of her Dad), and after 6 weeks of experimenting and watering, she won 2nd place! We are so proud of her accomplishment! They had judges come around and ask questions. It had to fit into 3 sub-divisions/categories. If it met the criteria for the scientific method, if the Hypothesis was clearly stated and/or had the proper research to back it up, and finally if it was followed through by data analysis/and conclusion. Each class had four winners, 2 that went to District, one "WOW" factor winner, and a Kid's Choice award winner. Hailey won the "WOW" factor for her class. (Meaning they "Wowed" the judges with either the experiment in itself/or with the data they collected,etc.) Plus, the added A+ for the assignment didn't hurt either=-) Here are some pictures from the night. Oh! I almost forgot to say what it was on...Her hypothesis question was" What is the effect of two different light sources on plants?" She did Florescent lighting and sunlight. The results actually were quite interesting, the ones under florescent light did not grow "up" but rather in width,(to catch as much light as possible. One of the plants actually started to grow to the side!)Plus, not peppers or chili's grew on them at all. The ones outside grew straight up and grew three chili's on one plant, and a little green pepper on the other. Way to go my Hailey bug!

This is Hailey and her teacher Mrs. Rios.

Avery and Audrey's BIG Day!!

2010-11-16T18:12:00.000-08:00

My girls started pre-school today, and it was scary/emotional/fun/exciting for all three of us to say the least. Audrey is the one who I was worried about and she made Mommy so proud! We started talking to them the whole last week about "going to school", and how they get there, and what they will bring, and what to expect, etc. So today, they got up and were excited to get dressed, and wear their "new" backpacks to school. We get there, and everyone is very welcoming and nice. Their teachers names are "Auntie Beth", and "Ms. Josephina". Avery went right in and waved good-bye to us as if she had been doing it her whole life! (I think because they were serving breakfast right when we got there, it got her excited to be there.) Audrey was O.K. but when there wasn't a seat next to her sister, she kind of backed off and wanted me to stay. We talked for a little bit, and she was a little unsure. I was afraid to leave her, but they said to call @ 10a.m. to check. (School is from 8-noon everyday.) I called and they said she was doing great, reading a book and she apparently found the "dress up" clothes, so she was good to go. When I picked them up, they couldn't wait to tell me everything they did, so that was wonderful! My girls are definitely growing up..I am not quite sure how I feel about it, whether to be happy and excited for my new found 3 1/2 hours of freedom, but also sad that I don't have my little buddies with me.

Here are some pix. from the "BIG" day!

This is right before we left the house...

This is just half of the school. It actually looks like a big "U" shape. Plus a big playground on the side. It is in the middle of a whole bunch of farms.

Their classroom is up these stairs, they look so happy!

Joshua Neil Sobek

2010-11-11T21:51:00.000-08:00

My little guy turns 6 years old in just a few hours, and I was reminiscing with him about when he was little...I asked him what he remembers most about growing up and he said "Was I always so funny to you Mom?" He was so cute, and smart and curious. I went into labor with Josh while seeing the movie the "Polar Express" in the movie theater on Veteran's Day , and he was born @ 2:06a.m. the next morning. I love my little guy more than the world. He says some of the funniest things, my favorite to this day is "Mom, I am using my thinking cap!" I love it that he still likes to cuddle, and that he sucks his thumb when he is tired. I love it that I can ask for kisses regularly and he will give them. I love when he laughs really hard so that his nose scrunches up, but most of all I am truly blessed that I have such a character in my life! Here are some of my favorite photos of my Joshua, for he will forever be my little guy at heart=-)

I know, the date is wrong on this pix..

JPO in Training...

2010-11-08T18:42:00.000-08:00

Hailey has been trying to get on what is called JPO~Junior Police Officer at school. She applied at the beginning of the year, but because she wasn't 10 yet, she has not been notified. They have guidelines and "special" privilages/parties they get throughout the year but among other things you have to keep your grades up, and be able to walk to and from school by yourself (on post you have to be 10) . They are in charge of the crosswalks by the school and they rotate postitions before and after school, so early in the a.m. and later in the p.m. I have been leary to let her walk by herself especially in the morning because traffice is crazy and she has to cross this one really busy intersection. Well, she was asked while I was on vacation to "officially" be an alternate, and tomorrow is her first time!! She is beyond excitied! She was in the school picture which will be in the yearbook, but she is in the front row. I will post more pix of catching her in action!! Way to go Hailey=-)

Hailey's B-Day Celebration

2010-10-30T18:56:00.000-07:00

Hailey turned the big 10 yesterday, and so she had a couple of friends over to stay the night. I actually got creative, and sent them on a "digital" scavenger hunt right when they got here. They had to find things like orange socks, a spider real/or fake, a house decorated for Halloween, a head of garlic, etc. I even made her a Bridezilla cake and some marshmallow witches. Now I have never been creative when it comes to food, but I figured while not? Anyway, see for yourself with the pictures. Overall, a great time was had by all, especially with a grown-up kid dad that offered to "scare" them throughout the night=-) Enjoy the pictures!

The first three pictures are of Julia and Hailey setting up the garage and decorating it, it actually turned out pretty cool...

They made their own spider webs to give it a "better" effect...

The frosting was actually really hard to make it to the consistency I wanted, so unfortunately it didn't turn out like the picture, but hey, and A+ for trying right?

This last picture is the morning after..they all had this "dazed" look on their faces!!!

Josh's Kindergarten Parade

2010-10-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

The kindergarten had their annual parade around the campus, and Josh's costume this year wasn't as original or as cute as his dragon last year, but he is Bumble-Bee and so was another little boy in his class. See if you can guess which one he is( before you see the masks off=-))

I actually got one this year with all of his class together.

Josh and I Out N' About

2010-10-26T16:37:00.000-07:00

Josh and I went on Vacation to California, with a quick trip to Vegas for TOFW. It was a lot of fun! Honestly, even with 10 days, we didn't get everything in that I wanted to do!I was able to cross off some FOOD places I wanted to go to and missed like In-N-Out and Togo's. Plus, I have been missing Kohl's, JCPenny, Michael's and Jo-Anne's like crazy so I had to make it a priority to hit those spots=-) I got to visit with family and some really good friends, plus we went to Disneyland. I got to go to the Oak Hills Ward where we used to live for church on Sunday and see some old friends. We then went to the San Diego temple, which was really emotional for me, I haven't been in over 2 years, so that really meant a lot. For my mom's birthday we were at TOFW in Las Vegas, and that was extraordinary! The speakers were fabulous, and thanks to Kasey we got some really good seats. Afterwards my mom and I went to the Donny and Marie show on the strip and it was sensational!! I am so glad I got to spend her birthday with her! Here are some pictures from our memorable vacation=-) Oh! And FYI~that picture up top is from my camera!! I actually took a good picture, doesn't it look like a postcard??

This was at our old ward in Phelan with Robin and Kasey!!

These were some of the characters we saw during their parade at Disneyland

This is Josh and his cousins having fun with their Light savors

This is Josh with his other cousins Maeby and Ellie..too cute=)

This is in Las Vegas, my good friend Kristina came over to visit me in our Hotel

This was me and my mom on her birthday in Vegas at TOFW

The Weeks Go By...

2010-10-07T21:36:00.000-07:00

We have been dog sitting for a neighbor down the street, and un-be-known to me, this dog is going to be hard to let go. His name is Joker, he is a Jack Russell Terrior, and he is very easy-going, and my kids well~ they have been attached to him the moment he got here! He especially loves sleeping with Hailey, and even though there was one mishap the first night-(he jumped the gate to the kitchen and stole a whole pizza box of the counter to eat it). He has been the best dog ever!! Here are some cute photos we have been able to snag....

I am also very excited to be coming home next Friday!!! We have everyday booked. Just me and my little man. We are hoping to see as many friends and family as possible, with a quick trip to Vegas for the TOFW tour. Plus on a special note, it is my mom's birthday and I get to share it with her=-) There will be more pictures to come for sure! Enjoy your week everyone!

The girls thought it would be fun to try and sleep where the dog does!

This is the only way they will sit down, is with Joker with them!!

Fun Filled Weekend

2010-09-26T11:25:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Hailey's end of the season soccer party. We had it at the pool here on post. She had a lot of fun, and of course so did Josh. (remember, swimming was involved!) Even though her team only won two games, she still learned a lot , and her coach Michael was an excellent source of knowledge. He was only 17, which is why he technically couldn't have his own team. So Kristie stepped up and took the assignment, and gave Michael the A-OK to coach and he soared with it! He has played soccer for 14 years of his life and 4 of those years was on a competitive league. This was his Senior project and he did a fantastic job! Hailey has learned so much from him and all his abilities.

Also yesterday we came home and helped our neighbor set up her water slide out front, so my kids were outside almost the whole day (the twins didn't come to the pool, just out front).

Finally, our neighbor is PCSing soon, and they have been clearing out their daughters room, and she has found a couple of princess dresses that her daughter used to play with. Audrey, of course would not take her eyes off of it, and ran inside as soon as she could to put it on. She looks so stinking cute in it!!! I think we may have a new Halloween costume on our hands since she refuses to take it off.

Today is the Primary program so Josh and Hailey are excited this morning. We hope everyone has a nice weekend. I have let/am letting everyone know that after today, I have officially declared myself in hibernating mode!

Avery..

2010-09-23T00:31:00.000-07:00

Avery had her surgery, and things were going as expected of a three year old to cope with new surroundings, a ton of medicine in her, and getting poked and prodded around the clock. But things quickly detiorated as the night-time came. David and I switched shifts in the afternoon, so he stayed with hewr,I came home and checked on the other kiddos. Made sure, homework was done, my cousin was ok, ordered pizza, ate, and then headed back up to what was hoping to be a mediocre night. Well, my little Ave had different plans....

Since she had been up since 4:30am we all thought for sure she would crash out sometime early afternoon, but much to our dismay she did not. Combine that with steroids every eight hours, not getting to eat what you want (she is a really good eater), and strangers coming in to TRY (notice the emphasis on try) to check your vitals, etc., etc. ,etc. The night was horrendous. She would not sleep until about 9:45p.m. and had to wake up at 10:10p.m. for more medicine. It went downhill from there. She cried, no wait; screamed and fought myself plus two nurses trying to hold her down. She spit it out once all over us, she slapped me, kicked me, threw herself on the ground, she even scratched at her eyes and neck, that it looks like she got into a fight with a cat! It was the worst night of my life. By 2a.m. I was crying my eyes out. There was absolutely nothing I could do to calm her down.

Needless to say, I think we got maybe a total of 3 hours of sleep altogether. By morning,we were able to get the medicine down better by pinching her nose, while one of us held here legs and the other nurse held down her arms. At least I know I wasn't the only one with a very upset child; whenever Avery wasn't screaming, our neighbor was. After much debate, (they tried to hold us for another day, because he wasn't taking her medicine). We got to come home, and things have been relatively better since. She is still coming off all that medicine, but I think she is better at home, after all, aren't we all?

Here are some BEFORE pictures, and a couple after, when Hailey and I went back to the hospital to relieve Daddy.

This was right before they took her back, they are trying to convince her to get up on the gurney....

She got a sticker for doing it, but not before her new favorite dolly did it and was ok..

This is one of the only pictures after when she was rockin' out with Hailey in the playroom

So it Begins..

2010-09-11T21:54:00.000-07:00

Today, Hailey did great at her game. Her team won and she played forward the entire game! Very proud of her. One of her shining moments was kicking the ball..the unfortunate part was the boy standing directly in front of her ready to block the ball, but ended up with it smack in his face! i wasn't fast enough with the camera for that one, but I did get some great shots otherwise. Both Hailey and Josh end the season next week. Georgiane (my cousin) is coming on Monday, and then begins my week and a half of appt., after appt., after appt. Not to mention my little Ave's surgery. In case you couldn't guess, she is the one on the top in the bath. Just a reminder of how precious she is to me, even though we have troublesome times ahead. Love and miss everyone. I will keep you posted with pix to follow with this ridiculous and "chaotic" week. (Our new nickname/ MY middle name). Enjoy the show!

Too Much on My Plate

2010-08-31T22:59:00.000-07:00

I have so much to say, and no idea where to start! So here it goes... Monday: Hearing test for Avery= unexpectedly needs surgery on Sept. 21st. adenoids and tonsils+ Plus Jim (father in law) had total hip replacement surgery. Tuesday: Avery has a speech apt. and is ok except failed the language part (she is testing at a 2-21/2 year old instead of a 3 yr. old). Wednesday: Primary Presidency meeting at my house+ soccer. Thursday: meeting at school. Friday: Back to Tripler for Audrey to do hearing and speech. Are we to the weekend yet? AND can you believe that the week of the 13th is even busier?????
****On a good note, besides trying to keep the schedules straight my cousin Georgiane is coming out to help for 10 days. I am so excited/relieved/excited/thrilled for the extra pair of hands and just someone else to talk to!! Daivd's schedule is so compacted it is like he isn't even home! AHHHHHHHH. I seriously am surprised I have not had a nervous breakdown yet!****
I just have to remember that all things happen for a reason...just keep my family in your prayers!! I really think I have reached my limit of trials for the year!!!

My BIG Girl...

2010-08-20T20:27:00.000-07:00

Audrey looks so grown up. I cannot believe how much of a difference pigtails make. She looks like she grew up over night..going from 3 to 5! She is speaking so well and very articulate with what she wants! She loves PINK, PINK, and did I mention PINK? She is a very smart girl, but lacks the social interaction. That is where Avery comes into play, although she is a little slower than Audrey, she is very friendly. Loves to play and laugh with others. Avery has to see a speech therapist and have her hearing checked while Audrey is seeing someone for her inability to interact with others. Hopefully all will go well. In other news, Josh has been housebound due to Impetigo. It is a superficial staff infection on his face. Thank goodness we caught it in time, but meanwhile it is driving Mommy crazy having him in the house 24-7. Luckily, he will be able to go back to school on Monday.
Maybe one day I will look back and laugh/be proud of what I have accomplished during my kids' growing up phases. Right now though it is more along the lines of Please stop! I cannot possibly take on anything else! I must have been superwoman in my previous life..what do you think ladies? All in all just another beautiful day in the Sobek neighborhood!

First Day of School

2010-08-12T12:17:00.000-07:00

Josh started Kindergarten again this year, and Hailey started 5th grade. Since they didn't start on the same day, Hailey's picture is technically from Josh's first day, so just improvise with me on this one=-) Hailey is excited, she got a good teacher, so I am happy. Josh got someone I am not quite sure about, but we will see how he does. On his first day, he was hesitant as we were walking to school. He kept saying, "Mom, I am not too sure this is a good idea Mom, I am just not sure." It was really cute! He was SLOWLY walking into class, and kept looking over his shoulder to make sure I was still there! Thankfully his day went fantastic, so hopefully this is a sign of what is yet to come. I am glad that Hailey and Josh are in the same school together, but this will be the last year unfortunately...scary thought!! Makes me feel so old! I hope everyone's first day goes well!!

Two Little Peas Turn 3!!!

2010-08-07T17:17:00.000-07:00

Today my little princesses turn 3. I am loving that they are getting older, but not liking the idea of not being able to cuddle them or rock them to sleep anymore! This year was especially fun because their little personalities started to show, and I had a much better idea of what to buy them. Audrey loves anything "pretty princess" and PINK; while Avery kind of goes with the flow, but enjoys doing things with her hands for sure. Yesterday my neighbor and I took our kids to the splash park. We have never gone before, and it is pretty nice to say the least! It has a playground, plus this splash park area, plus a linae area where you can set up tables, and have a picnic. The best part of course is it is free!! So we made an afternoon of it. Unfortunately Hailey couldn't join us because school started already for her, but we will definitely be doing it again. For their b-day we let them open their presents (it was like Christmas over here) and we had to head out early for some soccer game excitement! They came home and played with everything, while Daddy had the duty of putting everything together. (He was mumbling towards the end there). All in all the day was of great pleasure to all who attended our chaotic household of events!

Soccer Season

2010-07-31T13:54:00.000-07:00

Josh and Hailey started another season of soccer, and it is in full swing! They each have had two games, and my little man scored once at each game!! I am so proud of how aggressive he is out on the field! Hailey's team"The Furies" are in all black this year, and although they have lost both games, she is still improving every season she plays, I am very proud of her determination. She has been placed as a "forward" although I think she likes "fullback" best. Josh's team "The Fire Dragons" are doing ok, they have some kids on the team who know what they are doing, so that is definitely a plus! Josh has been a forward, but kind of wanders to where HE feel he is best needed. He helps out the goalie a lot, and then he is right up there in front to get the ball away from the other team. He shows no sign of hesitation when it comes to the ball so that is good too. Here are some pix. from his last game, I haven't had a chance to take pictures of Hailey yet, but I will post them when I get them.

Here they are warming up before the game...

He has decided to lay low and help out the goalie...

He is #9 and his jersery says "Josh". This year they got to choose nicknames if they wanted for the back of their Jerseys, instead of just last names.

One CRAZY Week!!!

2010-07-18T18:15:00.000-07:00

My mom flew home with Hailey and we have been on the go ever since! Thursday we came home from the airport, planned the week, and started in right away. We have cleaned/organized/and moved around almost my whole house!! I feel like I actually MOVED my family with all the work that we have done! Friday we went shopping, and Hailey and Josh had soccer practice that night. David's cousin Edie got married here on Saturday so I showed them around the island from 8 a.m. until 7:30p.m. when we took them to the airport. Sunday was the WORST day known to man for church. It started out with Josh deciding to hose his twin sisters down with water 20 minutes before we had to leave. It proceeded with Avery pulling the fire alarm as soon as we got to church. Then Avery was so terrible during Sacrament that when I took her outside, a woman asked me if I was her parent or teaching a class! I cried at that point, and NO the day wasn't over yet. Audrey caught her foot in the door and was bleeding all over the place as we were leaving. Monday we went to the pool, Tuesday we went to the Water park; Wednesday we went to the swap meet, Thursday we went bowling, Friday we stayed at home to finish projects, Saturday my mom went with David and Hailey snorkeling after we re-arranged the garage, and Monday we went to Bellows. WHEW!!

In between all of that we changed Josh's room, organized the girls room, got Hailey's tooth fixed at the Dentist, moved our game room into the garage, had three soccer practices for Hailey and Josh, one birthday party, moved all my Christmas decor upstairs. Plus de-cluttered and got things ready for our next garage sale!!

Does it make you tired just reading this???
I do not think anyone could have fit anything else into 10 days like we did!!!

Here are some pictures from our fantastic but CRAZY week!

I decided to show you only some of the make-over rooms we did, otherwise you would start thinking my house is a disaster!! This is what we ended up for Josh. Not a whole lot done, but you can see a clock on the right side of his bed, so he can start learning how to tell time.

Hailey had buckets and buckets of Lego's everywhere on the bottom of her closet, so I bought some boxes with clasping lids so we could organize them by color. Needless to say two of them are still mixed and it took a really long time.

Here is my little "Dancing Queen" out in the water (Avery)

Here is my Audrey, it looks like she has Hailey's lazy eye in pictures!

Hailey brought her best buddy Julia, and they stayed out in the water all 4 hours!

Here are all 5 of the kiddos having a blast!

This is where you will always find David and Avery..wherever the food is!

This is my mom when she went snorkeling with David and Hailey. Thanks mom for all your help, I couldn't of done it without you!! Love you, and can't wait to see you in October!

Family Reunion Take 2

2010-07-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

So here are some pictures from Hailey's camera. She went to Yellowstone, Mt. Rushmore, plus visited family in Chicago and Utah, BESIDES fishing in Minnesota. She had a good time, but I think a month was too long for her to be away, at least I know it was definitely too long for me to be without her! Sorry it took so long to post. My mom has been here since Hailey got back, and we have been going room to room cleaning out and re-organizing. I will some makeover pictures to follow! Hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

Hailey still showing interest her first love at heart..HORSES!!

This is Jim's side of the family, their first stop on the trip in Sacramento.

This picture is a little blurry..but you get the idea. This was on their way through Wyoming.

Hailey made some friends along the way....

Mt. Rushmore with Papa and Grandma.

Here is the whole gang that could go for the Sobek Family reunion in Minnesota. (Minus me and the little kiddos)

David, Hailey, Grandma and Uncle Mark.

July 4th Celebration

2010-07-06T19:29:00.000-07:00

For the 4th of July Schofield Barracks puts on a big display of food, games, a band and of course fireworks. It is a lot of fun! We headed out early and spent $30.00 on tickets, so the kids could ride some of the rides. It lasted about an hour, and then we decided to take in some of the sights. We came home for some much needed rest, before we headed back for the main attraction.."Smash Mouth" was performing and David was really excited to see them. The girls and Josh were dancing and having a great time. We came home to a neighborhood street bash with our own fireworks to light up and enjoy, before the big display started at 9pm. It was a fun, but long day. Of course, it included melt downs and tired cries, and the occasional boo-boo, but we will definitely do it again next year! Hope everyone had a great 4th, HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMERICA!

Audrey at the petting zoo..(yes, they had one there)

David and Audrey enjoying the classic Hawaiian shaved ice

This was the only ride Audrey would go on, she would attempt the bounce houses and some of the big blow-up slides, but once in, she would come right back out. On this ride her smile was beaming from ear to ear! Sooo cute=-)

Look at my Avery busting a move!! She takes after her brother for sure!

Family Reunion Part 1

2010-07-02T13:34:00.000-07:00

David's side of the Family had a reunion in Minnesota. As many of you know Hailey flew to LA and traveled with Lesa and Jim across the states to get there, David on the other hand couldn't take a month off of work, so he flew straight there last week and got home last night. They were in the North Woods at Elephant Lake, which is north of Orr, Minnesota; only a few miles from the Canadian border. His brother and his family flew there, as well as Lynnette and her family. The cabins seemed beautiful, and David said the sun didn't set until almost ten o'clock at night and was bright as day at five o'clock in the morning! They caught a ton of fish, and apparently Hailey is a natural at it! Of course a reunion wouldn't be complete w/out some mishaps! One being my little Hailey tried to dive in 3ft water and cracked her tooth and managed to scrap her chin and upper lip. Hailey will have a lot more pictures from the whole drive back and forth, but here is David's part. Enjoy!

8 years

2010-06-22T22:15:00.000-07:00

Our Anniversary was today, and we kind of spent it a little un-orthodox. David worked last night AND is "on call" tonight so he slept most of the day, and I decided to take my "little man" and myself to the water park. It was a lot of fun. Our friends and I have season passes so we paid all of NOTHING ( always an added bonus)to spend a day in the water! Here are some cool shots of Josh splishin' and a splashin' till the park closed. David and I will spend an Anniversary night out on Thursday right before I have to take him to the airport. (He is going for a "Sobek" family reunion in Minnesota. He even gets to see Hailey which I am jealous about, I miss her like crazy!! Posts to follow)

Hope everyone is enjoying their summer!

This ride I do not like, it twists and turns..the more weight, the higher/faster it goes down this tunnel, at times you feel you are going to fall right out of it..Josh of course loves this ride, you see him here DYING to get out to go on it again!

This ride is my favorite, you go flying down these tunnels and come out gliding across the water, it is so much fun, they caught me as I cam barreling out and I was about to fly past Josh (the more weight the faster you go)

Here is Josh, just doing what he loves best..SMILING!!!

Potty Training or BUST!

2010-06-21T00:49:00.000-07:00

Yeah, I know the picture up top is "Oh, soo cute" but these little devils know how to drive Momma crazy! I have tried potty training two separate times but to no avail. These little stinkers do not show a lot of interest in this thing called a toilet. But oh how it would make mommy's life so much easier! Instead we take off our diapers when we feel the wetness and/or poops. We know diapers are cold and wet, but we still want to torment our mommy!
Help!!! I have tried "bribery", I have tried the "pretty, pretty princess underwear", I have tried following them around for a couple of days with just a shirt on, and making it a "party" when they sit on the toilet. If you have any ideas PLEASE share!!
I am going to have them potty trained by the end of the summer or I am going to die trying!!!

Surgery

2010-06-11T19:30:00.000-07:00

My Josh had surgery this past Tuesday, and he was definitely a sight for sore eyes. My little guy was so teary eyed at the thought of going into surgery without one of us, so I got to go in, and be with him as they gassed him..(they in-abated him and put an IV in after they gas them with anesthesia). I was really anxious for it to be over to say the least. It took about 45 minutes, and then the real fun began! (can you sense my sarcasm?) He was so drugged that he had no idea I was even in the room..he kept screaming for me, and I was trying to soothe him telling him I was right there, and he wasn't comprehending anything..my poor, poor little guy. Throughout the night he was throwing up, and our biggest concern was keeping him hydrated. I actually am glad we had to stay the night in the hospital because I would of been concerned every time if throwing up was a normal side-effect or not. Anyway, we got to come home the next day, and it happened to be David's B-day as well, so we had a culmination of events happening in one week. We are on a soft diet for him for 2 weeks, and drugs every fours hours for 4 days and then longer stretches in-between after that. Oh! and I almost forgot to mention the next day (Thursday) Hailey left for a one month long road trip with the in-laws from one side of the states to the next! This week is definitely one for the books!

Last Day of School

2010-05-30T22:16:00.000-07:00

For Hailey and Josh's last day of school they wanted me to take pic.'s of them with their friends. Josh had a "water fun day" so you will see him throwing water balloons, and going down a slip n' slide. Hailey's last day was a bit more traditional. She had a pizza party after a discussion on "Charlotte's Web" which they have been reading this last quarter. In Hawaii, the grading curriculum is.. well.. unique. I personally don't like it, they go by a "GLO" system, where they are given ME's, MP's, DP's etc. (Meets to exceed expectations, meets proficiencies, difficulty on proficiencies,etc) basically, there are no "letter grades" in elementary school here. What is also tricky is that they do not have the classes listed, for example, Hailey got a MP in "critical thinking", and a ME "spelling grammar". It is actually quite confusing, and to me not an accurate way to "grade" someone per say, nor when we move to the mainland, I don't think other schools grade this way, do they? But, her teacher did tell me that her "Lexile" reading level when she started 4th grade was rated at a 2.3 (2nd grade third quarter) reading level, and now she is at a 4.2 (4th grade 2nd quarter) reading level. She came up almost 360 points. So a big "Hooray" for Hailey!! I now officially have a Kindergartner and a BIG 5th grader=-) Have a safe and fun summer everyone!!

Hailey and her teacher Ms. Matsukawa..

Hailey and her "BFF" Julia..

No Sleep Sundays...

2010-05-30T22:11:00.000-07:00

This is what happens when we don't take our naps during the week, like Mommy would like..our mommy finds us like this on Sundays....

Wouldn't it be nice if Mommy and Daddy could sleep like us; anytime they wanted?

Graduation

2010-05-25T17:11:00.000-07:00

My little Joshy graduated from his 1st year of Kindergarten today. He will be doing his 2nd year next year. (Hawaii does a two year program of Kindergarten since they have mandated it. It is for anyone born after the first day of school through the 31st of December is considered Junior K for the first year and then regular K the 2nd year). They did a really cute program and his teacher made us a DVD with music to a whole bunch of pictures she took throughout the school year! You will notice they are in "Aloha" clothing, it is tradition here in Hawaii to "celebrate" the weather and the beautiful island on special occasions. It was a really nice surprise and it makes me cry (for once in a good way this past month) to see my little guy grow-up and change. They performed two songs, one was really about the sun and how this island is their "home" and the other was a Polynesian song. I hope this video downloads, it is too adorable to miss! (it is a little blurry due to the humidity..my camera couldn't adjust it all the way).

On another note David's Uncle passed away this morning in Chicago, so it is a somber time for the Sobek family. Josh is also having surgery on the 8th of June for his adenoids and tonsils, so he will have to stay the night in the hospital. (It is protocol for Tripler to keep them when sleeping and breathing can be an issue. (sleep apnea)) All in all it is a busy, chaotic, sad time in our household, but we are getting by with prayers and humble thoughts of the ones watching over us from up above. I love and miss you Dad, Happy Birthday tomorrow=-)))))))

PCC Field Trip

2010-05-18T16:33:00.000-07:00

Josh's Kindergarten class when on their final field trip of the year to the Polynesian Culture Center. It was a lot of fun. The park was closed to the public, so it was neat to see the little kindergartners there from all over the island. They got to see Tahiti, New Zealand, take the canoe tour, and watch the IMAX movie (HIGHLY not recommended to see the Polynesian Odyssey with little children, VERY inappropriate, especially coming from the church, they should know better!!)

It was really cute to see Tahiti and watch them try to teach the little kids how to dance! For those of you that know Josh~he LOVES to dance, and of course he was the first one to volunteer is talent..tongue sticking out and all=-) the canoe tour was my favorite, they didn't have all the commentary like they do when you are on a "tour" instead they told you facts about every building, and when Fiji, Tahiti, and New Zealand became a part of the PCC etc. The only "downer" of the day was the horrible show they decided to play. It has been in the past, a film on the coral reef and how it is being polluted, etc. Well, this time they decided to change it up a bit and play something they haven't shown in a few years. Gee, I wonder why! The very first scene is of a woman giving birth, and Josh exclaims "Mommy, that baby is bleeding, why do they want to hurt the baby??" and he started to cry! It gets even more graphic as the movie goes on for 50 minutes!! Afterwards the teachers commented on how disappointing that was, and wished they had their 50 minutes of time back to do something else.

Overall it was a pretty good day and a nice way to end Josh's first year of Kindergarten!! Enjoy the pictures!

Isn't he tooo cute??? I love my little guy!!!

B~Ball Bloopers

2010-05-10T12:59:00.000-07:00

Hailey has started Baseball this year, and she has never played baseball only tee-ball when she was five so this is a new experience for her. It is team pitch, so she has already gotten hit a few times. Luckily, it was in the helmet and it just bounced right off. Another time David caught of picture of her in the outfield catching "butterflies" but it looks like she is trying to "catch" something else in her nose! This past game Hailey stole second base, someone had a hit so she went to third, and then the pitcher threw to second instead of home, so Hailey got to score for her team!! Even though they do not technically keep score, we as parents of course always think our kids are winners! Way to go Hailey and team "sidewinders"=-)

This was when it bounced off her helmet when she was up to bat...

This one looks "questionable" to me!!

Outdoor Fun

2010-05-10T12:49:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, our neighbor and us had an "outdoor" day of fun! We rigged the sprinklers and had a slip and slide, plus a pool for the kids to have a day of it. It was really cute to see them splishing and splashing around. It was even better when we decided not to cook either! We had a lot of fruit, and pizza, the best part of course was the kids went to bed without a peep. They were truly pooped=-)

Happy Mother's Day

2010-05-08T13:53:00.000-07:00

I hope everyone has a very special and memorable Mother's Day! I am looking forward to NO cooking and relaxing with my kiddos and some good friends. I will have pictures to follow, plus some from Hailey's b-ball game. Love and miss everyone!!~ By the way the pix up top is of one of my twins...can you guess which one??

Quick Update

2010-04-28T18:20:00.000-07:00

Things are slowly going back to normal (whatever that means)..I keep thinking about all the ( what if 's) with my dad. I hope he knows how much we are going to miss him. The other day I was watching the "little mermaid" with the girls (one of my fav. Disney Movies) and in the end where King Triten comes up from the water to say good-bye to his princess since she just got married, and Ariel whispers in his ear "I love you Daddy". I seriously could not stop crying. Hopefully Heavenly Father heals this open wound soon.
On another note, Josh will be having surgery on his atnoids, and possible tonsils. The doctor is going to call next week to schedule it. School is almost over, and then on to the "dog-gone days of summer". At least my mom will be coming out to visit. I hope we keep busy, it is actually the only way I stay sane these days it seems like. The busier I am the less I think of being sad. I hope everyone has a good month, and keep smiling at your neighbor~ you never know when you will need that smile returned.

Fun Run Super Eagles!

2010-04-22T19:50:00.000-07:00

Today was the Fun Run at Hale Kula, for those of you that don't know, it is our biggest fundraising event of the year. Parents, soldiers, teachers, siblings can all run and donate fore the cause. It was a really cool, but a very LONG 7 hour day. The point of the race is to run/walk as many laps as you can in the time allotted. The Kindergartners started it off, and Joshua surprised me!! He ran 7 laps!! He was taking it slow and steady, I was so proud of my little man! When it was Hailey's grade, Daddy and the girls showed up to support the cause, and Daddy got to run with her. It was truly a sight to see! Here are some pictures from the big event=-)

Josh before the race, and then Josh while he was running...

Hailey before the race, and then running with Daddy...

Easter #2

2010-04-20T22:55:00.001-07:00

So the day before Easter the neighborhood had an Easter Egg Hunt. (sorry so late for this post) Here are the kids having fun. They had face painting, egg hunting, games, and food. This event seems so long ago considering..At least the kids had SOME SORT of Easter fun before tragedy struck. Enjoy the pictures!

Here is Audrey; she would not let go of her basket if her life depended on it!

Up top is Josh being a big helper, and down below are their faces..Audrey is a bunny, Hailey a wolf, and Josh the sun!!

Here is Audrey catching on quick to all the action...

Avery was totally content just playing in the water, David found a Jackson Chameleon.. it changed colors like four times!! Pretty cool...

Dedication to my Dad

2010-04-14T17:59:00.000-07:00

While everyone was having a great and wonderful Easter, ours unfortunately was cut short by the passing of my father. It was a whirlwind of emotion to say the least. David had to put out an emergency American Red Cross alert so that he could get emergency leave. When we got the green light for that, we had to call and make flight arrangements. Although I really needed him there with me, it ended up being only Hailey and I going to Florida. We left last Monday the 5th, and got back last night. There was a lot to do. My brother and Mom flew in on Wednesday, I got there Tuesday morning @5:30a.m., but with the time difference and the flying from one side of the states to the other, Hailey and I were up for over 31 hours before our day ended. We planned my dad's cremation (his wishes), cleaned out my dad's apartment, made a lot of donations to Hospice, had a memorial service at the Eagles Club, and had to say our tear felt good bye's to my dad. It has really been hard for me. I found out some great and wonderful things about him from his friends, and "second family" there in Inverness, FL. I can understand why it was so hard for him to leave there. I just never got to say my "good-bye" to him, I had nothing TO say good-bye too. They told me at the funeral home that I wouldn't want to see him in the state he was in (He had a heart-attack and was DOA at the hospital; they kept him in a "holding room" until further instruction, and then driven to the funeral home..so no embalming took place) they said he was inti~bated at the hospital and his face was ajar, plus his teeth were taken out.

I have never had to plan a funeral before, I actually had no idea it took that much time and energy to do. Going through my dad's stuff was very heart-breaking. I am just now able to sit and ponder over my dad and how much I am going to miss him.

Here are pictures of the Honor guard doing a salute and taps for my dad..he was in the army for 12 years (the picture up top is him when he was 18); he got shot in the knee during the Vietnam War...

This was all of us~ Cap and Bam (Jessica's parents) Jessica, me, Hailey Bret and my mom
This was just some of the floral arrangements they had there...

Here is the flag flown at half mass for my dad...

here he is at Bret's wedding, the last time we saw him....His memorial service is not something we are used to as members of the church, but I know it was how my dad would of wanted it, and I guess that is all that matters, I just wish I had more time with him...

Easter Hunting Fun..

2010-04-01T17:56:00.000-07:00

Josh and his class had an Easter Egg hunt today. He was so cute out there with his determined little face on!! He cannot wait for Sunday=-) As a side note, we FINALLY got some answers on his hearing. He has 15% hearing loss in his left ear, and due to the deformed Eustachian tube, he has a clarity problem. meaning, he cannot hear everything we say correctly. There is no way of knowing what words he can or cannot hear; it just means we have to be more patient and understanding with his LOUDNESS. It is supposed to correct itself by the time he turns 7, so here is to hoping. Hope everyone has a blessed Easter weekend, and remember why we are celebrating such a sacred day=-)

Here they are, waiting for the hunting to begin...

Up top, Josh is making sure no one sees how many he has...Down below he is on the move...

Finally at Peace

2010-03-28T22:38:00.000-07:00

Today was actually a GOOD DAY at church. Yes, believe it or not, we had an un-eventful day. I was able to fulfill my calling with ease, my girls actually went right to class, and after church my girls surprised me by taking a nap! All of my children actually listened to me AND did what I asked them to do.(The first time I asked)and everyone is in bed by 8p.m. AHHHHHH! Today was one of those days I would not mind if it just repeated itself over and over again=-)