Bon Dance

One of our good friend's invited us to meet them at a Bon Dance the other weekend and since we had never taken Brooke, of course we agreed. If you've never heard of a bon dance, here is some information.

This is the set-up



How amazing is the sky in this picture?

One of the main reasons Vance & I like to go to festivals and whatnot is the food. Andagi are Okinawan donuts ... most people in Hawaii love 'em, but I'd much prefer a glazed donut, thank you very much.

Here's what they look like:

Little girl played on the ropes and poles while her mommy and daddy scoured the different food ... we ended up with andagi and freshly pounded mochi yummmm!

She did score a little soda can lantern with an LED light inside... these pictures just look like a soda can attached to a stick (which it essentially is), but when it's dark and the 'lantern' is lit up, it's really cute



The great thing about bon dances is that you can jump in and follow along with the little old Japanese women dressed to the nines in their beautiful kimonos. Here we are watching, waiting to join ...

Book review: What Alice Forgot

I just finished reading this book and I really, really enjoyed it. It was an easy read, not as light-hearted as Jane Green or Sophie Kinsella, but still falls under "chick lit" in my Nook Color.

The plot (from amazon): "Alice Love is twenty-nine years old, madly in love with her husband, and pregnant with their first child. So imagine her surprise when, after a fall, she comes to on the floor of a gym (a gym! she HATES the gym!) and discovers that she's actually thirty-nine, has three children, and is in the midst of an acrimonious divorce.

A knock on the head has misplaced ten years of her life, and Alice isn't sure she likes who she's become. It turns out, though, that forgetting might be the most memorable thing that has ever happened to Alice."

I'd actually read a similar book to this recently, but this one was written much better and the characters were better developed.

My favorite quote from the book: That was like comparing sparkling mineral water to French champagne. Early love is exciting and exhilarating. It's light and bubbly. Anyone can love like that. But love after three children, after a separation and a near-divorce, after you've hurt each other and forgiven each other, bored each other and surprised each other, after you've seen the worst and the best-- well, that sort of love is ineffable. It deserves its own word"

Overall: Recommend. At least check out the "sample" :)

pool day

This past week at Tiny Tots was a park day (tuesday) and a pool day (thursday). Vance was thankfully off of work so he was able to partake in the "fun" that I typically get to experience. The weather was really overcast when we got there and the little lady was a bit apprehensive about going into the water...


But she had a blast when she got in there!


It turned out to be an absolutely miserable rainy day. See my two crazy family members in the baby pool?


Fortunately the rain never lasts very long in Hawaii and the weather cleared up towards the end



Um, it scares me a little bit how much these two are TWINS!




Jonah ♥ Brooke


Can't wait until our next pool day :)

southern love

I'm obsessed with all things country. I love country music, food and I'm 99% sure I'll love sweet tea if I ever get the chance to try it.

Among my favorite movies are Sweet Home Alabama,

& Forrest Gump (there is no better love story than how Forrest loved his Jenny-- the Notebook aint got nothing on them!)


One day I will fulfill my dreams of visiting the South and living out my country dreams. Of course, in these dreams, Tim Mcgraw and Faith Hill invite us over for dinner (because, obviously they are so impressed that we are such devoted fans from Hawaii) and decide that we're their new best friends and their girls will grow up with Brooke and we'll spend the night eating dinner and singing near the fireplace.


Here are some pictures from Pinterest that I am totally and completely in love with. (by the way I tried to 'embed' these pictures onto my blog but it messed out the whole layout. any advice or does blogger just suck? if you want/need credit for the pics, find me on pinterest)

Snapshots

Little lady's 25 month picture -- one day late. I am getting bad at remembering her month-days

Me & my pal

Father's day 2011 involved picking up an acai bowl at Jamba Juice and coffee from Starbucks for breakfast for papa, then going to Sports Authority to pick out daddy's gift with his gift card. Brooke loves to hide in clothes racks and more than once I've called put in panic thinking I've lost her for sure, and she comes scampering out laughing.

See that little grin? She's kicking off her shoes .. can't keep those dang shoes on!


Shoes are off!



Then, lunch at CPK. Their spinach & artichoke dip is amazing!

Lastly, family dinner at grandpa & grandma's house! Grandpa, Grandma Jean (Brooke's great-grandma) and little sassy one eating peanuts

Crazy child wanted to fit in her exer-saucer again!