Maui or Bust

We're off to Maui today.

It's been almost 8 years since I moved off that beautiful island. I have a lot of feelings about going back.

I can't wait to lay in the sand a Wahikuli Beach, Baby Beach, Ka'anapali Beach, crash the pool at Papakea and actually be able to go to the pool at our hotel without getting kicked out for not being a guest. I want to walk down Front Street in Lahaina and see all the shops, visit my old boss and the sunglass store that opened so many doors for me. I can't wait to just relax in the sun.

I will mourn for a few of my favorite places to eat that aren't open anymore- Compadre's, Captain Dave's. It will be so strange to be there without my Melanie and when we go to church on Sunday in the ward I attended I hope I will know somebody.

So much of who I am now is because of the time I spent living on Maui and for that it will always have a special place in my heart.

Back to the Future

We watched the Back to the Future trilogy with our housemates Heather and Ryan this week. As we were discussing the complexities and paradoxes of time travel Thomas entered the room.

He was conspicuously walking backwards, like a kid who doesn't want to get noticed but still wants to be seen. I knew it had to have some punch line so I inquired.

"Well if I walk this way I'm back to the future." 

Whenever Thomas tells a good joke he gets this look on his face. It's adorable.

Summer BBQs

My friend Bekka knows how to throw a party. I mean, this girl can cook and entertain like you wouldn't believe. I was out at dinner with her after her son's T-ball game and we came up with an idea to do Monday night barbecues throughout the summer. We'd invite one or two families we want to get to know better and cook up a good time. We scheduled our first BBQ that night and I got excited because like I said, this gal knows what she's doing.

Over the summer we invited 10 or 11 families and cooked up every kind of meat you can imagine- kalua pork, teriyaki steak kabobs, marinated chicken, ribs, tacos- we didn't grill those but they were still good. We spent evenings in the grass playing cornhole and making acquaintances into closer friends. I feel like I get really comfortable in my little group of friends and I love that these barbecues helped me step outside of that circle.

There was always a cornhole tournament after dinner and we became quite good at it by the end of the summer. For those not in New England cornhole is also known as a bean bag toss. The bags are full of unpopped corn kernels and there are very specific rules for their weight, the distance between the boards and scoring.

The kids usually found water to throw around and Thomas was the target of many a bucket full. On one swelteringly hot evening Bekka had filled a whole tub of water balloons for everyone to toss at each other- that gal is brilliant!

I feel like this idea was so good for us this summer. I got to know so many people I had only ever talked to in passing and really expand my circle of friends. I am sad that the weather is turning colder and we've had to put an end to these barbeques. 

Perhaps we will have to do Chinese food and game nights for the winter months.

Crochet Crowns

A friend of mine sent me a picture the other day of a baby wearing a crocheted crown, wondering if I could make something similar. I found a simple pattern on Etsy and got to work. I made the teal one first and loved it so much that I made another one in gray.

Each crown took about 40 minutes to whip up- they were very simple and the pattern was easy to follow which is always a good thing. It takes me hours to make a whole blanket for a new baby so these are making me think that I should switch to making crowns for new little ones.

These are on their way to a little friend of mine who lives in Hawaii and will be celebrating his first birthday this month.  We will be there just a week after his big party and I can't wait to see his squishy little cheeks!

Ward Camp

It was a swelteringly hot weekend for camping. At 80* with 90% humidity it was too hot to even sleep on top of my sleeping bag let alone in it. Nevertheless, our ward braved the heat and headed for New Hampshire.

I normally love a good campfire marshmallow roast but I could hardly stand within ten feet of fire. I tried to hire some of the kids in the ward to roast a nice golden mallow for me but that didn't work so well. They were waving burning sticks around like torches but I never got more than a lukewarm marshmallow.

All the young'ns stayed up till the wee hours of the morning playing a game they came up with called Man Hunt. I'm not sure what the rules were but it involved a lot of running through the brush with flashlights. I think that's what all good night games are like, right?

In the morning the humidity let up and a rope bridge had appeared between a few trees in the middle of the forest. Everyone lined up after breakfast for their turn to traverse the trail of ropes.

How is it possible for one kid to get this covered in soot and dirt? That's a skill I tell ya!

Then everyone got ready for a little time at the lake. Some of us are classier than others...

The dock provided a platform from which everyone was pushed into the lake. I lasted about 3 minutes before someone shoved me in. I organized a few of the kids and we pushed the Dr. in together. There were a few kayaks to paddle around in, the water was warm but cool at the same time and there was just enough sun.

Napping

 Sometimes you just need a nice long nap on a Saturday afternoon.

A Granny Square Pair

Two of the Dr.'s cousins are having baby girls this year, just a few months apart. I thought it would be cool if these cousins had matching blankies, something just the two of them will have together. I have been on such a Granny Square kick lately and decided to make a pair of coordinating blankets for these sweet girls. 

Each one measures about 20" square. They're just the right size for tucking in around a baby in a car seat, for a toddler to tote around the house without dragging on the ground. They're perfect for snuggling. One in pink and one in purple with the gray and white. I almost didn't want to pack them up and let them go!

I mentioned this before but these granny squares are so quick to work up. They come together in no time and look so great!

The Stats

Yarn: Stylecraft Special DK
Colors: White, Silver, Fondant and Magenta
Hook: 5mm
Number of rounds: 21
Finished size: 20" Square

Labor Day BBQ

I feel like this summer has been the summer of barbeques. We have cooked 15 racks of ribs for various functions and friends. Labor Day was another opportunity to share some good food and get to know some of our friends a little better. It was probably one of the most hot and humid afternoons all summer- I spent most of the night copiously sweating.

We were hosted by the Joner's (more on their amazing BBQs later) and joined by a few families from our church. There were plenty of rowdy kids running around and a table brimming with delicious food. Just get an eye full of these ribs!

I tried to use this opportunity to get out my camera and get some practice in. The Dr. gets so sick of me trying to take pictures of him, I am always excited for new subjects.

Nothing beats a piece of rope and some dirt when you're a kid. Heaven.

For some reason the kids decided to strip all the leaves off of these bushes and use them in a game they made up. I convinced them to try a leaf throwing picture for me and the result has to be one of my favorite series of pictures ever. The sheer joy on their faces is priceless.

And all together now...

Magic I tell you, pure magic!