Beach Family Photo Shoot

I had planned on taking photos of the family while we were at the beach and managed to forget my nice camera. I was very disappointed but decided I would still go ahead and give it my "best shot" using my iPhone and I think they turned out ok.

Nathan, Mikayla, Zachary

The Stern Kids

The Stern Family

My Kiddos
Sarah, Ian, Emily

Zach and his girlfriend Brie

Mick & Geneva

Grandma

Mick & Kayla

Lunch!

On our way to the beach and we stopped at the Helvetia Tavern for a "little" lunch. The burgers were fantastic and the portions were HUGE! 

Checked in at the Marriott's Kaua'i Lagoon

Holy Moly this place is nice AND they upgraded us to a pool view!

In the front of the lobby they had a pond of Koi fish and a few very personable ducks. We never did wake up and go watch them feed the fish but the fist were always hanging around the edge of this pond.

This place was so beautiful. This was the pool with 5 hot tubs around the edges and just on the other side of the pool was a fantastic beach. 

Our upgraded view!

Aloha Lihue !

Here we are ready to VACATION!

We were up at the crack of dawn to get on a flight to Seattle and then to Lihue. We made it out the door only forgetting Sarah's Kendal but lucky for her Daddy let her use his and he read on his phone. We booked our trip so late that we were not able to pick our seats on the flight to LIH and they were not able to get us moved together although the agent did move us within a few rows of each other.

Ian sat next to a couple and in "Ian" form managed to charm them with his quirky personalty. They loved him!

Emily luckily wasn't sitting too far from me so I could make sure she cooled down after she told me that she felt like she was going to get sick {that darn motion sickness!}. However, it turned out to be a good thing because the  passenger I was setting next to told me to make sure I got motion sickness medicine for the boat trip we were planning on taking and it proved to be a wonderful help!

Motivation

Trying with out much luck to drop a few pounds and tighten some flab before our trip to Mexcio for Spring Break. I went to one of my favorite places to buy swimwear called Popina and purchased a little motivation.

The Paulina Plunge

We decided to take the Plunge, The Paulina Plunge that is. Its a bike mostly downhill 6 mile mountain bike ride stopping at three waterfalls where we were able to jump in or ride down the rocks like a slide. 

This is the first waterfall we stopped at

It was beautiful but there were LOTS of misqueots and we were eaten alive!

A small hike away from the first waterfall was this one where we had the opportunity to take the Plunge!

We all jumped in!

wet and a little cold from the 58 degree water

Hopping back on the bikes again and enjoying the beautiful view on the way to the next waterfall.

Sarah didn't think she wanted to do this but one of our guide talked her into it and she ended up loving it!

Sarah C. took Emily under her wing and road down with her several times. Emily LOVED it and eventually went down on her own.

Then our guides Michael and Jordan also know as Michael Jordan decided to go together

Emily & Sarah with their fire tree markings

Our guide Michael gave Emily a lift up on the trail back up

We had such a beautiful view on the ride

All the kids with our fantastic guide Michael

He was so good with my Sarah who fell 3 times on the ride.

Our whole group with the guides after the trip 

Debbie's Sarah with the two guides who were "hot" in her eyes

We had a fantastic trip!

Sunriver trip with the girls

Debbie and her daughter joined me and the girls for a trip to Sunriver. It was a girls trip and Ian stayed home {alone, kind of} We biked at least 3 miles to the store and then to the pool where we swam for a couple of hours and then had to ride the 3 miles back.

Black Butte with the Cravens

Jill invited us to join them at Black Butte for the weekend and Terry was on call so the kids and I went.

On one of the days we went for a bike ride to this natural spring where the water bubbles up and the kids got down and drank out of it.

This is all the kid plus the turtle who we took along with us 

{I also used this as my bench Monday shot}

The view of Mt. Washington on the ride

I saw this huge dandilion and took some photos

I also took some landscape photos as I going the flickr group Get Pushed and my push was wide angle black and white landscape photo. Black Butte seemed to be a fantastic place to take it.

 same view in color

 We went in to Sisters to have dinner and after we walked to Snow Caps for ice-cream and along the way the kids were put in jail and I HAD to take a photo.

Emily decided that she was going to have a banana split so I didn't order any and helped her eat it.

another beautiful view along the ride

Sunriver 2009

Summer 2009 {talk about a post that needed to be posted, sheesh I am behind}

We spent a week in Sunriver enjoying the sunshine, bike riding, swiming, golfing, and we even went white water rafting. Such a fun trip and Bob and Tonya Inman even joined us.