Church in Laie

Another day - another beautiful view of paradise from our window... We switched rooms yesterday - from a 5th floor up to a 11th floor penthouse corner suite. Look at this view out of our window!!! Amazing!!

I can't believe we get to be here all week!! We also got a lock off unit for Joseph, Hyrum, and Wes, so they have a quiet place to study and for Joseph to do his MTC classes. They are on the 16th floor and have a good view of the pool!

Today we drove up to Laie for Church. We were cutting it close and got there at 11:05. We sat in the back. We didn't miss the sacrament because they have it last, like most wards are doing now, so that they can broadcast the meeting and then end the broadcast for the sacrament. So yay, we made it. It was pouring rain when we got here, reminded me of Costa Rica! We got soaked just coming in from the car to the door of the church. I did a few trips so I could shield the little boys - they were ok - 

I was the most wet but that is ok cause my hair is naturally curly.

Corey wanted to drive up there so we could go by BYU Hawaii (and the Polynesian Cultural Center even though that is closed. Too bad it's closed, but we still go to talk about it.) Taking a photo by this campus mural - 

Not everyone wanted to get out of the car...

And Wes got back in when we saluted the flag (like the kids in the mural) cause he thought that was "cringe" (aka lame). Driving by the PCC... (sniff)

We'll come back again someday to go in.

Kids are tired. It was like a 50 minute drive up and 50 min back. 

We ate snacks in the car. 

And then stopped by the parking lot of the Hawaii temple to make sandwiches. 

Corey packed a lunch for us. 

We talked about surviving in the wild and compared our travels to the pioneers crossing the plains. Joseph tried to get some fruit off of a tree. 

Not sure if it's edible... maybe might poison us...

(Yeah we probably wouldn't survive...) Back at the room, Corey took the girls on a walk. Joseph, Abi, and I took Peter on a walk too. 

We stopped and let him dig in the sand. Peter found some coral, and it made a fun sound when he hit the two pieces together.

Joseph used to climb the lamp post at the Crosswood house. 

He learned how to do that when we were down at BYU housing and he saw some Tongan boys climbing the lampposts like they were palm trees. And then Joseph learned how. Trying out his skills - 

A little rusty, but thankfully the tree was slanted and that made it a bit easier for him. I didn't let him go too high, cause I wasn't sure how he'd get down. We don't want him to break his leg. On our way back to the room, going at a toddler's pace (aka slow). 

Peter with his bucket of treasures.

I could watch him all day.

And that's good, cause I think that's what I will be doing this week. 

Peter picking up flower petals. 

This will be a nice week to take a break and just try and be in the present moment with our children.