Go Hawks!

Jake and Ali really wanted Seahawks jerseys to wear to school.  They wanted them for all of the Seahawks spirit days.  Everybody's doing it.  Everybody has one. 

 

I said Seahawks t-shirts would be about the same thing, except they're like a fourth of the price.  And besides,  I don't like the jerseys.  1) They're too expensive; 2) I don't like last names on apparel.  What if that player is traded?  Or he does something really bad?  3) The jerseys are not super comfortable--like you probably wouldn't want to wear them to bed, so for the expense, you are still only getting one purpose out of them.

But they still really wanted Seahawks jerseys.   And it's pretty obvious in the pictures that both Jake and Ali got them (and have even worn them to bed).  Steve insisted they needed the jerseys, too.  He said he'd donate his birthday money toward the cause!  And every last cent went toward two jerseys, which in turn, made two very happy kids.  Go Dad!

And Go Hawks!!!!

target

Steve spent 6 days and 5 nights (but who was counting??) in the Middle of Nowhere, Nevada over a long holiday weekend (MLK, but again--who's keeping track??) with 3 of his brothers and his dad.

I was not very happy about it.  He was leaving us for almost a week, over a long holiday weekend (did I mention that?), just so he could shoot guns.  (He liked to call it home protection training).

However, I started feeling better about the whole thing once his mom accepted our invitation to come to Issaquah and hang out with us during those 6 days and 5 nights (or however long he was gone).

And I really felt better about it when Steve got home and showed me his target practice at the end of his training.  They had to write a loved one's name on the front body, and then shoot the two shadowed people who were holding the loved one hostage.  I was really impressed!  I am in good hands.  Well done, Steve!

reminder

At the end of the day, when I look back and wonder why the house is still messy, why my projects are unfinished, and why I feel behind....

   

 

 

 

 

these pictures will remind me.

Oh yeah.  That's why.
(Good thing he's so darn cute!)

ownership

Drew is really into assigning ownership to everything--plates, shoes, socks, coats, and even colors!  It is completely adorable.  It started off with the colored dinner plates and breakfast bowls.

This carries over into any color on anything or anywhere.  When he sees yellow, he says, "mama."  Anything pink is "Ali."  Purple is "Emma" (as Drew calls her).  Blue is "dada" and green is "Jake."

 

When I'm folding laundry, and when he sees socks or a shirt or pajamas--he says the name of the person it belongs to.  When he sees shoes in the basket or coats on the hook, it is the same thing! 

 

We are all rather impressed with his brilliance, to be honest.

four in '14

The Hoopes Family Four in 2014:

 

1.)  Study and learn more about the Old Testament

Thanks to the 52 week guide from the January Friend, we are all set.

2.) Improve our Food Storage

Update our 3 month meal menu and supply list; improve and learn more about safe water storage.  Bonus if we make it 6 months!

3.) Learn more about family history

Keep attending family history class; learn more about our ancestors through reading their family histories; keep up our own family history (blog); icing on the cake would be to take a family name to the temple.

4.)  Brush our teeth at night AND in the morning

Strategically place toothbrushes around the house so we can improve our a.m. hygiene.

There are many more things we could work on, but we'll take these 4 this year.  

Here we go!

Moe'uhane

/dream/

One of my dad's favorite past times is planning trips to Hawaii.  He has planned a trip to Hawaii almost every year for the past several years!  He is a dreamer and likes to do things BIG.

 

We don't usually end up going because things don't work out for whatever reason, so he cancels everything and puts the dream on hold.

He told us about this particular trip back in February.  We didn't tell the kids because, well, we didn't know if we would actually go!  And because 10 months is a looong time to wait for a trip to Hawaii! 

 

Well, this year was THE year.  The magical, dream-fulfilling year.

 

We couldn't have had more fun, loved it any more, or wished for anything different.

Thank you, Dad and Mom, for the BEST TRIP EVER!!!

lapule

/Sunday/
After our own Church service (as a temporary Hawaiian Branch),

 

we hopped on the bus that Grandpa rented for us

and headed to Laie.

We spent our time on the Temple grounds and at the Visitor's Center. 

 Except for a quick drive through BYU Hawaii campus, that was about it.

 Beautiful.

Not too bad for a Hawaiian Sabbath.

 

 'ohana kau a kau

families are forever

one (OH-NEH)

/sand/

Although Jake is not a huge fan of sand (thanks to a week-long river trip with the Scouts this past summer!), he played in it plenty.

 

He made sure to get a shave ice every day (usually with some french fries, too),

 

 he loved being with cousins,

 

he went snorkeling,

 

and spent plenty of time just playing around.

Yep, pretty much paradise.

wai (WIE)

/water/

 

This girl loved the water!

She was in the water All. Day. Long.

The infinity pool was her favorite.

 The only part she didn't love in the water was snorkeling, but kudos to her for giving it a try!

She loved being with these 2 cousins as much as she loved being in the water.  They were pretty much inseparable!

Ali wants to get back in the water.  And soon!!

nalu (NAH-LOO)

/wave/

Emmy loved the water, but she wanted action!

 She splashed in the fountains,

 and she could not get enough of the waterslides!

She loved floating down or wading through the lazy river,

 playing in the pool games,

 and gettin' down with Goofy.

Pretty much wherever Emmy was, she played to the fullest!