Stone Family Reunion 2010

Kona, Hawaii Feb. 9th -Feb. 16th

Down at the beach...all the sisters.

Before the 5K Kathy Stone Wood Memorial run/jog/walk.
Who says pregnant women can't run it?!? (Alright, so we mostly walked...briskly:)

Mom & Dad at the Luau.

Me with Mom & Dad in our Hawaiian attire.

Snorkeling...I had a bruise right between my eyes (not super visible...thank goodness) from my goggles! The fish were incredible...it was like swimming with the fish in "Finding Nemo".

Out to lunch after the beach one afternoon. (That's my brother, Jacob.)

Getting ready to watch the sunset on Sunday...that's my sister Natalie (the best roommate EVER) and brother Nathan!

Mom & Dad

Emma, Jacob, and me.

The AwEsOmE sunset!

Me and Natalie on our private lanai. (We were both husband-less for the week...the joys of grad school...so we bunked out together. :) Just like old times!!!)

The view from our lanai at the plantation.

Since we spent Valentines Day there, I decided to make my sisters necklaces...should've taken a pic of them...and my Dad and brothers ties. Reed...out in the mission field even received one..it's a little more conservative, but Tropical fabric none the less :)

The water was PeRfEcT!

A couple of baby geckos. We saw TONS of these.

All the sisters on our way to Akaka Falls (I think that's how you spell it?)

BEAUTIFUL!!!

Silly! :)

I had such a WONDERFUL time. It was odd to be away from Brandon and the kids for so long. I certainly was ready to see them again...but not quite ready to leave Hawaii and other loved ones.

On Monday night (our last night there) we had a family home evening where any who wished to stand and share something they learned in the last year could do so. I never stood, but my feelings and thoughts echoed much of what was said. With Aunt Kathy's unexpected passing this last year, I too have more fervently felt that life is swift and fleeting, that our time here is precious, that we need to savor and appreciate what life holds now, today, and that we don't have time to postpone our being GOOD; Genuinely Good...just like Aunt Kathy was. How grateful I am for family and for the knowledge that they can be FOREVER!

Children's Museum

Taking the kids to the Children's Museum in Portland has been on my list of things to do for the last YEAR! (Sad that it has taken me this long to...check out the pass from the Forest Grove Library and get in for FREE!) Better late than never I guess. :)

The kids had a BLAST! From the Clifford exhibit, to the "grocery store" to the face painting, to the water room, etc., etc., etc. ... it was an all-around, super fun day!

(Thankfully that face painting stuff came off REALLY easily! However, we had to run to Target after we left the museum and I let them leave it on...they looked like a couple of indians with their war paint on. :)

The grocery store was super fun for both kids...at least until Carter tried to take the cart into a seperate exhibit...he was REAL mad when I took it away and put it back in the "grocery store".

Jemma messing with the water stuff.

The kids after we ate lunch.

The Clifford exhibit was AwEsOmE!

There is a list of places that Jemma rattles off every night when we're putting her to bed...places she REALLY loves and wants to go back to - ALL. THE. TIME. - (Disneyland, the beach, the zoo, etc.) The Children's Museum has officially been added to the list. :)