The kids definitely inherited Eliot's love for sweets. They are partial to chocolate, however, and not just candy. Sometimes I am amazed that they are even my children because they have inherited so many "Eliot" characteristics. I guess the Ward genes are dominant.
Madison and Mitchell loved going door-to-door in our neighborhood. They looked so cute together in the Peter Pan and Tinkerbell costumes.
It was truly a fun Halloween. The kids had a great time and thus Eliot and I did too.
The pumpkin patch we went to had all varieties of pumpkins. The bluish pumpkins were called Fairytale Pumpkins, so naturally Madison had to have one. Here she is with the pumpkin she picked out.
The other day Madison said "I wish that I could marry Mitchell." When Eliot asked her why she wanted to marry Mitchell she responded, "I don't know, because we love each other." It was really sweet. These two have such a fun time together!
Another "like father, like son" moment. Notice how hard Mitchell is concentrating and how he is sticking his tongue out. Eliot often does the same when he is deep in concentration. Mitchell was so cute because it looked like he believed he was pushing the wagon all by himself.
1. Spending time with my honey! (In this picture we were at a black sand beach.)
2. Cruising on the road to Hana with the top down!
3. All kinds of waterfalls; short ones, tall ones, fat ones, skinny ones- all very neato. (Remember that song, "Don't go chasing waterfalls, please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're used to." What does that mean anyway? We were all about chasing waterfalls on this trip. 
4. Hanging out with friends and family and getting some good grub while we were at it. More specifically, sushi and steak -yum!
5. Learning to Paddle Board and not falling once.
6. Being with Darl, Michelle, and Mitchell Gleed! They were so kind and extremely hospitable.
7. Finding exotic and secluded beaches. Notice the red sand. (Also of note, some of the beaches were so secluded that many people visiting them were scantily clad, I mean very scantily clad. In other words, a whole group of nudists showed up while we were at this beach. C'mon now, that ruins it for everybody, for real!)
8. Ocean view rooms at every stop. 
9. Picking breakfast out of the backyard.
10. Seeing where those yummy mac nuts come from. 
11. Kayaking through Kealakekua Bay where we saw hundreds of dolphins.
(This is the infamous bay where Captain James Cook was killed.)
I have been feeling nostalgic all day because tomorrow I am turning 30 years old. This seemingly large number has given me pause and I have been reflecting on my past. As I was looking through all of my photo albums and scrapbooks I noticed a recurring theme. In every stage of my life I have pictures with two beautiful girls on either side of me, my sisters. So today, I am going to "throw it back" sister style and give tribute to my wonderful sisters. How lucky I am to be in the middle of such fabulous ladies. They have always been there for me through the good times and bad. I have always had my sisters by my side in every way and I will forever be grateful for that blessing in my life. I love you!
Last week we had the opportunity to host a girl at our house from Moldova. I got a call on Thursday afternoon finding out that she needed a place to stay. Rodica told me that she was from Moldova and I hate to admit it, but I had no idea were that was. In my mind I was thinking it was "somewhere over there." Anyway, I have since learned that Moldova is located between the countries of Romania and Ukraine (see map). If you don't know where those countries are then you might need to brush up on some geography. Eliot, however, did know right where Moldova was and I was quite impressed. Afterall, he did serve a mission in Ukraine. In Moldova they speak Romanian, but also some Russian. Eliot was able to communicate well with Rodica because her Russian was better than her English. It was an interesting week with Rodica and kind of nice to have my own au pair for awhile. She helped me make dinner, watched the kids, cleaned, played with Madison and entertained Mitchell. Rodica did not really want to go home and Eliot said that he could understand why. The GDP in Moldova is US $381. Rodica did not have any opportunities to return home to. Eliot and I (mostly Eliot) convinced her to return home as she was considering staying even though her Visa was going to expire. She would have had a hard time making her way in the U.S. with no money, no connections and no papers. Rodica sent word that she is now back in Moldova safe and sound. I think it was fun for everyone to have a week of cultural exchange.
