anna's maika'i

Every quarter, each class chooses two students to receive the Maikai'i Award.

And once you get it, you cannot get it again for an entire year afterwards.

Last year when Kela got awarded the Maikai'i (her second, as she also received it in Kindergarten), Anna was super sad.

But this year, she managed to get chosen as the first quarter recipient for her class!  Yay!

 Here we are waiting for the assembly to start...

Hugo and his brother Ezra also received the Maika'i for this quarter!

(This is Luke and Hugo in the pic, though...in case you didn't know)

 Kaden is obsessed with cars and trucks.

He has to have one or the other in his hand at all times...

 Waiting in line to take our picture with Anna!

 Ahh, cookies to pass the time...

 Daddy does NOT want one, though.

 Jojo rather enjoyed playing in the dirt and gathering sticks than eating cookies.

No surprise there...

 And then the assembly starts...with some singing.

Here's Anna with the rest of the 1st graders.

I'm shocked..quite shocked!!  that a child of mine has somehow managed to get in the SECOND row!

 See?  Kela in the FIRST row.  :)

Height limitations, you know?

And here we are getting her award.

Congratulations to our Anna Banana!!!

You did it!!

random beach day

Last Friday, while the older two girls were in school, we decided to hit the beach.

Mitch wanted to paddle board, and while I usually spend that time jogging around the park with the kids in the stroller...today I simply relaxed on the beach and let the little ones play.

I ran earlier in the morning at home.  :)

It was a lovely day!

We sure do feel lucky to live here!

(except for the awful traffic...which made us almost late heading back home...)

labor day picnic

Every year on Labor Day, we head out to Magic Island (Ala Moana Beach Park) to spend the day with our ward family.  It's usually a big production, but always lots of fun and sun!

Here goes a ton of random pictures:

The water jug.

For no other reason than to showcase our ward.  :)

So, we started out having relay races.

Our primary was in charge of handling these races...this is just one of them.

Kela running while donning a soaking wet t-shirt.

After the relay games, we did some "Minute to Win it" games that the older Young Women's organization was in charge of.

Kela, trying to stack some blocks on her head...not as easy as it seems.

Here Luke is trying to eat an Oreo...without using his hands.  

Almost.....got.....it....

Anna...stacking cups.

Also not as easy as it looks (to finish in a minute, of course)

While the older kids were playing games, Mitch took the little ones down to the beach to play.

They had much more fun here...

My baby boy...getting so big!

So, after all the activities it was lunch time.

Burgers and hot dogs...

Anna is eating a hamburger...minus the burger.

What's inside her bun?  Lettuce, cheese and tomato. Mmm...?

A rare smile for the camera from this boy...

Why?

I flipped the view finder so he could see himself. 

Who knew...he could be such a ham?!?

Aaaaand back down to the beach for one last time.

Jojo ready to hit the water!

Kaden...wasn't a fan of the goggles.
But I managed to force them on and snap a pic.  You can't tell, but this is mid-struggle to get them off!
Ha ha...I'm such a terrible mom!
Anyway, it was a FUN and HOT day!  We were there for a total of 6 or 7 hours...but it was well worth the effort and sunburns.  :)
Happy Labor Day!

okinawa festival!!

This is the...3rd or 4th year in a row that we have ventured out to hit up the Annual Okinawa Festival in Honolulu.  We don't usually like to head out to these big fetes because someone in our family detests crowds and looking for parking (guess who) but we make an exception for the Okinawa Festival.  :)

Plus, my siblings usually come out too, so the kids always have a blast hanging out with their cousins. 

Here they all are.  Well, most of them, anyway.

 Our scrips.
I swear, this Okinawa festival is getting more and more expensive!
But of course, we still come.
Uchinanchu pride and all...

 They have all kinds of Okinawan food: Champuru, Tebichi, Taco Rice, etc. etc...but we just stick with what the kids like best.  Okinawa Soba.

 And can't forget the Sata-Andagii.

 Which looks like this.
We bought tons of these fried yummies.
And they were all gone by the next day.  :(

Here the girls are eating their Okinawa Soba.

 After dinner was play time.
Anna likes to pretend she's a Chinese Shaolin warrior.
This is her favored pose as of late...

 When she isn't wrestling her cousins, that is...

 Kaden spent most of the evening hanging out with us rather than playing with his cousins. 

 Knox, however, enjoyed being right in the thick of it!
And had to be rescued a few times because of it. 

Soccer time.

 Kela, Seina & Aya enjoying their Andagi's. 

 Atau took the kids to the bon dancing circle for a loop around. 

 Jojo followed the dancers around as well...but mostly stuck to my side rather than dance with the others.

The dancers.
Notice Anna's pose? 
I have no comment...

Me and my siblings. 
Wish you were here, Makoto! 

Me and Mitch.  With Diamond Head in the back.
And for the record...it was sunset so the orangey hue is NOT our natural color!!
Oh well.
And to look at all the other pictures from the Okinawa Festival, check them out HERE!