LaurasLosinIt

Happy 13th Birthday Emily!

2009-05-03T20:40:00.012-05:00

Even Raven wanted to wish Emily a happy birthday.

Great look for Barry.

I was surprised he would even put it on with my camera around.

This is what I call a tolerant father.

Emily's birthday, but Devin thinks he has to get in every picture. He is showing off his new braces he got for Emily's birthday.

Yes, I made the cake and Yes, it is really ugly, but it tasted amazing.

GA Tech Spring Game

2009-05-03T20:40:00.007-05:00

Barry finally broke down and bought 2 season tickets to the GA Tech games this year. We are all excited about getting to go this year. Below are pictures from the spring game a few weeks ago. Em had a cheer thing and Dev had a soccer game so Barry had to go alone. Secretly, I think he enjoyed it more alone....

This is the view from our seats. Not bad.

Last day in San Francisco

2009-05-03T20:39:00.009-05:00

Our last day in San Francisco and Barry has decided we need to climb up to Coit Tower. This means that you have to walk up some of the steepest streets in SFO.

We had a small breakfast at the hotel and then off we go.

This picture does not do just to how steep this hill really is.

This is our destination.

From the top of the tower.

Bay Bridge

Alcetraz

Golden Gate Bridge

We made it to the bottom and I had to find a potty so we went into the Hilton close to China Town and we thought these chairs were pretty cool.
Time to go home...... Sadness.

Check out my Facebook profile

2009-01-04T16:10:00.002-05:00

facebook

Check out my Facebook profile

Hi lululauraj.laura,

I set up a Facebook profile where I can post my pictures, videos and events and I want to add you as a friend so you can see it. First, you need to join Facebook! Once you join, you can also create your own profile.

Thanks,
Laura

To sign up for Facebook, follow the link below:
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Chick-fil-a Bowl on New Years Eve

2009-01-01T19:04:00.007-05:00

Barry, Emily, Devin, Dad and Tyler headed down to the Dome around lunch time to check out the pre-game festivities. Here they are waiting on the parade to start. They were just a bit chilly!

After the parade they wait on me to arrive (sadly, I had to work) in the Starbucks at the World Congress Center. As you will see from the progression of these photos, they got rather bored waiting on me.

Once I arrived, we headed over to the Fan-Fest.

Devin had to show off his expert guitar playing on Rock Band.

Then they headed over to the free face painting while dad and I chilled out. I was rather afraid when they returned. Devin is mild......

Now this is what I call a crowd of people. Everyone was waiting on the players to come through.

Then we watched the cheerleaders

Then over to the dome. I love this picture of Dad and Tyler (they were sitting about 6 rows behind us) where they have no idea Barry is taking their picture.

Okay, now they see us.

Devin caught unaware.

We were 6 rows up right behind the goal posts. These are some pictures of them warming up.

Well as everyone knows, Georgia Tech had a very bad night so we were sad when we left, but we had a great time anyway and it was a fun way to end the year.

Happy New Year Everyone!!

Goofing off at Buffalo Wild Wings

2009-01-01T18:43:00.001-05:00

Christmas Morning

2009-01-01T18:24:00.005-05:00

Our Annual photos in fromt of the tree. It is getting harder and harder to get them to pose for this picture!

Raven was happy to pose for me though

This is Emily's favorite Christmas present!

And this is Devin's favorite. I think we all have really enjoyed it!

And yes, he specifically asked for a lava lamp. Not my idea!

While having breakfast we all worked on this mega massive cross-word puzzle from the paper. I was suprised at how much fun they had.

Christmas at my parents

2009-01-01T18:09:00.005-05:00

Here are a few photos from my families Christmas. My camera ran out of batteries so I don't have too many, but you'll get the idea. We had a good time being silly and goofy for sure.

Cindi above and the top of Maris' head and below is Cheryl.

This is Becky being goofy. She reminds me so much of how Emily acts.

Tyler

Cindi reading to Maris

Emily and Hannah just being goofy - They really can pass as sisters now!

Great Grandma Butler

Barry and Kale

Devin trying to look cool while Hannah and Robin pate their traditional Christmas plates.

Emily and Cason Painting

Finished Product - Not bad Emily!

Lunch with Work

2009-01-01T18:06:00.000-05:00

These are all the folks I work with on a daily basis!

Cheerleading - Dec 5, 2008

2009-01-01T18:03:00.001-05:00

More Cheering on December 3rd.

2009-01-01T17:42:00.003-05:00

Game Day - Ga Tech vs Georgia

2009-01-01T17:30:00.002-05:00

Game day starts out in reflection, will we win or will we lose?

Barry is totally confident that we will win!

We head up to Pat O'Briens to watch the game, no pictures where taken during this important event! We watched the game while we had lunch, then I headed out to do some christmas shopping and Barry kept sending me text message updates on how well we were doing during the second half. I hurried back to watch the end of the game! With minutes to spare and us sitting on the edge of our seats, the stations swaps games and we could not see the end of the game. Barry and the kids rush out to the van to hear the last minutes while I pay. Below is a VICTORY picture Emily took when GA TECH WON! YEP! WE BEAT GEORGIA! What a great Day!

To celebrate, we played frisbe in a big field across from the hotel! We were being quite silly!

Cars would yell out when they saw our jersey's and say GO TECH or what a great game. It was pretty cool.

Then we walked over and played putt putt

This is our celebritory Photo!

Putt Putt Golf

2009-01-01T17:17:00.004-05:00

Barry suggested that Devin stick his finger up the ape's nose, so of course he has to try it! Boys!

Check this out - I ACTUALLY WON at Putt Putt! This is a rare occurance and when it happens I have to bragg a little!

It is amazing to me how much these two are beginning to look and act a like. Devin is almost as tall as his dad now. Next year I bet he is taller.

My Emmie girl is growing up too!

Thanksgiving Evening Bowling

2009-01-01T17:07:00.003-05:00

This is Mountaindewacron by the way. This is what boredom can cause!

Thanksgiving Day in Destin FL

2008-12-04T21:57:00.005-05:00

Thanksgiving day! - As you can see the kids and I took a walk on the beach and Barry went golfing! It was a beautiful Day!

Then the kids and I headed out to find a place for lunch. We ended up at the Hard Rock Cafe. I was surprised it was actually open. Most everything else was closed for the day.

Devin had a 3/4 lb burger and ate it all. That boy can seriously put away some food!

On our return to the hotel, Emily found her dream car. I say she has pretty good taste. I told her she better start saving now! This is one she will have to buy for herself!

We then hung out at the hotel till Barry was finished playing golf.

We had Thanksgiving Dinner at the hotel. They had a HUGE buffet with a ton of choices. It was really yummy. My favorite thing was the Chocolate Cake! It was the best I'd ever had. I want MORE MORE MORE!!!

We finally made it to Destin

2008-12-04T21:53:00.003-05:00

This is what a long drive the day before Thanksgiving will do to you! By the time we got to a restaurant for dinner we were all a bit stir crazy!

In all seriousness, it was a surprisingly easy drive down with no where near the traffic that I expected. We are staying at the San Destin Hilton right on the beach and our veiw is really nice.

The Terminator

2008-12-04T21:51:00.001-05:00

Wouldn't you like to spend an evening in the company of The Terminator and Sarah Conners. I think I'd either be terrified or feeling pretty safe (heehee). Barry is 5'11'' and the Terminator is VERY tall as you can see. Barry said he never spoke a word. This is some of the really cool stuff Barry gets to do in his job!

Another win for the DC Stallions

2008-12-04T21:37:00.007-05:00

The DC Stallions do it again! No Douglasville team has ever won 2 tournaments in a row in the same season until now! These guys had to play some very difficult teams and in the freezing cold too! I think we may have been colder than them though!!

First Basketball Games

2008-12-04T21:30:00.001-05:00

This is the 7th graders first basketball game of the season. The 7th grade cheerleaders cheer for the 7th grade games or for the girls games. I had no idea how long these games could last. It is a long afternoon 4:00 - 7:15. This is Olivia in the air during a time out.

Third quarter break is when all the fun takes place. They were all so cute huddled around their cell phones.

This little hand thing is done during a free throw. I think it got old very quickly and their arms started getting tired.

I'll try and add their half-time routine this weekend so check back. It was pretty good!

DC Stallions win the Kohl's Cup

2008-11-17T21:21:00.005-05:00

Is that Emily Reading?

2008-11-17T21:18:00.002-05:00

Has she and Devin changed bodies? It is usually Devin in public places full of fun reading a book, not Emily. She is reading the Twillight series. She is now halfway through the last book. Yeah Emily!!!

Soccer Awards

2008-11-17T21:12:00.002-05:00

Barry and Emily at the GT Game

2008-11-17T20:38:00.003-05:00

They had to start their morning at Emily's football game!

Then onward to the Tech Game for all the pre-game

More Cheering

2008-11-17T20:30:00.001-05:00

Silly Faces and Sweet Faces

2008-11-17T20:26:00.000-05:00

More Orlando

2008-10-21T18:52:00.006-05:00

Universal Orlando

2008-10-12T19:39:00.010-05:00

The guys started our morning going for a ride on the stationary scooters! They got up to amazing speed of zero miles per hour!

The ladies room is right above the tree! We have an awesome view.
We had breakfast in the courtyard while waiting on the boat to take us over to Islands of Adventure.

YEAH - Finally entering the gate

First ride was Spiderman and as always it was terrific. Then everyone but me rode The Hulk - and yes, they are on this car. If you expand the picture and zoom in you may be able to pick them out.

TOns of construction is going on getting ready for Harry Potter. I loved the signs they had in place!

We had lunch at the Studios and below is a little afternoon snack. I was not sure if they could eat it all, but they even finished before we did. These boys can do some serious eating!

Posing with Doc from Back to the Future! Susanne - you've got to show these movies to
Anna! She is missing out!

We've made it to dinner at Pasta Moras - or however you spell it. I'm too tired at the moment to care.

We ended our evening with a very short swim for the girls and watching Stick It in the room and a longer swim for the boys! Looks like we will starting all over in the morning! Having a great time and everyone is behaving and doing great!!

City Walk for Dinner

2008-10-12T07:01:00.003-05:00

Off to City Walk for Dinner at Nascar Cafe!~

Looks like we will have many more pictures of the girls than the guys. They seem to be camera shy! I'll just have to be creative I suppose. As you can see above, they are totally unaware of my camera. They are taking in everything around them.

We will take many more pictures today and I will update more tonight!!!!

We are Here!

2008-10-12T06:52:00.003-05:00

First glimpse at the Portofino Bay Hotel was amazing. This is one of the best views at Universal. All the kids were surprised!

Below we are waiting in the hotel lobby while Barry was checking in. Emily, Anna, Isaiah and Devin.

ON the way to Universal

2008-10-12T06:47:00.004-05:00

YEAH - It is 12:30pm and we are finally on our way. We got Chick-fila to go and put in The Mummy for the start of the trip.

I know these pictures are not the best, but not bad for turning around backwards in the seat.

FMS vs Turner

2008-10-12T06:37:00.002-05:00

Sadly we lost the game, but they fought hard and it was close.

Barry was at the top of the stands pretending to do the cheers and had Emily cracking up. I got some pretty good pictures from it too!

This is Emily, Torrie and Anna. These are best buddies and were having fun during 3rd quarter. They were also very excited about leaving for universal after the game!

FMS Game number 2

2008-10-04T19:51:00.001-05:00

Boys Day at the GA TECH Game!

2008-10-04T19:45:00.002-05:00

Barry got tickets to the Tech and Mississippi game and Devin, Dad and Tyler joined him. It was Tyler's first college game. The went early to enjoy the pregame fun.

Okay Dad - You looke great with Buzz!!!

I do believe this is the largest cheerleader I've ever seen! He is massive!
Of course the band is my favorite part!!!

Cheerleading Sunburn

2008-10-04T19:41:00.002-05:00

You would think having fair skin and knowing my kids have fair skin that I would think of sunscreen. BUT NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! What was I thinking. Doesn't her Cheerleading uniform look in white!

Devin's 2nd Soccer Game

2008-09-14T20:04:00.006-05:00

And the game begins. . . .

Devin played a good part of the game and really enjoyed himself. His team and coach are pretty good and he is learning a lot about the game.

Congrats Stallions on another win!!! Devin's team is now 3 and 0 with only one goal scored against them. Great job guys!

Entertainment at the Soccer Field

2008-09-14T20:01:00.003-05:00

As you can see the girls were a bit bored at the soccer field. They went to the field behind us and tried to entertain themselfs.

Silly girls!

4 Leaf Clover Myths

2008-09-14T19:59:00.003-05:00

From the football game we headed over to the soccer field for Devin's second game. As we wait for the game to start Barry is sitting in the grass looking for 4 leaf clovers. Did you know that they were not as rare as you would think. I believe Barry said they were suppose to be one in every 34 or something like that.

Sadness, None were found.Better luck next time!

Old Friends

2008-09-14T19:58:00.003-05:00

After the game Emily got to see Taylor V, one of the girls she cheered with last year. I love this picture!

FMS Football Season Begins

2008-09-14T19:45:00.007-05:00

September 13th was Emily's first game. She was very nervous and really had no idea what to expect. This is very different than doing competition cheering. Below, the girls are warming up and getting ready for the game to begin.

Devin said that Emily was the one with her back to us and the whitest legs. You've got to love big brothers!!

Mom and Dad came for her first game.
And they brought cousin Hannah too. As you can see, she started out torturing Devin properly!

Alexandra (Emily's best friend) also came to support Emily. I really think this made her feel much better! Thanks for coming Alex!

Raven - No longer a Mickey Fan!

2008-09-14T19:33:00.002-05:00

I am very sad to report that my house is no longer tried and true Disney Fans! Barry has even converted Raven! It will be any day now that I come home and find Mickey splattered across my living room! A very sad day that will be.

Wipe-Out Giggles

2008-09-14T19:30:00.004-05:00

We were watching Wipe-Out on Friday Night and Barry just laughs and laughs. Below is a picture of him rewinding and watching the people come out of the soapy pit.

I had to take a picture at what he was laughing at because it was so silly. Below is a swan with a bunny on its back or if you are really good, you can also see the abmominable snowman they did with the same picture.

We were completely silly on Friday night as you can see!

Self Portraits and Friends

2008-09-14T19:26:00.002-05:00

Alexandra spent the night Friday night so that she could come see Emily's first game. The girls were pretty hyper being they don't get to spend as much time together and really enjoyed hanging out. It is awesome to see such a strong and positive friendship.

Soccer Season Begins

2008-09-14T19:23:00.003-05:00

Devin is playing soccer this year for DCSA and is on an under14 team - Douglas County Stallions. They had their first game last Saturday and won 8 or 9 to 2. Something like that anyway. We were playing the other DC team. Devin played defense most of the game and played really well. I think it is going to be a fun season!

Bicycle Accident

2008-08-12T19:42:00.002-05:00

Emily took a face first trip over her bike on Sunday night. She scratched up her face and shoulder and bruised herself up pretty good. Her lip is still pretty fat even after 2 days. She has been a pretty good trouper about it though.

Lunch with Tammy and Megan

2008-08-12T19:38:00.002-05:00

I got to have lunch with my best bud Tammy and her sweet daughter Megan. She was not too excited about taking a picture. There was way too much to check out!

I absolutely loved seeing Tammy! I sure miss her now that she is a stay at home mom! I'm really proud of them though for taking that huge step!

School Open House

2008-08-12T19:29:00.002-05:00

This is the first time the girls get to wear their uniforms. They look very sweet!!!!!

FMS Cheer Camp

2008-07-27T09:47:00.003-05:00

Beginning of 2nd Week of YSI

2008-07-20T20:03:00.005-05:00

We dropped Devin off this afternoon again. It was much easier than the first time. I knew he was going to have fun and what to expect so I was not worried about him. He was a little unsure of this week in the beginning because it is Art and Humanities and he did not want to do the creative writing or the art. However, after going the first week and having so much fun, he did not seem to mind it as much. Plus, one of the classes was Computer Cartooning and he was excited about that.

This week Devin is taking Pottery, Creative Writing, Computer Cartooning and Philosophy. I think it will give him a pretty neat taste of some new things he has not been exposed to.

It was so funny watching the kids when we came back today. Those that were returning from last week all spoke to Devin and seemed really excited to see him. I really enjoyed the moment when two girls came running up to Devin and said "you are wearing black and that is so cool cause I'm wearing pink and we match." I thought he was going to turn every color pink. It was great!!! I love that he is interacting with friends and fitting in. Devin has never been the social butterfly that Emily is so it was nice to see.

Being sneaky parents, after we left Devin, we wanted to see if he caught up with the girls after we left on the way back to the dorms, so we drove over to the dorms and watched. Yep, he caught up with them and looked like he was having a great time. He is going to kill us when he finds out. Emily was so shocked we did it and she wanted to know if we would spy on her and we told her absolutely, that it was our job as parents! At least she won't be shocked when we do it. She has been warned!!!

End of 1st week of YSI

2008-07-19T23:35:00.005-05:00

I was so excited to see Devin on Saturday. I know he did not miss me, but that is okay. The Resident Mentors (RM) took pictures of their week and it was really cool that they sent home a copy of the slide presentation with each of the students. I pulled out some of the ones of Devin to give folks an idea of some of the things he did. I looked like a lot of fun!!

These strange folks are the RM's that kept up with the kids all week. All of them are currently in or have just completed their time in the Advanced Acadamy (early entrance into college). Most of these guys are between 17 and 19. The blond girl has just graduated from the program and highschool and is entering Yale in the fall as a Junior. Very cool!!!

I think this might be Chemistry, but I'm not real sure.

I thought the next slide was very cool. They made these kalediscopes on the computer in math. Pretty neat.

The RM's again. Apparently, when you play crab soccer it is necessary to wear war paint!

Okay, does anyone else see that my child is not paying attention? He was not happy about making things with the paper. He called this arts and crafts and he hates such. Too bad. It is good for him!!

In Chemistry, his professor blew things up and they got to play with Liquid Nitrogen. Devin said this was his favorite thing all week. They even made ice cream with it.

Not sure what this is about, but I thought it was pretty funny. He is even sitting beside a cute girl! Good going Devin!!

Toga Party! You can just see the tip of Devin's head in the back. Bet you he is not wearing a toga!!This is my favorite picture of all! Something I thought I'd never see! My son dancing with a group of girls. I think it is great. He looks like he is having a great time. Apparently they had to work pretty hard to get him to dance, but once out there, he had a great time. I'm proud of you Devin for trying it and having a great time. That is what it is about. Don't let your fears hold you back! It feels good to just let go and be free.

They really liked the game 4 corners. They were playing this when we arrived and while we were waiting on the presentation to start.

The first thing Devin did when he got home is get comfortable and right to the PS3. I think he missed that more than anything! Maybe Raven.

I'm glad you had a great time Devin!!

Fairplay Jaguar Cheerleaders

2008-07-19T23:27:00.002-05:00

This past Thursday was Emily's first party with the other Fairplay Cheerleaders. They had a pool party late afternoon and had dogs and burgers. As you can see from the pictures, the first thing they did once in the pool is start to stunt. Looked pretty good too considering they have not had their first practice yet.

This is Emily and her friend Anna Butler. They pretty much hung out together the whole time.

I got to meet some of the moms and even met someone that lived close (Anna Butler) enough for us to car pool! That was awesome and such a relief. I was wondering how I was going to make all this work when Barry travels, but having additional help is fabulous.

Not only did the girls get to hang out a bit, but they got their uniforms too. Doesn't she looks so cute!

She told me it finally feels almost real!

They start camp on Monday and she is very exited. They have camp Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I took Wednesday off so that I can help with lunch, take pictures and get to know some of the moms. (I also have a dentist appointment at 7:00am - YUCK)

Two weeks till school starts! This summer went by so fast! Emily is so excited about school starting and Devin is not excited at all.

Happy Birthday Melissa

2008-07-19T23:15:00.004-05:00

Emily's best friend Alexandra asked me last week if I would help her do something special for her mom's 40th birthday. Of course I told her yes. You cannot turn a request like that down!!!

Alexandra and Emily spent all afternoon making posters and signs for our living room. I was given instructions to bring home balloons too! They worked so hard on everything. I was really proud of them.

I got home and started supper and Melissa came on over. I think all the posters and decorations really surprised her.

Present time!!!

We had a great time and it was tons of fun being about to do that for such an awesome friends. Not only is Alexandra Emily's best friend, but I consider Melissa mine.

Thanks Melissa for being such an awesome friend. Happy 40th Birthday!!

FIrst Day of YSI

2008-07-19T23:10:00.002-05:00

Last Saturday we took Devin to Univ. of West GA for his YSI (Young Scholars Institute) which is sponsered by an early entrance into college program at the University. We got there at 3:00 and helped Devin get settled into his room.

Despite the frown he has, he is actually pretty excited. He just did not want me to take his picture. Typical teenage boy.
They had a notebook ready for him when we got there that has his schedule for the week. Below is Barry and Devin checking it out.
After getting Devin settled into his room we had a parents meeting to let us know what to expect. They told us the kids would always be escorted by a resident mentor and that they always travelled in a large group. They also went into a bit more detail about the Advanced Acadamy. Generally students apply during their junior or senior year of high school, but there have been a few as young as 13. So technically if a student started in his freshman year of high school, he could graduate from high school and college at the same time. Crazy huh! Devin was excited about maybe doing this and asked if he could take the SAT again this year. You need a 1250 on the math and reading sections. He scored a 1020 last time so he has so improving to do before we can consider this.

Devin will have Geology, Math, Physics and Chemistry this week. He is most excited about Math. He is really looking forward to actually learning some new things.

After the meeting, Barry, Em and I headed home. It is so different at home when one of the kids is gone. Emily was excited about having us all to herself. She did not have to worry about being picked at all week! Peace and quiet is a beautiful thing.

Lazy Weekend

2008-07-19T22:53:00.004-05:00

I love a lazy day where we can just hang out and have fun.

Don't you just love our giant muscles?

Oh yes he did!!!

4th of July

2008-07-19T22:42:00.007-05:00

4th of July is always fun, but this year we did not go fireworks shopping like we did before, but we still had a few left over from New Years.

We also watch the movie The Patriot with the kids. I cried through parts of it realizing that my son is the age that some of the kids that were fighting. I cannot imagine my son having the responsibilities that these kids had and took! We take for granted what our kids have in them and we especially take for granted our freedom!!! I thank for the soldiers who protect us and maintain our freedom. I also pray that my children never have to experience war first hand.

University of West Georgia

2008-07-19T22:32:00.004-05:00

Devin has been accepted into the Young Scholars program at University of West Georgia. There are only 24 kids chosen to attend 2 weeks of camp. The first week is Science and math and the second week is arts and humanity. We are so proud of you Devin!!!!!

Trip to IKEA

2008-07-19T22:05:00.002-05:00

We finally decided to redo the loft and our eyes were almost bigger than the my van.

We are still missing one more piece and then I will take pictures of our new loft.

Bye Tammy!

2008-07-19T22:00:00.002-05:00

My best bud Tammy has decided to stay home and be a mommy! I am so excited for her and I have to say, a touch jealous too! I know you are going to have an amazing time! This is us at her farewell lunch.

Pirate Man

2008-07-19T21:56:00.002-05:00

I don't remember where this hat cam from, but it looks pretty good on Barry. I think he has a long lost dream to be a pirate.

Layover in LAX

2008-07-19T21:40:00.002-05:00

We got very little sleep on the plane to LAX and we were exhausted. We had a bit of breakfast and boarded the flight for home.

Last Day in Hawaii - SADNESS

2008-07-19T20:39:00.012-05:00

Our last sunrise! We were so sad for the morning to come and know that it was over. It was fantastic and I loved it all.

Dinner at the Hula Grill. We set at the bar and watched the chef's do their stuff. Those fellows worked really hard. It was very impressive.

Can you believe that he actually found a Hawaian Braves shirt? Well he did and it looks great. Go Braves!!

We decided on the Aloha Mixed Plate for lunch. We had such a good time.

Our flight was not until in the evening so we went to the Aq;uarium and saw some really cool fish.

Then we went to the Plantation where they show flowers and plants grown in Hawaii. Emily is making her own lai. She chose 50 flowers and gets to make her own creation. The flowers smell amazing.

Then we went on a tram ride through the planation

This is our guide husking a coconut. Fresh coconut is very tasty.

Then we drove over to another side of the island and this is the Io Needle.

Now we are at the car rental place waiting on the shuttle to take us to the airport.
Yes, we are all very sad to go home!!!! We do miss Raven though.

BIrdy Smorgasboard

2008-07-19T19:57:00.008-05:00

We had been munching on trail mix all week and Barry decided he was going to feed all the birds flying around. At first we had zero takers.

Then they caught on real quick.

Owner of the restaurant!

We headed into town for lunch. Our last day in Maui! Very sad. This is in front of Bubba Gump's and they had to try on the shoes.

We decided on Kimos for lunch. It was really hot even sitting in the shade and as you can see we were all acting pretty goofy (except for me of course).

This is Hula Pie! Our favorite dessert! YUMMY YUMMY

Devin is trying to be the totum pole! Which do you think is scarier?

Lunch at the Hula Grill - Yes again

2008-06-29T21:23:00.002-05:00

After a morning of snorkeling and hanging out on the beach, we wandered down the beach again to the Hula Grill for lunch. Great atmosphere!

Dinner at the Plantation House

2008-06-29T20:36:00.004-05:00

This was the best meal we had in Maui. It was unbelievable. The fish just melted in your mouth. The kids agreed that it was amazing. They even had warm brownie with icecream and fudge and they said it was amazing. Barry and I had passion fruit creme brule' ( i cannot spell tonight) and it was terrific. As you can see below Devin and Emily were happy after such an awesome meal and they seem to have gotten over having to dress-up (Devin).

Plantation Golf Course - Kapalua Bay

2008-06-29T20:31:00.001-05:00

Sunsets

2008-06-29T20:19:00.002-05:00

The sunsets were amazing and lasted for a long time. The peace was incredible.

Walking to Dinner at the Whalers Village

2008-06-29T20:12:00.003-05:00

As we were walking to dinner down the pathway that runs along the hotels down the beach during hightide, I turned around and you can see our hotel at the rocks and the surf was amazing. I could sit and just watch for hours.

A visit to Kapalua

2008-06-29T20:06:00.003-05:00

Kapalua is another town on Maui that is as you can see stunning! The high cliffs are beautiful and the scenery incredible. Barry is playing the Kapalua Plantation course tomorrow and we are having Dinner there when he is done. We are so looking forward to it.

More Fun

2008-06-29T19:51:00.002-05:00

Cheeseburger in Paradise - Yes, we had to go back and have dinner. We actually saw an Elvis, Julia Roberts and Howard Hughes. Or folks that looked liked them anyway. I think the atmosphere was much more fun than the actual food.

Barry, Emily and I had lunch at the Hula Grill one afternoon. Devin had a major headache and we left him at the hotel to sleep it off. We had a great time and the food was very good! The neatest part was that our table actually sat in a sand pit and we played in the sand with our feet while we ate.

Hanging at the Pool

2008-06-08T13:47:00.005-05:00

Golfing on Lanai

2008-06-08T13:39:00.004-05:00

Friday Morning

2008-06-08T13:33:00.002-05:00

This morning Barry and I got up at 5:30 and I took him down to the docks so he could catch the ferry to Lanai. The ferry ride is about 45 minutes to the island across the way and it only has a population of about 2,500 folks.

Barry & Devin's Hike

2008-06-08T13:11:00.004-05:00

Dinner at Lahaina Fish Company

2008-06-06T13:46:00.003-05:00

Afternoon At the Beach

2008-06-06T13:36:00.003-05:00

Once Barry and Devin were back it was down to the beach for a few hours.

The kids decided they'd have a contest as to who could dig the deepest whole. Emily wins.

Devin decided it would be a good idea to bury himself again. They had such a good time.

Thursday Morning

2008-06-06T13:24:00.002-05:00

Emily and I spent yesterday morning at the pool while the guys went on a hike through the jungles of Hawaii (okay not jungles, but wanted it to sound exciting) We chilled out and had a great morning.

Old Lahaina Luau

2008-06-06T12:40:00.008-05:00

On Wedesday night we went to a Luau. They had games to play and crafts and jewlry on display. Beautiful!

This is the pit where the pig is being cooked. I'll add the video later of how it was dug up. Pretty cool. I also learned that a luau is a party that was thrown on a childs 1st birthday. There was so much death that when a child lived to be 1 there was much celebration to be done.

We sat on the ground during the luau and we had front row seats to the show. Oh yes, my favorite part. Women DO NOT cook in Hawaii! It was just not done. The men served us all!

The sunsets are amazing here. I've decided we are moving to Maui.

The show was amazing. It made up for the the so so food and drinks. I was mezmorizied by the dancers. It is such a beautiful dance and the people are truly beautiful as well.

Wednesday Morning

2008-06-06T12:35:00.002-05:00

Here are a few pictures of the Zip-Line Trip and the trip up to Haleakela (Volcano) - I know I spelled this wrong, but be patient till I can get the correct spelling! They had a fabulous time and said it was really awesome. Emily got car sick on the ride up and back but other than that it was great. I should have video of the the trip up soon as well.

Missed Photos - Kimos

2008-06-06T12:20:00.002-05:00

We had dinner at Kimos. Barry and I ate here 10 years ago and it does not seem that much had changed. It was rather late and dark so our pictures are not so good. It was great food though. The hula Pie was to die for! I'm ready for another piece of that!!!

Missed Photos - Lunch at Aloha Mixed Plate

2008-06-05T13:51:00.004-05:00

We had lunch at the Aloha Mixed Plate which was right on the ocean. We had such a great time being goofy and silly and we really enjoyed the atmosphere too. It was really peaceful and I was happy to just hang out and be.....

Missed Photos - Atlantis Submarine Trip

2008-06-05T13:34:00.003-05:00

Missed Pictures - Cheeseburger in Paradise

2008-06-05T13:21:00.004-05:00

Missed pictures from Wednesday

This is how Barry and I started our morning on Wednesday.

We were the first customers of the morning.

We all had to try on Barry's shades. We all look real cool.

Wednesday Morning

2008-06-04T12:01:00.003-05:00

I'm sitting on my balcony enjoying the beautiful morning! The kids are with Barry doing the zip-line thing and I have the morning to myself! I thought I might be lonely, but not so much. Just watching the morning go by is so relaxing. I'm heading down to the Westin in a bit for a Massage, then lunch and the pool till the family get back. We are doing the Old Town Luau tonight. I'm really looking forward to that.

It is easy to see God's hand when you are looking at such beauty.

Tuesday in Hawaii

2008-06-04T11:48:00.005-05:00

This is from last night.

Pictures to come later - Barry has my camera with the kids heading to zip-line this morning. I forgot to download them before he just left (6:30am).

We had a fabulous day yesterday! We were up (at least I was) at 5:30am and enjoyed the quiet morning. It was so incredibly peaceful and quiet, not to mention incredibly beautiful. As the sun came up behind us we watched the shadow and color changes on Lanai across from us. It was simply beautiful!

After we woke everyone up, we went and had breakfast at Cheesburger in Paradise and yes, you can have a cheeseburger for breakfast! It was surprisingly yummy, but it cost us $45.00 for breakfast. It was fun though.

We then headed over to the pier and took a submarine down to 97feet. That was pretty cool. Barry was like a school boy waiting to get on. It was really amazing. The pictures came out just okay because as you can imagine the lighting was just so so!!

When we got back we walked around for a bit and had lunch at the Aloha Mixed Grill. This was VERY GOOD! We sat by the water and chilled and it was amazing. So peaceful.

Next we picked up our snorkel stuff from Snorkel Bob's and headed for the beach. The waves were pretty powerful, but again, beautiful.

Dinner was at around 8:00 and we decided on Kimo's. Barry and I ate here 10 years ago and remembered it being excellent and we were not dissapointed. My favorite was the Hula Pie! Man that was good! Devin wanted more. That boy can really eat!

Once back at th hotel we crashed by 9:30. Took all of 5 seconds for the kids to be asleep. It took 6 seconds for me.

What an awesome day! Thanks God!

ALOHA

2008-06-03T12:00:00.007-05:00

We are on our way.

How did I get stuck with him as a seat mate?
In Salt Lake City Airport
Waiting on our car at Avis.
My favorite Flowers - PLUMERIA - They smell heavenly!

We had to stop at KMart on the way to the hotel for some bottled water and Barry came back with my favorite candy (CARAMACS!!!!). Now they are everyone's favorite. I should have never shared.

We got LEI'D!! Devin was pleased he got shells and not flowers and he was even more happy that it was a pretty lady! Crazy kids!
This is looking up at our room. We are on the 4th floor

Mine and Emily's Lei's and then Devin tried to mess up the picture by throwing his in, but I think it came out rather nicely.

Our first walk on the beach!

We walked down the beach to Whalers Village for dinner. We ate Leilani's. Great Choice!

This is Emily's creation with the flowers that were on our dinner plates and umbrella's from our Lava Flows.

I was trying to convince Devin into taking a picture with me and I resorted to pouting, did not seem to work though!

Emily told Barry to smile and this is what she got! I do believe we needed some sleep. It was midnight back home at this point.

This is dinner. It was Mon..... something, but it was marvelous! Great choice on our first night here.

From our balcony.

FAIRPLAY CHEERLEADING

2008-05-31T08:28:00.004-05:00

Well, the results are in and
*
*
*

EMILY IS A

FAIRPLAY CHEERLEADER!

She was so surprised she did not even react~

I'm so proud of her! She is now EXTREMELY excited!!

Death of a Teddy Bear

2008-05-28T20:01:00.002-05:00

All I can say is that Raven got more excited the more that the bear ripped.

Family Fun at Buffalo's!

2008-05-28T19:47:00.004-05:00

Them Bones Them Dry Bones

2008-05-28T19:37:00.001-05:00

YES, I DO FEED HIM! ALL THE TIME!!!!

This is a 5'7'' frame at 105 lbs.

Pool is Open! ! ! YEAH!!!

2008-05-26T15:53:00.018-05:00

My gentlemen hanging in the sun!

Emily's friend Emily from school spent the night on Friday night and they had a marvelous time. The next set of pictures are all taken by the girls sitting in front of the pool. The were just a giggling and having fun seeing how many faces they could make.

Just a Chillin Saturday Morning

2008-05-26T14:55:00.003-05:00

Hanging at Home

2008-05-26T14:44:00.002-05:00

Raven has an obsession with chasing shadows. Here she is trying to pounce
I'm hoping that if I put enough of these silly pictures of Devin on here he will eventually let me actually take his picture without the element of surprise.

Someone help, he is stealing my treat!

After the Storm

2008-05-20T21:17:00.002-05:00

The kids and I were out on Tuesday and there were some pretty bad storms, but on our way home the sky was incredible. Check out these pictures and just praise God for the beauty.

Duke University TIP

2008-05-20T21:12:00.002-05:00

A ceremony was given for those 7th graders who took the Duke University TIP Program - SAT. If the students scored in the top 95% of those top 95% who took the exam, then they were invited to participate.

Devin was not particularly into this, but he did find out about a really cool summer program that University of West Georgia offers for 2 weeks. We are currently tracking down all of the items needed to apply. Thank goodness it does not have the outrageous cost of most of the gifted camps offered. I think Devin is really excited about this and I hope it all works out for him.

Work

2008-05-20T21:10:00.001-05:00

These are all the folks I am working with now. Our team is called the HOT Team. (Hotel Team).

Take me out to the Ball Game

2008-05-20T20:46:00.006-05:00

We went to the Braves game a few weeks ago and had a terrific time. I tried multiple times to get a picture of Devin, but he always turned away. However, whenever someone else was having a picture taken he would mysteriously pop into those pictures. See if you can find Devin!!

We arrived early and had dinner at the Chop House.

Honors Night

2008-05-20T20:39:00.000-05:00

Both kids were honored this year at the end of the year for straight A's all year! GREAT JOB DEVIN AND EMILY