Raw Raw Shish Boom Bah

Ella brought a flyer home from school for a cheer camp at Highland High. I was surprised to hear that Ella wanted to try it. She can be shy at times so I wasn't sure how things would go. She LOVED it! She had a few friends from school sign up with her so I think it made things less scary. I was very surprised to see how excited she was to perform during half time. So cute. We'll have to sign up for the next cheer camp.

1st Grade

Look at my cute little first grader. I love her little freckles. She's going to be in Ms. Daphne Marchant's class this year. I have a feeling she's going to do great this year!

Heading Home

Day 10 heading home – We arrived into Vegas at midnight and we're all so exhausted. Ella and I went straight to bed while Nick headed to the roulette table to try and win some money back. Unfortunately, he came back empty handed. Our flight left early in the morning and I was thankful that we weren’t driving home from Las Vegas like Kevin and Karie. I think next time I'll pay a little more and fly directly into Salt Lake rather than making a stop into Vegas. The hassle just wasn't worth the savings. I think what we were supposed to save we lost gambling.

Day 9 in Hawaii

Day 9 in Hawaii – Today is our last full day. We headed back to the Poipu shopping center for another round of shopping and some lunch. Karie and I were anxious to get back to the condo so we could get our things organized for our trip home. The kids really wanted to go to the beach so the boys took the kids down to the beach while we packed. The boys were supposed to come back to the condo when they were done so we could all spend some time together at the pool. Hours went by and nobody came back to get us. Long story short there was some yelling and crying. I don't think it's a "normal" vacation without at least one fight. In the end we had a great dinner at Keoki's.

Day 8 in Hawaii

Day 8 in Hawaii - We started early today and left the condo around 8:15 for some macadamia pancakes at the Kountry Kitchen. There was a lot of traffic and people today. We found out that today is actually a Hawaiian holiday, the day of their statehood. After breakfast we took off for Ke'e beach but it was super busy and there wasn’t anywhere to park so we headed back down the road to the pier. We rented a paddle board and surf board for the day and we had a great day.




After enough sun and beach we all decided to head into Princeville and try to find Queens Bath. It was a little bit of a hike to get to but it was so worth it. The view was amazing.






On our way home we stopped for some dinner in Princeville. We were all tired so we wanted something quick and easy. We found an outdoor food court with live music. The women singing did a bunch of pretty Hawaiian songs and then asked if anyone had requests. I was shocked when I recognized what she was singing “Tears in Heaven”. I couldn’t believe I was hearing that song of all songs for a second time in Hawaii. It was strange but comforting

Day 7 in Hawaii

Day 7 in Hawaii – Today we checked out the new shopping center in Poipu. They had some really cool shops and nice restaurants.



After shopping and lunch we came back to the condo and got ready to go to Poipu Beach Park. We found a spot on the beach right next to the lifeguard tower, same place we set up when the whole family was here Christmas of 2007. The snorkeling was great; tons of fish and lots of sea turtles right near shore, Dylan and Ella had a great time.

Day 6 in Hawaii

Day 6 in Hawaii - Finally our long awaited rafting trip with our favorite boating company Captain Andy’s. Watch the video of the rafting adventure on Captain Andy’s website it’s the most insane thing ever. We left about 11 am and headed to Kikiaola Boat Harbor near Wiamea. This is the closest harbor to the Napali Coast to depart from. After captain Matt and Danny went over the details of our trip we headed out to sea and toward the Napali coast. Captain Matt explained a lot of points along the way. The ledges on the Napali Coast erupted from the sea, the swells were pretty big and you really had to hold on tight. First stop was snorkeling and the kids loved it. The kids jumped right in once Captain Matt assured them there were no sharks in the area.






After several miles of traveling along the coast and taking in the incredible scenery we made it to the first of several sea caves. These caves were incredible and we actually took the boat right into them, the first few were pretty small but we were able to enter them and look around.











About the third cave we entered had a small opening Captain Matt hit the throttle and we went flying into the dark and we ended up in a huge open cavern. This used to be an enclosed cave, but after years of pacific pounding, the roof actually collapsed leaving a huge sunroof in the mountain. This cavern was probably 200 feet across, and Captain Matt said in the winter months this actually becomes one of the largest spouting horns in the world



A little further down the coast we came to a small opening with a waterfall coming right down the center, it looked like it only went in a few feet but we were in for a surprise. After describing the significance of the waterfall Captain Matt hit the gas and it looked like we were going to hit the wall, but we actually went into the cave at high speed into total darkness and actually came out several hundred yards up the coast. Turns out this cave was named two door, now we know why, pretty intense, the kids even thought it was pretty exciting.





I think everyone had pumped enough adrenalin through them, and we were ready for some lunch. We headed back down the coast to an ancient Hawaiian fishing village where we did a beach landing and had a hot lunch. After lunch we were given a tour of the village by Captain Danny. It was really incredible but smells like rotten fruit from the Noni trees.






After the tour it was time to head back home. Somehow Nick, Karie and I got stuck in the front of the boat and it was the roughest and scariest ride of my life. At one point my legs went numb and I thought I wasn’t going to be able to hold on any more. It was getting dark and the waves were getting bigger. Every minute that went by I felt like I would fall off the boat and get eaten by sharks.

Day 5 in Hawaii

Day 5 - We all decided to take it easy today since we had a long day on the beach yesterday surfing. We slept in a bit, ate breakfast then headed to Poipu beach to check it out from land only. The waves are huge on this side of the island during summer.








After checking out the beach we went shopping across the street at Nukimoi another really good surf shop. We headed into Lihue after we were done looking around Nukimoi. Nick and I decided to just get Ella’s back to school clothes from the mall in Lihue since Ella would be starting school just two days after returning from Hawaii. We found her some really cute Roxy outfits.

Tonight we went to Scotty's Beachside BBQ for dinner which has giant garage doors that open up to a view of the ocean. It’s a really cool atmosphere and really good BBQ. Tomorrow is our rafting trip with Captain Andy's so we headed back to the condo for rest.

Day 4 in Hawaii

Day 4 in Hawaii - Today is Kevin’s surfing lesson at Hanalei Bay. Kevin’s lesson started at 9:45am so they left early and we met up with them at the beach. We arrived in the middle of Kevin’s lesson and Malaija Kevin’s surf instructor worked with Dylan and Ella on a smaller board (11 ft. soft top). The kids were naturals and caught wave after wave.




We ended up renting a board for the rest of the day. Nick, Karie and I all tried to catch some waves and we quickly realized that surfing wasn’t all that easy. I got up on my first and only wave. Watching Nick was one of the funniest things ever. First of all the sun block Nick picked up from the surf shop yesterday is only supposed to go on under your eyes and then it reflects the sun away from your face. Well Nick didn’t read the instructions before applying the sun block and he applied it all of his face. The part about this that makes it funny is that the sun block is beige and looked like Nick covered his face in foundation. So funny!





It was my turn tonight to make dinner. Before we left for Hawaii I found a recipe on The Pioneer Women blog for white chicken enchiladas that I wanted to try and make. They turned out really yummy!

Day 3 in Hawaii

Day 3 in Hawaii – Everyone got sun burned from the day before especially Nick who got FRIED so we took a break from the sun and headed to Waimea canyon. It was a clear sunny day and the views were incredible. We spent about three hours seeing all the sights then headed down the steep narrow road for lunch.



After lunch we headed into Kappa for some shopping and stopped by one of my favorite surf shops called Déjà Vu. The week before we left for Kauai was Shark Week on the Animal Planet. Of course we couldn’t miss shark week but it definitely didn’t help with my fear of sharks.




We thought who better to ask about sharks than the locals. The surf shop kids reassured us not to be worried about sharks because shark attacks are rare in Kauai. Except for the "Soul Surfer" attack. The kids in the shop told us about a couple encounters they had with sharks and they said they don’t bother you at all. They told us that they hang out by openings of rivers waiting for fresh water fish, inside dark caves, and anytime a turtle or seal is nearby a shark is not too far away. The surf shop kids told us what to be worried about are the jellyfish. Geez one more thing to add to my list of things to be worried about. We left the surf shop with more knowledge of sharks, jelly fish, and some sun block for Nick's red face.

On our way back to the condo we stopped by Wailua Falls just above Lihue to get some pictures.

Day 2 in Hawaii

Day 2 in Hawaii - We were all up pretty early, still getting use to the time change. After breakfast we loaded up the cars and headed to Hanalei about an hour and 15 minutes away. The scenery is so lush and the ocean was in sight most of the drive. We tried to find Queens Bath on the way but we were unsuccessful. Although the adults were very relaxed during the drive the kids started to get restless and hungry so we stopped for lunch at Bubba's Burgers. I’m not too sure why Bubba’s is so popular because the burgers in my opinion are pretty average. After lunch we drove to the best beach ever Hanalei Bay. The water was very calm and you could walk out several hundred yards to catch some small waves. We met a Hawaiian Airline pilot who let us borrow his surf board. Dylan and Ella were both naturals and able to stand up and ride waves. After some surfing the kids wanted to jump off the pier so we headed over and after a couple count downs they both jumped in. I was surprised how brave they both were. It was a really relaxing day at the beach.







Around 4pm we decided to head back to our condo in Poipu. Once we made it back to the condo everyone got freshened up and we headed to Kevin’s favorite restaurant called Pomodoros a little Italian place. Our waiter is the same waiter we’ve had the last two times we’ve been to Kauai. He’s a funny little guy with strange mannerisms and a curly little mustache. He laughed after everything he said and it was the most unique laugh I’ve ever heard. His great attitude was contagious and made dinner more enjoyable.

Hawaii Journal

Day one: I didn’t sleep much last night. I stayed up late cleaning the house and packing our suitcases. In an attempt to save money we purchased our tickets with Hawaiian Airlines leaving out of Las Vegas. My mom picked us up from the airport and we headed towards her house for lunch and some back to school shopping. The shopping trip didn’t go as planned. We spent most of our time in the blistering heat driving around looking for a mall and then when we finally found the mall it was a huge disappointment. The mall had a terrible selection of clothes so we left empty handed. By the time we were done shopping I was completely exhausted from the heat and my anxiety. We headed back to my parents’ house and I had the best time loving on my niece Lyla and hanging out with the family. Our plan for dinner was to meet up with our traveling companions Kevin (Nick’s brother), Karie, and Dylan. Kevin and Karie thank god booked a room at the Monte Carlo so we could have a place to put our luggage and relax before our LATE departure. We had a nice dinner at Diablos. After dinner Karie and I took the kids up to the room and the boys did some gambling. The boys came back empty handed and that was a bummer. We relaxed and then geared up for a long flight into Hawaii.

The flight was long and I was bit restless but thanks to one of my favorite inventions Ambien I got some sleep. We arrived into Kauai pretty early so we headed straight to Eggberts for breakfast. On the way to breakfast Karie called Koloa Landing and asked if we could do an early check-in. Karie mentioned that we were from Salt Lake and they said that the developers were also from Salt Lake and they would upgrade us to a three bedroom ocean view. Our breakfast wasn’t anything special and not anything terrible with the exception of Karie’s cheese omelet. After breakfast we made the drive over to Poipu and checked in at Koloa Landing around 10am. When the cleaning staff went to get our upgraded room ready they noticed that a party must have taken place the night before and it would require constructional repair before anyone could stay in it. So we were put in the room that we had originally booked. It was a bummer for a few minutes and then we all got over it. The condo was really nice but the location wasn’t exactly what we were expecting.



After getting settled Karie and I headed to town for grocery shopping. We knocked out the shopping pretty fast. On the way home from the store an Eric Clapton song “Tears in Heaven” starting playing on the radio. I had to change the channel because I knew it would make me break down into tears. We played that song during Tenley’s graveside service. The words are so beautiful but I’m still not emotionally able to listen to it. I think it was Tenley’s way of reminding me she’s still around. While Karie and I were at the store Nick and Kevin took the kids to the pool and beach. The resort had cool pools and a nice barbecue area. The main pool and two additional pools have not been constructed so the kids were a little bummed that there weren't any water slides. When Karie and I got back from shopping and putting the food away all I wanted to do was get into the ocean. The beach in front of our condo was pretty rocky so we took a stroll down the road and settled at the beach in front of the Sheraton. The waves were really big and there was a lot of surfers. Within minutes of getting into the ocean I was sucked into a wave, spun around and dragged to shore. It gave me a painful wedgie but it was pretty funny for our gang and the rest of the people on the beach. After my beating from the ocean we were all nervous with the kids being in the water. Dylan and Ella were really good and stayed close to the adults. When we were done with the beach we headed to the pool for some "fresh water". At about 5 pm we were getting pretty hungry, so Nick and Kevin headed to Koloa town to pick up pizzas for our first dinner in Kauai. I think we all slept really well that night. We were all so tired from traveling.

Blessed by an Angel

I lay here night after night and recall the events that forever changed me as a sister, mother, and wife. Some nights when I lay here I feel comfort knowing that Tenley is in heaven and doesn't feel the pain she would have felt here on earth. When we were given the news that Tenley had a large tumor growing on her body it was an outer body experience. I couldn't even keep track of all of the doctors that talked to us that night and went over one complication after another that we should prepare ourselves for. I went home that night from the hospital thinking this can't be happening. What do you mean my niece isn't going to be healthy? I didn't sleep at all that night. Day after day I would visit my sister in the hospital and feel more optimistic that things were going to be OK. With each day my sister Hanah remained pregnant was time for Tenley to grow stronger and ready for delivery.



I got the call Thursday July 21st on my way to work that today was the day my baby niece would be born. When I arrived to the hospital Hanah was getting a blood transfusion because she developed an extremely rare condition called Mirror Syndrome. When the transfusions were complete it was time for Hanah to have her C-Section. That is when the room got quite and reality set in. There were a lot of tears watching my sister get wheeled away to surgery. So many things were going through my mind. What would Tenley look like? How small will she be? Will Hanah be OK? The only thing that didn't cross my mind was that Tenley wasn't going to survive. The doctors told us that after Tenley is born we could see her before Louie and the surgeons walked her to Primary Children’s for surgery. As we waited and waited and waited it became obvious to everyone that we weren't going to see her before her surgery and that something went wrong. I felt like the world was crashing down around me and I was consumed with so much worry that I felt like I couldn't even breathe.

This is the part that gets blurry because I don't remember what was said or even how I made it into Hanah's recovery room. Once we were in Hanah's recovery room we still remained optimistic that Tenley was alive and undergoing the surgery that was discussed. It was overwhelming seeing my sister in so much pain I wanted to just take it all away. By the time we got the phone call Hanah's medication started to kick in and she was very groggy. I thought to myself when the phone rang the surgery was over and we'll get to see her soon. As I watched Louie talk to the surgeon on the phone it became evident that things didn't go as planned. His voice started to shake and his head dropped. I knew right then and there with everyone else in the room what just happened. I rushed to my sister's side and just about collapsed when the nurse wrapped her arms around me while I cried. Everyone was crying and then Hanah asked "What is going on?" Because she was so medicated she didn't realize what had just happened. Louie said to her "She didn't make it. They tried everything." The surgeon told us that we could come and see her if we would like. We all made what felt like a very long walk from the University to Primary Children's through a labyrinth of halls. Everyone thought it would be best for Hanah and Louie to see her first together and have time with her alone. I remember standing at the nursing station in the OR when they wheeled her past me and I couldn't bare to look. They took Hanah, Louie, and Tenley into a very sterile white room with a sheet covering the window so they could have privacy. Shortly after someone came out of the room and said you can all come in now. When I saw her I immediately thought she's an angel. She was dressed and wrapped in blankets and looked so peaceful. We all took turns holding our little angel Tenley. She was so beautiful and had so much dark hair. She was also very small and light as a feather.

The next day we got to see her again but this time in Hanah’s recovery room and it was so much more comforting knowing we could spend as much time with her as we wanted. The nurses arranged for a photographer from Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep to take pictures of her. I feel so thankful that we have beautiful pictures of her to remember her by.

I learned through this experience that my sister is so incredibly strong and such a loving mother. I also learned that I need to start living my life as if it was my last day. I need to be patient with the people I love, go after my dreams, and be grateful for every experience that I have. I miss Tenley and wish so badly that I could have seen her grow. I feel sad that Ella will only know her cousin through pictures and an ultrasound video. Most of all I feel devastated for my sisters loss.

One day I’ll see my niece again and she’ll be just as perfect as I remember her being.

Tenley Grace

Don't weep at my grave,

For I am not there,

.... I've a date with a butterfly

To dance in the air.

I'll be singing in the sunshine,

Wild and free,

Playing tag with the wind,

While I'm waiting for thee

Tenley Grace I love you and think of you everyday. I want you to know that I may have only held you in my arms for a moment but in my heart I'll hold you forever.