Pics from 4th of July Weekend

Friday, July 10, 2009

Pretty Flowers and a Rockstar

There are now flowers in my flower bed. Let's see how long they live. I've also added some river rocks to it since taking pics. I have never really had a garden of any kind. I used to help my mom with her garden on rare occassions when I was growing up. That is about the extent of my very vast gardening experience. While I was planting my lovely flowers, Lukas rode his big wheel and his 4 wheeler. While he was riding around, every once in awhile he would yell something out. I kept trying to figure out what he was saying and I was almost sure that he was yelling, "Poptart!". I thought he was saying poptart until today. I finally realized he was yelling out, "Rockstar!" I cracked up! haha! The other day, probably about a week ago, I asked Lukas if he was a rockstar and he replied with a big, "Yeah!" What a cute little rockstar I have. He's the coolest!

4th of July Weekend

Monday, July 6, 2009

We had a nice 4th of July weekend. Friday, we went to Hanauma Bay (one of our favorite spots) with friends, got some yummy shaved ice, and then later had dinner at Buca Di Beppo's. Saturday, the 4th, we went to the Dole plantation, enjoyed going through the maze and taking a ride on the train. Lukas was so excited to ride the train that he was screaming and jumping up and down for joy. Sunday morning I made pancakes for breakfast and we cleaned house. We went to the store and bought some gardening supplies. Then I made some red beans and rice for dinner. It was my first time making red beans and rice so I was happy that it turned out pretty good. My husband ate 2 bowls so I figure it was either really good or he was really hungry. After dinner, we cleared out my flower bed and my husband saved me from a big scary centiped. Now I have to figure out what we should plant. I want some pretty, colorful, tropical plants and flowers.

Father's Day Weekend

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

We had a nice Father's Day weekend. Saturday we drove on Round Top Dr (Tantalus Dr area) up to the top and back down. It was beautiful. You can see the most amazing views of Honolulu from the mountain. I didn't get as many great pics as I would have liked because my camera died but I'm sure we will be going back again sometime in the future. Sunday, we went to the Byodo-In Temple. You can read more about it here http://www.hawaiiweb.com/oahu/sites_to_see/byodo-in_temple.htm . It was a beautiful sight, even in the rain.

Slowcooker Mac N Cheese Recipe

I totally forgot to come back and post the mac n cheese recipe I talked about in my last blog. I didn't get to take a picture but it did turn out pretty yummy. You could even try using different cheeses. But anyhow here is the recipe:

Slowcooker All Day Mac n Cheese (not my recipe, I found it online somewhere a while ago)
8 oz elbow macaroni
4 C. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 (12 oz) can of evaporated milk
1 1/2 C. milk
2 eggs
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

In a large pot cook macaroni pasta until al dente. Drain. In a large bowl, mix together 3 cups of the sharp Cheddar cheese, cooked macaroni, evaporated milk, milk, eggs, salt, and pepper.Transfer to a slow cooker which has been coated w/non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle w/ remaining 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese.Cook on Low for 5-6 hrs, or until mixture is firm and golden around the edges. Do not remove cover or stir until it is done.

"Living Aloha"

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

I am really, really enjoying living in Hawaii so far. It's so beautiful. I'm sure I'll be talking about how much I love it here very often.

We had a nice weekend. Friday was my husband's birthday so we went out to eat at IHOP-Yay for pancakes, haha! Saturday we went shopping at the Swap Meet and got lots of good stuff. We got a beautiful picture to hang above our couch and some other small sign pictures and tiki heads to hang around the house. I also got a few dresses and we bought hats. Saturday night I made baked ziti for dinner and it turned out yummy. Sunday was a beautiful day and Clifton was going on a motorcycle ride so Lukas and I had fun at the beach. I'll post some pics of Lukas at the beach.

Yesterday (Monday) was a boring day. Lukas and I went grocery shopping and then he passed out for a nice, long very needed nap. Then later we went for a walk to the playground while Clifton washed my car.

Today, I'm hanging out at home with Lukas, trying to finish up some laundry. I've got mac n cheese in the crockpot for dinner. I'll try to post the recipe and a pic later (if I remember to take one).

our new place and potty training

Thursday, June 11, 2009

It has been a while since I blogged. We moved to Hawaii at the beginning of may and stayed at the lodge on base for almost a month. We moved into our new place about a week ago and just got internet back yesterday. So far, we love it here. It's beautiful. I don't have but a few pics on my new laptop so I will be sure to post more as time goes by. The pic I posted is of the view from our new place. Now that we are finally getting settled in, I'd really like to get back into blogging and cooking, and all of that good stuff again.

We bought Lukas a new big boy bed (a twin b/c he's getting too tall to be in a toddler bed much longer). Right now it's still in boxes...we will have to carry it all upstairs and put it together later on when my husband gets home from work. I can't wait to get it all put together and put Lukas's bedding on it.

In the meantime, I am TRYING to potty train Lukas. Today is the first day putting him in real underwear. So far, it's not going well but hopefully he will do better tommorow. He's already pooped in them and then he went and peed on the floor in another room (twice so far). Fun, fun, fun...the joys of motherhood, haha. Hopefully, I will see some progress soon.