Today our little girl turned 4. She had a really fun day and enjoyed talking to many family members on the phone. She is quite the conversationalist these days and loved all her birthday chats.
I took the girls to the dollar store and let them pick something especially for Daddy. They were so excited about what they gave. Ella picked an iridescent Rubix cube and Maddie picked wind-up chatter teeth.
Daddy just loved them, of course, who wouldn't?! (Don't mind Ella's bed-head mullet.)
My parents sent a whole case of American Crew men's gel--Mike's favorite. I guess he's set for a couple years!
Mike is rearing to go on house projects and can't wait to work with his hands. He used to build houses out in Georgia, but it's been awhile since he got good and dirty. I gave him a hand sander for some of the furniture projects we have in mind, and I was looking at brad nailers but turns out he already owns three! They've just been collecting dust for awhile and I've never seen them. That won't be the case much longer!
Mike requested a chocolate cake with pistachio pudding. It turned out looking like a mudslide, but it was surprisingly tasty.
His mom, Anita, and my sister and her family helped us celebrate. All day Mike kept saying he was getting old and Maddie would vehemently protest that he was NOT old because he didn't have white hair! (True, not a single one.) If there's anybody that's young at heart it would be our guy, and that's all that matters!
It's a clean slate. A new start. A chance to create a home and space that's really me.
Despite a lack in funding, I keep finding myself decorating our new house in my head! A girl can dream, right? I'm in love with French Provincial style right now... antique mirrors, chandeliers, birdcages, a refinished hutch or buffet in the dining nook...
I keep telling myself to be patient--it doesn't have to be perfectly decorated right away! One thing at a time. Too bad the top priorities are currently a fridge and bar stools. Boring.
I bought my first boy outfit at a darling baby boutique. It was all I could do to not look at the frilly and flowery girl clothes. I have to give it to them for making farm equipment look cute, but it's not quite the same. I had this blanket in the closet along with some boy hand-me-downs, so we have a small start.
This is the nursery I am drooling over from Restoration Hardware. I love the airplanes.
We recently bought our first bathroom scale. Thrilling, I know. I avoid it at all costs.
Oh, and we bought our first house.
They put the roof on today. We're just a teeny weeny bit excited.
Maddie remembered it from last year but Ella was just enthralled. They loved the big bones, the maps, the footprints on the ground, the dark star room, and of course the sand.
Maddie cracked me up naming everything as we walked around. She is quite the palentologist, thanks to the Pteranadons!
I guess they needed a dose of girliness after that, as the day ended with a ladybug tea party and dress ups. Maddie just discovered the Fancy Nancy books (I know, where have we been?).
Ella is hooked on wearing her "swim supe" all day. Since we came home from Hawaii she asks for it the minute she wakes up!
She also asks to wear necklaces all the time. This one actually coordinated quite well.
Maddie is never without her baby these days. She carries her sweetly, bounces and shushes her, feeds her, and puts her down for naps. I think she is going to be a helpful big sister!
Here they are all dressed in pink for church.
We settled on pink frills for the big day. A girl has got to be frilly on Valentine's Day.
They were thrilled with the heart attack and candy for breakfast.
My valentine gave me some beautiful peach roses and a sappy love letter, my favorite!
I made him a message in a bottle (from an idea found here). 
We had a little friend over in the morning and made Queen of Heart crowns.
Hearts sandwiches were the order of the day for lunch.
After naps we delivered Valentines and then went to the PARK!
The snow finally melted and the girls played their hearts out.
Of course we had to make heart pizzas for dinner, but this was the first year I had help doing it! They are getting so big and useful!
At the end of the day we're always happy to see Daddy, the other love of our lives!
For family night we played "How Do I Love Thee?" and listed things we love about each person.
I'm telling you, I can't have imagined a happier LOVE day. It was one of those days when everything is sweet as sugar and smooth as chocolate ganache. Mmm, mmmm, good.
Our final destination was the Dole Pineapple Plantation. We went grocery shopping a few days ago and Maddie pointed out all the Dole logos in the store. And we are suffering from pineapple withdrawls so we had to buy one!
After the kids each picked out a stuffed animal (their gift shop is amazing) we got to ride the pineapple train! Ella loves trains (and they both love Dinosaur Train) so they thought it was really fun to give the conductor their tickets and strap in.
The plantation is just beautiful. Notice the dark red soil? That's because of all the volcanic ash in this area that has turned to iron oxide, and it makes for very fertile soil for pineapple.
Here's a pineapple field in production. We learned such cool things about the process!
Each pineapple crown is planted by hand. It takes about 20 months to produce the first fruit, and 14-15 months to produce a second. They are each harvested by hand as well!
Of course we had to get the posed pictures with the pineapple boards.
Nearby there is a fish feeding area and Grandpa bought and shared some fish food. I will spare you the image of the feeding frenzy, it's disturbing.
Here's cute little baby pineapple...
And an almost ready one! It's really amazing how they grow.
You can't leave without trying their pineapple ice cream. Pure heaven.
After the plantation we drove up to the North Shore and took a scenic hike up Wiamea Valley (filled with every tropical plant and flower you can imagine) to the beautiful Wiamea Falls. It's also a habitat for lots of wildlife, including peacocks!
When my parents were there years ago, there were divers from the cliffs above. Now it is under new ownership and they try to focus more on cultural activities... like hula lessons!
This Hawaiian girl taught us the Hukilau, which means fish pull. The cute little lady in the chair played our music on a ukulele and Maddie and I still find ourselves humming the catchy tune.
The little girls wanted to join us too, but really just stood there looking darling.
The last stop of the day was the beach on the North shore to watch the huge waves. We also got to see two sea turtles basking in the sunshine. They were roped off but we got a good view.
And that folks, is the end of my story. By the way, many of the gorgeous shots, like the one above, were taken by my talented sister Noelle. That belongs in a book or something!
