Hawaii Rewind - Maui 2013

Be prepared for a lot of collages below. I wasn't going to put them all up, but then I kept saying to myself "Oh I like that picture! Oh that was cute! Oh that was funny!" and so on... There are a few random ones as we are kinda a random family. 

After we arrived, we showered up and went out for dinner. 

My favorite thing to do is read in the mornings with my coffee looking at the beautiful view.

Handsome Boy!

Beautiful Girl! 

Isabella went snorkeling with Chris several times and loved it! He held her hand the whole time and she couldn't get enough. Of course we ate at our favorite Gazebo! 

Did lots of swimming! 

We also celebrated Thanksgiving in Maui. We missed our family at home but had a great time together!

Lei-making which turned into Hair lei making (don't know the correct name). Love this picture of Chris and the two kids!

Aloha Mixed Plate! 

More snorkeling and playing!

We ran into Chris' friend (Godparents daughter) Amanda and her Husband. 

No trip is complete without Shave Ice and a walk in Old Lahaina. 

And then our amazing little man TURNED FIVE! We had two takes with "Breakfast Toast". The first one was a muffin and he was not having it. He was much happier with this cupcake! 

He got some phone calls in the morning and got to open one present. 

Then we went to a yummy breakfast at the hotel where Vincent was treated so special! 

In the afternoon he opened another present before dinner and then the rest after dinner. What a lucky little boy to spend his birthday in Hawaii. 

Our last day :(

One thing on Vincent's bucket list was to drink from a Coconut. We found a little stand and did just that. I think he thought they would taste much different than they did! 

And so completed our trip. We have a great trip with many wonderful family memories. We are already wanting to go back!! 

Christmas Day!

We had a wonderful Christmas morning. I come downstairs first to turn on all the lights and Christmas music (I do this because my Mom always did and it makes me feel so happy!). I make the kids sit on the stairs for a picture before they turn the corner to see if Santa came. Their faces are always priceless!!!

Santa was awesome this year and got the kids each what they asked for. 

Vincent went first!

Then Miss Bella Rose.

We then prepped dinner and waited for our guests to arrive. We had a bigger crowd this year! Our tradition is to exchange presents with Grammy Alice and Papa Joe on Christmas day. They came a bit earlier so we could do so. We also got to have Amy, Soner and the twins plus Bruce and family.

A fabulous Holiday and I was very sad to see it end! I always feel pretty organized, but wasn't so much this past year. I plan on being ahead of the game this time. I am caught up on blogging because there hasn't been much exciting these first couple weeks of January. 

Hansen-Family Christmas Eve!

I finally went through Christmas pictures. Christmas Eve we started off the day by running a few errands for Grammy and heading over to her house to help. While there we made our cake for Baby Jesus. This year we made a star! 

The Calagna family before the hustle and bustle.

We had about 7 additions this year (Oh, 9 if you would like to count the Twins!). Aunt Margie (Alice's sister) and Uncle Aram, Bruce and his family and Samantha's boyfriend.

The Big-Ole group plus Grammy and Popi with the 11 Grandkids.

Our laughs continue with a visit from Ally-Clause.

We read the Christmas Story and a star poem relating to Christmas:

This "STAR" may look a little tattered and worn.

It first appeared the night Jesus was born.

It guided the Shepherds with the warm light;

Was a sign to the Wiseman on that Holy night.

Now let it remind us the whole year

Through that Jesus was the greatest

Gift given to me and you.

Opening Presents!

And finally when we got home, the kids sprinkled out Reindeer food.

"and to all a good night...."

Christmas Rewind : Gatherings

First we had our Piraino Christmas Gathering at Mom and Dad's house! So much fun but I fell down on my Historian job and only got a few (not wonderful) pictures below. It was the first time a lot of them had met the Twins!

 

We had a Girls' Tea Party at Mrs. Toher's house! Isabella had the best time and I loved chatting with the Moms. Aren't these girls the cutest!

 

 

Friday (last day of school before the break) we were all dressed and ready for the fun Christmas parties!

 

 

I was lucky enough to be able to help at both Isabella and Vincent's class parties!

 

 

Of course we had a coloring, Pajamas and Hot Cocoa night - One of my very favorites!

The Monday morning of break, we had some girlfriends over for Breakfast and Hot Cocoa. The girls played a game, did a book exchange with used books and just had a blast.

 

 

Coming up...Christmas Eve & Christmas pictures!

10 things to give up...

My friend Amanda posted this article to Facebook. I loved it the moment I read it and could relate/agree with every one. These are 10 things to give up in the New Year in exchange for Happiness. I will strive for these; certainly I will fail at times but being positive is a habit and the more you try, the easier it becomes. Being positive will also lead to overall being a happier person. Hopefully sharing this article can help you in some way too...

I’m told happiness is a choice.

Unfortunately we complicate our lives to the point of being unable to recognize happiness when it appears before our eyes.

So how to clear the slate? Here are 10 things you’ll need to give up in exchange for your happiness.

1.  Give up caring what other people think of you. I know it seems counter intuitive as we humans are primal pack animals that don’t want to be cast from the village, but spending time worrying what others think, is a waste of energy. You’ll never please everyone and it’s none of your business what others think of you.

2. Give up trying to please everyone.  Unless you’re living life to the beat of your own drum, your tribe won’t be able to find you. Be the best version of you you can be, and you’ll naturally attract in the people that are supposed to surround you.

3. Give up participating in gossip. 100 percent of the time, those sharing gossip with you will gossip about you. Believing gossip is like gambling everything on a horse sight unseen. It’s naive.

4. Quit worrying. Where thoughts go, energy flows. Worry is investing time and energy in something you don’t want to have happen. Learn to let go and trust.

5. Let go of insecurity. When we take ourselves too seriously, we think everyone else does too. There is one version of you on the planet. Be it, own it and quit worrying about it. No one really cares or watches you that closely.

6. Stop taking everything personally. Truth is, most people are too consumed with their own life to really consider what you’re doing. As my first boss said so well: “The world doesn’t revolve around you. Most people’s reactions have nothing to do with you, so let it go.”

7. Give up the past. We’ve all been hurt, we all had parents that made mistakes and we’ve all been through hell. You didn’t listen to your parents when you were younger, so why are you still listening to their voices in your head now? Every experience in life has taught you something or made you stronger.

8. Give up spending money on what you don’t need in effort to buy happiness. Living simply allows the space for life to flow. We complicate our lives by spending too much money and filling our home with “things.” Less is truly more.

9. Give up anger. Anger burns a hole in the hand of the person still holding on to it. Move it out once and for all.

10. Give up control. Control is an illusion.  We live in an out of control world.  Learn to embrace the new and welcome change; otherwise you’ll grow old through your own rigidity. Learn to let go.