Christmas in Hawaii

It seems every Christmas since we've moved to Hawaii has been very different. This year I worked 12 hour night shifts on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Thankfully it was a good group of nurses that were also scheduled to work and so we had a pretty good time celebrating together.

Mark wasn't able to take the trip to the mainland, so we enjoyed Christmas morning with our two precious girls and our dear friend Kaye. Yes, we miss our family on the mainland, but still enjoyed the holiday season here. We are most thankful this Christmas that we have a Savior!


When I got home this morning from work I snapped some pics of the girls enjoying the mild Hawaii weather.

fun photos

Wanted to post a few photos. One is of me reading to all of the kids. It is very rare to see all four together and sitting still, so it was worth documenting!

The family went to the zoo! We had a good time, Lucy's favorite animals were the macaws.

Ella and SJ have left for the mainland to spend Christmas with everyone there.  We miss them, but I must say having only two kids for a little while is a nice break.

Merry Christmas everyone, or as we say here on the islands, 

MELE KALIKIMAKA!

Education

“Joy and happiness in living, a love of all existence, a power and energy for work … the need for imagination, a sense of truth and a feeling of responsibility, these are the forces which are the very nerve of education.”
-Rudolf Steiner

Saint John has been homeschool this past semester. We have both learned a lot from the experience. I have learned how little I enjoy teaching and how much I enjoy seeing my children among a class full of other children their age. I realized that I am not called to be a teacher, and that's okay! Saint John has learned that he misses seeing friends on a daily basis. Thankfully there is another acceptable option. Next semester SJ will be attending a Waldorf(www.hawaiiwaldorf.com ) school which is conveniently located near Ella's school. I am so thankful that he will be able to join a classroom full of other learners! This school, by the way, is looking for a 2nd/3rd grade teacher for next year if anyone knows anyone who might be interested.
Waldorf education tends to be very touchy/feely which may not work well for all students, such as very unmotivated ones. But thankfully, SJ is very bright and probably needs more touchy/ feely stimulation. He tested in the 98% for math and reading this year, so I think he will be just fine where ever he is. 

By the way, Lucy is going to be attending their pre-school program as well. She will be starting in January, and will be going 5 days a week. I don't know what I will do without her. Well, since I'm starting school, also, I'm sure I will have plenty to do! 

Geneva and Mama

Geneva is 4 months old!

Family outing

One of our favorite places, a place we call the lava field. The tide was really low so we were able to find and play with lots of hermit crabs. I think that is what Ella is holding in the second pic.                    
Mark wanted to show Geneva the waves and got a bit too close to the edge and got a good splash. Thankfully, Geneva didn't seem to mind very much.