If You Like Pina Coladas and Getting Caught in the Rain

We should have gone to Schofield Barracks for their festivities yesterday..but we didn't. We didn't because I don't love traffic..especially that late at night and coming from that far away. But, we stayed home and had a bit of fun of our own..though nothing was really planned. Shoot, it wasn't even until a couple of hours before fireworks started that I suggested we go to a peak across from where Orion works at Fort Shafter. One where you can see alllllll around. I figured we might be able to catch some fireworks up there and even if they were a little far away, it's a good introduction to them for the kids. The boys know fireworks from Kung Fu Panda. Dude, I know..worst mother ever. Listen, my kids have (I felt) been too small for the loud booms (not to mention that they start way past bedtime) so they hadn't seen any in person. I wasn't only depriving them..but myself, too, in that whole thing...and I *like* fireworks! They're exciting!


Anyway, pictures.

I don't think it's a surprise that I'm more comfortable behind the camera than I am in front of it. Unless I'm the one behind AND in front of it, I guess (ya'll know me for my self portraits haha). I get reaaalllyyyy shy if someone (even Orion) picks up my camera and starts taking pictures of me. I don't love it and I back down and turn into someone completely different than who I normally am.


Hi, I've birthed 2 babies and I'm thinking about another. (that's the other necklace Orion bought me on our date night. It's red stick coral..I tied the knot in it..it's not normally like that)

and then Orion picks up my camera and finally catches me being my silly self. I'm probably saluting all of the sailors. I'm patriotic that way.

but then I back down and get all shy. I'm sorry..I'm working on it.

pina coladas were the drink of the night. Yum yum yum! But you know because you're drinking pina coladas you're going to sing that dang song all night.

I'm still getting used to shooting at night. I don't love using the flash..and I'd forgotten I had the camera set and all ready to go to shoot fireworks with so the majority of the photos from last night are totally out of focus because der der me had it set to manual focusing and then didn't use it because der der I forgot. I'm trying, ya'll..be nice.

A fist of Doritos and red dirt (oh my gosh the red dirt..the boys were rolling around in it and I'm like..dude, get up. You don't do the laundry.)

We think these were the Hickam AFB fireworks.

We ended up on the peak I spoke of and were the first ones there. I think maybe 5 more cars pulled up after us..so that's cool. And HOW RANDOM IS IT that one of the few couples that were at Strong Bonds with us were parked next to us?? Orion doesn't think it's that weird..but I do. Of all the places you could go see fireworks here. Of all the people to be sitting next to and it's them? What are the odds?? Anyway, so the above picture is Maddox looking on at the little firework someone near us set off. Pretty cute.

Those would be Honolulu's..I think they're the Ala Moana ones really. Swell show.

We brought a picnic basket full of sandwiches, chips, and sushi to munch on during the show. Blankets for the boys to wrap up in. We sat under the gate under the van when it rained. When Orion pulled his chair out of it's bag and opened it up, there was a petrified looking frog sitting there..and I don't mean petrified as in scared. He thought it was a mouse at first..but I called it out as being a frog. He told me to go away and not look at it while he removed it. I guess he was trying to save me the scars or something..but dude, I already saw it and now I was curious. I talked about it all night and how he thought it maybe got to be the way it was. Maybe it hopped in after a bug? Maybe it was in the bag the last time Orion put it away (Memorial Day)? Maybe it went in and couldn't get out?

muddy faces two!



It was getting late and raining so we packed up and headed home. Driving back down into the crater to get to our house was pretty sweet..fireworks in bloom, neighbors lining the sidewalks watching the show glow sticks in hand, guys running into the street to set off their own fireworks and firecrackers. Maybe the best show was right here at home afterall.