BSU Soccer in Hawaii

What a weekend! A little bit of blast from the past mixed with some envy, but mostly just a fun change of pace! The BSU girls soccer team came to town to beat up on some UofH Wahine. This was the first conference game and boy did Boise represent. Friday night under the lights...final score 4-0. Tone and I got a babysitter so we did a little bit of celebrating with trainer "Chavez" and some friends after the game. Chavez was a former classmate of mine and the student trainer for the wrestling team back in the day when Tony and were student athletes. Now he's livin' it up as the soccer head trainer. Like I said...blast from the past!

I took Darby to their practice on Thursday before the game, which was a lot of fun. I miss that intensity every now and then! Being a fine tuned soccer machine is behind me...that's for sure! However, that practice and that game definitely motivated me on a different level. Darbs took a LONG nap after running around chasing soccer balls and playing in mud.

The finale to the weekend was Saturday at Kailua Beach Park. We hosted the team, coaches, trainers, and parents on our side of the island...the awesome side! Since they weren't scheduled to leave until the Saturday red eye flight, I thought it would be fun for them to get out of Waikiki and spend the afternoon surrounded by white sand and crystal blue water. Tony and I provided some food and drinks, packed up Darby, our boogy boards, snorkels, frisbee's galore...ready to enjoy a day in PARADISE!  ALOHA!!!! Hopefully everyone had a good time and full bellies!!! (I forgot how much soccer players eat...luckily there was enough to go around!)  Oh yeah...thank goodness they won!  Saturday would have been much different with a grumpy head coach Steve! 

The team, trainer, coaches and the D'Amicos...we snuck in on this team shot :)


Assistant coach Mark, and trainer Chavez sunning themselves. I thought it was funny??? (Chavez is his nickname from back in the day.)

This was where the girls camped out for about 4 hours. Hotel towels and cool travel carry on bags with their numbers, cluttering the beach. I wanted one!

The spread! I had intentions to decorate, but this plan was kind of last minute. You're looking at some kalua pig, fresh Dole pineapple, Korean chicken, rice, Taro rolls, and pasta salad. Thank you Kailua Food Company for the splendidly good meat!!! I did the rest courtesy of Costco.

 

Darby LOVED watching the girls play frisbee. 

Darby hangin' with Stephanie.

She HAD WAYYYYY too much fun!  Some of her friends came to our little shindig and of course their toys were much cooler than hers.

What a great Saturday!!!  We ended the day crashing on the couch watching DVR'ed college football.  PERFECT! 

GO BRONCOS!!! Leave the WAC as 2X CHAMPS!

Our "Sea Stallion" Stud

Last weekend the Blue Angels were in town performing at Kaneohe Bay.  It was pretty sweet watching them fly over the house all week...despite the constant nap interruptions. 

Friday Darbs and I loaded up the stroller and spent the afternoon watching all kinds of coolness - from aerobatic planes to speedy, sleek Raptor jets.  However, the best part of the day was watching Tone and some of his comrades fly the mighty Sea Stallion, CH 53-D.  They did their thing, entertaining the crowd with a little war simulation that kept us on our toes :)  Darby did pretty well with all the noise and kept pointing to the sky saying "dadda" whenever there was some sort of aircraft flying high...(she wasn't a fan of the earplugs though).  My camera had little battery juice, so unfortunately I didn't get a ton of pics.  I DID capture most of Tone's act on video...something to look back on! 

Darby was LOVIN' the freedom to run around the flight line...up and down the bleachers.

 There he is...FLYING over the BA's...scenery couldn't be more PERFECT!

Loading up the troops.

My friend who lives up on "Hill Top" took this picture and sent it my way.  What a FANTASTIC day of flying.



Life is Good

Tone and I were a little nervous about Boise State being on the cover of the College Football Preview...the curse of the cover.  I suppose the curse has been broken?  Monday's win against VaTech couldn't have been sweeter!

Cliche yet so true..."Once a Bronco, Always a Bronco!"  That has even deeper meaning for a former student athlete...I know my "peeps" out there would agree :) 

So, with Monday starting out the week in grand fashion, the mood around our house has been rather upbeat.  I was driving behind a jeep today with a tire cover that read "Life is Good."  Touche!  I also just came across a nice little positive note while doing my evening blog reading.  I'm surrounded by good joojoo, so I'll go ahead and pay it forward! 

Mac Nut Farm...Finally!

So, we're trying to complete our "Things to do in Hawaii Before we Leave" list.  It has become a never ending list since there is just way TOOOOOO much to do with too little time and babysitters...oh well!  I've checked much of the list off by myself and with Darby, being that Tone has been gone almost half of the time we've "lived" here.  That said, time is precious when he's available to come along for an adventure or two. 

Sunday's adventure was the short and sweet tour at the Macadamia Nut Farm...the sight of many Hollywood scenes ranging from Lost to 50 First Dates and Along Came Polly to Gilligan's Island.  Hollywood loves the scenery and the privacy that comes with privately owned land...

Darby had a splendid time learning about the state of her birth!  Actually, I'm thinking her favorite part was watching all of the chickens come out of nowhere when the coconut "cracked". 

Our Tour Guide....Haleakamakelapualyapunakakey.....or something like that.

OOhhhhhhh....Making Fire!

Darby got scared of the loud music and fire so daddy had to hold her.

Cracking that Coconut Open.  Your kitchen knife won't work!

Drinking the coconut "juice".  The greener the coconut before cracking the sweeter the juice.  The browner the coconut before cracking the more meat!!!  The meat is what turns into coconut milk. 

Darby likin' the coconut milk/meat. 

Darby and I got some headbands made "fresh."  Can't really see hers.  Here we are in front of the Koolau Mt. Range...looks Jurassic Park-esc...that's cause it is!!!

Sugar Pineapple farm.

So focused on the show...our little Hawaiian stinker!

How did we not even get a family shot?  What was I thinking...

Next time...

the end.

The World at Her Fingertips!

The past few months have been busy...busy....Darb's has sure been busy exploring.  I kind of like having to think like a kid again...and it's only just begun :)

July at the Botanical Gardens in Kaneohe...

 

Darby's buddy Harper moved back! Yay for another girl!!

The Black Pearl/Queen Emma's Revenge were docked in K-Bay for filming.  Darby was super excited to check out the "ship"...ha!  Not the best picture and no Jonny Depp sitings, but still kind of cool.

See how excited she is??? Great Uncle Jeff is just thrilled!  Tony's Aunt Julie and Uncle Jeff came for a nice visit in August and were jumping out of their shoes for some Pirates of the Caribbean action...HA!

Darb's finally got to check out Daddy's "office"!  The mighty 53D.

First time she was allowed to play in dad's tools.  That kept her busy for an hour...

Goin' to town on corn on the cob.  Too bad she spit everything out about 10 minutes later?  Not sure about that???

Always takin' care of her baby.  Our little nurturer!

Trek up to the North Shore.  Grass Skirt Grill was pretty tasty.

Jeff and Julie definitely spoiled Darby.  Darby pushed that stroller all over Haliewa thanks to uncle.  How's the back feeling Jeff?  I think Jeff's backside was in all the pictures this Asian couple took of the Darbs as she pushed the stroller.  Funny...

The mighty Sadie riding some waves at Kailua Beach.  She was one tired pooch.

Aunt Julie and Darby getting some quality time.  Darby and Sadie were sad to see them leave.

Oh LORD!  Sunglasses and handbags and credit cards and shoes.  How did this happen???

She's such a hoarder???  How many more buckets does she need?

Playing in her old car seat.  I can't believe that thing once swallowed her.  She's getting so big!

Her first field trip with play group to the Honolulu Aquarium.  She really liked the jelly fish and monk seals and pushing the stroller.  Here she's pointing to all of the fishies.

Finally...Dad gets to go on an excursion.  What does this mean?  TRIP TO THE ZOO!

She LOVED this tunnel through the fish tank.

Petting zoo.  She didn't want to leave the poor old goat alone.  Our little animal lover...

THE END...For now!  I'm tired...

Darby the HAM!

MISS PERSONALITY!!

Darby is a HAM.  Her smile/grin is contagious and that giggle of hers...oh man!   I can't get enough and it makes me sad that family and friends are so far away, because pictures and a video here and there just don't do "Her Hamness" any justice...

Notes to myself so that I'll NEVER forget these PRECIOUS, simple, MOMENTS...:

• Darby the busy body.  One minute she's in the cupboard taking out all of the tupperware, then all of a sudden she's bringing me a pair of her shoes from the bedroom that she wants to wear??  Wait, now she's outside "pruning" my plants??  I can't keep up ~~~~
• Darby the jibber jabberer.  She's so matter-of-fact and the sounds she makes...too cute! 
• The random, out of nowhere, hugs and kisses.  They melt my heart.  (I got a lot of these today!)
• Running to me, arms open wide, when she hasn't seen mama in a while.  I'll never get tired of that...
• Darby the ROCKER!  She's a dancing fiend the minute music fills the air.  LOVE IT!!!  We dance to our iPod playlist at least once a week. 
• Darby the waiver and the clapper.  She loves to clap when she follows my directions or accomplishes something COOL. 
• Darby the ANIMAL LOVER. She and Sadie Dog are the best of friends.  Actually, I think Sadie makes her laugh more than anyone else. 
• Darby's cute little tongue - It's always out when she's focusing...it's just so little.
• My little water chugger.  I love the way she holds her sippy as she drinks out of the straw.  Her tiny little hands can't fit around the whole cup. 
• Darby the nurturer.  She sure takes care of her babies...puts them in her car seat, high chair, stroller...dresses them, feeds them and covers them with little blankies.  She's going to be a great big sister someday. 
• My little cuddler.  I love the way she places her blankie on my shoulder, grabs her baby, and then lays her head on my shoulder as we get those last cuddles and songs in before bed.  I LOVE HER! 

I know there are so many more, but this will have to do for now...

Darby, my perfect angel baby dumplin.  I hope to never forget these simple moments...they don't last forever...