Everyone is home...Yeah!!

Hello everyone.. I haven't had the creative mind as of late so that is why I haven't blogged much... ugh.. maybe the Hawaii air cleared my head too much.. :) Yesterday I picked up John and Addison from the airport and we are finally all home under one roof! It was wonderful having everyone home last night... interesting that we have been divided for a month with John being gone and then Addison at Gran and Odie's! Both Annabelle and Addison had a ball visiting their grandparents but I think they will confess they had as much if not more fun watching over the little ones! Hawaii was wonderful... even though I was only there 5 days, it was so nice to get away and spend some good quality time with John without the distraction of children! The whales were amazing and despite the cold weather, yes it was cool there, it was just amazing... We snorkeled and dove a few times.. on our last snorkel, the day we left, there was a monk seal on the beach.. they were always on the beach, anywhoo... while in the water the monk seal decided to take a dip and John and Todd were pretty much face to face with this monk seal.. freaked us all out for the most part but it was amazing... just after that I was snorkeling in a differnt location, a little more out to sea and swam upon a sea turtle.. we saw one while diving but this one was swimming like an angel and I even touched it! That was the best thing ever... next to being able to hear the whales sing while diving... So within about 20 minutes we swam with both a monk seal and a green sea turtle!! AMAZING... Honu is turtle in Hawaiian and Lynnda (my partner in crime in Hawaii) John and I are now all totally in love with the Honu... I will post some photos at the end of this post! Our flight home was interesting.. we flew from Kauai to LA to Denver to Nashville... the flight from Kauai to LA was interesting with a 16 month old (or two) sitting behind me .... remember the flight departs at 9:45 PM and you are supposed to sleep on the way home... that didn't happen.. in addition to the kidos, it was the bumpiest flight I think I have ever been on... turbulence the entire 5 hours, trying not to remind myself we are over water 100% of the flight... Once in LA no big deal getting to Denver.. Denver, however, was not so fun.. our flight was slightly late due to the fact that it was snowing like mad and we sat on the tarmac for 45 minutes waiting because the snow was so heavy the air traffic controller COULDN'T SEE the planes to direct them.. once we were cleared, which neither John nor I thought we would be, instead we figured we would be turned around and the airport would close, we taxied to the runway and scooted and slipped down... but made it off the ground.. Let me tell you, it was NOT fun and I have never prayed so much in my life.. I think if it weren't for the fact I hadn't slept in 24 hours I would have had a panic attack.. It was not not not fun.. Today is Bailey's birthday! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! :) and TOMORROW IS ANNABELLE'S! What a blessed few days we have with their birthdays as well as John's and my dear friend Luke's on the 2nd! We are having a small party at mom and dads tomorrow for Annabelle and I can't wait to see her face and hear her sing along to "happy birthday" because she will...:) Annabelle is certainly a little girl now.. she speaks in complete sentences now and you can actually have a conversation with her.. it is amazing and sad that my little girl isn't such a little girl anymore.. :( I am so proud of her too that she really has taken to going potty.. now, I think her motivation is "CANDY" "YOU GET CANDY WHEN YOU GO POTTY" is what she chants but heck, if she goes on the potty, she can have candy! I think she pee'd 8 times yesterday just to get candy... haha.. Addison slept well last night.. she went down at 9:30 and woke at 3:30.. then again at 6:30 but I was up and ready for some coffee so it wasn't so bad... She didn't eat at the 6:30 time just wanted to get up.... :) I feel like I am rambling... sorry.. We still have snow and ice on the ground.. driving to the airport yesterday there is a huge difference in what we got vs what Nashville got.. because of the cold weather nothing has melted here and we are still white! OK.. I know I am rambling now... :) Love to you all and a huge THANK YOU to Gran, Odie, Grammy, Papa and aunt Sharelle for all their help over the past month! I am so blessed to have to in my life and so thankful for you! Carolyn (and family) Turtle but not the one we saw... we had no water camera... :) Carolyn acting like a kid in her rental!! Monk seal on the beach where we snorkeled Roosters and hens all over the place! Na'pali coastline! Just amazing... Carolyn and John on the beach out front of our condo The view from our room! not too shabby... :)