Making a vacation out of our roadtrips

Life has been so crazy lately but we extended our road trips. Our trip to St. George we decided to travel a little further and stay in Mesquite, NV cheap fun (hehehe) Get your mind out of the gutter this is a family trip.
Malulani HAD to take a picture next to a cactus-this is the best we could do. We were only traveling 65 mph on the freeway when we hit the brakes. No big deal!

The kids wanted to play at the park (as if we don't have parks at home) and swim, and swim, and swim! But who blames them it was 106 pretty much the whole time! Maile actually swam and swamMy cute nephew (aka water baby) and my little bro

On the way back we stopped to see my Grandma. Maile love Grandma Dean but from far away so this is huge :)

I {Heart} Grandma Dean ♥

My Grandma Dean is not in the best health and so she was unable to attend her daughters funeral. My Grandma is one of my hero's! She has out lived two of her children and her husband (not that I want to-that is one of my worse fears...to out live my ohana). My Grandpa died 21 yrs ago and she has carried on. She did everything on her own. She is amazingly strong and devoted. She is one of the best examples to me. Grandma Dean now lives in St. George so, we had a memorial service for my aunt for my grandma's sake. Man that's tough basically having two funerals. The great grand kids all ran to greet Grandma Dean! My cute Bree trying to keep Grandma Dean cooled off. It was only 101 in the shade! Yes this is my crazy brother! Most of the great grand kidsMost of the grand kids

I want to be just as cute when I get old :)

In Loving Memory of Cathy Marlow

After a week of hearing that my aunt was not doing good, we finally got the new that my cousin had to pull the plug and she passed away. She has been widowed about 15 years. As hard as it was to hear the news I'm glad she is with her husband.So my family and I took a road trip to Page, Arizona. She was cremated. I forgot to tell my kids that there was just ashes of her. So as Aubree and Dallin are looking at all the pictures my niece said, "She is in that container" my kid argued with her and then came to tattle on her. Boy that was hard to explain. Aubree started to cry because she got burned into ashes (even tho I told her she didn't feel a thing)! Note to self : Prepare your kids more and they won't make a scene.My Aunt T grand kids Tayor and AlyssaMy Aunt grew up in Hawaii but she wasn't Hawaiian. She had a great love for the culture. We had a luau after the service.

Funerals pull family together-I was able to visit with family I never knew and family I don't get to see very often. My little nephew that I have only seen one other time!My cousin has a Harley! He is younger than me and owns his own bike (paid for) :( So he took everyone for a ride. Something his dad use to do with us!Dave taking Maile around the block!

My cousin and I (wow what 15lb heavier looks like) Someday, someday I will have one of my own

Maile and two of her cousins-Makayla and Parker

On the Road again.....

Quick trip to Page, Arizona aka Lake Powell. Although we never went in the lake too much to do. My cousin needed to reroof his roof. So it wasn't exactly all fun especially for Dave!

Here is Dave and Maile on the roof. I think I was more nervous than her. She has no fear...ok maybe to strangers.
Since Maile went up so did some of the other kids. There's Dave the Paul J (my cousin), My two girls then Taylor (my cousins daughter), and Tony aka Uncle Funny (my bro).

It's rare if I even get Maile to look at the camera let alone smile. I am sure I take way too many pictures.

This is my bros girlfriend, Demi, I took some preggo pictures. She is 34 wks along and she looks the same way I do when I am about 20 wks. The really cool thing about them having a baby is that Malulani gets to name him!!!!

This is the "Beehive" if you look at it at the right angle it really looks like one.

Needless to say a short trip L O N G drive. In those six hours the was a lot of "are we there yet" (manly from me) catching up on this and that. Dave was trapped in that car and no where else to go so, he got to hear me go on and on....and on. Lots of air guitars and air drumming being played by yours truly! The kids did really well! I think I was there entertainment...............

And this is me being bored!!!! I wanted to see how a dog feels when he sticks his head out a window.

Dave couldn't believe that I wanted to do this let alone that I am posting it. But the kids where amused. I wanted them to do it to but Dave was right maybe not the safest for them! I wanted the whole lip flapping in the wind-oh well. Now I see why dogs get sooo thirsty. JEALOUS? DON'T HATE I look good :)

....Now I know you want to try it!!!