Eden’s school symphonic band had their first concert last weekend with a few other local schools. They sounded great and she had a fun time! Next up: Christmas concert.
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Eden’s first band concert
This song was called Pacific March Eden and her good friend Jasmine, who plays Baritone Saxiphone -
Happy Halloween 🎃
Carved pumpkins 
Pumpkins after 2 days 🫠 
Trunk or treat at school 
K-Pop DH house was a hit! Our street on Halloween – constant traffic from 6-8
A local house turned into a Harry Potter set! Donations went toward the Maui/Lahaina rebuild. They had 3D printed galleons to spend around the place – wands at Ollivanders, candy at Honeydukes, potions, butter beer…it was all so impressive!
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Fall things
Graham got a Q1 award! 
Mountains showing off 
Brooks graduated to yellow belt 
North shore day trip – crepes to start 
Pipeline 
Field trip with Eden’s class to the Bowfin submarine at Pearl Harbor 
A chicken showed up limping so Olivia took it in and now it lives in our flower bed 🤣 
Coffee tour and tasting – something we got at the school auction. Super informative and fun! 
Laser tag 
Flag football has begun! 
The girls did a youth group campout at Kualoa Beach park – more pics to come 
They had a beautiful first night, some rain on night 2 but overall had a great time! -
Elle & Micah visit!
We all were excited to have more family visitors! Enjoyed beach, hiking, swimming, snorkeling, surfing, fishing, puzzling, biking, and playing together. Aaron, Micah and our friend John caught some fresh Mahi for us!
Shave ice after the beach! 
Snorkel day 
Monk seal came up to say hi at the end of the day 
Elle wanted to try all the Kailua coffee shops! 
The three peaks from a distance – we just hiked the first, on the right. 
This is why we only hiked the first… 
Coffee reward 🤩 
The kids wanted to take them out to hibachi! 
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Eden turns 13 🎉
For a while now, we’ve talked about doing special one-on-one trips when our kids hit 13. Eden had been planning her trip for a while, and chose to go to LA! So mom and E went from Kauai to LA while Dad and the others flew back to Oahu.
We packed a lot in our 4 days:
- Warner Bros Studio tour
- Phillies vs. Dodgers game at Dodgers stadium (unfortunately game 5, not game 4)
- Universal Studios Hollywood
- Academy of Motion Pictures museum
- Santa Monica Pier
- Mountain and coast drive to see rodeo drive, Hollywood sign, Pepperdine and the remains of the Malibu fires
A packed full trip and lots of fun and special time with my not so little girl (she’s now taller than me)!
Prop building 
Prop house – lamps 
Prop house – phones 
Central Perk from Friends 
Harry Potter potions 
Harry’s room under the stairs 
Sorting hat: Eden got…Ravenclaw 
Sign we weren’t allowed to take into the stadium 😆 
Didn’t want to take a picture in front of all the dodgers fans (some who booed us every time we got up) 
Tough tough way to end after 11 innings but a beautiful night and fun to see their stadium 
The Harry Potter ride and world was the highlight! 
And the Oscar goes to… 
Had to browse at a bookstore! 
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Kauai for fall break
Game room had puzzles to take so me and Olivia were happy! 
Hanalei Bay, our favorite! 
Woke up to the roosters each morning 
Happy 13th Eden 🥳 
Found the spot Aaron and I found in 2019 
Dad squeezed in some history 
Our friends joined for fall break! 
Na Pali coast 🤩 
Football always 
Jumping off the famous pier in Hanalei Bay! -
Island Life
Exploring new things on the island
- Old Pali Road hike
- West coast beaches
- Kane’ohe Bay sandbar
- Evenings at Castles
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Grammy’s 90th
A whirlwind weekend trip to celebrate one very special lady turning 90 – our Grammy Balmer! the entire family made the trip to Maryland for a fun weekend of games, memories and family time. We are so thankful to have friends for family and a Grammy who has been an encourager and supporter for our entire family. She’s generous, selfless, funny and never stops giving her time and energy for those she loves. The fact that my kids get to be loved so well by her is such a gift. What a blessing to call her Grammy!
Gangs all here! 
Intense cousin Gaga game 
“Guess that kid” trivia game for Grammy with her 6 kids 
Family kickball game 
Sunday hymn sing with Grammy on the piano 
Jess’s delicious birthday cake 
Great grandkid poem 
Grandkids 
Infamous 12 Days song by the grandkids, Grammy edition 
Uncle Dwane and Karli hosting a game show with family/Grammy trivia 
The “8” year olds 
Grammy and (almost all of) her grandkids (14/15 pictured) 
Grammy and (almost all of) her great grandkids (19/21 pictured) 
Cousins + Grammy 🥰 -
We got a pet…
Meet Nani 😻
We adopted Nani (“Nah-nee”) from the Hawaii Humane Society. Olivia very quickly picked her up and said “we need to get her!!”
Can you tell everyone loves her and she’s very helpful when trying to get work done?!
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Family visit!
Aaron’s sister and family visited before dropping Isaac at college in CA! Packed a lot in before and after their trip to Kauai and the kids had SO MUCH FUN hanging with their cousins!
- Hanauma Bay snorkel day complete with monk seals and the humuhumunukunukuapuapa (Hawaiian star fish)
- Hike up to a WWII pillbox to look out on Kane’ohe Bay
- Beach time for surfing, boogie boarding and swimming
- Kizuna hibachi dinner for uncle Dave’s bday 🥳
- Luau, birds and dolphins at Sea Life Park
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Back to Hawaii
- Arrived back on July 29 to a tsunami warning – had a hard time getting home – roads were backed up and cars were all over the shoulders along roads and highways. Our neighborhood had evacuated so pulled up, got in our truck and drove inland to a park where we sat and waited for a couple of hours to ultimately realize nothing was happening here. We were exhausted but thankful to be safe and back in our house after the long day of travel.
- Hit some of our favorite spots and surfed Waikiki in the final days of summer
- School started on August 5 (younger 3) & 6 (Eden) – Eden is at Kailua Intermediate School this year, excited for her band and broadcasting electives. It’s a change: 800+ kids across 7th & 8th grade 😳
- Kane’ohe Bay Air Show was in town August 8-10. Got to see (and hear!) from our yard and roof the blue angels and F-22 Raptor as they practiced and performed Thursday – Sunday. We went on base different times to watch (Graham and Oliv had a field trip there with school too) – incredible to see it up close!
Our house was in the yellow right next to the red at about 12:00 
Card all along the shoulder 
Sunrise shack! 
Olivia surfing Queens in Waikiki 
2nd grade 
4th grade 
6th grade 
7th grade 
Back on Castles 
F-22 
Blue Angels Our exit into Kailua on the night of the tsunami – card parked and tents pitched along the shoulder! -
East Coast Summer
After school was out, we spent a week and half here before heading back for the east coast for a packed summer visit!
- LOTS of coursing time!
- Weeks at the lake with friends and family
- LOTS of pool time!
- Brooks turns 7 (and got up on the wakeboard!)
- Bergey mountains
- Friend reunions in PA and MA
- Roadtrip to New England
- 4th of July in Maine at Grandpa and Marthe’s with cousins
- Got to visit Buddy (briefly)
- Visited our house before new tenants moved in
- Birthday dates with uncle Josh and Poppop
- Play dates with friends (not all pictured!)
- Phillies game (kids got a ball from Rojas!)
- Eden went to camp conquest for a week
We crammed A LOT in and it was exhausting but so great to see and spend time with so many people we love in places we love 💕
Photos in order from June & July! Flew back July 29 for the start of school on August 5.
Hawaii Vogelzangs 