Pizza Night

The proud boys and their mini pizzas... you might notice that KK's was half eaten before he finished the job. 

The best/worst part?! (That remains a secret?!)  while the boys were in the tub, Leo jumped up on the counter and ATE BOTH OF THEIR RAW PIZZAS!!! I did some quick mommy magic and reconstructed them from the big guy- shockingly, Lance didn't even notice. It was a close one!!

Busy Summer

It has been an incredibly busy summer that has included trips to CA and Kona, visits from cousins and grandparents, big boy undies, a new school for Lance, lots of busy workdays for Stef, and a new puppy.
Whew.
I guess I've been a little overwhelmed.  Or I should say, more overwhelmed than usual.
Anyway, when I start feeling "behind" on the ol' blog, I feel even MORE overwhelmed.  Which is why it has taken me over three months to write a single post!  Hopefully I've caught the gist of it though, and hopefully everyone will appreciate seeing the pics of how much the boys have grown this summer.  It truly has been a whirlwind.

Papa and Grandma Kathie

What a treat it was to have Papa and Grandma Kathie here for a whole week.  A treat for Stef and I , but also for the boys who have not stopped asking about them since they left last week.  Kiran, in particular, must have asked at least five times in the two days after they left where they were and when they were coming back... 

needless to say, it was a great visit with lots and lots of quality time.  Stef and I got to surf together a record breaking THREE times in one week (thank you, thank you, thank you!) and Stef got some needed catching up time with his dad.  

I know I say it every time, but having family around is truly so important and special for us.  We are so grateful!

"For the Monkeys"

The high school down the street from us is building a new gym, and KK is sure that the new structure is, in fact "for the monkeys."  Every time we drive by, he excitedly exclaims that this enormous new building is being created for his friends, the monkeys and then goes on to describe what they will do in there, including eating bananas, swinging, etc.
Poor guy.
I haven't quite figured out how to break the news...

Camping!

Second annual trip to Volcano campground with the Gomez Ohana!

Scooter Men

Workin' (and bragging about my hubby)

In case any of you were wondering, things have definitely not slowed down for Stef, work wise.  His practice is incredibly busy and he is doing his best to maintain the work/life balance that lots of working parents struggle with.  Working as a primary care doctor in Hilo certainly has it's challanges, but on the bright side, Stef is getting to run his own business and practice medicine "his way" for the most part.  I feel so proud of my hubby for what he has built here.  Not having more time together as a family is something that all four (seven?!) of us struggle with regularly, but the comments I get from friends, acquaintances, and strangers in the grocery store about what an incredible doctor Stef is really help remind us all of how much he is helping our community.

Recently, an article was written in a Hawaii magazine about our very own Dr. Harmeling, and I couldn't let it go without sharing with all of his biggest fans...
Read It!
My favorite part about the article is how clearly Stef's voice comes through- doesn't it just sound exactly like him?

We are so proud of you, Dr. Stefan Carl Harmeling!

McLaughlin Fest 2013

It was another week full of cousins, beaches, pool, sisters, brothers, laughs, tears, swims, talks, dance parties, and QT.
the highlight for the kids was probably the night when they all decided to jump in the pool with their clothes on..

Nini made us all special family tree t-shirts that were a real hit with everyone!

Can't wait to see what 2014 brings!

Big Boy

Kiran is officially a "big boy."  He'll  be the first to let you know that "KK not need diapers" and that he wears "UNDIES!!!"

We are so proud of you, big boy Kiran!

Full House

It's official.
We have a full house.

And a new addition...  Leo! Leo Leo Bo Beo, as he is mostly known at this point, joined the family at the beginning of June right after we got back from California.  It was somewhat spur of the moment, and somewhat something that Stef and I had been talking about.
With Moses getting older, we'd recently started feeling a little bit of time pressure to find a puppy so that that lucky little dog would be able to learn from the best dog on the planet (Moses, of course)...
it just so happened that on Stef's birthday I decided to check out the puppy ads on craigslist and came across these adorable German Shorthaired Pointers which was one of the breeds that we had talked about.

Well, if you know my husband, you know that the rest is history.

Leo came home with us on June 7 at 8 weeks old and he has fit right into the craziness on Punahele Street.

He's a chewer, but not a destroyer; he looks up to Moses with all of his heart; he tries to engage Koko when he has the nerve; he thinks that Lance is his brother; he loves to eat slugs, poo, and anything that smells nasty; he is crazy for the water and is already an excellent swimmer; he loves to chew on sticks, leaves, cabinets, and anything woody; he loves to sneak out of our yard; and most importantly, he has brought our full attention and life back to all three dogs in our family. He's also brought a new level of frustration and impatience to our "quiet evenings" after the boys have gone to bed.
But-  It's true what they say about the whole love thing.  Just when I think I am too overwhelmed to do or take care of one more thing, along it comes and wow-it's impossible not to love this little guy with all that I have...

Auntie Libby

Our dear and MUCH loved sitter recently moved back to the mainland and it was a very teary goodbye (mostly for me I'll have to admit...).
Libby was quite possibly one of the most special and loving people our boys have been lucky enough to develop a relationship with.  She's been with us since Kiran was just six months old and saw him through learning how to eat, learning how to nap, learning how to talk, crawl, and walk, and was able to watch the relationship between Lance and Kiran develop into a special friendship.  All of this while being an incredibly fun, loving, playmate/auntie that we will miss for years to come.

It was with HUGE gratitude that we said goodbye to Libby in June.   Our doors will always be open to you, Auntie Lib!  I have a feeling you'll be back to play in the years to come with kids of your own. :)

Kiran is TWO!!

A sweet get together with friends to celebrate two love filled years of Kiran Whitney James!!!