Hawaii trip

Ahhh.... Isn't Hawaii amazing? I can't think of a place I'd rather be in all the world. There's just something mystical about it. We've taken our family to Maui a few times, so we decided to try something new. We stayed at the Ko'Olina beach club in Oahu. It was so beautiful. Great weather. Loved it. We spent the majority of our time exploring the island. There is so much to see in Oahu. 


Perfect way to start summer!


It always takes Joe a few days to unwind. He's in deep thought. Can you tell?

Bryn playing at the pool

The Dole Pineapple Plantation. Loved it!

The kids had so much fun playing together in the water. 

Mason got a sweet tattoo at the Polynesian Cultural Center. 

The girls played in the rocks for hours looking for hermit crabs. They had quite a collection by the end of the trip.

Oh man... we're in trouble with this one!

Had to check out the Disney Hotel with the girls!

BYU Hawaii. I think we may've convinced our older kids to go here. It's a beautiful campus!

Hawaii temple. It was literally glowing from the road. 

 Chan Chan the monkey man!

 Lil' Bryn sending hawaiian love...

Giovanni Shrimp shack. Best garlic shrimp I've ever had.  

The kids loved the PCC. Full day of fun and good food!

Chan finally caught a crab. They are fast lil' bugger!

We had such a great time. Hope we can go again someday!

Good bye 2011-2012 school year...

We are so ready for summer here at the Pia home. So ready. Beyond ready! I've never felt this way before. I'm usually excited for summer, but for some reason... I'm DESPERATE for summer this year!!! Desperate and exhausted! All 4 kids have had an extraordinary amount of homework and crazy schedules. I can't remember a more grueling school year. I can't help but think that it's not going to get any easier. The older the kids get, the busier we all get. What's up with that?

So goodbye to another school year and HELLO to summer. Thursday is the last day of school for the Pias because we're heading to HAWAII! Yippee!!!

I thought I better snap a few pictures to remember the last week of school. 

Bryn finished her first year of French. It's been a great year for her. She's improved immensely. I'm so glad we decided to have her participate in the French immersion program. It's been wonderful. She'll be fluent by 6th grade!

Gotta love first grader TEETH!!! Hee hee!

One of Bryn's classic faces. She's the queen of funny faces. We're constantly laughing at her!

Berkley's had a fantastic academic year. She's a lil' smarty pants. She sailed right thru 7th grade. She was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society last month and we're so proud of her. She's still dancing like a maniac and loving her friends to DEATH!!!!


This picture is so funny because she HATES her braces and won't smile with teeth showing. I got her laughing and she quickly covered her mouth. Funny girl!

Mr. Mason had a great school year as well. He had SO MUCH FREAKING HOMEWORK!!! I swear he was learning stuff the 6th graders learn. Man alive! He also played a bunch of basketball and now he's onto tennis for the summer. Mason hit a growth spurt this year and is growing like a weed!!!

It's hard to believe that Chan Chan will be a Senior next year. He's really matured the past 6 months. Really mellowed out! Phew! He's hoping to gain a bunch of weight over the summer. He's a lean, mean, fighting machine with a strong emphasis on the LEAN.  He had a great Lacrosse season and is one tough kid! Can't wait to see what he's capable of next year. LOOK OUT!!!

Well, goodbye 2011-2012 school year. I can't say I'm gonna miss you! Mahalo!!!!