Mele Kalikimaka

Hooray for the models getting done, and giving us a Saturday work-free! We spent last Saturday at Hanalei, with cloudy skies and huge surf. Thanks, Nic, for letting us borrow your board. We wouldn't have survived out there with our huge longboard!I probably said "Zac" 15 times before finally giving up and snapping a few.

Brady helped out with this one.
Grandma and Grandpa Edwards sent us snow-themed 12 Days of Christmas this year! It served several purposes: we got a lot of cute stuff, we spoke with Grandma and Grandpa several times in Skype, and Zac learned what presents are all about. This was Zac's favorite: a snow globe. He kept saying, "Snow" again and again. Perhaps tomorrow he'll understand snow.

(See how in the pic below there is a shadow at the bottom? Brady's Christmas present this year will solve that!)

Boo: Zac's favorite hiding spot. He goes in there quietly, and says, "Where is it?" He then pops his head out and says, "There it is!"
I was bugged with Brady for not taking that many day-to-day pics (we have to keep up with Cory and Kristen's new camera work now). He immediately obliged by snapping some of Zac in action.

I'm a believer in your mad skills, baby!
I took my own advice and carted the enormous camera bag to the beach with me the next day. This is pretty much our daily outing and routine--and it always involves a sand shower.

Santa was scheduled to row the boat ashore at 3pm on Christmas Eve. At 2:50pm, it was poring rain, and we were (still) standing in line at Walmart. We missed him, but did some paddleboarding with the beach almost all to ourselves.

Brady in the background:

I challenge any 6 year old to an excitement contest on Christmas Eve. I'll win. I never sleep, giddy for the events of Christmas Day. It's so much worse now that I have a child! It was so much fun assembling gifts for him.

Brady wasn't a fan of this purchase, because he thinks it labels your yard as "white trash." I assured him it would stay out of the (front) yard.Oh yeah, we also bought new sectional couches with our free credit card points.Zac finally, finally, finally woke up--at 7:30am this morning. He was as stoked over Christmas as we hoped he'd be. Two-year-olds are more fun at Christmas than one-year-olds.

Funny story: Brady's big present this year was an external flash. Unfortunately, I wrapped his empty lens box, thinking it was the flash. Brady thought it was a joke, but I really didn't do it on purpose. For the next few panicked minutes, I checked every possible present-hiding place in the house, wondering if I inadvertently threw it away. I didn't!

This was our favorite gift to Zachary--a basketball hoop. He's never played with one, but he knew what to do without any instruction. 'At-a-boy, Luther!

Friends Matt and Megan (and Linnaea), and Chad and Mary came over for Christmas Brunch. Zac played with his best buddy just like old times.

Our initial plan was to head north and surf. Unfortunately, there is a 50' swell. If you don't believe me, look it up. Plan B: go to Poipu Beach. Poipu Beach, however, was as crowded as Waikiki. We are spoiled on Kauai, and don't believe in crowds. Instead, Chad and Mary showed us a new beach in Kekaha. The waves were nuts, and the undertow was worse! We spent the entire afternoon soaking it up, attempting to boogie board, making sand creatures, and playing football. Good times.