Grandparenting

We were on grandparent duty all week.  Dan's son Korey and his wife Metta (who are stationed in Japan) had a week-long training at Hickam AFB for new commanders, and the whole family came to visit Hawaii for the first time.  We offered to let their three young children - Ian (9), Scott (7) and Paige (4) - stay at our apartment while they were at the lodging quarters on base.  We've had small children living here before, but it was always with their parents, so this was a new mission experience for us.  

Sugar cookie decorating for Easter

It's a challenge keeping three active youngsters busy and entertained enough so they aren't fighting with each other in a small apartment like ours.  The only solution was to get them out of the house doing fun and interesting things that they all enjoyed.  That meant we spent a lot of time at the beach.  They loved splashing in the water and playing in the wet sand.  One of our greatest accomplishments in the past few weeks was to make it through three consecutive afternoons on the beach with three fair-skinned children and no sunburn! 

Paige playing in the sand

Ian splashing in the ocean

We visited a macadamia farm where they had a chance to sample many different kinds of flavors and try their hand at cracking open some macadamia nuts.  We also had an enjoyable day at the Children's Discovery Center in Honolulu.  Our grandchildren are bright and inquisitive, so this was the perfect way for us to help them explore dozens of things about science, the human body and the world around us.  Another fun morning for all of us (before it started raining) was an Easter egg hunt.

Scott the macadamia nutcracker

After their parents concluded their training class,  we went bowling on Friday and spent all day Saturday in Laie at the Polynesian Cultural Center.  We had to put most of our usual service activities on hold while our family was here, but we still managed to do some fun things with our seminary students and the missionaries. 

Metta and Paige after the Ha Breath of Life show at the PCC

Cathy had the opportunity to head up a relief society activity in one of the wards in the stake.  The sisters made blankets for foster children and cards for children with cancer.  She has been working with 2 non-profit organizations our whole mission.  It was a memorable evening seeing the sisters performing service for those in need.

Relief Society sisters from the Kailua Ward