The Simmons Crew: 03.10

While we were in Hawaii, we got the exciting news that Derek has been admitted a spot in the Haas Business School at Cal Berkeley! I seriously couldn't be more proud of him! He put in two hard years of late nights, money spent, grueling tests, proofreading essays, researching and applying to schools more than once.....and it was ALL worth it! These past two years have been so competitive to get into any Grad School (with all the job losses) let alone a top 10.

So we'll be moving back up to Northern California sometime in August to start a new adventure in our lives. We really like it up there, and still have some friends in the area and I feel totally comfortable moving there. Now we just need to register liberal democrat, get our birkenstock's out, stop shaving and buy cloth diapers for the babies.

Congratulations Sweetheart...you deserve it! Go Bears!

We just got back from sharing the aloha and and miss it so much! We had a hectic house full of 8 adults and 6 kids under the age of 4. It was an extension of a trip we took with two of the other couples four years ago but this time added one more family and lots more kids! Most of the guys met at BYU Hawaii together, and have been great friends and surfing buddies since.

The house itself was perfect. It had two fully liveable levels, each with 2 bedrooms, a bath, a kitchen and a living room. It had a nice grassy backyard, and best of all, sat right on pipeline. So we could enjoy the view and the beach even during kids' naps :)

The kids had so much fun playing in the yard (we found a mini pool and filled it with water) and wandering down to the beach. The weather overall was beautiful- typical Hawaiian weather of rain and shine. There are a lot of photos (we took hardly any pictures the last time around) so consider yourself warned.

Right on the beach at pipeline, the water formed a sort of pool some of the days, which was perfect for the kids (and adults too!)

The waves got big for the last few days of the trip, which the boys loved and it was fun to watch!

My parents also happened to be there for some of the time as well. My dad travels to Oahu a lot on business, and my mom decided to tag along so we could see each other! They stayed on the West side at the JW resort so we spent the good part of a day with them enjoying the lagoons, lunch, and pools. It was an amazing set-up! Jack was enamored with the construction going on next door (a Disney resort is being built). I wish I took more pictures, but we were having too much fun!

*Jack is a pretty good mix of Derek and I, but seeing him next to my Dad proves the strong Bills genes!

On Sunday we went to the best breakfast place... Boots N' Kimos in Kailua. If you are ever on Oahu- definitely worth the trip! I had the best french toast with their infamous mac nut syrup....DElicious! My parents met us there (well luckily they beat us and put names in for everyone so we hardly had to wait!)

After breakfast we tried to catch a sacrament meeting... long story, one lost family and 2 chapels later, we ended up having our own mini sacrament meeting with the sweet bishop and kind priests.

We then stopped to look at beautiful Lanikai beach....if only it wasn't Sunday and Jack wasn't asleep....we would have loved to rent kayaks and hung out!

We continued up the coast to this Buddhist temple- beautiful setting and beautiful structure!

We then stopped at one of our favorite places on Oahu, the Macadamian Nut Farm. They have tons of nut samples to taste, and the best dried coconut!

Of course we drove through BYU Hawaii for a trip down memory lane for the boys, and a visit to the temple. The kids were so happy to get out and run around...they went nuts!

gotta love how enthusiastic Jack is to be at the Temple :)

Rocky Point Beach.

*so this is one of Jack Johnson's kids with McKay. His mom rented us our house and lives next door....one day Linds and I were outside with the kids, and Jack J. walks over to our yard with two of his kids and introduced himself and talked to us for like 15 minutes. Then the next day at a beach a ways down, he and his wife and kids set up camp right next to us and we chatted some more. Couldn't be nicer! I didn't have a camera, nor wanted to bother him, so a few of the girls got at least one sneaky shot for proof.

Auden's birthday was the day we arrived, so we had the kids make cupcakes.....Jack dove right in, literally, and became the messy kid. Isn't that the only way to eat a cupcake?

Two little monkeys swinging from a tree

This is what happens when you go on a bikeride and get caught in a Hawaiian rainstorm

Some of us were upstairs one night talking, when we look over and see Micah passed out on the floor like this. It was hilarious! And nothing would wake him up....he must have been so tired!

These two were little buddies. Jade seems so sweet and innocent, but she can certainly keep up with Jack's curiosity and devious ways! They were quite the pair! (and wouldn't I love them to really be a pair some day!)