This is how my day started...

Yes, 14 years. Can you believe it?!?! Keola surprised me with dinner at the Blue Duck Tavern! We've always said that we wanted to try one of those restaurants from Food Network (one of our favorites!!). Well, our anniversary was the perfect date to S*P*L*U*R*G*E*
Here's Lillie trying to look calm and serene.

This is not a great picture, but we had to get at least one picture of the action in the open kitchen. This picture was taken from our table. It was neat to watch all the cooking going on.

Here's our first course...Foie Gras Brulee with rhubarb, strawberry, and homemade brioche. SOOOO, delish!!! It literally tasted like creme brulee, then you got the hint of foie gras, with the sweetness of the fruit. And let's not forget the homemade brioche!! And this was only the beginning!!

With that start, we couldn't WAIT for the main course!! Well, it didn't disappoint. I had braised beef ribs, Keola had oven-roasted Maine scallops, we shared creamy polenta with blue cheese and garden fresh young carrots with a maple syrup glaze, AND Lillie had the same carrots with Mac-n-Cheese!! No, the restaurant did NOT offer a kids' menu, but Daddy was on top of things and made some mac-n-cheese for his little girl and we smuggled it in!

So now you may ask, did we have room for dessert? OF COURSE!! We weren't about to go to a top notch restaurant and NOT have the best part! So we ordered 3 scoops of homemade honey vanilla ice cream with homemade chocolate sauce (for Lillie - of course). Keola and I shared THIS...a seriously delicious apple pie.

Here are the chefs at work.

Look at these luscious apple pies and berry cornmeal cobblers on the left, just waiting to be devoured!!

Oh so wonderful! Here's the lovely anniversary couple. Oh, I forgot one sort of funny thing. Once we were seated in the restaurant, we were admiring all the surroundings, and I heard a *pop*! Well, I didn't think anything of it, until our waiter came by the table and said, "I hear we are celebrating an anniversary." Once he said that, I knew EXACTLY what I heard. The waiter then proceeded to put champagne glasses down, and said, "we would love to celebrate with some bubbly". At which point, Keola had to let him down gently that we don't drink alcohol. Which he kindly replied, "No problem, that's why I wanted to ask first." I guess he meant, to ask before he started pouring, but I thought, poor guy should have asked before they popped the bottle!! Oh well, maybe some other lucky couple was able to enjoy the bubbly.

Of course, it may have been our anniversary, but we had to end with a picture of the best part of our marriage!

Happy 4th of July!!

Who needs fireworks, when you have a brand new semi-public swimming pool facility!

Lillie was LOVING the water and trying out all the new skills she just learned.
Good 'ole floatie gave Lillie the confidence she needed to venture on her own.
She's a floating pro!

Swimming with Daddy

Even though swimming skills is important and fun, the REAL excitement was the kid-size pool! See the frog slide in the background, and yes, those are fake palm trees scattered throughout.

There was a short walking ramp with varying spouting fountains.

There was a GREAT water feature with 5 buckets of falling water. Lillie loved it!

Then there was the BIG snake! Don't be fooled! It took Lillie a little while to get into this position!

Hanging out with her dad.

Fun, fun, fun!!

The past two weekends, we have been on mini "vacations". Well, sort of. The youth in our stake have had their girl's camp one week and the boys had scout camp the next week. Keola spoke at both camps on the last day, so we tagged along. Since the camps are relatively far (2 & 4 hours away), we stayed at hotels. That was Lillie's favorite part. We couldn't help but take pictures of the beautiful moutains outside our hotel room.

Can you tell Lillie and I spent some time out on our balcony? We even saw the sunset!

The next morning we headed to the restaurant down the hill for a surprisingly YUMMY breakfast! Here's Lillie and her Daddy!

Here's my little artist.

As you can see, she's REALLY into her mermaids!

Mommy and Me!

Day 4 - Last Day

Lillie was pretty sad that this would be her last swimming lesson for the summer, but she got over it pretty quickly!

Lots more jumping and bit more floating, this time with moments of free floating!
Doesn't Lillie look so grown up!! Hanging out with the girls!

Here's Lillie "directing" the game...our little Boss Lady!

Being careful not to get water in the eyes, why? Not sure, since a second before she was dunking her head in the water retrieving pool toys!

There was some kicking on the kickboard, to get her ready for this...

dog paddling without any noodles and without a kickboard. Apprehensive wasn't even CLOSE to describing poor Lillie. Unfortunately, it ended in some tears, but Lillie was brave to get back in the water and play one last game before her lesson was over.

Our Little Swimmer left asking when she could take more lessons! A little drama, but in the end I know Lillie LOVED getting more acquainted with the skills of swimming!