Hawaii 2011

At the beginning of March we were lucky enough to make our second trip to Hawaii!! This time taking some others along! Layne got to go...because we weren't allowed to go without her this time. My mom and step-dad were also able to join us. It was another great time in a beautiful place! I am so happy my mom was able to come, I know she had always wanted to go to Hawaii and I think they both had fun. The only down side to this trip was that it rained a lot!! But you can still enjoy Hawaii with a little rain.

Layne arriving in Hawaii....looking awkward!! But happy.



Day 1 we did some surf lessons! Layne, Scott and Heath really enjoyed the surfing.

We had a nice little ride and lunch by the water! Really great day.

Took a little trip to the Dole Plantation.

We had many wonderful meals! Layne enjoyed her pina colada!

Mom and Scott spotted some sea turtles on the beach. As soon as we got to them it started pouring down rain but it was so amazing to see.

Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay...it was so beautiful but it did rain on us again.

The three of us getting some lunch in Haleiwa.

Doing some SUP (stand up paddle boarding) in Haleiwa. This was so much fun, I highly recommend trying this. You get out on the water and it is easy and relaxing. We saw more turtles and some peacocks??

Layne and I went to watch Hawaii play Pepperdine (in men's volleyball) while Heath was doing a tryout!

Family pic on the beach by where we stayed.

We made a quick little trip to Hilo so that Heath could do a tryout there. This was my first visit to the big island and it was so beautiful. It is much less busy than Oahu. We didn't have much time and did a speedy tour of the area. This is Rainbow Falls. We had wonderful hosts from the Moku O Keawe Region of USA Volleyball, they made us feel right at home.

Standing on one of the black sand beaches.

Leaving the island, on the plane I could see the volcano!!

We headed back to Oahu early that morning with one more day to spend there. We just hung out on the beach at Waikiki and enjoyed the day. Sad for our trip to be over.

You can view more of our photos by clicking on the tow separate links below.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150158196366351.343425.578701350&l=169e55b9b4

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1899527693688.2115469.1406522595&l=497362a4cc

I really love Hawaii...I love the easy way of life and friendly people! I hope I get to go back soon.

Mahalo.

Volleyball Update

Just when I think I am going to get better at this blog, I seem to get worse. Here I go again to try and get this thing updated!! Hope I can do it. I will start with this post that should get you all updated on Layne's volleyball career!!

Most of life during January 2011 thru May 2011 is filled with club volleyball. On most Sundays, Layne's team had tournaments at various locations around Colorado. We did get lucky this year and didn't have to travel quite as much....we even had two tournaments at Big House, which is only 5 minutes from us. That was really awesome!! In early March her team played at Crossroads National Qualifier in Denver and that was a fun weekend. It was especially nice for me to just be a parent. Last year Layne played and I coached and it was such an exhausting experience. Overall, her team did well. They finished 2nd in their first pool after a 3-way tie and two play-off games. Wow...it was a late night and some great play by her team. It was fun to watch. Because of the 2nd place finish, it meant they would play the AM session on day 2. Since we didn't get out of the convention center until after 10pm...I think this effected their play the next morning. They were tired!! But, they aren't the only team in this situation and you just have to figure it out!! So, day 2 wasn't great but they finished strong on Day 3 and learned a lot.

 Layne playing at Crossroads.

Layne's team at Crossroads.



They also played in another national qualifier in Kansas City in April. It was a fun trip, Layne and I drove over...so, it was a fun girls only road trip!! We also had a mini-family reunion there!! My mom, Jessica, Joyce, Gordon, Dan, Cletus, Hayes and Camrin all came to watch. It was great to see everyone!! 

My mom and Dan.

 My sister and Hayes.

 Camrin

I was also lucky enough to see a few old friends....Sarah and her family and Melissa! So wonderful to see them also.

Layne's team ended up winning the Bronze division in Kansas City...so an improvement over their last qualifier and that is always good.

We only had a few more regional tournaments before the season was over. The girls came back from KC and finished pretty strong. They qualified for the Region Qualifier...which gives the regional bids to nationals. They didn't get a bid but they played well.

It was an enjoyable season. I know Layne enjoyed her team and had a good time! Really...that is all that matters.

This link will take you to more photos from Layne's 2011 volleyball season.

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150122655911351.326928.578701350&l=01fef78ade

So, besides club volleyball, Layne had done a tryout for USA Volleyball's High Performance programs. She has participated in various programs in the past. This year, she tried out while we were in Hilo, HI and as a libero....Hawaii is a tough place to compete. Hawaii is known for their ball control and amazing little passers. She didn't feel confident with her tryout and wanted to tryout again and do better. She had planned to tryout in Kansas City but we had an unexpected incident a few weeks earlier. Layne had hit her head in practice, she didn't think much about it but it did bother her a bit. She ended up playing in one tournament before we took her to see someone. She did, in fact, have a mild concussion!! So she took it easy that week with no practice and no tryout before KC. It is a very scary and stressful thing to deal with but should be taken very seriously!! Anyway, she didn't get to tryout again but we were pleasantly surprised when the results for HP were posted. I think she did much better in Hilo than she thought. Layne made the USAV Select Continental Team that will participate in the USAV HP Championships in Tucson, AZ at the end of July. The Continental programs are for kids that live in regions that don't have their own High Performance teams!! So, she is very excited and I am very proud of her. You can see the official press release below.

http://usavolleyball.org/news/2011/06/08/usav-announces-girls-select-programs/42724

Currently, like this week, Layne has started high school summer league volleyball!! Doesn't seem possible that she is starting her sophomore season, but she is. I have a feeling this summer is going to go fast.