Vacation Diary... Day 7 in Hawai'i

(Tuesday, September 23, 2008)

Today was the day that we headed out for our big adventure. We were going to Kona to go spend a few days with Charlie's sister Tia. We could have easily made the 2 hour drive through the Hamakua Coast, but we actually decided to drive the other way around the island.

We started out later than we had wanted. Couldn't go without stopping at the best box lunch place in Hilo, Kawamoto's. Nori Chicken, Korean Chicken, BBQ beef, Shrimp tempura... Yummy... Once again, it's all about the food :) After that, we stopped in at Maui Divers at Mauna Loa Macadamia Nut Factory to see my mom, and get shortbread cookies and Mac Nut Ice Cream!!! Our drive continued through the southern part of the island. We stopped at Punalu'u, a beautiful black sand beach, to take some pictures. The vog was so heavy that I found it difficult to breathe after a while. After we passed through Na'alehu, we tried to find our way down to the Green Sands Beach, but no such luck. Charlie REFUSED to ask this local for directions.

The scariest part of the trip happened after that. We made the drive all the way down to Miloli'i. Lets put it this way... Windy roads... Steep drops onto sharp jagged lava rocks... 5 miles... Once we got down there, and the circulation actually went back to my toes, I got over the beauty real quick and said, "Let's go!!!". It's hard because I don't remember where all the best things to see are. Last time that I was down there was about 16 years ago. But it was still nice.

We got into Kona just in time to have an awesome spaghetti dinner with Tia. So yummy, and a nice break from rice. We tried to get a few games in at Kona Bowl, but who thought that they'd be so busy on a Tuesday night!!!

And my best score of the trip thus far... UH t-shirts for $4.98... Yep, we bought 4 :)

Vacation Diary... Day 6 in Hawai'i

(September 22nd, 2008)

This was the official sleep in day. The day when we actually didn't have anything going on...SLOW day... Of course, we went to Hilo since it's the closest place with much to do. Made the usual stop into Starbucks before heading over to Walmart. Checked out the UH fangear selection... Can you believe that they actually have the most stuff??? Kalani got the first of her UH stuff (yes, I said the first...). Ran into 1/2 of my family there, since some of them were flying back to the outer islands that day out of Hilo.

After that, took the 4-mile drive down to Richardsons, cause they have one of the nicest bays in Hilo for the kids to swim at. I swear, they'd stay in there ALL DAY if I didn't make them get out. They kids snorkeled around for awhile, saw some fishes and stuff.

We had to head home early because my mom and dad were having a BBQ for my cousin Greg who was leaving back to Illinois the next day. So once again, another good meal... This is becoming a pattern here... The best part about our family gatherings has to be having my Grandma Alice around still. She's almost 95 years old, and makes my day everytime that I see her. Second to her would be the rest of my family who are an absolute blast to be around!!!

Vacation Diary... Day 5 in Hawai'i

Ok, this is for Sunday, September 21st.

Somewhat slept in, but had to get up in time to see my dad and Charlie off. They went BACK to the party to help with the clean up process. Must not have taken too long, because by the time I got down there at 11:30 or so, everything was done.

We hung out with the family for the bulk of the day for the "after party" which consisted of MORE good food, MORE awesome music and another beautiful day on the Big Island. It was nice to see some of my cousins, Uncles and Aunties that I haven't seen for awhile, the longest probably being my cousin Sonny Boy... About 8 years or so...

We had to pry ourselves away from the party around 5:45 or so, since we promised to take the kids to the fair. We went with Macky and his wife Christine and thier 3 kids so that Kalani and Chenille could hang and Kiale and Shandon would have someone to do the rides with. I was seriously dissappointed when I saw how SMALL the fair has become. I mean SMALL!!! It made the fair when I was in high school look huge!!! None the less, the kids had an awesome time. The best party was probably running into Vance, Vanessa, Serena, Truman and Kimi... So funny because they actually live in Washington just like us!!!

We ended the night with yet another awesome dinner at the ever-popular Ken's House of Pancakes. Of course, it was packed... But the meal hit the spot. (Don't think that I have many spots left!)

Vacation Diary... Day 4 in Hawai'i

Falling a little behind but will go back to keep everyone posted...

So Saturday was the big day, Desiree's wedding. I helped my mom make sushi in the a.m. before heading to my auntie's to get ready. Yes, I did my hair, face and put a dress on. It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The wedding went off without a hitch. Desiree looked beautiful and her dress was absolutely GORGEOUS! The ceremony was at the church here in Laupahoehoe. Then we went to Liliuokalani Gardens in Hilo to take pictures. Celebrated with the bridal party in the Limo a little, but not too much. Didn't wanna show up at the reception completely smashed!!!

When we got to the party, Charlie had become a worker bee. He was in full swing with my dad and Uncles bustin' ass all day preping food. And a ton of food it was!!! Everything you could think of. My poor dad didn't even have a chance to get home to shower :(

The crappy thing was that I didn't have a chance to take a single picture at the reception. By the time we were done with the toasts, the cake, the first dance, etc... I was feeling pretty good, so all I cared about was the dj and my drink :)

Desiree was very happy with her wedding and how everything turned out....

Vacation Diary... Day 3 in Hawai'i

It's so nice to be back home... I woke up a little later, 7:00 a.m. By 9:00, Charlie and Kalani had driven to Hilo for a quick Starbucks run and a little stop at Wal-Mart. (Hilo is 1/2 hour away, so I told him to get a BAG of coffee, not just a cup!) By 10:45, we were down at Laupahoehoe Point to take the kids swimming. It was such a nice, relaxing day with so many of the natural adventures that the Big Island has to offer, and all of it just 5 miutes away from my parents' home.

The kids started off swimming, then fishing, then swimming again. When my mom and dad came down, it got even better. Grandpa is the BEST fisherman out there. Kalani and I spent a good 45 minutes catching a'ama crab before I had to go and help decorate for the party, which is also down at the point. Charlie, my dad and the kids stayed by the water to play. They got to swim all day like they had gills, fish for hours upon end, and even watch 3 Sting Rays that had been hanging out in a bay there for 2 days. The best was probably getting to watch Grandpa lose a 6 pound Papio right as Charlie was about to grab it up out of the water. Best because my dad's reaction was priceless. Before Charlie and the kids could turn around to say, "One more time Grandpa", he was back at the truck saying "Let's Go!!!". That fish may have won the battle, but not the war...

Desiree and I decorated a majority of the gym for the party. Simple and elegant. Just the way I like it. That evening, we got to go to my Auntie Val's for a delicious dinner with family that I haven't seen in a while, including my cousin Greg who flew all the way from Chicago. By 9:00, Kalani was half asleep on my aunties couch and Kiale was in daddy's arms. And oh yah, Kalani got sunburned from Hell!!! You'd think that since she gets burned in Washington, she would have put on some sunblock in Hawai'i!!!

Today is the big day for Desiree. I'll have all the wedding details tomorrow!!!

Vacation Diary... Day 2 in Hawai'i

I've decided to try and get on here as much as possible while we're visiting Hawai'i. I find myself with "extra" time in the mornings as I am still on Washington time. Woke up at 6:30 this morning and just laid there, so I thought that this would be an excellent opportunity to get my blog fix in. I'll try and do daily events in the morning or the evening...

We landed in Kona 22 minutes early on Wednesday night. Nothing like stepping off the plane and instantly felling "sweaty" because of the humidity here. But it can't beat the feeling of being at home. We made the 1 1/2 hour drive back to my moms with no problems, except a couple super slow tourists who were driving like they were on vacation or something! Got here around 9:45 p.m. and I was EXHAUSTED! Where my children get their energy is beside me. Even my reserve tank was empty!

I got the brutal effects of the time-difference factor when I woke up on Thursday morning... at 5:45 a.m. This is the one thing that I hate about travelling between time zones! But we still had a wonderful day inspite my sleepiness. The first thing that we did was go to visit my 94-year old grandmother. That woman is amazing... It was so good to see her. She looks great for her age, but she is 94-years old, so frail is the word... Mentally however, you can't find many people in their 30's who are sharper than she. Inspite being in a car accident last week, she's still going strong.

Kalani and I went to Waimea with my cousin Desiree, who will be the blushing bride on Saturday. It was a day of pedicures, manicures and lunch at Kamueala Deli. Let me tell you, you need a second job if you want your nails done in Hawai'i! It's literally twice as much as Washington! Kiale and Charlie stayed with tutu to visit with her. She absolutely loves all of her grand/great-grand/great-great-grandkids!!! After that, they went fishing down at the point. Kiale was waiting at home for us to show off his first catch of the trip, a little Hina'lea!!! Then he waited, not so patiently, until Grandpa came home from work so that they could head back down for more fishing and swimming. Aaah... the joys of the ocean being only 3 minutes away.

Last night, we all went to my Uncle Kenneth's and Aunty Val's to help Desiree with her wedding favors... all 200 of them... Even my 94-year old grandma was cranking out these boxes with boys on them!!! Then, I got to see some of my aunties family who I have't seen since my cousin Jaime got married...

My exciting moment... My mom has this awesome Canon camera. She even has the HUGE lens that goes with it. Problem is, she NEVER uses it!!! It's a film camera, but I'm going to have a blast with it while I'm here... Can't wait to see those photos!!!

I miss you already, Minna!!!

Minna and Koa left Washington a week ago today. I miss her so!!! Like I said in my scrap pages, she's gone from friend to family.

Minna is such a great friend. She's that person who will always be there for you through thick and thin. She'll be there for the good times and the bad. She'll be there for exciting moments like your son's Kindergarten Graduation and all your childrens' birthday parties. She's there for important family holidays like Christmas and Thanksgiving. She's there on a random Saturday night for ono food and good company. She's there to hold your hair back when you've had one too many. She's there to listen when things aren't going so well.

We had their going away party about two weeks ago. The pics above show just how close we all are. Being so far away from home, we tend to look for people with common interestests and familiar ways of life. We truly are "one big Ohana". Miss you and love you Minna!!! You too, Koa... :)

My very first "BFF"

***Simone and her daughter Shawnalyn***

When I think way, WAY back, I slightly remember being a Freshman at Laupahoehoe School. Life as a "Seasider" was pretty uneventful. The country had very little to offer except for the ocean, the sun, and whatever else mother nature blessed us with... literally... I remember all the "drama" that came with attending a small school. I remember all the fights that I got into in my early teen years.

The one thing that I do absolutely remember is my first best friend, Simone. Our freshman year was her first at my school. She and I became instant friends. Simone was different than all the other girls because she had transferred from Hilo. She was easy to talk to... Easy to trust... Reliable... And fun... That year was my last at my small-town school, but our friendship continued all throughout the rest of our High School lives.

Last night, I had an hour and a half conversation with my dearest friend. The last time we had talked was in 2001. The last time that we saw each other was in 1996, when Maia was born. Now, her daughter is almost 14. I still remember going to Simone's parents' house to meet Shawnalyn when she was born.

My visit home to Hawai'i is even more exciting because I get to see my BFF. Until recently, I had no idea what happened to her, but I thought of her all the time... We can both thank Myspace for the reconnection!!! I luv u Mony, I'll see you soon!!!

My FIRST two scrapbooking pages!!!

Minna and Koa are two of our dearest friends... more like family. Koa is in the Coast Guard and has now been stationed to Astoria, Oregon. They've been here for about 5 years now. Lianne thought that a good going away gift would be a scrapbook in which each family would do a few pages, then we would compile them all into one album. These were my contribution. I finally had a specific project to work on!!! And having a deadline really helped :) I actually got so engulfed in the project that I spent almost 2 hours doing it! It was fun... I can't wait to begin my next scrapping endevour!!!

August 31st... The last day of summer

I took my daycare kids and Kiale to Remlinger Farms on a little "Field Trip" to celebrate the end of the summer. It was a beautiful 70 minute drive to Carnation. Spent the whole day enjoying the animals and rides. It's actually a really good deal. I think it's like $10 to get in, then everything is included. The pictures show all the things that they did.

Lots of new posts coming... I promise!!!

I've been writing the thoughts down, but haven't had time to post. I've got a few minutes now, but the camera is in the car WHICH Charlie has with him as he's having his massage... So just a little about what WILL be up here in the next few days...

• Last day of Summer
• Minna and Koa's going away party
• MY FIRST 2 SCRAPBOOKING PAGES!!!
• First day of school for Kiale :)