Saturday, September 27, 2008

Almost Forgot

I got a cough right after we got back from Hawaii. It's just hung around and won't go away. I started wheezing this week. And I've had a headache for like 4 days straight. I literally wake up with a headache! I've been putting off going to the Dr. because it takes forever you wait forever, to see the Dr. for maybe ten min and I was pretty sure she was going to tell me it just has to run it's course. Just drink lots and try and get some rest. I didn't want to spend an hour of my life to hear that. But I finally broke down and went, I think it was the headache that finally did it. Well I have bronchitis! It is not fun! But after two days of medicine I'm starting to feel better! Maybe I shouldn't have put off going for so long!!!

Friday, September 26, 2008

A Foot Gone, and Other Random Thoughts

Yes I still have both my feet, so does Brent and Bosco well technically Bosco still has all 4 paws! So where is the foot gone you wonder? After drying my hair by hanging my head out the car window 4 times in a week I decided maybe it was time to cut it!! So my hair is now a foot shorter! I took a couple before pics



It was all curly so you can't tell how long it was and I didn't get a pic of it straight :( Oh well



This pic makes me laugh because the goal was to do "I'm sexy and looking over my shoulder" But instead it just made my nose look big and me look silly! I should know I can't pull off super duper sexy! So on Wed I went and chopped it all off. I went to the same person that cut it short for me last time. I told her I wanted something similar to last time but just a couple differences. Well it is basically the exact same hair cut! Which is ok because it's a great cut. Although it's not EXACTLY what I wanted, it's close and it looks good so I'm happy. This is the final out come!






I really do enjoy short hair! I love the adjustment from long hair too! Getting WAY too much shampoo the first time you wash it. Pulling the brush too far the first time you are styling it. It's great! Ha ha. Oh I almost forgot the fun story of getting it cut. So I've been picking the kids up from school at 11:30 every day for my nanny job (which I'm so happy to say I LOVE!!!!) So I scheduled my hair cut for 10:30. I used to work at the spa that I got it done at so I know they block out 30 min. for a hair cut and the school is less then a mile from the spa so I figured it would be perfect. Get a cut, say hi to people and catch up for a min. and get the kids. Well Monique started cutting my hair and the receptionist came up and told her her next apt. canceled. We were both happy, a little more time for me and my hair and chit chatting! But I forgot to mention I needed to be done by 11:20 to get the kids. Well after a while I thought, we've been talking for a while. She had just finished the cut and pulled out some product to start styling it and I asked "what time is it?" She looked at the clock and said 20 to 12!!!!!!!!!!!! CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!! I jumped out of the chair with the cape still on. Told her "I'm late to get kids I don't have time for you to blow it out sorry!" She made me stand still long enough to get the clippers and buzz the baby hairs on the back of my neck. Then I flew to the front desk basically threw money at them and literally ran to my car. I was freaking out because I know the lady who does there preschool picks up a girl from kindergarten right after so it's important the kids be picked up on time!!! I must have said I'm sorry 100 times when I got there! I felt so bad! But despite the feeling bad for being late I was also a little sad I didn't get to have my hair professionally styled! That is about my favorite part of getting a hair cut! Or maybe the shampoo.....oh that feels so good! Anyway they always do so much a better job then I can do in my bathroom so I was a little sad I missed out on that! The whole day everyone got to see my new hair just air dried, or wet! It was a little disappointing :-( But I got over it quick.

Also life with out Bentley has been sad. Although we know it was the right decision and I'm sure he's happier where he can be spoiled it's still been hard and sad. I miss him at the most random moments, sitting on the couch and looking to see if he's sitting on his fav pillow only to be reminded that he's gone. No happy bark to greet us when we come home. The other day I was bored and looking at the pictures on my phone and just started crying when I saw the cute, cute pics of him! But the saddest part has to be Bosco! The whole reason we adopted Bentley in the first place was that Bosco needed a friend. We could tell he was lonely and he had had other dogs where he lived before us. Bosco and Bentley were best of friends. And Bosco is as sad now as I as I was when my best friend moved out of state after high school. He mopes around. He's whiny. He won't leave my side. He's so much more....I would say clingy but I don't now if a dog can be clingy so cuddly. He wants to cuddle all the time now, even more then before! It's sad for me to see him so sad! We are looking for another dog. But after Bentley we want to make sure we find a good one! So wish us luck!

I'm always a little sad this time of year. Fall is my favorite season and we don't get much fall here in sunny Mesa AZ. I was exited for cooler weather when last week the temps didn't reach 100 all week. But then this week they have been over 100 all week! So much for things cooling down. I miss fall colors, sweaters, scarfs, the smell of autumn air (I'm telling you it smells different), turning of the ac and rolling down the windows. There are more things but I won't bore you with all the things I miss about fall. Suffice it to say that although I love living here this is the time of year my heart longs for that season change. This time of year also makes me home sick for Connecticut and New York! It reminds me of listening to Norah Jones and driving along windy narrow Connecticut roads in my green Honda CRV.

Also I went to Costco today for only 3 items and I left with only 3 items, one was not what I came for but still I was proud of my self! That is almost impossible to do. But I was surprised to see Christmas everywhere! Wrapping paper, cards, gift sets. I though am I just totally oblivious or what? It is really time to start thinking about Christmas......in SEPTEMBER!!!!!! Call me crazy but I still think that we should wait till after Halloween!

I've been watching the news and I'm a little worried about the financial future of our country. There are a lot of major things going on right now. And a lot of them are not good! I really hope our country can survive all of the past 10 years or so of people living on credit! I was watching Oprah and Suzie Orman was on talking about finances. She is a woman who boldly speaks the truth and tells people the cold hard facts of a situation even if it's hard to hear/say. She was basically yelling at America about how bad we have been with our finances. I must say I felt so much relief to know that she was not talking to me! Don't get me wrong, Brent and I by no means are sitting free and clear. But we have worked hard and tried to be smart with our money. We had some amazing opportunities to be able to save and we did! So we have a little savings and are still able to feel safe and comfortable despite the current situation of the economy (not that I'm not watching what's going on and hoping it doesn't get near as bad as the great depression because that affected everyone! Well except the millionaires which would be like billionaires in our day and we are FAR from billionaires) I'm just grateful that we followed the prophets council to stay out of unnecessary debt and to save for the future! I'm not trying to gloat or say how great we are, I'm tyring to point out how much the Lord loves us! And how blessed we are from following his council! I'm so grateful for insightful and in tune leaders of the church who have warned us for years of this very day! I'm just grateful I feel, to some extent, prepared!

I am also scared for the upcoming election! I fear for our country if Obama becomes president. I know there are many people who feel the same way about McCain but this is just my opinion and my feelings. Please no one take it personally. I feel like many Americans are excited about the idea of an African American president. Which I feel would be amazing and a huge step for our country, and speak volumes about how far we have come from the beginning days with slavery. But I do not feel like Obama is the right person! I do not feel comfortable with the idea of the president of my country not saluting our flag. It baffles me how a man trying to obtain leadership of our country can refuse to wear a flag pin on his suit jacket. I am worried that people are being blinded by the fact that Obama looks good, speaks eloquently, and speaks of change (which the whole nation is hungry for) but that he does not have the experience or policy to back up what he is saying, to create the change he so boldly declares he will bring. I also do not know how the situation with his preacher has flown so smoothly under the radar. I could almost guarantee that if McCain had gone to a church for 20 years where white supremacy was preached and anti Americanism was preached his chance at the presidency would have been blown away that very moment. But Obama was able to breeze right past that exact situation. I'm sorry but you do not listen to a preacher for 20 years and not agree with what he is saying! You would find a new church to attend. Anyway I've been rambling on for a while now but I am worried about the future of our country and I hope and pray that we will be able to rise above the situation we have put ourselves in and become a stronger country once we get through this! And that as a nation we elect the best man to lead us to a better place.

One last thought, I've saved the best for last. Brent has started a diet! I'm so proud of him for it! Over the past 2 1/2 weeks he has been on the most hard core diet ever! He only eats, fruits, veggies, nuts and whole grains. No sugar, white flour, meat or dairy! And he has been so good! We decided he is allowed to cheat once a week but other then that he has been amazing! I am so proud of him!!!! So far he has lost 10LBS and 2 pants sizes! He has also started running with Bosco every night! I know it is hard to first admit you need to make changes and second take action and change! I'm so proud of him (have I said that yet??) for doing just that!! Way to go Brent!!!!

Friday, September 19, 2008

Goodbye Bentley

It is with a very heavy heart that I write this post. Our family has gone from Brent and I and our two dogs to Brent and I and Bosco. Today at noon a very nice woman came to adopt Bentley. He bit me again last night Brent this time too. After months of working with a trainer and trying everything every one suggested (including some rather off the wall things that would make you question our sanity) he still was not getting any better. So we made the very hard decision that it is time for him to find a new home. The lady who adopted him sound perfect for Bentley. She already has one dog who is spoiled spoiled spoiled! He will not even drink his water unless it has lemon in it! This will be perfect for Bentley. We adopted him from a woman that had treated him like a person and that's where all the problems came from. I doubt after 3 years of being treated like that we could ever undo how spoiled he was. I'm sure he will have no problems where he is! Just so no one is wondering, I was completely honest with the lady about his problems, the fact that he has bitten and that he pees. I was honest in saying I fully believe that he will be fine in her home. She made a well informed decision. Although we know in our hearts that Bentley will be much happier in a home where he will be spoiled and get to do what ever he wants, it does not make this any easier. I cried on the phone with her discussing Bentley, I cried when I said good bye, and I'm crying right now. I wish he would have just gotten it! He was such a great dog when he wasn't psycho! Which was most of the time! We will have to get another dog since the reason we got Bentley was Bosco needed a friend. He's seemed lonely already and it's only been a few hours. I hope we get a better dog this time. One that can be a part of our family forever. Until we get another dog to fill the void I have a feeling it's going to be a little sad and lonely around here! We are mourning the loss of a good friend!

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Guess What They've All Learned At School..........?

So our cute CTR 5 class have all started kindergarten. They were all very excited and we were excited for them and this exciting new step. I was thinking maybe school would help encourage better "class" behavior. You know raising of hands, sitting still, listening. I know I'm probably overly optimistic but I did hope. Well watching them at church on Sunday I realized they have all learned some new things, but nothing that I would have hoped! We now have a class of nose pickers! It is disgusting! It's like they've all discovered the art of bugger picking! I have brought Kleenex with me and as soon as I see a finger up the nose they are handed a tissue with instructions to "use this!!!" Again I'm hopeful that they will use the tissue. But no they don't. Some of them are oh so kind as to just eat the bugger, but others feel the need to play with the bugger once it has been captured! Oh and show us as well! (my eyes are rolling!!!!) Smear it all over there finger! Ugh. It's disgusting. One has also learned to spit. Not at other kids thankfully but on the chairs and watch it run down the legs! (I'm rolling my eyes AGAIN!!) We also have another little boy who now thinks people are calling him a looser. Yes we had his Mom come up to us after church and say "our little guys said that his teacher called him a looser" Yep that was exciting! It calmly explain I would never call a child a looser! And no I didn't hear any of the other kids say that either. (more eye rolling!!!!!)

The other week one little girl did top them all though! ***Be forewarned if you have a weak stomach you may not want to read further!*** She was sitting on my lap and kept taking off her shoes. I'd try and get her to put them back on, which did not last long. Then she just refused to put them on. I decided as long as she's sitting still we can put them back on before we leave for class. Pick your battles right. But then she started rubbing her feet with her hand. And her feet were VERY dirty. I'd figured out she was trying to clean her feet, but not until after she was licking her hand and then rubbing her filthy foot, licking her hand again and rubbing her foot some more! I about vomited right there in sharing time! I picked her up, right that moment, no shoes and carried her to the bathroom to wash her feet. It wasn't till we got to the bathroom that I remember Brent is in a teacher improvement class during sharing time so that meant I had just left 10 five year olds with out a teacher! Thankfully one of the primary presidency had jumped in and sat with the class during the emergency foot washing!

So to sum up, kindergarten has taught bad habits and 5 year olds can be gross! I do also want to include that they are also way cute and fun when their fingers are not up there noses! Also this Sun. one little girl and boy were holding hands and flirting! It was too cute! And another little boy has apparently learned a few of the songs and is now singing with enthusiasm! At the top of his lungs! Adorable!

Sunday, September 7, 2008

Happy Birthday Brent!

September 6th was Brent's birthday! I just wanted to say happy birthday and that I'm so grateful for the day he was put on this earth! Since we had just gotten home from Hawaii we just went out to dinner! We went to BJ's Brewery and got the best root beer and a pizzookie! It was delicious and fun!

Aloha!

Aloha! Below you will find our grand adventure to Hawaii! We went for our 3rd anniversary! It was an amazing time! The following post are probably much more detailed then you might need but since this blog is part journal for us, you get all the details! We took WAY more pics then we posted, so if you'd like to look at them all (highly recommended) then just go to our online photo album just click here. Hawaii is so beautiful that it was easy to get some great shots! Don't forget to leave some love (AKA comments) We truly feel so blessed to have been able to enjoy such a wonderful trip! We also want to give a big MAHALO to our friends who have/or do live there who gave us insider tips! So thank you Ken, Donna, Desiree, and Nate! You guys helped make this vacation amazing! Also don't forget the post after our vacation that tells all about my new job!!

Saturday, September 6, 2008

Heaven Bound (Day 1)

We woke up at 4:45 in the morning! Drove over to Brent's parents for them to drop us off at the airport. On the way we hit and killed a bird! I thought to myself, humm not such a great way to start a trip, also not the most pleasant thing at 5:00 in the morning. It was funny on the way to Brent's parents (a 10 min drive) Brent's Mom called, to make sure we were up! I just laughed! UP! I couldn't sleep! No way was I going to over sleep this morning!!! I had checked us in the night before so it went pretty smooth getting to our gate, we just had to check our bag and go through security. In the security line there was a stop sign, on the floor, it was a floor mat. It made me laugh! When we got to our gate and looked at our plane it was HUGE! The biggest plane I'd ever been on! It was the kind you see in movies with three rows! It just kept going and going and going! There was a guy playing a ukulele on the flight singing Hawaiian music. It was pretty cool. I was also impressed by the fact that there were a lot of kids and it was not loud at all! They all did a great job! There was hardly any crying!



When we landed we had to walk all over the air port to find the shuttle to the rental car place. We got there and there was a huge line! Great I thought, then I saw the self check in kiosk! Perfect! Just a few min later we were all checked in. It was a little different car rental place, you just go pick your car. Well all that was left was a stupid car I didn't want. So I went and asked if they had anything in the back being cleaned we could wait for. And they did! They had the exact car I had been headed to before some lady took it! It was just a different color! So we got a Pontiac Grand Prix we forgot to take a pic so just click if you 'd like to see what it looked like! It was a nice car! It had the radio controls on the steering wheel! That was fun and it had lots of power!






From the car rental place we went straight to the Poli look out. Honestly one of the most beautiful places on earth! The view was breath taking! Just unbelievable! It was so high up that you could see forever! You could see mountains, and all the way to the ocean! In the parking lot there were wild chickens! Which we continued to see all over the island the rest of the trip! From there we drove to Kailua and ate lunch at Teddy's Burgers! WOW what a great burger! Equally as good as Joe's Farm Grill. Which I had previously declared to be the best burger I've ever eaten!






Then we headed to the Ihilani Resort and Spa. Holy Cow! Nicest place we've ever stayed! There were even flowers in the middle of the revolving door into the lobby! When we got into our room there was a guy hiding out behind the couch with the phone! My first thought was, ooohhh an employee sneaking into a room on there lunch break! But he was just there to fix the phone! That will teach me to jump to conclusions! So we just went to check out the resort and say hello the the ocean! The resort had cool ponds with sting rays and sharks and tropical fish! It also had it's own private beach and lagoons! Beautiful! I got there and immediately realized how much I had missed the beach and island life and the ocean, even humidity! Oh the smell and the feel of ocean air! There is nothing the same! It was so great to be back in tropical weather! When we got back to the room we found out there are Japanese channels in Hawaii, which surprised me just getting there but after being there a week that was no surprise to me at all! It was wonderful to get settled in and unpacked. We did our best to stay awake till at least 7! Which we did! It did help to stay up later then we wanted to we could sleep in a little later then usual. But it didn't help too much! We got to end the day watching the most beautiful sun set from our balcony! There are trees with tons of birds and they all start chirping at sunset and sunrise! It was kind of funny (at night but not so much in the morning) It was unbelievable how loud they were! We got some video of if so you can hear!

The Day of Circles! (Day 2)

We decided to go to Pearl Harbor this day because it was Sunday and Pearl Harbor is free. So that way we could spend as little money on Sun as possible. So we go up and got ready and decided to hit McDonald's on the way. We had a map that had them on it and they were all over! Well finding both McD's and Pearl Harbor were not as easy as you might think! We got lost because there is no sign on the freeway that says exit 7 Pearl harbor! There is Pearl City, but we were warned, not to go there, that is just a city not the memorial! Well we ended up at a Denny's in our search for Pearl Harbor or McD's. We decided to just eat some food and ask directions when we were done. So that's exactly what we did. And this is what we got for directions..."just follow the signs from the freeway to it, that's what I always do!" Well thanks a lot for no help at all!! So we stopped at a gas station and bought a map. We figured out where we were and turns out we had been driving in circles! The best part was on two different occasions if we had turned the opposite direction we did we would have gone right to Pearl Harbor! But we finally made it there! We had read in a travel guide that you couldn't have bags/backpacks, or open toed shoes. So we both wore tennis shoes. Turned out they were right about the bags, but not the shoes! I really wished I was in flip flops. And I had worn jeans because the only closed toe shoes I had were big and looked stupid with shorts! So I could have been in shorts and flip flops and I was in jeans and big tennis shoes! Oh well better over prepared then under prepared right? Well it was pretty cool! Nice to learn a little about our country's history and to remember the sacrifice that so many made for our freedom! It was very sobering to see a huge wall of names, of so many people! Also on the way, once we finally found our way, there was a McD's right next to Pearl Harbor! Oh well!






We went back to the hotel got ready for church. I had looked up where the church was before we had left, I had the address, but forgot to write down the directions. So we called the concierge and asked them to print out a map of the address for us. Well turns out they had a map and directions already made up for guests. We got that and headed to the church that was only 10 min away. When we got there we were stunned! The view from the church was unbelievable! We got there right as church was starting (mostly because I was driving so slow thinking we'd already passed it) so we snuk in the back and this nice man scoots over to say hello and shake our hands! So friendly! The church service was great! The little old man who gave a very touching opening prayer was sitting just in front of us. He was there with his wife who was completely reliant on him. She looked like she'd had a stroke and was just staring straight ahead. He would sit there and hold her hand, and gently wipe the drool off her chin! It was so beautiful! Such an example of love! So after sacrament was over I went and thanked him for his touching prayer and example of tender love in caring for his wife! It was also so fun how everyone who spoke started there talk with brothers and sisters alooooooha, to which the congregation replied alooooha. We loved it! As soon as the closing prayer was said another sister came over and introduced herself to us and welcomed us! How friendly are the Hawaiians!!!! As we were leaving Brent and I agree maybe it was a good thing we didn't go to church there, we'd be very tempted to spend all of Sunday school in the foyer enjoying the view!


After church we hit up McD's (finally) for lunch. We followed the resorts directions back from that point, which led us in a big circle again! Also the directions were not very good at all! I said to Brent, maybe they just don't like Mormons staying at there hotel! To which he said, they are Mormon! It was so funny! We were at a Marriott, which is owned by an LDS family and I was making a joke about there bad directions meaning they don't like Mormons! We got a good laugh out of that! Once we were back at the resort we hit the beach! And just relaxed the rest of the night!

Happy Annivisary!!! (Day 3)

On vacation and we are still waking up at 4:30!!! Ugh! Oh well it helped us get an early start on the day! Once we were up and going we went down to get the car and leave. When the valet pulled up I went to get in and my skirt blew practically over my head!!! It was a Marilyn Monroe moment for sure! We were both laughing! My skirt proved to be a problem until I changed!! It was a very windy day and a pretty poofy skirt! We went to McDonald's for breakfast and the line was forever long! So we just went in, thinking that would be faster, nope! It made me wonder if it was the only McD's on the island?? I know it's not but geesh! But they did have a sign that said Mahalo, thank you in Hawaiian. I thought that was cool!








From there we drove up to the North Shore. It was very pretty, but definitely not the nicest beaches on the island! We drove to the temple and walked around. From there we decided to just drive along the north shore. We saw BYU Hawaii and pulled in to check out the campus. If I were ever to go to BYU (very unlikely!) that would be where! We just drove and drove and ended up at the east/or windward coast. But the drive was so beautiful we turned around and headed back the way we came. There were also a few places we wanted to stop that we had already passed.



We stopped at Giovannis for lunch. It is a scary looking truck on the side of the road! I never would have dreamed of stopping there had it not been for the fact that Desiree said it was the best shrimp ever! She was so right! When you get there you place your order and take a number and wait for your food. We took a ticket and it was number 49. The next person was called up and we hear 17. No way did we hear that right? The next person 18! Then we figured they must be using two pads! Nope there was just that many people in front of us! But it was worth the wait! It was SO good! And while we waited we made some friends. There was a nice couple that had retired to Hawaii! They were married for 26 yrs! I love meeting people like that! Such an inspiration! They were very nice. And she had the biggest rock I've ever seen on her hand! It was at least like 10 carats! Enormous! There was another couple there for there Ann. too. They were from the OC. They were there for 10 years! It was nice to chat and meet some new people! It made the 40 min wait go by a little faster! After lunch we stopped at the gas station so I could use the bathroom. (I know again you are probably thinking why do I need to hear about Terina's bathroom usage but it's funny I promise!) The restroom was outside around the back. Well I get there and there is a lady standing outside. A line right what's new. But she wasn't waiting to get in she was just standing there. There was no TP. So her husband went to the little burger shop right there to see if they had any. Nope. So he headed into the gas station to ask for some. While he was gone I attempted to get into the men's restroom, that was out of order. But it was locked up. So I went to asked the burger shop if they had any napkins. Not first choice but better then nothing right? Well I go up, no one is there. So I look around for a bell or something. Then this angry woman yells "I DON'T HAVE ANY TOILET PAPER!!!!" Wow Ok I asked, well do you have any napkins. "NO!!!!!" So I hurried away from the very angry woman who I sure hope way lying, remember it was a burger shop!!! Would it really have hurt her to share a few napkins? The guy finally got back with a fresh roll in hand. He had to buy it!!! I guess it's a little ghetto like that at that gas station! From there we went to Ted's Bakery. Great pie! So good! Thanks Nate for the tip!


From there we headed to Waimea Valley. It was so beautiful! It had so many different kinds of animals and plants! It was amazing! It was about a 30 min hike up to an amazing waterfall and swimming hole! We saw wild peacocks running around and of course chickens and tons of other birds! And so many trees and flowers! It was stunning! Simply breath taking! When we were at the water fall we asked a lady to take our picture, with the falls in the back, this is what we gotOh well beggars can't be choosers and I guess can't tell by looking someone if they are a good photographer or not!



We then drove to Hale'iewa a really cute little town. We got some shaved ice there that really was so good, but honestly Bahama Bucks was just as good, if not better with cream! There were cute little shops and a fun bridge to drive over. We were getting tired and looked at the clock. I said oh well it's almost 7 no wonder we are so tired! And then laughed at how funny that sounded! On the way home we passed the Dole Plantation. We also saw a ton of pine trees! It was like a forest from northern AZ in Hawaii?!?! Didn't expect that!


When we got home from our long day we decided to hit the hot tub. But that was a big disappointment! It was more like a lukewarm tub! So we didn't stay long. We were both exhausted and it was so nice to go to bed and listen to the waves crashing in while we fell asleep.

Friday, September 5, 2008

Day of Buffets (Day 4)

This was the first day that we were finally able to sleep in! It was so nice to not wake up hours before the sun came up! We had decided to make this day our chill at the resort day (there was plenty to do there and a beautiful beach!) So we went and had the resort breakfast buffet. It was the best breakfast buffet ever!!! It had just about everything you could ever want. The best fresh fruit ever, you could make your own omelet (well not really you picked what you wanted in it and someone else made it for you), they had pastries, oatmeal, cereal, toast, you could make your own fresh juice drink from fresh fruit, eggs benedict, scrambled eggs, bread pudding, you name it they had it! So delicious! I tried to have a little bit of everything! And it was all so good! It was so nice to it was on an outdoor patio so it was just beautiful! A gentle breeze and little birdies flying around! Amazing!


After breakfast we headed to the resort beach to hang out. They had grass umbrellas that usually were taken but a LOT of people had left the day before (after Labor Day) so there was not nearly as many people, so there was a grass umbrella for us! Brent and I went snorkeling for a little bit, then I headed back to the nice sandy beach while Brent snorkeled away. I decided I hadn't gotten much sun and I was determined to get at least a little. I thought I was getting a little but time flies when you are relaxing on the beach with a good book so an HOUR later I climbed in the shade. I thought I was ok despite being in the sun for quite some time and even after we headed back to the room I was not even pink. But as is typical of sun burns as the day progressed my sun burn slowly appeared! Oh well would it really be a beach vacation with out a good sunburn? Not for me! Ha! While I was laying on the beach a little birdie came and said hi to me! If I'd had food I'm sure he would have walked right into my hand, as it was he walked right up to me! So I soaked in the sun while Brent snorkeled. When I'd go dip in the water to cool down he'd come say hi and we'd check in for a min then go back to laying and snorkeling. It was perfect!



After the beach we headed to our room. When we got there there was a gift basket, at first I thought oh good, they are just a day late for our Anniversary!. Nope! It was for some guy, there on a business trip! So we took it down to the concierge when we left. They were almost shocked that we were bringing it to them funny to me since it honestly didn't even cross my mind to keep it when I realized it was not intended for us! When we went up to our room I tried to make a massage apt. at the Lomi Lomi Shop, recommended by my friend Donna. I don't know why but I was thinking that I would be able to call and get right in. Not the case. They were pretty booked and I was trying to figure out when I could make an apt. I decided to take the latest apt. they had for the next day at 5:30 and just hoped we'd make it back in time. I really kicked myself for not making an apt. sooner! Then we went to browse some of the shops at the resort. I had to run to the bathroom so Brent went ahead and I used the lobby bathroom. I know you are wondering why you need to know about my bathroom usage but there is a good point!!! The view from the bathroom was amazing! I was shocked! An amazing view, from the bathroom! Yes yes indeed! When I got to the jewelry shop, Brent thought he'd like to get me something, till he realized it cost more than our trip! Ha ha ha! It was a sweet thought though. Resort shops are generally over priced anyway! And Donna had told me about a great place to get souvenirs. So I was waiting till we went there.



After we dropped the gift basket off at the concierge we decided to walk down the beach and see some of the other lagoons for the resorts near by! The walk was beautiful. It took me right back to Puerto Rico! The side walk reminded me of the walk I would take every day from my room to the spa! There were many things that reminded me of Puerto Rico, it made me home sick! It made me long for days of laying on the beach, enjoying island life!
That night we went to a luau at Paradise Cove. It was just down the street from our resort (maybe a 10 in walk) so we decided to walk, it was a beautiful walk! The Luau was such a cool experience! We were greeted with a lei and got a free Mai Tai. We saw a guy husk a coconut. We learned to hula. We got tribal tattoos (that smudged off before the night was through). Watched a guy climb a coconut tree and shower us with flowers. Made a bracelet out of fresh flowers. We got to participate in a traditional hukilau, pulling giant fishing nets from the sea to the rhythms of a conch shell and island chants. There was a ball twirling thing that I just couldn't get, and spear throwing and a Hawaiian version of bowling. Then the sunset ceremony to unearth the luau's traditional underground-roasted pig. After the 2 hrs of pre-show entertainment we got our dinner, a Hawaiian buffet of roasted pig, fried chicken fish, all sorts of salads, desserts and of course poi! Not as bad as some people say, but I wouldn't call it good either! Then the show started. Man can those islanders move there hips! Even the guys could shake it! There was not much to there costumes and at one point I thought, how are they not cold. The sun was down, it was pretty windy and I was chilly. Then I looked closer and saw the sweat and realized oh yes that's right there getting a killer work out right now! We learned quite a bit about Hawaiian culture and I learned that a Mai Tai is my new fav virgin drink! On the walk home the funniest thing happened! They have radar to say how fast you are going to try and slow people down. Well it clocked us as walking 8 MPH! We were laughing so hard! It was a great day of relaxing and stuffing ourselves at buffet's!

Beach Marathon (Day 5)

On Wed. we went to this bakery we had seen and got some goodies for breakfast. They were so tasty! From there we headed to Hanauma Bay. We had been told this was the best place to go to do some snorkeling. Brent LOVES to snorkel. I on the other hand, since I'm not so confidant in my swimming skills (being as I only learned to swim last year) really enjoy it but I'm not so good or secure in the idea that I won't die doing it! We got there and it was absolutely stunning! )Unfortunately it was so bright none of our pics turned out very well) The parking is up at the top of the hill and you hike down to the bay. Or you can take a shuttle costing .50 on the way down and $1 on the way back up, basic economics, supply and demand! When we got there we had to watch a video about the bay that lasted about 10 min. Then we headed down. There were a ton of people there despite the fact that the tour guide told us we'd come on a good day, they were pretty slow!!! I'd hate to see a busy day if that was a slow day. But they said they have 1,000,000 visitors annually! We rented some fins and a life jacket for me. I also decided to wear my Tshirt since my sunburn was already pretty bad, I didn't want it getting any worse!! I looked absolutely ridiculous!!! We took a pic on the under water camera which we still have to develop so you'll have to wait to see that pic but I'm quite sure it will be worth the wait! I was so funny looking. We went out and immediately saw some fish! We saw some bright colored ones and every where you turned you saw more fish! It was amazing! But I unfortunately kind of ruined it! I kept getting water in my mask which made me feel like I was going to drown! I'd flip over and empty my mask out but I also got salt water in my eye and I was feeling slightly claustrophobic. I also kept thinking my legs were sinking too low and I was going to hit the coral and ruin it! Which the make very clear you are not supposed to do! I was trying to play it cool but I was pretty much freaking out. Despite my efforts to carry on, Brent could tell I was not doing such a good job of snorkeling. So after not much time at all we packed up and headed out. Brent assured me there were just as many cool fish at the resort but I still felt a little bad that he couldn't spend more time there! But Brent said that there were the same fish in the lagoon at the Resort.





From there we headed up the east shore to Kailua beach. This beach was declared to be the best beach in HI by my friends Ken and Donna. We went and it was stunning! On the drive up there I was driving and I put napkins over my arms and legs since they were sunburned! It was so funny looking, I don't know why we didn't take a pic. I told Brent "my name is Terina, but you can call me Napkin Girl!!" The water color was just phenomenal! And there was nice green grass up to the sand and beach. There was also some cool tress. And bathrooms/showers/changing rooms. It really was one of the best beaches we went too. Right next to it was Lanikai Beach which was the number 1 beach in HI according to the Travel Channel. It was breath taking! I found my new dream home! It's backyard is the ocean! Seriously there was brick for the back property line and ocean! A dream! The ocean was just indescribable! We then headed into the town of Kailua and stopped and ate some pizza bigger then my head! Each slice was a full 1/4 of a pizza and a big pizza at that!





We then drove over to Waikiki. That's all we did, drive past! There were so many people and no parking! And after the last two beaches we figured it could only be a let down! So we saw Waikiki from the car! Part of me wishes we would have stopped since it is such a famous beach and all but we were both tired and not in the mood to fight crowds. But we did stop in Waikiki to do a little shopping at the International Market Place. It was like a China Town! It was great! So many little shops where you could haggle with the people and talk down the prices. We got some good deals on souvenirs for our family! The traffic in Waikiki was awful, think LA rush hour! UGH! Finding parking was almost impossible. While we were there we found the Rodeo Dr. of HI! There were all the high end shops. It was fun to window shop on the way to the International Market Place. Getting back to the freeway took forever! We followed the signs and ended up in a line of cars at least 50-60 cars, maybe a mile of slow traffic to get on the freeway. We turned onto a road and there was just this heart breaking line of cars! And I had an hour till my massage apt! It was normally a 1/2 hour drive and the traffic was so bad I was loosing hope of making my apt! But then I glanced to my left, I saw what looked like an on ramp to the freeway with no cars! There was a no left turn sign so I cheated, I didn't break the law, just cheated. I waited and moved slowly far enough that I could flip a U turn and then make a right onto the ramp. There weren't any no U turn signs so I figured what the harm right? But it was a risk, we didn't know for sure if it would take us to the freeway, and if it didn't (which Brent was sure of) we'd end up back at the end of the line of cars!!! But the heavens smiled down on us and it was just a short cut! It took us right to the end of the line of cars and right to the freeway! As we inched through traffic the minutes ticked by closer and closer to my apt time. The massage place called and just my luck the said I could have a 6:00 apt rather then 5:30! PERFECTION!!!! Just out of Honolulu the traffic thinned out dramatically and I was positive I'd make it to my massage! We made it to the resort and Brent and I had a plan, I ran in (literaly ran) to shower off really quick. I know how bad it is when people come in so gross and I was pretty gross from a day at numerous beaches. It took me 10 min from the car up and back to the car! I was pretty impressed with myself! I hurried over to where the Lomi Lomi Shop was and couldn't find it! I tried calling, no answer. I wasn't freaking out just yet, I still had about 7ish min till my apt I had a few min to be lost. I left a message and said, I'm lost please call so I can find you! Then I called over and over hoping some one would answer after a good solid min of non stop calling I gave up! I couldn't find it anywhere and they were not answering there phones. I don't know what kind of establishment doesn't answer there phones but hey who am I. So I went to a near by store to pick up a few more gifts, they finally called at 6:10. The Zippy's we had gone to breakfast at was right next to the Lomi Lomi Shop (at least that's what I had thought before I couldn't find it) Well in talking to the woman on the phone I found out there is more the one Zippy's! Who would have guessed, it really didn't look like anything more then a one location type place. But the Zippy's they were by was about an hour away! Most likely right where we had been earlier in the day!!! I was so sad! That was definitely on the list of things to do in HI, get a Lomi Lomi massage! Oh well! What can you do? So I grabbed some Wendy's and brought it back to the resort for dinner. I must have once again amused the valet as I tried to carry my two bags of food and two drinks and get out of the car! We ate our dinner on the balcony and tried to soak up every minute. It was our last night :( We didn't want it to ever end! We decided to take a last walk to a few more places we hadn't explored yet. We walked past the fancy pants resort restaurant and I laughed at my self, carrying my Wendy's cup with me! Ha! We went down to the area where we were guessing they did weddings, since we saw a few wedding parties walking up from there. It was a picture perfect place to get married! Big grassy area surrounded by palm trees, with the ocean in the back ground! Ahhhh! We saw a little trail and followed it. There was a sign......You are leaving Resort Property, enter at your own risk!!! Made me laugh. Especially when we found this beautiful lagoon! There was a lot of rock and the sun was setting! The tide was coming in so there were some great waves, which there really weren't at the resort beach. It was picturesque! There were even a few people who had built a fire near where we were! It was remarkable! It was the perfect end to the day!!!!

Bitter Sweet Departure (Day 6)

So our last day was very sad! We were so sad to leave our tropical paradise! We slept in and took last minute pictures of the resort. We mailed off the post cards we had bought and packed up all our stuff. I took advantage of the big bathtub, my last chance to do so! We sat on the balcony and admired the view one last time! Then we said goodbye to our wonderful room and checked out. Then said goodbye to the beautiful resort. We had some time to kill so we went to an outlet mall that was close by. We stopped at Jamba Juice and got a smoothie and some mini loaves of sweet bread, so yummy. At the outlet mall there were plenty of great deals to be had! It was a premium outlet with shops like Coach, Barney's New York, Armani Exchange, Etc. It was fun to shop around and see what deals we could find. After we were all shopped out we headed to our final destinations. We stopped at Alamo and dropped off our rental car and said goodbye to it. Then took the shuttle to the airport. There were WAY less people on the shuttle than on the way from the airport to Alamo. Just us and another couple and their little one. Before you can even check in you have to send your checked bags through a agricultural inspection to make sure you weren't trying to smuggle fruit back to the main land. We got all checked in and although we were hungry we decided to find our gate before we ate, I thought that was kind of silly because we were there petty early but it ended up being a good thing. We had to walk quite a distance, at least 10 min. Once we got to that area there was another agricultural inspection for your carry on baggage. Brent put his bag on the belt then I put mine on. We went to the other end where we found my bag, but not Brent's??? Brent looked and this cute little Japanese man had his bag!!! Brent ran after him saying "sir sir" But of course he doesn't speak English so he didn't respond. So then Brent tried tapping him on the shoulder, still no response, Brent then resorted to shaking his shoulder at which point he finally looked at Brent. Despite the language barrier it was quite easy to communicate, "ummm that's my bag you have" To which the little old man quickly started to apologize. Quickly handed the bag back to Brent and we all continued on our way. Brent an I chuckling the whole way. When the old man caught up with his son we saw him repeat the story to him and they chuckled as well! Seeing this little family clearly in Hawaii on vacation made me think about the cultural differences between our country and their's. There it is normal to have multiple generations living together. Grandma, Grandpa, Mom, Dad, Grandchildren. Here if you do that you are looked at as a mooch, or not finical stable. There they respect there elders and care for them. We throw our elderly in nursing homes not remembering the years of sacrifice they made to help us get to the point in our lives we are at. It made me think our society could learn something from theirs! So anyway from that point we had to take an elevator to another floor, to then wait for a shuttle that would finally take us to our gate. The bad news was when we got there there was only one place to eat and it was WAY over priced! But we had to eat and the only other option would have been to back track exactly the way we had come and do it all over again! Not so hot on that idea we paid $15 for a mediocre burger. But it was some sustenance. After lunch we went to the gate and waited to board the plane. The gate right next to ours was Japan Air, it was the biggest plane I had ever seen. It even had two stories! I though, someday! We boarded our plane and waited for take off. I watched Hawaii from the window until I couldn't see it any more. Like you might do as a kid when you are leaving your Grandparents and you watch them as you leave the driveway waving the whole time till you can't see them any more. That was a little how I felt leaving. I took a few final pictures from the plane,



What is left of the volcanoes that crated this tropical paradise!




Hanauma Bay






The last pic of Hawaii! :(

one of sunset on the plane that turned out pretty nice! If it was at all feasible we never would have left! We could be happy beach bums! This flight was a bit more of a struggle for the kiddos. There was a bit more crying involved in this flight. Terina's dinner was not as good, Brent thought his was better. but they came way too soon, not enough time from lunch, but I figured I had to eat since it was all I was going to get for the way home. I finished my 700 and some odd page book and tried to sleep, unsuccessfully. We finally landed and got our baggage. Brent's sister Heather came and picked us up (THANK YOU!!!) and the timing was so PERFECT it was unbelievable. She called just as we were walking out the doors to ask where we were. By time we got to the curb she was right there and spotted us right away! I've NEVER had that happen, either as the person being picked up or the person picking someone up. It always seems to involve waiting and circling! It was amazing! When we got home Bosco and Bentley were over joyed to see us! Bosco and I headed straight out side. He has a pee pants problem and when you come home and greet him (even if you've only been gone a few hours) he pee's away. So we have learned the best thing to do is just go outside where that is ok. Bentley was super excited as well! They sure did miss us. And we sure did miss them! As terribly sad as it was to leave Hawaii is was nice to be in our home, to sleep in our own bed! The dogs were also so kind as to let us sleep in! Since by that point we had adjusted to Hawaii time and were waking up around 10 AZ time! Fri was sad, we had to get back into the swing of everyday life, grocery store, run some errands, pick up more dog food. But there was one shinning happy moment, The Office Season 4! We spent all evening laughing till we cried! That is the funniest show ever!!!