From Lakes to Aloha

Last Day of School in Hawaii

2009-06-08T19:59:00.002-10:00

Who would have guessed that I would have gotten rave reviews by 5th graders for my Tuna Noodle Hotdish? Yep, that's right. Joseph signed me up for napkins and his favorite meal. (He's picked it for his birthday dinner for the last 4-5 years.)

Emily and Phillip both agreed that they each wanted grape salad which is grapes in a home made fruit dip. Thankfully my friend Jen is visiting for 10 days and was more than happy to help with cutting up 2 giant Costco sized containers of grapes. E&P also got to participate in the prep.

School started at 8:05 and the Award Ceremony went from 8:30 - 9:45. Potluck for the rest of the day - early release at 11:30. There were so many students receiving certificates for their achievements and contributions this year. It was a joy to see so much talent recognized. The biggest part was the graduation of the 5th graders. (It is hard to believe Joseph will be in 6th grade this Fall!)

All the students were called by name, received a lei by their Kindergarten Buddie and then handshake with their teacher (Mrs. Takara) and the principal (Ms. Lum.) At the end, confetti was thrown on them and the 4th graders shouted a cheer about not forgetting all they learned and take with them their Koko Head pride. Joseph couldn't stop beaming from ear to ear!

Unfortunately my IT guy isn't here otherwise I'd post some wonderful pictures. Dave left on Sat. to start his next project in... St. Paul! :) NO traveling for a bit! He will be back on the 17th for our last Hawaiian adventure. We will spend 4 days on Maui before we leave on the 24th. That is when our next adventure begins. After meeting our van in L.A. we will make our way across the "Mainland" arriving in MN July 1st-ish. As part of this leg of our return we will spend some time in Las Vegas as it is considered the "9th island." (Seriously, Hallmark sells "Have a great vacation in Las Vegas" cards!) Wish us luck as we make our way back home.

We have been slowly processing this past year with laughter and tears as this wonderful place will aways be a part of our spirits.

Already missing Hawaii but looking forward to being again with our nearest and dearest in MN.

Aloha,
Cheryl

Bittersweet

2009-04-17T17:01:00.002-10:00

No other single word describes what is going through both Cheryl's and my mind right now - "bittersweet". Well, maybe "blessed". I finally learned yesterday (Thursday) that the client is canceling the Oracle Retail project which brought us out here. That means one thing - we're coming home!

Here are some details: I'll likely wrap up work with the client this coming week. They left it open ended - if I can find work for them (non-Oracle related), I can do it. However, anything I find will likely not be a great investment for them or me. Our lease goes until June 30th. Plus, our renters have a lease until June as well. So, we'll stay out here until then. I'll either not work :) or work for a different client remotely. The client is still paying for my living expense out here (and letting me have access to their car) until we leave. They just won't pay for my services (assuming I do not find much work to do). I'll still get paid, since I am an employee (i.e. a grunt) of Logic.

There are so many pros and cons of leaving; so many pros and cons of going back to Mpls. I can't even possibly start to go through them. If it came to us having to make a decision about what we would do, we were going to head home at the end of June. We are all feeling like this is the right move for us. Cheryl and I love many things about Hawaii - no question about it. The kids do too. But, when I told them that we are for sure coming home, both the boys pumped their fists (and did so much more vigorously than when I told them the Vikings made the play-offs!).

In the meantime, we have one more friend coming to stay with us - Cheryl's friend Jen Doffing - early in June. There are a few things we'd like to do before we leave - get Phillip a surfing lessons, go scuba diving, bike the "Bike to the Sun" route on Maui, various hikes on Oahu... Of course, a main focus of mine is the half ironman triathlon May 30th - I still have plenty of training to do before that. We'll have to pack up all our stuff (though we just sent two bags home with a friend who was out to visit last week - thanks Randy!) and do a considerable amount of cleaning to fulfill our lease ending.

Our heads are spinning right now with all that is in front of us. We've had a great time out here and are very sad to leave. Once all the dust settles, we'll absolutely cherish the time, experiences and friends that shaped our year in Hawaii. We're glad to be coming home mid-summer... I'm already pricing out one-way tickets to anywhere warm for next November.

75 days and counting...

Grandpa and Granny come to visit!

2009-03-11T16:10:00.002-10:00

Well we thought we would have had more visitors by this point in our adventure. Uncle Paul and Aunt Judy Williams came in early Oct. and then in Feb. my parents came for a 15 day visit. Fortunately they were tolerant of our inexperience in hosting out-of-town company and my frazzled "new 1st grade teacher" state of mind. We had a lovely time and got to do some of our favorite things again as well as experience new Hawaiian attractions. Our first stop was by Sandy Beach and Blow Hole Lookout where we saw multiple whales as the progressed on the migration with new calves. (We usually don't see whales as much as we did that day - Great way to start the Hawaiian vacation!)

At first it was a little unsettling for my dad with all the condo windows open in mid-Feb. but once he got used to the warm trade-winds breeze it was obvious we weren't letting all the heat out. :)

Their visit cont. with driving to more of our favorite look outs to soak up some warm sun and view the beauty of the lush mountains and turquoise and blues of the ocean. For Pres. weekend, Emily and Phillip and I flew with my parents for a Big Island adventure. Fri. night I went night diving with Manta Rays. OUT OF THIS WORLD!!! 12 ft wing span swooping inches from my head to scoop as many little plankton that were attracted to our diver hand lights. Grandpa and Granny and E& P hung out with friends of my parents who vacation 2 months out of the year on the Big Island. Sat. was a day of driving and sightseeing to Hilo. Beautiful falls and cattle ranch land. And boy was it windy!!! No vog from the volcano though, fortunately! We attended the Hilo farmers market which was interesting and big. Sun. was our Volcanoes National Park day. Way cool! If we get the chance to go back we will 1. bring jackets (4000 ft above sea level is cool even in Hawaii!) and 2. spend a couple days to hike and explore.
We played for a bit on the black sands beach which yes is crushed lava rock but smooth just like regular sand, only black. Kinda weird. My favorite place on the way back was "The Place of Refuge" which was some amazing pre-missionary history that was fascinating. Our last day we went snorkeling at a great location. It was my mom's first experience and she loved it! The kids and I saw a bunch of things we had never seen before. One of Emily's favorites was the red Pencil Slate sea urchins. Phillip about scared the poop out of a sea turtle when he saw it he screamed through his snorkel. Phillip LOVES sea turtles. No matter where we go he wants to buy a stuffed animal sea turtle. This was the first time he saw a sea turtle out in the ocean swimming next to him. Pretty cool!

My parents visit ended with a tour of Pearl Harbor, Dole Pineapple Plantation, the North Shore, and Polynesian Cultural Center. They did get to rest in there for a few days!

It was a wonderful time together and fun to show them a bit about this adventure we've been on.

Another "new year" begins

2009-03-08T14:14:00.003-10:00

Last I wrote, it was the Chinese New Year. Today is the firstday of another year in my life. Since having kids I am usually thinking about what we are going to do for their birthdays. (All April birthdays.) This year was no exception. But I didn't miss the boat. We still celebrated. My original thought was to go to the farm that we have been spending some time at. (http://www.hoa-aina.org/index.htm make sure to "click to cont.") The very day I was looking on the internet for a volunteer opportunity, Louella called to see if we would like to drive up there to "talk story" and have dinner with other people who made container gardens. I said yes immediatly even though it meant driving in rush hour traffic through town to get there! It is worth every min. of every drive to be in that sacred place! I then thought for my actual birthday (Sat. 3/7) that we could go hiking as a family. It doesn't happen as often as we thought it would. Unfortunatly the soil needed a soaking and it rained all day. So a lazy day which included a nap was plan B.

I will back up a bit...back to MLK jr. Day and Obama's call to service for our country. Dave found a volunteer opportunity through the Kokua Foundation. Kokua in Hawaiian means "to help." in a giving of your self kind of way. The listed Hoa 'Aina O Makaha as a site. They mentioned working in gardens and other odd farm projects. There were other more urban options that were closer but the farm intreged us. So off we went to sift compost, start a teacher's garden and weed. (The farm is next to an elementary school and runs organic farming/hawaiian culture classes and field trips.)

We all had a blast! Each time we are invited we gladly return as it is peaceful and filled with the aloha spirit!

Kung Hee Fat Choy

2009-01-28T06:16:00.002-10:00

Happy Chinese New Year! http://chinatownhi.com/ (some videos of the parade)

Unfortunately we missed the parade last Sat. but at school we all (minus Dave) Learned a little extra about this celebration. Emily was excited to tell me about the dragon dances. Jospeh and Phillip thought the tradition of lai see is a great idea.

Lai see is a red envelope that children receive as a gift and it has money in it. One student brought me a Chinese New year gift bag. It had Chinese candy, mini- poster of Happy New Year written in Chinese, an Ox "Christmas ornament" for good luck and a lai see with a Hawaiian quarter in it. Too sweet!

Happy New Year...again!
Cheryl

Experiencing the tradition of a Hawai'ian Lei

2009-01-24T06:59:00.003-10:00

Our Christmas card included pictures of our family wearing leis. Emily and I had coordinating flower leis, Dave and the boys had Kokui nut and Maile leaf leis. Leis can be bought anywhere from China town, the airport, and lei stands in Waikiki or along the road to the North Shore. We bought ours at Costco. :) Emily has worn both shell leis and tinsel leis for her hula performances. Since then Phillip and I have both received them as touching gestures of Aloha. My first day of teaching 1st grade, one student brought me a woven lei tied with kokui nuts. Beautiful vibrant red. This past Thurs. was a special day when the Cobra award was presented to students who have been behaving with the "4 R's" Respect, Responsible, Resourceful, and Resilient. 2 children from each class are honored. Phillip was one from his class. Dave and I both forgot about the tradition of presenting a lei but a classmate of Phillip's gave him a lei with a Jamba Juice gift card attached. Then when I returned to class with my students and one of the award winners from my class gave me one of his leis. (Not his flower lei, the M&M lei - so "sweet"!) This link tells a little more about the history of the Hawaiian lei tradition. http://www.hawaiiflowerlei.com/leitradition.aspx

Something is in the Air

2009-01-21T11:10:00.004-10:00

OK, this may fall into the category of "things that only interest me", but...

There are many different kinds of flying things in Hawaii that were very uncommon in MN - or anywhere else I've been. Not tropical birds, or UFO's. But, lots of helicopters and military planes.

Every day I see helicopters flying around. Usually they are the standard kind - I assume they are sight seeing 'copters. Since we live close to Koko Head, many fly over Diamond Head and come out to our area. But, I also see some military helicopters - the kind with two "propellers" (is that the right term?). There is no mistaking the deep bass of a military helicopter. Ever since I saw the movie Red Dawn as a kid, I've been fearful of these helicopters. At the Hawaii Bowl football game, four of these helicopters flew very low over the stadium. Since we were high up in the stadium, it seemed as if we could have reached up and touched them. Very cool!

I also see a few military fighter jets taking off. Again, the sound of these planes is unmistakable. Sometimes I hear them, but cannot spot them in the sky - which makes me look like a huge dork - stopped dead in my tracks, staring at the sky, mouth agape. I'm surprised people passing by do not ask if I need any help.

They called a "Wind Day"

2009-01-17T07:51:00.002-10:00

The weather team here had been predicting winds up to 60 mph. Thurs. at the close of day there was an announcement for teachers to leave when students were dismissed at 2:15. By early evening the Dept. of Educ. decided that the threat of flying debris was too much of a risk and school was canceled for Fri.

Our experience on the Eastern part of the island is very different from everywhere else. Weather is more mild. (Can it get more mild as far as weather?) Fri. started beautiful as usual. By about 10 am there were a few sprinkles and then the sun peeked out again. We decided to join some friends at the movies to see Hotel For Dogs (A must for any dog lover!) I guess it rained from 1:15 - 2:15 and then it was done for the rest of the day. So much for the "Wind Day."

First Grade Frenzy

2009-01-15T16:29:00.002-10:00

Just a few short weeks ago, we wrote in our Christmas letter some quick updates on our crew. One of which was that I was completing my paperwork to be a substitue teacher while here in Hawaii. Well, Dec. 26th, Emily and I were going snorkeling with some neighbor friends at Hanauma Bay and I got a call from the principal at Koko Head Elementary (JE&P's school.) My first shock was that she was working on the day after Christmas, the second shock was that she was asking that I come in for an interview to teach 1st grade because the teacher is going on maternity leave. The next Tues. I was in her office for an interview and by that Fri. (after interviewing the required 5 total candidates) I was offered the job.

Fortunately the kids didn't start back to school until the 13th (they have 3 weeks at Christmas.) That gave me one more week and two days of not being employed full-time. Mon. the 12 th was a teacher work day. I was able to meet the previous teacher and get a little information about how she has run things. But most the planning is on me and all the correcting (there is a lot!)

Today was day 3, each day has gotten better. Tomorrow the Curriculum coordinator will meet with me to go over the reading curriculum. I could have figured it out but that would take a lot of time. So much information and it's not possible to teach it all! Since I am technically a sub and only get paid for student days, I'm using school resources since they were offered. Ah, "Resourceful" that is one of the "4 R's" the kids are taught as good Cobras. Respect, Resourceful, Responsible, and Resilient. (Cobra is our school mascot - no one quite knows why because there are no snakes in Hawaii. The mongoose kill them if they some how get brought here.)

1st graders are pretty wonderful! One of them told me with compassion, "It's o.k. you don't know anything, you are a sub." They have been very helpful in teaching me their classroom routines.

Yesterday, we talked about MN. Go figure!

Emily and Phillp's 1st grade teacher from last year offered me a few helpful tips when I wrote her about the possiblity of me teaching 1st grade. She asked if our classes could be 1st grade pen pals. My kids were very excited. They want to make a video of them dancing a hula and one of their questions was if in MN they use the same alphabet. There letters will be quite interesting!

I'm exhausted but think this is such a fortunate opportunity for me. The other 1st grade teacher is so helpful and the Librarian that I volunteered with in the beginning of the school year is the reading resource teacher and works with 3-4 of my students 4 days a week. Any teacher knows what a blessing that is. An extra reading teacher!!!

It will take a little while for us to get used to the 2 full-time parent gig but school is only 1 mi. away and on the way to work for Dave. He has taken on the morning routine of getting the kids up, fed, dressed, and drops them off at school around 7:30. Emily, Phillip and Joseph come to my room right after school is out. So far, since I still have more than I could possibly get done during the school day, they start their homework at school and we are home between 3 & 4.
The school day is 8:05-2:15 with early release every Wed. at 1:30

Oh, the last story for now, I took my class 10 min. late to library this afternoon because there was a short down pour. There is no covered walk way between the main walk way and the library building so we had no way to get there without getting soaked. We also had to leave out the back door because the overhang is wider.

Hawaii has been quite a learning experience!

Went to Kona a While Ago

2009-01-15T11:05:00.003-10:00

A couple months ago I went to Kona on the Big Island with a church group for an overnight. Most of the weekend was "business" which I won't bore you with! But, I did get out and see a bit of the town.

At the time I was training for the marathon, so on Sunday morning I went for a run. I stumbled into a duathlon - and signed up to do it! It was put on by "Peaman" who is a well know local who has a disease which prevents him from competing at a high level. But, he is well known and liked and puts on these little events every month. They are free and short and fun. While I was there, I figured I'd do it and have some fun.

The swim was about .5 mile and the run was only about 3 miles. I forget my finish time and position... but all the finishers were listed in the local paper (and website) which was kinda cool. Just before the race I bought some goggles at ABC Stores - which were junk. But, I ended up getting a couple pictures.

The swim start was at the same place of the Ironman World Champtionship - which is kinda mecca for triathlon. So, it was a thrill to be there and to actually swim in the same place as the most prestigious race in triathlon.

Windy!

2009-01-15T10:55:00.002-10:00

Before I get into it... I want to be clear that this is not a complaint... just an observation. I know everyone on the mainland - esp. those in MN - is hurting right now with the extreme cold. That is a legitimate complaint. The wind out here is interesting, kinda spooky... but well short of a complaint. I used to always tell myself that I could complain about the cold all I wanted as long as I did not complain about the heat during the summer.

As I was going to say... it is windy out here! We are in the middle of a "wind front" or something. I guess there is a storm out at sea which is causing HUGE waves on the north and west facing shores (I hope to witness them this weekend) and howling wind. Since I am not used to such intense wind - and with all the hurricanes the last few years - the wind gets kinda spooky.

Last night I took the twins on a couple errands and we bough ice cream at McDonald's - which is one of my favorite treats. We have a special place, right by the water of a bay that leads to the ocean a quarter mile away. Poor Emily had to walk backwards so the wind was blowing into her face and blowing her hair away from her ice cream. The wind was blowing the ice cream drips about 6 feet away before they landed on the ground. The kids were chilly... the wind chill was probably around 60 degrees!

Stay warm!

Pictures

2008-12-22T14:01:00.001-10:00

I posted a bunch of pictures on my picture site: http://picasaweb.google.com/david.williams.75

Included are some pictures from our Christmas card "photo shoot", the pre-marathon luau, the Christmas performance at the kid's school, and this past Sunday I took the boys to the local skate park.

Hope you like them.

Waiting in the line at the post office with Phillip

2008-12-19T05:36:00.002-10:00

A lot of people mail things a Christmas - Holiday Season! Although it was waiting, I'm glad we had the opportunity. While we waited to mail our boxes the kids were practicing the songs they would be singing in the Christmas performance. I am surprised at the clear demonstration of Christmas celebration at their school, Christmas tree and all in the cafeteria. The second graders will be performing A Christmas Luau and the 5th graders will be performing, Santa likes to Hula. I asked Phillip if all the songs they will be singing or dancing to are Christmas songs. "No, Kathreen doesn't celebrate Christmas." I continued to ask, what does she celebrate? He wasn't sure but he told me that she is Korean and so doesn't celebrate American holidays. We had a little discussion about how Christmas wasn't an American holiday but that it was a religious holiday. He wasn't quite sure what I meant. I tried to explain that some holidays are because of the country someone lives in and some are because of how they celebrate knowing God. A moment or two later Phillip turned to me and said, "I'm glad we celebrate Christmas."

Emily's Soap Box

2008-12-19T05:18:00.002-10:00

A couple days ago we were driving home from town. (We live in Honolulu but we are about 20 min. down the coast from Ala Moana Shopping Mall - equivalent to Mall of America only there is nothing close to a circle about it's layout.) Emily decides to start telling me what Christmas is all about and that it would be o.k. if she doesn't get any presents. She was serious. I said "Really?." She proceeded to tell me that all anyone really needs is family, friends, and shelter. She continued to explain why that is all we need. It was fascinating listening to her as she talked not only about personally believing all she needs are those simple things but she did so with a Hawaiian accent. She adds "yeah" in the appropriate areas with a sweet valley girl intonation that is truly Hawaiian but not ditsy sounding.
The boys chimed in from the back to add that we might need food and started prioritizing the needs. From that point we rolled down the windows, cranked the Jack Johnson Christmas CD that Dave made for me, and started belting Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. It finally started to feel like Christmas might be coming even if it is 80 degrees outside. (Apologies to the drivers on the road who had to listen to our caroling and didn't appreciate it.)

A Glimpse of Home

2008-12-18T15:18:00.002-10:00

A couple quick things...

The other day I heard on the news that it is snowing on the Big Island. Seriously. I guess the volcano rises to a pretty high elevation, so it gets cold enough way up there to snow measurable amounts. Yes, I would like to check it out! How cool would it be to say that we played in the snow in Hawaii!?!?

Also, Target is building a couple stores on Oahu. Right now they do not have any stores. Of course, Walmart and Costco do. There was a big hiring "festival" for the Target stores this weekend. I guess it closed down a day or two early due to the overwhelming response. Goes to show how coveted jobs are down here.

We're Number 3! There is a story in the Honolulu Advertiser (newspaper) website - I noticed on my lunch break ;) - about Honolulu being the third most expensive city to live in. Hmmm, What would be the most expensive? My guess is New York and San Francisco... and I am correct. Gas is only $2.20 or so today! Yippee!

One of the main reasons for my previous post - Friends from Different Places - was that a family we are close with just moved back home - to Texas. In my rush to get to lunch that day, I neglected to mention that! They were the ones who we met first and hung out with the most. They also arrived in June. Their oldest boy is in Phillip's class and the two of them because good buddies ("best friends" if you ask Phillip.). So, we were sad to see them go.

Finally, I ran in the Honolulu Marathon on Sunday. I'll spare you the gory details, but I finished in 4 hours, 6 and a half minutes. This is a fine time - not my slowest nor my fastest marathon time. It rained (and poured) for the first 17 miles. I goofed a few things up and spent more time out there than I wanted to. But, it could have been worse. Cheryl and the kids get "huge mahalos" for letting me train so much and for coming out in the rain to cheer me on and hand me some chow at about mile 18.

Dave

Friends in Hawaii

2008-12-16T11:17:00.003-10:00

I am always interested in the differences between the places I travel compared to home. It is getting to know these differences, these uniqueness-es that add to the depth of the experience of being away from home. Obviously, there are tons of differences between Hawaii and Minnesota. One of the more subtle ones is where our friends have come from.

Out in Hawaii we have met many other families who are in similar situations to us - they have come to Hawaii for a work project, on a temporary basis. Some are in the military, but not most. Of course, I work with many born and raised Hawaiians, but most of the folks we hang out with are from the mainland. We've met a family who recently lived in Wisconsin, another family from Austin, TX, and yet another from Mississippi and Texas. (Cheryl could probably list a handful of other places other friends are from... she's got more friends that I do!)

My barber has said that she's seen a lot of people in my situation who come for a couple years and get bored with Hawaii - the limited geography, limited opportunities for travel and other activities and so forth. I can see this. However, I am not sure I would choose 6 months winters over being bored and warm!

Every time I tell someone that I am from MN, I get the same response, "Oh, it's cold there." To which I usually reply, "I guess the secret is out." or "Only for half the year." or "I never really noticed."

It is fun knowing people from different backgrounds but having something in common - being in Hawaii for a period of time.

Christmas Festivities in Hawaii

2008-12-15T20:44:00.002-10:00

10 more days until Christmas! We are finally getting our Christmas letters, photos and packages put together. I give them zero chance to make it to most people by Christmas... oh well. Maybe I should have said, "We are finally getting our day-or-two-after-Christmas letters, photos and packages put together." Sorry - in advance. :)

On Saturday night we went out to dinner with some friends and went on a Holiday Trolley ride around town. Various businesses put up lights and decorations and the trolley drives by on a 30 minute tour. Some of the displays were very nice... though the driver hardly slowed down. It rained the entire 30 minutes, though not as hard as it had for most of the day and evening. It is hard to complain about getting wet when back home it is as cold as it is. Though the trolley ride was fun and the lights were nice, something felt absent. I cannot place my finger on it... if it is the cold, or the longing for hot chocolate, or smelling a fire in cold, crisp air, or knowing we will not see family for Christmas. I just cannot figure it out.

A couple weeks ago we went to a Christmas parade which happens along part of the trolley ride course. I think it is called the City of Lights Parade. After having experienced the Hollidazzle parade, the City of Lights parade was a disappointment. It was nice not having to bundle up in layers upon layers of warm clothes, but we missed the floats that we see every year in the Hollidazzle. Cheryl especially missed the walking (formerly NSP) Excel Energy light bulbs.

We were thinking of going to Maui for Christmas. In fact, we bought a tent when we were home in Oct so we could camp in Maui. But, we decided not to go and instead we'll do Christmas in our condo. Since the trip to Maui would have been our present to the kids, I'm not sure if we're on the hook for getting them gifts. Cheryl has talked about swimming with the dolphins somewhere on this island.

Dave

Daniel and King Darius

2008-12-08T09:42:00.003-10:00

Yesterday was a Williams loaded day at Church of the Holy Nativity. Emily played Daniel in a short play about Daniel and the Lion's Den. Phillip was King Darius. Joseph too was a participant in the liturgy by reading the first lesson from Isaiah. The kids were so excited that they asked to leave the Honolulu City of Lights parade early so they could get a good nights sleep before the performance. They did a fabulous job! Dave and I were so proud. (Pictures to follow soon.)

Next Thanksgiving, Add Salt

2008-11-28T08:02:00.004-10:00

Happy Black Friday!

Yesterday we celebrated our first Thanksgiving in Hawaii. It was nice, though different. I missed our family and traditions back home and the coziness of a house filled with the smells and warmth of a turkey filled oven. I missed my Mom bringing rutabaga's and cooking the gravy and Kelly and Mike bringing deserts and helping with the dishes. But, overall it was a successful day.

Both Cheryl and I started the day with a run. Cheryl went first and prepared the turkey while I was gone. This was the first time that both Phillip and Emily rode their bikes with me. We went on a bit of a tough route - up and over a tall hill and along side a coastal highway. But, they did well.

The kids played with two different families at the pool for a couple hours before noon. The pool was buzzing with the excitement of about 13 kids on a holiday. At one point, the father of a bunch of the kids had 10 or so of them in the hot tub with him! One other woman actually left the pool area in disgust - so many kids and so few adults (in her mind). "Um... happy thanksgiving!"

We spent the next couple hours preparing everything else - the mashed potatoes, rutabagas, green bean casserole, and whatever else. What we didn't do was add any - or not enough - SALT to anything. This became fairly obvious to us while we were eating. It was still yummy. We ate at about 2:30, so the sun was still shining brightly which was strange. We ate on our lanai which was different from our dining room back home... in countless ways.

After eating we met a couple families down at the pool\picnic area and shared some desert. Cheryl made apple crisp and we bought a pumpkin pie to bring, and another family brought homemade chocolate cheesecake. I cannot wait to have leftovers of pie and cool whip! The adults played an incomplete game of Phase 10 which is essentially a card game. The wind made it hard to play, thankfully we brought cans of spray whip stuff which we used as paper weights.

After dinner we went to the movie theater to watch Bolt - a cartoon movie about a dog. It was entertaining enough. But, Emily later cried herself to sleep since she missed Bruder so much. Bolt reminded me too of Bruder. (I also missed him as I cleaned up the turkey that fell on the floor while I was carving the turkey... he would have helped me out.)

Not much on the scheduled for the rest of the weekend... we do want to figure out what we are doing for Christmas - we'd like to see Maui.

I hope your Thanksgiving was wonderful!

Dave

Hawaii Play in Minneapolis

2008-11-21T14:11:00.002-10:00

I just read a good article on the Mpls StarTribune website about a one man play set in Hawaii. It looks very interesting... if anyone needs something to do Friday or Saturday night.

If the link above does not work, copy this into your browser: http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/dining/34814324.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUsX

Coincidentally, a popular Minneapolis based rap duo called Atmosphere is performing in Oahu Saturday night (in the Pipeline Cafe - adjacent from ABC Stores HQ). Since I am scared I'll be the oldest person in attendance, I think I'll pass on the performance. (Wait, if I bring Cheryl with me, she'll be the oldest person in attendance!)

This will bring the list of performers whose shows I have skipped\missed to:

Jason Mraz (pop musician)
Chris Rock (comedian)
Tapes n Tapes (another Minneapolis based rapper)
Brent Dennen (contemporary folks musician)
Atmosphere

Recent Good Times

2008-11-13T14:36:00.002-10:00

In the past week I (Dave) have had some really good times with the kids. One would think I enjoy nagging them to pick up their wet clothes, put their dishes away, or stop throwing a ball indoors, but I don't.

On Sunday I took the kids so Cheryl could have the place to herself all day. We went in search of a new church but never ended up finding it. So, we went down to Waikiki to bum around and kill some time. We looked so good in our church clothes, I did not want to have every change into swim suits. So, we walked along the beach for a while. When we got to the other end of Waikiki we turned around, but took the path through the city streets. One restaurant we passed was playing all sorts of football games (by this time it was 10:30 which was 2:30 CST). The one with volume playing outside the place was a Vikings game. Ha! It was like a siren calling me. I checked the prices, called my mortgage company to re-finance, and asked for a table. Long story - short: we enjoyed some good food and watched the Vikings pull out a nice victory over the hated Packers. The beauty of it was the Packer fan in the back wearing his Packers jersey. One of the finer joys in life is seeing a Packer fan lose.

Then last night after dinner I took the kids down to the pool for a dip. There was a cute little couple in the hot tub (which is where I wanted to hang out). Avoiding that awkward situation, I got in the big pool and told the kids to be extra wild to scare the other two away. We couldn't play catch with the football because it was too dark, so we tried to kick it in the pool. This is not as easy as it sounds. The ball floats on the top of the water and one has to balance or float and trust one's foot through the water without moving the water so much that it moves the ball. This evolved into a game of water soccer (I think I am going to try for a patent). Emily and I took on the boys. It was so much fun. We played in the shallow end and either side of the pool was the goal. Eventually Phillip melted down because it was too hard (i.e. "Dad is not on my team"). I am excited to teach some of the condo kids this game (Corrine I am talking to you and yours. ;)

Dave

Eventful Sunday!

2008-10-21T08:48:00.002-10:00

About mid-summer we started having a weekly family meeting. Typical topics: Meal planning (each family member is in charge of planning a well balanced meal which shapes our grocery list), Joys & Concerns (everyone shares what's going on in their personal life so that we can celebrate joys or help with concerns), Up coming events or meetings to plan for, and a To Do list.

This format takes us about 1/2 hour and we rotate who leads the meeting. We've missed a few weeks but the kids usually remind us that we should have another meeting. This past week Joseph suggested that we attend a Kids Fest at the Bishop Museum http://www.bishopmuseum.org/ We have a family membership but the activities sounded fun and there was a bike raffle. He is always up for a raffle. Dave and I said "maybe," not sure we wanted to give up a whole day to a crowd of people. Joseph mentioned it again on Sat. and then Sun. morning. We packed up and went after a little morning exercise.

It turned out that there were tons of health and safety activities. The event was sponsored mostly by 3 health/Dr. clinics. As well as environmental care and fire/rescue etc. At each activity the kids got their chart stamped and after 12 stamps they could enter for the bike drawing. The day included free pizza, chili or saimin (noodles) kids could pick 1 and adults 2; free bottle of water and then the kids each got free shaved ice, juice, water and ice cream.
At the burn booth, they played a game by answering a question and then received sunscreen and a nice baseball hat. At the registration booth they each got a reusable shopping bag which were all used last night for grocery/costco shopping!

O.k the day was winding down but we thought we should stay for the bike drawing since that was one of the main reasons Joseph wanted to go to this event...do you see where I'm going with this? A couple names were called and then "Phillip Williams." Dave had a feeling he would win. Phillip went up there. Since the kids and I were waiting in line for their shaved ice he was confused a little confused. The MC ask if he knew why he was up there, he said no, then the MC told him it was to meet the girls. (U of H cheerleaders) Phillip just smiled. Then the MC pointed out the silver bike and helmet that was his to take home. After a little magic they started calling the last 3 names of winners..."Emily Williams" Really? They had just said there were 6000 people in attendance, out of 12 bikes raffled, we won 2? Oh my - and Joseph wasn't mad at all. A little disappointed because I saw he had kept two fingers crossed on each hand but he wasn't mad at them for winning! As we were walking back to the van with one of the bikes (we received a certificate for the other bike and helmet) Emily told me that she really likes the horn on her bike so she though maybe she could sell the bike she won and buy something else that was really expensive. Dave came up with the idea and the kids thought it would be a good one. The boys could each have the new bikes and helmets and we will sell the others on craig's list and Emily can buy something "expensive." (note to self, find out what my 7 year old daughter thinks is really expensive) The kids were happy and the adults were in a bit of hazy disbelief. We decided to drive to the bike shop that afternoon since it was another 1/2 hour north on the island. Joseph got to pick his color - red.

Joseph is Growing up

2008-10-21T06:44:00.002-10:00

About a week ago it hit me, Joseph is getting older. He has always played so well with younger kids and really enjoyed the toddlers and preschool cousins and neighbors (in MN. & HI) Sometimes Dave and I worried that he wasn't able to play with kids his own age. (That has never been true because he's always done fine socially at school in spite of his shy nature.)

This past week has really stuck out. He completed the process of running for school council president. Yes, it's true. He brought home the paperwork a few weeks ago, had to ask 3rd - 5th graders to sign a petition so he could run in the primary election, made posters and ... and he had to write a speech and give it twice. (Once with a microphone which he said was really embarrassing.) I'm in awe of his courage. He didn't think much of it because he wanted to do it. What a life lesson! I happened to be in the library this past Fri. and was able to see the students receive the results of the primary from Mrs. Lum. The principal did a great job congratulating everyone for trying and pointed out that there were a handful of students new to Koko Head Elem. that participated. Joseph will not be in the general election but all the 5th graders shook each others hands and congratulated the two that were moving on to the general election. During our bike ride home from school that afternoon, I asked Joseph if he was disappointed that he wouldn't be running for the presidency. He replied, "Yeah but I can still run for class representative and I talked with Ryan (one of the students going on to general election) and I am going to let him use some of my ideas." What a kid!

Next Joseph item: He had his first paid babysitting gig. A neighbor and friend wanted to go out for ice cream with her husband who had been off island for work. They have a 7 yr. old (in class with Phillip), 5 yr. old, 3 yr. old and 1 1/2 yr. old. We hang out with this family a lot so they are all familiar with each other. The 1 1/2 yr. old was in bed and we all went over the ground rules. (Dave and I were also only 2 floors down) Joseph handled the responsibility well and was named "The Best Babysitter Ever" by the 7 yr. old.

Next Joseph item: A couple weeks before we traveled to MN. Joseph was invited to apply for a program called Project SPARK. Out of 90 students 5th - 7th grade, Joseph was one of 30 students chosen to participate. This last Sat. was the first class. They were there from 8 - 2 learning about scientific process, weight, mass, and measurements. His homework was to research submarines. The next topics are: Principles of Physics, Communicating scientifically; Life Science, speciation, survival; earth and space science, Island geology, Hawaiian skies; Magnetism & electricity, sound & light; Technology & robotics; Final Symposium

It is truly amazing to watch him grow into the person that he is. What a blessing!

Learn Japanese in 100 Miles!

2008-09-29T14:29:00.003-10:00

Yesterday I completed the longest ride I have ever done. I did the Honolulu Century (get it? "century" is 100). It was a great ride! It took me 7.5 hours to do the whole ride, but my bike computer says I was riding for only 6 hours of it. I stopped at many aid stations for food (and to check the scope of the Twins game on my phone). It felt so nice to lay down on the grass at the end of the ride. Uff-da.

Japan Airlines is one of the title sponsors and so there were a lot of Japanese folks that did the ride. Riding with other folks in a relatively small space at times requires riders to tell other riders about hazards and whether they are stopping and so forth. I figured I would pick up a few Japanese words during the ride, but I didn't.

I guess 3000 people in total did the ride - but there were shorter distances available too. I saw a few "trains" of an adult bike, and a couple kid bike attachments which reminded me of when I would attach the Burley with the twins to my bike. I also saw an Xtracycle doing one of the distances. (That is the kind of bike I have back home in Minneapolis.)

Overall my butt and feet were in a good amount of pain. My legs were fine. I guess my shoulders\neck hurt too. If not for my sore parts, I could have finished a bit earlier.

Now I can cross off a century ride on my list of things to do before I die!

Mt next event is the Honolulu Marathon in December. Anyone want to come down to do it with me!?!?!

It's Good to be a Twins Fan!

2008-09-26T06:59:00.002-10:00

For those of you who did not notice... the Twins took over first place in their division with their win last night. It was an improbable win - their third in a row against the team who used to be ahead of them. They have only three more games to play before their fate is determined - play-offs or home for the winter.

The games start at 2pm or so Hawaii time, so I have been paying attention to them during the afternoons. The last few games have finished up before I leave for the day. Last night, since the game went into extra innings, I got the result while on my drive home. I tried to react calmly, but inside I was jumping up and down.

One of the guys I work with is a big baseball fan, so we chat about the Twins every so often. He remembers the '87 team well - which is really impressive to me!

I have been trying to keep the kids updated on the results of the games and was disappointed when only Phillip was in the condo when I got home last night. I told him I had two words for him - "first, place" and let him figure out what in the heck I was talking about. (It is not as if I was referring to how I finished in a triathlon that day!) He got a big smile and we both pumped our fists a couple time. God was pleased as well since right when we turned on ESPNEWS the highlights from the game were on. We both put on our Twins hats, went down to help Cheryl grill, and throw the baseball around.

I do wish I was in Minneapolis this weekend. I would try to be at every game the next three days. How exciting! The St. Louis Cardinals game a couple weeks ago had some excitement, but not like how it will be in the Dome this weekend. It is so much fun to witness the Twins doing well!!! How I wish I could introduce my kids to that environment!

Go Twins!

Dave

Luau on Kauai

2008-09-23T08:05:00.004-10:00

I think Cheryl touched on the luau we went to on Kauai. Here is a picture they took and we purchased and scanned.

Not all locals are as attractive as are the two on the outside... :)

Dave

Niketown 5K For Kids

2008-09-22T16:50:00.002-10:00

Yesterday all five of us ran the NikeTown 5K for Kids in Waikiki. NikeTown is the name of the Nike stores. An obnoxious number of people ran in the "race" - something like 9400 adults and kids. The event is a way for Nike to support getting kids active and support area schools. The schools get a portion of the registration fees.

Despite waking up late (but still very early for a Sunday), not eating breakfast, not knowing where to park, and not picking up our race numbers and shirts ahead of time, we all did very well. Of course Phillip started too fast and had to walk the second half of the race. Joseph and Emily took a few breaks during the race, but finished strong with Cheryl.

It was cool to do it as a family - normally Cheryl or I will do an event solo. It was also cool to give the kids a feel for what it is like when Mom or Dad do a race. I guess they also did a triathlon a couple summers ago, so it was not their first experience.

It was a zoo on the streets - both running and driving around the race. It was impossible to maintain any sort of pace with many people walking and high school kids zigging and zagging through the masses.

But, they held the event early enough so as to have most everyone cleared out by 8:30am or so. After we ran, we grabbed a small water bottle, banana, animal crackers (huh?), and some other snacks. Best of all, all the kids got finisher medals!

Dave

Kauai - Day 3

2008-09-08T12:46:00.005-10:00

Sun. was going to be a "wait and see day." Sat. afternoon I made reservations to go diving and Dave took the kids to a beach in Kekaha.

The sites we dove were Hale o Honu East and Hale o Honu West. Same reef just different ends of it. Hale means home or house; Honu means turtles. Oh and the turtles didn't seem to mind that we were there! There were only 4 of us including our guide. I saw many things I hadn't seen before. This time I brought an underwater camera. It would be fine at the depth of 65 feet but the colors start disappearing around 30 ft. so the vibrancy that a person sees can't be photo graphed unless they have extra lenses to add the reds and oranges back in. But I think you can still make out that swimming with turtles is breath taking!
http://picasaweb.google.com/TheWilliamsFiveFamily/DivingKauai02#

I was sure I might have the opportunity to see a white tipped reef shark because there are two that hang out in these two sites pretty often. I'd get up close and watch the interactions of the fish and itty bitty sea life and then turn to look out into the great blue. Oh wait, there's something...oh my, could it be a shark? With awe I watched a couple turtles gently "flying" through the water. I was kinda glad it wasn't a shark but I do want to get over my fear of sharks! The irrational fear anyway, not the healthy fear. After all, divers are visitor in the homes of many - w/o an invitation!
http://picasaweb.google.com/TheWilliamsFiveFamily/KauaiDay3#
Check out our album of Kauai Day 3 and Diving Kauai

4 Days and 3 nights sounded like it might be enough time to explore the island of Kauai. But we just got a sampling and a great one at that. All three kids really fell in love with hiking. Not what I imagined as we didn't have a day of hiking planned. During was in our search for the ledgendary beginnings of hula. A sight where Laka, the goddess of love and forest http://www.salon.com/wlust/feature/1998/03/02feature2.htmlbegan dancing the stories of her people by the irrefusable beat of the king's drum.
(more detail on hula - http://www.huna.org/html/hula_th.html
We didn't find the actual platform but we were in the right area. Our seach led us on a hiking trail and the kids are begging (nicely) for more hikes.

Kauai - Day 2

2008-09-08T11:47:00.002-10:00

Check-in is at 6:15. Who is the CRAZY person who signed us up for this...Yep, Cheryl!

Everyone was up and moving by 5:45. Joseph wins the most priceless moment award. Dave was sitting watching some t.v. and Joseph climbed under the chair Dave was sitting in and touched Dave's foot. Did Dave ever jump. Oh I could have peed my pants! We made a joke about the cost of the trip and like a master card commercial, "Price of Luau $xxx, price of Na Pali coast cruise $xxx, dinner at Barefoot Burgers $xxx, Joseph tickling Dave's feet - PRICELESS!!!"

We made check-in with time to spare. Also on the tour was a couple from Oahu and 6 early 20 somethings from Poland. From conversation it was my understanding that they were working on Kauai at McDonald's for the summer. Oh and then there was the Williams crew.

Joseph was pretty nervous the whole raft ride. It was pretty bumpy. But Captain Amillio assured us if we held on to the rope on the outside with one hand, the rope by our legs with the other hand and kept our feet under the 3rd rope on the floor - there'd be no way for us to fall out. OH MY GOODNESS! Some may be asking, what is Cheryl breathing in that pacific air. But the raft tour is the only way to be able to enter the caves and do the ancient fishing village boat landing. We all thought it was worth it when we saw our first of 4 different pods of dolphins. Early in the morning is when they are closer to the coast because they are in their cycle of sleep where only 1/2 their brain sleeps at a time. Their were sooooo many dolphins and considering we were sitting on the edge of the raft, there were a couple times I thought I could reach out and touch one but I didn't dare loose my hold of any of the ropes. :) It actually wasn't bumpy when we slowed down each time with the dolphins. One of the best sites was seeing the little baby dolphins (Some only the length of my arm) jumping out of the water with their clumsy attempts at spinning around. These were Hawaiian spinner dolphins. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtHFPrmlhTQ&feature=related

We don't have any pictures because we weren't sure how much the camera would get splashed. But it is a memory that will be permanently etched in all of our minds.

After the caves and going up the coast we landed where the Na Pali coast Ohana live for the summer months. It is a group of archeologist's who are working on an ancient village site. Only 3 tour companies have permits for a beach landing. We were given a tour of the site and told how some communities traded fish for agricultural goods. This site had last that provided a good place to grow things like purple Hawaiian sweet potatoes. One of the pictures shows the "notch" in the mountain where the trading would take place. It's a backwards "C" shape. This was one of the kids' favorite places. After lunch we went snorkeling. It is truly amazing all that lives and thrives under that thin surface which separates land and sea.

The ride back down the coast was bumpier - UGH! Thankfully Dave lost his hat and we turned around to get it. There are always jokes about the cost of a 6 pk. of beer for the Captain or a littering fine. It was his MN Twins hat and it was recovered. I would have given Dave a 6 pk. of beer to throw the hat earlier if I would have known it meant a break from the bumps. Oh well, that memory is etched in our butts and knuckles. No sea sickness though, they thoroughly encourage you not to have too much breakfast before check-in. We're saving that for the whale watching voyage! :)

http://picasaweb.google.com/TheWilliamsFiveFamily/KauaiDay2?authkey=PqWPBVbkTPU#5243753075477061010

Sat. evening we relaxed and everyone gave their favorite part of the day:

Phillip - Liked it, turtles were his favorite, ginger ale at lunch reminded him of Grandpa Paul, and the raft ride was just right.

Emily - Liked it, dolphins and fish were her favorite, and the raft ride was just right.
(E&P were thrilled with the raft ride - all smiles!)

Joseph - Kinda liked it, dolphins were his favorite, and the ride was TOO bumpy. (He was such a trooper!)

Cheryl - Liked it, the Hawaiian village and baby dolphins were my favorite, and the ride was too bumpy because we were sitting on sideways and had to hold on. I would have loved it if I could have faced forward.

Dave - Liked it; his favorites were the fishing village, blue colors of the ocean, and when the green sea turtles came up for a breath it made a "puuhh" sound; the ride was too bumpy.

After dinner at a little pizza shop, we picked out some ice cream from the grocery store. Phillip said as he ate his ice cream that it reminds him of Grandma Pat.

Another great day in Kauai!

Kauai - Day 1

2008-09-07T18:47:00.009-10:00

Our flight left Honolulu airport Fri. am at 7:15 am. We arrived on Kauai, the oldest of the Hawaiian islands, in Lihue at 7:50. Hardly time to get buckled but they passed out coffee or a papaya/guava juice.

We sailed through the airport and picked up our luggage and rental car by 8:30. Then we were off to the other side of the island for the lei making class at the Waimea visitors center. Blossom was our teacher and she even invited us to a local luau Fri. night. Unfortunately we already had reservations for a luau and show otherwise we would have gone in a heartbeat!

Before we checked-in to the house we were renting for the weekend we drove up and around Weimea Canyon. Mark Twain called it the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific." We all were amazed by it's beauty! One of the mini-trails that we hiked was the Kului Trail. As we approached a ledge that jutted out in a peninsula shape, Emily said, "It's like at church (a pulpit)" She said the next part with a little irritation in her voice. "People come and ask, 'What are you doing?" and we say, (now with amazement) "We are looking at the Mountains."

This trip was a time when I really saw my three kids as such different people with unique personalities. All three of them get along and play so well together but they each have their own likes and dislikes. Don't get me wrong, they are siblings and have their fights but they can play for hours together as well.

While at Waimea Lookout we stopped at the Koke'e Lodge for lunch, naps and chicken chasing. In 1992 Kauai was hit hard by a hurricane. The chicken coops were un-fenced and were never re-coop-erated. (It's o.k. if you don't think I'm funny but I like a silly little chuckle every now and then.) Point: LOTS-O-Chickens, everywhere! No, that's Dave, not a chicken.

Next we unloaded our things at the Island Zen Cottage which was in the quiet western town of Kekaha. The yard was filled with all kinds of plants with very interesting flowers. (Check out our web photo album to see them.) After a quick shower we were off to the Luau, garden tour, and cultural show.

The evening began with a tour by tram of tropical gardens. We then learned about the process of cooking in an underground "oven." The young Hawaiian men blew conch shells to begin the imu ceremony, the Kahlua pork was removed and then we went in for dinner. It was a feast! We all tried the poi which is made from Taro root. Almost no taste what so ever. We learned that Hawaiian heavily salted their meat to keep it edible and the purpose of poi was to balance out the salt. It is as traditional as green bean casserole on Thanksgiving. (A little bit older of a tradition!)

After dinner, we went to watch the truly international show. Tahiti, Samoa, Japan, China, Phillipenes, and Hawaii were all represented. Immigrants have moved to Hawaii for different reasons all through out history and have contributed to the Hawaii of today. All of us really liked the special effects during the dances of Pele, the volcano goddess.

That ended our 1st day in Kauai.

http://picasaweb.google.com/TheWilliamsFiveFamily/KauaiDay1#5243539846255557938

Diamond Head Farmers Market

2008-09-07T12:26:00.002-10:00

We finally made it to the big farmers market. A market where you can purchase everything from orchids and tropical flowers to sweet potato pastries. We got some itty bitty peppers that I think Dave and Phillip will be the only ones brave enough to add to something they will eat. There were some growing on the property at the place we stayed in Kauai. Dave had a nibble and as each second passed, his internal temp. rose another 10 degrees. (Not something I need to be a part of my Hawaiian experience.)

We also purchased some sea asparagus http://www.olakai.com/, okinawan spinich (kinda spicy), purple Hawaiian sweet potatoes, and taro sweet bread. (Radishes & green beans - not too risky)

And of course the kids had to get some shave ice.

The kids are joining in the idea of trying new foods but we haven't gone so far as to slip them any sushi.

Sorry I Missed the RNC

2008-09-05T08:03:00.002-10:00

Those who know me well know that I am a big Republican supporter. (Those that know me very well know that I have a dry sense of humor and frequently say the opposite of what I mean!) I think it would have been fun to be home during the RNC in St. Paul (or Minneapolis depending on who you talk to). However, it is kinda fun being away from home while having home be a part of so many national news stories.

About this time last year the 35W bridge fell down while I was in Missouri. Obviously, Minnesota was in the news for the wrong reasons, but I still got a little thrill out of seeing the attention MN got on the national news. It was strange to be away during that period - it was one of those experiences that made me want to hug Cheryl and the kids.

I watched a bit of Palin's speech the other night and was impressed with her eloquence. I watched a bit of McCain's speech last night and was disappointed with his awkwardness. It all makes me sick with how little candidates talk about actual issues anymore. The two party system does not provide enough options. We're a diverse enough country whereby a single Democrat will not represent all Dems and a single Republican will not represent all Republicans. Anyway, I digress...

I like to think I would have hung our downtown St. Paul during the convention, had I been home. I can see myself riding my bike there and just watching all the activity. Then again, maybe I'd have gotten caught up in a protest, detained for 48 hours and released (without my bike!). Yeah, I probably would have decided to stay home and go to bed early.

It is crazy to think that the State Fair has ended, the RNC is over, and school has started. Because there is so little seasonal change in Hawaii, it still feel early for all that. It still feels like the middle of summer. I cannot believe the family has been here for almost 5 full months! Thankfully - so far, so good.

But, I do miss people back home... and I miss Minneapolis. I bet the cool air in the mornings and evenings feel nice. Fall was always my favorite season (ok, maybe summer was!) with the crisp air, trips to apple orchards, and colorful leaves.

I hope you are all well.

Dave

Let's Get Caught Up

2008-09-03T08:36:00.011-10:00

SCUBA DIVING

Aug. 19 & 22 I completed a series of 4 open water dives to complete my scuba diving certificate. This all started because someone from MN encouraged/challenged me to use this time in Hawaii to do something I never thought I'd do - well, I NEVER thought I'd go scuba diving. Come on, it is just wrong to be able to breath underwater! Emily and Phillip's kindergarten teacher is a diver and her husband is a master diver and instructor at Smith Diving http://smithdiving.com/when he isn't teaching special educ. Candy (E&P's teacher) gave me a voucher for $$ off of my diving class about the same time I was challenged to do "something" I never thought I'd do. I accepted it as a prompt from my Higher Power to challenge myself in this exact way. Just to play it safe I took an intro class to see if I wanted to invest in the full course. It was Amazing! I was enamoured by black and white pool tiles? No, there is was such a simple calm under the water and the academic part of me was fascinated by the science of it all. Just thing what it could be like with all the marine life. Well, I got through my 20 hrs. of classroom and pool training. Then it was time to move. I researched dive shops here on Oahu. I hit another block, I had built up trust with my instructors and now I have to go in the open ocean and perform these diving skills - YIKES! I was scared so I put it off, "getting settled in". Finally, with the pressure of going to Kauia I committed to diving with a little shop in Waikiki that dives in an area 5 min. from our condo. All went well. We saw a few Honu (green sea turtles) one had a shell the length from my head to mid-thigh, octopus the size of my forearm which I know it that was it's size because the dive instructor put it on my arm and it wrapped it's tentacles around. (with my permission) It was cool! We saw reef triggerfish, christmas wrasse, and puffer fish. Banded urchins, brittle stars which are little starfish about 1/4 the size of my palm. On the last checkout dive we saw a small flat worm that was yellow, orange and blue as well as a collector urchin. The dive instructor put it on my hand and pressed on it. (Obviously its spines weren't the type to brake off in your skin.) I then turned my hand upside down and it's little suckers attached to me and it was like a little yo-yo hanging there. Super cool! So during those 4 dives I performed all the skills I needed to become certified and now I'm a card carrying scuba diver!

Look out below... :)

Aug. 27 Hiking Kuliouou Trail - http://www.backyardoahu.com/index.html?kulr1.shtml

1. At the trail head looking up. 2. First vista 3. Near the top, looking into Diamond Head Crater.

A new friend here in Hawaii and I decided to meet to go hiking for a few hours while the kids were in school. This trail is a couple min. from our place so it seemed a good choice not knowing how long it would take. It was tough! A few places my toes were almost next to my shins and then going down, in full extension. Oh but it was worth it! She has a little fear of heights so we didn't go to the top but you can see the beauty we did encounter. I'm trying to talk Dave into going with me this week while he is off of work. I would like to make it to the top. It is easy to fall in love with place above and below sea level. What a blessing and honor to explore Hawaii!!!

Aug. 28 - Hiking is great exercise with rewards of scenery!
Some friends and I hiked up to Makapu'u lookout/lighthouse. It is the eastern most point of Oahu and only a 4 min. drive from our place. The path is paved so made it possible for the non-school age "hikers" to snooze on the way up in their strollers...slackers.

1. Looking up the windward side 2. Makapu'u Lighthouse 3. Koko Head Crater and Hanauma Bay

We are excited to share this with you electronically but it would even be better in person!!!

A hui ho (Until we see each other again)

Time Off!

2008-08-25T08:54:00.002-10:00

Over the next couple weeks I get to take some time off from the project at ABC Stores. Long story short, they are opening up a new store format and will not have a lot of time to spend with folks from Logic. So, we are getting out of their hair for a couple weeks. Since my new home is now in Hawaii, I am hanging out in Hawaii. Not bad!

Of course, I'll still be connected to work over this period - catching up on some tasks and training I have been thinking about for a while. I'll also try to progress in the 5 or so books I have started. I plan to go for some good rides and runs while the kids are in school. A couple curtain rods have pulled out of the walls since we've been here. I figure I should make an attempt at fixing them before asking my uncle Paul to help me while he is out here ON VACATION. I am sure he will help bail me out if I cannot figure out how to put a screw in the wall. Hopefully Cheryl and I will have some chances to hang together during the day during these two weeks. I may even try out her Yoga class which she enjoys so much.

Of course, the BIG thing we are doing is flying to Kuaui on Friday. We'll be there four days, three nights and Cheryl has planned an action packed weekend for us.

Keep in touch!

Dave

Emily's First Hula Performance Yesterday

2008-08-24T09:32:00.002-10:00

Yesterday Emily had a hula performance down at a local shopping center. I am not sure what they were actually celebrating... I think the shopping center is fairly new. A bunch of shops had sales and restaurants had free samples. Also, there was an outdoor showing of Finding Nemo, which we chose not to watch.

Anyway, the performance was good. Emily kept her eyes planted on the girls next to her who knew what to do!

Dad's and Emily's Date Yesterday

2008-08-10T06:49:00.006-10:00

Emily and I went on a date yesterday while the boys were at a birthday party. We had about four hours to kill during the afternoon, so I figured we would go into Waikiki and play tourist for a day. We had such a nice time!

We parked at the zoo where the parking costs $.25\hour (what's the point in charging for that little amount?). We lucked out on finding a spot, someone pulled out right in front of us and behind the other 10 or so cars waiting. We walked along the hot beach sand for quite a while - just watching the waves, surfers and swimmers. The beaches in Waikiki are so crowded! It is the least relaxing beach environment I can imagine. Then again, I have never been to South Beach in Miami.

We stopped and had a GIANT rainbow shave ice which is similar to a sno cone at the state fair or something. We continued walking along the beach until we found a decent place to put our stuff down and take a dip. Despite Emily choking down a huge, unexpected gulf of salt water, we had a good time bobbing in the ocean waves.

On the way back, we walked through some of the trinket shops in Waikiki and found a cute dress for Emily and shared an ice cream cone.

Hopefully today will be another nice day... despite the planned trip into town to pick up some things at Walmart.

Dave

Greatest Joys in Hawaii...

2008-08-07T21:10:00.002-10:00

A couple of my favorite experience since being in Hawaii have very little to do with Hawaii or anything Hawaiian.

The boys have gotten pretty into the MN Twins this season and so on a daily basis I give them updates on whether they have won or not. When the Twins had a winning streak of about 10 games, it was so much fun telling them that the Twins won 6 games in a row, 7 games, 8 games, and so on. When they took over first place by a half game the other day, I took the opportunity to teach them a little about "baseball math" including standings and all that. They were interested and I could tell Cheryl I taught them something! Surely she was proud of me.

Another of the joys is reading "Where the Red Fern Grows" to the kids. I just started a couple days ago and the kids are really into it so far (aside from Phillip falling asleep 10 minutes into each session). Its a book about a boy who trains a couple coon hounds to hunt coons and is set in the backwoods of the Ozarks. It is bringing back good memories from reading the book when I was a kid... and also memories of Bruder. I find it somewhat ironic that we are enjoying this book while in Hawaii when it has much more to do with my project in Missouri (part of he Ozarks are in Missouri).

Dave

The 6th member of our clan...

2008-08-07T15:07:00.004-10:00

Bruder is doing GREAT! He and his new best friend Sparticus are glued at the...fur.

We are so thankful to everyone who really considered taking care of Bruder while we are in Hawaii. It has been hardest on Dave and I. Not at all what I expected! Last weekend the two boys had an overnight at Grandpa and Granny Stevens' house while the Carey family went up to Duluth to watch the ship come in. This photo is from when Dave, Renee and Maren went to South Dakota in July. Bruder and Sparticus enjoyed the road trip. Last week we got word from Renee that Sparticus escaped from the backyard. Bruder did his brotherly duty and escorted Sparticus back to the alley gate and waited for someone to come let them in. Renee was very thankful and called him a hero. We are so grateful to Dave, Renee, and Maren. It makes living without our beast a little less difficult. There are sooo many pet dogs where we live so we all think of him often. The kids miss him but don't tear up like Dave and I.

Joy in Yoga

2008-08-05T11:40:00.004-10:00

It was suggested to me to try a free yoga class at a studio near our home. I've tried yoga a couple times with mixed feelings. But I was told that this style would really help with circulation and plain cleaning systems out. OH MY! Bikram Yoga is a series of 26 poses with 2 breathing exercise, one at the beginning and one at the end. The kicker - it's 90 min. in a 105 degrees. It includes all 3 components; breath, stretching in alignment, and meditation. Challenging but gentle at the same time!

So I'm writing because as I returned home, dripping like I'd just gotten out of the ocean and I felt washed with joy. It has happened a few times in the last 6 weeks. Each time I've started humming The Doxology. This has surprised me. The Doxology has never been a favorite song of mine compared to many other songs I enjoy singing. (Singing is a form of spiritually connecting for me!) But it makes me remember my grandma. It is a familiar song because we sing it as our grace at large family gatherings before our meal. We stand holding hands in a circle. It was a tradition started by my grandma. Before she died, we would gather as a complelte family (all three of her girls, my mom is the middle daughter, and thier families.) 18 cousins and their spouses and children as well. It was very common to have 50 + people connected through this circle of song.

Well, Dave and I are lightly trying to find a new church home. More on that later. One of the first churches we went to was Holy Nativity Episcopal Church. One of the regular songs is, The Doxology - in Hawaiian.

Ho'o na-ni i ka Ma-ku- a mau,
Ke Kei-ki me ka 'U-ha-ne no,
Ke A-ku- a mau Ho-'o-mai-ka-'i pu,
Ko ke-ia ao, ko ke-la ao. 'A-me-ne

Hawaiian vowels are pronouced like this:
a = short "a" sound like in aloha
e = sounds like long "a" like in lake
i = sounds like a long "e" like in eagle
o = sounds like a long "o" in orange
u = sounds like "00" like in balloon

http://www.cyberhymnal.org/htm/p/r/praisegf.htm this site plays the tune without words.

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye Heavenly Host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

Another version I found on wikipedia -
Praise God from whom all blessings flow;
Praise God, all creatures here below;
Praise God for all that love has done;
Creator, Christ, and Spirit, One.

Hope you experience joy today. Express it how ever you are moved to, without reservation.

Celebrating the gift of healing,
Cheryl

School in July?

2008-08-04T12:49:00.003-10:00

School has started!!! Wed. July 30th was the first day. Everyone had a wonderful time. The last time I got teary-eye for the first day of school was Joseph's first day of kindergarten. There are no school buses for kids so parents drop-off. There were so many parents at the school. Breakfast is served from 7:30 - 8 and parents are welcome to have breakfast with their students. We had a nice visit with Mrs. Lum the principal. She was very helpful and engaging with J,E, and P! Dave was able to go into work late so we went as a whole family. We didn't ride bikes because of ALL the school supplies in their back packs. Today was the second day we've ridden our bikes. We are a funny little bike train going down Lunalilo Home Rd. Today, Greg, a neighbor who is also in Phillip's class, rode with us. He is the oldest with two younger sisters and a younger brother.

Emily stayed home sick on Thurs. but was ready again on Fri. and was really ready to go to her first Hawaiian style birthday party. They do it big here and it is a whole family affair. They rented a huge blow-up double water slide. It was a big BBQ and parents were invited to stay too. There were even parents going down the (did I say HUGE) water slides. It was fun and I had a chance to visit with some very wonderful people. I may even have some job leads out of it. CRAZY! Sometimes I think that is a synonym for Cheryl. Oh well!

HI Driver's License

2008-07-30T15:50:00.001-10:00

I passed my Hawaii driver’s license written test! I am so excited! I feel a certain amount of redemption after failing the test when applying for my permit when I was 15. It was a grueling 28 multiple choice question test, 22 of which I had to get correct. I think I got three wrong… Some of the options for answers were fairly funny (e.g. when asked what to do when pedestrians are crossing against a red light when I have the green, one of the options was to speed up and go around them, another option was to drive by close to them to teach them a lesson.) Then again, considering how many pedestrians are hit down here…

Anyway, I did not even need to fake the smile when they snapped my picture (I even kept my eyes open!). The best part is, they printed the license right then and there… I have it in my wallet. It is pretty sharp, it’s got a rainbow on it. Maybe I could get into the Gay 90’s back home without paying the cover…

I also registered to vote in Hawaii. I was not excited to vote for Franken, so now I will not need to give it much thought. I guess I have to figure out who is running down here. I am not sure if Hawaii is blue, red, or purple. I do know I’ll be voting for a born and raised Hawaiian for president! I started every sentence in this paragraph with “I”, hopefully poor writing is not punishable by revoking my NEW HAWAII DRIVERS LICENSE!

I also had the brilliant idea to get a vanity license plate (we have to register it in Hawaii) for our van – “10K LAKES” or something like that. Represent! That will be a cool souvenir!

Aloha.

Dave

Triathlon - I Finished!

2008-07-26T16:50:00.002-10:00

I finished the triathlon last Sunday. I am happy with the my finishing time - about 2:40 which got me about 250th place out of 600 or so. The main thing for me was going strongly the entire race. Usually I bonk or cramp up at some point. But, during this race I was smart - I took it easy during the first half of both the bike and run.

The best parts of the race (besides swimming far enough to be able to stand up and run out of the ocean) were seeing Cheryl and the kids during the bike leg which went around the condo. I got to see them twice. What a rush!

Tinman Triathlon Tomorrow

2008-07-19T10:00:00.001-10:00

I have always wanted to compete in a triathlon in which the swim is in the ocean. Well, tomorrow I get what I have asked for. The trouble is, I am not so sure I want to do it anymore! I always get cold feet before a triathlon and my feet are currently FROZEN.

This morning I went through the motions and went down to the site of the triathlon to swim the course. The swim is parallel to the shore for 750 meters total which is less than a half mile. (That is a fairly short swim as far as triathlons go.) The first thing I noticed is that most of the shore is not a beach – it is a wall. The second thing I noticed is that there is no break wall (i.e. there ARE waves). The third thing I noticed, as I tepidly entered the water, the floor of the ocean is filled with stuff – rocks, boulders – and all the stuff that grows on things on the bottom of the ocean. I took a deep breath and jumped into the water to start swimming the breaststroke to warm up. I peeked my head into the water and finally got up enough courage to swim freestyle. Ugh, it was tough. I was freaked out seeing all the stuff on the bottom. Honestly, if I had not gone snorkeling last weekend – where the purpose is to see the stuff under water – I would have been much more freaked out.

Eventually, I turned around and started swimming back. At one point I got a bit discombobulated and was swimming towards the wall. When I looked up and saw that thing and the waves crashing into it and the rocks and stuff in the fairly shallow water I really freaked out. I put my head down in the water and really started chugging to get over to the sandy area. I saw a fish when I got straightened out, but it swam away when I screamed.

We’ll see how tomorrow goes. I am sure it will be less scary with a bunch of other folks in the water with me. I’ll have to keep looking forward to the bike leg – we go from Waikiki all the way to Hawaii Kai and back. We actually go pretty much around the condo, so I should be able to see Cheryl and the kids twice. Think of me at 10:45 am CDT when my wave starts.

David Williams

Manager

Logic Information Systems, Inc.

5814 Blackshire Path

Inver Grove Heights, MN 55076

651.203.3300 (Office)

612.965.2027 (Mobile)

dwilliams@logicinfo.com

www.logicinfo.com

July is flying by!!!

2008-07-18T12:06:00.001-10:00

July is flying by!!! O.k. time for some major catch-up.

Joseph - Reading like a mad man! This week he read Eragon by Paolini and there is a tall stack waiting. The week before he and I raced through the 5 Spidrewick Chronicles. We both agree it is better to read the book before watching the movie. We will wait for a rainy day to rent it but we are both eager to see it. There have been rainy nights (after 10) but no rainy days. He’s going to slip out of fantasy for a bit and read A Boy at War which is a historical fiction novel about a boy who experiences the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This will be in preparation for visiting the memorial, probably when Aunt Judy and Uncle Paul Williams (Dave’s aunt and uncle) come to visit at the end of Oct.
Last week he enjoyed a 3 day, 2 night camp experience where they did a number of ocean activities and heard Hawaiian legends around the camp fire. He is especially good at retelling the story of how the islet named “Chinaman’s Hat” came to be. It involves Pele the volcano goddess and her sister the lightening goddess.

Emily - She too is reading up a storm, mostly about Hula and fairies. We are almost done with Gooney Bird Green by Lois Lowry. Gooney Bird is a second grader just starting at a new school. (The coincidence is noted.) Gooney is a one-of-a-kind girl that is happy to be herself and the kids enjoy her uniqueness. Emily is feeling back to her usual self after her bout with the flu. She still enjoys biking up to camp each day. Their class has been practicing an Aloha song for the Finale program this evening. It should be a hoot!

Phillip - Oh my, he is 150% boy and that is on an off day. It’s usually 225%. Don’t ask how I camp up with those numbers but you know what I’m talking about if you’ve ever had to wait at a bus stop with him or challenged him to anything. We’ve already gone through another pair of tennis shoes and he mostly wears flip-flops or here they are called “slippers.” He is just wonderfully intense and his sense of humor cracks me up. This morning as we were making lunches he stop every so often and look at me with a straight face and then give me a slight smile/twinkle and then went back to the straight face. Funny kid! Maybe weird but he is a keeper.
He isn’t as particular in what he reads it is just a matter of writing down the next book. Popo the surfing dog was a favorite. Now he is really into drawing. The kids were turned on to a series of books by the Cudd boys, our MN neighbors, and we found the whole set at our Hawaii Kai library. They are called Draw Write Now by Marie Hablitzel and Kim Stitzer. It is a handwriting and drawing course for kids but is set up in themed units that encourage some wonderful discussion and extended learning.

Cheryl - What do I say? This has been like no other experience I’ve ever had. Sure, I moved away for college but they had freshman orientation, mixers, roommates and everyone was in the same boat. I guess what I’m saying is that I have been very surprised at how lonely I have felt at times. Because my nature leans towards the extrovert end of things it is not often in my life that I’ve been lonely or at least aware enough of it to acknowledge it and let it be just that, loneliness. By no means is it constant. The kids and I are exploring and we are a whole family evenings and on the weekends! 4 weeks - who am I kidding, 2 weeks together is the longest we’ve all been in the same city for almost 2 years. It is a much welcomed change that has been a much easier transition than I though it would be!
This past month I have spent a lot of time reading, writing, exercising, not as much napping as I thought I’d do but some napping nonetheless. I am in week 4 of my first class, working toward my masters degree in education. This program was highly recommended by a well respected teacher that I worked with this year. I was skeptical of on-line courses but it has been awesome collaborating with teachers from all around the country and with such a wide variety of teaching experiences. And what a gift to not have to drive anywhere or be somewhere by a certain time. I’m able to do my school work while the kids are at camp. Oh and it is absolutely beautiful here! There was a plant on a plant rack at a local store that, my first thought was, I’d like to paint that. (I’m starting water color painting also.) So I bought this little plant. The secondary blossoms just appear every couple days. It’s Like nothing I’ve ever seen before. It reminded me of the book A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle which likens the wakening of the human consciousness to the awakening of plant life as the first blossoms began to emerge from plants. Good book - I listened to it on CD which was much easier on this ADD mind of mine. If you have any interest in philosophy and the idea of human consciousness and how we operate in today’s world - highly recommend it. If you read it/listen to it - let’s talk!! Sacred Self, Sacred Relationships is another book I’m working on - very enlightening! So to balance all that deep thinking I’m also getting caught up on my young adult lit. (I loved working with middle-schoolers this past year!) The Misfits, Spiderwich Chronicles, Number the Stars, Dave at Night, Home of the Brave. Are the few I’ve read so far. I read some of these as inspiration from a farewell get together with the whole staff at Keewaydin. Teachers and staff dedicated special books to the library on behalf of other teachers or staff. There is an amazing list and very touching dedications. I promised myself I’d read the whole list this summer and I’m not quite a quarter of the way through.

O.k. now on to some of the more exciting adventures: We finally went to Hanauma Bay to go snorkeling. We saw about 10 different kinds of reef fish. Some of our favorites were the Parrot fish which Joseph and I could hear the crunch of his “beak” as he munched on some coral. The Christmas wrasse were amazingly colorful! We saw reef trigger fish which were mostly yellow, black and white but then illuminated this light-blue triangle shape on the back. There were a number of sea urchins tucked in crevasses in the reef and a couple different kinds of coral. It was our first time out and as cool as it was, we were cautious to stay in close to the shore. We will be a little braver next time. Especially because last night the kids and I went to the free lecture series offered Thurs. nights. Last night was about the different ways fish swim. The University professor described how they tested the efficiency of the different types of swimming. Yep, JE&P were the only kids but they stayed fully engaged. Some of the algorithms showing the exponential use of oxygen went a little over their heads but not too far because on the way home Emily told me that she wants to be a scientist because she has so many questions. It was a good lesson in how scientists don’t have the answers they just get excited about trying to come up with experiments so that they might discover why something works the way it does. The two kinds of fish used in the experiment were a parrot fish and a trigger fish. That helped keep their attention since we just experienced both those kinds in their natural habitat. The kids are now excited to distinguish if the fish is a BCS (Body Caudle fin Swimmer) or a MPS (Mandle Paired fin Swimmers.)

We went kite flying at Sandy Beach. Kite flying has quite a history here in Hawaii. The trade winds are a blessing in so many ways especially when it comes to the ease of flying kites here - everyday is a breezy day! We shared the field with a remote control plane, that was fun to watch too.

School supply shopping...in mid July? Yep, the kids start school on July 30th. We will find out their classroom assignments in a week. I’m both nervous and excited for them. They are EXCITED! There are no school busses so we plan on biking to school. We are all excited about that! It is about the same distance as to the district park we bike to each day but no volcano crater hill!

Over all, we are loving this slowed pace! Even the freeway speed limit is 50 mph! People don’t honk and they stop for pedestrians!!! Culture shock!

Cheryl

Updates on Life in Hawaii

2008-07-06T07:19:00.002-10:00

It has been a while since we have written here. Here is a number of ways we have been keeping ourselves busy.

Library - Cheryl and the kids found the library soon after arriving and have been reading as much as possible, since they earn prizes for how much they read. They max out at three prizes each week for however much they read.

Bikes - Last weekend we finally got bikes for everyone. I got one for $15 that is a piece of junk, but it should work for tooling around town. We found Emily's bike on Craig's List and bought the boys' bikes at Walmart. Of course the only bike to have trouble so far is one of the new ones from Walmart. We got Cheryl's a couple weeks ago from Craig's List.

Illness - Poor Emily, who is standing next to me as I type, has been sick for the past 4 or 5 days. She threw up a couple times Thursday morning and again last night. She did not feel well enough to hula dance with her class on July 4th, though we did go to watch.

Swimming - we have been swimming A LOT! However, we discovered that going to the beach is a lot more work than going to the pool at the condo. however, we can only use the body boards and snorkeling gear at the beach.

Letters - The kids have been working hard writing letters and post cards to their friends, teachers and family (including cousins). The list of future recipients is long, but getting shorter.

Costco - We discovered buying in bulk! There is a Costco a mile or so away which we have been going to frequently.

Biking Post

2008-07-06T07:04:00.002-10:00

I just wrote a (hopefully interesting) post about a bike ride on Friday on the blog where I occasionally write about biking: http://twincitybicycler.blogspot.com/.

Dave

Zippy's

2008-06-25T12:15:00.002-10:00

There is a local chain all over Oahu called Zippy's (and I guess Zippy's Napoleon Bakery). Last week we decided to go out to dinner and we ended up at Zippy's. I think it will be the only time we go... we did not enjoy it.

The service was great... we rarely went without a FULL glass of water. But, the food was disappointing. I had some roasted, pulled pork with cabbage and some steamed veggies. The veggies were straight out of a bag of frozen veggies and maybe 3 oz of pork hidden in the cabbage. The taste was fine, nothing special. A couple of the kids has a cheeseburger which looked very mediocre - the cheese was obviously a slice of packaged, fake cheese. Cheryl had some sort of beef sandwich - the bread looked very white and dry... without much between it.

A colleague described it as similar to Denny's, but the menu had many more asian type dishes - none of which we ordered.

I am glad to have tried it, it seems like an institution down here. But, there is certainly no interest in going again.

Serendipity

2008-06-20T19:12:00.000-10:00

Yesterday was such a serendipitous day. I am still giggly inside because of it. Serendipity, "what does that mean, mom?" well... I guess I'd describe it as wonderful happenings. One of Joseph's new favorite books is the Thesaurus so I look in there. Serendipitous = lucky. Serendipity = chance. Oh but I believe there is a spiritual whimsy that encompasses yesterday.
We started our day by an early dip in the pool. After a mid-morning snack we started off to the library to sign up for a library card and the summer reading program. Three different librarians were very helpful and when I was asking for directions to our next planned location, a patron of the library offered to give me a ride up to the park. Aloha spirit for sure! I declined as we still had time to do some planned reading.
We stayed for over an hour to read and check out books and then it was off to Koko Head District Park for a free 5 animal Kung-Fu class. We left the library and turned up the road to the park. Thankfully I remembered to grab our camera - I'm in awe of the foliage here! One photo op was of a gorgeous blossom filling the belly of a VERY large bee. After I stopped to take the requested photo of the dolphin mail box, I found myself walking along side a petite woman caring a bag with a canvas in it. (Some may know this but one of my goals for this year is to get back in touch with ways that I express myself creatively.) A dear friend has been mentoring me on watercolor and so I asked this woman about the painting she does. She had a very strong accent but I was able to make out that she paints oil abstracts. She has been on the island since '89 and moved here from Brazil. I didn't catch much of the other details of our discussion.
Then as we past this very average non-descript home she said, "Hula, you must go to that house for hula." I was still trying to figure out what she was saying in a previous sentence and so I was confused. Plus I had no clue what house she was pointing too. We took a few steps down the road and a little girl said, "Hula is over now." The class had just finished. We met the teacher who looked very Hawaiian not without a very friendly smile. Her name is Shy (not sure if that is the correct spelling.) She invited Emily back for next weeks lesson. Wed. from 2-3 $25/ mos. There is a performance in 3 weeks and if Emily feels comfortable with the dance she is welcome to participate. SERENDIPITY is what I felt, a word my dear grandma taught me. Grandma Carlson, lover of words and adventure. Thank you grandma for instilling in me the wonder of exploring. The last few days have been intense with exploring both inside and out and I am filled with gratitude! Peace, Cheryl

Aloha Shirts

2008-06-18T21:14:00.002-10:00

I (Dave) bought a handful of Aloha shirts yesterday after getting a bit tired of wearing shirts and ties to work. The dress code calls for either an aloha shirt or long sleeve shirt and tie. The team has done well in showing respect for the organization by wearing ties and dressing formally. But, now that it is summer, it sure is nice to wear short sleeves.

However, it has been a challenge find decent aloha shirts. I have come to the conclusion that no one looks handsome in an aloha shirt. Maybe the look will grow on me. But it hasn't yet. I cannot imagine wearing these shirts back in Minnesota when we return.

I started with a couple gray, muted Quicksilver shirts. Yesterday I found a couple Kahala brand aloha shirts, one red, another blue, and a dark gray one. Now I have five aloha shirts total. Considering I meet with the executives once a week, and need to wear a tie in front of them, the five shirts should be enough.

When someone says "nice shirt" in response to seeing me in a new aloha shirt, the CTO for the client has taught me to reply "It's not the shirt, it's the body." I got a couple chuckles with that one today.

I also found some nice shamrock boxers at J Crew on clearance for $3. Nice! Why don't shamrock clothes sell well in Hawaii? What do the Japanese have against the Irish?

Aloha

We Made It; We're Here!

2008-06-18T21:04:00.002-10:00

Aloha!

We are all safe and sound in Hawaii after our uneventful flight on Sunday June 15th. We have spent three full days in Hawaii so far and are quickly getting settled. Dave has been working, as he has been off and on since early February (OK, not exactly "as he has been" since he has left the office before 6pm each day this week). Cheryl has been able to rise out of bed early, get some exercise in, and start getting to know the area on foot.

We have taken a few pictures, but have not downloaded them yet. We'll do so soon!

So far we have spent a lot of time in the pools at the condo. The kids took Cheryl literally when she joked this spring it would not be a day if the kids did not get to go swimming! We went for a late evening dip tonight around 8pm.

The kids are still adjusting to the time change. They wake up early (today was the latest - 6am) and are zombies by 6:30pm. Of course, Joseph bragged how he beat Grandma Pat's estimate of needing a week to adjust... he thinks he has already adjusted.

Nothing major planned for the weekend... hopefully we'll hit a beach and maybe climb a volcano crater! We will also likely start exploring churches in the area. And, we are on the look out for used bikes for the whole family.