All You Need is Love

Time for announcements...

2008-12-16T17:32:00.002-10:00

Well, we have some news...we are moving back to Colorado! We have been given a great business opportunity (which I will share more about after everything is finalized) that we just can't say no to! We leave this Saturday night and will be arriving in Denver on Sunday morning (21st)...just in time for an "old" friends' wedding! I (Kamma) am still working this week, through Thursday when school is out for winter break, and Michael is hurriedly trying to finish the condo remodel upstairs, all this amidst trying to get everything packed or sold or thrown away! Needless to say, with a little bug going around in the classroom and all this added stress, I have come down with a bit of a cold. I'm chuggin' the EmergenC, though, and definitely feel like I've caught it before it's too bad.

We're feeling a lot of mixed emotions right now; we feel like we've truly found a second home here. We've made some great friends, and have really settled into "island life." The mom's at the daycare gave me a handmade book today at our Christmas party and I almost lost it...beautiful pictures of them and their babies and loving sentiments to me...it's always hard to leave a place you love.

We're also wanting to do as many of the things we've loved here as we can before we go, and visit some of our favorite places. Luckily while Luke was here we got to do some of that, but we still have a couple things on our list....hopefully we'll be able to fit everything in!

Will all that's going on, I may not be posting for a bit, but come back and check, cause you never know with me! I've taken a lot of great pictures at work that last few days that I'm itching to share. Love to you all!

Photo Update

2008-12-08T18:58:00.003-10:00

Some pics of our Turkey Day...

Michael's brother Luke came out last Thursday to help finish remodeling. Here are some pictures of their work tiling the lanai...

They went surfing on Saturday...

We got to got to a Christmas Festival in Holualoa Saturday night. So much fun! Businesses had booths set up selling or giving away hot drinks and food, people selling things, and live music stations were set up along the way. There was even a pop-up tent with Santa. We ate dinner at a restaurant we'd been wanting to try, and just had a great time overall!!!

Who am I? Who are you?

2008-11-30T19:29:00.003-10:00

"A Savvy Woman: she seeks wisdom and loves to grow, change and explore...she finds truth and inspiration...she remains authentic yet glows with elegance...she stops seeking perfection and takes time to be...she loves life and lives fully...she allures and draws you near to her soul..."

-a description I will aspire to become-

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-27T06:35:00.005-10:00

Happy Thanksgiving to all our friends and family! We are so very thankful for all of you. There are so many things to be thankful for, and while I'm not going to go into listing them all right now, you all rank right up there. I found this prayer the other day on a blog site I visit, and found it appropriate to share on this day. The more I think about it, though, I probably should have waited for a day when people aren't already focused on friends and family and being grateful for all that they have. On a day-to-day basis, it's so easy to focus on all the negatives of life; what could be happening to make our lives better, and what we really want that we don't already have (even though we might not really need that particular item), and how unfair our lives seem. In reality, most of us have all that we need. In reality, each day holds many more blessings than we take the time to recognize. I remember hearing this quote a few years ago, and I think of it every time I start to wish my life was a little different or better, "If you think the grass is greener on the other side, water your own grass." So I hope you find this encouraging, and perhaps I'll share it again in a few months when we need the reminding ;)

If you want to read more about the woman who shared this prayer (I don't know if she wrote it or not) click here. She was actually a guest blogger on this site this particular day, but she has a great story and encouraging message, dug out from under a huge tragedy in her life.

Lord, thank You for another day
within this life of mine.
Give me the strength to live it well,
whatever I may find.

Bestow from Your abundance
whatever I may lack.
To use the hours wisely,
for I cannot have them back.

Lord, thank You for another day,
in which to make amends
for little slights or petty words,
inflicted on my friends.

For sometimes losing patience
with problems that I find.
For seeing faults in other lives,
but not the ones in mine.

Lord, thank You for another chance,
in which to try to be
a little more deserving
of the gifts You've given me.

For yesterday is over,
and tomorrow's far away,
and I remain committed
to the good I do today!

a day in the life...

2008-11-26T17:39:00.003-10:00

make-shift edging extender...

beautiful bamboo floor...

nice clean teeth!

(3 stinkin cavities...)

Quick Takes

2008-11-18T19:31:00.009-10:00

Here are a few random things in our lives...

-1-
We have been very busy lately doing some remodeling work on the condo upstairs from us...painting, tiling, wood flooring. I (Kamma) found out, while carrying roll after roll of old carpet padding down the stairs and then helping carry 50 lb. boxes of tiles up the stairs, that I wasn't really made for this hard work...waking up the next morning...sore legs...weary body...ugh...
Here are a few pictures. We'll post more before and after pics when we're all done.

Me modeling the huge stack of wood flooring...

Painting supplies (and Michael in the background...)

Yes, that's a toilet in the middle of a hallway...

-2-
We have one grocery store here in Waikoloa, the Waikoloa Village Market, and it is a rare gem of a trip when we get one of the smaller push carts with the carrying basket sized baskets on it. For some reason we both felt the same way the first time we got one, and every time we go, we look for them as soon as we get close enough to the door to see them! Yeah! :)

-3-
One of the things I've enjoyed most about my job at the daycare is being exposed to the vast cultural diversity of the kids. The different ethnicities (most combinations of two or more) include: Hawaiian, Phillipino, Caucasion, Japanese, Portuguese, Afro-American, Tongan, Irish-Italian, and I think maybe that's it. Keep in mind we only have 8 kids! I'll try to remember to take my camera with me one day and post some pictures...they are beautiful!

-4-
Don't know about wherever you live, but here the gas prices got over $4.70/gal. in August...now, however, Costco gas is under &2.50/gal...yeah!!

-5-
Tagging onto #4, Costco is very big here. Going to Costco on a free Saturday is what we and others do for fun. Ah, the simple life on a little island ;)

-6-
A pretty cool picture Michael's parents took while they were here in August that I re-found today....
And I'll leave you with that image!!
Love and hugs...

Holualoa Village

2008-11-09T10:00:00.014-10:00

This past week, coffee growers in Kailua-Kona celebrated the 38th annual Kona Coffee Cultural Festival. There were events and workshops throughout the week, including a Miss Kona Coffee Pageant, barista and roasting classes, a parade, and yesterday, the Holualoa Village Kona Coffee (tasting) and Art Stroll. When we heard about it, we thought "let's do it!".

We jumped in the car and headed toward Kona...

We had a difficult and interesting time finding a place to park. Events aren't done quite the same in Hawaii (at least here) as on the mainland. We finally made our own spot way uphill behind the elementary school in a weed-field next to someone's long, make-shift driveway...

Holualoa is a small art community in the heart of Kona Coffee Country, up mauka (mountain) from Kona Town. All of the art galleries (there are quite a few, especially for it being such a small town) were open and pop-up tents (and other creative structures) protecting all the different coffee growers' tasting spots lined the main road.

We tasted some good coffee (our favorites were Blue Sky Coffee, and the Kona Coffee Growers Association, whose booth I'm standing next to in the above photo), and saw some good and bad and interesting art... All-in-all it was a very good day, and a fun chance to do something new to us that is very Kona.

We also took the opportunity to explore a bit on some side-streets and found this cool road leading to the Holualoa Inn...

The plants on the right are big, lush coffee plants. Here is a closer view...

And cute Michael in front of them...See the little red "berries?"

And here's Michael standing in the middle of the cool road...

We happened to glance this car on a side-road...So cute! Looks like fun! The license plate said "Ghia" :) (For those of you who don't know, the car is a VW Carmengia.)

We found some biiig bamboo plants growing in the land between two houses/properties.
Here's me looking up at them...

And standing in front...those leaves in front of the bamboo are my favorite...I think they look almost fake or something!We also took pictures of some of the cool looking buildings on the side of the road, and then just other random shots of us in front of plants and other pretty things...

In case you can't read the sign on the building, this is the public library.

This one's for you, Keri! It is abandoned now, but what a cute little, and I mean little, shop!

I don't know exactly what that stone structure is behind me (maybe part of this old historic theatre in town?), but it's cool-looking, and you can see some more of my favorite leaves!This is actually the bathroom out back of a little hotel/inn...never seen this before! What a view while you, well, you know...

We really like these lava-rock walls...you see them all over here. And why not? Lava rock is definitely in abundance!!

Me again...I must have been slacking on the picture-taking part. There seem to be an awful lot of pictures of me...

Cute little old church...

And more of me...

What a cute town! We are looking forward to going back on a normal, not-so-many-people-every-direction-you-look, day ;) We heard of this great little restaurant tucked back from the main road, and can't wait to try it out!

hugs!

2008-11-02T08:59:00.004-10:00

I LOVE this music video, and just have to share. It's Dave Matthews Band singing "Everyday." Click on the words "music video" above (I don't know why they don't show up highlighted like they're supposed to), and then once in YouTube, click on the button below the screen for a full-screen view...

Love and hugs to you all!

ps-sorry I couldn't figure out how to put the actual YouTube screen here on the blog. Anyone have any advice or tips about how to do that??

pps-let me know what you think about the video in my comments!

Today...

2008-10-29T03:00:00.000-10:00

"It's a beautiful day
Don't let it get away
It's a beautiful day...

What you don't have you don't need it now
What you don't know you can feel it somehow
What you don't have you don't need it now
Don't need it now

It's a beautiful day!"

Enjoy your day...
Love like there's no tomorrow!!
-Kamma

some stuff...

2008-10-25T13:48:00.008-10:00

Since I got some sort of stomach virus ON Michael's birthday, and he got the same thing two days later, his celebration dinner had to wait. So, last night we finally got all spiffed up...

(Ooh, too sexy!!)

and began the drive to a little town called Honoka'a.

Was a beautiful drive right at sunset...

Eating fire!

We went to a little Italian pizza place called Cafe Il Mondo.
(I know, it's a terrible picture, but I took it as we were leaving
through the open window of the moving car!)

Michael had met the owners at work a couple weeks ago and decided that's where he wanted to go for his birthday. It was excellent! He got lasagna (of course) and I got a Greek pizza...fabulous! It was a BYOW(wine) kinda place, so after we sat down, Michael walked across the street to the grocery store and found one bottle of Chianti...amazing! Because they were very busy when we first arrived, we chose to sit at the "bar" instead of wait for a table. It was actually a bar over-looking the dishwashing woman, and we had such a wonderful time talking to her...Violet, a retired school cafeteria worker, grandmother of five and great-grandmother of six(!) who is doing the job part-time just to get out. She was really such a joy to talk to in between eating and drinking. We had a thoroughly enjoyable evening!

This morning, after sleeping in a bit, we decided to watch our latest netflix movie, "Into the Wild." If any of you have seen it, you know the overload of emotions the end of the movie brought. Wow. Half-way through we were both thinking to ourselves how inspiring it was, and I even wrote down a couple quotes that really stuck out to me. At the end, however, I found myself crying and talking about all these different things the movie had brought up in me, most of which didn't even have to do with the idea or plot of the movie at all! It was very interesting and thought-provoking, and still inspiring. I definitely recommend seeing it, but consider yourself forewarned.

After the movie, we decided to drive up to Waimea before Michael had to go to work (at 1:30). We actually went because I thought there was this pumpkin patch/festival thing going on. After we got up there, however, we discovered it's not until tomorrow, but we decided to hang around for a bit anyway. We just walked around and found some beautiful things that I just happened to capture on film!

Perfectly-shaped tree with these beautiful red flower/leaves...

The flower parts up-close...

Crazy thistle-looking blossom...

My cute husband with the thistle-looking blossom... :)

Back home, this is right outside our condo building...
I guess it's Hawaii's version of changing leaves!

Speaking of changing leaves, the weather has definitely been changing over the past week or so. Certainly not cold, but a little cooler for sure, windy and grey mornings. It's been pretty grey all day today, I'm actually wearing one of the long-sleeved shirts I brought over with us for the first time since we've been here! It's interesting to see how the season is actually changing some.

One more thing, just to tell you how wonderful a husband I have...two days ago (Oct 23) Michael cooked an amazing dinner for me, and pretty much had it ready when I got home from work...Homemade meatloaf, mashed potatoes, corn, and for dessert, brownies! He knew it would be a hard day for me; the 7th anniversary of my mom's death; so he made me some of my favorite comfort foods! I feel so blessed to have found such a caring, compassionate person to share my life with. I know I wrote a mushy love-note last week on his birthday, but I'm just bursting at the seams, and I'm not ashamed to admit to the world that I am in love with my husband!! <3

We hope you all are well and enjoying your lives on a daily basis. Would love to hear from you!

family pictures

2008-10-19T07:26:00.008-10:00

My dad sent me some recent pictures of family yesterday that I just have to share...

My silly girl (Molly, on right) with her cousin Madison.
I love those new front teeth growing in!

My good friend Ashleigh and her beautiful baby, Lizzy.

O my goodness, I can't wait to meet you!

Look how big Kode-man is!!
You look so old Kota, I can hardly believe it...

Family pictures...
Brian, Molly and Keri

My wonderful brother and his beautiful wife...

What an amazing, beautiful family!

Wow, my gorgeous girl.
Look at those eyes!
I can't believe how much you've grown since we've been gone...

Michael

2008-10-16T05:00:00.000-10:00

Happy Birthday, my husband, my love, my best friend...

You are my perfect life partner. You complete all my insufficiencies, exceed my dreams, capture my heart again and again...

I'm filled to overflowing with blessings and love, feeling beyond grateful for this day, the day He chose to bring you into this world to eventually bring you into my life...

I love you, forever and then some...

Yours,
Kamma

quote...

2008-10-15T19:43:00.001-10:00

"Dreams come true. Without that possibility, nature would not incite us to have them."
- John Updike

random photos

2008-10-14T20:41:00.002-10:00

Found this cool picture of Michael's dad, Robert, at our
favorite beach when they were here in August.

One shot/angle of my classroom...

Back part of the classroom...naptime!

saturday

2008-10-12T17:15:00.004-10:00

Well, yesterday was one of the best days we've had here. Between breakfast at Denny's, exploring a new little town/community up mauka (mountain) from Kona, and experiencing Ironman, it was pretty amazing. All I can say right now, though, is that through a mistake made this morning on my behalf, ALL of our awesome pictures (I mean, we got some great shots) are gone. Lost. Nowhere to be found.

pictures

2008-10-11T06:35:00.004-10:00

The last of our home-grown tomatoes...
so pretty and red.

The tomatoes with some other pickins' from around our condo property
(check out how huge that lime is!!)

Our new cute little toilet! The old one was having...uh...problems...

Makeover

2008-10-08T14:56:00.002-10:00

So, how do you like it? Added some things, took some things away...time for a change! Let me know what you think...

IRONMAN

2008-10-07T15:06:00.002-10:00

That is the buzz word round here this week (the race is on Saturday, Oct 11)...In case you don't know, Ironman World Championship is held each year in Kona. It consists of 2.4-miles of swimming, 112-miles of biking, and a 26.2-mile marathon run...crazy people. This particular event is basically the Superbowl of triathlons. There are approximately 1800 contestants, and our friend Todd Mellinger (he has his own blog, if you'd like to check it out) is one of those talented enough to qualify for this year's race! We met Todd, Corrina and their son Lucas (whom I had in my 1-year-old room...he's now 4 1/2!) for breakfast this morning at a little coffee shop/cafe right on the water in Kona...great outdoor seating views! Anyway, I could just kick myself for not bringing my camera! Oh well, we had a great time catching up, and it was especially fun to see Corrina's 7-month pregnant belly! So cute! :)

Michael and I signed up to volunteer at the transition station (where the contestants switch between the three facets of the race, ie. changing from swimwear to bikewear and hopping on their bike, etc.). We're really excited to see what it's all about! If you'd like to read more on this year's event, you can go to the website here. There are some amazing stories of years' past on the youtube video screen.

A funny story...after Todd, Corrina and Lucas left, we decided to stay at the cafe for a bit to hang out. We were actually planning on going online (we brought our computer with us) but alas, there was no free wifi...poo...Anyway, Michael happened to notice a woman looking for a place to sit. There is an influx of people in Kona right now because of the race, tons of men and women walking around in very tight spandex...So he offered for her and her husband to share our table with us. Isn't he a great guy? I just don't know if I would have thought of doing that, but it was such a neat way to show some people our Aloha and hear new stories, make new connections. Nicki and Brian are probably in their 50's (have grown children) from the Chicago area and Brian made it to the Ironman through their lottery system. This is his first time competing here. Here's the funny thing...one of their daughters got her degree in Veterinary Medicine at CSU, living in Fort Collins for eight years! What a freakin' small world!!

So this Saturday, join us in a hearty "Go Todd! Go Brian!" Woo hoo!!!

forgotten pics...

2008-10-05T10:26:00.002-10:00

I just found these pictures from a trip up Mauna Kea last March or April! We were still in Hilo at the time, and this guy who worked at the hotel we were staying at, Albert, took us and another hotel guest (Phil from New Zealand/Canada) up to the top! In case you don't know, Mauna Kea is almost 14,000 ft. high. Because of the clear atmospheric conditions from being on an island, the top of Mauna Kea is considered to be one of the best places in the world to view the stars and space. There are huge telescopes at the top used by some official people, and there is a wonderful viewing area complete with telescopes for public use and star guides at about 9,000-10,000 ft. Amazing!

Enjoy!

A reflection of sorts...

2008-09-30T13:44:00.004-10:00

For those of you who know, I have a recurring back problem, triggered mostly by bending over, done mostly in picking up the children I work with. Well, it flared up on Saturday after vacuuming one of our entire couches and again yesterday at work... This is all just to explain why I was lying on the backseat of the car on the drive home from work last night. Seeing everything from a different angle and perspective made a normally mundane drive actually fun and interesting for me. The sun was just setting while we were leaving; the whole sky changing from blue to pink to purple to grey; and soon I was watching the stars come out, one by one. The whole sky was quickly fiilled with layer upon layer of stars, bright and dim, large and small. I picked out a few contellations and had a perfect view of the Milky Way, and was overall amazed by the vastness of our universe. We had the radio on, and it was so fun to sing out new and old songs, both of us being silly and not caring what we sounded like. Then this song came on, "Stay" by Lisa Loeb, and a whole flood of memories from high school and surrounding years came upon me, wave after wave. A couple of you, you know who you are, are laughing at this point, remembering me and my "Lisa Loeb, Lisa Loeb!" phase, and you know what I realized last night? I still really like her! We also sang "Open Arms" with Journey, and some silly newer song with Avril...Michael started flipping the stations, and then found the best stuff yet. I actually don't even know what it was, but it was on the classical station and it sounded like the old cartoon music, like we were expecting to see pink elephants dancing along the side of the road, or covered wagons busting along the trail. It was so wonderful, such creativity-inducing music. We shared back and forth the images that the music was bringing to our minds...Mickey Mouse and Pluto, Peter and the Wolf, my old music classes... Is was a thoroughly enjoyable ride home, and one I hadn't yet experienced. Yeah to newness and change!!!

Hair...

2008-09-28T10:02:00.004-10:00

Thanks for all your positive comments about my bangs! In case you don't know, it is a big decision. :) Speaking of hair, I gave Michael a haircut a few weeks ago...it hadn't been done since before we left Colorado when my sister did it! He's still growing it out, but now it's much less like straw, and more like nice soft hair. Here are some pics...

Sort of a before...a couple weeks before when Michael's family was visiting and he made dinner for us all!

Half-way there; his left side is done...on to the rest!

Whew! That was nerve-wracking...but turned out pretty good! Now where did all that wave come from?!

Nice little morning-after fro! haha ;)

Daniel Thiebaut's

2008-09-21T16:58:00.003-10:00

We had a great dinner last night! Good drinks, yummy food, and great atmosphere...

Here we are lookin' good!

Being sassy in some of my new clothes!

Aaahh...

Just some stuff...

2008-09-20T09:43:00.003-10:00

I celebrated my 29th birthday this past Wednesday. It felt pretty weird to not be around family and friends...kinda felt like just another day. We're going out to dinner tonight, though, to celebrate a little more properly. Here's to my last year in my 20's! Huzzah!
We had a great time with Michael's family here in August. We tried to show them the stuff of Hawaii, and they seemed to all enjoy themselves as well! Although, Michael was a very sick boy the last few days of their stay...bad timing.
I got to go to a conference/training for a program called Music Together in Oahu last weekend. It was totally awesome. We stayed at the same hotel the conference was in, and we had very looong days, but we were able to get out Saturday night and go to the mall...yeah for Old Navy and birthday money! I've come to appreciate the small things living on an island without every store at my immediate disposal. We went to dinner at a local place that night as well, and I got a piece of birthday mud pie...yumm! The actual training was really great, and I'm still processing a lot of it. I think I've come away with more personal things, than ideas to implement in my job, because I've realized how much I miss singing! And I mean really sing, not just in the car singing. We'll see where it all leads. If you're interested in learning more about Music Together, they have a great website.
Speaking of work, I love my job! I'm getting to know my babies more and more each day, and I can see that they recognize me and are happy to see me and are trusting me more as well. The other teachers I work with are great too. On my birthday, instead of buying a cake for everyone to eat, they went to the healthfood store and bought me a huge yummy muffin, because they know me! It felt great being appreciated like that.
Michael's job is going pretty good too. He is almost entirely working morning/day shifts which is awesome for us, so we can be together at nights now! There is a Kimo Bean in Kona, and his friend Jay just became the manager there. Michael is going to be working down there quite a bit from now on, which is also great for us to carpool together! He likes working down there as well.
I'll post some pictures soon...we're pretty backed up! I don't even know which ones to put on first!
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow's a mytery, today is a GIFT!" Enjoy your day...

"If you want to make God laugh, make plans..."

2008-09-04T07:05:00.001-10:00

This was the key line from a great movie we watched the other night, "Bella." I can't really explain what the movie was about, except how it made me feel...no matter how messed up our world or our lives may seem at times, there is still hope and love and the possibility of life and redemption. I would recommend it to any movie-goer, but keep in mind that it is not a smash, bang, action-packed type of movie, and be ready for a bit of introspection. And bring some tissues...

This morning after arriving to work and discovering we only had three children today, two of which left early (!) I picked up a book on our shelf of child-related books I'd been wanting to read, and within the first couple of pages read some things that reverberated so well with what I'd already been thinking about, I just had to write it down and share...

(From: "I Love You Rituals" by Becky A. Bailey)

"I have noticed a growing undercurrent of change. Viewed from a small perspective, this change could appear disruptive or negative; yet from a bigger picture, its beauty is unfolding. From a microscopic view we see increases in juvenile delinquency, suicide, rebellion, depression, apathy, and drug addictions. In young children, we see enormous increases in hyperactivity, impulsiveness, power struggles, demanding behavior, and willful fits of displeasure when they do not get what they want. In young adults, brilliance and genius are budding, yet a moral compass is missing. Busy, frantic parents chase dreams and miss moments with each other and with their children. Others work to make ends meet and spend little time with each other: Material goods seduce us more than kindness. News headlines offer tragedy after tragedy, so that denial becomes a defense against hopelessness. But under all these struggles, all these cries for help, is a rumble, a wave building in the ocean of life, ready to crest and carry us all forward. This rumble is our intense, true desire for connection with each other: We long to belong. We strive to offer and receive unconditional love. This desire to be loved and loveable unites us all. "

Isn't that awesome?! And so true! There was a lot more I could have shared, but I didn't want to lose you too quickly, so I'll save it for another time :) It's so easy to look at circumstances, from being stuck in traffic, to a life-claiming accident, and try to blame someone else, saying that they caused this thing to happen, burrowing ourselves deeper and deeper into a negative way of being; when in reality people don't have the authority to determine what happens in our lives unless we give them that authority. We need to live for a greater positive purpose, heading closer and closer to true Love.

photo update

2008-08-15T13:50:00.003-10:00

(Move the cursor over the pictures to read each caption...)

Hope everyone is well! I (Kamma) am home today because of a holiday...Admissions Day, the day Hawaii became a state! I bet you never knew you never knew...at least I get paid :) However, I have a yucky cold, so I guess it's a good thing I can stay home and rest.

We had a great time with my dad and Mikayla. We packed in so much in a relatively short amount of time. They also got a lot of relaxing time to just chill, which is what a vacation is supposed to be for! Sad to see them go back. I will post more pictures of their visit as soon as my dad sends me the ones he took (hint, hint Dad :)). Michael's parents are coming to visit on Tuesday and his brother Luke and girlfriend Jessie come on Wednesday. They will be here for about 10 days each. We are very excited to have more company and family around again! I'm just glad I'm sick now, so hopefully it will be gone by the time they are here.

I feel like time is just flying by. We've already been in Hawaii for over 5 months...crazy! Two of my closest friends have had babies while we've been gone...a big CONGRATULATIONS to Ashleigh and Steve and their little one Elizabeth Avery, and also to Ashley and Eric and their daughter Violet Grace...wish I could be there to hold your precious babies! It's so hard to try and feel a part of it all through just pictures, but I'm increasingly grateful for our electronically-advanced society. We've been enjoying watching the Olympics when we can...pretty amazing what talent and determination can accomplish!

My job is going really well...we have seven total children right now (can have eight at the most). I am the primary caregiver for three of them, a 3 month old, a 4 month old, and a 5 month old, and they are all boys. I'm supposed to be getting a 6-week old later this month as well...that'll be interesting! One of my little guys, Daezon (pronounced like "dazin"), the 3 month old, rolled over from his back to his tummy for the first time yesterday AND scooted forward a bit to get a toy...so exciting! The simple joys of a child-care provider! :)

I'll leave you with a quote...

"Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." -Gil Baillie

Love and blessings to you all!

2008-07-29T18:46:00.002-10:00

We've been having a great time with my dad and my niece, Mikayla...sorry for the delay in posting! Here are some pictures to tide you over...

Time is flying!!!

2008-07-10T16:01:00.002-10:00

First, here are some photos from the last few days...

Second, here are some updates on us...

After working two days at the cabinet shop, Michael's old back problems came roaring back to the forefront. We decided that it wasn't worth the higher pay for him to not be able to move and sleep (!) so he's back full-time at the Kimo Bean. We believe that there is a purpose for everything, and we're feeling good about the decision. His boss at the Kimo Bean was very excited to have him back too! Our friend Jay's parents are both massage therapists here, and his dad Alain (pronounced like Ah-lawn, he's French) gave Michael a wonderful 1-hour massage and lots of helpful stretching tips for me to do on him. He's now feeling pretty much back to normal and enjoying the slow, easy pace of working at a coffee shop :)

My dad and niece Mikayla are coming out to visit for about 2 1/2 weeks, arriving next Friday, July 18th. My last day at the Hilton is next Thursday, July 17th, and then I start with Early Head Start on Monday, July 21st, so it's perfect timing! We are so excited to have guests and get to show them all of the wonderful places and things we've come to love here. It will also just be good to have some familiar faces around!! They will be here until Monday, August 4th, and then Michael's mom, dad, brother Luke, and Luke's girlfriend Jessie are coming out a couple of weeks later! We'll be pretty busy for awhile, and we're gonna have so much fun!!

Speaking of my new job, I can't hardly wait to start! I had a meeting yesterday with the lead teacher, Melanie (we hadn't even met yet!), the director Ellen, and the educational coordinator Stacy. We just talked about some specifics about times and dates, and other little details. We got to see some pictures of the children from last year (5 or 6 of whom are returning this year), and they are so cute!! I'm just excited to be around babies again, and see what other kinds of opportunities this opens up for me, both tangibly and emotionally. It will definitely be a different kind of situation than what I've done in the past, and I'm so looking forward to being a part of these young moms and dads lives and helping them as well as learning from them in the process. I know it's going to be a great experience for me.

Well, that's it for now! Hope all of you are doing well. Please write a comment or drop us an email and let us know how you're doing and what's new! We'd love to stay in two-way contact!

Pictures...

2008-07-07T17:48:00.001-10:00

We took these pictures coming down Kohala Mountain from Hawi towards Waimea...

4th of July Fun!

2008-07-05T19:01:00.003-10:00

Hope everyone had a fun, celebratory 4th of July! We had a good time, doing some new things! We went to the beach in the morning, and then went to the 17th annual Rubber Duckie race at the Kings Shops in the Waikoloa Resort area. We had 'adopted' two duckies, which benefited the United Cerebral Palsey Association of Hawaii, and it was fun to listen to some local music beforehand and eat free popcorn, and then go watch the 'race.'

Later we went to Michael's boss at the Kimo Bean, Kim's, house for a BBQ and fireworks in the street! We had a lot of fun hanging out and relaxing. Enjoy the pictures!

Day 30 of 30

2008-06-30T19:54:00.002-10:00

After only a few hours of sleep, waking up early, and looong days, we're feeling a little punchy tonight!

Well, this is the last day of our "daily photos" effort...thank you so much for coming to see what we're up to! We won't be posting every day, but we'll certainly try for every few days, so keep coming back for more!

Day 29 of 30

2008-06-29T21:47:00.003-10:00

In preparation of Michael's first day of work (tomorrow), we had to pick up some supplies...

Hm...thees tape measure is thee beyst!

Gotta keep my pretty eyes safe!

And then saw an awesome movie...Kung Fu Panda!

Day 28 of 30

2008-06-28T23:06:00.003-10:00

It's fun to watch the fish catchin birds catchin their fish near the Ocean Tower Kimo Bean.

A lesson in patience...wait and wait until just the right moment to strike!

Day 27 of 30

2008-06-27T15:06:00.003-10:00

Cute little guy on our lanai.

Rough night for Michael's back last night = interesting poses!

Day 26 of 30

2008-06-26T15:36:00.004-10:00

Spent the morning at the beach...

Had lunch...

Chilled out...

Swam in there...

Watched people jump off the cliff...

And came home to this letter in the mail:

Yay!!! I got the job! Don't know yet when I start, but I'm just so excited!
It's with Early Head Start and the program is at a high school in Kona, and serves the girls at the school who have babies. They range in age from infant-toddler and there are only eight of them with one lead teacher, one caregiver (me) and two assistant teachers. Amazing ratio!! I can't wait to start and be with some beautiful Hawaiian babies :)

Day 25 of 30

2008-06-25T18:29:00.003-10:00

Here are a few of the sights I (Kamma) see every day I work at Kohala Pool in the Hilton...

There are two turtles there, basking in the sun...the other day I counted eight of them!

Here's a close-up...so cute!

Standing at the top pool, looking toward the ocean...

This is Peter, the regular bartender at Kohala Pool. He grew up on the North Shore of Oahu, and has worked at the Hilton since they opened in 1988. He's a great guy, and lots of fun to work with!

Day 24 of 30

2008-06-24T11:32:00.002-10:00

We had chocolate lava cake and creme brule and Cappuccinos last night at Ruth's Chris Steakhouse in the Shops at Mauna Lani...this shot was taken just after sunset from our table on the upstairs patio.

Kamma's at work so I decided to walk out behind our condo and take a few shots to form a nearly 360 degree view for y'all to see. Facing the southwest you can see the Waikoloa Village Resort area where we work...all the way down the hill and across the lava to the coast.

Straight to the West you can see Maui, Haleakala crater on top at 10,000 ft, taken from the same spot. Quite often our view looks like this with the clouds floating in front of the mountain. It seems so huge rising up out of the ocean!

The beautiful green Kohala Mountains, 5,500 ft at the highest point, to the North from Lua Kula Street...our condo is on the left here.

To the East we have a clear view of Mauna Kea today, 13,800ft to the top near the giant telescopes, and more golf course in the foreground.

Day 23 of 30

2008-06-23T17:20:00.003-10:00

Today we moved our tomato plants from their crowded little pot and gave each of them their own. We also thinned down the papayas to just the biggest healthiest tree and gave it a monster pot to grow in. Oh yeah we started some basil too:)

Zoomed in on a 4" Papaya tree

Kamma's getting the tomatoes tied to their sticks so the fruit will stay up out of the dirt.

It's so fun to watch the papaya tree grow and change!

Yay spinach! Grew so fast!

Day 22 of 30

2008-06-22T19:51:00.002-10:00

My (Kamma) view from the Ocean tower Kimo Bean as I enjoyed a cup of joe with Michael after I got off work today...just lovely :)

Fearless birds!

Day 21 of 30

2008-06-21T23:12:00.002-10:00

Michael and I got to volunteer with the Kimo Bean for the Waikoloa Wine Fest at the Hilton tonight...we had tons of fun!!

Michael and his manager's son, Tim.

Cool looking band-shell.

We even got to see fireworks at the end of the evening. The last band playing was the guy who wrote the theme to "Ghost Busters" and that's what they played during the fireworks!

Day 20 of 30

2008-06-20T23:07:00.004-10:00

Beautiful Kohala Mountain, on the drive to Waimea.

We had fun getting library cards and gardening supplies at Ace, and decided to stop for a treat...(coconut cream filled donut-yumm!)

We came home to discover a bunch of wild goats on the golf course outside our back door!
All five of these guys are massive, with huge horns!!

Watch out for that golf cart, Brah!

Day 19 of 30

2008-06-19T17:13:00.003-10:00

69 Beach this morning...

Apparently it was a good day for snorkeling!

I (Kamma) enjoyed a coffee in Kona at a shop on Alii drive, right on the water...beautiful, relaxing and peaceful!

Day 18 of 30

2008-06-18T22:29:00.004-10:00

We got the chance to hang out with this couple from Paris, France this morning, Francois and Susan. Michael and Jay met them yesterday at the Kimo Bean, and since Jay's dad is also French, he invited them for breakfast this morning to meet his parents and hang out. We had yummy food, and listened to lots of fast French being spoken. They are wanting to move here, and said they were inspired by our story. It was lots of fun, and hopefully we'll see them again, either here or in France, you never know!

Day 17 of 30

2008-06-17T09:44:00.002-10:00

It's already been two years since our beautiful backyard ceremony...

Celebrated at Merriman's Market Cafe...

With good wine...
Great food...

And amazing papaya pineapple crisp and french press coffee!

"...love burns like a blazing fire, like a mighty flame...
many waters cannot quench love; rivers cannot wash it away..."

Day 16 of 30

2008-06-16T16:41:00.002-10:00

Drove to Kona today so we stopped by to look at some books and stuff...
and shared a cappuccino...Que Bella!

Had to get a leetle treat before Kamma is off to serve cocktails at KPC restaurant.

Chillin out, supporting our local Megacoffeemachine...
rather have a Cafe Ardour iced mocha o_O

Day 15 of 30

2008-06-15T16:40:00.002-10:00

Happy Father's Day to all you Dad's!
We spent the afternoon at Hapuna Beach...apparently it was a good boogie boarding day! Lots of people doing it...

Michael getting ready for the next go around...

Lots of little kids trying...
And Michael's back there eyeing the next wave.

He's got it!

Riding up the sand.

Lots of guys doing "tricks." They run towards the wave from the shore.
Pretty awesome to watch!

Day 14 of 30

2008-06-14T09:26:00.003-10:00

Shopping at the Waikoloa Farmer's Market (every Saturday morning)

picking out papayas...

lots of veggies!

One of the farmers delighting our ears with his playing...very cool

*side note: HAPPY ANNIVERSARY Brian and Keri!!!

Day 13 of 30

2008-06-13T16:28:00.004-10:00

Our Potted Garden

Tomatoes

Papaya Trees

Spinach

Day 12 of 30

2008-06-12T21:39:00.003-10:00

"Preying" on our lanai!

**NEWSFLASH**
Michael got the job!!! We are so happy! He gave his two-weeks notice today , and his boss took it just fine (although he's still going to work one day each weekend to keep his great discounts around the Hilton property!). In case you missed it, he is going to be working in a custom cabinet shop in Kona.

Also, I had my interview with Early Head Start in Kona today. I need to do a little work on getting a registry card through a Hawaiian organization called PATCH, which shows exactly which kinds of jobs I'm certified to have within the field of childcare. They take into consideration experience and ECE education (college credits and training clock hours). I really liked the people I met and interviewed with and would love to work for them! They seemed to like me as well, so as long as I meet the requirements for the registry card, I think I've got a good chance of getting the job! I'll keep you posted!

Day 11 of 30

2008-06-11T13:54:00.002-10:00

Busy day at the beach on King Kamehameha Day...

Yummy double chocolate chip cookie from Subway!

Happy happy after a refreshing swim!

What is King Kamehameha ("King Kam") Day, you ask? It is a day to honor King Kamehameha I, who conquered and united the Hawaiian Islands and became the first ruler of the "Hawaiian Kingdom" in 1795. King Kamehameha V designated June 11th as a public holiday, and the first year it was celebrated was in 1872. If you want to read more about it, go here or here.

Day 10 of 30

2008-06-10T18:22:00.004-10:00

These are for you, Molly!!

Little turtle, swimming along...

Our Hawaiian Sea Turtles (Honu in Hawaiian) like to bask and sleep in the sun!

On a side note, Michael had an interview this morning with the owner of a custom cabinet shop in Kona...seems very promising! He should find out tomorrow afternoon. Also, I (Kamma) have an interview Thursday morning with Early Head Start in Kona, so keep me in your prayers!

Day 9 of 30

2008-06-09T16:28:00.002-10:00

Michael had a really fun day walking along the beach at A-Bay. He found a secluded spot to sit with two sleeping sea turtles on the sand. His sandals broke at the first part of the long walk back to the car...luckily it was an overcast day! So long, loved, trusty sandals!

Day 8 of 30

2008-06-08T15:56:00.005-10:00

The long and winding road that stretches from Puako to Hapuna Beach.

View from above the full parking lot on a typical Sunday at Hapuna Beach.
(The ocean is to the left.)

Day 7 of 30

2008-06-07T14:57:00.001-10:00

Seeing geckos on our lanai is a daily occurance...but they're not usually sticking to the door!!

Day 6 of 30

2008-06-06T17:19:00.009-10:00

Our drive to work...

View of the ocean...

People write messages with white coral/rocks on the dark lava rock on either side of the road...

Entrance to the Waikoloa resort area

Palm tree lined street...

Here we are!!!

On a different but similar note... Michael took some pictures inside of the Hilton today that I thought you all might enjoy...

Day 5 of 30

2008-06-05T14:22:00.004-10:00

A lazy afternoon...

We went to our friends' Jay and Aie's house this morning for a lunchtime barbecue. It was just the four of us and another friend Marion. We had a great time cooking, eating, playing the French game "Platonk" and just hanging out...

A Rainy and Cloudy Day in Paradise...

2008-06-04T17:31:00.001-10:00

(It might be kinda hard to tell in some of these, but it was really coming down this afternoon...)

Day 4 of 30

2008-06-04T12:48:00.003-10:00

Spent the morning on our lanai playing cards and drinking smoothies.

Day 3 of 30

2008-06-03T08:39:00.000-10:00

Happy Birthday, Momma! Today would've marked your 61st year...I miss you and love you so much!

Day 2 of 30

2008-06-02T13:45:00.003-10:00

Michael loves our daily ritual of papaya with breakfast...

So much so that he planted some papaya seeds a couple weeks ago, and I caught him playing and singing to the new sprouts this morning...

Day 1 of 30

2008-06-01T18:49:00.000-10:00

I've decided to borrow an idea from my friend Jenn at Munchkin Land. For the next 30 days (through the end of June) I'm going to post a picture (or pictures) each day depicting our life. I've really enjoyed visiting Jenn's site each day, and hope that you will enjoy this as well!

We had an early morning "jam session" before I had to go to work today...
Learning "Across the Universe" by The Beatles and "Till Kingdom Come" by Coldplay.

Hard at Work

2008-05-31T20:20:00.002-10:00

Okay, as promised here are some pictures of Michael at work this afternoon...

In the back room

From the front

Making my drink (nice benefits :))

Yes, more whip cream!!

What a cutie, if I do say so myself... ;)

These Days...

2008-05-30T16:46:00.004-10:00

Now that I've had a few days of working, I feel ready to give my opinion on it all... Frankly, it's not that wonderful :( The job itself isn't bad. I really enjoy being around people, meeting and serving all types of people from all over. So far I've had the chance to work at two different 'outlets' within the hotel, a really nice restaurant called Kamuela Provision Company (KPC) and one of the pool bars. I've definitely preferred the pool bar (Kohala Pool...the other pool is Kona Pool) mostly because of the laid-back atmosphere and there's a lot more to do! The times I've been at KPC it's been very slow, and not many people go there just to get a drink...mostly they have reservations at the restaurant and come straight for that. Since I get paid minimum wage, a lot of my income depends on tips, so having no customers is a big problem! My main issue with the job, however, has to do with the hotel employees being a part of a union. Since I'm the newest employee, if the hotel is slow (which it is) I get less scheduled shifts and more on-call days. The last two weeks I've had three schedules shifts, and next week I only have two...not good enough for us!! I've been getting reassurance from others around that the hotel will pick up this summer, usually July and August are the busy summer months, but it's still very disappointing to us. I've continued to keep my eye out for possible jobs in the classifieds, and actually heard back about a resume I sent to Head Start (preschool/daycare) down in Kona. I will probably interview sometime the week of June 9th. I'm just trying to keep the door opened to whatever God might have in store. Michael came and visited me at the pool one day this past week before he went to work and took some pictures of me in my lovely uniform...

Yes, I know, beautiful ;)

Anyway, I know things will work out like they already have! We are always positive and try to stay focused on today. In fact, just today Michael got his schedule for next week and he has five scheduled shifts, where he's only been getting four for the last month or so, so yea! God is faithful and provides all we need.

That's it for now, we have quite a lot of new pictures, but I will spread them out instead of posting them all in one day, so keep on coming back for more! Love and hugs!

p.s. I'll try and take some pictures of Michael in action as a barista for you all to see! :)

Pololu Beach and Valley

2008-05-19T14:36:00.001-10:00

Mother's Day 2008

2008-05-11T10:50:00.004-10:00

Happy Mother’s day to all of you moms! I want you all to know how much I admire you, whether you’re in the middle of the game with kids scrambling around your feet, in the beginning with your little one still inside of you, or on the other side with grown kids and maybe even grand- or great-grandchildren. You are all amazing, and deserve this day of recognition! I only hope that the appreciation of you extends beyond this single day of celebration, because motherhood certainly is 24/7 for the rest of your life.

Most of you know that my mom passed away about 6 ½ years ago (October 23, 2001), and as she was such an important fixture and person in my life, this day is a pretty hard one for me. I’ve had a few moments since being here in Hawaii where I feel as though I’m mourning over the loss of her as if it just happened. The sadness and pain are newly raw and hard to bear. Michael is so great to just hold me and let me soak his shirt. This morning, however, he’s at work and I’m struggling against my emotions and the tears sitting on the edge of my eyelids. I definitely went through a normal ‘mourning period’ right after she died, with family and friends around to help support me and each other. At first it hurt more to drive around town and remember seeing my mom at the shops and restaurants that we frequented or in certain spots around the house, but as time went by those images became more of a comfort to me, as if I could connect with her by seeing us in those places. Having the aforementioned family and friends softened the hurt as well, while we all grieved the loss of this special woman. But I don’t have those places here. And those people are about 3,296 miles away. Please don’t misunderstand me, Michael is wonderful and caring and supportive and loving and encouraging…but it’s just not quite the same. Perhaps it will always be like this, the ups and downs in emotions; laughing at the memories of her total electronic device illiteracy or how every song was her favorite, and the next moment sobbing in yearning of her wise words to tell me what to do and her gentle touch to show me that she’s there, loving me all along. For now, I rest in the assurance and knowledge that she’s nestled safe and snug in our Father’s arms, and hoping that she’s looking down on me, proud of the woman I am and still am yet to be.

Thank you for allowing me to be vulnerable in sharing my heart with you. Enjoy looking at the pictures of my mom and remembering what a remarkable woman she was. I invite you to please leave a comment of a story or memory you may have of my mom, or any other words you’d like to share.

Again, happy Mother’s day to the momma’s and HAPPY DAY TO BE ALIVE to the rest of you!

Lunch guest

2008-05-09T17:42:00.002-10:00

We had a *little* visitor while having lunch and playing cards on our lanai today...isn't he cute??

Da Beach...

2008-05-08T16:37:00.003-10:00

Hello! We are here! We haven't fallen off the edge! ;) We are doing well, and having fun. The car has so far been trustworthy. We're believing it's a good one! Michael just had the last two days off (Tuesday and Wednesday) after working six days in a row, so we had a little weekend in the middle of the week. It was nice to be able to just chill together.

We have found a favorite beach to visit, and I wanted to post some pictures of it. It's called Waialea Bay, but the locals call it Beach 69 because it used to be right at the number 69 telephone poll...it's not anymore, but you know, old habits die hard. Anyway, it's a small beach with lots of shade from funny curved trees and not a ton of people. It is a pretty quiet beach and so relaxing. We just love to go there in the morning before Michael has to work (he always works the closing shift) or for a longer time on his days off...sooo fun! Enjoy the views!

Cars and jobs

2008-04-24T15:41:00.004-10:00

We found a car!!! It's a 92 Toyota Camry and is in great shape! Even though it's kinda old, it drove so much nicer than some of the other (newer than 2000) cars we drove, and we feel like we got a pretty good deal. We sign papers and pick it up tomorrow, so I'll post a picture soon!

I also heard back from the Hilton and found out that I don't start working until May 15th. I was really bummed about it at first because I felt like I really need to start working now. It's not exactly cheap to live here, and mom was right when she said that money doesn't grow on trees! But I am so grateful just to have a job, and we trust God to provide for us in all ways necessary. I have to remind myself to only think about today and to enjoy and appreciate all that we have.

This also gives me the chance/time to focus on selling our cars! So here's my sales pitch...(in case you don't already know) We have a 1979 Mercedes 240D (diesel) that we would love to find a great home for (it's in Fort Collins)! It is blue with blue leather interior and matching blue hub caps. It is in great working condition! Please let me know if you are at all interested or if you know someone who might be. I also have it posted on craigslist. Okay, enough of "Kamma the saleswoman." ;)

We're also going to try and sell the Ford here; hopefully we can find a mechanic who could fix it him/herself and then it would be a great buy!

I'll end with a couple pictures of one of our little gecko friends out on our lanai the other afternoon. Michael's always trying to catch them, but they are fast little buggers! They definitely do NOT want to be caught! I keep trying to tell him this, but boys will be boys...

Love and hugs! Bye for now!

North Kohala

2008-04-22T12:05:00.001-10:00

North Kohala is the northernmost district of Hawaii...we live in South Kohala. These are some pictures we took while driving around the area...

Roller Coaster of a Week!

2008-04-20T18:46:00.002-10:00

Hey everyone!

Sorry it’s been awhile since the last post. The time has just slipped away I guess. I hope everyone is doing well and ready for a new week!

In lieu of a very long narrative of how the past week has been for us, I’ve decided to just give you some main points…

• Last Friday (April 11th) our car started overheating now and then through Sunday...had to add coolant three times in three days.
• On Sunday evening, as we were driving up the hill to go home from hanging out on the beach (:)), we totally overheated and had to have the car towed. Luckily, the tow guy gave us a ride home!
• Monday we found out from the auto place that we would at least need a new head gasket and a new radiator, among possible other things. This would cost us twice as much as we paid for the car! Ahh!!
• Michael was able to get a ride down to work Monday through Thursday with a guy he works with who lives here in Waikoloa…thank you God! A taxi ride down to the Hilton would cost about $15-20 one-way…
• Wednesday, I heard from the Hilton, and found out that I got the job!!! Yeah!!! I went down and filled out a bunch of paperwork. I also had my first drug screening test on Thursday morning for the job…interesting experience! As soon as they get the results from my background check and the drug test I’ll find out when I actually start…hopefully soon!
• The guy who gave Michael rides to work, Marion, is pretty amazing, and actually let us borrow his car on Friday to drive down to Kona and look for cars. Amazing, I know! Unfortunately, we didn’t find anything right away, and instead of making a snap decision, we decided to rent a car for a week and take our time to find the right one this time.
• We pretty much just hung out Saturday and spent time together. It was really nice and relaxed.
• Went to church this morning with Marion down in Kona where he and his family go, then Michael went off to work!
• We’re going to look at a car tomorrow afternoon, and it sounds like a really good match for us. Wish us luck!

Love to you all!

Sunset Stroll...

2008-04-15T11:41:00.002-10:00

Last Friday we went down to Anaeho'omalu Beach (A-Bay) to watch the sunset...

Moving Day…

2008-04-08T21:33:00.001-10:00

Last Friday (April 4th) we looked at 1 (ONE) apartment in the town of Waikoloa Village and knew that it was for us! We signed the lease, and moved in on Sunday. It is in a complex of privately owned condos called Waikoloa Villas, and ours is a ground floor one-bedroom, one-bathroom with a lanai and outdoor wet bar owned by a gentleman in Arizona who also owns a house on the island. These condos were built in 1979, and this particular one does show it’s age a bit, but it is really nice and feels great to us. We have a washer and dryer and a dishwasher, and there is a complex pool that is about a 20-foot straight-shot from our lanai. If we walk to the other side of the pool we can see the sunset over the ocean…amazing! Check out the “virtual tour” pictures if you’re interested…

On another note, Michael started working today (Tuesday), and I’m still looking and waiting on some interviews. I have another interview tomorrow with the Hilton as a beverage server, so we’ll see if it’s the one! I really need to find something soon, and would love to be in the Waikoloa Resort area (where the Hilton and Marriott are, as well as two large shopping centers) so we can carpool easily and not have to drive too far.

It feels really good to be in our own place now, although it was a little sad to leave Hilo and all of the people we have met and made friends with so far; however, we are looking forward to all of the new people we will meet here and all of the new places to explore. We found a small beach this morning and went swimming and sunning for a bit. There weren’t very many people there, and we had a fun time. We drove by another beach on our way home that we’re going to check out tomorrow morning before Michael goes to work at 1.

So, that’s it for now! We love hearing from you all, so please write a comment on here or shoot us an email and let us know how you are all doing. Love and blessings to you!

Merrie Monarch

2008-04-08T20:42:00.004-10:00

We had a great time enjoying the Merrie Monarch festival! The show we went to Thursday night was the Miss Aloha Hula contest. There were 12 girls competing, it lasted until after 11 pm, and was fantastic! Each girl performed two different types of hula and was unlike anything we had ever experienced before. We tried taking pictures and you can kind of see what it was like, but none of them were very clear because they were constantly moving! Of course, it IS the hula!

We found out about the Merrie Monarch parade on Saturday morning, so we headed to downtown Hilo and enjoyed it so much! You know how I (Kamma) love parades! :) Take a look at the slide show and see some of what we saw…sort of like Missouri Day meets Hawaii!

We were invited to take a trip up Mauna Kea (the biggest mountain here on the Big Island) on Saturday afternoon/evening, but I will write about that and post pictures later on…

Kimo Bean

2008-04-03T14:23:00.003-10:00

Michael got a job!!! He is now a proud employee of Kimo Bean coffee shop inside the Hilton Waikoloa Village Resort, which is about 30-45 minutes north of Kona. About a week ago we decided to start looking for jobs on that side of the island. We just weren’t finding anything over here in Hilo, and looking in the newspaper, there are at least 3 times as many jobs listed on the Kona side. The Waikoloa resort area is really beautiful, and that is where Hapuna Beach is located. I also had an interview at a shop inside the Hilton that I am still waiting to hear about, and I have an interview for one of the restaurants inside the hotel tomorrow. It would be really awesome if we both worked in the same area. Check out the Hilton's website; it is quite a place! We are looking for an apartment/condo to rent in the town of Waikoloa Village, which is about 15-20 minutes drive from the resort area. So, things are really starting to look up, and we are feeling great! We just found out that the airline ATA shut down today, and that is what we flew on to get here…thank God we got one-way tickets!!!

This morning we decided to visit Rainbow Falls and Pe’epe’e Falls (pronounced peh eh peh eh, not pee pee :)) here in Hilo. They are major tourist attractions, and we had not taken the time to visit them yet! Since we are probably moving this weekend, we thought we should take the chance now. They were absolutely beautiful! I had read in one of our tour books that you needed to visit Rainbow Falls in the morning when the sun is behind you looking at the Falls, so you might actually see a rainbow in the water, and we did! At Pe’epe’e Falls, just about 1 mile up the road from Rainbow, we took the trail down to the Boiling Pots and towards the falls, and it was so much fun. We took quite a few pictures and just enjoyed the beauty and serenity of the place.

Merrie Monarch is a hula festival/competition held in Hilo each year the first week in April. It is basically like the super bowl of hula, and is what Hilo is known for. Tickets usually sell out about a year before and are pretty difficult to come by, not to mention expensive. So you can imagine our excitement when a retired couple from the church we’ve visited a couple times (Haili Church) invited us to go with them tonight! It is a single women’s competition, and should be so much fun. This particular couple, Bill and Jane, also had us (along with the pastor and his family and extended family) over to their house for Easter dinner, and we are just feeling so blessed by their kindness and generosity. If we are able to take pictures, I’ll be sure to post them as soon as I can!

Thanks again to everyone who has kept us in your thoughts and prayers…we definitely feel them! We are continuing to trust God in this adventure, and know that everything works out the way it’s supposed to when you have faith and believe! And that’s just what we’re doing! Love you all…

Hapuna Beach

2008-03-30T15:48:00.002-10:00

Hapuna Beach is said to be one of the best beaches in the United States. In fact some travel magazines, including Conde Nast Traveler, have often named it the best beach in the nation. One of our guide books had several positive things to say about it… “Close your eyes and picture a perfect beach…there's a good chance you'll see Hapuna in your mind’s eye.” “The best beach to go frolicking in.” “Half a mile long and 200 feet wide.” "...Excellent swimming conditions...and gorgeous scenery." How could we pass that up? So Friday (March 28th) we headed over, and it was, indeed, amazing! There were quite a lot of people there, but still plenty of room to find our own space in the sand. We went right into the ocean; well, I went a little slowly; and not five minutes into it, a sea turtle swam right by us! We stayed for over an hour, and the time went by so fast. It was amazing, and we can’t wait to go back!

Vog, Lava and Stars

2008-03-27T10:37:00.002-10:00

First, a note: I casually mentioned the word “vog” under the caption of one of the pictures I recently posted, and it came to my attention that, of course, you probably don’t know what that is! Or else you think I misspelled the word “fog.” In either case, I thought I should clarify. To put it simply, vog is volcanic smog. People most affected by it are those with asthma, as it can cause, among other things, breathing difficulties. It typically blows southwest, so we don’t see it much in Hilo, but Kona gets blasted by it quite often. In fact, the whole time we were over there, the vog limited our ocean views and kept the sun from shining brightly. Bummer!

Last Thursday (yes, it’s taken me a whole week to write about this!) we were invited to drive to the volcano with a guy we’ve met around here. He is, to put it nicely, a bit obsessed with Kilauea, so he was a perfect guide! We weren’t allowed to get very close to the lava flow, but we could still see it, and the viewing area was right by the ocean entry, so there was a lot of smoke and steam rising from it. We weren’t getting smoked out, because the winds were in our favor, so it just made a cool view. Pictures really don’t do it justice, unless maybe we had my dad’s camera, but we took some anyway and you can kind of see what it was like. We brought sandwiches and stuff with us so we sat and had a picnic while it got dark. The lava was especially awesome in the dark, and I don’t know how people can go and NOT stay for that!

Another guy who is staying at the same hotel as us came also. His name is Phil, and he’s from New Zealand, but he’s lived in British Colombia for the past 35 years or so. He is a bit of an astronomer, so we had the privilege of getting a little lesson of the stars! Pleiades (or the Seven Sisters), Orion’s Belt, Sirius, Hades, just to name a few; it was so beautiful and peaceful.

End note: When we first arrived to the parking area of the volcano, there was a huge, glorious, double rainbow across the entire sky. It was beautiful and amazing, and if you know me, you know that I was in heaven…

Finally...pictures from our "roadtrip" to Kona!

2008-03-24T17:15:00.001-10:00

Surfing Pictures!

2008-03-18T12:21:00.000-10:00

Warning: This is a long one!

2008-03-16T13:05:00.002-10:00

So, it’s been awhile since the last post…sorry everyone! But thanks for keeping track and checking back here to see what’s new! Well, I guess quite a lot has gone on since the last time. Last Saturday (March 8th) we decided to drive around and see the other parts of the Big Island, so we made reservations to stay at a hotel in Kona, and headed North on Hwy 19. Amazing beautiful views off the coast…pretty soon we came to a sign declaring “Akaka Falls” at the next exit, so we took it! Drove a bit through the town of Honomu, and made our way to the falls. Wow! It was so beautiful, and a great detour decision, if I do say so myself. We drove through some other towns and stopped for some food and butt relief at Waimea. This is paniolo (cowboy) country! Kept on Hwy 19 and made it to Kona around 4. Our hotel was right in the downtown area, on the Bay. Really beautiful, but wow, what a difference from Hilo! It felt a bit like Vegas, without the bright lights and gambling; just very touristy. We ate at a nice restaurant with great ocean views, and had our first “island drinks!” Michael’s was definitely the best; it even came in a coconut-looking cup! We had breakfast the next morning at a great place I read about in our tour book called Aloha Angel Café, just a bit South of Kona, and then headed back to a beach we read was supposed to be great for snorkeling…and wow, was it ever! We didn’t rent any snorkel gear, but still waded out into the reef, and the fish were swimming all around us! The water was so clear, it felt a bit like bath water…crazy! You didn’t even need a snorkel to see them. So…we decided to stay another night and go back to the beach the next morning. We DID rent gear then, and I received my first coral injuries during my very first time snorkeling! Hurt like a mama, but healing nicely now. We also both got sunburned for the first time! Wow, the sun is hot and intense. We weren’t in the sun for a super long time, and we had put sunscreen on before going into the water the first time, but apparently didn’t let it soak in long enough… :( It was worth it though; so much fun, and Michael was especially enthralled with it all. He even swam with a sea turtle at the end! By the way, the beach is called Kahalu’u.

While riding (and Michael drove) I had fun reading up in our tour book about Hawaiian culture and history. The Hawaiian alphabet contains only 12 letters: H, K, L, M, N, P, W, A, E, I, O, U; and it was a missionary who first attempted to write their language down. It’s pretty simple, every vowel basically is the same every time (with a few exceptions) and anytime there’s a double vowel with an apostrophe between them, you use a glottal stop.

So…Monday afternoon we continued South (Hwy 19 turns into Hwy 11 in Kona) towards South Point, which is the Southernmost tip of the United States. The whole Southern part of the Big Island is very different-looking from the other parts. Very barren with tons of lava rocks everywhere! We made one stop in Na’alehu and tasted the goods at the Punalu’u Bakeshop (famous for their Hawaiian sweet breads-I’ve seen them in stores on the Mainland).

We also called and made reservations to stay for a week at a place in Hilo that rents daily, weekly, or monthly, called Reeds Bay Resort and Hotel. We arrived here at about 6pm, and got settled in. We had a kitchenette, which is great because it’s a bit pricey to have to eat out EVERY meal, so we went to the grocery store and stocked up for a few meals. We spent Tuesday not doing much; drove around a bit and went downtown. Shopped at the Farmer’s Market (we got a ton of produce for $10!) and Michael went to talk to a guy he had met on our first day downtown. He owns one of the local surf shops, and he was a super nice guy. Michael wanted to ask him about going surfing and ended up buying a “beginner’s” board and made plans to go out with him the next morning. Boy, was he excited! Grinning from ear to ear :). So…we used the alarm for the first time and made it down to the beach by about 6:45 the next morning. Stan was there waiting for us, and they just jumped right in! Michael had a blast! He rested two different times, and his third time back out he actually caught a wave and jumped up on the board! Stan said that is pretty lucky for a first-timer, but we know our Michael ;).

We both had interviews that afternoon at the hotel we stayed at our first few nights here, so that was encouraging, although we should have heard by Friday if either of us was hired, and Friday has come and gone. I forgot how much I HATE looking for a job! Having to walk up to the cashier or whoever and say “are you hiring right now?”…poo! And then the interview…so nerve-wracking! Having to prove yourself to a perfect stranger and hope they get a glimpse of your true self…it’s been six years since the last time I had to find a new job! That is pretty much what is dominating my thoughts right now. We were looking for an apartment and jobs at the same time, and it’s hard because an employer wants to see on the application that you have a place to live, and an apartment manager or landlord wants to see that you have a steady job! Aahhh!! So we decided to rent here for a month (actually it’ll be 25 days total, because that’s what they had available) and focus on finding jobs. Then if for some reason we can’t find anything, we’re not stuck in a 6-month or more lease, and we can reevaluate things.

We were in a studio-type apartment, but we moved into a 1-bedroom for the month, and it is really nice. They usually charge quite a bit more for it, but because they didn’t have any studios available for a month, they’re letting us stay here for the same price as a studio would have been. We have been feeling so blessed so far for all of the people we’ve met and breaks we’ve caught! So after moving down here Thursday (it’s a couple floors below the other room) we drove to a shopping center to get some more job applications. When we returned to the car to drive to another area of the shopping center, it wouldn’t start! Not even a sound of trying. By the time Michael was done trying to figure out what was wrong, it was just before five-o-clock, and the Ford shop was about to close. So, we had it towed there, and walked home. I was feeling pretty discouraged at first, because I had actually been fired up about getting job applications and trying to get a job, and honestly feeling a little scared about not getting a job, and then boom, we can’t even get anywhere! After talking out loud a bit about all of this, while walking, I came to the realization that God was taking the little bit of control we had (our car) away, in order to remind us that He is in control and we need to trust Him. He has a plan for our jobs and place to live and just our whole time here, and we need to have faith and believe and RELAX! I felt so much better after that, and was able to enjoy the bit of exercise I was getting and the beautiful surroundings we were walking through. After all, we are in Hawaii, and I am with my best friend and love! Can it get much better?! So…we found out that we need a new starter in the car, and since they didn’t find out until Friday, and they’re closed all weekend, it should be done sometime Monday, March 17th (they have a free shuttle that will come pick us up and take us there :)), and then we will be able to continue our search. We walked downtown again Friday and Saturday to see about jobs there and to just hang out a bit. It will be much easier once we have a car again. Michael was feeling a little bummed about it all because he was planning on going surfing again Friday morning, but no car to get there! That might be the first thing we do when we get the car back :). So, we’ve decided to just enjoy ourselves and have fun while we have all of this time together. Well, I guess that pretty much catches you all up! We’re going to the beach! Love to you all!

Ps. I tried uploading a bunch of pictures, but couldn’t get to do anything. I’ll try again soon!

New Car!!!

2008-03-07T17:30:00.002-10:00

We got a new car today! It is a 2000 Ford Taurus in pretty great shape, and we got an awesome deal on it! The first step of many to come, and we are so excited and feeling very hopeful!

Just Another Day in Paradise...

2008-03-06T17:08:00.005-10:00

To quote my niece Mikayla, "OMG!" This place really is as amazing as everyone always says it is. Sitting on the large 'lanai' (porch) of our hotel lobby, a warm soft breeze blows through; listening to the constant calling and singing of birds, and looking out at the gentle sway of the ocean waves, I can't help but think, "Are we really here? In Hawaii?? To STAY?!? OMG!!!" As you can see in the new photo slide show, after a slightly emotional sending-off at the airport, and a total travel time (including a lay-over in Oakland) of about 11 hours, we started out our first day in Hawaii watching the sunrise from our lanai over-looking the ocean...absolutely beautiful and perfect. We enjoyed a great breakfast buffet in our hotel and then walked to the Hilo Down Town and tried to familiarize ourselves with the area for a big portion of the day. We are hoping to be the owners of a vehicle by the end of today and start looking for a place to live tomorrow! Thank you to everyone for your prayers, love and support...we appreciate you all so much! Keep coming back for more updates!

Leaving...

2008-02-26T19:25:00.005-10:00

When Michael and I first started talking about moving somewhere far away, over a year ago, I totally was NOT ready, even though the idea of it appealed to me. I just needed some more time. So when it came up again this past December, I felt a total peace and knew that this was it, time to go. So here we are, 7 days until we leave...done with my job, getting together with friends to say good bye, spending time with family trying to make as many memories as possible, taking care of all the "loose-ends"... We baby sat my niece Molly tonight for the last time (one of our favorite things to do- Molly especially adores Michael!), and as I was singing the same song I have sang to her at bedtime since she was teeny-tiny, it finally started to sink in. We are moving away. We have no idea when we'll be back. I don't know when I'll get to put Molly to bed again, or sing that special song to her in person. EVERYTHING is about to change. Change. A lot of people can't handle it. Some people can't live without it. I've always been somewhere in the middle. I know that change is hard, but I believe that change is good. I want to live a full, exciting, loving life without regrets, and for me and Michael, right now that requires change. We are so excited for the great adventure ahead of us and know that some wonderful experiences are in store. We will miss the people and places and everyday stuff that have made up our life together so far, and are so grateful for all of the support and love we have received; however, we are also looking forward to this next season of being alone, just the two of us, depending only on each other and God, and growing deeper in our love for each other. We are living our lives! Present in each moment, striving to be better and stronger! And perhaps, we might just inspire one or two people along the way to follow their dreams...

My First Time

2008-02-23T03:59:00.001-10:00

Well, hello blogger world! Here I am! I have been purely a spectator until now, but after being nudged a bit by a fantastic blogging friend, I've decided to take the plunge...we'll see how well I do keeping this up :) My husband Michael and I are moving to Hawaii in about 1 1/2 weeks, and yesterday was my last day at my wonderful job, so with all the changes happening, I figured it was as good a time as any to add one more thing. I'm hoping to use this arena to keep in contact with family and friends while we are gone, and keep them all up-to-date with our lives. Good luck to me!