Mama's got a new camera.

So I have been unmotivated to blog since I nearly destroyed my camera in our New Years fête. It's no fun to have have your batteries fall out right when you are about to capture the perfect shot. I have confirmation that I did in fact destroy the xD card so why not just get a new camera instead. It's the American way, non? Well, we'd been tossing around the idea of getting an underwater kine camera anyway but thought that since we wouldn't be here that much longer that it wouldn't be prudent. However, after three days of above-ground submersion in WA, the answer was clear. Get the stinkin camera that can be dropped (from 5 ft), frozen, dunked (in any liquid) and that is sandproof, sweatproof and probably even kid-proof. And after an unexpected, but useful donation to the cause by a grandfather who was suffering from photographus withdrawalitis (either that or he was really hoping he could see something besides mississippi cat and suavemente reruns) the purchase was made.

So it has arrived. The Olympus790SW (I'm a big Olympus fan and already have my sights set on the 10MP Evolt - I can't help it - I'm that American). I got it in lime green. I'm not sure why, It just spoke to me. It comes in a variety of colors including standard black or silver but I think I needed a color that would reassure me that it could in fact go underwater. So now I have to figure out how to maximize it's capabilities (which will contribute to another blogging sabbatical I'm sure) and where to put all the junk that comes with a tiny piece of technology. Expect a full report at a later date.

-

Here are a few of the first snapshots right out of the box.

-

All-Star Weekend Trivia

Question: Why does Jason Kidd's eight-year old son have a mustache?

I can only find this picture from when T.J. was four, but he had a 'stache then too. I blame the hormones in our food.

No Jason, it can't be wiped off.

Special thanks to Tarah for this bonus trivia: Where's TJ??

Too Late to Apologize?

I'm sorry Hawaii. I take it back, I am not "so over" you. You're beautiful. As Ben said today regarding the scenery "the kind of beautiful that causes emotions" It's true.

Take your daughter to work day.

This morning I was woken up at 3:30 by a hungry boy who had fallen asleep the night before prior to dinner (I told you they were on another time zone). While trying to find something to appease him, I hear A. intermittently squealing and moaning in her room. We have not been feeling extremely well since we got back from our trip and probably picked up some more junk on the plane ride home but Avery's symptoms had to started to be concerning. I ask her what is wrong and she is complaining of neck/backpain and legpain, which triggers the fear of...I'm sure you're thinking it too...meningitis. Ben does an exam of sorts and determines that we should probably take her in. The last and only time we have been to the ER was with Avery three years ago and after getting the new parent, first time your child has a high fever trip to the ER out of the way, I was determined never to waste their time again, not to mention the tests that must be run.

Seeing Miles' awakening as some sort of sign and not wanting Avery's prediction the day before to come true ("Maybe I am starting to die", whilst sitting on the coffee table pondering her malaise), we headed out into the dark of morning. Growing less worried as we were on our way, doubt turned into embarrassment when we finally got seen and during the exam (by not one, but two of ben's colleagues) as Avery is asked where it hurts she says' "nowhere", followed by more palpations and questions about how she feels sick to which she replies "I'm not sick". Man Motrin works fast! Luckily for our dignity (but not our daughter's comfort) she registered a fever over 103F when we arrived which proved we were not crazy but did encourage a range of blood tests and and IV. The tech was smart to introduce the IV needle as a little straw through which she would be getting a drink and A. was triumphant that she didn't have to get a "shot" during the visit. What she did get was 300ml of intravenous fluids, two seperate blood draws and a catheter to collect a urine sample since we couldn't get anything to come out to do a "clean catch" (and less invasive) method of collection. Oh, and a popsicle.

The attending doctor apologized for our wait, which I hadn't thought was too bad (until I realized we had been there seven hours) and explained that a dotors kid gets priority in the ER, which I initally thought sounded a bit unfair, but I guess considering that a trained physician would know what signs required urgent attention and would have done a preliminary exam prior to bring a child in, I can see how that would be the case. Plus, they probably prefer that Ben be back at work and not sitting with his family waiting for test results to come back. The results were inconclusive by the way, excpet that for certain we can eliminate a UTI and that the cause was most likely something viral (Ben thinks Parvo (yes humans can get a form of it) and I have a different diagnosis which is most likely correct but it sounds bad so I won't disclose it here).

Avery is better now, the rest of us were spared and I now have an appreciation of just how tired B. must feel when he's put in a nearly 8 hour day before noon.

Good Morning Sun

So my kids are still on PST and have been waking up before sunrise. Remember when I said I was more of a sunset person, well that may be about to change. Being that we will be moving back West (technically East) I think I will stay on this new schedule and maybe I'll accomplish more before noon (I may actually get dressed). Since I've made pancakes, caught up with the news, my house is in perfect order (down to the perfectly situated Coastal Living magazine on the bedside table thanks to a surprise house showing yesterday - nothing like a little incentive to unpack) and the kids are already back down for a morning nap, what do I do today?

-

I wish I had taken this picture.

Back.

It's strange to be coming home to Hawaii and it's still just as gorgeous as ever but I am so over it. The waterfalls, the sunshine, longer days and aloha spirit. Whatever. It actually is awfully hot and I saw a couple of mosquitoes scoping out my ankles, oh and it rained for three minutes. I can't wait to get out of here. The new picture above was supposed to be more of a hello I'm back sort of gesture but it looks more like the goodbye variety of Aloha. The beginning of a long, sad farewell to one of the best years of our life...

Washington

Thanks to some encouragement and round-the-clock babysitting services offered by my mom, I made a three-day trip to what is to be our new home in a few months. I really didn't want to go but it did seem to be a good idea and maybe a chance to see a side of Washington that I hadn't before. Well, I did and it was the rainy side. We were there for a few weeks one summer and although the weather was per-fect, we didn't love it so I certainly didn't expect to love the winter. And I didn't. But I did get a chance to visit with old friends that'll become new again and that prospect excites me and I can see the possibility of us enjoying our time there. However, I reserve the right (and intend to exercise it), to complain, make faces and generally hate the idea of moving there - for the next four months. After that I love Washington and will wonder (possibly even aloud), why we didn't move here sooner.

Quick plug for Alaskan Airlines - Thoroughly enjoyed their courteous service, they even welcomed me aboard by name, as if I were a first class passenger...then again, I was travelling without children.

January Recap

January was split in half between home (HI) and home (CA). Unfortunately it was also split by health and illness. Because I firmly believe that one does not and cannot get sick in Hawaii we got every single illness that one would get over the course of a year in two weeks shortly after we touched down on the mainland. This even after diligent hand-washing (and face and noses) in every public place we visited. I, of course, demanded that Ben tell me why we got sick despite my efforts and he said sometimes it's just not enough and then he prescribed us ibuprofen (that's a little inside joke that you would know had you ever called him (or any dr. I'm finding out) for medical advice, it's best to come to me if you want compassion and a real remedy). Now for the usual breakdown:

Ben - Not sure exactly what he did since except work nights and sleep except that I know that it at leats a portion of his time was spent baking, as evidenced by the utensils in the dishwasher. Either that or he didn't know where the dishes were and had to eat his cereal in a measuring cup with a spatula. His report on working the night-shift was favorable as it allowed him to see daylight and enjoy the commute that he loves so much (seriously, it's the most beautiful drive), he also enjoyed being the primary surgeon during those hours.

Miles - Thinking, thinking... Besides starting the chain of vomiting that has, at current count, claimed 8 victims, I'm at a loss. If anyone else recalls anything of note please let me know.

Avery - Turned four, about a million times (I finally had to inform her that her bday was in fact over on Feb 9, when she had her last cake and her last wish of this year). Her birthday wishes, which I realize are supposed to be secret but I had to ask on her first one and from then on she quieted the room and would announce her hearts desires to a then captive audience. They ranged from the first and my favorite "that I would never fear" to the least likely "that God would give me rainbow hair". I must admit that the thought of her getting older and more intelligent is extremely frightening to me, so I think I'm going to have to copy her never fear* wish on my bday. As she told me with her eyes on her first day of life outside the womb, she is smarter than me.

Me - Well, what January didn't bring me was the intense workout plan I had intended to engage in, however, the stomach flu we got did result in a few lost pounds. Unfortunately, they found me again...hahaha.

I also launched the kids modeling career this month with a photo-shoot that deserves a post all it's own, once I overcome the embarrassment of the fact that I actually launched my kids modeling career.


*not to be confused with "no fear", I don't need any t-shirts coming my way.

60.

Happy Birthday Dad.

First time for everything.

Tis the season to try new things. January has proven to be a month of firsts, even for this seasoned almost 30-year old (that looks way worse written than I thought). Call it a mid-life crisis or just being in the right place at the right time but I have had not one, but two life changing events this very week alone.

First experience of note - eyebrow threading. No needles involved, only a spool of white thread and a pair of very skilled hands. We were out celebrating Sara's bday (I won't say which number but she's older than me) and somehow between dinner and walking back to the car we ended up in a "threading" salon thanks to Chelsey I think. Next thing we know we are giggling like schoolgirls and gathering around while each of us takes a turn supine in the chair.

I'm not one to mess with my eyebrows, much less allow another to do so; only once before have I been coerced/embarrassed into getting them shaped. (at the nail salon. when you walk in and they greet you with "eyebrow wax?" even if you just came in for a pedicure, of course you say "uh, yes" and find the nearest mirror to confirm your fears of why they asked). But everyone was doing it, it was only $11, the technicians looked like they were from the right region of the world to perform the service, I probably needed it and I never balk at the chance to experience a little pain (see favorite quote in right column), especially for a good cause.

I wish I could explain more about the process, but even after watching a few times, I have no earthly idea what exactly is going on. It was quick and I felt little hairs all over my face while she was doing her voodoo (enough that I thought someone would definitely be coming by to sweep up after I departed) but the result was incredible and just painful enough to be fun!
Experience grade A+

The second thing is something I've always wanted to try but haven't had the chance and that is to take a hip-hop class. Luckily I was visiting my sister on the right day and she goes to the right gym. Now mind you I don't have special "hip-hop" shoes like she does but I looked gansta enough for the class (you can take the girl out of Banning but you can't take the Banning out of the girl), thanks to a ubiquitous Not Guilty t-shirt and some borrowed Nike windpants from Britt's boyfriend. I know that I sang high praises for the Bikram yoga (haha) but THIS was my favorite workout ever. I almost considered moving to Manhattan Beach just so I can go to his class weekly (think the Army will ever have a base there?). He, is DHQ, whose claim to fame is choreographing for Bobby Brown. His music was great and he made complicated dance moves less frustrating than a beginning step aerobics class. It was a great workout for body, soul and mind (who needs Sodoku, when you can stimulate your brain putting together dance moves like Janet?). I was sad when it ended.
Experience grade A+ +

There are two classes of travel -- first class and with children

- Robert Benchley

Yesterday, with my newly minted four-year old (and my mamas boy) in tow we escaped the lonliness of an absent (or sleeping) father and headed "home". I revised my packing strategy three times and finally (correctly) decided that it was useless to pack anything in the carry-on that might entertain me on the flight, such as the usual books, magazines, laptop, journal and used every inch of diaper bag space for snacks snacks and more snacks, diapers and wipes...and a few more snacks. I packed each of us a bag, half-full, except for Miles' which had a months worth of diapers, and which I expected to be half-full upon return. I have been informed that there are indeed washing machines in California and came to grips with the fact that it isn't the end of the world to be seen in the same outfit twice during a three-week stay. After all, I am the least fashionable sister anyway and should therefore know my place.

From check-in to boarding it took the entire hour forty-five I had allotted. Two agriculture checks, security (which A. is a complete pro at - shoes off, backpack in a bin and boarding pass in hand before I even had to say anything) and a bathroom stop later we were at our gate, which was boarding. Did I mention the 3/4 mile walk to get to gate 33, the very farthest gate in the terminal (was that what the shuttle was for?)? I'm sure the trek was good for our pre-flight circulation and for tiring out little legs. It's fine because I like to board last anyhow, as long as seats are pre-assigned that is. And last we were.

And now a plug for Hawaiian Airlines. I love to fly Hawaiian if at all possible. Avery was happy to be flying on the plane with the Hawaiian girl pictured on the tail and I was happy because, it was non-stop, the flight-attendants are consistently nice and they still feed you. Not to mention it was the cheapest flight available and best-fit my scheduling restrictions - which is - nap time or red-eye. This was supposed to be a nap-time flight. Not that my children have ever taken a 5-hour nap, but one can certainly hope.

The good news is that the back of the plane, where I always try to sit, so as to bother the least amount of people, was nearly completely empty. Not only did we get the three center seats to ourselves (M. still qualifies for lap-child status) there was no one behind us or to either side and one person in front of us. We settled in nicely, Miles securely strapped into his car seat and Avery getting "comfty" with pillows and blankets and me, doling out snacks from the center seat. It took longer than hoped for either child to fall asleep but with my reading material relegated to the checked luggage it didn't matter much and I was still able to eventually enjoy the current issue of the inflight 'zine*. The first two hours weren't all that pleasant actually but I did get excited when I smelled dinner being warmed (doesn't that sound delicious?). I should have known what was going to happen next, because it always happens. "Oh I'm sorry we're out of pasta, but here's a cold turkey sandwich", is what I get for being nice and sitting way in the back. It'll also happen on the return flight I'm sure. I'm not sure why they don't make more hot meals. The hot warmed meals come with a salad, roll and dessert of some sort. How is that equivilant to two slices of deli meat and one half piece of cheese on a croissant? Oh, I guess I forgot that it comes with a couple condiment packages and a bag of Lays. I ate it begrudgingly. And then I ate most of Avery's as well.

Both kids were asleep for the presentation of "Nanny Diaries" so it should have been enjoyable. Loved the book. Disliked the movie because it had the potential to be excellent but wasn't, although it's probable that I was still bitter over the meal I hadn't been served. What really got me through the flight was thinking about what awaits me on the other side... bean and cheese burritos, taquitos w/ guacamole, produce that hasn't been on a ship for two-months before it gets to market, and I really needn't say it ... In-N-Out. Is it possible to get a bad meal in California?

Well, now for the good news for those of you who have made it to this point. Not only do I promise not to recount every detail of our return trip, there is no slideshow to accompany this post. Lucky you.

* I recommend the article Sanctuary in the current issue of Hana Hou.

Happy Fourth Bday!!

Despite my threats that if she didn't stop doing this or that thing* she wouldn't turn four, Avery made it to the big day. She has already informed us that she wants to turn four and then five and then stop (because at five you can be a dolphin "trainer"). She also asked me, while semi-fake weeping, if she could live with me forever, even when she has a baby and gets married. As long as it's not in that order, she can.

When asked what she wanted to do for her birthday she simply replies "celebrate" so celebrate we have. On Saturday I took her to see Enchanted with a friend from church (super cute, I totally can't wait to buy this movie...and I don't usually care to own movies), they danced in the aisles during the credits. Today, I am taking her to get ice cream with two of her other friends then we will have a quick celebratory meal with dad before he goes to work.

*this or that consists of stunts like stealing her brothers binky, not going to bed when I say, talking back to adults - for instance she is really into no smoking or no whatever signs, we were at a doctors office recently and a lady was talking on her cell phone while standing right next to a sign that indicated no cell phones with the red circle & slash and I could tell that A. was dying to say something to her but was getting glared at by me to not say anything and when I left the waiting room to talk to the nurse I observed her proceed to (kindly) inform the lady that you weren't supposed to use phones in the waiting room.

This kind of self-confidence/righteousness is highly annoying to me in a child and I am trying to do everything I can to stop her from thinking she is "in charge" (any suggestions from anyone on how to reign in the strong-willed child?). Of course privately I do see the humor in some of her antics, like most recently, at church when she tried to leave her seat to go into the foyer and I threatened her that she would have to go sit in the car she instantly bared her teeth, and drew up her arms and legs into the Karate Kid pose at me in defiance. Yikes! Which leads me to a further warning - watch out, because she is into fake slapping too, but don't worry, she'll give you a tutorial on how to move your head before she throws one on you. I always thought being a stunt woman would be cool so maybe that's what she's going for. I am a little scared at what age 4-5 will bring but I'm sure it will be both entertaining and challenging.

Late Night Date

Ben's working the night shift now and he had a day (or night rather) off but didn't want to reverse his current schedule too much so we decided to hit up a late night movie. Since most baby-sitters are trying to end their nights by 10pm (which was when the movie started) we made it a family affair, banking on the fact that Miles would be asleep and sincerely hoping that Avery would follow suit. Nevertheless we picked a movie that would be appropriate..or more correctly, wouldn't be inappropriate if she did manage to stay awake. We are lucky to have a dollar theater within walking distance (we drove) which has been really fun for the kids and I, we recently saw Ratatouille and the Bee Movie. Since M. doesn't know that he loves watching TV and movies yet, it's nice because we're not ruining anyones $9, first-run movie experience if he decides to get loud and he's not ruining my $9, first-run movie experience if I have to take him out.

The movie we saw was Dan in Real Life w/ Steve Carrell and Juliette Binoche. It was really good. Definitely worth the dollar. It was funny, yet touching and real. A movie that men and women can appreciate equally. AND, they managed to keep it clean! I recommend it.

When we were getting our tickets the gal that was selling the tickets mentioned that she remembered seeing us on the Big Island. Avery was playing with her daughter in the pool at the mega-resort. We also ran into a family from our ward when we were there. It's a small small chain of islands.

Big Island Day Five

Goodbye volcanoes. It's our last day here. The good news is that our flight isn't until 8:30pm. We'll spend the day revisiting Hilo and checking out what lies between here and there.


What is between here and there, is, well, another farmers market resulting in one of the few good meals during our trip*, some awesome tide pools, lava tree state park and some more incredible scenery. Oh yeah, and some island wildlife, include crawfish and wild turkey.

*food while travelling is very important to me, I like to consult Frommers advice on where to eat, which Ben likes to make fun of me for, and so far this trip has been a disaster on the culinary front.

Big Island Day Four

From resort luxury to rustic living! We stayed at Kilauea Military Camp in Volcanoes National Park, right at the top near the caldera and were relieved to park directly in front of our cabin instead of having to take a tram or boat to our spacious room(s). We were also pleasantly surprised that the air was brisk and chilly, making the fact that we had a fireplace an attractive option. We arrived just in time for a hula show in the dining lodge and we were in need of some homestyle all-you-can-eat buffet as was offered. The camp had a bowling alley, movie theater, tennis courts, etc. none of which we got to use because we spent our short time there taking in the incredible volcano hikes, scenery and exhibits.

Avery was a little disappointed that it was Kilauea and not "Killer Whale", like she had thought she'd heard (she'd be even more disappointed to know that her parents saw humpback whales frolicking while she slept the day before...we tried to wake her up). But she was impressed to see the steam and the hardened lava. The different formations and lava flows from various years were really cool. I thought some of it looked shiny and cracked, like the top of a pan of brownies after it cools, and others looked like intricate designs of rope or stretched taffy. It is nature at it's awe-inspiring finest. If you like lava, you'll love this slideshow:

Big Island Day Three

Today we enjoyed our hotel until we had to check out at noon. And now for a word about where we slept - I feel we hit the Priceline jackpot in the Hilton Waikoloa Village. I have used Priceline almost exclusively when we travel over the last 5 years and it has yet to fail us, but this time we won big time. For $130 a night (room rate on the door - not that anyone really pays those fees, but for comparisons sake, started at $465/a night)we stayed at a 62-acre resort with every amenity that you could imagine in a hotel. Maybe I am just easily impressed (I fully enjoy a clean Motel 6 room just fine - I get that from my mom), but it was fancy nice to the point of being overwhelming. I felt slightly out of place, as I realized that we were now rubbing elbows with women who bring perfume and jewelry on vacation and who also actually use the provided blowdryer and iron.

The Hilton's had even captured dolphins for our enjoyment, which was a huge hit with the kids of course. There was a boat or tram to take you to your room. Not to mention water slides, museum-caliber artwork along a one-mile walkway circling the property, cabanas, a "Diego"-bridge (whatever that is, but that's what A. referred to it as) a lagoon with a waterfall and tropical fish, multiple fitness centers and complimentary classes... I'm getting tired just mentioning it all.

After checking out we started on our way to our next destination - Volcanoes National Park. On the way we saw a windfarm a la Palm Springs and a black sand beach that made Miles' look...well, even whiter than usual. I wasn't sure that was possible. And we saw turtles...which I'm pretty sure we weren't supposed to touch...

Big Island Day Two

Today we travelled down to Kona to do some kayaking. We rented some gear and headed toward Captain Cook's monument (the place where he said his final aloha's) for some awesome snorkeling and paddling. We had hoped to see wild dolphins but they didn't come and play that day. On our way home we decided to head up Mauna Kea, the world's tallest mountain (base to top: 33,465 feet) to view the night sky. It was spectacular and there is a reason that it houses the worlds largest observatory. I've never seen so many stars in one place. The nearest "city" (meaning lights) is Honolulu, so the darkness, coupled with it's incredible height makes it an amazing place to star-gaze. And it's COLD! Talk about strange - seeing a mountain peak with snow on it in Hawaii?! I wish I had pictures of the night sky, but you can see some HERE. After some hot chocolate, a treat I haven't had or even wanted in nearly a year now, we headed back to the village...

Some of our pics for that day were taken with a waterproof disposable film camera and since the ants have taken over our scanner, I haven't yet been able to upload those.

Big Island - Day One

Ben had requested leave in order to go to CA for Ryan's bday/deployment party but when airline prices failed to accommodate, we took a last minute trip to Hawai'i (aka - the Big Island) so as not to waste the granted days off. There is definately a certain sense of urgency now to see and do all that the chain of islands have to offer before we must say our final aloha's.

Our departing flight was at 5:10am (I'm not sure I realized that we would have to leave our house at 3:30am when I booked them but I wanted to maximize our time) and we arrived in Hilo before dawn. I had been anxious to see a Hawaiian sunrise and with Hilo being on the East side, it was a great place to do it. It wasn't as awe-insipring as I thought it would be so I will continue to sleep through them for the remainder of my days living on an island. I'm more of a sunset person these days (it hasn't always been so).

We caught the acclaimed Hilo farmers market early and scored fresh banans and tangerines and rice cooked three ways - Spam Musubi, Sweet Rice Fried on a Stick (not to be confused w/ fried rice on a stick) and Glutanous Cinnamon Rice in a rectangle. I was particularly hoping to get some tastes of honey from the bee-keepers station but he just wasn't setting up quick enough. It's amazing to me how the taste of honey can vary depending on the types of plant life the bees gather from. But that's a whole 'nother topic entirely ...

We promptly left Hilo and started making our way toward the Kona side where we would be staying for the first few nights. Amazing scenery (like what you can see in the pictures times a million) and every few miles we felt we were in another country or state. I think that first day we compared the scenery to Guatemala, Ireland (at least what we've seen in pictures), Pennsylvania, Colorado and Yucca Valley (I know, not a state nor a vacation destination).

About halfway to our first days stop we pulled over to take a brief nap, capitalizing on the fact that the children were fast asleep. We slept for over two hours.

December Recap

Where to begin, where to begin? I don't want to dwell too much on December since it is the start of a new year but here it goes:

Ben - Finally got me a Christmas gift that he came up with on his own and was just for me and that I didn't return - a new Wii game (Raving Rabids 2) and the new Cranium game...wait a minute...those are for both of us! Oh yeah, he did get me some perfume that I wanted (Flower by Kenzo) and I only mentioned it once to see how well he was listening. Good job.

Miles - His vocabulary is still limited to Da(d), Dog, Duck, Hi, Juice, Go, Wow and Whas that? None of which any but the trained ear of a mother (his mother) can understand. But his comprehension has increased dramatically, so we communicate through questions and head nods and shakes.

Avery - Continues to patrol the streets and protect us from the underclothed. The perpetrator this time - The fashionably underclothed Aunt Brittany. The crime - Exposed shoulders. The punishment - A severe tongue lashing and warning issued by the warden of all things modest. It went something like this... "Aunt Brittany, your shoulders are showing" "Oh" "You shouldn't show your shoulders" "Really? Who said" (wrong question!) "God" "Really, when did He say that?" "A long long long long long long long long time ago" End of discussion.

Me - This month I learned that Christmas isn't all fun and games for moms, which is why Mother's Day must have been invented. After thirty years of fabulously effortless Christmases, I got to see it from the other side. I thought that I was keeping it simple and had most things done in advance, but it is just not in the cards for a mother to sleep much the night before Christmas. So thank you mom, thank you Leah, thank you grandmas, aunts etc. for all of your hard work over the years that made Christmas seem effortless. And kudos to the dad's as well. And Santa.

We were so glad to have Gma Louva, Gpa Dwight and Aunt Brittany with us for the holidays (and my parents here earlier in the month...remember we went kayaking...) I've never not had a Christmas with any of them (except for the few before Britt was born) and it was my first away from home so I was glad to have some family with us. Plus, having three more people added more gifts under the tree!

What else...hmm I know there is something....oh yes, we're moving to Washington. :) I haven't said much about it because I've been processing the info and trying to decipher how I feel about it. We are sad to leave Hawaii of course and surprised, because all things seemed to point to a 6-year stay, but we do like moving so, on to another adventure. I'm not sure how I feel about moving somewhere so rainy (I really like the rain actually, but not constant gloom) and we didn't love the area when we went to visit a few years back. But, the good news is that Ben got into the specialty that he wanted (ENT) and he will be working with a great team at a great hospital. Really, it's just the weather thing and the leaving paradise thing that is difficult. Hawaii suits us. I don't think we would have contracted the dreaded island fever (now we have to worry about getting S.A.D. (seasonal affective disorder- a real disease) and we really like the "live slow", casual, nothing fancy lifestyle. BUT! I think there are a lot of things we will love about the pacific n'west as well. The blog content/interesting factor may suffer after the move, but I hope that's not the case. Anyhow, expect to hear more about what I'm sad/glad to leave and what I'm fearful of/excited to discover in our new locale, frequently in the next few months.

*The shark and Ariel balloon's in the slide show were not Christmas presents (how temporary!) but were souveniers from a place we went to eat. The balloon artists were amazing!

What is this...China?!

It's either that or WW3. At first we were feeling a little sad not to be celebrating the holidays as usual with family. But the spectacle we beheld last night made us wish it was loved ones who were here. One of the perks of living on a lush, tropical island, surrounded by a large body of water (that's what makes it an island, I know) means that anyone and everyone can explode fireworks as they please. The streets were filled with various on ground displays...and dangling from ladders and light posts (and dangerously near power lines) for that matter. The arsenal that nearly each house had in their garage/carport was amazing. You could barely drive the streets, or see for the smoke. But the craziest thing was that folks were shooting aerial fireworks from their front and backyards. You never knew when one would explode above your head. Officially and legally, the festivities of fire weren't to begin till 9pm but most started unleashing their booty (that's pirate speak booty - and no double entendre like on a certain t-shirt I heard was gifted among the family) around 6pm. And some even started the day before. A permit allows you to buy up to 5,000 firecrackers! It looked, sounded and smelled like a war zone (except thankfully, as Nate pointed out to Ben, no one died...although that's still to be determined). Here's some footage of the melee. Enjoy it cause I fell off a 5 foot brick wall for these shots (again, like all of my video footage, not for those with a weak stomach)





my neighbor said this year was mild. Here is some of the aftermath.

Mothers Helper

We were meeting with the bishop today for tithing settlement (which indicates to me the start of tax season!) and noticing her energy rearranging boxes and things in his office he asked her if she liked to help mom around the house and she answered "oh yes, I like to vacuum and clean up my toys and I help hold mom on the potty so she doesn't fall in..."

Not true. But what do you say? It might as well be true because I'm not sure of the last time I had any privacy, but I assure you, balance is not an issue.

Holiday Beauty Tips

To look your holiday best, make sure you get a cold sore* on your mouth, a fiery red subterranean zit between your nose and cheek, then have a doctor zap a spider vein** on your face (which she forgot to mention will scab over) for good measure. Oh yeah, and covering it up with makeup will only make it look worse. Happy Holidays!



* I am going to start calling it my "Christmas" Cold Sore because it shows up every year.

**I went to a derm. to have a lesion removed on my lower leg, which she did and left me with about 6 stitches. She was in a big hurry but I wanted to ask her about this broken capillary I have had under my eye for about 12 years now and she just grabbed her laser and started blasting my face with it (mmm, nothing quite like the smell of burning flesh in the morning) and said, "well that should take care of it". I guess that's what I ultimately wanted, but I was expecting more of a conversation.

Surprisingly Delicious!

I got this for my sister's stocking and she couldn't take it back with her so I guess I have to drink it. And guess what...it's good! Even for someone (myself) who doesn't like soy milk, so for those who do like it or have to drink it, this would be a real treat!

It's begining to look a lot like Kelikimaka.

And sound like it too. Ben made us a good Christmas CD (inclusive of other winter holidays, thanks to Adam Sandler's Chanakuh classic). The CD includes The Carpenters, his personal favorite, and some of my holiday favorites - Mary Did you Know? by Clay Aiken, O Holy Night by Josh Groban, Santa Baby and my toe-tapping favorite by Mariah Carey, All I Want for Christmas is You.



We lit the tree and set to work on constructing the gingerbread house that our "secret santa" from church left us. Which I don't know how they knew but it just wasn't going to be Christmas for Avery without decorating one, so phew, I don't know if they were her or my prayers that were answered on that one.



Miles spent the evening hopped up on gumdrops, keeping all five of us adults (gparents & aunt britt) busy, climbing on furniture and riding his shiny trike around with the kids first gifts (a pair of cozy bears compliments of Aunt Nancy) in the trunk. Avery named the bears Shawn and Darcy. :)

I can't believe how much restraint the kids have shown by not getting into the gifts that are wrapped and under the tree. I can hardly wait and I know what is in most all of them.

Avery's Christmas Mu'umu'u

Away in a Manger

Avery got a nativity set from gma that she sets up in various places in the house and I think it is cute to come across the scenes she has constructed. My nativity set, which I got from a from a different gma a few years ago is up high and I like being able to have it at eye level in the kitchen where I spend a lot of time.

House for Sale

As this time of year weren't busy enough, the owners of our house put it on the market. Now that we know we're not staying (more on that later) I wish them the best in selling it, even if it is currently overpriced by $100,000 (that's a professional opinion). Even so, someone wanted to come see it a few days ago which means the obvious - every bed made to perfection, kitchen sink shining, toilets flushed (you'd be surprised how often this gets overlooked, especially with little kids in a house) but it goes beyond what you would usually do for visitors because these guests are poking around everywhere so not only do we have to hide valuables (luckily we don't have many) but also empty the dishwasher and straighten closets and declutter drawers to make small spaces look larger. We just got done with this process 6 months ago with our own house and now I feel obligated to put forth a similar effort for strangers we've never met. I just wish it could wait until January.

Mississippi Cat Takes the Stage

(Warning: contains video content only a mother, or close blood relative, can enjoy)

The moment I've been waiting for since the day she was born (or at least since she was 3 and I could put her in a class that I didn't have to participate in. I refuse to pay for mommy and me anything)- Avery's first dance recital. So, without further ado...

For only $160 you too can learn how to skip!! Actually, that achievement was completely worth it, she is so proud of it.


Some slightly blurry still shots:

This young man wins the prize for best hair and best Singing in the Rain:

At the end there was a Mambo exhibition (to Japanese pop/techno of course) and Abes was selected to be the first in this "progressive" dance:

Revised Christmas List

Dear Santa -


swimsuit raincoat

flip flops galoshes

jack johnson cd pearl jam cd

sunscreen light box

jamba juice giftcard starbucks g.c.


p.s. next year we will be living in the pacific northwest. we will make sure we have a chimney for you to come down. this year you can just slide out our jalousies and come right in.

Ants among us

Living in Hawaii, it is understood that we must cohabit with four, six and one-hundred-legged creatures. And generally I don't mind the reptiles, arachnids or insects (except for mosquitoes) but today we got quite the surprise. When I went to make a copy I found this:

Our very own ant farm.

With Miles' fascination with the creatures, I had actually considered getting him an ant farm for Christmas but I think he would have a hard time not being able to touch and/or crush them so I decided against it. But this is an interesting alternative. It is disgusting and shocking but at the same time very cool to be able to watch the army of ants and their larvae.

A few hours after I took this picture I came back to check and they had cleared out, only to reappear later that evening. The printer function still works but if you try to scan or copy, it is a jumbled mess because of the ants. They weren't there two days ago. I can't get to them to exterminate them because they are under the glass. And, although I'm not the biggest animal lover, I feel bad disrupting their kingdom. What do I do?

I looked it up and I found someone else who had the same problem in Hawaii in 2002 and posted a picture here.

3 YR OLDS - Word of the Day

UP·SET · ER· ATE /v., n., adj. ʌpˈsɛtŏp'ə-rāt'/ Pronunciation Key [uhp-set-uh-reyt]

1. The act of upsetting or the condition of being upset.
2. A disturbance, disorder, or state of agitation.
3. Angrified

Use in sentence: "Mom, you're not upseterated with me anymore are you?"

M.P.D.

Avery continues her reign as the Modesty Police. Today she told her grandmother, "I'm glad I'm small so that my clothes fit me".


Grandma was wearing this:



Later I caught the sheriff wearing this number:

I'm not sure that wearing a skirt as a shirt counts as modest. But at least her skirt is below her knees! With justifications like that we could have some challenging teenage years ahead.

And still later, I saw her wearing only an apron.

A week of adventure...including the $700 mistake

Where to begin... It's late for me and I know everyone is too busy to be reading long blog posts this time of year so I'll try to make it brief (there are pictures in the slide show and most can speak for themselves) but for record keeping and as a safety precaution for anyone planning on visiting us and trusting us to take you on any adventures I have to jot down a few words. My parents were our second group of visitors here and due to Theresa's "delicate condition" (if there was a keyboard function to indicate sarcasm, I would use it here because I've never seen a 7 months pregnant woman body board quite like she did, and she and I went on a shark hunting snorkel trip after Ben and Brady reported seeing one) we kept the high adventure to a minimum medium when they were here.

So on day one of adventures with parents, Ben had the day off so we decided to rent kayaks and head for the Mokulua's, a pair of islands about a mile and a half from Kailua Beach where we took off from. I had gone in a few days prior and asked them about going out there and they had said, yeah, it was a great thing to do and that they had a suggested path to take out there so we were all set. Unfortunately, no one told us about "the board" that changed daily based on the weather conditions and listed the boundaries for the novice kayakers like ourselves. I declined the safety instruction video, because, well, we have a kayak and we had left Miles with a friend and had limited time to paddle. I also thought for sure that when Ben and my dad got the kayaks that they would give them any instruction they needed. The waves around the island were approaching 10 feet and as we got nearer, it was fun but not unmanageable so we were charging along. An expert kayaker saw Avery in our kayak and told us that it was very difficult to land on the island with the current conditions so we stayed back, but my parents were already too far ahead to call to...or even see except between swells. They looked like they were going to make it just fine and I really wanted to go too but Ben was smarter (that day) and insisted we hang back and wait. And wait, and wait. By this time we have rung row row row your boat for about 30 minutes and we could see my parents (or at least my dad's bright yellow shirt) on the island. But then we realize that their boat is being tossed with every wave. Later we found out that they got caught in a nasty cross current and capsized, losing everything and nearly drowning them. A combination of shallow reef, quicksand and a strong undertow made it impossible to get back to the boat. There wasn't anything we could do having Avery with us but a surfer went out and towed their boat to them and collected all of the lost items...flip flops, paddles, life vests (oops), dry bag w/ the camera and my parents and ultimately got them out of danger. They looked like professional kayakers to me as they rode the waves out. Avery, who caught on to our distress and heard us talking about the many options of what might have happened, said "I wish they didn't have to drown, but they did. I want to go home" so she was most excited when we realized that they were headed back toward us. The only thing the kind surfer couldn't locate for them...their prescription (over $700 between the two) sunglasses. They found my mom's later when they turned the kayak in. A little beat up, but we say that Avery prayed them back, and I'm going to make sure and bear my testimony about that next month (it'll go nicely among the stories of how Heavenly father loves Hawaii the most because they won their last football game).

So that was the long story. We also went on some fun hikes. The Lanikai bunkers which has an incredible view (of the Mokulua's no less) and Manoa Falls, which is a pretty easy hike to a stunning waterfall (easy, but humid. in the pictures my shirt is soaked from sweat, not the falls). We ate good food and Miles got his first bike...with dimples like those you don't have to wait for Christmas for gifts. We only had one other near disaster during their trip and that was when we went to the Leeward side in the midst of an island-wide blackout (didn't you notice that I ceased to blog for a few days?) and got stuck in traffic with no gas and no functioning gas stations for miles (yet another little prayer saved the day). Really, we're all just lucky to be alive.

Our first tree.

It's our seventh married (and merried :)) Christmas and this is the first year we have put up a tree and I love it! When I walk in the door the smell reminds me of my Aunt Robin's. It must be the combination of pine and fresh sea air that produces an especially sweet fragrance but I'm going to have a hard time taking it down. It also reinforces that we made the right choice by springing for the live tree. Although the artificial can be stunning and afford perfection, I like our short fat tree that is slightly lopsided. Picking it out was a family affair, with my parents, the kids and Ben making the trek to the Marine base to choose our prize. We went down every aisle with Ben spotting "the one".

I'm not the best decorator, for holidays or in general, so it's good that our tree had some character of it's own. Although we have never had a tree I have collected some ornaments that I really treasure over the years including a spider made by Amy T., a sassy and sparkly fish from Gma Maggie and gold-plated Aspen leaves from Ben's mom to name a few. My mom also brought a cool red star that I am excited to add to the collection.

So how to you marry the hope of a constant color-theme with the desire to keep it familiar and meaningful? I'm not sure but that's what I was going for. After driving myself nuts longing for this and that department store tree - from cool blues to purple and gold to "under-the-sea" or nautical motifs, I found these sparkly "things" and went from there. And although we need a few more ornaments and apparently "a lot" more lights (Ben's input - even though I got the BIG box, I didn't know I needed more than one, like I said, our first tree. I just hope they can be added without so much as moving an ornament because I spent minutes trying to get the light to shine through the Aspen leaf just so), I really like the way it turned out.

Sweater Weather

I couldn’t understand why a month ago the stores here started carrying actual fall clothing. I thought for sure that summer styles, colors and patterns would be “in” year round here. I went to Pac Sun a few weeks ago to say hi to our neighbor that works there and they were actually selling thermals and fur-lined quilted jackets! Had I known I would have stocked up on some items, especially for the kids, because I doubt they want to be wearing fleece when it’s 82 F with 70% humidity. We don’t have central A/C so we can’t even simulate frigid conditions indoors if we wanted to. Well, imagine my surprise when I woke up last night FREEZING. I had to get up to turn off the ceiling fan and find our down-filled duvet that has been relegated to floor-duty since we moved here. Even closely flanked by two little warm bodies I was cold. I squinted (even though I was only 6 inches away) from the thermostat to see what the actual temp was. 76. The coldest 76 degrees I’ve ever felt. And it still felt cold when we got up to go to church the next morning. I had to search the closets for something with long-sleeves/pants for Miles and I almost let Avery wear her fur cape (but her cow was wearing it)! I, for the first time since we’ve been here thought I could get away with wearing black. So what has caused this tremendous drop in temperature? Rain. Hard, steady, torrential rain-storms*. Rain like this for 30 minutes causes San Antonio to have 4 foot flooding and knocks down shallow-rooted trees in Maryland. Here, we get waterfalls. It gets soaked up by the ground, makes everything green and feeds the hundreds of waterfalls.

*At church people pray for the rain to stop (I guess that’s okay, and probably better than publicly praying for UH to win it’s football games). Maybe so they can get back to the beach and so their pools don’t overflow, but I bet some other parts of the country would love some of our moisture. 15 inches in one night.

November Recap

Ben - Working in the E.R., and although not as glamorous as the TV show, he has seen a few surfing injuries and a shark bite amid the persistent first-time parent "my baby has a fever" visits (hey, we've all been there. i'm not judging, just reporting.) Even though they are regular, predictable 12-hour shifts, this has been the most painful of rotations yet. What's not to love about having a spouse work all night, sleep all day and then do the same again and again and then once their internal clock gets used to that, we'll make them do the complete opposite schedule just for fun. They must be doing a study on fatigue in the workplace.

Miles - When he's not busy tracking and killing large ants (with his patented pinch and release method) and then bringing his prize to mom, he spends his time eating clementines (up to 5 a day. we're going to have to send him over to orangebooth soon), pressing buttons on the remote, speed dialing old friends and, of course, dancing. When we are out and about and he sees a fellow two-footer of the opposite-sex he has been putting the moves on them, hugging, patting on the back and if they don't resist he'll go in for the smooch. In sad news- he got 15 mosquito bites, primarily on the right side of the face and as many on his right leg and foot. It looked like the chicken pox and put a crimp in his game with the ladies for a few days since he looked rather contagious.

Avery - Participated in her first primary program at church and said her three lines loud and clear. Luckily I had heard Dr. Phil say a few days beforehand that "every child has a price, and you just need to find out what it is" and so I threatened bribed her by telling her I would erase Dora Saves the Mermaids off the DVR if she didn't say her part clearly.

Avery also told Ben she wants him to grow his hair long "like Dog the Bounty Hunter".
I'll get the crimping iron ready.

Me- Another month has snuck up on me. Christmas shopping, holiday functions and preparing for vistors (which we are excited to have most all of next month) and watching Iron Chef America: Battle Sugar, has kept me on the move and away from the computer, then when I get on I would rather check out what everyone else has been up to than write myself, luckily (for who, I'm not sure) I write down a few snippets here and there which I can turn into a real post when I get in the mood.

Christmas cards won't be happening again this year, because chances of us getting a cute family picture in the next two weeks are slim (it's hard to get four people looking good all at once y'all (in my head that sounded like a Britney Spears impression)) because last year we even had a good picture (thank you Terese) and I still didn't send any out. By the way, what do I do with 50 copies of last years picture?












David Hockney would do something like this...













Anyhow, I can't believe my next monthly recap will be in 2008.

Novemeber Poll Results:

(Instead of deleting them into oblivion, I decided that I better start recording the poll results somewhere in a post because otherwise how can I look back and know, that carmel apples was the favorite halloween treat and that 6 out of 10 people would exercise if they had an extra hour in theday and that most voters would choose the energy boost for their jamba juice? Your vote does count)

This months poll was a test of sorts (Joke - If a quizzical is a small quiz then what do you call a small test? haha, that's one for all of you who had Mr. Barnes' logic classes...at least that's where I heard it :)) but everyone who voted failed. I know that because there were two votes for the right answer and I voted twice - correctly.

The question was What Scripture is NOT printed on an IN-N-OUT cup or wrapper?

Choices: John 3:16, Hebrews 5:7, Proverbs 3:5, Revelation 3:20 or Nahum 1:7

The answer is Hebrews 5:7. See here for verification. Those who got it wrong, your punishment is to immediately go to In-N-Out and order everything with a wrapper (or maybe just order this). And then go home and read your Bible. And yes, Nahum is an actual book in there.

In other news:
Congrats to the Honeycutts on their handsome new baby boy, James David Honeycutt III. He looks very excited (or tired from his journey) to be joining us here on earth. Don't worry buddy, you have extremely fun parents!

Just for fun: Some of us Westbrook gals launched a blog to share and exchange recipes and food info. We don't have a whole lot posted yet but we're having a good time testing recipes for it.

http://www.westbrookgirlsdinein.blogspot.com/