Kauai album part 3

The evening of day 4

This may a bit of a picture overload...it was so beautiful at The Smith Family Gardens.

We enjoyed an evening luau and it was one of the highlights of the trip for me.  The Smith family were perfect hosts.  They showered hospitality and the aloha spirit on every single guest.  The staff were attentive, respectful, friendly.  It felt like everyone wanted us there.  They wanted to bring us in and show us their heritage and their history.  It was really beautiful.

Just in case, if you ever go to Kauai, take in the Smith's Garden Luau.

 

Birds everywhere! 

 

We took a guided tram ride around the property.

 

 

The earthen imu oven.  There's a pig roasting in there!

 

 

More chickens...

 

 

Pale Washingtonians see sunshine for the first time in months....

 

 

 

Hen and chicks...

 

 

Preparing for the imu ceremony where they take the pig out of the ground...

 

 

Sitting down to our feast...

 

 

 

Kalua pork, beef teriyaki, chicken adobo, mahimahi.

Lomi salmon, fresh poi, Hawaiian sweet potato, mac salad, namasu salad

 

Tropical desserts...

 

After dinner was the "Aloha show".  The hula dancers, the fire, the lights.  It was pretty spectacular.  I liked that they gave tribute to the countries that influenced Hawaii the most.  The costumes and dances were all choreographed to honor Tahiti, China, Japan, Samoa, Philippines, New Zealand, and of course Hawaii.  No pictures but lots of memories.

That is all for this edition of Kauai.  In part 4 we go tubing!!

Kauai album part 2

Day 4

Early in the morning I headed to an outdoor yoga class at a nearby resort.  I had packed my mat in our checked bag so it made it easy to unroll it and feel right at home in a new "studio".  That morning started a little drizzly so a few of the poses were done in a warm Kauai rain but by the end of our practice the sun was bright and warm.  It was fun to practice with folks from Portland, Los Angeles, and British Columbia.  And practicing the Tree Pose with tall swaying palm trees was pretty magnificent.

The whole family (extended family included) drove toward Waimea to see the canyon.  First stop was at Spouting Horn (the Old Faithful of Kauai) where a large hole in the lava rock beside the ocean creates a blowhole with each big wave.  There were some open air shops set up here and I came across this rooster getting a drink in the shade.  We came back a few days later and I bought a dainty little pineapple necklace that had caught my eye.

 

 

Back on the road and we stopped in Hanapepe to see a swinging bridge I had seen in a tourist magazine.  The bridge spans the Hanapepe River and was pretty exciting to cross as it does sway and bounce around.

 

 

From the bridge, looking east...

Looking west...

 

Looking back to the bridge...

 

 

 

The drive up to Waimea Canyon was marked with climate changes.  As we climbed elevation we noticed changes in the vegetation, a marked decrease in temperature, and even a torrential downpour!  When we got to the top, we were not surprised to see more chickens!

 

Waimea Canyon is likened to the Grand Canyon.  I've been to the latter and can truly see the resemblance, although here in Kauai it was much greener.  For such a small island, it was breathtaking to see the gigantic expanse of this canyon.

 

 

We drove back down to Waimea and had "the best bbq" on Kauai that turned out to not be the best bbq on Kauai and the only coffee place was closed.  So....

 

Tune in next time for details from the luau.

 

 

Kauai album part 1

I liken this year 2017 as a monumental year.  Our youngest turned 16 this year and is about to get his license.  Our eldest turned 18 and graduation is next month.  And in August we celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary.  Monumental.

This is also the year that we got to take a trip to Kauai.  We don't often get to travel, even just a state away.  We've never taken a big family vacation.  So this one, this was special and you better believe that I know that.

Day 1:  drive to Grandma and Grandpa's house to drop off Charlie...I would've taken him with me and it was so hard to leave him but he got to stay with his daughter, Lily, and I know he was well cared for.  Our chickens got to go stay in the country with some friends' flock.

We stayed that night in a hotel near the airport.  We ordered in pizza, watched old Fresh Prince of Bel Air episodes, and Blake and I practiced a little mischief about the hotel (no pics so it didn't happen).

Day 2:  we boarded our flight to Lihue, Kauai.  It was a long flight, about six hours, but we landed in paradise and were taken back by the beauty of the place until the very moment we left.

 

 

We picked up our rental car and drove about 25 minutes to Poipu, on the south shore, where we stayed for the week.

Hawaii has wild chickens and it is one of the coolest things ever.  They are EVERYWHERE.  In trees, in grocery store parking lots, at the beach, in neighborhoods, on the mountains.  Everywhere.  They are smaller than your average back yard chicken and the roosters have glorious long tail feathers.  There were many hens with chicks, some had 6 and others just had 1.

 

 

 

The Tunnel of Trees is a mile stretch of Eucalyptus trees.  Sorry for the blurry picture.

I made Aaron drive me straight to the beach.  We were awkward and obvious in our jeans but I took off my shoes, rolled up my pants and put my feet in that warm salt water.  It was like every beach I've ever seen in movies or magazines, beautiful people laying out in the sun, warm sand, blue water, palm trees.

 

And chickens...

So, like I mentioned, we stayed in a rental house with family.  The house is actually called Hale Ohana, which means "family house".  It was nice to have the privacy of our own house.  It was a little more "real life" as there was no maid service or complimentary breakfast.  We mostly ate cereal for breakfast and cooked a few dinners.  About the house, it was a concrete slab foundation and the outside walls were concrete blocks...this kept it mostly cool as there was no air conditioning.  The windows were always open and the breeze and birdsong blew through constantly.

That first afternoon, after getting into some shorts, it was back to the beach, feet in the water.

A seal pair, sunning themselves.  They were here at this beach for the whole week, in and out of the water.  It was mating season.

 

Sea turtle sunning!

 

That night we had brick oven pizza.  It was soooooo good.  I would venture to say it was the best I've ever had but it may have been the romance that is Kauai talking.

Kauai smells divine.  There are flowers everywhere and the air is just sweet and clean.  The hibiscus grow as shrubs in folks' yards.  It was the separating hedge between our back yard and the neighbor's.

 

My absolute favorite was the Plumeria.  It's petals are thick and waxy and the scent is warm and intoxicating.  I *think* the smell was *maybe* similar to the Jasmine I smelled in San Diego?  Either way, I was constantly stopping to smell the Plumeria.  They grow on a tree but the flowers were always being shed onto the ground.

 

I don't know what this one was...

 

 

Lots of lizards and geckos and birds and butterflies.

The backyard of Hale Ohana, lots of room for barefoot soccer.

 

Day 3:  To the beach.  Boogie boarding.  Turtle watching.  Sand castle building.  Body surfing.

Mid day we did some shopping and ate at Bubba's Burgers.  We also tried Shave Ice, a must when visiting Hawaii.

 

Apple bananas.  A sweet little treat that quickly became my favorite.  They are about half the size of a standard banana, taste pretty normal until the middle, when you bite into them you'll see pink and taste apple.  It's crazy good!  I've looked into having some shipped over here.  There is a company that will send me two pounds per month for the low-low price of $40.......per month.......for bananas.  I'm tempted.  They are that good.

 

That night we stayed in and grilled some steaks, pork chops, bacon wrapped shrimp, potatoes, and zucchini.

More from Kauai next time......

that's the good stuff

Current status:  a Dairy Queen Blizzard (Reese's Peanut Butter Cup) and an electric blanket.

This is the cap to a very full and very long week.

Life was real this week.  And I'm thankful for every bit of it.

Let's rewind to last Saturday when my husband got up ever so early to get our youngest son to the high school to catch the bus to the Regional wrestling tournament, came home to sleep for another minute then left the house again to meet with clients.  I drove our eldest son to a NJROTC competition a little over an hour away and my husband met us there later.  We watched him shoot.  Got coffee.  Watched the award ceremony.  Received text updates from our youngest son on how he was doing at his tournament.  Then we drove separately home.  Eldest son and myself stopping for Mod Pizza, husband meeting youngest son back at the high school and grabbing Little Caesar's for them.  Then we went grocery shopping and probably passed out shortly thereafter.

Valentine's Day.  Blake's end of the season wrestling banquet happened that night.  It was a potluck and I made spaghetti sauce in the crockpot while I was at work and it overcooked and burned to the sides.  The banquet was great though, albeit not a romantic dinner for two.  We returned home to a bit of ringworm on our wrestler that needed a doctor's note and our eldest son packing for a flight to Alabama the next day.  You know what is romantic though...watching your husband interact with your sons and show them love and support day in and day out, in whatever they do.  That's the good stuff.  That's what puts the love in the everyday.

Next day, eldest son to the airport shuttle.  Youngest son to the doctor who just happened to be able to get him in that very day.  And work.  And life you are so full.

Next day, I had a class for work.  Our youngest son left with the team to the state tournament.  I dropped a chicken strip with honey mustard sauce on my scarf so I stopped at home to try to pick other clothes before returning to the office but ended up putting back on my honey mustard scarf because I just couldn't pick anything else.  Then there was a meeting at the office and flyers to make.  And staying at the office a little later because there were no kids at home to rush home to but we made the most of it with a Netflix movie and Papa Murphy's pizza.

Movie recommendation:  Unconditional

Pizza recommendation: Canadian bacon, pineapple, bacon = YUM


Austin traveled to Anniston, Alabama to compete with the precision team at the NJROTC Nationals.  They ended the two day competition in 8th place.  It was his last big competition.  Just two more local matches and he'll be done altogether.  It is bittersweet, reaching the end of something that has been a great adventure for the last four years.  In all honesty, he's ready.

Shooting in the kneeling position...

 

The team and his personality...

Blake competed at the Washington State wrestling tournament.  He earned 6th place.  It has been an impressive season for him.  He accepted a lot of coaching and became better for it.  He's so fun to watch, as he wrestles on the mat, or as he interacts with his teammates off the mat.

Here's Blake at State under his dad's alma mater's banner with Coach Fakkema.

22 years ago his dad wrestled here.

I don't know what else I can say about this week.  It's a week inside of a month that builds a year that turns into a life.  And I'm thankful that I share it with a good man; as we watch our boys grow into men, as we see the things they can accomplish, all their strengths and weaknesses, as we ourselves grow up and grow older, as we move from season to season.

Until next time!

wading in the shallows

It's been awhile.  Perhaps I owe my blog a little more.  Perhaps I don't.  It just is what it is.  Some seasons feel more private, some less.  Maybe it is the winter that causes my soul to sink in, button up, quiet down, and reflect.

Whatever it is, sometimes I'm a lousy communicator.  And I know that my mom and my sister and my best friend read this blog.  And at least for them, I should probably write a little bit. 

Sometimes I don't write because more than just those three people find their way here, and that intimidates me.  Yes, you there.  If you're not my mom, sister, or best friend, you intimidate me.  But please, don't let that stop you.  In the intimidation is a challenge to be honest and real in my writing, to be transparent.  It does my heart good to hear from someone who has read my words and been affected enough to tell me about it.  Thank you intimidators.  You are welcome here.

In an attempt to ease back into the blogging pool, I'll wade here in the shallows with a little ditty I like to call "Currently".  It goes like this....

I am currently

Reading...  A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest J. Gaines

Watching...  The guys are watching the Super Bowl.  I watched a few commercials and the half-time show and now I've retreated to my bedroom.

Cooking...  Seeing as how it is Sunday we are having our traditional Sunday night sandwiches.  This is our tradition for almost eight years now.  Tonight I'm having a BLT with turkey and avocado added.  Also chips and dip in honor of the Super Bowl.

Drinking...  water and coffee and water and coffee and water...I'm predictable.

Doing...  After nearly 8 months off, I am back at work.  But I have to tell you, I didn't do this.  I didn't seek a job.  I didn't apply for a job.  All I did was pray that God would make clear what it was He wanted for me.  And this job fell in my lap.  I've been working in a real estate office for almost two months as an administrative assistant.  I'm optimistic as to where this job could lead.  Right now it's not glamorous as I've been set to the task of archiving over a decade of paperwork into digital form; alternatively, I battle daily with staples and scanners.  A really great job perk: I work with my husband every day!

Going...  It's a busy month of wrestling and JROTC competitions.  Blake wrestled over the weekend and earned first place at Districts which put him in the running at Regionals next weekend which is the step just before the State Championships.  Austin has a trip to Nationals in Alabama sandwiched between two weekends of drill competitions.  Full speed ahead.

Wearing...  Pajama pants and my wrestling hoodie.  Oh sweet comfort.

Enjoying...  my chickens.  They are almost three now and have weathered some storms.  No eggs for a couple of months which I am chalking up to a long, dark winter.  But they still make me laugh!  I call them my bitties and talk to them constantly when I'm outside.  They just waddle around my feet and talk back, saying whatever chickens say.

Thinking...  this quote: "Faith includes noticing the mess, the emptiness, and discomfort, and letting it be there until some light returns."  Because I live there sometimes.  In the emptiness and the mess.  Maybe more often than I care to admit.  But really, the light never leaves, just my ability to see it. 

Listening to...  comments about the game.  A snoring puppy dog.  Cozy Sunday sounds.

Smelling...  a clean dog!  My Charlie got a bath today and is a cleaner, fuzzier version of himself.

Thankful for...  my husband and our life together.  We don't have it all figured out by any means but he is the best of me, my encourager, my confidant, my heart.


There you have it.  Life in a nutshell.  My "currently" status and my wading in the shallows.  Until next time!

tis the season

It was a sunny afternoon as Aaron and I traipsed through the holly farm behind Isaiah, the "tree guy" to the farm's collection of cut trees.  He was really more of the "holly wreath guy" and a wealth of knowledge about the holly trees (90 years old) and the overgrown Christmas trees (40 years old) and the lone male holly tree in a sea of over 240 female holly trees and the resident robins that flitted from berry laden tree to berry laden tree.

As we weaved our way to the back side of the property my ears caught sound of music and not radio music, but living, breathing, in the flesh music.  Certainly there isn't music out here in this grove of holly trees, is there?  Isaiah continued as if nothing was out of the ordinary, but there it was again, the distinct sound of music.  We caught sight of the musician, Isaiah's younger brother serenading a holly harvester with songs from his harmonica.  It was an unexpected moment, but beautiful in it's simplicity. 

We were delighted by Isaiah's conversation, his impromptu holly lesson, and his eagerness to serve, our "tree valet".  We brought home this year's perfect Christmas tree and gave it a place of prominence inside the front window.

As life has it right now, this was the second year that Aaron and I picked out our Christmas tree just the two of us.  Last year it was dark and windy and bitterly cold as we weaved through the Lion's lot adjacent to the Chamber of Commerce.  This year, a bright chilly afternoon in a holly farm.  Gone are the days when our two little boys with rosy red cheeks circle lopsided trees, proclaiming them "perfect".

Austin competed in his first JROTC competition of his senior year over the weekend.  He has stepped away from many of the competitions he had shot in previous years in favor of only shooting the ROTC comps.  This picture shows him there in the middle in the off-hand position, in his precision gear, the others are all shooting sporter. 

Thirty minutes away from Austin's JROTC competition, Blake was competing in a wrestling tournament.  He wrestled three matches and we were able to be there for the last two.  As always, it's amazing to watch him wrestle.

If you've never been to a wrestling tournament there is really no way I can accurately describe it.  There is chaos, movement, whistles, cheering, sweat, kids catching a nap in the bleachers between matches, and sometimes blood.  I'm not one that loves sports but I do love competition and I can appreciate the dedication and very soul that gets poured into what these kids do.  I admire their passion and perseverance.

Also over the weekend, Aaron and I took in a concert of the Whidbey Community Chorus.  It was at a beautiful church in town that was packed well before the concert was due to start.  We found seats in the choir loft which ended up being even more exciting because we could spy on all the townspeople in attendance and point out people we knew.

The choir was amazing, better than I could have imagined a group of volunteers from our island could be.  For a portion they were joined by the high school's Harbor Singers.  The amount of voices that filled that building and the quality of the performance was moving. 

 

Oak Harbor High School's Harbor Singers

 

It's a beautiful season, this Christmas time.  I love that many of our neighbors have put up lights this year, more so than in years past.  I love that everyone has a different style in decorations.  I especially like a layering of different types of lights such as a strand of large bulb colored lights with white icicle lights hanging underneath them.  Our house has large white bulbs across the front gutter and also on the point of the roof.  Then around our living room window is a strand of small colored lights.  And of course the lit up tree in the middle of the window.

If you have time, read the first few chapters of Luke.  I've been especially struck by the heart of Mary, Jesus' mother.  Many will say she was an insignificant young woman, not chosen for any particular reason but I respectfully and passionately disagree.  Just read the beginning of Luke.  You'll see.

Until next time!