February 2025

Winter 10 U Soccer Season "Thunder Chickens"

Winter 12U Soccer Season "Dominators"

Surfing for Jane in Haleiwa

Flying on a 10-passenger airplane to visit daddy at work and celebrate 

Kate turning 12 years old!

Visiting the famous cat sanctuary. We were told 700+ cats live here. 

Jane fell in love with this one and wanted to bring it back home to Oahu.

There are less than 10 restaurants on the island- you have to make sure you know what days/times they close or you are out of luck!

Manele Bay Beach Park

Sweetheart Rock

Tidepools

Sunset at Manele

Barbeque and roasting s'mores at the beach with our friends Jared, Kendra, and family.

Morning hike with Jared and Bryan. We saw lots of turkey, some deer, but no rams...

Although this picture was taken a couple days later, we celebrated Kate turning 12 at the Adventure Park at the Four Seasons Resort. It hovers over water and is in such a serene location in the forest. 

Happy Birthday Kate! We know you enjoyed the thrill of climbing and 

beating dad at finishing the whole course.

It was so fun to watch our friend Kae do the ropes course.

Coconut Beach

Unreal. Molokai to the left and Maui to the right. You could see and hear all the whales while enjoying the clear, still ocean water.

Look and listen!

Shipwreck Beach

Restored plantation church, Ghost town of Keomuku

As soon as we arrived home from Lanai, we just had to celebrate Kate's birthday. It's a good thing the house was already decorated for her! 

She got a portable desk, Crocs, and a carrier for her Stanley.

Jane volunteered to showcase Germany at her elementary school's Culture Day. Bryan and I both dress up in our Trachten. We gave away pretzels and washable tattoos. Initially, I was a little overwhelmed with Jane's volunteering- because that really means mom is volunteering. But it was such a great activity, and we learned some much about other cultures too.

Braces for this one! She doesn't look very excited to have braces at all! 

Valentines Party for Kate with the YW. She won the cookie decorating contest. Her crafting has really taken off this year!

Howie and June

We found a wonderful family to help with dog watching when we travel. The dogs 

play so well together.

 

June 2024

Bryan's military ball was at the Hawaiian Hilton Village. It was fun to get all dressed up for the event!

Hiking up to the pink pill box with friends.

Kate has been learning how to make a few simple dishes this year: sloppy joes, macaroni and cheese, pigs in a blanket, and chocolate chip cookies.

My new favorite beach: Waimea

So fun to jump off the big rock!

Our first family vacation this year: Sydney, Australia. We had a blast hanging out in the city. We rented a car and were able to do a few excursions just outside of Sydney.

Sydney Opera House and Harbor Bridge

We did the Sydney Harbor Bridge Climb!

Featherdale Wildlife Park is a smaller zoo outside of Sydney where you are able to pet some of the kangaroos, wallabies, and koalas. It was fun to see some of the strange and beautiful animals native to this area.

Sydney Aquarium: We got to watch the sharks, dugung, and stingrays get fed from the top of this tank.

Luna Amusement Park: A fun place to visit for our girls, who are very unfamiliar with amusement parks and rollercoaster rides. I do not advise going if you are weak in the stomach for spinning rides! Oh, there were so many!

Bryan and I swam laps are the famous Bondi Icebergs Pool. The water was freezing, as it was winter there this time of year (64 degrees). Jane was brave enough to jump in, but quickly regretted her decision.

Chinese Garden of Friendship was fun for all as we looked for the zodiac signs hidden throughout.

Instead of a guided tour of the Sydney Opera House, we got tickets to see the Sydney Symphony. It was a perfect activity for a rainy day.

Riding rented bikes in Manly.

Whale watching at Royal National Park.

Hiking in the Blue Mountains.

We had a wonderful trip down under and I am already trying to figure out a way for us to go back a visit a different area of Australia.

May 2024

 Jane's class went on fieldtrip to Hawaii's Plantation Village in Waipahu. 

Kate had a group project on the ecosystem. She was the group leader and very invested in the overall project. She has learned a lot this year about following directions and the difficulties of working with others not so invested in school.

The fun thing about living in Hawaii is the visitors it brings. Kristi and I were able to go out to eat with our cousin Dan and his wife, Jamie. 

Ukulele: I started taking ukulele lessons with the girls. It has been really fun learning some of the popular Hawaiian songs and trying something new. I do get help from my girls, as they have been playing 5 months longer than me and are really good at picking notes.

We had a ukulele concert at the mall over on the windward side of the island. It was fun to have my girls and husband cheer me on while playing "Surf" and "Friends".

Kristi's graduation: Such a fun week full of events with family. My parents and Linsey flew in to celebrate Koko's accomplishment as a DNP graduate from University of Hawaii. 

Commencement Ceremony: Her biggest request was to have a stack of leis (competing against her peers)!

Celebrating the accomplishment at Nancy's Kitchen: A Family Bar.

Kate and Jane enjoyed the extra time with their grandparents. 

Graduation Ceremony: The girls are hoping they will be able to spend a little more time with Koko now that she doesn't have to study! 

Honolulu Museum of Art: Checking off some of the touristy things with my parents and Kristi while the kids are off at school.

Bellows: Again, a must. Unfortunately, it rained for like a week. And this was pretty heavy rainfall. So much that there was a Brown Water advisory, and we weren't able to get in the ocean. We had even booked the cabins for the weekend! Such a bummer... 

Piano Recital: The girls have continued with piano through the entire school year. It was nice that grandma and grandpa were able to attend. 

Kate was so excited for her school field trip to the Ice Palace. 

Because of all the rain, the girls had to perform their Spring Showcase in the cafeteria. This was a bummer because the classes had to be split in half as there wasn't enough room for 5 classes to perform their routine. This also meant the other grades couldn't see each other's performances. The school did an amazing job with being flexible and finding a way because "the show must go on"... 

I am in charge of a hiking group with my church. I try to schedule a hike every 4-6 weeks. The first time I had one person show. The second time two people showed. It has been a struggle because not everyone can go during the day or on the weekend or in the evening. It is also a challenge because some people have stronger hiking skills than others. Hoping the next hike has better compliance among the group! 

Kahana Bay: The best part of this beach, catching chicks and playing in the nearby stream.

Look at my avocado tree!

Last day at Kanoelani Elementary School: May 30, 2024

On to Fourth Grade!

On to Sixth Grade!