March 2025 (plus Fiji)

My parents came to visit at the end of February until mid-March. I took my dad snorkeling up on north shore. We pulled a giant slug out of the water- it was nuts! 

Kate and Jane were invited to Ava's birthday party.

My cute mom watching us surf at White Plains.

Kate and Jane were invited to another birthday party for Macy at Wai Kai. I even got to walk around on the inflatable boardwalks and obstacles. Super fun!

Kate's last soccer game at the Waipio fields.

Jane's coach Christ. He really made the soccer season so fun for the girls.

I started collecting aloha shirts and jean jackets from Good Will or Thrift Stores and created these fun jackets for the girls and myself. It's a fun (cheap) way to add some 'aloha' to our outfits.

For Spring Break, we took a 6 hour flight over to Nadi, Fiji. It is very similar to Hawaii and afterwards, Bryan and I decided we probably will just visit the other Hawaiian islands if we were going to have a beach/island vacation. 

Ziplining and Repelling 

Visiting the Garden of the Sleeping Giants

Kate's favorite picture currently.

Getting muddy at Sabeto Hot Springs

We took a boat ride over to Beachcombers Island for the day.

 The water was SO clear and there were tons of fish.

It was really fun to take out the underwater camera case while we were swimming.

To get to this waterfall, we had to drink kava with the family who owns the land and then be escorted down to the waterfall. We were the only ones there and the water was so refreshing. Kate hates cold water and never got in- we told her she'll regret it!

Making some stops along the Queens highway. 

We found so many shells along the beaches.

We hiked through Sigatoka Sand Dunes National Park and on the way back to our car we heard and saw all these HUGE bats. They were so noisy!

After arriving back home, we went out with Kate and Jane's cousins (Alaina and Myriah) to watch the sunset at Sunset Beach Park. 

Proof of life: Sending photos to friends while watching June. Howie lives for car rides to Lowe's.

Kate's 6th grade class wearing their fun run shirts...

 

and then dying them.

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!

October 2023

Bryan spent the last two weeks of September in Texas for work, so we were able to decorate and get everything ready for his arrival the beginning of October. Happy Birthday Bryan! 

Bryan got a day off of work and the girls were still in school, so we took advantage of the situation and went for a hike up to Mount Olympus. My sister Kristi came along. It was actually quite a difficult hike and we weren't really sure why. I think it was because there were lots of ups and downs? Who knows! Beautiful views of course!

I have a starfruit tree that just produces so much fruit. I have eaten raw, dehydrated, and frozen. If someone else has ideas, please let me know! I hate to have the fruit go to waste.

The girls have a fall break and so my parents came out to visit. We had a great time showing them our house and our neighborhood, places we have visited so far, and just relaxed and played games. 

We went to a farm in Waimanalo for a pumpkin fest. The views were amazing! 

We went to the Bishops Museum to play in the air conditioning.

We took my mom and dad to Sharks Cove. The tidepools were just fine, but the other areas were not. We now know it is not a good idea to visit north shore in the fall and winter seasons!

My first acai bowl! Bryan thought they were some type of Asian cuisine and so he never wanted to stop at the little storefronts. Now that he knows they are a smoothie, I hope we can stop more often!

We also visited an old friend of my parents and went for a swim in his backyard.

We took my parents on a hike on Judd Trail. The conditions were perfect for my mom and it was a fairly short hike.

The girls had spirit week and LOVED dressing up! 

The last day my parents were here we went to Bellows. I grew up coming to this beach through my childhood and so it was very fun for them to be back and reflect on their past. Unfortunately the waves weren't that great for boogie boarding, which is one of my favorite past times. 

We took them on a hike to Kolekole to see the beautiful Waianae Valley.

Chili's for dinner!

Kate received Rainbow of the Quarter and was recognized at school during an assembly.  She has really had to work hard here to fit in. The curriculum is a little different and the way things are done is a little different. She has found a couple friends, but it has been a little challenging with a few classmates. I know exactly how she feels because I had a very similar experience around her age. Moving is tough. Leaving friends is tough. Change is tough. I just hope she knows she can always come to me.

Bryan's work dressed up as McDonald's for Halloween. I think they did a great job and should have one first place in the contest! They had a trunk or treat in the parking garage. It was fun to see all the different departments participating in different themes and decorating.

Our church had a trunk or treat the same day, so we had to hurry over after Bryan's work party. We dressed up as blow-up sea creatures- Jane's idea. It was an excellent choice and everyone around us loved it! 

School Pictures:

Kate 5th Grade

Jane 3rd Grade

The girls participated in a Halloween piano recital at a nursing home near by. All the kids had spooky music and it turned out really nice.

We took the girls hiking up Lower and Upper Waimano trail. It ended up being a pretty good hike. Definitely need to remember this one for my parents when they visit again. There are these tunnels in the dirt from old water pipes that were removed. It is pretty creepy walking through them, but something different and fun!

Pumpkin carving time! In Hawaii, you should do this the day of or the day before Halloween. Otherwise they rot so quickly!

This is the first year I didn't really have to help Kate do anything with her pumpkin. She did an excellent job.

I helped gut and trace Jane's pumpkin, but she did the rest! She did great as well.

Halloween 2023 in the books! Bryan is a shark. I am a starfish. Kate is an orca. Jane is a seahorse. And Howie is a lobster.