Mele Kalikimaka

Christmas in Hawai'i is beautiful. December brings big waves and beautiful sunsets. The surf just pounds the beaches all the time. At night it sounds like we are in a jumbo jet with the engines going! We can tell how high the surf will be in the morning by the volume of the ocean from our room.

Hawai'i Hiking

The day after Thanksgiving Lyle and I went for a beautiful hike above the Pupukea Boy Scout Camp. It felt like we were on top of the world, or at least the top of Hawai'i! It is always hazy because of the high humidity so it's hard to see the ocean in this picture, but it is right there under the clouds! We were above the rain forest canopy and it was so impressive.

Sacrament Meetings in Kahuku, Hawai'i

Today we had a marvelous sacrament meeting again. Each week in the Kuhuku First Ward we can count on several things, the singing is great, (our music director sings at the PCC) the spirit is present, the bishop always counsels us, and we get out late! Everyone jokes about Aloha standard time, but don't believe them, meetings always start on time with most people in their seats early, but if our ward is typical, the standard time is that we always go over time! Today was no exception. We had three missionaries speak! One leaving, and two returning. New Elder Bridges was a big hawai'ian kid, who has been called to the Honolulu, HI Mission. Wouldn't that be a shock to be called to your home Island? He also could not believe that he had to lose weight to serve a mission, he's in great shape! The bishop took him to the Cross Country Track Coach at BYU-H and together they set up a training program. but after a while he hit a plateau and didn't lose any weight. Coach asked if he was eating right & exercising. Ya, he was. Then Coach suggested he turn to prayer. Cute Elder Bridges had prayed before, but never about something like dieting! But he sincerely prayed and with the Lords help met his goal and is now leaving on his mission. What a difference spiritually and physically two loving men in the Ward have made for this Elder! This is a pic of Elder Bridges after the ward members said their good-byes.

Pearl Harbor

Sat. 14 November 2009 Lyle & I took Grant to Pearl Harbor. A very solemn film preceded the ferry out to the Arizona Memorial. War is a horrific waste of everything I hold dear. I thank God my sons have not been called on to sacrifice their lives like thousands have before them. I could go on, but I will not do so here. We had fun touring the submarine docked on site. Grant would have never fit! We were impressed with all the engines and equipment on board, it must be deafening at all times in a sub. Grant is crouched next to just 1 of 4 diesel engines used to keep the generators (more noise) going. At least in the Moonlight Maid the engines/generators could be shut down at night! We did walk up to the Aloha Stadium to go to the Swap Meet, but there was a UH game that evening so no swap meet. We don't watch the News here, so who knew!

Wedding Bells: Maren and James

Lyle's niece, Maren Burkhart was married 28 Feb 2009 to James Acorn. Lyle and I drove our little Honda Fit for the third time in so many months to Riverside, CA loaded with supplies to cater the reception. It was held at the Flabob Airport in a little airplane hanger! Riverside is beautiful and green in Feb and the wedding was gorgeous. It was so cute to see Andrea, Maren's cousin take charge when needed and Grizelda, her sister-in-law, step in to save the day and miss the ceremony. What sweet girls. We were able to visit with Lyle's mom, that was nice, I also got to work with Linda and Lisa and James's mom, Nancy setting up.

Kayaking Freaks

Lyle and I decided to do something exciting together this winter, so we signed up for a kayaking class at the University of Utah. I was really looking forward to gently paddling around the pool, just like the sea kayaks we've seen in Alaska. Well the first week I was unable to get in a kayak, but I was able to witness the panic in all the students faces as the were about to drown! The class turned out to be a river kayaking class and the first skill our lovely instructor taught that first night was the rescue roll. The person being rescued rolls the kayak so he is up-side-down in the water and pounds on the bottom of the kayak, signaling that he needs help, then someone t-bones the up-side-down kayak and the near-drowning victim attemps to right his kayak by holding onto the bow of the rescue kayak and rolling. Well, it did not work all the time. Lyle would get his mouth out of the water for just a moment and catch his breath and then finally give up and ditch the kayak. Needless to say, I was scared out of my gourd! I told the Relief Society funeral committee to be on stand-by. Lyle insisted that he was not close to anything, but he could not see his own face! That sunday Noah told me to hang on to the side of the pool and practice rolling up, but I only got really good at ditching the kayak and giving myself lovely bruises up and down my legs. Lyle is working really hard, but hip action and back-bends are not his forte! I'm thinking sea kayaking can not be this hard. The tour companies take complete novices into water that is so cold a person would die of hypothermia before anyone could execute a rescue roll! I'm counting on that.

Christmas announcement

Christmas 2008 we got the best present ever from Holden, he is going to be a BIG BROTHER! He has been waiting a long time for this. Last christmas Jalaine & Noah hosted the family christmas party and when Holden let us in the door he made the announcement that he was going to have a little sister, which was a surprise to his parents! So the baby (they are waiting to find out girl/boy) is due on 21 July 2009. Jalaine is hoping for the 24th, then he/she will have fireworks for every birthday!