Memory and Age

I know you are never to compare but once in a while I do it. Compared to my school friends I'm a little behind. One school friend just sent me her youngest daughters wedding announcement. When I compare myself with my older sister Deanne I really feel behind. She had several grandchildren when she was my age. I usually don't feel that far behind but there are times when I do feel old and a little behind. It usually is my "memory" (or lack thereof) that makes me feel that way. One such occasion occurred this week.

We have a rule - sleepovers are not allowed. We have had that rule for quite some time but I have to confess that there have been a few times that we have allowed them. One such time occurred this week. Casey had a friend stay over on New Years Eve to celebrate the New Year with us. He lives in Sunset and the last bus going that way would leave at 10:00 p.m. Good excuse right? Well Tanner decided since we had allowed that sleepover he would try for one with the neighbor boy. He kept asking why we never allow them and the answer was not good enough. He reminded me when I had let him have a sleepover many years ago. I reminded him how grumpy he had been the next day. He said "Oh right mom. Like you can you remember that far back when you cannot even remember that you grounded me yesterday." He does have a point. I always throw out the consequences for actions only to forget them the next day. That is terrible I know. It is usually one of the other kids that says,"Why is Tanner outside playing when you told him he cannot play today because he called me a *!^# yesterday?"

I guess we just weren't meant to be raising young kids at this age when our memory is failing!

This is our condo. Paul and Airi were a couple of buildings away but we ran back and forth and ate all of our meals together.

This is the Kurihara Family. Paul and Steve were mission companions. It just took Paul a while to find such a great woman like Airi and so his children are a little younger than ours. Even though the kids are different ages they all had fun together.

This is a beautiful view of the taro fields. As you go down the hill towards these fields there is a one lane bridge that everyone takes turns crossing. The locals have fought to keep it a one lane bridge.

This is the Kilauea Lighthouse. We wanted to go see it but found it was $5/person so we just drove a little higher and got a beautiful view.

Opaeka Falls on Kauai

For Christmas our dear friends, the Kurihara's, invited us to go to Kauai with them for a week. We had so much fun!! What a beautiful island! This is just one of the places we visited.

How High Can You Go?

Two blogs in one day?????? What else can you do on a rainy day when everything is canceled - besides cook for your husband? I've been wanting to put this on for a couple of weeks now but I haven't had time so today was the day. Every since Matt left on his mission we have had an extra bed. Casey didn't want the bed up in his room because it was taking up space so he just stacked it on his bed and made it higher. That really made Tanner and Cody jealous because a big tall bed looks so much fun. We had company not too long ago and so we took the extra matress off for them. When they left Tanner and Cody grabbed it and decided to make a really high bed in their room. They still sleep in the same bed together often (usually it is when one of them has seen a cockroach on their bed or something.) I went in the other morning to find the bed stacked and both of them in it. It was so high that it was tilting and Cody had rolled down into Tanner and Tanner looked like he was just about to roll off the bed. This picture is R-rated because Tanner sleeps in his underwear. (It's too hot to sleep in much else here.)

A Day Off

In Hawaii we have times when the clouds seem to open and it downpours for about five minutes and then it stops. Last night it downpoured all night long! It wasn't a slow steady rain, it poured all night. It is rare that we ever get thunder and lightening but it went throughout the night. I thought if it was real bad the power would go out but we never lost power. I awoke at 4:45 as usual to get ready for seminary. I left for the church an hour later with the rain still pouring down. I started driving with my windshielf wipes going on high speed. I drove my usual way but the road was flooded so I tried a new route. I never made it to the church. Everything has been canceled for the day. There is no school, very few stores are opened, roads are closed and bridges are "compromised." Many homes are full of water. BYU-Hawaii is closed except for the testing center. The Red Cross has moved in and set up shelters.
You think everyone would be in their homes enjoying a good video - but not in Hawaii. The kids are loving it. People are rafting and kayaking up and down the streets and having a blast. The rain has slowed but continues. Steve told me it seems like a baking day. I think that is a major hint so I'll spend the rest of the day making up some goodies. If the rain would have been snow we would really be ready for Christmas.

Give the Good Old Days

I was really looking forward to Thanksgiving this year. Steve is a bishop of a BYU ward and because most students do not go home for Thanksgiving the ward has a big Thanksgiving dinner. The students decided they wanted to wake up early and hike to Makapuu lighthouse. We would return about 1:00 p.m., pick up all the catered food and head to the church to eat. After eating we would all meet at the park for a game of football. Doesn't that just sound like the greatest Thanksgiving day? It sure did to me and I was excited. I wouldn't be slaving over the stove for two days and I could just take it easy. Anyone who has cooked a Thanksgiving dinner knows all the work that goes into it. The hardest thing is having everything ready at the same time to go on the table - the oven is going nonstop to cook the turkey, the fresh rolls, the desserts etc. In Hawaii where our electricity is at a premium (we always pay between $300-$400 monthly) that would even save us on our budget this month.

Everything went as planned. The hike was absolutely gorgeous. We hiked down from the lighthouse to the ocean where there were blow holes that the water spouted through every few minutes. (Remember my camera is not working properly so I have no pictures.) Tanner loved sticking his face as close as he could get it. He had the nicest hair style after a few blows. We even got introduced to the "pickle weed" which grows down on the rocks. We all ate several leaves and it truly tastes like a pickle. Three girls, from the Phillipines, got lost on the trail on their way back up and ran out of steam. They had to be rescued by the big strong guys from the ward. Other than that it was really a pleasant morning.

As we were driving home (Makapuu is on the other end of the island) I'm thinking how nice this day has been. The students picked up most of the food but Steve and I had to go get the turkeys. We went to the church and I'm slicing the turkey and getting hungrier by the minute. We offer a blessing on the food and the men let the woman go first to dish up. Naturally the first thing in line is rice. I pass it right up choosing instead to use that space for my mashed potatoes and gravy. That is really a treat here in Hawaii! After my plate was full I went back to the table and began to eat. The potatoes were fake! I couldn't believe it. Fake potatoes on Thanksgiving? I hear all the students around me saying how delicious everything is and I can't believe it. The salad was from a bag so it tasted like preservatives. The yams had been dumped out of a can with a few marshmellows thrown on top. I was really disappointed and so was the family! I guess with 80% of the ward from other countries they didn't even seem to notice this wasn't a real Thanksgiving dinner.

I really look forward to next year. I look forward to slaving over the stove, running up my electrical bill, trying to get everything on the table at the same time and still having it be warm. The more I thought about it the more I realized that you just don't get something great without hard work. I guess I have to learn that over and over again.