It's been forever!!!!!! I have focused more on my food blog, than my family blog. Here is the real reason. I suck at taking pictures! I have no pictures to post, and I hate that I don't. However, Jared just got a new waterproof camera that I have with me in my purse, and I'm going to take it wherever I go.
Living in Hawaii for almost a year now makes me realize that there is no change in seasons here. Summertime is less rainy, but the same temperature year around. It is hard to gauge what month it is much less the season. It is hard for the boys to know what time of year it is because weather does not change.
Back in April I was able to go to the mainland without my kids and go to my sister's wedding. That was fun to be back in San Clemente/Carlsbad. The concept of the freeway going on and on for miles was funny. I was excited to go home, only because I was flying to a vacation destination. It was so nice going away for a couple of days without responsibility! I felt like a teenager except with the benefit of parents not telling me what to do, it was awesome.
During the time I was away, we were deep in the trenches of remodeling our kitchen. It was chaos, but it all turned out nice. We moved into our house in mid-May, and we have been doing house projects ever since. There is so much left to do with our house, but we are REALLY happy about our purchase. We get an awesome ocean breeze because we are up on a hill, and the kids love playing in the backyard.
We have a mango tree in our backyard, and started having ripe mangos in May. THEY ARE SOOOOOO GOOD! I have never tasted anything better. Jared was eating 3 a day! I made mango muffins, and mango salsa, and many smoothies. This mango tree is probably 50 years old, which is about how old our house is. It is HUGE, and we are so glad we have it. We also have a mature lychee tree, but we don't know when that is going to start giving us fruit. Jared built a tree house in the mango tree for the boys. They are pretty excited. Cameron wants to always go up, but I'm a little nervous for the little man. We found out during peak mango season that he was allergic to the mango sap. He got really bad hives. He can eat the fruit itself, but the skin of the mango has sap on it, and that is where he was having a bad reaction. Poor thing, he loved collecting the fallen mangos with Jared, but now he can't.
Brent starts school on August 2nd! He is super excited and so am I. We need a change of season in our family. He has been board, and driving me crazy all summer...he is definitely ready. All of my friends say that he is going to be exhausted when he first starts because of all the stimulation. It will be interesting to see how he handles it.
Life is good in Hawaii. We may be going to the big island in November for a family trip/Jared's conference. I can't wait for that. It will be fun to go see the volcano's w/ the boys. Plus, I don't think they really get where they are, and so flying up in the air and landing on another island may give them some perspective. I try and show Brent on a map that we are a little speck in the pacific ocean, but I still don't think he gets how far away we are from everything.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Japanese Candy, Nanialii, Happy
Yes it has been 3 months. Yes I neglect my family blog and not my food blog. But, I figured I would save the blogging for some big news.
Hawaii has been great. It has far exceeded anything I could have imagined living here. Jared and I are so happy to be living in paradise and enjoying all that it has to offer. We are outside ALL THE TIME! The boys love it, but of course they don't really get where we live. Cameron will never know any difference which is kind of a tragedy really. When he is older and goes to the mainland, he is going to think it is SO UGLY and brown. Spoiled!
Brent starts school in 3 months and gets to go to all day kindergarten. He is really excited and READY! He will thrive and be a joy for his teacher. Cameron is going to miss his best friend Brent, and will probably ask me all day where he is. SAD. Now I will have to be the playmate. Although I'm excited not to have to push a double jogger on my runs. Hallelujah! Cam and I are going to have fun together! It will be weird to only be looking after one child. I will miss Brent, and miss having complete control of what goes into his brain, but I need to accept the new chapters in our lives.
Cameron is growing and still so sweet. I find myself trying to treat him like a baby...even calling him my baby and when he hears of it, he says "No mama, I'm a big boy, Nani is a baby". He insists he is the "biggest" and He is even bigger than Dadall (Jared). He is obsessed with the color orange and has some orange articles of clothing that he insists on wearing all the time. He has the "linus" syndrome and it is driving me mad! But we give in to Cameron...as he is a sweet as sugar.
Jared is still enjoying his job, and frequency of surfing. I have not seen him happier, and that makes me happy.
I got called to be primary president last month, and I have been busy learning all about what I need to do to stay on top of things. I have great counselors and great friends to help me out.
The most exciting news is that we bought a house in Kailua. We signed the papers today, and we are super excited to own a piece of paradise! We are renovating the inside, and it is fun for me to be picking out all the insides of what I want. The yard is large, has a HUGE Hawaiian mango tree, and lots of land for us to plant a garden and have a chicken coop. It will feel good to own a house again, and we are super stoked we got the opportunity to buy in Hawaii. So the next few months will be chaotic, moving, updating, etc. Life is always changing, and luckily it is for the good. I keep on feeling like everything is going so smoothly right now...when is the next bump in the road coming. Hopefully not too soon.
Since I love candy I have had a great experience trying new candies here in Hawaii. Hawaii is very much influenced by Japan, and so in every market there is a huge asian food section. My favorite new candy is called Hi-Chews....so good, I'm obsessed! Here is what they look like.
My favorite flavors are mango, green apple, and melon. YUM. The Japanese got it right when it comes to making fruit flavored candies.
Hawaii has been great. It has far exceeded anything I could have imagined living here. Jared and I are so happy to be living in paradise and enjoying all that it has to offer. We are outside ALL THE TIME! The boys love it, but of course they don't really get where we live. Cameron will never know any difference which is kind of a tragedy really. When he is older and goes to the mainland, he is going to think it is SO UGLY and brown. Spoiled!
Brent starts school in 3 months and gets to go to all day kindergarten. He is really excited and READY! He will thrive and be a joy for his teacher. Cameron is going to miss his best friend Brent, and will probably ask me all day where he is. SAD. Now I will have to be the playmate. Although I'm excited not to have to push a double jogger on my runs. Hallelujah! Cam and I are going to have fun together! It will be weird to only be looking after one child. I will miss Brent, and miss having complete control of what goes into his brain, but I need to accept the new chapters in our lives.
Cameron is growing and still so sweet. I find myself trying to treat him like a baby...even calling him my baby and when he hears of it, he says "No mama, I'm a big boy, Nani is a baby". He insists he is the "biggest" and He is even bigger than Dadall (Jared). He is obsessed with the color orange and has some orange articles of clothing that he insists on wearing all the time. He has the "linus" syndrome and it is driving me mad! But we give in to Cameron...as he is a sweet as sugar.
Jared is still enjoying his job, and frequency of surfing. I have not seen him happier, and that makes me happy.
I got called to be primary president last month, and I have been busy learning all about what I need to do to stay on top of things. I have great counselors and great friends to help me out.
The most exciting news is that we bought a house in Kailua. We signed the papers today, and we are super excited to own a piece of paradise! We are renovating the inside, and it is fun for me to be picking out all the insides of what I want. The yard is large, has a HUGE Hawaiian mango tree, and lots of land for us to plant a garden and have a chicken coop. It will feel good to own a house again, and we are super stoked we got the opportunity to buy in Hawaii. So the next few months will be chaotic, moving, updating, etc. Life is always changing, and luckily it is for the good. I keep on feeling like everything is going so smoothly right now...when is the next bump in the road coming. Hopefully not too soon.
Since I love candy I have had a great experience trying new candies here in Hawaii. Hawaii is very much influenced by Japan, and so in every market there is a huge asian food section. My favorite new candy is called Hi-Chews....so good, I'm obsessed! Here is what they look like.
My favorite flavors are mango, green apple, and melon. YUM. The Japanese got it right when it comes to making fruit flavored candies.Thursday, February 10, 2011
Nani = Beautiful
Seriously, I'm trying to think how to start this post off since it has been so long. I have no problem staying on top of my food blog. I need to get better so that I have our memories of living in Hawaii written somewhere. I have a ton of pictures on my phone, but my phone is freaking out when I try to download them. So, this will just be a wordy post.
Christmas was awesome this year. The boys really had a great time opening presents in the morning, and then of course we went to the beach that morning as well. People hauled their Christmas trees down to the beach all decorated, and they were even wearing Santa hats. All I could think of was how much they were sweating under their polyester, fur hats and if it was worth it. The New Years Eve experience was absolutely CRAZY! Not, joking....fireworks from 9pm till 3am non-stop. I could not believe my kids slept through it. My favorite fireworks were the homemade ones that sounded like a huge bomb, and shook my whole house. (You know I'm kidding, right?)
The month of January went by very quickly. The boys and I do our daily routine of eat, activity, eat, activity, eat, and bed. We spend every chance we get at the beach, and Brent is really getting good at Bodyboarding. Our favorite beach to go to in Kailua is called Kalama Beach. It has the perfect amount of waves, and big stretch of beach. The kids LOVE it there. Cameron turned 2 on the 31st of January. We had a beach party with friends in the morning, and then a family dinner celebration in the evening. He enjoyed blowing out his candles. He licked his cupcake a couple of times, but he is not our dessert baby. He prefers a nice piece of fruit over sweets anytime. Why can't I be more like that? Cameron is such a sweet natured boy, I'm so glad he is my child and a part of our family. I truly cherish him, and the sweet spirit he has. He is a wonderful little person.
Some fun highlights of Hawaii:
I had an encounter with a giant cockroach the other night. I was sitting in my family room late at night, watching TV. I heard this scratching sound, and I look up on the wall and there is a 2 inches long flying cockroach on the wall. I freaked out, turned off the lights and woke Jared up to kill it. He did, and I was relieved. We don't have alot of bugs inside our house, but sometimes when it rains really hard outside it drives the bugs in...so that was fun :)
My leather Rainbow Sandals have moldy soles from the humidity. Don't bring leather to Hawaii, it's rubber or plastic all the way. Thank you Payless Shoes for having lots of plastic shoes! The most random things get moldy here. I don't remember this happening to my sandals when I was at BYU Hawaii. Maybe it is more wet in Kailua.
I get to run Kailua beach almost every Saturday. It is the most unbelievable, scenic, spa like experience. I almost cry when I see the beauty all around me. I also feel so grateful that I get to live in Hawaii, and that I'm actually living a dream that I thought would NEVER happen. The Koolau Mountains are so incredibly HUGE and green here. They are so beautiful! Every time I get in my car and drive, I'm surrounded by beauty. When I'm laying in bed at night, all the windows are open and the sounds of the tropics help me drift off to sleep. I was afraid that I would be homesick, but surprisingly I'm not. We have almost been here for 5 months, and I still feel very content.
Jared loves his job. He has not had one bad day yet! I'm so happy for him. He gets to live, and surf in paradise, and he loves his job. Oh, and then of course there is this wonderful wife that he has who is hot, makes him dinner every night, and fresh homemade bread. What more could a man want.
We are very happy in Hawaii! Every place has it's ups and downs, but we are loving all the ups!
Christmas was awesome this year. The boys really had a great time opening presents in the morning, and then of course we went to the beach that morning as well. People hauled their Christmas trees down to the beach all decorated, and they were even wearing Santa hats. All I could think of was how much they were sweating under their polyester, fur hats and if it was worth it. The New Years Eve experience was absolutely CRAZY! Not, joking....fireworks from 9pm till 3am non-stop. I could not believe my kids slept through it. My favorite fireworks were the homemade ones that sounded like a huge bomb, and shook my whole house. (You know I'm kidding, right?)
The month of January went by very quickly. The boys and I do our daily routine of eat, activity, eat, activity, eat, and bed. We spend every chance we get at the beach, and Brent is really getting good at Bodyboarding. Our favorite beach to go to in Kailua is called Kalama Beach. It has the perfect amount of waves, and big stretch of beach. The kids LOVE it there. Cameron turned 2 on the 31st of January. We had a beach party with friends in the morning, and then a family dinner celebration in the evening. He enjoyed blowing out his candles. He licked his cupcake a couple of times, but he is not our dessert baby. He prefers a nice piece of fruit over sweets anytime. Why can't I be more like that? Cameron is such a sweet natured boy, I'm so glad he is my child and a part of our family. I truly cherish him, and the sweet spirit he has. He is a wonderful little person.
Some fun highlights of Hawaii:
I had an encounter with a giant cockroach the other night. I was sitting in my family room late at night, watching TV. I heard this scratching sound, and I look up on the wall and there is a 2 inches long flying cockroach on the wall. I freaked out, turned off the lights and woke Jared up to kill it. He did, and I was relieved. We don't have alot of bugs inside our house, but sometimes when it rains really hard outside it drives the bugs in...so that was fun :)
My leather Rainbow Sandals have moldy soles from the humidity. Don't bring leather to Hawaii, it's rubber or plastic all the way. Thank you Payless Shoes for having lots of plastic shoes! The most random things get moldy here. I don't remember this happening to my sandals when I was at BYU Hawaii. Maybe it is more wet in Kailua.
I get to run Kailua beach almost every Saturday. It is the most unbelievable, scenic, spa like experience. I almost cry when I see the beauty all around me. I also feel so grateful that I get to live in Hawaii, and that I'm actually living a dream that I thought would NEVER happen. The Koolau Mountains are so incredibly HUGE and green here. They are so beautiful! Every time I get in my car and drive, I'm surrounded by beauty. When I'm laying in bed at night, all the windows are open and the sounds of the tropics help me drift off to sleep. I was afraid that I would be homesick, but surprisingly I'm not. We have almost been here for 5 months, and I still feel very content.
Jared loves his job. He has not had one bad day yet! I'm so happy for him. He gets to live, and surf in paradise, and he loves his job. Oh, and then of course there is this wonderful wife that he has who is hot, makes him dinner every night, and fresh homemade bread. What more could a man want.
We are very happy in Hawaii! Every place has it's ups and downs, but we are loving all the ups!
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Christmas!
I have had a really hard time maintaining my family blog. I feel like I used to update once every 2 weeks, and now I'm lucky if I can update once a month!
We have been busy and living our lives day to day in Hawaii. The boys and I go to the beach at least 3 times a week, and the boys love riding in the bike trailer down to the beach. However, it will be nice when Brent goes to school, and i will just be pulling 25 pound Cameron instead of a 60 pound load! My boys are just in their element when they are at the beach, and I'm so glad they have a love for the outdoors as Jared and I do. Rarely do the boys ever cry or complain, or want to leave when we are at the beach. Brent is getting really good at body boarding, and he is such a good swimmer.
Jared and I take him out far, and he can swim all the way back to shore by himself! Cameron loves going in the water as well, but he knows he still needs me to go in. This is nice because I don't have to chase him around and worry about him drowning. Cameron loves playing in the sand and digging holes. He like to find treasures at the beach and collect sticks. Overall, the boys are extremely happy.
I taught Brent's class on Sunday in Primary, and it was fun to see how he has adjusted to the culture. Everybody is "auntie" or "uncle" in Hawaii, so all the kids were calling me Auntie in the class. Brent even started calling me that...it was funny. Then of course there is the greeting of aloha. Brent doesn't say it back yet...I don't think he knows that he is supposed to. I was very pleased with Brent, as he was very well behaved, and pays attention to what teachers say. Seeing him in a learning environment made me hopeful and happy knowing that he will be a good student in school this fall.
I have been staying busy with my 2 boys, and taking care of our house. I love the weather in Hawaii when it is not stormy! It is hard to believe people are bundled up in coats and pants everywhere else. I feel like I'm living summer year around (which is my favorite season).
We all are super excited about Christmas, as Brent really gets the whole concept this year. He has a paper chain, so he can count how many days until Christmas. He is especially excited for Christmas Eve. Jared told Brent that he would sleep with him in his room. Let me tell you how excited Jared is about this! Brent really can't wait. 2 times a year Jared sleeps in Brent's room, on Christmas Eve, and on his Birthday. Brent loves it, and as Jared and him are laying there, he says things like "Dad, let's talk."
Jared and I will be celebrating our 7 year anniversary on the 27th. We will be going golfing (which we both love to do) and going out to a nice restaurant...we are excited to get away!!!!! It has been a great 7 years. In fact, there are times when we are all at home together, me making dinner, Jared playing with the kids, living in Hawaii, I just feel a overwhelming sense of joy for our life that we have. I feel so blessed, and know that Heavenly Father watches over our family, and blesses us with so much. I'm truly grateful!
We have been busy and living our lives day to day in Hawaii. The boys and I go to the beach at least 3 times a week, and the boys love riding in the bike trailer down to the beach. However, it will be nice when Brent goes to school, and i will just be pulling 25 pound Cameron instead of a 60 pound load! My boys are just in their element when they are at the beach, and I'm so glad they have a love for the outdoors as Jared and I do. Rarely do the boys ever cry or complain, or want to leave when we are at the beach. Brent is getting really good at body boarding, and he is such a good swimmer.
Brent Body boarding
Jared and I take him out far, and he can swim all the way back to shore by himself! Cameron loves going in the water as well, but he knows he still needs me to go in. This is nice because I don't have to chase him around and worry about him drowning. Cameron loves playing in the sand and digging holes. He like to find treasures at the beach and collect sticks. Overall, the boys are extremely happy.
I taught Brent's class on Sunday in Primary, and it was fun to see how he has adjusted to the culture. Everybody is "auntie" or "uncle" in Hawaii, so all the kids were calling me Auntie in the class. Brent even started calling me that...it was funny. Then of course there is the greeting of aloha. Brent doesn't say it back yet...I don't think he knows that he is supposed to. I was very pleased with Brent, as he was very well behaved, and pays attention to what teachers say. Seeing him in a learning environment made me hopeful and happy knowing that he will be a good student in school this fall.
Brent wrote his name in the sand all by himself!
Cameron is as sweet as ever. 
He shows his loves by giving hugs and kisses. When I drop him off at the gym daycare, he won't let me leave without giving him a hug and a kiss...it is so CUTE! He also says "Love you mama!" and this is all without any promptings from me. What a sweet boy he is!
Jared is still enjoying his job very much. He has taken helicopter trips to the top of mountain ranges. Taken trips to Kauai, and Maui, and will be taking a few other trips coming the new year...lucky dog! He also makes it up to the North Shore to surf 2-3 times a week before work. Every Saturday we go to the beach as a family in the morning for a couple of hours, and it is alot of fun. We are also enjoying the fact that Jared gets every other Friday off.
He shows his loves by giving hugs and kisses. When I drop him off at the gym daycare, he won't let me leave without giving him a hug and a kiss...it is so CUTE! He also says "Love you mama!" and this is all without any promptings from me. What a sweet boy he is!
Jared in his helicopter gear...HOT!
I have been staying busy with my 2 boys, and taking care of our house. I love the weather in Hawaii when it is not stormy! It is hard to believe people are bundled up in coats and pants everywhere else. I feel like I'm living summer year around (which is my favorite season).
We all are super excited about Christmas, as Brent really gets the whole concept this year. He has a paper chain, so he can count how many days until Christmas. He is especially excited for Christmas Eve. Jared told Brent that he would sleep with him in his room. Let me tell you how excited Jared is about this! Brent really can't wait. 2 times a year Jared sleeps in Brent's room, on Christmas Eve, and on his Birthday. Brent loves it, and as Jared and him are laying there, he says things like "Dad, let's talk."
Jared and I will be celebrating our 7 year anniversary on the 27th. We will be going golfing (which we both love to do) and going out to a nice restaurant...we are excited to get away!!!!! It has been a great 7 years. In fact, there are times when we are all at home together, me making dinner, Jared playing with the kids, living in Hawaii, I just feel a overwhelming sense of joy for our life that we have. I feel so blessed, and know that Heavenly Father watches over our family, and blesses us with so much. I'm truly grateful!
Monday, November 15, 2010
Life in November
We are finally settled into our house on Hele Street in Kailua. All 365 boxes were gone through and unwrapped, and sorted through. It was incredibly time consuming, and I'm glad I can move on from that. As I have told some of you, the house is not our "dream" home, but there are alot of good things. The outside shower and bathroom are awesome for sandy beach boys to rinse off in. I also like the fact that my laundry room is in the garage as well and not outside in the elements like so many people have it here in Hawaii. We have plently of room in the garage that we have stored all of our things in. There is room for us to park our car, and all our recreational equipment as well. The living areas are VERY breezy, and the layout of the house is working wonderfully for me. There are sliding doors to every room, and I can keep the kids in their playroom with the sliding glass doors shut...it's awesome.
Our ward is a great, active, involved ward. I already feel at home, and Cameron is now adjusted to nursery, and Brent enjoys primary as usual. There are plenty of activities as well as opportunities to do service in the relief society. I love it when there are service things that I can do as a stay at home mom, like make cookies for the marines, etc. We went to an elders quorum activity/dinner or should I say "make plate" fest. The food was fabulous! I was officially introduced to the Hawaiian way of eating. There was all kinds of fresh fish (tasted heavenly!), sesame chicken, shredded beef, salads, etc...I thought I had died it was so good.
We went to the Laie Temple open house this last week, and it was a cool experience for the kids. The temple is so clean and nice inside, it looks really good.
Brent enjoyed going into each room,and like the crystal chandeliers everywhere. He also enjoyed seeing all the art work of Jesus all around. I got to hold him up , and look into the mirror in the sealing room, and he said "Look there are so many of us!". I got a little teary eyed when he said that, and remembered when I married Jared and we looked into the mirror as a couple, thinking about our posterity, it was really cool.
The boys and I go to the gym each morning, which is a plus for me. They are doing well at the kids club, and I love having my sanity break for the day. I have been baking bread in my bread machine every couple days, and I love it! It really is so incredibly easy, and I don't have to do anything except add ingredients! And, I don't have to turn my oven on to heat up the house. The bread in the stores here SUCK! It is stale, and expensive. So I feel like I'm winning all around with making my own bread. Breads have to stay in the freezer here so that they won't mold...it happens very quickly because of the humidity and the heat.
Jared keeps on buying Spam for me to make Spam Musubi (slices of spam, pan fried layered with white rice and wrapped in seaweed). I have like 8 cans in my pantry! He wants it once a week, and I say NO! So I will compromise and make it once every 2 weeks, since the kids like it too.
I have also been trying new recipes lately and have to get back in the rhythm of posting on my food blog. So, check it out...there are some good ones coming.
This last Saturday we went to a part of Kailua Beach where there is a small shore break to practice surfing. Brent is learning how to balance, and so am I. I have gotten to my knees, and now I just need to get my feet under me and stay really low until I actually can stand up. It was really fun, and the best part is that the water is super warm. I never wanted to learn in California because the water is always cold.
We are excited for Thanksgiving this year. Our ward is doing an imu (a pit to cook things in) and we are going to put our turkey in that. We might also try and have dinner with another family so that there can be variety of foods, and less work...we will see.
All in all, things are going well, and we now feel like we live here. I miss EVERYONE and will be excited to see people soon. Visitors are welcome anytime!
Our ward is a great, active, involved ward. I already feel at home, and Cameron is now adjusted to nursery, and Brent enjoys primary as usual. There are plenty of activities as well as opportunities to do service in the relief society. I love it when there are service things that I can do as a stay at home mom, like make cookies for the marines, etc. We went to an elders quorum activity/dinner or should I say "make plate" fest. The food was fabulous! I was officially introduced to the Hawaiian way of eating. There was all kinds of fresh fish (tasted heavenly!), sesame chicken, shredded beef, salads, etc...I thought I had died it was so good.
We went to the Laie Temple open house this last week, and it was a cool experience for the kids. The temple is so clean and nice inside, it looks really good.
Brent enjoyed going into each room,and like the crystal chandeliers everywhere. He also enjoyed seeing all the art work of Jesus all around. I got to hold him up , and look into the mirror in the sealing room, and he said "Look there are so many of us!". I got a little teary eyed when he said that, and remembered when I married Jared and we looked into the mirror as a couple, thinking about our posterity, it was really cool.
The boys and I go to the gym each morning, which is a plus for me. They are doing well at the kids club, and I love having my sanity break for the day. I have been baking bread in my bread machine every couple days, and I love it! It really is so incredibly easy, and I don't have to do anything except add ingredients! And, I don't have to turn my oven on to heat up the house. The bread in the stores here SUCK! It is stale, and expensive. So I feel like I'm winning all around with making my own bread. Breads have to stay in the freezer here so that they won't mold...it happens very quickly because of the humidity and the heat.
Jared keeps on buying Spam for me to make Spam Musubi (slices of spam, pan fried layered with white rice and wrapped in seaweed). I have like 8 cans in my pantry! He wants it once a week, and I say NO! So I will compromise and make it once every 2 weeks, since the kids like it too.
I have also been trying new recipes lately and have to get back in the rhythm of posting on my food blog. So, check it out...there are some good ones coming.
This last Saturday we went to a part of Kailua Beach where there is a small shore break to practice surfing. Brent is learning how to balance, and so am I. I have gotten to my knees, and now I just need to get my feet under me and stay really low until I actually can stand up. It was really fun, and the best part is that the water is super warm. I never wanted to learn in California because the water is always cold.
We are excited for Thanksgiving this year. Our ward is doing an imu (a pit to cook things in) and we are going to put our turkey in that. We might also try and have dinner with another family so that there can be variety of foods, and less work...we will see.
All in all, things are going well, and we now feel like we live here. I miss EVERYONE and will be excited to see people soon. Visitors are welcome anytime!
Sunday, October 24, 2010
The Hawaiian Saga...
I wish I had some pictures to post! Unfortunately the connector to my camera is packed w/ my stuff. So, there will be major pictures posted soon!
We have lived in Hawaii for the past 2 1/2 weeks, and there have been some ups and downs. The lows have been trying to find a place to live in Kailua. Kailua is a highly desired place to live on Oahu. It has good schools, the most amazing beach on the island, it sits next to the picture-esk mountains on the windward side, and has ever store and convenience that you could think of. So, trying to find a 3 bedroom house under 3,000 a month has been a challenge. There is also a military base close by, so we are competing with TONS of military families to get the house we want.
Long story short, after 2 1/2 weeks of checking craigslist, me freaking out, and Jared doing everything he can to find a place, we found something. We have had all these expectations that we needed in a house, like:
1. Walking distance to the beach
2. Big yard
3. 1600 sq feet or bigger
4. No ohana house on the property (studio right next to main house that someone lives in)
5. Updated, ie. not a shack held together with boards.
6. Big living areas, kitchen
We ended up having to sacrifice a couple of our wants, but got to keep some of the essentials. We got a 3 bedroom house, under our budget. It is about a mile and half from the beach (3 minutes by car, 8 minutes by bike), Very large living areas, big kitchen with lots of storage, front yard and backyard. However, it only has 1 1/2 bathrooms inside the house. But, there is a full bathroom in the enclosed garage, as well as a laundry room, and lots of storage. The kitchen is origianl from the 1950's. It belongs in a vintage magazine. The stove is the original one from when the house was built back in 1950's. It is very well taken care of, and I'm super excited to move in. The other thing I love about the house is that there are TONS of windows for the tropical breezes to blow in. It will be nice when my kids can have space to ride their bikes in the driveway, and run around in the backyard. We move in on November 2nd!
I wanted to mention one more thing about our house search for the record. I was feeling really stressed and bummed out for a couple of weeks. NOTHING was working out, and we were thinking we wouldn't even live in Kailua. I asked Jared for a blessing, and I felt the spirit very strong while he was giving me the blessing. There was a sense of calmness that came over me, and I knew that everything would work itself out. About an hour after the blessing 2 places became available, and we were the first ones to inquire about it. (This never happened to us) We were able to get someone to show us the house before their actual show date (which is key), and luckily it was a house we liked. As corny as it sounds, I know that Heavenly Father was listening to Jared's prayer, and that he knew the desires of my heart, and how much I can handle. I'm grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost, it is priceless to me! I feel not only protected by Jared, but by my Heavenly Father.
Jared starts his job tomorrow, and we are walking him to the bus stop in the morning. He is excited to ride the bus...(what?) he really is. I'm excited to see if the job meets all his expectations.
The boys and I are going to start our new mommy/kid routine in Hawaii. It will go something like this:
Breakfast
Gym
Errands
Lunch
Naps
Beach
Dinner
Bed
Pretty relaxing to me! It's nice not to worry about harsh school schedules yet. Brent will go to Kindergarten next fall, and in Hawaii it's ALL DAY kindergarten....SCORE!
We have lived in Hawaii for the past 2 1/2 weeks, and there have been some ups and downs. The lows have been trying to find a place to live in Kailua. Kailua is a highly desired place to live on Oahu. It has good schools, the most amazing beach on the island, it sits next to the picture-esk mountains on the windward side, and has ever store and convenience that you could think of. So, trying to find a 3 bedroom house under 3,000 a month has been a challenge. There is also a military base close by, so we are competing with TONS of military families to get the house we want.
Long story short, after 2 1/2 weeks of checking craigslist, me freaking out, and Jared doing everything he can to find a place, we found something. We have had all these expectations that we needed in a house, like:
1. Walking distance to the beach
2. Big yard
3. 1600 sq feet or bigger
4. No ohana house on the property (studio right next to main house that someone lives in)
5. Updated, ie. not a shack held together with boards.
6. Big living areas, kitchen
We ended up having to sacrifice a couple of our wants, but got to keep some of the essentials. We got a 3 bedroom house, under our budget. It is about a mile and half from the beach (3 minutes by car, 8 minutes by bike), Very large living areas, big kitchen with lots of storage, front yard and backyard. However, it only has 1 1/2 bathrooms inside the house. But, there is a full bathroom in the enclosed garage, as well as a laundry room, and lots of storage. The kitchen is origianl from the 1950's. It belongs in a vintage magazine. The stove is the original one from when the house was built back in 1950's. It is very well taken care of, and I'm super excited to move in. The other thing I love about the house is that there are TONS of windows for the tropical breezes to blow in. It will be nice when my kids can have space to ride their bikes in the driveway, and run around in the backyard. We move in on November 2nd!
I wanted to mention one more thing about our house search for the record. I was feeling really stressed and bummed out for a couple of weeks. NOTHING was working out, and we were thinking we wouldn't even live in Kailua. I asked Jared for a blessing, and I felt the spirit very strong while he was giving me the blessing. There was a sense of calmness that came over me, and I knew that everything would work itself out. About an hour after the blessing 2 places became available, and we were the first ones to inquire about it. (This never happened to us) We were able to get someone to show us the house before their actual show date (which is key), and luckily it was a house we liked. As corny as it sounds, I know that Heavenly Father was listening to Jared's prayer, and that he knew the desires of my heart, and how much I can handle. I'm grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost, it is priceless to me! I feel not only protected by Jared, but by my Heavenly Father.
Jared starts his job tomorrow, and we are walking him to the bus stop in the morning. He is excited to ride the bus...(what?) he really is. I'm excited to see if the job meets all his expectations.
The boys and I are going to start our new mommy/kid routine in Hawaii. It will go something like this:
Breakfast
Gym
Errands
Lunch
Naps
Beach
Dinner
Bed
Pretty relaxing to me! It's nice not to worry about harsh school schedules yet. Brent will go to Kindergarten next fall, and in Hawaii it's ALL DAY kindergarten....SCORE!
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Utah wedding and moving to Hawaii
For about the past 2 weeks we have been living out of our suitcases. The movers came a couple of weeks ago and packed our whole house up, and loaded it onto a BIG crate. I have to admit, it was awesome not having to wrap or pack a thing in my house. We then flew up to Utah, with our 6 bags of luggage (not including carry-ons) to go to Jared's sister's wedding. I'm so happy for Sarah and her new family!
Cameron got his pants and shoes all muddy on the temple grounds right before pictures, so he was the white trash kid running around in his diaper. However, this is the cutest picture of him EVER!
It was fun being with the Underwood's and I also got to play college student for the day. Jared's dad teaches at BYU, and so I went to one of his history classes, and it was alot of fun to transport myself back to the day. I do have to admit, I had to scrape the cob-webs from my brain, so that I could even understand what the discussion/class was about.
We flew to Hawaii on Wednesday of last week, and have been here for about 5 days. We are staying in a furnished rental about a 2 minute walk from Kailua beach. We are desperately trying to find a place to live. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of places to live in Kailua, but we are pretty particular in what we want. I'm sure if time goes by and nothing comes up, we will have to start looking at other options.
I love Kailua! The weather in Hawaii is just SOOOOOOO awesome. Here are some of the things that I love about being here:
I never have to put lotion on my legs, I don't bother with blow-drying my hair, make-up is optional, we eat dinner outside every night, the kids never wear shoes, it rains and then it's sunny a few minutes later, everyone is so relaxed, Jared doesn't start work until the 26th, Brent is a pro at catching baby salamanders, I feel at home, even if I don't have a home.
Brent and Cameron LOVE the beach...the water is so warm, and turquoise. Jared and I have said to eachother several times..."Can you believe we live here?" It really is gorgeous. So, our main goal is to find a house, so that I can make it a home. I think that will be the icing on the cake!
Cameron got his pants and shoes all muddy on the temple grounds right before pictures, so he was the white trash kid running around in his diaper. However, this is the cutest picture of him EVER!
It was fun being with the Underwood's and I also got to play college student for the day. Jared's dad teaches at BYU, and so I went to one of his history classes, and it was alot of fun to transport myself back to the day. I do have to admit, I had to scrape the cob-webs from my brain, so that I could even understand what the discussion/class was about.
We flew to Hawaii on Wednesday of last week, and have been here for about 5 days. We are staying in a furnished rental about a 2 minute walk from Kailua beach. We are desperately trying to find a place to live. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of places to live in Kailua, but we are pretty particular in what we want. I'm sure if time goes by and nothing comes up, we will have to start looking at other options.
I love Kailua! The weather in Hawaii is just SOOOOOOO awesome. Here are some of the things that I love about being here:I never have to put lotion on my legs, I don't bother with blow-drying my hair, make-up is optional, we eat dinner outside every night, the kids never wear shoes, it rains and then it's sunny a few minutes later, everyone is so relaxed, Jared doesn't start work until the 26th, Brent is a pro at catching baby salamanders, I feel at home, even if I don't have a home.
Brent and Cameron LOVE the beach...the water is so warm, and turquoise. Jared and I have said to eachother several times..."Can you believe we live here?" It really is gorgeous. So, our main goal is to find a house, so that I can make it a home. I think that will be the icing on the cake!
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