Terrible food - awsome view.

Our first week, the kids were fascinated with coconuts.

This was our first day on the island. Nothing seemed real, yet. Jason had a friend on the island that picked us up at the airport and drove us to the docks to get our truck that was already here. This picture was taken outside of the Marine Corps temporary lodging on Marine Corps Base Hawaii where we stayed until housing was available.

The land of many pineapple. It takes 21 months for a pineapple to grow, so they plant the fields all at different intervals. That way there are always pineapples to harvest. My biggest surprise is all the different species of pineapple out there.

I just finished week four of my Sprint Triathlon training. I decided to do it to increase my fitness level with no other expectations. Little did I know how good it would make me feel. My happy endorphins are through the roof!!!! My personal goal each workout has been to push myself beyond my comfort level - even if it meant riding my bicycle up suicide hill twice rather than once, or running after a heavy weight lifting session instead of before. There were many moments I felt like puking, which was a great indicator I was pushing myself beyond my comfort zone. LOL

The three beaches that surround the Marine Corps Base Hawaii are u'i nani (beautiful).

The kids swimming along Kaneohe Bay

Kaneohe Bay is our favorite place on the island. We have kayaked out to the sand bar three times. It's 4 miles one way, 8 miles round trip. The kids told me that if I make them paddle out there again, they would run away from home. So........ last Saturday I got my Base boating license so that we could rent the 10 man pontoon boats. I'm the only one in the family that likes the feeling of working my body to extreme. I'd rather walk up a mountain than drive. It's my drug of choice. As you can see by the video, even though they had to paddle, they have fun.

Sometimes I feel like we are on a year long Hawaiian vacation. Sure there is laundry, school functions and work. By they seem like just seconds in time compared to the fun we have had.

Our Christmas letter for 2009

What an experience Hawaii has been!! Our first months on the island were spent in complete culture shock. There is something about the Aloha spirit that grabs you, but not without first making you question its sanity. You have to get past the surface where everything in town seems to just be strewn about haphazardly and the highway system is woefully inadequate. You have to get past the meat that smells funny and is hard to eat. You have to get used to sharing your living room floor with giant centipedes that make snakes look like cuddly kittens. Or the jellyfish that can ruin a peaceful day at the beach when your husband and daughter who spotted them don’t tell you about it and you swim right into one.
As time passes, the magic of Aloha enfolds you. You start liking the rice that is served with everything, including breakfast. You find yourself going out of your way to find buses you once thought dirty to order Kalua pork, Huli chicken, or garlic shrimp; all served with rice, of course. It becomes entertainment rather than an act of horror when a centipede is trying to kill a pair of your wool slippers. Even driving becomes easier as you realize Hawaiians are courteous drivers who like to give you the shaka (hang ten sign). In a world where heritage and culture are disappearing, it’s refreshing to see that Hawaiian’s still embrace theirs.
The Hawaiian Islands are breathtakingly beautiful and the experiences are endless. The biggest smiles we have ever seen on the kid’s faces were when we threw them in the ocean with a bunch of sharks. Yes, they were in a shark cage (geez, what kind of parents do you think we are). They have gotten to go surfing, paddle boarding, kayaking, and snorkeling. They love to swim with the sea turtles and giant manta rays. Some of our favorite moments are driving along the beach at sunset listening to Reggae music or listening to the hiss as lava hits the cool ocean waters.
As the ways of the mainland fade away like currents in the sea, we are left with the question that many before us who were blessed with the opportunity to live on these islands have asked; maybe it’s not Hawaii that’s weird, but everyone over in on the mainland.

We've been living in Hawaii now for almost 10 months. I have done a lot in the last 40 years, but this has to be one of the most incredible experiences I've had. Like any adventure in our journey on this earth, there have been the good and the ugly. Ugly being the 12 inch long centipede that greeted us our first month here. Nothing can prepare a non bug loving person for the shock of a large, monsterous centipede crawling towards you as you are sitting comfortably on the living room floor watching TV. I guess I was too used to middle America where the occassional spider was the only thing I worried about in my house. For the next hour, the kids were screaming and crying on the kitchen counter as I mustered up enough courage to lift the bowl I had placed over the monster to chop in up with a shovel.