Ryan and Skye Lowry

A Thing of Beauty

2012-02-10T00:01:00.001-08:00

We found this guy in the back yard while we were doing laundry.
Isn't he beautiful?

I love the look on Reagan's face!

Updates

2012-02-05T20:05:00.001-08:00

The three month pictures are especially for Shiloh since she got Reagan this cute little Hawaiian outfit.

On 1/26/12 (Thursday) we got Reagan's ears pierced. Hardest thing for me to watch ever! She cried for about 2 minutes and then she was fine. I cried more than she did.

And this is what happens when you sit your sweet baby down on a railing that has just been painted. Oops!

At the Beach

2012-01-27T11:15:00.001-08:00

Yesterday (1/26/12) we spent the morning at Temple Beach. This was not Reagan's first time at the beach but it was the first time we remembered the camera.

I took out the skimboard and tried it out. I did very well and Ryan was quite impressed.

Hope y'all have a great day!

Farewell Lucky Rabbits

2012-01-21T10:17:00.001-08:00

Since I live in the vicinity of many Chinese I have a lot of exposure to the Chinese New Year and the Chinese Zodiac. 2011 was my year, the Year of the Rabbit (or hare). A lot happened last year but a lot also stayed the same. Of course the best surprise was welcoming our own little bunny rabbit - Reagan Elisabeth.

So a quick shout out to all the lucky rabbits in our family: I hope 2011 was everything you hoped it would be and we'll see you back in 2023!
Our lucky rabbits:

Jason

Skye

And the "bunnies"...

Tyree, Gage, and Reagan

And to our Lucky Dragon - Happy New Year! 2012 is your year, I hope you make the most of it!

Aloha Florida!

2012-01-13T20:12:00.001-08:00

Victory! This is actually the only picture I have of the Ragnar. From left to right: Cali, me, Mike, Mason, Barry.

Main Street in Magic Kingdom

Prince Adam's castle (it's under construction).

So is Prince Eric's castle.

DISNEY DAY TWO

First we went to Animal Kingdom. On Monday the Magic Kingdom was pretty crowded but the parks were fairly empty on Tuesday. We were able to walk on to every ride. At animal kingdom we did Expedition Everest, Finding Nemo: The Musical, and Kilimanjaro Safari.

Next we went to Epcot to eat at one of Ryan's favorite restaurants, Biergarten. It's located in Germany in the World Showcase.

I saw Mulan in China...

And Aladdin and Jasmine in Morocco. We took this picture for Mr. Oooooh-Jasmine-is-my-favorite (also known as Cody).

At Hollywood Studios we did a lot. This picture is outside The Great Movie Ride which was really cool! We also did the Hollywood Tower of Terror, Rockin' Roller Coaster (0-60 in 2.8 seconds!), Muppets 3-D, and the Star Wars ride.

And finally we saw Donald.... back in Hawaii. A friend picked us up from the airport and we stayed at her house. Since she lives just a few blocks from the new Disney Resort, Aulani, we decided to walk down and check it out. It just opened a few months ago. It's fabulous! Since they have a nice kama'aina discount I talked to Ryan about staying there before we move, but they're booked solid for the next six months!

Everglades

2012-01-13T19:46:00.001-08:00

I remember learning about the Everglades in the second grade and I told my mom I wanted to go visit there someday. I still do. But on the bright side, Reagan and Ryan got to go and I know it was also on Ryan's bucket list. Lots of birds, "tuttles", snakes, and alligators.

How Big Is Reagan...

2012-01-01T10:32:00.001-08:00

SO BIG!

So big in fact, her Halloween outfits finally fit her now! And she still wears them even around Christmas and New Years.

The skeleton actually glows in the dark but we couldn't get any pictures of it glowing.

While mommy was washing dishes daddy decided to redefine the term 'cargo pants'. On the bright side, it shows how much weight I've lost.

Reagan loves her swing!

And her thumb. *sigh*

And mommy loves this little monkey outfit. And her little monkey girl!

And some of you may recognize this dress. This was the dress I was blessed in nearly 25 years ago.

Sleep well my little angel girl!

Banana Hammock

2011-12-25T21:38:00.001-08:00

Not a bad way to spend Christmas. Or any day for that matter. Ryan's favorite gift (Skye and Reagan like it too)...

Christmas Presents

2011-12-25T21:31:00.001-08:00

When we got back from Ko'olina there were packages waiting for us.

Aunt Patty sent this ornament for Reagan.

Nanna and Papa (for clarity purposes Nan and Pop are Ryan's grandparents while Nanna and Papa are Ryan's parents) gave Reagan this beautiful silver bracelet with her monogram engraved on it.

I got some lovely jewelry!
Mahalo everyone!

Reagan's Big Week

2011-12-25T21:21:00.001-08:00

So Reagan had a big week with a lot of firsts (some legitimate some not). On Tuesday the 20th she sat up on her own for the first time. Ryan and I were both stunned, but it must have been a fluke thing because she hasn't done it since. On Wednesday the 21st she held her own bottle for the first time. This actually doesn't count because I just propped it in her open upraised hand and she only "held" it there for about 60 seconds. On Thursday the 22nd she had her first real laugh which completely melted my heart. And on Friday the 23rd she discovered something and made it a habit. It gives me slight cause to worry...

Yes, my baby now sucks her thumb. I wouldn't be so worried if I were like my sisters and had kicked the habit while still a toddler but I didn't stop sucking my thumb until... ahem.... the age of nine.

Let It Snow!

2011-12-24T17:21:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year again when militant atheist heads across the country begin spinning (and in some cases exploding). It seems that every year the outrage gets more intense and the "offenses" get more outrageous. I heard once from an agnostic that Christians try to "hijack" certain symbols to make them associated with Jesus Christ. As far as I'm concerned, Christians have little need of stealing or hijacking anything as long as atheists continue to ascribe seemingly unrelated objects to Christianity.
Objects in recent memory include:
The crèche or nativity. Okay that's obviously Christian.
A fir tree. Fine, it's a stretch but I'll give it to ya.
Colored lights. Say what?
And the new one this year....... snow. Yes you read that right.
I read a piece this morning on the Internet by Derek Powazek of Gizmodo. In his article he asserts that the well known website Flickr is forcing Christianity on its users by decorating their homepage with animated colored lights and "three little snowflakes" that once clicked on release a blizzard of little snowflakes on the screen. Obviously this is more than a good atheist like Powazek can stomach. He also says that Flickr has done Christmassy things in past years as well and gives two examples: a Santa hat and - you guessed it - snow. What is this guy's obsession with snow? And how is it related to Christianity? Is he afraid it's going to melt and he'll be baptized? Or maybe he lives in a warm climate and thinks that snow is a commercial item only available at Christmas time instead of an act of nature.
So by default snow must also represent maternity, patriotism, love, gratitude, and wearing green because, thanks to living in Idaho, I've experienced snow on Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Mother's Day, and the 4th of July.
Merry Christmas everyone! And that includes all the grinches out there that want to steal it.

Mele Kalikimaka! (almost)

2011-12-22T20:38:00.001-08:00

Since Ryan has to work Saturday - Wednesday we decided to have Christmas early. We travelled to the other side of the island to stay at the Joneses. Ryan made a fabulous Christmas feast of roasted ham, twice baked potatoes, and crescent rolls!

We bought this little shrub in the garden section of Wal-Mart. Ryan decorated it, even drawing and coloring the pictures around the base.

So you can get a feel for the size we set it next to the baby.

And when we discovered this we put the tree outside. You see those light colored beads? Those weren't in there when we bought and decorated the tree. Those "beads" are actually gecko eggs. Now we don't mind a gecko or two in the apartment, but we didn't want all these babies to hatch!

Reagan's first Christmas present! Of course she was too interested in the ceiling to care so daddy opened it for her.

Yay for fluffy teddy bears! Thank you Nan and Pop!

Ryan's present from work: chocolate mushrooms and gum. I'd never had these chocolate mushrooms before and I have to say now, they might just be a new favorite!
Sorry we didn't get any pictures of me opening the family calendar but I'm sure y'all don't mind.

The best present ever!!!!

Nice and clean after her Christmas bath. She decided to blow out her diaper right before dinner.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for a fabulous New Year!

Fat, Happy, and Just Too Cute!

2011-12-21T13:06:00.001-08:00

Nanna gave us this outfit and I've been waiting for Reagan to grow into it!

My pretty girl

2011-12-14T10:47:00.001-08:00

Because I just can't get enough pictures of her!

Sunday after church.

Going to the ward Christmas party.

Our little elf!

Nanna Rocks My Sock!

2011-12-14T10:41:00.001-08:00

She blings them out anyway!

Thank you Nanna for the pretty socks!

Baby Hulk

2011-12-06T20:12:00.001-08:00

Now that we've discovered the problem and have rectified it (baby was not getting enough to eat so we have supplemented with formula), Reagan has been crying less, sleeping more, and beefing up at an astounding rate! My skinny little babe is becoming a hulk with jowls, a double chin, and even thunder thighs replacing her chicken legs!

How big is Reagan? So big!

More pictures

2011-12-06T20:05:00.001-08:00

Ryan shows Grandma the iPad after she asked "What is that thing?"

I need a vacation....

2011-11-30T11:46:00.001-08:00

....from my vacation! This trip, like the Utah trip, was busy busy busy! Go go go without a minute to spare!

She did awesome on all five flights. When she wasn't sleeping she was just curiously looking around. The only flight she started to fuss on was the last one coming back to Hawaii. After 17 hours of travel we were all a little fussy.

I love this picture when she's smiling at herself in the mirror! She's so cute!

Of course she had to be all squeaky clean for the festivities of the week which included: Thanksgiving, rehearsal dinner, a trip to Columbia to visit the cousins, wedding, luncheon, reception, birthday party for Uncle Bobo and cousin Adam, the double baby blessing, and a trip to Grandma Peggy's. And all the smunching from the many relatives visiting.

Abbi Grace waiting for Jaimie and Matt to emerge.

Mr. and Mrs. Stokes

I'm a good bridesmaid and do what I'm told because it makes the bride happy (even if it means wearing flats!).

My handsome honey!

The special musical number at the ring exchange ceremony.

Cody nicknamed the bridesmaids "The Pumpkin Patch".

Too many pictures now, more to come later!

A Mother's Joy

2011-11-20T10:12:00.001-08:00

I love my precious little girl! How could I not? And I love this cute onesie my sister gave me. It says, "This is my little black dress." I just can't get enough pictures of her!

Sleeping Beauties

2011-11-17T22:20:00.001-08:00

I'm the luckiest person on the planet because this morning I got to wake up to...

Two Weeks

2011-11-13T20:58:00.001-08:00

Thursday the 10th was sweet baby Reagan's two week check up. We took some pictures before we left. Remember this outfit? She wore it home from the hospital. I wanted to see if she had grown any and if it fit her better. It was about the same.

She has grown a little. When she was born she was 7 pounds 1 ounce and 19 inches long. She is now 7 pounds 5 ounces and 20 3/4 inches long.

To Miss a Moment

2011-11-09T17:06:00.001-08:00

One of my greatest faults (of which I have many) is that I'm always looking forward to the next thing. That may not sound like a bad thing, but it is when you do it the way I do. Sometimes, okay much of the time, I get so caught up in planning and looking to the future that I forget to live in the present. I can't count the number of times my dad had to tell me "stop worrying and be a kid" when I was growing up. My parents told me frequently that I wanted to grow up too fast. I'd look forward to holidays forgetting to enjoy and celebrate the every day. I'd look forward to "milestone" birthdays forgetting to thrive at whatever age I happen to be. I'd look forward to the next move forgetting to explore and find beauty in whatever place I was living.
I don't want to do this with Reagan. I want to remember every cute facial expression, every little outfit, the outings in the stroller, the way her tiny body snuggles into mine as she naps. I want to remember everything. Already she's changed so much. That precious face has already started to fill out and become rounder. She's put on more weight, especially around the middle. And that smooth baby skin has already succumbed to large amounts of baby acne. It hit me when Parker was here just how much my baby will change in the small amount of time of one year. And I don't want to miss a moment of it. I haven't complained once about the lack of sleep (I had that before the baby anyway), the dirty diapers, the frequent feedings, the inexplicable crying. I know that one day it will all be gone... and so will my baby.

Out and About

2011-11-08T20:26:00.001-08:00

Today Reagan got a package from her great Nanny and Pop full of nice hat's, bib's, sleepers, a blanket and some rattle bracelets (which she particularly loved).

By the way thanks Cunningham sisters for the great stroller.

Also thank you again Lata Sua for the wonderful roses you sent in the hospital, they were very appreciated.

Daddy and Reagan

2011-11-05T15:13:00.001-07:00

One of the reasons we chose the name Reagan (there's more than one) is because Ryan and Reagan are believed to come from the same root word meaning "king" or "kingly" (kind of how king in Spanish is rey). And Reagan loves her daddy!

And he's pretty much wrapped around her tiny finger!

Get your Reagan pics fix

2011-11-03T16:30:00.001-07:00

As Requested

2011-11-01T16:02:00.001-07:00

For those of you begging for more pictures, here's a few good ones. The two things we are told most about Reagan by the medical staff and friends is that she is very alert and super strong. These pictures capture both. She spends most of her days wide awake quietly observing the world around her. I don't know what baby vision is like so I don't know what she actually sees, but it's fun to watch her curious little eyes wander.
She has also been holding her head up since day one. When they placed her on my breast immediately after birth, she pushed up on her hands and half crawled half squirmed her way up to my shoulder. She is definitely a squirmy little thing.

Happy Halloween!

2011-11-01T15:45:00.001-07:00

Even though they were huge on her, we dressed her in her Halloween sleepers that Nana sent from Georgia. She wore the My First Halloween one for the doctor and the skeleton one for trick-or-treaters. The skeleton actually glows in the dark!

Baby's Beautiful Bed.

2011-10-31T00:47:00.001-07:00

We are borrowing one of our neighbors basinets for little Reagan, and what can I say I love to share pictures of our angel.

This is our baby corner, or nursery since the house is essentially one room.

And here is our bundle of joy.

Our Hawaiian pumpkin.

2011-10-29T20:48:00.001-07:00

So the day has finally come. At 2:30 p.m. on the 25th we checked into the Kaiser Permanente Hospital in Honolulu for an induction. 4 days overdue, having contractions, 1 cm dilated, 40% effaced and ready to go. At 4 they started Skye on Cervadil, to thin out her uterus. At 5:30 am they removed the Cervadil and Skye was now 2 cm and 50%. At 12,noon, they inverted a Foley Bulb...Ouch. (one the one of the nurses was shocked that Skye did it without pain medication). An hour later they started her on Pitocin, a contraction inducing drug. At 3 pm the Bulb came out and Skye was now at 4 cm. For a little while the steady contractions were not too bad as they kept increasing the doses of Pitocin. By 11:00 pm the contractions were, on a scale of 1 to 10, a 12 according to Skye, they were 1-1.5 minutes apart. She was so exhausted and they were so intense that Skye was going into shock with each contraction (violent shaking, sweating, etc). So Skye decided to get some medicine to manage the pain. They tried Fentinol to relax her, but it wore off after only 25 minutes so she finally decided, at 12:30 am after 33 hours of labor, to get an epidural. The nurse that gave it to Skye was amazing. Even after Skye could still move around walk and feel when the contractions happened but there was no pain just pressure. At 3 am they put Skye on oxygen due to baby's heart rate dropping. At 3:30 am her water broke, at 5 am Skye was 9 cm and at 6:10 started pushing. And after about 40 hours of labor, at 8:08 am on 27 Oct. 2011, Reagan Elisabeth Lowry entered the world at 7 lbs 1 oz and 19 inches long. For the next 2 days Skye recouped from low blood pressure, anemia, exhaustion and a class 4 laceration or rip which needed some repair and some "cosmetic" stitches. And Reagan had Jaundice.
So when all was over, at 12:30 pm on 29 October we were all released from the hospital and arrived home at 1:35 pm, tired but glad to have our beautiful Reagan Elisabeth home and healthy.
And now for the pictures;

HAPPY HALLOWEEN

Grateful

2011-10-17T14:11:00.001-07:00

Cramps. Contractions. All day. Being pregnant was not at all what I expected. I had several friends and even one sister that seemed to just breeze through it. Then there was me: all-day-and-then-some sickness, minor infections, twisted round ligaments, anemia, and now my constant labor pains. I almost -almost- wanted to sink into a pathetic state of self pity until I thought of a few things:
1. I wasn't sick my entire pregnancy.
2. I don't have the chronic back pain that some women experience.
3. I have no major complications.
4. My baby is healthy (and oh so beautiful!).
5. I have no stretch marks due to pregnancy.
6. My ankles and feet and legs are not swollen.
And most of all
7. I can have children. I'm sure there are many women who would endure much worse just to be a mom.
Yup, can't really feel sorry for myself now.
Have a fabulous day!

Update

2011-10-14T21:12:00.001-07:00

So here's the deal: since week 29 I have had painful cramping in my lower abdomen several times a day. I have also had contractions on a daily basis.
Starting at week 36 I have had even more intense (can't walk, can't talk), steady contractions. I can't follow the 5-1-1 or 4-1-1 rule because I've had them five minutes apart, lasting one minute, for upwards of six hours and still no baby. The baby has also been applying a lot of pressure on my pelvis with her head. For the last three weeks I've been dilated between 1/2 and 1 and between 80-90% effaced. With our insurance, we see who ever is on duty, we don't necessarily have a set doctor we see every time. Every doctor or nurse I've seen for the last three weeks makes the same comment, "Wow baby is really low and is really pushing. She's ready to come out, all we need now is for your contractions to start..." Are you kidding me? Contractions are not the problem.
Anyway, at yesterday's check-up everything was normal until they measured my belly. After a couple times measuring, the doctor said she would have to order an ultra sound because I was measuring small. Even though the most likely reason is that the baby is simply in a different position, it's procedure to do the ultra sound anyway just to be safe.
It was a good thing because we actually got to see our baby for the first time (see the post below). The nurse technician asked if I had always measured small and I told her that I was not aware of it if I had. She checked all the vital stuff - fluid, cord, placenta (I don't know why but I hate that word. It makes me shutter) - and it all looked fine so she informed us that Ryan and I simply "make" small babies. Our baby is about 6 lbs. Doesn't sound too bad (after all, Ryan was a 6 lb. baby as were two of his siblings), but you have to remember I live in Hawaii, many of the Polynesian, and haole, women have large babies. And for a Cunningham baby, that's pretty small.
Anyway, so that's our update for now. Hopefully our next update will be a birth announcement.

Incredible

2011-10-14T20:53:00.001-07:00

Today was our third ultra sound (see story above for details). The first was at 8 weeks when she looked just like a little gummy bear. She twitched and moved an arm nub, but that was pretty much it. The next was at 17 weeks when we found out she was a girl. She looked more like a baby, but still just kind of a blob-like. Then there was today. She's not just a baby to me anymore, she's a person. When you see the things I saw today, I don't know what kind of sane person can argue that my baby is not a living being. You would have to be heartless or crazy to justify that.
Usually I'm not a big fan of 3-D ultra sounds, the first one they did when our baby was 17 weeks was weird and kind of creepy. But today was different. It was an amazing experience. Even the nurses said they hadn't seen anything like it. They kept calling to each other to come look. They apologized it was taking so long, but they said this was a rare treat for them and they wanted to watch as long as they could. They even put her picture on their "Wall of Fame" where they keep their favorite ultra sound pictures. Their only complaint was that our baby moves so much and so rapidly it was hard for them to get clear pictures.
I saw incredible things that these still photos don't capture. She kept her eyes open the entire time (the nurses said that rarely ever happens, they kept muttering "amazing"), she opened and closed her mouth repeatedly, she winced, she smiled, she played with her fingers, she touched her face... it was just... beyond words.
One of my sisters said our baby looked creepy, but in a good way. I think she's the most beautiful thing I've ever seen (even if she is a little creepy ;-) ) and I can't wait to meet her.

Sorry the pictures aren't the best, they're pictures of not very clear prints.

That line across her cheek is the umbilical cord.

Ryan likes this picture because it looks like she's sticking out her tongue.

She blinked here so she looks like a peaceful, sleeping baby.

Technology blows my mind! I know, small explosion right? ;-)

FYI

2011-10-11T12:51:00.001-07:00

Hey it's Skye. Just FYI: I deleted my Facebook account so if you're looking for me, you won't find me.
Have a great day!

Great Expectations

2011-10-10T18:10:00.001-07:00

As most of you know, I like to read books that teach principles of success. A recurring theme that comes up often is this: "You don't always get what you want, you don't always get what you deserve (thank heaven!), but you almost always get what you expect." It's a proven fact that the person who wakes up saying "Today's going to be a great day" has a better day than the person who wakes up and says (or groans) "Ugghh".
So what is my great expectation? I want to have a natural childbirth: no drugs, no "assistance", no interventions. That being said let me clarify a few things. First, I've learned never to say never so I am leaving my mind, and options, open. As with everything in life, we'll take it one step at a time. Second, I believe that birth is unique to every woman and I don't feel that any one way is the best way for everyone. If you carried a baby all those months and brought it into the world, I don't care how it came - you deserve a medal! Third, I'm not trying to prove anything. After kidney stones, ulcers, and large ovarian cysts, I don't feel the need to prove to anyone that I'm tough. And I don't think that having a natural birth makes a woman a better person or a better mother than a woman who had an assisted delivery.
I'm simply doing this because I feel like it's right for me. Childbirth, in my mind, is a very personal thing and until I got pregnant I thought it a very private thing. It didn't take long for me to realize that most people, even guys, have no problem asking very probing questions. The one I get asked most is "Are you having an epidural?" It's hard to fight the urge to ask "Why does it matter to you?" and instead smile and explain how I feel. Usually my reply is met by a condescending smirk and a guarantee that I won't last an hour without one. Sometimes women look concerned and try to kindly lecture me on how I'm a wide-eyed Pollyanna that just doesn't understand how hard childbirth is. When I meet either of these kinds of women I politely change the subject or end the conversation. I don't want negative in my brain.
I never said I expected easy or painless or even fast. I only said natural. Why is that so hard for people to accept? Why does everyone feel the need to tell me how they feel about my decision?
So how do I "channel" my expectations? I seek out women who are supportive and positive. I have spoken with three women recently who have experienced birth in almost every way thinkable and all said that their natural birth was there favorite experience. I take just a few minutes everyday to mentally visualize a positive labor and delivery. I read books about the benefits of natural childbirth and the stories of mothers who have had great success delivering naturally. Lastly, I tell myself that I can do this. I was made to do this.
So there you have it. In a week or two I'll put up a post telling you how it went :-)

Ryan's Shed

2011-10-02T19:13:00.001-07:00

I have an awesome husband! Last week he used his two days off to build this little shed behind the house. We're learning the hard way that babies take up a lot of space and when you only have 277 sq. ft. to work with.... well you get the idea. So Ryan created a space for us to store stuff like my saddle, our boogie boards, snorkel gear, tennis rackets, etc.

What do you think? Someone from church asked what we were doing and I jokingly replied "Building a nursery". He thought that was actually pretty funny.

For Donna

2011-10-01T15:46:00.001-07:00

When I mentioned that I tried riding the motorcycle last week (for the first time in a long time) my mother-in-law laughed and said "I want a picture of that!"
So here you go...

It takes me two attempts and help from Ryan to climb on. Also, it made me laugh last week when Ryan asked "Can you move back any? Your belly's poking me."

PS - No, we do not ride around dressed like this. You may notice that the Shadow is still chained to the wall. This was just a picture we took one evening for Donna.

A Day At Turtle Bay

2011-09-25T19:53:00.001-07:00

Mostly for Travis and Cali and their family...

If you watch "Lost" (which I've never seen), you might recognize this banyan tree. It's also in Pirates of the Caribbean 4, Alvin and the Chipmunks 3, and Journey to the Center of the Earth 2.

Beautiful hiking trails through the woods...

Kawela Bay. Usually very secluded, like this.

A potential blow hole although the water is never high enough to spout out of it.

Kawela Bay from the other side.

View of Turtle Bay Resort from the WWII bunker.

Bull Hawaiian monk seal.

There's a picnic area under the tree at this little catch and release pond. They stock it with small tilapia and koi. It's next to the Fazio golf course and the stables.

Can you believe Ryan and I get to come out here every day for work?

Baby Shower

2011-09-17T12:37:00.001-07:00

Friday night my "aunties" had a baby shower for me at the church (FYI: in Hawaii all people older than you are referred to as auntie or uncle regardless of relationship). But before I go into that I have some nice pictures I'd like to show to you...

Some of you may remember the pictures of my first attempt curl my own hair from last year. It was messy, sloppy, took an hour and a half, and still held no curl. I am proud to announce that I have been working at it for a year now and I believe I have made significant improvement. My curlers stay in better, my hair holds curl, and it only takes 20-40 minutes to put all the rollers in my hair. Personal victory!
PS - all the highlights are natural from the Hawaiian sunshine.

35 weeks!

My belly quite literally EXPLODED just in the last 5 DAYS. It's incredible how fast I've outgrown clothes, even some maternity clothes.

These pictures were taken at the beginning of the shower before everyone had arrived. Some ladies dropped off gifts, but were unable to stay. I also got a couple of gifts from the library staff which was very nice of them.

From left to right: Liz Logan, Colleen Logan, Fran Corcoran, me, Paulette Taylor, Shauna Thee, Maren Hancock, Carrie Hancock (who is expecting in February).

The lady sitting next to me in this picture is Sarah Soakai, she is also expecting and is due in December.

This picture makes me laugh because I look like I have a double chin. Hehehehehehe!

Others whose love and support I appreciate (but who managed to stay out of the pictures) are Pii Cocco (the awesome hostess), Paige Nemrow, Hani Niania, Margaret Erdenebat, Jayne Gubler, Lotta Sua, and Kristin Kirk. Mahalo to all of you!

34 Weeks

2011-09-11T18:34:00.001-07:00

34 weeks and a couple days. I like to take pictures on Sunday since it's the only day I fix my hair and wear make up.

When I Was 8 1/2 Months....

2011-09-11T01:47:00.001-07:00

I hear that a lot now. Mostly because most strangers don't believe I'm really almost 9 months pregnant. I don't blame them since I have a work uniform that swallows me. The conversation usually starts when tourists try to do some small talk and ask if I have kids. "Not for another six weeks" is my reply. The different reactions are great. For some people it goes right over their head, a few look confused but don't ask, some try to then look at the belly without making it look like they're looking, but most people respond with, "OMG! Are you pregnant? I couldn't even tell! Girl you're tiny! You look great!" Then comes the stories about how absolutely HUGE they were at 8 months and how lucky I am. Don't get me wrong, I do feel fortunate not to look like a Thanksgiving parade balloon, but it does annoy me when people try to write off any back pain or swelling I have as nothing simply because I'm not the female equivalent of the Stay Puffed Marshmellow Man. A lady at church actually told me I was being a wimp when I had the audacity to sit down in a grocery aisle and rest because my contractions were so intense (whoever said Braxton Hicks don't hurt should change places with me for a day). I'm still carrying around extra weight that my body isn't used to. I'm 33 pounds over my normal weight. Quite a feat considering I initially lost somewhere between 12 - 15 pounds the first 3 1/2 months. Oh well, people are always going to be judgmental and always base their evaluation of others on what they think other people should feel according to their own experience.

My less-than-flattering work uniform.

For those of you that weren't aware, I stopped working at the ranch at the end of July. The second week of August I got a job out at Turtle Bay at the Hele Huli Adventure Center. Here I make reservations for guests for recreational activities like helicopter rides, kayak tours, surf lessons, tennis lessons and court times, horseback riding, Segway tours, etc. We also rent out snorkel equipment, beach floats, backpacks, mopeds, bicycles, tennis gear, underwater cameras, boogie boards, skimboards and the like. To top it all off I also get to make shave ice for customers (hint, you know someone is not local if they request "shaved" ice).

Also, when I am wearing a shirt that shows the belly I get asked this depressing question a lot, "Did you just have a baby?"
That would actually discourage me if I didn't belong in this gene pool:

I think I'll be okay.

Four Years!

2011-09-09T22:53:00.001-07:00

As you well know, Tuesday was our four year anniversary! Well, both of us had to work so we didn't do much celebrating that day, but we did later in the week. There were two things I really wanted to do this year: I wanted to do sealings at the temple and go out for breakfast.
On Wednesday we went to the temple with a handful of family names for the sealing session. The sealer, Brother Mahelona, recognized us from previous sealing sessions and told us he was happy to see us again. It was then I noticed the witness to his left - an elderly gentlemen with a cane wearing the name tag "Roy K. Machado". I gasped silently. I hadn't recognized him but I recognized the name from my marriage certificate. Brother Machado was the man who sealed Ryan and I four years ago. How fortunate that we met up with him that day! I went up to him afterward, introduced myself, shook his hand, and thanked him for his service in the temple. It was a wonderful experience that I will always cherish!
On Thursday we had to go to town for a doctor's appointment so we decided to go to a restaurant recommended to us called Boots & Kimo.

They are said to have the best pancakes on the island. So we bit the bullet and entered the tourist trap (if anyone tells you it's a local hangout they're lying, other than the servers it was all tourists). But I have to admit, the pancakes were pretty gosh darn delicious!

This is the stack of onolicious pancakes with the special macadamia nut sauce. It was sooooooo rich and creamy! It was delicious! The sauce was light and frothy and sweet, but not overpowering. It was good! A sweet ending to our anniversary celebration!

(mis)adventures In Paradise

2011-08-18T19:59:00.001-07:00

Since Ryan and I both had yesterday (Wed the 17th) off, we decided to take a little kayaking adventure to Goat Island. It's a quaint little island that's a sea bird preserve so there's no camping or pets allowed. Also, you can only walk on the outer perimeter of the island as the middle is reserved for shearwater and other ocean fowl.

Here's a little fish that kept swimming alongside Ryan. There aren't many good pictures of him because he wouldn't get farther than a few inches from Ryan's face (and Ryan had the camera).

An egg we found on the walking path. We also saw some baby sea bird chicks but we didn't want to disturb them so we didn't take pictures.

Things I learned this trip:
1. Despite what everyone I have talked to has told me, I do not float while pregnant. I sink. Like a rock.
2. While everyone has seen, on tv and movies at least, a kayak flip roll or flip sideways, if taken out on big waves it can flip vertically. I do not recommend trying this for fun, you feel like you've been hit by a truck afterward.
3. Those killer abs I used to have... yeah they're gone. After the kayak flipped I tried to swim for shore. It was much harder than I remember. Also climbing into the kayak was very difficult.

So here's the whole story, coming back from the island the wind had picked up and the waves were larger than when we had gone to the island. Well, we caught probably the largest wave of the day right at the wrong moment, it picked us up vertically and broke right on top of us. Ryan flipped the kayak upright and after much struggle I climbed back in (not easy to do 30 lbs. overweight, 7 months pregnant, and in water way over my head). But the waves were just too strong and too big, every time Ryan got on the kayak we got flipped again (luckily we rolled sideways these times). Three times Ryan turned the kayak upright and, amazingly, I got back in only to be thrown back into the sea. The fourth time he flipped it over I told him to get in, paddle to shore, and I'd swim in, I just couldn't do it again (Ryan said he was impressed that I did it once, let alone three times). No sooner had I spoken, I hadn't even had the chance to hand him my oar, when another big wave caught the kayak and pushed Ryan all the way into shore. So I swam in lugging my paddle (it's amazing that both of us kept ahold of them during this whole thing).
Oh well, just another day in paradise.

The improbable (but seemingly less impossible) dream

2011-08-15T01:51:00.001-07:00

Earlier this year I found out two of my sisters were going to have babies. It was rumored then that my mom had expressed a dream or wish to see all of her daughters (except Cali, she has announced that her family is complete) have babies within a year. Ha! Impossible, I said. I laughed her off so fast! Ryan and I weren't even thinking about kids. I had just managed to get hired on after assuring my boss that I was not going to start a family for at least another year. I had posted online that I was not ready, eager, or otherwise willing to have a baby any time soon. Fast forward six weeks when I find out (surprise!) I'm eight weeks pregnant. So that's 3/5, I start to think this dream my mom has just might be possible. Now with the most recent announcement of the Guffey family, that's 4/5. This crazy dream of my mom's seems to be slowly turning into a reality.
So Hillary and Jake, anything you care to mention at this point?

29 Weeks (and two days)

2011-08-07T16:30:00.001-07:00

THE END (for now)

Adventures in Life

2011-08-05T14:59:00.001-07:00

I have found that the best way to get unsolicited "advice" and "help" from strangers is to have a baby. It makes even the most shy and timid of women break out of their shell in order to tell you what you're doing wrong. I've learned to smile and nod and take it with a grain of salt. Since I know these are not women who are wanting to hurt me or prove their point, they are just genuinely concerned, I thank them and tell them I'll keep their advice in mind.
I've been lectured on just about everything: working with dangerous horses, drinking empty calorie soda, eating non-organic produce, cooling off with sugar laden otter pops, riding on a deadly motorcycle, being out in the sun too much, eating food that isn't cooked right, lifting stuff that's too heavy, etc.
So my latest stunt that raised the ire of innocent onlookers:

That's right. It was a beautiful day so Ryan and I went kayaking. I did not over exert myself, we stayed close to shore, and, as with everything I do, I listened to the messages my body was sending. However that did not stop a kindly young stranger, who happens to have three children of her own, from approaching me back on shore and expressing her sincere concern that I wasn't being careful enough and that I didn't fully understand the delicacy my condition.
I smiled and thanked her for her concern. It's all part of the adventures in life I guess.

A Year's Supply

2011-07-29T17:11:00.001-07:00

So when the prophets say to have a year supply of goods, I don't think this is what they meant.
Two weeks ago I mentioned going to the Turtle Bay employee appreciation dinner. They gave away several awesome door prizes including free helicopter rides, free kayak tours, $50 gift certificates to restaurants, gift baskets, and even a stay down at the Waikiki Hilton. Ryan was a fortunate one who won a prize that night. As he brought the envelope back to our table we eagerly opened it anxious to see our prize.
It was....

AYears Supply of Pepsi.

You can add that to our bribe list. Just how much is a year's supply of Pepsi? Well for one adult Pepsi Co figures it out to be twelve 24 packs or 288 cans. Yeah. So crack open a nice cold Pepsi, we'll be doing it for a while.

For (my dad) Papa Lowry

2011-07-20T18:54:00.001-07:00

So for my birthday last year my dad got me an underwater camera. And since we live in Hawaii and are not vacationers we; don't get to the beach as often as we would like, and when we do we forget to take the camera, are pansies when it comes to cold water and have had a lot of rain this year which makes for limited beach time and murky water. We did try to take it out one night but when we got it out in the water we realized it didn't have a flash.... Oops. So today was beautiful and the water a little chilly but we sucked it up and took the camera across the street....forgetting to put in the memory card :?(. Here are the pictures that were clear enough to see what was in it.

So there you have it. Did you know that it is really hard to take a picture while being tossed by the waves? And the fish don't really hold still for you to take there picture, go figure. I can't wait till I can take it to 30 or 60 feet deep where I won't have the buoyancy problems and maybe get some goot shots. The camera did work great though and we had a lot of fun trying to take pictures until we got the "memory full" screen only 12 pictures later. Oh well, next time we will remember the card.

That's a New One

2011-07-14T12:16:00.001-07:00

So having a semi-unusual name means people usually call me by the wrong name more often than they use the right one. And it's never spelled right. The number one mistake? Star. In college so many people called me Star I quickly learned to just answer to it. Other common offenders are Skyler, Ty, Summer, Sunny, and even Rain. But tonight at a Turtle Bay party I got a new one that I hadn't heard, one of Ryan's coworkers called me Song the entire night. The jury's still out on whether she forgot my name, she had had a few too many glasses of wine, or a combination of the two.
So good night from your Summer Star Song!

A Few Bribes

2011-07-10T15:50:00.001-07:00

It seems that family members are more reluctant to visit us in Hawaii than I had originally thought possible. In the year and a half that we've lived here Ryan and I have made three trips to the mainland and seen all of our family members (with the exception of Cody), but we have received only two visits despite at least a half a dozen promises from friends and family to come visit. Perhaps beaches and palm trees aren't enough to motivate the family, after all, there are beaches and palm trees in Florida, South Carolina, Louisiana, and Georgia too. So I thought I'd throw out a few "incentives" to try to get more visitors.
#1. Transportation. Ryan and I recently purchased a family vehicle (hospitals kind of frown on bringing babies home on motorcycles or city buses) so there would be no need to rent a car upon arrival. *Pictures coming soon*
#2. Goat Island. That's not the official name but that's what locals call it. Ask mom, it's like having your own private island. It's a shearwater and other sea bird nesting preserve so you aren't allowed to build fires, camp, or walk through the interior of the island which means that it's actually quite pristine. If you come in the fall or other time when the kids are in school, you're almost guaranteed to have it to yourself.
#3. Toys. Because Ryan works at a resort where tourists tend to discard the things they've bought in order to avoid lugging it all home, we've been able to acquire snorkeling gear, boogie boards, beach mats, camp chairs, beach pails and shovels, golf gear, a crib, and coolers. We also have a skimboard for those that relish the more dangerous sports.
#4. Chinatown. Sure every major city in the United States has a Chinatown, but ours is the best. Trust me.
#5. Humpback whales. If you come November - April you usually don't have to take a boat tour to see them. Ryan has actually been lucky enough to see one breach completely out of the water! PS - do not confuse beach with breach. We had an unfortunate incident in Laie on Memorial Day when a baby sperm whale was beached and eventually died.
#6. Hukilau Cafe. Featured on both the Travel Channel and Food Network, it's definitely a local hot spot. Ryan and I both love The Hungry Hawaiian breakfast plate. I shocked all the cooks and waitresses when my 120lb. haole self finished the whole thing plus an extra side of bacon. Their most famous offering is the Hukilau Burger. To see this delicious mountain of meat I recommend you log onto Netflix (or hack into Hillary's) and watch Man v. Food Honolulu.
#7. The Joneses. Where do Ryan and I go when we need to escape the dull drums of Laie? The Joneses in Koolina. They have a pool and a hot tub and air conditioning (something I never cared for until I hit about 5 1/2 months). They also live right next to the Mariott Resort which houses the shark and stingray lagoons (free!) and Disney's new Aulani resort.
#8. Housing. Sure our little studio can't really accommodate guests, but we do have connections in the Laie and surrounding community. Yes, our other housing plans fell through. So no giant hotel fees.
#9. Employee discount. However, if you did want to stay a couple nights in a luxurious resort, Ryan does get a discount on room rates for family members
#10. Shave Ice. You know you want it.
#11. Malasadas. You know you want this blissful confection too.
#12. Glow Putt. Since Ryan and I hadn't been on an actual date in months, we decided to do the Glow Putt course in Kaneohe. It definitely gets high marks for effects for having glow-in-the-dark balls, putters, score cards, and course outlines. Giant glowing elephants, lions, tigers, monkeys, trees, birds, and zebras adorn the walls of this jungle themed course. The course itself lacks overall difficulty, although some individual holes were fairly hard. All in all a great place that I can't wait to take visitors! *pictures coming soon*
#13. Holiday fun. You can read all about the (free) Turtle Bay bash and the Halloween madness that we experience on October 31st in last year's blog post. But there's also a lot of fun around Thanksgiving. Like many wards we have a Turkey Bowl, but we also have a bishop (Vonn Logan) who puts together a community imu every year. Here's how it works: it's a boy scout fundraiser so you buy a ticket from a young man in the ward, go buy the biggest aluminum roasting pan you can find, and stuff it to the max! Last year we did a 12lb. turkey and a large pork butt. Slow roasted to perfection overnight, the meat is juicy, tender, and oh so flavorful! While the pork absorbs the smoky flavors of the smoldering banana leaves, the turkey... not so much. A lot of people do their turkey in the imu, but this year Ryan and I are doing what many locals do - skipping the turkey and doing just pork butts. There's a lot to be thankful for!
#14. Byodo-In. Tucked away in the majestic Valley of the Temples is this peaceful Buddhist shrine. It's absolutely beautiful! Everything just makes for a beautiful picture: the misty Koolau mountains in the background, the black swans floating gently on the pond, the golden glimmer of the koi under the footbridge, etc. Plus there's a giant gong you can ring, a small hiking path, and the tallest gold statue of Buddha outside of Japan.
#15. Farmer's Market. I love that Hawaii is such a melting pot! And few places make that as evident as the farmer's market. Asian vegetables, tropical exotic fruits, Hawaiian seafood, and baked goods (the main attraction) ranging from Asian to European to Polynesian to Latin influence all make it worth while.
#16. Gunstock Ranch. I get killer discounts on horseback rides. The best is the 90 minute scenic ride. We also have 30 minute keiki rides for children under 7. There's also goats, sheep, rabbits, and miniature horses to pet.
#17. Tahitian Coconut Bread. It's one of our favorite treats and it takes a few hours to make since I do it completely from scratch - right down to harvesting the coconuts off the tree. Whether it's loaves or fry bread or delectable coconut dumplings, I would make it for you! Plus locals have told me I make it well which is one of the best compliments a haole can receive.
#18. Kama'aina rates. Many places like the zoo, the aquarium, the PCC, the water park, etc. have kama'aina discounts for residents and both Ryan and I are residents. We also have lots of discount cards to grocery stores and restaurants and other outlets (like Glow Putt).
#19. Turtle Bay. There's so much to do here! The beaches are nice, but there's also hiking trails that span the immense property. See the "Lost" banyan tree (I've actually never seen "Lost") or the site of the mermaid lagoon in Pirates 4 or scenes from Soul Surfer. There's also the resort stuff if you want to pay for it: segway tours, moped and bicycle rentals, horse rides on the beach, kayak tours, surf lessons, the spa, etc. Oh, and they have great restaurants like Leonardo's and Lei Lei's. The latter makes some of the best chocolate chip cookies in the universe. Plus the lobby of the resort has two stunningly beautiful McCaws.
#20. The grill master. Take advantage of Ryan's superb grilling skills as he makes tender, juicy, meaty, mouthwatering entrees on the gas grill. Who needs Bobby Flay?
#21. Food Fest. Similar to the farmer's market it's a true taste of the different flavors of the world. Plus there's entertainment and fun stuff for kids like inflatable jump castles and the like. See my post from last year.
#22. Spear fishing. Ryan enjoys spear fishing so much that one of the first things we bought in Hawaii was a three pronged spear. Thanks to Travis we have also recently acquired a spear gun.
#23. Art galleries. Mainly in Haleiwa. We enjoy going to them because they're free to enter and fun to see the different art styles and displays. It makes for great conversation too. I really enjoy walking through them.
#24. Motorcycle rides. The best way to see Hawaii is by motorcycle, no annoying windows or rooftops in your way. I prefer a 2001 Honda Shadow for the experience.
#25. Chinaman's Hat. Also an island with a different name, but locals and tourists just use the nickname. Swim or paddle out on a boogie board and then climb to the very tip top of the "hat". The view is incredible!
#26. The best reason of all - you'll get to see the cutest baby ever born in Hawaii!
I hope you all agree now that Hawaii can be a rewarding, and perhaps a little more affordable, vacation!

Belly Bumps and Four Eyes

2011-06-30T22:58:00.001-07:00

24 Weeks or 6 Months

On a side note, about ten days ago I got new glasses. It was about time since my old ones are the originals I got when I was 13. They're so bad I can't see out of them. Every year Ryan has told me he wants to be buy me glasses, but we were never able to until now. I really like my new ones.

New phone number

2011-06-25T15:37:00.001-07:00

So a lot of people have been asking why did I change my phone number and why didn't I get a Hawaii number. I got my first cell phone six years ago right after HS graduation. But it wasn't really "my" phone since it was originally shared with Hillary and Cody. That changed when I went away to college.
Funny side story: Since that time I have only had two phones. My original Samsung crashed in June 2007 and it was replaced by the Samsung I had up until this week when Ryan decided my phone had taken too great a beating and bought me a new one. When we went to the Verizon store the guy at the counter asked "Now Miss Lowry, what would you like your phone to do?" Ryan busted up laughing when I replied in all seriousness, "Call people." I'm not a bells and whistles kind of girl. Although the Verizon guy really wanted me to buy a smart phone, I was adamant about another Samsung flip phone so he went and dug one out of the back. Apparently they don't even display them anymore.
So why get a new phone number now? Because I was getting a lot of junk calls. Back in early 2009 I got the first marketing call on my cell phone. At first they were infrequent, only one every few months but since then they've been steadily getting more regular. It's to the point now when I easily get 10 or 12 in a day. I began turning my phone off at night back in March because the calls would begin around 3:00 AM. Everything from "buy my product" to "get this bank loan" to "visit my website". I didn't know you could get those kinds of calls on your cell but apparently you can.
So why not get a Hawaii number? I wanted to, but since I originally got my phone in Idaho Verizon said I could either get a new Idaho number for free or get a Hawaii number for $15. I wanted to save $15.

My new Samsung phone.

I'm old school.

Accepted. Again.

2011-06-20T17:56:00.000-07:00

I like the fact that I have been accepted to every college I have ever applied to. Now I just need to quit getting bored and graduate. So far here is how the line-up has gone:
Southern Virginia University: Jan 2006 - April 2007 History Major
Augusta State University: May 15th(?) 2008 Anthropology Major (I only attended one day and was promptly asked to leave when problems arose with my financial aid.)
Brigham Young University-Idaho: Jan 2009 - Dec 2009 Political Science Major
Brigham Young University-Hawaii: Jan 2010 - April 2010 Hawaiian Studies Major, Marine Biology Minor
And now I have just been accepted to Regent University in Virginia Beach, VA. I chose this school for several reasons: 1) Their online program is rated #2 in the country. With baby coming, I've decided to try online classes. 2) They're very involved in the political climate of the country. The professors have been seen contributing to major news outlets and every year they host "Clash of the Titans", an awesome debate event that features political heavyweights from both sides of the spectrum. I'm talking household names from news anchors to politicians to celebrities. 3) Turtle Bay is managed by a group called Benchmark Hospitality which conveniently runs a resort adjacent to the Regent campus. Ryan could potentially transfer if we chose to move. 4) If we move from Hawaii, my list of locations had to meet Ryan's standards which are as follows - East of the Mississippi, South of the Mason Dixon, near the ocean, and close enough to his parents to visit, but far enough away to have our own life. 5) Both Ryan and I love Virginia. The history, the geography, the people. And we've never been called f-ing haoles in Virginia.
So my current plan is to be a Government Major with a Criminal Justice Minor, but I'm still undecided. I kind of want to minor in Economics too. Oh well, we'll see how soon I get bored.

Oblivion

2011-06-12T00:34:00.001-07:00

Now that I'm not hugging the toilet bowl every couple of hours, I've been able to work up at the ranch more than just one or two days a week. Of course my doctor doesn't know this. She thinks I quit working there months ago. She seems convinced that every horse on the ranch now has one main goal: to kick me in the abdomen and dislodge my placenta. Yes, she actually voiced that concern.
Anyway, today I heard something interesting. A guest, who happens to be pregnant with her second child, was asking about my job and my pregnancy. Somewhere in the conversation I brought up that I like to scuba dive. I patted my belly and said, "Yeah, but my diving days are over for the next few months." At which point she interjected, "I hate to break it to you, but your diving days are over for good. You don't realize it yet, but life as you know it is pretty much over."
Wow. I heard once that being a mom means not sleeping when you're tired, not eating when you're hungry, basically not resting when you're weary. Perhaps this dreary view of parenthood is why I have abhorred the idea of being a mother for so long. I've watched friends and acquaintances get married, have kids, and disappear. Where do they go? Who knows, it's like their house eats them and the only time they are "seen" is through Facebook or other social media sites. I know so many haole families here in Hawaii who are white as ghosts because taking the kids to the beach or the park or even letting them play outside is "just too hard". Obviously Cami didn't get that memo. I've been told I should just throw away all of my size 4 clothes because after being pregnant and putting on weight I'll never be able to fit into them again. Don't tell Shiloh that after seven kids she's supposed to be an XXL. I've also been told that I'll never race again because when you have small children, you will always be "too tired" to exercise or run. I guess Cali will have to find a new hobby.
I don't mind being told that my life is about to change (and if I had a quarter for every time someone told me that I'd be very wealthy),but I do take issue with being told that my life is over. Why does it have to end? Why can't I have it all? Why can't I hire a sitter and go diving with Ryan one afternoon? I am opposed to the idea of children being raised by nannies or sitters, I believe that children should be raised by their parents. But what if I don't want to be a stay-at-home mom? Is there something wrong with working on Ryan's days off? Or before Ryan's shift? Is there something inherently selfish about being a working woman and enjoying it?
I guess what I'm trying to say is that I refuse to live it. I will not lose my identity just because I become a mother. I will not give up my dreams, ambitions, and desires just because there are children to look after. I will continue my education and I will build a strong successful career. I will not stop hiking or running or diving or going to the beach just because there are kids in tow. I will not sink into oblivion.

Belly Pictures

2011-05-19T03:15:00.001-07:00

Only rule: no making fun of my farmer tan. Remember I work on a ranch.

You can't really even tell that I'm pregnant when I'm wearing a normal t-shirt.

Or when I'm not wearing one. It's great because I can still get away with a bikini at the beach. But I still feel pretty fat and bloated. I'm used to having an exceptionally small waist.

This is me "pooching" it out as far as I can. It's painfully uncomfortable and I don't enjoy doing it (as my face gives away).

So as you can see, I'm still a couple weeks out from "showing".

Since I know mom likes to send Cody blog pictures, I've included some missionary friendly ones.

IT'S A GIRL!!!!!!

2011-05-15T03:17:00.001-07:00

It was a very long day yesterday but we got some very good and long awaited news.

Fire Knife 2011

2011-05-13T13:15:00.001-07:00

The competition tonight was AMAZING!!! It was 5 hours of fire spinning knife madness.
These are all photo's of one of our scouts, Alex Galaei. We will try to put up some video's of the others soon.

And yes he is the only one that night to preform with 3 knives, including the adults.

World fire knife championships

2011-05-12T01:28:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow we are going to watch one of our scouts compete in the 2011 competition in the junior division. Pictures will come but to hold you over till then here is last years champion. At the end he does 4 knives at one time.

Here is a not on fire version of what he is twirling. And yes they are sharp, our scout constantly has some kind of new cut and or burn from practicing.

Run For the Roses

2011-05-07T03:22:00.001-07:00

So here it is, my first attempt at a designer hat. And for the debut, what better locale than the Kentucky Derby? This creation by Skye is called "Run For the Roses".

Atop this magnificent creation sits the rose queen in all her majestic brilliance. The rose of course being the symbol of victory.

Below in the garden are her ladies in waiting. Gentle roses in full bloom amongst the brilliant foliage keeping watch over the garden and attending to their lady queen.

This brilliant creation is sure to please. So grab a mint julep and walk the red carpet, with this bold fashion statement you are ready to shine in the grand stand and on the track!

Computer woes

2011-04-26T22:18:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't been very good at posting. I lost access to the university library when all my friends left in December (yes, I was using their student id's). The public library has a time limit (plus I don't always have cash for bus fare) so I don't get much posting done anymore. However, we have ordered a computer and it should be here on May 2nd. Also, when I go out to Utah Jake said he could fix my laptop that crashed about a year ago. A few "computer people" looked at it and said it was fine, there was nothing wrong with it, and there was no reason that it shouldn't work but none of the Einsteins could get it to work. Well geniuses, if it's not working then there's something wrong with it. Anyway, I trust Jake to have more intellectual capacity and will at least figure out what's wrong with it. We know it got a virus and what we can guess (neither Ryan or I being tech savvy) is that the virus ate up all the ram or memory or whatever word Ryan used. It slowly died over several months saying it didn't have enough memory to store stuff, then it didn't have enough memory to run programs, and finally after I had deleted all of my pictures, music, microsoft programs, etc. it says it lacks even the memory to load a user profile. It won't even log on to my desktop. It's useless. Annoying.
Anyway so when our new computer gets here (actually it's an I-pad 2 with wireless keyboard) I'll be able to post a lot more. Fun stuff like belly pictures and the world fireknife competition (one of my webelos is competing in the youth category!) and the wedding, etc.
Oops, time limits about to expire. Later!

Annoyed!!!!!!

2011-04-02T11:03:00.001-07:00

So something that's really bugging me: last time I checked I am 24 not 5, and my address is no where in the vicinity of Sesame Street or Fraggle Rock, so therefore I am not "preggo" or "preggers" or "preggsies" or "preggles" or "pregos". I am simply pregnant.

Crazy life

2011-03-06T22:53:00.000-08:00

I realize it's been a while since we've posted so here's what's been happening. It's difficult to keep a blog without a computer. We're still living in the same little studio and probably will be until September when our contract is up. We're still the Webelos den leaders, but they recently released us as primary teachers. This was a welcome change since they are now making Ryan the first counselor in the elder's quorum presidency whereas up until this point he has been serving as the secretary. I serve as the treasurer for our local public library which demands a small amount of my time. I've been staying pretty busy with work at the ranch and the play (that is finally over!). Ryan still works security at Turtle Bay and we both still love Hawaii! That's about it for us.

Birthday

2011-02-07T15:14:00.000-08:00

Umm.. once again my pictures are in the wrong order.My 24th birthday went very well. Other than a slight sunburn (it was gone by morning) and a headache it was a good day. I worked until four and then we went to a friend's house at six for dinner. Ryan made ribs, homemade french fries, and grilled corn-on-the-cob and there was fruit salad. Caleb and Maren are admiring my new puzzle from mom and dad.
Ryan gave me a "birthday hat" to wear for pictures.
We forgot to buy candles.
The birthday girl.

New Year's Resolutions and Results

2011-01-22T11:49:00.000-08:00

So in 2010, Ryan and I each set a big goal we wanted to achieve. Ryan did buy a journal and he did write in it on several occasions. And I am proud to announce that I read 102 books in the year 2010. This is from the juvenile level and above, so it does not does not include textbooks or children's books. Bring on 2011!
While Ryan and I each set many small goals, I won't burden you with them. Instead, here are our goals as a couple for this year:
Attend the temple once a week
Have FHE once a week

Here's wishing you all a fantastic new year!

Mele Kalikimaka!

2010-12-28T11:30:00.001-08:00

How do you decorate an apartment that's smaller than the average bedroom? Very carefully...You start by hanging jingle bells on your door. My visiting teaching companion gave them to me.
You hang up the wreath that some friends gave you. It's real pine and smells so good! You also hang up the Christmas cards you got in the mail.
And you trim the two foot tree with whatever you have. In our case... earrings.
And some candy canes from church.
MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Uncle Steve and Aunt Janell

2010-12-01T15:14:00.000-08:00

Ryan's aunt and uncle came out to visit Hawaii for a week. They were able to swing up to the North Shore to spend Monday with us. They are from Orem, Utah.First we met them in Haleiwa where we had them try one of our favorite treats, rambuton. It's a fruit with a red spiky/hairy shell. It's similar to lychee (although Ryan and I think it's much sweeter).
Then we stopped by the ranch to show them where I work. This horse is Tommy Girl. She's in her own little pen while she recuperates. She was on a cattle drive Friday and was gored by a bull in the chest. We are very fortunate that the vet was able to come and stitch the severed vein before she bled to death. The wound is five inches deep!
She's a sweetheart!
Standing next to the office. Steve Lowry is Doug's older brother.

After going to the temple and BYU-H, we finished off the day with dinner at Lei Lei's over at Turtle Bay. We were joined by Janell's niece, McKae Joyner (Aunt Janell is a cousin to Wally Joyner for any baseball fans reading this). McKae is going to BYU-H.

Halloween - It's Big

2010-11-01T15:41:00.001-07:00

So Saturday night was the night that most people in this area celebrated Halloween. We went to the Halloween Bash at Turtle Bay first before going home to the trick-or-treaters. Eden was "Where's Waldo?", Hannah just dressed up nice, and I was Princess Jasmine... again (I love my snake bracelet!). They had music, food, facepainting, cotton candy, coloring and stickers for the kids, giant inflatable jumping things, and the stables were converted into "The Haunted Barn".
I love this picture! I like the way the wind made my outfit "poofy". This was right after we went through the Haunted Barn. Ryan wore his Moroccan shirt and my scarf. I would point out his sandals but he wears them every day.
Jarett looked pretty dapper.
Hannah really liked my shoes.
And then we went home. When we left for Turtle Bay at 5:45 PM, the streets were already pretty full. When we arrived home at 7:30, they were packed! You know it's crowded when you have trouble getting through on a motorcycle! Some streets were even coned off so no vehicles would try to drive through. We didn't realize that many people bring their kids to trick-or-treat in Laie because it's a pretty safe neighborhood. There were people from Kaaawa, Hauula, Kahuku, and Sunset. We were ill prepared for the onslaught of traffic. Our first bag of candy ran out within twenty minutes. Ryan went to the store and purchased two more bags, they also didn't last long. So we decided to trick-or-treat people in the ward (most of whom were also out of candy). We were informed later that Iosepa and Moana streets receive around 1,000 trick-or-treaters every Halloween! There's a family that orders 950 light sticks to give out every year and every year they run out. People also count candy (it's nice that they print it on the bags). Halloween wasn't a "big deal" in Idaho, but it's HUGE here! All ages dress up and trick-or-treat. Adults in costume have babes in arms in costume. They're so festive, I love it!
The best costume award goes to the Kester family: the dad (bishopric second counselor) was the mad-hatter from the new movie, the mom was the white queen, and their daughter Bella (who I teach in primary) was Alice. Their costumes were homemade so they were fantastic! I didn't get pictures of them because they were a hot item and everyone else was trying to get a picture with them!
Anyway, Happy Halloween!

Hannah's Pictures

2010-10-26T19:55:00.000-07:00

So luckily Hannah came to the rescue with pictures of her own. Here's the gang coming down from the lookout.
Up at the lookout. Baagie & Scarlett, Margaret & Baron (yes thank heavens they've renamed him), and Ryan & Flaming Arrow.
I think Jarett has one of the best smiles ever.
I love the mountains here! The way Redman's mane is blowing in the wind reminds me of The Man From Snowy River.
See proof! I was there! My horse is Buttons, she can be a punk but she's a great little horse. And I have a soft spot for buckskins.
Hannah and Tommy Girl

Birthday Party: Part II

2010-10-23T21:36:00.000-07:00

So for Ryan's party he requested a pumpkin carving celebration. It was a lot of fun and everyone had a great time!Eden carved a pineapple with a tiki face. Then she started on a small pumpkin.
Margaret and Baagie hard at work.
Hannah unleashing her creativity.
And the cake! I forgot to buy candles so we just sang. He doesn't look 28 does he? I couldn't have made the cake without Eden's help! It's actually an ice cream cake. There's a layer of cookies 'n cream ice cream between two layers of yellow cake (with crushed oreos in the batter) and all topped with a very sweet homemade butter frosting. He got a lot of great presents including caramel corn and a book from me, kool-aid from both Eden and mom and dad, cocktail shrimp from Hannah and Jarett, a Vermont maple-apple curry we can't wait to try from Margaret and Baagie, and (the only gift not food oriented) an underwater digital camera from his parents.

Birthday Party: Part I

2010-10-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

So the pictures are in the wrong order, bear with me. On Saturday, Oct. 16th, we celebrated Ryan's birthday by going on a trail ride and following it up with a party. The ride takes you up to the top of the mountain where there is a WWII military bunker and a phenomenal view of the coast! This is Laie Point.
This is a view of some of the ranch (the rodeo arena is kind of visible on the right). It's owned by the Smith family and encompasses about 600 acres, many of which are rented out as pastures to horse owners. It is home to lots and lots of horses, about 250 head of cattle, 30-some goats, about a dozen mangy sheep, and wild pigs, chickens, rabbits, and peacocks. And we can't forget the wonderful ranch dogs and a couple of resident cats. At one point the whole thing was a sugar cane plantation.
This is the view of Kahuku (that's where Turtle Bay is).
That is "turtle island" in the distance. It is down towards Kaneohe.
The group: Jarett & Redman, Baagie & Scarlett, Margaret & Prince, and Hannah & Tommy Girl.
Hannah & Tommy Girl and Jarett & Redman. Redman is actually from Arizona. We have about half a dozen horses that were brought over from there.
Ryan & Flaming Arrow (from the Flaming Arrow Ranch in Arizona).
Margaret & Prince. Prince is one of two recently acquired horses (they were bought in September).
Jarett & Redman and Hannah & Tommy Girl.
Margaret & Prince and Baagie & Scarlett.
Ryan!!!!!!!
This is the Koolau mountain range. I thought I got more pictures of it, obviously not.
The group arriving at the lookout.
On our way up to the lookout, a view of the pastures.
On our way up to the lookout. I was riding Buttons. I wish I had some pictures of her, she's a spunky little buckskin pony. To the left is the awesome ranch dog Cami.
The new babies (just born in June) with their mamas.
Ace. He's the resident miniature horse. There's another one named Candy but she wouldn't hold still for a picture. To the left you can barely see John's head. John is one of the ranches two stallions. He's gorgeous and muscular! The Smith kids use him for barrel racing. I was surprised at how big high school rodeo is out here.
This is the other stud Mailelei.
He is also a beautiful horse, but unfortunately he can't be ridden. He has something wrong with his feet.
You don't see this part of Hawaii on post cards :-)

Starting out on our journey.

Big Shrimp

2010-10-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

Jumbo Shrimp!I know that's such an oxymoron, but these things were huge! Longer and bigger around than my finger! They make popcorn shrimp look microscopic! To give you better perspective, I put 10-12 regular shrimp on a skewer.

Campaign Time!

2010-10-23T19:46:00.001-07:00

I have to say, Ryan is the best husband ever! Where did we spend his birthday, October 15th? At a campaign event of course! It was great! Ryan was not at all upset since the food provided was amazingly good. Halfway through the evening they counted over 600 people from the Hauula, Laie, and Kahuku communities. Not bad for a blue state. We saw a lot of friends and heard a lot of great messages! Duke Aiona, candidate for Governor of Hawaii.
Lynn Finnegan, candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii. She finished up the night with a beautiful rendition of "How Great Thou Art". I tell you, that wahine can sing!
Gil Riviere and Richard Fale, candidates for the Hawaii State House.
Gil Riviere, John Willoughby, candidate for U.S. Representative, and Dawn O'Brien. Dawn is a local radio personality for 95.5 The Fish, a Christian rock station. She was born in Tonga and is half Irish. My favorite quote of the evening, "Being half Irish and half Tongan I have a fiery temper and the body to back it up! Lucky for you I'm a Christian.... that means you have five seconds to run!"
I got to get a picture with John Willoughby. There were other things that went on onstage like hula performances and the Mt. Zion choir (a local Baptist congregation). All-in-all it was a great evening!

Dilemma

2010-10-15T13:25:00.000-07:00

So here's the thing - I want to get a college degree. I have tried to talk myself out of it for numerous reasons. One being that I feel it isn't worth the money ($125 for a textbook? Are you kidding me? Average 4-year degree at BYU, which is church subsidized(!), is $50,000). I don't feel like I learn anything...at all (when you've already studied all the founding documents, read biographies of all of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, read several State constitutions and even the Constitution of the Confederate States of America, and read the dissenting and concurring opinions of dozens of supreme court cases; do you really learn anything you didn't know before?).
But this last obstacle is the hardest to get over: I HATE college kids... with a passion. They are stupid! The dumbest people I have ever had the misfortune of encountering have been on university campuses. And they are entitled babies with no sense of accountability or responsibility. Yes there are few exceptions, but for the most part, I'm right. Don't believe me? Just go down to the campus nearest you, park yourself on a bench near a frequented walkway for an hour, and listen. And lest you think it is merely just my particular campus, bear in mind that I have been to four colleges already - east coast, mountain west, south, and the middle of the pacific.
Here are some classic gems I have picked up on my collegiate journey:

"The Himalayas are in Switzerland". Yes, the 18-year-old Texan attempted to argue that point with me.
A geography teacher gives you the assignment of researching The Dominican Republic. You can recycle your friend's research on Dominica because a geography professor "won't notice the difference" between an island country that shares a border with Haiti and an island in the Lesser Antilles.
Captain Moroni was totalitarian. (Umm...no)
The First Presidency supported Hitler during WWII. (Umm...no again)
I asked my roommate if she would mind if I watched the State of the Union Address that evening. Her response: "That must be a new show, I haven't heard of it."
The Church should allow gay couples to wed in the temple and be sealed because the Book of Mormon supports it. After all, 2 Nephi 2:25 says, "Men are that they might have joy."
"Members have really painted Korihor as a bad guy, but I think we should refrain from judging others. We don't know his situation" (Thanks Oprah. Actually we do know his situation because the Book of Mormon tells us he was wicked!)
You can miss over half of your classes in a semester to go snowboarding, fail as a consequence, and still file an appeal not to lose your credit and feel no shame or embarrassment.
"I want to know who ratted us out!" was the cry of several freshmen girls who decided to go clubbing at a gay and lesbian club, post pictures of it on their facebook pages, and then wonder how their bishops and the school administrators found out. Unbelievable. Oh, and their reason for going was that they felt safe at the gay and lesbian club because they "didn't want to get hit on by creepy guys".
"If we were locked in a room together, " pointing a finger at yours truly, "we would kill each other! I can't stand her entire ideology or her oppressive viewpoint!" This came after a comment that Ronald Reagan was my favorite president. Actually, since she opposes private gun ownership so technically I would most likely kill her.
"I think adoption is terrible. I saw the movie Juno, I know what adoption is like." Yes because I base my knowledge of the world off of Hollywood's warped interpretation of reality.
"Everyone here thinks the French are so arrogant, but the United States is way more arrogant than France could ever be!" When I asked if she had ever been to France she replied, "No, but I have friends who had cousins who knew some French people and they weren't arrogant at all!" Nothing I could say about my family actually being around the French could change her mind.
"Everyone hates America! No one likes us. You know they talk about people coming to America to make a better life, but it's not true. So many people leave and move to Canada because they can't stand it here!" I wanted to ask if she was related to Janeane Garofalo or if she worked for CNN because apparently she can't fact check.

Those are just a few examples of the many I have. See why I can't stand being around them?

Curling my own hair!

2010-10-12T16:49:00.000-07:00

Yes it's about time!It doesn't look like much, but this is the first attempt I have ever made at curling my own hair with hot rollers. And I'm 23!
I really was quite proud of myself!

Of course I had no hair spray so in this humid climate, within a minute the beautiful spirals were already drooping...

But I did it!

It's a rough life....

2010-10-04T15:18:00.000-07:00

...but somebody has to do it.I thought I'd show you all the grueling work conditions Ryan and I battle everyday as we perform our jobs.
This is the entrance to the Turtle Bay Resort.
This is the Turtle Bay Resort lobby.
The lagoon...
...the pool deck...
...the jungle ambiance corridor...
(I nicknamed it the dark scary room)
...one of the many lounges. I used to ride the bus down to the resort and sit here and do my homework while I waited for Ryan's shift to end.
The wedding chapel...
...the ocean...
...more ocean...
...still more ocean...
...handsome security officer... Oh wait! He looks familiar...
Oh it's Ryan! Mom said once, "Anywhere you work that requires aloha shirts as uniforms can't be too bad!"
However, western shirts are the requirement for my current occupation as a wrangler.
Here I am in my saddle (thanks dad!) atop a horse named Stony. Jack is getting a bath from my boss Sarah Jane and Poncho and Jill cruise in the background.
Keana astride Buster.
Stony and me again.
We're taking out a group from Japan.
And we hit the trails again!
And we ride out into the sunset that just happens to be sinking into a turquoise sea. As I said, it's a rough life...

Maunawili Trail Run - 8/14/2010

2010-08-21T13:24:00.001-07:00

So last Saturday I ran in a 22 mile trail race.As you can see, our adventure started before dawn.
Eden agreed to be my relay partner and found a ride for us on Saturday morning.
I chose to do the second 11 miles so that Ryan would have time to get to the Pali lookout to see me start.
What I didn't realize was that the first runners goes eleven miles down while the second runner goes... eleven miles up. And I mean UP.
You can get an idea of the terrain by looking at this picture of the starting line. It's a pretty dangerous trail. It's very narrow making it impossible to run side-by-side. There's dense forest on one side and a steep drop off on the other. There were loose rocks, trippy tree roots, and some sloppy mud. Almost every runner took a few spills and at the end of the race there were plenty of bloody knees at the finish line. Before the race started Eden asked a man what the trail was like. He told us that this particular trail (22 miles) takes him an hour and half longer than a marathon (26.2 miles).
Eden was one of the first to finish. You're timed separately each way so we spent a few minutes hanging out at the bottom of the mountain.
Funny-ish story: Eden loves bananas, especially on race days. So the night before she packed her bananas in her bag. Well, during the night a rat got into her bag and ate her bananas. She was pretty upset since we were leaving at 5:30 and the grocery store wasn't open yet. So I called Ryan and told him to pick up some bananas on his way here.
Eden was grateful.

And we're off! Yes, Eden is insane and decided to run the trail up with me as well.
It was a beautiful trail! The views were stunning! Although the forest trails were quite stifling and humid. When you got out to a lookout the breeze was refreshing and the vistas were splendid!

While waiting for us Ryan got some great shots from the lookout!

And we survived! It was grueling. Everything hurt so bad! Yes, I was bawling in this picture. It took us three hours to come up the mountain. I ran about half of it and speed walked the rest, alternating of course.
The spread afterward was great! They had fruit, bread, cookies, brownies, soups, sandwiches, potatoes, rice, and delicious gourmet wraps like Gorgonzola, chicken and pears; grilled eggplant and feta; and black bean and sweet potato.

New Ride

2010-08-13T14:06:00.000-07:00

So as most of you know, our moped was stolen on the 29th of July. So on August 2 we bought a Honda Shadow. Ryan has always wanted a motorcycle and there are two types he's dreamed of owning. One of them is the Shadow. We've been saving up for a while, but the theft of the moped kind of expediated the buying process.
We're pretty excited! It's been great and we've enjoyed it a lot!
I was a little surprised at the response of many of my peers. After expressing our desire to buy a motorcycle several ladies asked "How do you feel about that?" Um..... would we buy one if I didn't feel good about it? One lady actually asked, "So you're letting him buy it?" Okay, I wanted to say "My husband still has his cojones, I don't let him do anything. And I like motorcycles!" Yeah and most women, I think, honestly don't believe that I actually like motorcycles.

Eden is blogging!

2010-08-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

Aloha friends and family! If you have never met Eden Lake you are truly missing out! She is one of the most happy, mature, beautiful, friendly, and considerate people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing (mom is also friends with Eden and can attest to these seemingly gushing statements). Now anyone can get to know her because she's blogging! You can find her blog here or at the link under "Friends". I'm really hoping she'll post pictures of her upcoming shark dive!
Have a fantastic day!

Where are our heroes?

2010-07-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

Now is my time to openly reflect upon something that has been on my mind all weekend.
I have some friends here in Hawaii from Mongolia and I've learned some interesting things from them. Hanging in their apartment is a tapestry of Genghis Khan. My friend informed me that every family in Mongolia has an image of Genghis Khan in their home and I was shown pictures of the Mongolian capitol and the countryside that are dotted with statues and monuments dedicated to this national hero. Yes Genghis Khan is a hero in Mongolia. But wait, wasn't he known for his brutality and ferocity? How can the Mongolian people today revere such a violent leader? I'll tell you why, according to a 5-second search on Wikipedia, he stretched the Mongol empire to an impressive 13,000,000 sq. miles extending to present-day Poland, Korea, Vietnam, and Siberia making it the largest contiguous land empire in the history of the world. He is also described as a genius in his battle tactics and military campaigns.
I thought about this a lot. Where are our national heroes? All of the people I was taught to respect and honor at home were criticized and degraded in the classroom at school. The people I admired - George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, etc. - were put under a microscope and every part of their private lives were aired and analyzed (whether documented history or theoretical musing). George Washington was no longer presented as a man of virtue or a great general, but rather a cad due to "rumors" of "promiscuity" and he was a coward, this I was told because he attacked the Hessian army in the dead of night. Let's forget that it was a brief battle and most Hessian soldiers were taken prisoner not killed. In high school we didn't discuss Thomas Jefferson's presidency or his writings (which are among the best compositions in the world) or his career as a politician, diplomat, lawyer, or ambassador. No, instead we dedicated two days to discussing his alleged affair with a slave named Sally Hemmings (a theory that has yet to even be proven).
Remember that old Disney film Melody Time? Remember Johnny Appleseed singing the Swedenborgian hymn "Oh the Lord is good to me..." while he planted his apple trees? Didn't that just make you swell with pride? Well, sorry to burst your bubble, but I heard it from what had to have been a product of the unionized public education system that grips America today that Johnny Appleseed was a drunk and a child molester. Hmmm..... Oh and don't forget Christopher Columbus! The man who made one of the greatest impacts on world history is also immortalized in Disney's So Dear To My Heart with the song "Stick-to-it-ivity". But Columbus can't be our national hero since I was taught in college that Christopher Columbus committed "the largest genocide in the history of the world". Let's see, Webster defines genocide as "the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group", so according to my biology teacher Columbus "systematically" and "deliberately" planned the diseases he and his man carried. That makes sense because so many people had been to America and told him what the result would be. Not that my professor was alone in that thought, more teachers join the protest of Columbus Day every year.
Y'all know me, I'm not one to be easily goaded into anger, but I have to ask the question now: What The Hell Is Wrong With America Today?
How long will we keep on this perverse quest to downplay and make insignificant the efforts of every individual who has helped make this country great? How long will we play the part of the masochist and tear apart and destroy our own history and heritage? Are there any other countries that insist on making villains of their victors, demons of their founders, and in general sinners of their saints? How long will we insist on pointing out every human flaw, real or speculated, that may or may not have existed in the beings of great men and women who put their fortunes, reputations, and lives on the line to form this country?
My grandfather was a great man who served his country valiantly in three wars. He was too tall to fit in the cockpit of his WWII airplane with a parachute so he went without. He was shot down twice, received the Purple Heart on more than one occasion, and when he died at age 83 he still had shrapnel in his legs from being shot. Those are the people kids should be learning about in school. And I suppose they are being taught about the right people, but what life highlights are they learning? With that in mind let me rephrase: My grandpa was a mechanic that worked at a gas station (I'll leave out that he built it with his own two hands), a religious radical (since all devoted Christians are these days), and his father was a bootlegger and a crook. There now, we have a description worthy of the current education system and textbooks.
Every Mongolian child is taught that Genghis Khan is a hero. Every home displays his image. Why can't we do that for George Washington?

My Dream Boards

2010-07-16T21:51:00.001-07:00

So these are my dream boards. A dream board is a physical reminder of something that lives deep inside, a yearning or desire in my heart that I want to see realized in my life. So this is my first dream board I made. Around the outside is a list of places I would like to go. The board has pictures that symbolize my dreams as well as quotes that I pulled from the notes I had taken at major conventions and seminars. Next to the quotes are pictures of the Team leaders I took the quotes from. And then I filled in spaces with little Teamisms like '300 Club' and 'Ruby Fly-In'.
One of my biggest dreams is to retire Ryan. I borrowed a saying from Cynthia Dionne that says, "Ain't it great, Free at twenty-eight!"
I also listed some of the charities I would like to work with and donate time and money to. Those pictured here are The Smile Train and The Elephant Nature Foundation.
I love this quote from Chris Brady.
And the best seminar ever was when Bill Newton introduced "Striped Whistlers".
This is my dive dream board. I made it about a week after I made my original dream board. The gear I want, the dives I'd like to do, all that good stuff.
And lastly, this is my reward board. As I reach new levels I reward myself with the things listed on the board. Sure I could go to the Hukilau Cafe any day for lunch, but I want to earn it and work for it. It starts small with lunches, goes up to stuff like swimwear, and ends with awesome trips and my black Mercedes!

Love you all!

And as luck would have it...

2010-07-13T23:45:00.000-07:00

Yeah so yesterday at work one of the horses broke my nose. Luckily it is only fractured and not displaced so no re-setting required. It's really turning out not to be my week. Should I even get out of bed tomorrow?

Hmmmm.....

2010-07-09T15:34:00.001-07:00

I'm no stranger to pulling objects out of my feet: nails, tacks, a golf tee (I have photos to back that one up). But this one was by far the most painful. Remember that quote from Robin Hood Prince of Thieves by Alan Rickman when he says "Because it's dull you twit, it'll hurt more!" I can attest to that. so what did I pull out of my foot?
Yeah.
How did the electronic charger lodge itself in the arch of my foot? I don't know. I just stepped out of bed and wham! It's tipped with plastic for crying out loud! Ryan also pulled pieces of flesh out of the hollow center of the charger.

Always one to try to lighten the mood of any situation Ryan said, "Skye, if you wanted more energy there are easier ways to 'charge' yourself."

Well I didn't die!

2010-07-03T15:56:00.001-07:00

I thought I'd utilize the training blog so check it out for pics of my first 10K!
http://7galsintraining.blogspot.com/

Ward Potluck

2010-06-30T01:06:00.001-07:00

What do you bring to the church potluck? I brought my very popular cornbread. A brother from Malaysia brought the crickets and the bishop brought the shrimp. The crickets were actually pretty good, I ate quite a few. They're fried in bacon grease so they're like a crispy, bacon flavored fry. The little shrimp were also good. They're so small you eat them just as you see them in the picture: shell, legs, eyes, head, tail, everything. And y'all were afraid of my spam waffles. Pansies!

Addicted!

2010-06-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

"I just love the whole race culture!" - Cali, 6/12/10

It was a simple statement, nothing deep or profound. And at 6:00 AM in the morning it didn't really make sense to me. At that point I was still wiping the sleep from my eyes and seriously pondering why I had agreed to do this dam thing. I suppose it seemed a good idea ten months before. But soon it all changed.

Maybe some of you ended up feeling the same way I did that day. There was just something in the camaraderie and the way it felt to run. When my lungs were burning and my ankle/heel was hurting so bad, I just looked ahead and found a "target" - someone who I focused on and who I knew I could pass if I just kept going (I ended up passing five people). Later in the day came the definitive moment, the time when I decided to keep going with this crazy idea, I crossed the finish line. There was such a rush when I heard people clapping for me and cheering me on. Then they handed me a medal, my own medal and the thought hit me: We did it! We'd finished (even if it was last place)! We'd earned those medals! At that moment my addiction was sealed.

I want to run! I want to compete in more races! I've been looking up races here in Hawaii and I think I've worked out a pretty good schedule. It is difficult though as 90% of all the events are held on the Sabbath.
Still, wish me luck and happy running!
July 3rd: Freedom Fest 10K - Kualoa Ranch, Oahu
August 14: H.U.R.T. 22 mile trail run (two person relay) - Pali Lookout, Oahu
August 21: Rainforest Run 5K, 10K, Half Marathon - Big Island
September 25: Windward 25K - Kailua Beach Park, Oahu
November 13: US Vets Patriots Run - Puuloa, Oahu
November 25: Turkey Trot - Kapiolani Park, Oahu (mom and dad will be here!)

Hannah Bannana's Birthday

2010-06-10T02:40:00.000-07:00

I helped our friend Jarret Richardson throw a surprise birthday party for his wife today it was a lot of fun. we ate, talked story and played Pictionay.

The new pad

2010-06-10T02:08:00.000-07:00

The dog. I would put his name but I have no clue how to spell it. maybe I will put it later later ........or not.

This is the bathroom. notice we now have a tub. the bathroom is under construction though.

The new bed and bedroom. I think it is almost as big as our old kitchen and bedroom combined.

We have a real kitchen now with a stove. I baked a cake today!

The computer room.

Dining and living room. with a TV and cable.

For those of you that did not know we are currently house sitting for a couple in our ward and taking care of their dog. we are very excited because it means a lot more room. hope you enjoy the pics.

Meeting My Mentor

2010-06-02T17:09:00.001-07:00

Yes, mom got to meet Orrin Woodward! Most of you have probably never heard of him, but he's the founder of the leadership training system I subscribe to called Team. He's a fantastic speaker, an inspirational leader, a best selling author, a multimillionaire, and a down to earth, cool guy! I've linked his blog and homepage on my blog (look to the right). Congratulations mom, I'm so jealous!

Bitten!

2010-05-24T22:33:00.001-07:00

And I'm not talking about the creepy dark fantasy vampire kind.
I'm talking about a horse named Scarlet. There I was at work walking the horse around the round pen for a birthday party group when all of the sudden Scarlet reaches forward and bites me... hard! A couple horses have taken nips at me, but until Saturday, none had succeeded in actually getting ahold of me. There were several words going through my head that I wanted to yell and several things I wanted to do to Scarlet in that moment, but since there was a child in the saddle and other keiki and parents watching me, there wasn't much I could do but keep walking around and looking happy.Although it didn't stop me from having a wonderful Sabbath day.

2010-05-13T22:32:00.001-07:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

2010-05-13T22:28:00.001-07:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

2010-05-13T21:54:00.001-07:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Valentine's Day!

2010-05-06T20:59:00.001-07:00

So on Valentine's Day we went to the Laie Temple with Hannah and Jarett and took pictures.It was a gorgeous day!

Look familiar? That's my "postcard" picture before I played with the colors.

Aren't they picture perfect?

I don't think our children have any hope for round eyes.

What all can you do with an old husk you find?
Use it as a weapon...
Make a fashion statement and use it as a hat...
Or create melodic symphonies.

Waikiki Spam Jam 2010!

2010-05-06T20:49:00.001-07:00

Oh yeah!Once a year restaurants set up tents along the street and serve gourmet spam treats!
Some people are really festive.

All in all it was super hot and too crowded with long lines. But the food was good.
Like this fiesta spam crab dip!
And the spam chili that Hannah and Jarett got.
And spam sliders! All in all a good day!

Life's a Beach!

2010-05-06T20:34:00.001-07:00

We finally had a sunny day so we went to Turtle Bay.You'll notice I'm embarrassingly white and pasty. It's been really rainy lately. Now that I'm done with school for the summer I plan to get out more.
At the end of the semester a lot of people move back to their home country or the mainland and huge "Free Piles" show up at the dorms apartments. I was lucky to find this cute cover-up. We also got a backpack, leather travel case, electric fan, books, and clothes.

This is at the beach across from the apartment.

Notice the drab, overcast sky.

Yay! The sun came out! (for about 5 minutes!)

Turtle Bay's Newest Addition

2010-05-06T20:21:00.000-07:00

This is the new foal born at the Turtle Bay stables about two weeks ago.I took these pictures when it was just three days old.
Isn't it so cute?

It took a while to get these last two shots because every time I raised the camera the mama horse would turn and look at me as if to say, "Can we have a moment here?"
After a little while mama got tired of me hangin' around and I took the hint and left. Hopefully soon I can get pictures of the two awesome draft horses! And I'll post pictures of Gunstock Ranch where I work.

Post Card Picture

2010-05-03T16:19:00.000-07:00

I call this my post card picture. I was having fun messing around with the colors on the photoshop... thing. Enjoy!

Loi

2010-04-08T13:02:00.000-07:00

For one of my classes we went and worked in the kalo loi (the taro field). It's messy work and the mud stains everything (clothes, skin, fingernails). This was after I'd rinsed off in the hose and walked home.

My hair was a disaster as were my nails. The biggest problem was that the first performance of "The Music Man" was that night and the mud stains on my fingernails looked like a fungus. Luckily, a friend of mine loaned me some light pink (almost flesh tone) nail polish at the last minute.

Tsunami!...?

2010-04-08T12:47:00.000-07:00

So what do you do when a devastating tsunami is on its way? You eat up all you expensive food of course!So at 5 AM (we were the last to leave our section of the street) we cooked up our shrimp (there was no way the ocean was going to reclaim it) and finished off the milk. And we brought the Martinelli's in our food rations.

So here's how the events played out:
11:30 PM - Ryan comes home from work and informs me that we are on tsunami watch due to an earthquake in Chile.
2:19 AM - call from Ryan's sister in Georgia informing us that we are on tsunami watch. We roll back over and go to sleep.
2:35 AM - call from Georgia, this time Ryan's mom informs us we are on tsunami watch. We thank her, roll back over and try to sleep.
3:45 AM - the apartment manager wakes us to tell us the tsunami watch has been upgraded to a warning and we are being evacuated. Everyone is to be gone by 6 AM. I roll back over to go to sleep, Ryan gets up and begins preparing. After five minutes I give up, get out of bed and help him.
4:30 AM - our neighbors, Hannah and Jarett, leave for the hill.
5:00 AM - After packing everything we could fit in two backpacks and moving everything else up as high as we could get it, we start eating our "good food".
5:25 AM - The first counselor and his son come over to make sure we were aware of the impending danger. I don't think they were quite sure what to think about our little cook-out.
6:00 AM - Ryan and I realize we are the only people left on the street. There are no sounds, cars have long since stopped driving by, it's quite eerie. Right on cue, just as I am expressing to Ryan my feeling that we are the last ones here, all of the street lights go out. It is still dark here at 6 in the morning. We took off on the moped right as the warning sirens went off and, to add insult to injury, the rain started.
We made camp in Hannah and Jarett's car. Eventually the rain did stop and I was able to get an hour and a half of sleep.

Right after my nap.
The hill behind the temple was the designated evacuation area for Laie.
I thought this plaque was accurate. Laie is known as "the Gathering Place" but before that it had the name "City of Refuge".
Our view from the hill.
This was the rock we used to gauge the water level.

The back of the temple.

Shiloh gave me a play-by-play while she watched the live feed of Hilo Bay.
Then the news came: The water had risen several...... centimeters? Centimeters! It was projected as the most devastating tsunami Hawaii had seen since the 1960's. The only thing devastated was a good night's rest and my apartment.

But we learned some valuable lessons:
1. We really need to work on our food supply. We grabbed what we had in the cupboards so if the disaster should have happened we would have had to live off of Martinelli's, a can of vanilla frosting, some crushed pineapple, and some Japanese butter mochi. Hmm.
2. Telling your neighbors that you're going back to your apartment to grab some movies and your portable dvd player and some books when there's less than one hour left to zero time makes you crazy.
3. Actually doing it makes you crazier.
4. The show must go on! That night we had our final performance of "The Music Man".

Winter Ball

2010-04-08T12:44:00.001-07:00

The theme for this year's winter ball was "Neverland". It was very beautiful. There was a pirate ship, indian village, lost boys' tree house, and London (complete with Big Ben). Yes we forgot the camera. We went early with the dive club to help decorate and spent an hour setting up the indian teepees and forest.I carried grandma's beaded clutch from Germany and red jewelry to match my red shoes. Ryan bought me a gorgeous red flower ring.
The dinner was really good! They had roast beef, lamb, flat bread with humus, roasted vegetables, rice, potatoes and gravy. And ice cream!
The ring Ryan bought me after "The Music Man". He said he got a flower that never wilts (and he was trying to make up for not being able to make it to any of my performances). I meant to wear the new earrings mom bought me, but for some reason I spaced it. My brain has disappeared the last month.
It was all live music for the first couple hours and the performer complemented my dress over the microphone. It made me feel good.

The Music Man

2010-03-08T20:33:00.001-08:00

He's a what? He's a what? He's a music man! What'ya talk? What'ya talk?The girl who took the pictures for me only stayed the first act and unfortunately didn't get photos of any of the costumes I designed and constructed for Eulalie Mackecknie Shinn (the mayor's wife), but I hope you enjoy these photos. For those who are wondering, I was also on the costume committee, it's actually a course offered.
So what the heck? You're welcome, join us at the picnic! You can have your fill of all the food you bring yourself!
We heard there was a pool table in town.
Oh we got trouble! With a capital T and that rhymes with P and that stands for pool!
If ya don't mind my sayin' so....
Please observe me if you will, I'm Professor Harold Hill and I'm here to organize a River City Boys Band!
Ice Cream!

The Sadder but Wiser Girl for me!

Oh ho the Wells Fargo Wagon is a-comin'!

Somehow it deleted two of my pictures. One was of the Madame Librarian scene. I'll try to post them later.