Family in Hawaii

June 18, 2010

I woke up this morning to the sound of my granddaughter Madison playing downstairs in our condo in Hawaii, such a pleasant sound. To give everyone else the time to sleep, I decided to take my two babies on a walk. We walked the grounds at Turtle Bay and up to the hotel. It is hard to describe the beauty of Hawaii, especially in the morning. It is sort of something you just have to experience. It is more than the scenery, which is exquisite, it's the sounds of the ocean and birds and rustling leaves of trees blowing in the trades. Then there is the smell, mostly of Plumeria and the way the air feels like a warm bath. You can't explain it, you just have to feel it.

Yesterday was a day of fun on the beach. We went to Waimea where Ted Warren, Michelle and Scott decided they needed a little adventure so they went cliff jumping. The cliffs at Waimea are about 40-50 feet high and go right into the ocean. It is a popular spot for locals and daring tourists. All three of them had great jumps into the waiting ocean water and decided to head for the caves. I think they wanted more adventure! The caves are a short swim from the cliffs. Pretty soon all three of them entered the cave. I decided I needed a better look so I had to climb the lava rocks to get to them. My motherly instincts kicked in as I watched the waves roll in and out, some of them much larger and more powerful than I wanted them to be. Like I said I was just being a mother because if I was 30 years younger I would be right in there with them. It was a thrill I am sure!

Later, we went to our favorite local restaurant called Hukilau Cafe for lunch. They serve two heaping scoops of rice, maccaroni salad and whatever else you order. My favorite is garlic shrimp; Ted's is a combination of skirt-steak, mahi-mahi, and shrimp. This is definitely Polynesian style. What we love best about Hukilau Cafe is the hospitality. Every time we go, we are welcomed as locals which is synonymous with family. It is one of those places where everyone who goes there knows everyone else and all the workers. We usually leave with a full stomachs and hugs and kisses from the staff.

After lunch we decided to visit Ted Warren's old "stomping grounds" at BYUH. He visited with one of his favorite professors, Dr. MacArthur. Ted, Michelle, Scott, and I wandered around the campus and into the bookstore for about an hour waiting for Ted Warren. When we finally pulled Ted away from his old professor we took a drive to Laiea Point. All I can say about this is it is breathtaking and amazing.

Today I am working on this post as Ted Warren, Michelle, and Scott are snorkeling and probably exploring caves at Sharks Cove. My husband is doing a little business in Haliewa, Melissa is taking a much needed rest in the sun, poolside. Madison is taking a nap and Eva is playing with toys on the floor next to me. We are waiting for Brent and Heidi to arrive today. Their wedding is on Wednesday. I am sure that things will get hectic as we wait for friends and relatives to arrive from the mainland and we get closer to the wedding, but for now, I am enjoying the peace, the quiet, and the beauty of Hawaii.

My Thoughts on Tuesday, June 8, 2010

It is the second day of my summer vacation. I love the time it affords me to catch up on things I need to do at home. I also love the time it gives me to reflect on the really important things in life. Now that I have discovered how to blog I need to write them down. Just recently I read one of my friend's stories written for a college paper. She wrote it in a way where she would talk about her life, her struggles, her joys, and then her ancestor's going back and forth between the two. As I read I shared with her and recalled stories in my past and interestingly enough became very connected on a new level with my friend and her ancestor. I enjoyed finding out how similar the three of us really are, but more importantly, I realized that if we share with others who we are and how we think and what we experience we stay part of their lives and their children's lives. And since I have a deep and abiding faith that we are here to prove our worthiness to return to our Father in Heaven and be part of a much larger family we need to stay connected and to learn from each other as we venture through our lives.

This is why I am writing in my blog today. Nothing really big happened yesterday. As a matter of fact, I spent most of the day at home sewing. Even though that seems sort of ordinary it really isn't and I will talk about that later. However, I began the day having part of my family here, something that I always love. Ted Warren, Melissa, and my two granddaughters, Madison, and Eva came for a little visit and laundry catch up! I love their laundry because they come with piles and piles and I know that it will take a whole day for Melissa to wash it. Because it takes a whole day, they usually spend the night as well so because of that laundry I get to play with and enjoy my grandchildren! So fun!

Maddie is such a character! She has an insatiable curiosity and is always on the move. When she sees me in the morning she literally comes running with open arms. That in itself is heartwarming. She watches as I put on my make up and explores my drawers...and then my closet...and back to my drawers. I say drawers, but it is really only one that I allow her to get into. She pulls items out, looks at them, says something about them in her own language, and then tries to put them back, and, of course, they are put back in Maddie's own order which is not the same as Grandma's. I usually have to rearrange that drawer every time I get these little visits. But, I enjoy every minute of it! Yesterday, she watched as I put on deodorant. She looked at me and then pulled up her shirt so she could have some on like Grandma. So, I thought, okay, it won't hurt her so I started to roll it on her. It was cold, she squealed and that was all she needed! Then she was off to something new to explore.

Eva is cuddly and sweet. She loves to sit on the floor and play with blocks. She watches everything around her. She has a heart warming smile and smiles frequently. She looks at me with big green eyes and I just want to be able to ask her what she is thinking. She looks so intense as she explores her world.

Before Ted, Melissa, and the girls left to return to Santa Cruz, we visited with Mom & Dad. Dad is beginning to have more signs of dementia but still knows who we are. The visit was a beautiful experience. The babies bring such joy to my parents and once again Maddie darts from place to place trying to discover what new and fun things are in my parent's apartment. Eva sits and smiles and warms their hearts.

I return home to sew and I am beginning to panic about needing to get back to my project even as I write this blog. I am sewing my dress for Brent and Heidi's wedding in Hawaii in just two weeks now. But, in addition to my dress, I am taking in Melissa's dress and making a shrug for Michelle and a jacket for my dress. Yikes! All of this sewing is important and I am getting great joy out of it, panic also comes along with this, but as I think about the purpose in it I love doing it.

My Thoughts on Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Sunday in Discovery Bay

It is Sunday evening in Discovery Bay. The trip to Maui was all too quick, but my Sunday in Discovery Bay has been pleasant. Attended church even though I was an hour late. I woke up with one of those sinus things that come every now and then. I thought about just staying home and resting, fell asleep and when I woke up I felt better so decided I'd better go. I'm glad I did. I enjoyed being in the nursery. I love the babies and miss my calling. I was in the nursery for about 5 years several years ago, and now I would love to return, just my thing, I guess!

I enjoyed skyping Michelle in London. It is always good to make contact with your kids when they are out of the country. I then spent some time contacting people via facebook. I really do enjoy facebook for this reason. There are people I haven't seen in years who are on facebook daily. I get to see what they are doing and learn about their families. The world of technology is simply amazing. For years my daughter has been telling me I need to start a journal. I just keep saying someday...but since she has been in London, I have enjoyed reading blogspots so much that I thought, okay, I will give it a try. So thank you Michelle and Scott!

Brad and LuAnn joined us later in the afternoon for a spontaneous bar-b-que. They brought most of the food and that made it double fun for me. It was a relaxing time for us as we just chatted and enjoyed each other's company.

All in all, it has been a pleasant day. I am truly grateful for this beautiful world that we have been blessed with. When the politics of the day get me down, I just think about the scenery around me and all of God's creations and then all is right!

It is an absolutely beautiful morning in Maui! It is just before sunrise and as I sit on my balcony enjoying the amazing view I am trying to recall what I did yesterday to share with you. I hope that you all can live vicariously through the moment. But, before I tell you about yesterday, I have to tell you about my view. I am on the 7th floor of The Four Seasons which in itself is an amazing experience. I look directly out at the top of a palm tree, you know one of those long skinny types with all the fronds located just on the top of the tree. As I gaze beyond the tree I see all kinds of treetops, mostly plumaria but other species that I don't have names for. Beyond the trees I see the beach, a volcanic reef and then the ocean. Since Maui has an unusual shape to it, I can also see another part of the island beyond the my view of the ocean. The temperature is perfect and the birds are all singing. I suppose they are enjoying waking up to the sights as much as me.

Okay yesterday, I woke up to pretty much the same experience as I am having this morning. Ted had a meeting that he needed to attend before our adventures but joined me as I ate an outdoor breakfast (Belgium waffle) on the veranda at the restaurant in the hotel, lovely location, fantastic view. But pretty much anywhere you go in this hotel the sights and sounds are beaufiful.

After he left for his meeting and I finished my breakfast I wandered up to the Serenity Pool (one of three pools) where the pool is long narrow and has an invisible line into the ocean. The pool is only 4 ft. deep in most spots with areas that are only 6 inches deep where rows of jets push bubbles out that float to the surface. When you are underneath the water you can hear music but when you are laying out in the sun you just hear the soft sounds of the bubbles and the nature around you. One of the requirements of spending adult time in this pool is that you have cell phones turned on vibration only and if you get a call you text instead of talk. I enjoyed my time reading, relaxing and trying to figure out how to do a blogspot. It was all enjoyable.

After spending time at the Serenity Pool a friend of mine, Suzanne Kerry, and I decided to take a little excursion into Lahaina. We only had about two hours in town and there was so much to see and so many little stores to visit that it almost became a race to see what we could accomplish. I am not much of a shopper but when I am in a town like Lahaina I can enjoy the experience. I wasn't really looking for anything but a pair of shorts to wear over my bathing suit for today's excursion a snorkeling trip on a catameran. I accomplished this quickly because there are tons of shorts in all kinds of sizes and all I wanted was something very basic anyway. But, because I wasn't really looking, I was finding things I really liked. I went into one store called Serendipity where I found a pants outfit that suits the Islands perfectly. Since Brent and Heidi are getting married in Oahu next month and we are hosting a little dinner party before the wedding, I justified getting this outfit. I'm glad I did. My philosophy is when you aren't looking for it and you find it, you better get it or you will think about it forever.

As we were returning in the bus I discovered that I had left my sunglasses somewhere in Lahaina. Fortunately, Suzanne had her phone that could get the internet up to find the number of Serendipity to see if I left them there. Sure enough, I did. I called and they will send them to another one of their stores much closer to our hotel. But it will probably be tomorrow before I can actually get the glasses so that left me with a dilemma for today's outing. I have to have glasses for our sailing trip. So, when I arrived at the hotel I checked to see if they had loaners. This hotel is pretty amazing that way. They didn't but they offered to have me driven back to an ABC store, for those of you who haven't had a chance to visit the islands, that is a store everywhere in the islands for tourists. They supply all kinds of touristy things at much more reasonable prices than the fancy hotels. So I got my new, cheap glasses, and returned to the hotel in time to get ready for the dinner event.

The dinner event was held in a golf resort. The chef at this restaurant is supposed to be the finest and is advertise that way in Maui. The dinner was amazing but the dessert is what I want to tell you about. It was a chocolate parfait but served in a cup made of chocolate. It was incredible!

I am rushing a little now to get this posted because Ted is telling me we need to go get breakfast before we head back to the harbor for our snorkeling trip so more later. When I figure out how to do pictures I will post them too!

Maui

Yeah, I am in Maui and I have been wanting to share the experience so I created my own blog. For those of you who know how much computers scare me this is a very big deal so I must have wanted to do it enough! This is sort of a test run. When I get pictures and figure out how to post them the blog should get better.

Anyway, I woke up to the sights, sounds, and smells of Hawaii. That means I have this incredible view of the ocean with palm trees in the foreground. I can hear the soft rustle of the palm trees and the birds chirping. And...best of all the smells of gardenia. I know that Heaven has to be like this or at least I hope so.