the miller family

Weekend Full of Beach Time

2012-02-12T16:37:00.000-08:00

The pictures below pretty much sum up our weekend; we spent a good bit of time at the beach enjoying the beautiful weather. It's hard to believe that it was this week a year ago that Jayson and I came out to Honolulu to find a place to live. It's probably been one of the most memorable years of my life; tough to be so far away from family and friends, but also blessed to live in a family-orientated community and to be surrounded by beauty at all times.

John Emerson's First Carnival

2012-02-06T16:28:00.000-08:00

Hawaii doesn't have a state fair, but one of the most well known schools on the island, Punahou (where Obama went to school), makes up for it by having a massive carnival every year. Apparently it's one of the biggest events on Oahu. We went on Saturday morning with the Conleys, and I'm not sure who had more fun, John Emerson or Jay and I. Rides, games, face painting, and noddle bowls and malasadas for lunch. The weather was beautiful, and I'm really looking forward to making this an annual tradition.

John Emerson's first "roller coaster" ride

Pilot JE flying the helicopter with Co-Captain Colton

On the ferris wheel with Momma

Distant view of Diamond Head from the top of the ferris wheel

Enjoying the beautiful day

In Profile

2012-02-01T17:33:00.000-08:00

Just a recent favorite picture of my sweet boy and his new haircut.

Friday Afternoon Tradition

2012-01-27T23:40:00.000-08:00

This was our first week back to a normal schedule since Thanksgiving, and we really hit the ground running. I had a busy week with work and a couple of days of early morning phone calls (5am and 6am for East Coast clients); Jayson was in California for work most of the week, and I volunteered in John Emerson's class today. On top of that, neither John Emerson nor I seem fully adjusted back to Hawaii time as well. So by this afternoon, I was pretty worn out (JE doesn't have a "worn out" mode; he only operates on full speed ahead, or asleep), but I decided to take him to the beach for us both to unwind. The weather was beautiful, and late afternoon is a really pretty time of day on the east side of the island. It seems that taking John Emerson to the beach on most Friday afternoons has turned into our weekly tradition. My hope is that he will have happy memories of our beach time together as he gets older. I need to soak up these moments before we hit the age when his mom is the last person he will want to be with on a Friday!

Waimanalo Beach

My favorite view

The water was beautiful with the late afternoon light hitting it.

Character Breakfast at Disney's Aulani Resort

2012-01-22T11:11:00.000-08:00

John Emerson's best buddy Colton turned 2 in January, and to celebrate we all went to the new Disney Aulani Resort on the West coast of Oahu for their character breakfast. The resort was beautiful, and the boys had an awesome time. It was fun to see some familiar Disney faces in Hawaii!

A Whirlwind Two Weeks on the Mainland

2012-01-19T15:31:00.000-08:00

John Emerson and I just got back last night from a fantastic trip to Louisiana and Florida to see friends and family. We were gone almost two weeks, and logged quite a few hours in the air and in the car. John Emerson handled the flights really well though, which is such a relief. We had such a wonderful time visiting everyone, and I especially feel like we spent really good quality time with both sets of grandparents. John Emerson had so much fun playing outside in the leaves while with my parents, and also playing with my Sesame Street, Muppet, and (yes I have to admit) Strawberry Shortcake toys from when I was little. It was also so special to be able to see Jayson's parents; they took JE to the playground (and have been the first people ever to get him to actually swing on a swing!), watched movies with him, and made made him all his favorite snacks. I feel so lucky for the time we spent with both families.

I was also thrilled to visit with many of my friends, and am just sorry that I couldn't get to see everyone that I had hoped to; I had underestimated how exhausted we would be from multiple car rides and plane rides. We missed Jayson very much while we were gone, but also feel so fortunate that we have such special family and friends that are like family that embrace us so warmly when we are back on the "mainland". Our trip was the perfect way to kick off 2012.

My first weekend in town I made a trip to Gulfport, MS to visit my college girlfriends. My dear friend Cindy was a great hostess, and I'm so glad that Kate Mills and Kate Powers were able to drive in as well. We spent a day shopping/eating in Ocean Springs. Above is the bottle tree in front of the Walter Anderson Museum.

Kate Powers, me, Cindy and Kate Mills, at the HardRock Casino, almost 13 years after graduating from Millsaps!

On the way home from Gulfport, I stopped in NOLA to visit Cassie, my best friend from high school, and her two sweet girls. I wish John Emerson could have joined me; I want him to marry either Sofia or Marta!

The Monday of the National Championship game we made a trip to the LSU campus to see Mike the Tiger. The real Mike was sleeping the whole time we were there; ironically he was about as energetic as the Tigers looked later that night.

Lunch with Danielle, my very first friend at Millsaps! So happy to say we still keep in touch after all these years.

Lots of outside play for John Emerson. We were so glad it was at least a little bit cold.

Handsome boy in his winter gear.

The day we flew into Orlando, we met my dear friend Melanie and Bryce at Downtown Disney. We had lunch at the T-Rex restaurant. The boys loved it, though it was over stimulating to say the least for two tired little boys!

Outside the Lego store at Downtown Disney

The second day in Florida, John Emerson stayed with Jayson's parents at their house, and I drove over to Orlando for the day. I met Melanie, Laurie and Brooke for lunch at Houstons (one of our favorite Orlando restaurants), and enjoyed wine outside by the lake afterwards. It was so good to spend time with old girlfriends after almost a whole year of being in the "make new friends" mode!

The last day in Florida we spent time at the playground in New Smyrna Beach, and also played on the beach.

I was so impressed when John Emerson wrote his name in the sand with a feather! He has only just started learning how to write it, and I was so surprised when I found this in the sand.

Playing in the sand with Grammie

Beautiful weather, and a great end to a special trip.

Field Trips

2012-01-04T16:56:00.000-08:00

John Emerson's school has unusually long holiday breaks, and they don't go back until Jan. 9. So that has left lots of free time to fill the past couple of weeks. I've actually had quite a bit of work to do, so my parents have been great about taking John Emerson on field trips to get him out of the house. They've taken him to the zoo, the playground countless times, and today they took him to the Honolulu aquarium. As you can see by the pictures, he made a new friend!

We leave tomorrow night on the red eye flight to Baton Rouge. JE and I are on a separate flight from my parents. To say I'm anxious about the flight is an understatement, so keep your fingers crossed my wild three year old sleeps on the 10 hour plane ride!

Sculptures in front of the zoo

Fish friend

Well hello there!

It looks like they are having a deep conversation here

Neat view of Waikiki Beach

New Year Eve's Day - North Shore and Dinner with the Family

2011-12-31T22:44:00.001-08:00

Christmas decorations in Haleiwa

Lunch time

View on the drive home

Laniakea Beach

New Year's Eve Dinner

All Is Bright

2011-12-28T19:37:00.000-08:00

Just one more sweet picture from Christmas

Christmas Day 2011

2011-12-26T11:14:00.000-08:00

We had a really nice Christmas Day. Luckily for John Emerson, Santa was able to locate him in Hawaii this year. He was thrilled to find a very large pirate ship, as well as many Muppet themed presents and "Gongoon" (from Cars) presents under the tree. My mom made pumpkin french toast for breakfast, and Jayson made filets for Christmas dinner. We very much missed Jayson's parents though; this is the first year to not celebrate Christmas with them, and we thought of them often throughout the the day. So glad for our options in technology, as we were able to Skype with them while John Emerson opened the presents they had sent him. Between Christmas morning Mass, lots of eating, and playing outside and enjoying the beautiful weather, it was a great day. We are so very blessed.

Christmas Eve Day in Kailua

2011-12-25T15:16:00.000-08:00

We woke up to beautiful weather on Dec. 24, and decided to drive over to the town of Kailua for breakfast and some time at the beach. Breakfast at Cinnamon's was awesome as usual (gingerbread pancakes with eggnog sauce, yum!), and the beach was windy but still fun. It was a nice way to spend Christmas Eve day.

A Letter to Santa (as dictated from John Emerson to Momma)

2011-12-21T20:13:00.000-08:00

December 21, 2011

Dear Santa,

Could you please bring me Gongoon?* And some PJ's and a surf board. I want the Lion King movie too, and some cheese puffs and candy canes. I would also like Jack Sparrow. I like the Muppets; I like Kermit, Fozzie Bear, and Miss Piggy. Please bring me some pepperoni.

Love,
John Emerson

*Gongoon is the name John Emerson calls Tow-Mater from Cars

Maui Vacation: Round Three of Pictures

2011-12-21T11:25:00.000-08:00

Playing on Kapalua Beach

View from our condo

Lunch at Pacifico

Maui Vacation: Round Two of Photos

2011-12-19T22:32:00.000-08:00

Decor at an awesome pizza place in the town of Paia

Outrigger at Whaler's Village

View on the drive from Kapalua back to our condo

View from dinner at Merriman's in Kapalua; probably one of our favorite restaurants ever

Decorations at Pacifico restaurant in Lahina

John Emerson in Lahina

Honu on the beach in front of our condo

Sunset over the island of Lanai

The look on JE's face is priceless

Maui Vacation December 2011: First Round of Photos

2011-12-18T20:47:00.000-08:00

We just got home this evening from a wonderful trip to Maui with my parents. It was relaxing and fun. John Emerson had a blast playing in the pool at the condo, Jayson got to surf, and we all ate some amazing meals. It was rainy a few of the days, but we also had some beautiful weather too. I made a little side trip in the middle of our week; I'm now doing some project work for Jayson's prior employer in Florida, and I traveled to the Salt Lake City office for their annual Sales Meeting and some training. I was gone 2 and a half days, but luckily still had plenty of time to enjoy myself in Maui. This is round one of pictures from my camera. There will be more pictures to follow.

Mama's Fish House on the North Shore of Maui. AMAZING food and view

Loved the light fixtures

Lambie and Grandpaw with their sweet boy

Drink umbrellas provided hours of entertainment

Beautiful decor

This statue was the beginning of John Emerson's current obsession with "Tiki Guys" as he calls them.

The beach in front of the restaurant

Jayson on Kapalua Beach on the South Shore

Rainy day view of one of the bays on the South Shore

A Tale of Two Santas

2011-12-09T15:15:00.001-08:00

When it came to visiting Santa, we were exceptionally spoiled by our options in Orlando. The Santa at the nice mall there was really exceptional, and some of the best pictures of John Emerson ever had been taken with him. This year I had very high hopes for the Santa at the Ala Moana Mall, a massive outdoor high-end mall in Waikiki. After standing in line for an hour, I was disappointed when their Santa was totally shady looking; he was no older than his mid-40's, and his hair was the same length as his beard and very yellow. He resembled a hippie. I could have handled that, but the guy taking the picture smelled like alcohol! I felt like we were on a tv sitcom. The picture wasn't great , and I was so mad I had spent $20.

I didn't want our only Santa pictures to be with the suspicious Santa, so I was relieved to find that the one in our neighborhood mall was totally normal looking (picture below). I feel kind of silly taking a whole other set of pictures since John Emerson didn't mind either way; I guess I'm just a Santa snob!

December Days

2011-12-04T15:16:00.001-08:00

We kicked off December by introducing John Emerson to The Elf on the Shelf for the first time. JE has named him "TreeTree". My parents arrived on Friday, and we are so excited to have them here. It really feels like the holidays when they are in town. On Saturday we picked out our tree, and decorated it with supplies from Target since we left all of our Christmas decorations in Louisiana for fear they wouldn't make the trip to Hawaii intact. We started our Sunday with some time at the beach with Grandpaw (pictures below), and with hopes of going to see Santa later today at the Ala Moana Mall. That remains to be seen though, since a certain 3 year old refused to nap today (so far the precense of "TreeTree" has not had the impact on behavior that I had hoped for). Only one more week of work and school before we leave for Maui; I'm really looking forward to the break.

Creative Endeavors

2011-11-30T22:58:00.001-08:00

John Emerson's school had an art exhibit on display at our local mall, with a board for each class that included their artwork. And John Emerson's art made the cut! His picture is the top one on the right below. Yay for my little artist!

New Traditions

2011-11-27T12:16:00.001-08:00

This Thanksgiving is the first one we've spent without being with one set of our parents. Definitely a little sad, but we still had a really nice day. We spent the morning at Diamond Head beach so Jay could surf. That afternoon, Jordan, Alison and Colton came over for Thanksgiving dinner. We picked up a turkey from Whole Foods, and Alison and I made the sides and desserts. It was really relaxed and fun. The holiday excitement really starts this week with my parents arriving on Friday. I'm looking forward to our first December in Hawaii, and the new traditions that we will start in our new home.

Reef Hawaiian Pro Surf Competition

2011-11-21T22:05:00.000-08:00

On Monday, Brittney, John Emerson and I took a quick road trip back up to the North Shore to watch the first day of The Reef Hawaiian Pro surf competition. It's the first competition of the three that are part of the Vans Triple Crown of Surfing. It was such a cool experience! It's such a relaxed environment, with everyone sitting on the beach and watching the heats. The weather was beautiful too. John Emerson wasn't that into it, but I enjoyed watching what makes the North Shore so famous. I just wish Jayson could have joined us since surfing is such a huge part of his life, but I'm hopeful we can catch some of the competition in Dec. and Jan.

Back view of the stands where the judges sit and the surfers wait for their heat.

Rob Machado, one of the world's most famous surfers.

Enjoying the weather and view, JE is not so impressed

Is it time to go yet Mom?

Two more contestants; the blonde one is famous.

Miller Island Tours

2011-11-19T21:37:00.001-08:00

We're so excited to have Brittney, John Emerson's special babysitter from Florida, visiting us for the week. We've hit the ground running and have taken her to many of our favorite spots already. John Emerson is so happy to have her here, and is showing his affection by talking her ear off.

John Emerson at Diamond Head, the first place we took Brittney when she arrived.

JE and Momma at China Walls in Hawaii Kai

Alison and I took Brittney out in Waikiki on Friday night; dinner at Hula Grill, then drinks at the Moana SurfRider

North Shore on Saturday, and our favorite Honu named Brutus was on shore!

JE and his Miss BrittBritt

November Happenings

2011-11-14T20:41:00.001-08:00

I really can't believe that November is half way over. I'm so excited that we are entering the holiday season. It's great to have Jayson back in town, and I'm so excited for my parents to arrive in a few weeks. Just a general update and funny stories from John Emerson lately:

JE started tennis lessons this past weekend. He jumped right in and seemed to enjoy it. His hand eye coordination isn't too bad for a 3 year old, and I can't wait to watch him progress.
John Emerson is one funny guy, especially when he doesn't mean to be. A few weeks ago at school he was running in the classroom, and his teacher asked him to use his "walking feet". JE looked at her, and in all sincerity he said "But I'm wearing my running shoes??".
We were out this afternoon running errands, and when we pulled into the Costco parking lot, JE announced "I think the people here will be happy to see me". I have no idea where that came from, but I'm glad his self esteem is strong.
We have a visitor coming this week! Miss Brittney, John Emerson's consistent babysitter in Florida from the age of 6 months until we moved, is coming to see us. We're so excited to show her the island.

We had the Conley's over for dinner the other night, and JE and Colton had fun dressing up in some old Halloween costumes that some friends had given us. They literally wore these outfits all night.

My tennis pro

JE had Veteran's Day off, so we made a trip to Target and then Kailua Beach. We took the Pali Highway to get across the island to Kailua, and this is the view from the Pali lookout.

New Camera

2011-11-13T18:56:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas to me! Jayson bought me an early Christmas gift this weekend, a new camera. It's a Canon ELPH, and it's nice and small, but still takes great pictures. We spent Sunday on the North Shore, and I had fun trying it out. I'm especially pleased with how well it captures color. Thank you Jay!

Week Full of Rainbows

2011-11-10T21:59:00.000-08:00

Morning at the Zoo with Momma

2011-11-06T10:34:00.001-08:00

Moving Right Along

2011-11-02T15:30:00.000-07:00

Buzz Lightyear Miller had a great Halloween, and enjoyed trick or treating with Colton the dinosaur. Luckily we had caught the Halloween episode of Yo Gabba Gabba earlier that day where they sing a song titled "Too Much Candy Hurts Your Tummy", and I was proud to hear Buzz sharing this information with others while we went house to house.

I'm so happy we are now in the month of November. Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday, and I'm also super excited to watch the LSU/Alabama game this Saturday. They have moved on to the topic of Thanksgiving at school too. I volunteered in JE's class today, and his teacher asked the children to draw a picture of something that they were thankful for, and they had to present the drawing to the class. Of the 10 students there today, 9 of them drew a picture of a family member. And John Emerson? He announced to the class that he was thankful for "turtles". I'm glad he has his priorities straight.

Farm Adventures

2011-10-31T16:53:00.000-07:00

John Emerson's class had a trip scheduled to Waimanalo Country Farms pumpkin patch today, and I decided to take him yesterday as well because I had heard there were lots of fun things to do, and I knew he would be on a tight schedule when he went with his class. We had a great time both days. The location is amazing; a farm with the mountains in the background, and views of the ocean past the fields. The pumpkins were on the tiny side, but I believe that's because they have to import them all in from the mainland. They had face painting, a hay ride, a petting zoo, and lots of good food. John Emerson's favorite part was the petting zoo. When the goats and sheep would approach us, he would hide behind me as if he was scared, but then would call them back over once they walked away. When we went to the farm today, we actually saw three rainbows; one leaving our neighborhood, one on the drive there (picture below) and one behind the farm (picture also below). I'm excited to make a visit to Waimanalo Farms a new Fall tradition.

John Emerson holding his "ghostie", our new favorite stuffed animal

The piggy was adorable

This sheep was not shy

Happy as can be on the big tractor

Friendly cow

Colorful gourds

Rainbow on the drive there

Perfect sized pumpkin for a 3 year old

JE and Margaret Grace, one of his favorite friends at school

Child size pumpkins

Here Piggy!

Rainbow over the Farms

Weekend Festivities

2011-10-29T22:32:00.000-07:00

We've had quite a weekend so far, and it's not even over yet!

On Friday, Jayson's company had bought tickets for the executive team for a huge Halloween Fundraiser. We had set up a baby sitter for this a long time ago, and even when Jayson realized he was going to be in Florida that week, I decided I still wanted to go. The theme was "Stranger Than Fiction", with the direction being to dress as a story book character. I decided I wanted to go as Nancy Drew (I had most of the costume in my closet already), and since I was going with Jordan and Alison, they went as Flossie Bobbsey (from the Bobbsey Twins) and Fred Hardy (from the Hardy Boys). The party was held at a hotel on the water in Waikiki Beach, and it was probably one of the most amazing and over the top events I've ever been to. Cabanas, fireworks, raw bar, professional entertainers on stilts and dancing, etc. The band especially was out of this world. They had flown them in from L.A., and they played from 8-12 nonstop. I danced the whole night. I had so much fun, and I'm just so bummed that Jay couldn't be there.

On Saturday we hit the ground running. We went to two Fall Fairs. The first one was in the suburb of Kaimuki, and they had face painting, a band, and an art show. However, it rained on us the minute we got there, so we didn't last too long. The second one was in our suburb called Hawaii Kai. They had balloon animals,a bounce house, a DJ playing Halloween music, and for some unknown reason, they also had a "North Pole" tent that was filled with ice for the kids to play on, and Santa was on hand too. Not sure how that fit into the Halloween theme, but that's okay. We got the below picture with Hawaiian Santa, and I love it! I'm tempted to use it as our Christmas card picture this year.

I'm incredibly tired tonight, but it's been worth it so far. Just wish Jayson was with us to join in all the fun!

John Emerson decorated our pumpkin. I think he did a better job painting it than I would have done carving it.

Flossie Bobbsey and Nancy Drew (magnifying glasses not pictured).

JE and Hawaiian Santa, "throwing the shaka" just in time for Halloween!

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

2011-10-27T00:02:00.001-07:00

Today while John Emerson was at school, I discovered my new favorite stretch of beach along the East coast. It's quiet, there's lots of pretty shells and sea glass, and I think this outrigger canoe is beautiful. It's about 10 minutes from our townhouse, so it's not too far a drive at all. Can't wait to go back soon and sit on the beach and read a book.

Good Weekend and Travel Plans

2011-10-25T01:27:00.000-07:00

Our weekend was busy and fun. On Friday, Jayson and I had a dinner date; Saturday was Jayson's company picnic, complete with balloon animals, face painting, a dunking booth, and bounce house (John Emerson was in heaven); and on Sunday, family dinner with the Conley's. It was a nice way to kick off what will be an eventful end of the year. Jayson left for a trip Monday and will be gone for 10 DAYS! He will be in Phoenix/Dallas this week for work, and it was the perfect opportunity for him to go on to Florida to see his family. John Emerson and I will miss him so much. And keep your fingers crossed that I maintain my sanity, as 10 days is a long time.

But right around the corner is some exciting stuff. My parents arrive Dec. 2 for the holidays, and will be here for a month. They can't get here fast enough! While they are here, we are all going to Maui for a week, which will be nice and relaxing. Then in early January, John Emerson and I are coming to the mainland for two weeks! We will be in Baton Rouge most of the time, but are flying into Orlando for a weekend in between to see Jayson's parents and our friends too. It's such a comfort to have a trip back home scheduled. I'm definitely enjoying our time in Hawaii, but it's hard when you don't know for sure when you will see your friends and family next. We're so excited about these upcoming months.

Roarrrr!

Finds of the Week

2011-10-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

Colorful sea glass, sea shells, and coral found on the beach

A Bird of Paradise in our neighborhood

A purple sea urchin washed ashore

Spectacular

2011-10-20T17:20:00.001-07:00

This past Wednesday John Emerson and I went to the bay about a half mile down the street from us to play on the beach and watch the sunset. It was absolutely amazing; I think it may have been the prettiest sunset I've seen since we've moved here. A small amount of homesickness (better described as a longing for familiar surroundings and people) normally hits me about once a week, but I'm grateful to have these beautiful sites to offset those feelings.

PreSchool Class Pictures

2011-10-18T15:53:00.001-07:00

John Emerson took school pictures in Sept., and they came in today. I appreciate that the school chose a photographer that didn't go for the normal posed shots (or the prom themed ones such as last year). I think these candids are really sweet. I still love his shaggy hair, but these pictures made me realize that I also really like the little boy haircut he has now too.

Sunday Morning in Haleiwa

2011-10-16T17:58:00.001-07:00

Cute sign for a cute town

View directly behind the famous Waimea Bay

Tide pools at the beach

Enjoying a beautiful Fall day

Digging our way to the mainland.

Colorful buildings in Haleiwa

Surfboards on the side of the road

Class Participation

2011-10-14T16:20:00.001-07:00

I volunteered in John Emerson's class today. On Fridays they have Religion. During the class, they were looking at a picture of the Holy Nativity (also the name of the school). The picture included all kinds of animals, angels, and of course the Baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph. The teacher asked the children what they saw in the picture. Immediately most of them started calling out the names of the animals that they saw, and one or two children said "Baby Jesus". John Emerson had a different observation though when he announced that he saw a "Beautiful Girl". Now I definitely think it's sweet that JE thinks that Mary is beautiful, but I'm also thinking that if he's already talking about "beautiful girls" at age 3, what are we in for when he's 15?

Funny Guy

2011-10-10T11:39:00.000-07:00

All three pictures below are from this weekend. Apparently John Emerson was trying to go incognito using different hats and glasses, but luckily we could still find him.

In Character

2011-10-07T14:24:00.001-07:00

For at least a month now I've been asking John Emerson what he wants to be for Halloween, and without fail the answer has been Buzz Lightyear. I was hoping to talk him into something a little less popular, a ghost for example. (Side note; in a self-admitted bad decision, Jayson let John Emerson watch Ghost Busters a couple months ago. Ever since then, JE has been obsessed with what he calls "Ghosties"; he both loves to talk about them, but also now will not go upstairs or downstairs without one of us accompanying him). However, there was no changing his mind on Buzz. So when I found the costume at Target, I bought it knowing there was a good chance they would sell out. Because I'm impatient, I let JE try it on today. He looks awesome, and the best part was as soon as he had it on, he started doing these hilarious "action shot" poses. He literally transformed into Buzz Lightyear. JE also likes to talk about what his friends and family should be for Halloween. He previously had told me I should be Jessie from Toy Story, but he's recently changed his mind and said I should be a "Bowl of Spaghetti"??! I guess I better get started on my costume right away.

October in Oahu

2011-10-05T17:05:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe that Fall is officially here, and that we've been living in Hawaii for seven months now. The temperatures in Honolulu are the same as the rest of the year, but the winds have really picked up. It's nice to be outside in the evenings. Some other October updates:

John Emerson is on Fall Break from school this week. I wish I had grown up in Hawaii; they get a week off for Fall Break, a month off for Christmas, and two weeks off for Spring Break. Yesterday he had a play date at the zoo with some of his friends in his class. I loved this picture of him cuddling the elephant statue.
I'm slightly ashamed to admit that I didn't realize we needed to schedule a 3 year old well visit since there are no vaccinations required at this age. I finally took him to the Pediatrician today, just a few months behind schedule. He's healthy as can be, with both his weight and height in the 50th percentile.
I have been seeing recipes everywhere lately for pumpkin bread pudding. Since bread pudding is my favorite dessert, I thought I would make it. Little did I know what a hot commodity pumpkin filling is here; they were sold out at Safeway, Costco, and Whole Foods. Along the same line, I can't find pumpkin flavored beer anywhere here either. I ended up making a sweet potato bread pudding instead, and I guess I'm going to have to get on a wait list in order to have pumpkin filling for Thanksgiving.
I was excited to find dahlias at the hardware store here. I bought some to replace my potted hibiscus at home. They're so pretty that I couldn't stop taking pictures of them.
We've made friends with our neighbors that have a little boy one month younger than John Emerson. They are from Florida, and both of them went to University of Florida. We're going to have them over on Saturday to watch the LSU/Florida game with us. However, I'm slightly stumped in regards to the menu since the game will be on at 9:30am here; not sure whether to make breakfast food or serve lunch early.

That's our October so far. Aloha!

Fearless

2011-10-01T12:05:00.000-07:00

We visited our favorite tide pools on Friday afternoon, and for the first time John Emerson was interested in climbing the rocks that separate the tide pools from the ocean. Though it made me nervous, I let him climb away. And in case you can't tell, in the second picture below he's actually dancing on top of the rock.

Action shot.

John Emerson dances the hula.

Quite an accomplishment.

Fire Chief Miller

2011-09-29T18:35:00.000-07:00

This week the Honolulu Fire Department came to visit John Emerson's class. The kids loved it. They let each kid hold the fire hose and shoot water at an orange cone until they knocked it over. That was a big hit. My Grandad had been a volunteer fire fighter for over 50 years, and I can't wait to show John Emerson his original fireman's helmet the next time we're in Baton Rouge.

Sunday Sunset

2011-09-26T16:35:00.001-07:00

A Weekend in Pictures, Minus the Stitches

2011-09-25T16:33:00.001-07:00

We had a really nice weekend (dinner on the water Friday night, beach on Saturday with friends, great LSU game), until today when Jayson sliced his foot open while surfing and had to get 4 stitches at the Urgent Care Center. He can't surf for the next 10 days, which is what he's most concerned about of course, and I'm also not quite sure how he will be able to put on a shoe for the next week either . Poor guy, the doctor prescribed him pain killers, so he's quite humorous to talk to, but I know he's still in pain. Below are some pictures from Friday and Saturday evening; much more scenic than the pictures of today's events.

Afternoon Hideout

2011-09-23T17:34:00.001-07:00

While the Momma's Away....

2011-09-20T18:11:00.000-07:00

Jayson and John Emerson had a fun weekend together while I was out of town. They went out for some boys' dinners, went to the beach, and went to the surf shop. I knew Jay had planned to take JE to get his hair trimmed (key word being "trimmed") over the weekend, but it ended up being an extreme makeover! So much so that another mom that was in the salon with her kids came up to Jayson after the haircut and asked him if that was what he had wanted done since John Emerson looked so different from when they walked in.

In Jay's defense, he did send me a text while I was gone asking if there was anything I didn't want done to JE's hair at the salon. Unfortunately, I didn't notice the text for a couple of hours and didn't respond in time. John Emerson still looks adorable with this haircut, but he looks so GROWN UP! He almost looks like a different child, which tears at this momma's heart strings. I miss my shaggy hair surfer baby. Fingers crossed that it grows back fast.

Seattle Visit

2011-09-19T13:22:00.001-07:00

I just returned from a wonderful weekend visiting Therese and Bush in Seattle. I haven't seen Therese in two years, but we picked back up like I just saw her last week. I loved seeing their beautiful home, and they were the best tour guides you could ask for. We spent time downtown, enjoying lunch outside and the Pike Place Market. The fresh flower section was especially stunning. On Saturday we took a ferry ride over to Port Townsend, which is an adorable historic town on the water with pretty architecture and great food/shopping. Therese and Bush live in the cutest part of town, and on Sunday we enjoyed the shops and restaurants that were close to them. The weather was in the 60's, with a combination of cloudy and sunny throughout each day. I was thrilled to experience temperatures cooler than 80 degrees and to have a reason to wear sweaters.

It was a really special weekend, and I'm thankful to Jayson for flying solo with John Emerson for a few days so that I could make the trip.

Therese in front of their adorable house. The landscaping is beautiful, and they did it all themselves.

Lunch at The Pink Door restaurant in town.

In front of Pike Place Market

The fresh flowers were amazing.

And none of the arrangements cost more than $20!

Victorian architecture in Port Townsend

Therese in front of a little ship yard.

A pirate picture for John Emerson.

Pretty flowers in Port Townsend

Pretty girl in Port Townsend

Lots of orange, my favorite color of flower.

Therese picking raspberries.

At the park near Therese and Bush's house.

Hard to believe that this is almost 13 years since we left Millsaps!

Birthday Blessings

2011-09-13T15:43:00.001-07:00

I had a really lovely 34th birthday weekend. On Friday, Jayson and I went out with Jordan and Alison to a historic tiki bar called La Mariana Sailing Club. It's a total dive bar and probably hasn't been redecorated (or cleaned for that matter) since the 1960's, but it was really fun. On Friday Jayson also surprised me with a strawberry guava cake that he had ordered. It was fantastic. The rest of the weekend was really low key. On my actual birthday, I spent the morning volunteering in John Emerson's class. The teacher surprised me with a pretty flower lei to wear since it was my birthday. On Monday evening Jayson, John Emerson and I went to the tide pools for a little bit, and then ordered pizza from my favorite pizza place. It was a relaxing and fun weekend with the people I love, and as always, I'm reminded of how blessed I am.

I have another big treat this weekend as I'm headed to Seattle to see my dear friend Therese. I haven't seen her in two years, and I can't wait to spend time together. I'm quite certain I will have tons of pictures to share after that trip.

Happy Friday!

2011-09-09T11:48:00.001-07:00

Scenery

2011-09-07T16:11:00.001-07:00

Since our blog also serves as our family picture album, I want to also capture the scenery that makes living in Hawaii memorable. No real story here, just some pretty pictures.

Flowers in our neighborhood.

KoKo Head crater - the one with 1,100 steps that Jayson and I climbed a few weeks ago.

Flowers at the park on the east side of Hawaii Kai. This picture was taken about 1 mile away from Dog the Bounty Hunter's house (I will have to post pictures of his front gate sometime, but I don't want to distract from the pretty scenery in this post with utter tackiness).

The Best Kind of Weekend

2011-09-05T16:32:00.001-07:00

We've had a great Labor Day weekend. On Friday we went out to dinner with friends; on Saturday we loved watching the LSU game; on Sunday we spent the morning at Diamond Head beach and I made a trip to Target (that's a big deal because it's a 45 minute drive and on the other side of the island). And today we went out to breakfast, and went exploring along the water on the east side of Hawaii Kai. And this may just be my imagination, but I actually think it may feel one degree cooler here. You wouldn't know it from the pictures, but Fall is officially here!

Friday Afternoon Big Surf

2011-09-03T17:01:00.001-07:00

There have been record size South Shore swells this past week on Oahu. Apparently the largest waves in 10 years. Scary and beautiful to watch, all at the same time. On Friday John Emerson and I made a visit to our favorite tide pools. The surf had calmed down quite a bit from earlier in the week, but still pretty awesome to watch.

Stop and Smell the Plumerias

2011-08-31T16:35:00.001-07:00

It has been a crazy past two weeks around here. Last week I had to prepare for a big payroll software demo as part of my project for Jayson's company, and also volunteer at John Emerson's school quite a bit because his teacher is out with an injury. This past Saturday we had two picnics; a picnic for Jayson's work and John Emerson's Back to School picnic (which I also volunteered at as well). On Sunday I hosted a wine club event at our house. This week I'm helping out in JE's class again, and I'm conducting training sessions Wed. - Friday mornings for work. It's good to be busy though; it makes me feel like we actually live here now and aren't just visiting.

And on a different note, below is a picture of the blossoms on the plumeria tree in front of our townhouse. It smells wonderful.

My Favorite View

2011-08-29T12:33:00.000-07:00

Millers on the Deck

2011-08-27T12:05:00.001-07:00

Morning Rainbows

2011-08-24T17:50:00.000-07:00

Tuesday was a rainy morning, and since it never rains for very long and the sun quickly follows, we see some really beautiful rainbows near our home. I took these three pictures on the way to school, and I was excited that the double rainbow was visible in some of them. Rainbows.....reason #48 to come visit us in Hawaii!

Nostalgic

2011-08-22T18:30:00.000-07:00

The start of school, Fall Fashion issues of my favorite magazines, Halloween decorations in the grocery stores....the signs are everywhere that Fall is almost here. Fall is my favorite season, and the ironic thing is that when I lived in Florida, the change in season made me nostalgic for Louisiana. And now that we live in Hawaii, I'm actually a little nostalgic for Florida. I'm still enjoying this once in a lifetime experience in Hawaii, and we're settling into a schedule that is good for all of us. But that doesn't mean that once in a while I don't miss the people, places, and traditions of our previous life. Because it makes me feel a little better to write about it, the following are some things that I miss:

Our sweet girl Riley

Close proximity to Disney World, especially for Epcot Food and Wine Fest and the Christmas decorations in the park.

Living in a place that appreciates/celebrates SEC football. Even though it was tough being a LSU fan in Orlando, at least SEC football in general was a big deal. So far in Hawaii we've mainly come across USC and Oregon fans. Also, with the time change, when LSU has a day game, it will air at 8am here!

Other things I miss include:

Day trips to New Smyrna Beach and visiting Jayson's parents
Our friends in Orlando - after living there 8 years, we definitely built some life long friendships.
Knowing that Louisiana and my parents and friends there are only a 1.5 hour flight away for less than $200, as opposed to a 12 hour flight away.
A reason to change my wardrobe - I don't think it will ever be cold enough here to wear tall boots or sweaters

I promise I'm not complaining. I just wanted to document my thoughts about some of the things I liked about Orlando, and it's comforting to reflect on these things. And though they will be different experiences for sure, I'm looking forward to establishing our Hawaii Fall traditions too.

We Love School Already

2011-08-20T18:14:00.000-07:00

The religion teacher at John Emerson's school was sweet enough to send me this picture below. They had taken candid student pictures last week for their "Back to School" night video that they played for all the parents, and this picture was included. I love the look on his face; you can tell he's still taking in the new school experience.

Sunset Shots

2011-08-19T12:21:00.001-07:00

Thursday evening we ventured down to Diamond Head beach to enjoy the sunset. It didn't disappoint. My favorite picture is the one of John Emerson and Jayson chasing each other on the beach.

What I Learned at School

2011-08-18T01:07:00.003-07:00

Tonight was Back to School Night at John Emerson's school. We've been so happy with his experience there so far. And I have no doubt that John Emerson keeps them entertained, because tonight I had the teacher's assistant, the art teacher, and the religion teacher all tell me that John Emerson had told them that his name was "John Emerson Buzz Lightyear". Looks like I'm going to have to get his monogrammed t-shirts updated!

Big Trees Little Boy

2011-08-16T23:26:00.000-07:00

A picture from the weekend that I forgot to upload. I thought the proportions were neat because the trees look so big and John Emerson looks so little.

Manoa Falls Trail

2011-08-14T17:54:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning we drove inland to the area of Manoa, which is up the mountain directly behind downtown Honolulu. There is an arboretum there, and a trail that leads to the Manoa Falls. It was a beautiful hike, and John Emerson enjoyed it. The only issues were that the ground was extremely muddy, and the trail was actually pretty crowded. We safely made it both up and down the trail without anyone falling in the mud, which made the hike a great success.

JE and Jayson at the beginning of the trail.

View of a much smaller waterfall along the way.

Not sure what these bright red buds were, but I thought they were pretty.

Birds of Paradise actually in paradise.

Orange parrot tulip blossoms that had fallen to the ground. They are everywhere in Hawaii.

Purple wildflower.

The steps starting to get muddier.

We made it to the top!

Manoa Falls

Back at the bottom, and trying to tell us he wasn't tired. And then promptly fell asleep on the car ride home.

From Coast to Coast

2011-08-12T17:24:00.000-07:00

Earlier this summer, my parents went on a vacation to Maine. They took this great picture (first one below) of the different colored buoys hanging on a fishing shack in a coastal town. I think it's fantastic. Then ironically enough, when they were in town visiting us and we drove to the North Shore one day, we spotted a tree whose branches were full of buoys. We didn't have time to stop then, but John Emerson and I went back after they left and before school started so I could find the tree and take pictures of it. I think I'm going to get the last picture below enlarged and hang it in John Emerson's room. It was such a cool site to find this tree alongside the road on one of the most beautiful coastlines anywhere. And what a good idea for a coffee table book....colorful buoys from all 50 states.

East Coast Buoys

Pacific Coast Buoys

My scenic road trip partner in crime

They remind me of hot air balloons

Keiki Co-op

2011-08-09T17:02:00.001-07:00

Today was John Emerson's first day of three year old preschool. In the Hawaiian language, the word "keiki" means child or baby, and the name of his program is the "Keiki Co-Op". It's 5 days a week from 8-12. They also have art one day, music one day, Chapel one day, and PE two days. The school relies heavily on parent participation, and I volunteered to be the PTO liaison for the class. Then yesterday during orientation, his teacher asked me if I would also be the room mom, and I said yes. I'm really excited to be part of his school experience, and to hopefully meet some more moms this way.

John Emerson did just fine today, I'm sure the summer program helped a lot to ease any school anxiety. It was cute to see him dressed up in his uniform too. For the past few weeks when I would tell him about wearing a uniform, his response was "what are you saying about a unicorn?", but today he didn't mind wearing it instead of his normal pirate themed shirts.

Lastly, you know you live in Hawaii when at the school orientation the music teacher is playing a ukulele, and when you are asked to be on a lei making committee for the Spring festival! Seriously though, we are really happy about our choice of school for John Emerson; it seems to be a really special, close knit community, and we can't wait to watch JE thrive.

Seals, Sunset and Sea Glass

2011-08-08T18:16:00.001-07:00

Sunday early evening we went out for ice cream, and then took a drive to Diamond Head to go for a walk on the beach. We had great timing, because there also happened to be a seal sleeping on the shore. He was sleeping so soundly that I was afraid he was dead, but every now and then he would sigh really loudly, and I was reassured. The tide was out, and there were some pretty awesome tide pools in the rocks. It was fun showing John Emerson the hermit crabs and the fish that live in the pools. In addition, I found some great pieces of sea glass and sea shells on the beach. I've enjoyed starting a sea glass and sea shell collection. And we caught a beautiful sunset behind the Diamond Head lighthouse. Preschool starts tomorrow, so this was a nice way to end our weekend before we're back in the school routine.

Misc.

2011-08-04T16:22:00.001-07:00

Just some miscellaneous pictures taken recently that I think are pretty.

A Special Day

2011-08-02T21:40:00.001-07:00

Monday was my parents last full day in town, and because I needed to spend some time on my work project, Lambie and Grandpaw took John Emerson to Sea Life Park for the day. Sea Life Park is very similar to Sea World, except the views from the park are of the ocean and mountains and not of hotels and parking lots like in Orlando. JE had a great time seeing rays, turtles, a penguin, and a seal show. He got to touch a sea cucumber and starfish, but the highlight was apparently the pirate ship themed playground at the park. JE loved his special day with his grandparents.

Lambie and Grandpaw flew out today to go back home, and we won't see them again until Christmas. We enjoyed every minute of their visit, and needless to say, I'm a little bit sad. Hawaii is definitely beautiful and it's been a neat experience, but with the distance and time change I sometimes feel like we live in a different country on the other side of the world.

Accomplishment

2011-08-01T12:26:00.001-07:00

One of my favorite things about Oahu is the hiking; you have many options, and all are beautiful. But the one hike that is neither leisurely nor enjoyable is the KoKo Head Crater Trail. Diamond Head is the famous volcanic cone that you see in the background in all pictures from Waikiki Beach. But about 20 miles to the East, and right behind where we live, is KoKo Head, which is a smaller volcanic cone. There used to be a railway running straight up to the summit, which was used to bring supplies to the top as part of a military lookout. The railway ties now serve as "steps" up the mountain. There is no shade, and no place to sit down and rest. There are 1,100 steps, and at times the incline feels like 90 degrees. On Saturday evening, Jayson and I decided to attempt it and time our hike so that we could watch the sunset. The hike was absolutely painful and felt like it would never end. I have to credit Jay for cheering us both on, because there were plenty of times where I said the view was nice enough in the middle and there was no need to finish. Once we finally made it to the top, we caught the final moments of sunset, which were beautiful. Then the walk down was difficult for a totally different reason, because I have a fear of falling. Not a fear of heights, just of falling. Because of this fear I never was able to roller skate, ice skate, ride tall bikes, and it took me forever to learn to ski. So the thought of going down 1,100 steps at a sharp incline was terrifying, but I had no choice since it was the only way to get down. Let's just say we took our time and it was pitch black by the time we got to the bottom. I'm really proud of both of us for this accomplishment, though I don't plan on doing it again anytime soon.

At the top of all 1,100 steps, looking down.

About to pass out.

The last minutes of sunset.

Return to the North Shore

2011-07-30T19:52:00.000-07:00

No trip to Oahu is complete without a visit to the North Shore, so we gave Lambie and Grandpaw the grand tour today. The weather was beautiful, and the highlight was how active the sea turtles were in the water. Normally you just see one or two up on the beach sunning themselves, but today there were multiple ones very close to shore. It made for some great photo ops. We also stopped at Shark's Cove to explore the tide pools, and John Emerson loved having fish swim around him. I decided the day was a success when after eating lunch in Haliewa, John Emerson, Lambie and Grandpaw all fell asleep in the car on the ride back home.

Mountain View on the drive up the East side of the island.

The name of this island is "China Man's Hat".

Took this picture from the car as we were driving.

Pretty church on the side of the road.

I took this picture while we were driving and I wish I had made us stop. It's a tree with all different color buoys in the branches. It was really cool.

Handsome boy

Shark's Cove

A boy and his fish.

Purple sea urchins in the water.

This is one of my favorite pictures ever.

Sea turtle approaching; this guy was big.

Looking up to find the green algae to eat.

Hi there!

Some pretty surf board at our usual stop at the surf store in Haliewa. At the rate Jay has been buying surf boards, our house is starting to look like this.

Snorkeling in Hanauma Bay

2011-07-28T23:15:00.000-07:00

We spent a beautiful morning at Hanauma Bay today with Lambie and Grandpaw and Alison and Baby Colton. Dad and I went snorkeling, and we saw some amazing fish. I saw a large pink fish that was the largest fish I have ever seen in real life and not on tv. Other than JE getting sunburned for the first time (I'm so upset!), it was a wonderful day.

Hiking With My Dad

2011-07-27T22:58:00.000-07:00

This morning my dad and I hiked Makapu'u, and then visited some coastline on the east side of the Hawaii Kai bay. We saw some beautiful scenery, and I really enjoyed getting to be the tour guide. I'm hoping my dad was so impressed that I may be able to talk them into moving here!

The Big Island

2011-07-24T22:41:00.000-07:00

Jayson and I spent a really fun weekend on the Big Island of Hawaii. We were very fortunate to have Lambie and Grandpaw in town to watch John Emerson, so we decided to explore a different island. The Big Island is so drastically different than Oahu and it felt like we were in a whole different part of the country. We stayed on the Kona side of the island (West), and the active volcano is on the Hilo side (East). It's a three hour drive between the two areas, and we decided to explore the Kona coast this time and save the volcano for another trip. Even being on the opposite side of the island, the evidence of the volcanic history of the island was everywhere. Sometimes the topography looked like the moon with all of the rocks and hardened lava. It was the total opposite of the green vegetation in Oahu. But the coast itself was still beautiful, and the wide open coastlines made for some amazing sunsets. In addition, we saw all kinds of wild life. I am always so excited to see one or two honu (sea turtles) on the North Shore of Oahu, so needless to say I was thrilled when I saw a group of 8 honu on the beach near our resort. In addition to honu, we saw goats, mongooses, pretty lizards, and Jayson even saw a shooting star last night. We spent time Friday and Saturday driving around and exploring, and on Sunday Jayson surfed and I enjoyed the beach at our resort. It was a great trip, and even though we felt like we were in a different part of the world altogether, it was only a 30 minute flight home. The best of both worlds!

My favorite picture from the whole entire trip - the sky shortly after sunset.

Jayson walking through the volcanic garden at The Marriott

The prettiest lizard I've ever seen on the balcony at our resort. He was green and blue with red spots.

The sea glass and shells I collected at the beach in the town of Kailua-Kona. Collecting sea glass is my new obsession!

The beach at our resort. I liked the colorful kayaks.

Me in front of a big banyan tree.

Beach near our resort where we saw the sea turtles.

An army of honu. I was so excited!

This guy waved at me!

Lunch and drinks at Don the Beachcomber at The Royal Kona Hotel in Kailua-Kona. It had a total 1970's retro vibe.

Examples of the lava rocks everywhere, and local signage that you don't see on the mainland!

The mountain vistas are very different than Oahu.

Jayson at Don the Beachcomber.

The lobby of the Royal Kona. I loved the light fixtures.

Tikki statues at The Royal Kona Hotel.

A tiny historic church on the beach in Kailua-Kona. My parents said they saw this church too when they were on The Big Island in the 1970's.

Sunset on Saturday night from our resort.

Evening view from our hotel.

Happy Birthday Grandpaw!

2011-07-21T01:07:00.000-07:00

We're so excited that Lambie and Granpaw are visiting us in Hawaii, and that we were able to celebrate Grandpaw's birthday with him in person. Today we took the scenic drive to Kailua, and had a birthday breakfast at our favorite place, Cinnamon's. Lambie and Grandpaw finally got to try the gauva chiffon pancakes. We're looking forward to exploring the island with them over the next two weeks.

Party Like You're 3!

2011-07-18T04:57:00.001-07:00

John Emerson had a fantastic 3rd birthday weekend. We started out with cupcakes at school on Friday. On Saturday, JE opened up his presents as soon as he woke up, which included a Sesame Street DVD, a Lego pirate ship, water guns (Jay picked that out), and his first ever body board. Saturday evening we went to see Sesame Street Live. I'm just grateful Hawaii was part of their tour schedule since other shows don't seem to come here. On Sunday, we enjoyed the amusing birthday cake I decorated (my poor son, I have no creative ability at all) at lunch time, and then in the afternoon we had a birthday beach picnic with Jordan, Alison and Colton at Waikiki Beach. Our picnic was in the park across the street, and we sat under the huge banyan trees and enjoyed pizza and some amazing pirate cookies made by a dear family friend, Mabry Wynn (she's just started her own business called Preppy Confections, and her cookies are beautiful and delicious). After we ate and ran around in the park for a while, we walked across the street and played on the beach and watched another beautiful sunset.

The fun doesn't stop there! John Emerson has a three week break now between summer school and regular preschool, and on Tuesday of this week Lambie and Granpaw are coming to visit us AND our cats Ziggy and Betsy finally will fly over to Hawaii (they've been staying with Jay's sweet parents in Florida since we moved because of Hawaii quarantine requirement; we will be forever grateful to Grammie and Poppy for taking care of our babies). We are so excited to hang out with Lambie and Granpaw for the next two weeks, and we can't wait to have our kitties back home with us. I can't think of a better way to kick off John Emerson's third year!

John Emerson with his new friends and his awesome teacher, Mrs. Koanui. She will also be his teacher for the upcoming school year.

The birthday boy and Momma.

Mabry's beautiful cookies. She is so talented!

A very funny pirate ship.

The Miller Family

Beach picnic with our special friends.

Yum!!

Not sure who had more fun, the boys or the dads.

Late afternoon on the beach.

Playing with our new pirate ship.

Beautiful sunset to close out the birthday weekend.

Happy 3rd Birthday John Emerson

2011-07-16T13:00:00.001-07:00

Our baby is three today. John Emerson has turned into such a little boy. He is talkative and thoughtful; his enthusiasm is infectious, and the things he says are absolutely hilarious. He is loving and notices when other people are sad or upset, and he tries to make them feel better. He is so handsome, and his blue eyes and happy smile are the most magical thing I've ever seen. He brings joy to our lives each and every day, and Jayson and I are blessed to call him our son.

Afternoon Play Date with My Best Buddy

2011-07-14T11:16:00.001-07:00

Mariner's Ridge Hike

2011-07-12T17:51:00.000-07:00

I've been doing some payroll software contract work from home for Jayson's company the past few weeks, and it's kept me busy while John Emerson has been at school. But this morning our power was off for a few hours, and I decided to take advantage of that time and go for a hike. There is a mountain trail in the area we live (Hawaii Kai) called Mariner's Ridge. It's about 1.5 miles to the top, and it's cool because you can see all of Hawaii Kai (South shore), as well as the town of Kailua (East shore), which is a 40 minute drive from us. Much of the trail is shaded by pine trees and there are pine needles all over the ground, and I felt like I was in the Northeast. I've been taking pictures lately using the Hipstamatic app for the iPhone, and I like the aged effect it gives the shots. I also think it makes the colors look more saturated. I like using it for scenery pictures, but not quite as much for people pictures.

Can't wait until we have some visitors so I can be a tour guide on these beautiful hikes!

Views from My Favorite Hike

2011-07-10T21:54:00.001-07:00

John Emerson's Tide Pools

2011-07-09T11:47:00.001-07:00

The ocean has been really rough this week, but we had a great time in the tide pools at Makapu'u Beach on Friday. John Emerson had his own private pool!

Afternoon Alliteration

2011-07-07T18:35:00.000-07:00

Fantastic fireworks on the fourth, and favorite friends.

July 4th Weekend at Turtle Bay Resort

2011-07-03T18:38:00.001-07:00

We made a trip up to the North Shore for the holiday weekend to stay at the Turtle Bay Resort. This was John Emerson's first time to stay in a hotel. We had a wonderful time. Jordan, Alison and Colton came up to visit us for the day on Saturday, and the boys had a great time together. We saw some sea turtles (honu) in the water, but this time I didn't catch any good pictures of them. There was also a resident kitten who lived at the resort, and I was excited to see that she made a surprise appearance in one of my pictures (labeled below). On Sunday we spent the morning at Sunset Beach, and then drove back home to Honolulu. It was a really special trip, and I hope JE has good memories of his first vacation.

JE looking for honu

Climbing on the rocks with Daddy.

Queen of the mountain.

Lost in thought

Can you find the little black kitten in this picture?

Turtle Bay Resort, one of our favorite places

Sunset Beach

Handsome surfer

Daddy taking JE for a ride

A Few Additional Pictures

2011-06-29T16:28:00.000-07:00

Family Pictures by Alvarado Photography - Ala Moana Beach Park

2011-06-28T12:54:00.000-07:00

Sunset and New Favorite Place to Read a Book

2011-06-26T17:14:00.001-07:00

It was a relaxing weekend spent enjoying the scenery of our new home.

Friday Evening Walk

2011-06-25T10:26:00.000-07:00

Jayson was able to come home from work early on Friday, which was a treat because he's been working a lot lately. We took advantage of that time by driving down to Diamond Head and going for a walk on the beach. It's a hike to get from the top where you park down to the water, but JE was game. It's a fun beach to walk on because there are rocks and "caves" to play in along the side of the mountain. I also caught a picture of the lighthouse on top of Diamond Head. Jayson has a great view of it when he's out surfing in the water, but is harder to see from the beach.

I can't think of a better way to unwind after a busy week.

A Few Steps Forward, A Few Steps Back

2011-06-21T17:29:00.001-07:00

This past week has been a blur around here; JE started school, I had a few job interviews, and we had an event filled weekend.

Most importantly, school is going well. JE is always excited when I drop him off in the morning, and his teacher says that he has adapted well to their schedule. Also, he is making HUGE strides with potty training, both at school and at home. Knock on wood, it seems like it's starting to click. That makes me really happy. On the other side of the coin.....JE has been pretty darn cranky when I pick him up, and has thrown a few fits when we get home over the smallest thing. He reminds me of a teenager in how he doesn't even want to talk to me on the drive home from school. I completely know that this is just a side effect of a change in his life, and the fact that he's now on a schedule in the morning after 4 months of no schedule. And I'm hopeful that it will fade out in another week or so; in the meantime, the afternoons aren't too pleasant around here.

We had a really busy Father's Day weekend, which I know has probably thrown JE off a little bit as well. On Friday we threw a BBQ at our house for Jayson's team of managers, and I spent two days cleaning and cooking for that. On Saturday, JE and Jay had a father/son morning at the beach, and in the evening Jay and I had a nice couples dinner out with Jordan and Alison. On Father's Day, we made another beach trip so Jay could surf, and then in the afternoon he went to the movies, which he loves to do. I was supposed to make him a breakfast casserole and mimosas, but he wasn't feeling well because of our big dinner out, so I will save that for another weekend. I really hope that even though it was a busy weekend, Jayson still felt plenty of love and appreciation from JE and I.

So overall, plus one in the potty training column; but plus one in the teenage behavior column too. I suppose that accurately describes what it's like to parent a toddler!

Weekend with My Boys

2011-06-12T19:57:00.000-07:00

I didn't quite make my goal of taking John Emerson to the beach every day last week, but we still had plenty of fun this weekend. On Friday, Jayson took the morning off of work, and we drove to Kailua for breakfast at our favorite place, Cinnamon's. On Saturday morning, Jayson surfed and I took JE to the playground. In the afternoon, we had a sitter come over, and Jay and I went to a movie and to lunch in Waikiki. It was the first movie I've been to since January. It was really nice to have a "date day", and it was especially cool when we saw 4 sea turtles swimming in the water in front of the restaurant. Sunday morning we took a trip down to Ala Moana Beach Park to take family pictures. The view of Diamond Head is fantastic there, and we thought it would make a great backdrop. Some of the pictures were on the beach, and in true form JE can't resist the water, even if fully clothed. So we took off his shirt and let him swim in his seersucker shorts after pictures. It was a great weekend with my two favorite people.

View out of the window of the car on the drive to Kailua. Stunning.

Jayson on Waikiki Beach

My two best guys.

Waikiki Sunset

2011-06-09T11:13:00.001-07:00

On Wed. John Emerson and I went to the zoo for their evening concert series with Alison and Colton and some new friends. The zoo is right across the street from Waikiki Beach, and when we left to walk back to the car, we happened to catch an amazing sunset. Still being somewhat in tourist mode and always amazed by the beauty of this place, we ran across the street and took some pictures with my phone. I also met my commitment of taking John Emerson to the beach every day this week before he starts school.

Today's Outing

2011-06-08T17:11:00.001-07:00

Our field trip today was to get a haircut. JE has not had a haircut since the fall, possibly even last summer, other than a few bang trims. We love it long, but since school starts next week I wanted to get it trimmed up a bit. Also, if we're going to be kicked out of school for lack of potty training, I want to at least look good in the process!

A Week of Beaches

2011-06-07T20:21:00.000-07:00

We continued our week of beach visits with a trip to Kailua Beach today. I also made a few stops on the way home on the side of the road to take pictures of the scenery (pictures 2 and 3 below). Kailua is 30 minutes away, and once school starts this trip won't be as easy to make. My friend Suzanne asked what kind of sunscreen I use on JE. We use Neutrogena SPF 70. I've had two precancerous spots removed in the last 3 years, so I'm super uptight about it. When we come back to the mainland nobody will believe we lived in Hawaii because JE and I won't be tan. At least JE will have even blonder hair to show for it, and I may have a few more sun induced wrinkles.

Pirate Friends and Potty Woes

2011-06-06T21:19:00.001-07:00

I found this beach chair at a store in Honolulu, and it's just about the cutest thing I've ever seen. They also had a mermaid chair, and I'm tempted to buy it for myself, even if I couldn't fit in it. Only four more week days before JE starts school, so we're going to enjoy our last week at home with trips to the beach and the zoo, and hopefully fine-tune our potty training, which is doubtful at the rate we're going. I'm mentally preparing myself for us to be kicked out of summer school after the first week because JE gets too busy with what he's doing to be bothered to go sit on a potty.

Saturday Evening Sunset

2011-06-05T10:52:00.001-07:00

Discovering a New Beach

2011-06-02T11:34:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite things about living in Oahu is that as you drive around the island, you can literally discover a new beach each time. On Wed., John Emerson and I visited a small beach close to Waimanalo, which is one of our favorites. The water at this new beach though is much calmer and more clear, and I was more comfortable letting JE play in the shallow water.

On a different note, he has started to give up his naps. This is not by my choice! He just won't fall asleep anymore. But then last night he slept from 5:30pm until 6am this morning, so he may still need the sleep after all. Thank goodness school starts soon!

Memorial Day Weekend Continued

2011-05-31T00:48:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Memorial Day with an early morning hike to Makapu'u point. This time we pushed John Emerson in his stroller, which was good exercise for us, and more enjoyable for him. Later in the afternoon we had Jordan, Alison and Colton over for a BBQ and some time in the kayak. Alison and I took the kayak out together for the first time, and I know it was a comical sight, especially when we tried to turn the boat and instead just spun in a circle. Then we all went out for family rides. It was a great way to end a really nice weekend.

Memorial Day Weekend Fun

2011-05-29T15:22:00.000-07:00

A great weekend so far! Lunch with Jayson on Friday at a new Mexican restaurant, family beach time Saturday morning, lunch and shopping with Alison, dinner with new friends Saturday night, and a scenic drive Sunday morning. Happy to be in Hawaii this weekend!

Pretty Drive

2011-05-24T23:57:00.000-07:00

John Emerson and I ran errands in the town of Kailua today, and the first two pictures below are from the drive back to our neighborhood. It's 15 miles/25 minutes, and I really believe it's one of the most beautiful drives in the world. It's almost hard to keep your eyes on the road. The third picture is from walking in our neighborhood the other night.

We are counting down the days until John Emerson starts his summer program. I can't wait for him to make some new friends. Swim lessons continue to go well; today he worked on floating on his back.

That's all from our side of the world. We miss our friends and families, and can't wait until we can share all these beautiful places with them in person one day.

Kailua Beach

2011-05-21T18:17:00.000-07:00

Over It Mom!

2011-05-20T18:23:00.001-07:00

This is the view from Diamond Head as you leave Waikiki Beach and drive East towards where we live. This is where Jayson surfs on most weekends.

John Emerson is totally over me taking his picture in front of scenic locations. He now will either not look at me, or scrunch up his face at me, while still saying "cheese". I hate to break it to him that there is no end in sight for my picture taking of both him and the scenery!

My Shadow

2011-05-19T17:14:00.001-07:00

Since February, I have spent all day, every day with John Emerson. That will change soon as he will be starting a summer program on June 6 at Holy Nativity School, which is also where he will attend preschool in August. I feel lucky to have had these months to spend so much time with John Emerson. He is fun and silly; he makes me laugh and sometimes he makes me want to pull my hair out. He talks a lot, which is really cool; I love the conversations we have. He often seems much older than an almost three year old. But he also never hesitates to give me his opinion, which can be challenging. Last evening, after a long day together, we just had to get out of the house, so I brought him to the mall to walk around and get a pretzel. As we were outside walking back to our car, he said "look, there's John and mommy on the floor". I had no idea what he was talking about, until I realized he was referring to our shadow on the ground. So no matter how much "together time" time we have, he always manages to make me smile.

This week he had his first swim lesson and his first dental appointment (second picture below after the appt.). He was great for both; he didn't cry at all during the lesson, and he didn't get fussy at the dentist. And he talked both his swim teacher and the dentist's ears off, respectively. As much as I am eager for us to get on a formal schedule and for school to start, I know I will look back on our first few months in Hawaii together fondly; he really is my little buddy.

Silly boy with his tummy sticking out

Great first visit to the dentist.

Sunday in Kailua

2011-05-15T20:06:00.001-07:00

We had a really fun weekend, which was nice because I've been feeling just a little bit homesick lately. I don't think it hit me until this week that we've moved halfway across the world. But there is so much to enjoy here, and this weekend was a pleasant reminder of that.

On Saturday Jayson went surfing in the morning, and later in the day we went to a friend's house to grill out, which was so enjoyable. Today Jayson woke up early to surf again, and afterwards we made the 25 minute trip to the town of Kailua on the East Coast to get our favorite pancakes. I love that it's turning into our weekend tradition. Afterwards we stopped by the beach in Kailua (2nd and 3rd pictures below); it's the first beach I've seen on Oahu that reminds me a little bit of the Gulf coast of Florida. It's more family friendly, and I can't wait to spend a full day there soon.

We took the scenic route back, and I had to stop at Waimanalo Beach on our way home just to look at the water (last picture below). It's turned into the beach that JE and I visit the most just because I love the color of the water and the island in the background. The view literally still takes my breath away.

This week John Emerson starts swim lessons, and he has his first Pediatric dentist visit too. What a great weekend to lead into a week of first experiences!

Breakfast at Cinnamon's waiting for our guava chiffon pancakes.

Kailua Beach (above and below)

Sheriff Woody on the Beach

2011-05-14T12:11:00.000-07:00

Dinner at The Beach House

2011-05-13T12:36:00.000-07:00

Grammie flew home on Tuesday, so on Monday night we took her to dinner at The Beach House restaurant at the Moana SurfRider hotel in Waikiki Beach. The Moana SurfRider is a historic hotel, and The Beach House is their ocean front restaurant with the highlight being the banyan tree growing up through the middle of the restaurant. The meal and company were outstanding. We enjoyed Grammie's time here, and we can't wait until both she and Poppy come back to visit us!