ALOHA TAKE 2

We had great weather yesterday. We spent the day by the pool and on the beach.  Around 3:00 we felt like we needed to get off the hotel property and go see a little of the North Shore. Good idea! Bad timing! The traffic was bumper to bumper on the one highway that leads from  Honolulu to the northern area. After we navigated through the traffic we ended up on the most beautiful road. All around us were mountains, pineapple fields, blue skies and we could see the ocean straight in front of us. 

 We stopped at a few of the beaches on the North Shore to watch all of the surfers. The waves were huge and came one after another. 

I don't remember if I mentioned that the water is cold here, so I don't know how those scrawny  surfers tolerate it. They must be numb by the time they get out (or numb from something before they go in! Ha) or have hit their heads too many times. I think those of us from the east are a little spoiled by how  the Caribbean  water temperatures affect on our beaches. 

This morning we headed back north to go to the Dole Plantation. We did not take the tour to see how the pineapples are farmed, but we got lost in the largest maze in the world!! The plantation has a maze that is three acres. We started out with a lot of enthusiasm but ended up looking forward to finding our way out. 

The map of the maze

Princess #2 even went as low as cheating! Here she is peeking over the hedges by getting on top of one of the check in stations.

They had the best ice cream, of course it was pineapple!! I wanted to buy pineapples to take home, but I didn't want to have to lug them through the airport (not sure if it is allowed anyways!!).

We went to Pearl Harbor on the way back.

 It was interesting to see a big piece of our history. The memorial is a structure that is built over the US Arizona. You look down in to the water and see the ship below. The men that died during the attack and went down with the ship are still inside. 

 Oil is still seeping out of the ship and floating to the top of the water. It just seems that it would be an issue with environmentalists.

 There were a lot of Japanese tourist here and a lot of them were  at Pearl Harbor. I felt kind of weird for them. I kept trying to sneak a peak at them during the video portion of the tour, every time narrator said something about the "Japanese". I wondered if they were uncomfortable listening to the story being retold. Anyways, I am glad we went and made the princesses pay attention. I am counting on #3 having to do some kind of US History project in the next 7 years before she graduates. I kept every ticket stub, bought a chart and map and took tons of pictures so she is good to go! 

I've walked so much and have eaten too much I am feeling bloated and am in need of a pedi.

See..........

Okay, I'm getting silly, time for bed!!!

 I am sure that there are mistakes in this post and I want to post more pictures but I keep nodding off. So I will clean this up and add pictures tomorrow hopefully. We leave Hawaii at 6:00PM (get home 11:00 AM Sunday) and I'm not sure I will have time to to sit at the computer until after I get home. I just really wanted #1 to see what we were up to before getting home. Aloha!

WAITING PATIENTLY...(NOT)

We were looking forward to some better weather today in paradise. No such luck. We are sitting in our bathing suits, coverups and sunscreen, just waiting for the sun to join our party. We sent out invitations, via prayers, but so far our warm friend is a no show! 

So this is what we are doing......

watching season 5 of "24"......

......homework......

(#3 wants to know how to diagram a sentence with a indirect object,

she hasn't done that since fifth grade and can't remember!!)

Side note:  I love this bench seat that is at the table in our room. I've taken pictures of it because I want to find something like this for our kitchen table. As soon as "Tax Season" is over TMOTH and I have a few house projects to do. We are planning on getting a new kitchen table and I wanted to do something different. 

We have a dinner to go to tonight for the conference. It is suppose to be on the beach and be a luau. It is windy outside so I am not sure if they will move it inside or not. I do not have hair that is wind friendly. I have thick hair but it is  very fine. It takes a lot of products to give it body and it doesn't take hardly anything for it to look like I have worn a hat all day. I wish I  could put it up in a ponytail. If I lived here I would definitely have to grow it out. 

We have a rental car but TMOTH has the key and he is in meetings. I actually don't know what we would do if we had the key. We are going to The Arizona (Pearl Harbor) after he is finished so we are fine just  taking it easy until then. It could be worse, we could be at home!  

ALOHA

We are three days into our trip to Hawaii. We are still adjusting to the five hour time difference. We are ready to go to bed before 9:oo and come three AM we start to wake up. About the time we get it down.....we will be heading home. 

We left  NC at 9:00 AM and had about a 2 1/2 hour flight to Dallas. Our flight out of Dallas was  delayed for four hours! We were prepared for 1 1/2 hour delay and after we landed we were told there was a mechanical problem and we would have to sit around and enjoy the Dallas airport the entire afternoon. At 4:00 PM we were headed to Oahu, on a eight hour flight. Let me tell you, it was the most miserable flight I have ever been on. We were tired after sitting in Dallas for so long and I had come down with a head cold the day before and my ears ached and roared the entire time. I also have been having lower back problems that after sitting for several hours, traveled down into my hip and I could not sit still. (I'm not old enough for all of these aches and pains!) Talk about looking and feeling rough when we got here. 

Our hotel is really nice. We are staying in a brand new tower at the Hilton and it is beautifully decorated. We must have looked pitiful when we got here because they upgraded us from a one bedroom suite to a two bedroom. We have a washer and dryer so I won't have to take back dirty clothes. That makes me happy! 

Sunday we rode around the windward side of the island and down to the south end. It is beautiful! Everyone here is so nice and we feel safe just riding around and stopping at things we want to look at. (So much better than any of the Caribbean Islands that I've been to and sooooooo much better than Puerto Rico.) We stopped at a lookout point and actually saw whales. That gave me goose bumps. We couldn't see much, but they would surface just enough for us to see them and then I guess they were catching their breathe because water would spray up into the air. Pretty cool!! 

Monday was sunny and warm. We sat on the beach at our hotel. #2 wants a lot of sun because she has a school dance the week after we get back home. We really needed the down time too! The girls tried to paddle board, is that what it is called? Whatever it is called, they did so good, they never got wet. 

We are a little disappointed in the weather, it is cooler than we expected and today was cloudy. It has been in the low 70's today. We really wanted to sit in the sun today while The Man of the House was at his meeting but it was too cold and there wasn't any sun!!! (BOO!) So we took the trolley to the mall. They had the best ever J Crew store there. It was tropical themed. A lot of cute stuff in there!

Now we are at the hotel. #3 has school work to do. It is so hard for her to sit down and concentrate on math and history, but she has to do it everyday or she will be so behind when we get back. It is hard for me to remember to make her sit and do school work too!

Not sure what we are doing for dinner, but I know it will be good!!!! Aloha!!

HAWAII CHECKLIST

MY "TO DO" LIST:

1. pack for myself
2. pack for #3
3. ride #2 all day until she packs
4. make #2 unpack half of the stuff she packs!!!
5. go to grocery store and get snacks, meds., cat-food, waterproof disposable camera.......
6. laundry
7. clean the house (neighbors will be feeding cat and coming inside!)
8. clean out fridge (don't want to come home to a science experiment growing in the fridge!)
9. gather all chargers, cords, i-pods, batteries, card readers, cases, .......
10. pedicure? Will I have time or end up doing it myself at 10 tonight?
11. do #3's nails
12. haircut at 7:30 tonight (bad planning on my part)
13. talk to teachers
14. spray tan? (do I want to go to Hawaii white or orange? I cannot decide! HA!)
15. sit and watch Man of the House pack (he insists)  - reassure him that khaki and navy still match this week, just like they matched last week
16. make sure all of my shows are scheduled to record
17. buy wedding gift
18. write instructions for neighbors
19. go see my aunt in the hospital
20. take back movies, buy movies for plane (?)
21. empty camera card
22. go to basketball game tonight and tomorrow night
23. get #3 to soccer and back home while I am suppose to be getting my haircut AND at a basketball game (hmmm!)
24. organize the pantry (the neighbors.... remember?)
25. empty cat box
26. go to the chiropractor (why did I put this off? my lower back is killing me!)
27. gym? I would feel soooo much better if I went.
28. and so on...............

M.O.T.H. - "TO DO" LIST:

1. pack - it takes him all of 20 minutes!
2. question me when I tell him navy and khaki go together
3. ask me if I called the neighbors, remembered all of the "cords", got snacks for the plane, picked up his prescription, .......
4. I'll let you know!

DO NOT GO!!

DO NOT GO TO MARSHALLS OR TJ MAXX

IF YOU ARE TRYING TO SAVE MONEY!!!!

After Bible Study today, I dropped by Marshall's to look for a pair of sunglasses for #3.  I was in a hurry and had no intentions of looking at anything else. BUT................... look what I found.....

(for #1)

(for me)

(for me too!!)

Other things that tempted me:

• Michael Kors wallet and ballet flats
• Cole Haan sunglasses
• J Crew shoes and pants 
• Lilly belts
• Ugg slippers

I did end up finding #3 a pair of really cute sunglasses. (Another thing I can check off my list!) I didn't look at the skirts and things. I bet I missed out on some really good stuff! My To Do List is just too long for the next few days. We leave Saturday morning and between now and then I don't feel like I can stray! 

About Bible Study: I am doing my first Beth Moore series and am loving it. She really has a gift. I love how she connects everything in the Bible together, from Adam and Eve all the way to Revelations. It is all connected and every detail of every  story in the Bible is so mysterious and has more than one meaning. I love that kind of stuff! 

Shopaholics Everywhere

We are in a recession, a bad one. Who doesn't know that by now? The Man of the House is a CPA. He specializes in the construction industry. He works for a large contracting company and deals with projects all over the east coast. He is seeing the problems with the economy face to face. He is in a "woe is me" mood. He is a wallower. He is stressed out about work, and wants to spend all day wallowing around in it. He has the "it's really bad" head shake down pat. He uses it, watching news reports and listening to the other wallowers.

Until Saturday, I literally hadn't seen him in the daylight since around January 2nd. Every year as soon as we ring in the new year, just like clock work, I am told, "It is tax season and I have to work." And off he goes. He creeps in after bed time, at least I hope that it is him slipping into the bed next to me. He is up and off to work before the rest of us start moving around at 6:15. He took Valentine's Day off to spend time with us and so we did what all girls choose to do on a Saturday, we took him to the mall. #3 needed shorts for Hawaii and #2 needed a dress for Winter Formal. He was in shock at the amount of people there. I guess he expected to have a choice of parking spaces instead of having to wait to even get into the parking lot. When #2 had to wait in line to try on dresses at White House/Black Market, the disbelieving head shakes started. I thought he was going to pop when the dress she chose was full price! Not because she chose THAT one, but because he thinks every store out there should be giving things away. Let me go ahead and apologize to the twenty something blonde who was at the cash register. He really didn't mean it, all of those ugly faces he was making were not really directed at you. It's the economy, it has sucked all of his manners out of him. Out in the mall he counted the shoppers carrying bags as opposed to those that were empty handed. Just so you know, there were more with bags than not (more head shakes).

I tried to explain to him that shopping was therapy and it was good for the economy. Like it was explained in the movie, Confessions of a Shopaholic..... when the world makes us feel bad, we shop to make ourselves feel good. When that good feeling wears off and we start feeling bad again, we go shopping again. There's nothing like a little something new to lift your spirits.

His response: head shakes

Happy Heart Day

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

I am still here, just busy as usual. We are going to Hawaii in a week and as you know it is incredibly time consuming to get a family ready to go out of town. Princess #3 has been in the fertilizer again and has grown in every direction. She literally has NOTHING to wear in warm weather, including shoes. Everything she wore last summer is now a Goodwill donation. 

You know how you plan to read only a blog or two and before you know it you are lost somewhere in blogland reading forever? Well, I have been lost in "itunes land" the last few days. Long story short, I am creating my own library on my computer (apple) because the rest of my family shares a library on our "house" computer (non apple) and I wanted my ipod to work with my computer. So I had to delete everything on my ipod and start a new account and start from scratch. So I have been spending my blog time getting that all organized, putting cds into my library and shopping for new music. I am trying to get this done before leaving next week. I have decided that anything  you do on the computer is addicting!! 

If anyone has been to Hawaii (Oahu) and have any tips, please let me know!! The Man of the House has a conference there and there was no way we were letting him go without us!!!! We leave next Saturday. 

CORA

Pray  for this family:

http://themcclenahans.blogspot.com/

JUST THINKING

Things I woke up thinking about this morning:

seriously, where is the snow? i didn't do my bible study homework last night because it was going to snow and it didn't. i've got to be there in an hour and i don't have an excuse. my cat is in mourning, sort of. that is the excuse for his, all of a sudden, demonic actions, like anchoring onto my arm in the middle of the night with all for claws plus teeth. wrestling a scrawny cat at 2 am isn't what i signed up for. i'm gonna have scars.  there are doggie nose prints on the front door. i don't want to clean them off. they make me smile (and then cry). should i hang a sign explaining the dirty details or just not go there. we go to hawaii in 2 1/2 weeks and i have to go try on bathing suits soon. is there medication for this? how about a support group? one of #1's friends, a very handsome and charming young man, has taken the wrong fork in the road during his first semester at school. not only is it the wrong fork in the road but he has completely run out of pavement and is lost. i have had a momcrush on him for a while and i think i'm gonna have to breakup with him now.(all of the princesses will absolutely cringe when they read this!!) oh well, it is his loss not mine! if his mom would just ask, i'd have him straightened out in no time - because we are all parenting experts when it comes to other people's kids, aren't we? if i don't go get in the shower now i will be late for bible study. i don't want to show up late plus not have my homework all in one day. i could just stay home and play hooky. if i did that and ended up going somewhere, i'd definitely bump into someone and then i'd feel really bad.....

SHE'S GOT A CANKLE

I haven't really accomplished a lot the past few days. I seem to wander in circles and just move things around. I did manage to go to the grocery store and because I didn't take my list in with me, I seem to wander around there too!  I bet I made four loops around the store. I was feeling very unorganized! I kind of like the grocery store when I've menu planned and have taken inventory, but today I just couldn't get it together. The one thing I really dislike, is having to put all of the stuff away once it is home. I think I would pay someone to do that! I'm just glad I have something to cook for dinner now!

Over the weekend #2's cheerleading team competed in the state's championship. She is the captain of her school's varsity team now and she use to be on a  competitive team that traveled all over the east coast. (She gave that up when it started to interfere with her school dances....she couldn't stand not buying the dresses!)  #2 wasn't able to compete because she was injured back in November while stunting. She is still nursing a swollen ankle and was told (today) by her orthopedist if she doesn't wear her brace she will end of needing surgery. She cannot wear shoes with the brace on and so there is the dilemma for her. All of those cute outfits don't go with sneakers and a ankle brace! 

I cannot count how many miles we traveled to competitions over the years. I cannot imagine adding up all of the hours we spent at the gym. I love watching her compete and was hoping to see her do her thing one more time before graduating and moving on. It was a little sad watching her team without her and watching her walk out with the coach and become a spectator. Sort of isn't fair that that last time was taken away from us.

this is her watching

Here a few pictures and video from the past. I somehow managed to get the video on here but can't figure out how to move it around so I guess I will have to work around it.  It was taken from a camera (videos cameras were not allowed) so the quality is poor. I'm gonna miss this!

 

We love Friday night football!

she's the one on top on the left

There is one more competition this weekend (and we also somehow have to be at a soccer tournament for #3 in Charlotte) so once more she will have to cheer her cheerleading team on.