There's a chill in the air

December is my favorite month of the year, it's basically sandwiched with cheesy Hallmark movies and party feasts between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I just finished up editing a big session with my husband's working place. I took their staff Christmas picture and then a bunch for their website. Sorry, I never post the photos from the church, but I may provide links eventually.

I'm battling a little cold...cough cough sniffle sniffle. I'm such a wussy sick person. Scott gets sick and he just likes to be left alone. I get a tickle in my throat and I'm eating ice cream for breakfast and making sad eyes at Scott in hopes that he'll rub my feet. But there's a lot to do...Christmas cards to finish and get out...reports at work to get in...laundry to wash and fold. After watching a few episodes of Hoarders, there's also nothing better I like to do each day at home than throw three things away and scrub four things down with bleach. I am trying to plan ahead for the next three months. I have a few sessions lined up, and I'm also looking to take some much-anticipated vacation.

And because I love pictures: here's a few fun pictures taken on the sidewalks of Kailua.






[I think this one is a funky angle but I like!!!]

[Only I can get so excited by a picture that's mostly concrete]



[This one would make a gorgeous canvas wrap. She's beautiful]

God's teaching me to wakeboard

I've made no secret of it, this year has been brutal for me. I didn't have an idealic childhood and I've had to battle a lot in my life, but this year puts the rest to shame. Maybe it really is harder than the 30 years before it, or maybe I'm fatigued and losing strength in the third round. I just feel attacked on every angle possible...a big one being family, losing best friends, some health issues, pressure at work growing alarmingly fast. I've had to retreat at times and focus on regaining hope, because that's the critical ingredient. And I set back out with one foot forward saying "I'm going to do it...I'm going to survive." And I won't lie, I've gotten knocked down again. I have been praying for the year to turn around. Now with under two months left, I've changed to praying that this year just ends.

This past weekend, I fell back into the valleys and I thought "this is it, I can't get up again. Just leave me alone" But, the next morning brought renewed strength and glimmers of hope peeking through my fog of depression. Totally not of my own doing. Those embers of strength grew stronger and the glimmers glowed longer and brighter until I found myself back on my feet again. Ready to face life and still in the race. And God put something upon my heart. This year has been a battlefield. I no longer speak to my mother (which is not new) but now I have not spoken to my father in months. I've been on the phone hearing about my brother's (on the big island) attempt to hurt himself and threatening to commit suicide and sat in the hospital after another family member tried to end their life. And still not even the hardest situation we've had to face this year. I feel people turn to me for answers and I want to offer comfort but they may not get my answer. I have God. That's all I can really offer..

I have been complaining about just feeling battered and abused from every angle. But this past week, I had a image in my head. I'm riding out a storm but I'm not commanding a big boat with billowing sails. I'm in the water clinging to a rope and the reason I'm still moving is that God is pulling me. He's pulling me as fast and as quick as He can to get me out of this storm. I'm getting tossed about by the waves and the rain is cold darts on my skin, but He's pulling me through.

I had someone try to teach me to wakeboard once. I couldn't stand up until my 12th try which was super frustrating for me. The guy teaching me kept yelling me "don't try to stand up, that's why you're falling." I thought it was pure foolery, don't you have to stand to wakeboard? He'd pull the boat forward again and the rope would jerk me and I would face plant...again. Same thing, he'd yell "don't try to stand up." Frustration. I was so confused because I was insistent that I was not trying to stand up. Each time I concentrated and was confident that I wasn't trying to stand up, but each time I fell. I was running out of time, so the last time, I actually fought the urge to stand up by relaxing everything, almost to the point where I felt like I was sinking beneath the water. The boat jerked and I was up and wakeboarding...for 23.4 seconds. I'm revisiting that lesson on the ocean. God's teaching me to wakeboard and I have to fight the urge to stand up by myself. It's when I sit back and let God take over that I find myself standing up above the waves.

I'm not preaching a happy ending. I haven't gotten there yet. I know most stories offer "this is the troubles and storms I faced and look at how perfect everything is now." This is "Hey there, friend, having a rough year. I'm there with you. But we'll get through it." Like that wakeboarding lesson, I'll faceplant often. I might forget everything I've learned. But I know that God will keep pulling that rope as long as we are holding on to it.

Sneak Peek: Mike and Beka's Family Session

Sneak Peek of a Halloween Morning Family Session

Where: Kakaako Park
When: Saturday, October 31st

New York New York (Pt 1 of 4)

I was really excited about this trip. I'm not a big traveler, I'm such a home body. I am, however, married to the traveling man...he loves it. We had a discussion and came up with compromises before we got married. But this trip. This trip, even I was excited to go. One of my friend from college days (go BC) is from New York and proposed to his girlfriend of nine years. He set his wedding date for my birthday!!! At first I thought it was sweet, then I realized he was trying to steal my thunder. Nah, it was wonderful. Work was getting crazy so Scott and I were excited to fly 5,000 miles to the northeast. We spent a few days in New York for the wedding and then spent a few days in Boston.

We stayed a few days at my friend's place in Queens. I'd been to NYC a few times while in college and Scott just went for the first time last year. So there wasn't much I hadn't seen. When asked what I wanted to do, the only thing I said was "I want to find Cake Boss!!!" Cake Boss is a TLC show centered around a real bakery "Carlos' Bakery" and it's owner, Buddy. The bakery is run by an Italian family and the show is hilarious. They thought I was kidding but I insisted on googling the location of the bakery (Hoboken, New Jersey) and directions on how to take the train there.

So, our friends drove us from Queens into Manhattan.

Which meant we had to drive over the 59th street Bridge which instantly caused Scott to break out into a song "Feeling Groovy." Too bad, no one in the car had any clue what he was singing.

They dropped us off near Central Park, which I will have to say was my first time there. It's pretty huge...and I'm a country girl so I loved it. There were saxophone players and ballon animal artists every twenty feet.

The architecture and neighborhoods are so different in the mainland. I loved it. Scott is such a patient and understanding husband...as I made him pose over and over again so I could get my photography kicks out.

We really had no clue where we were walking but we did find ourselves at the Museum of Natural History. Also someplace I've never been. It was pretty cool. I have to admit that I kind of went out of curiousity to see how similar it was to movie "Night in the Museum." I have to say that the answer is "minimal." The exhibit displays are amazing though. Epic.
We took the subway and then changed over to the PATH train which took us to Hoboken, New Jersey. It was a super short walk and we found ourselves at ... CAKE BOSS!!! And Buddy is awesome!!! He stood outside and talked to everyone who came up...he volunteered for pictures. He was in the middle of signing autographs when they were calling him from inside the bakery and made sure to finish up with everyone on the sidewalk. He was amazingly friendly and awesome!!! It's a gunner for the highlight of my trip.



Then we wandered back to the train station and I saw this cool train station waiting room.

My latest engagement session

can be found here

Mystic Pizza Party

I originally had to work on all Fridays. But we're a bit short-handed and there's only three of us on my shift. And then one of my coworkers had to take famlily leave suddenly because his wife gave birth to their daughter a few weeks early. So, the two of us left had to juggle days to make sure that all the days were covered. So, I found myself with a Friday night off.

It just so happened that Scottie left for Japan that morning for his mission trip in Sapporo. So, my roommie, Tricia, and I decided to have a last-minute girl's night dinner. I picked the theme.

Mystic Pizza Party

We made our own little mini-pizzas and then watched Julia Roberts in "Mystic Pizza." The only thing our dinner guests had to bring was a pizza topping of their choice. Tricia did all the prep work. She researched possible toppings combination by scouring popular menus like California Pizza Kitchen. She laid out a spread of baked chicken, pears, cheeses, tomatoes, mushrooms, peppers, fresh spinach, sliced red onions, and she even toasted pine nuts. She had a variety of sauces to go on the pizza crusts; your regular but favored pizza sauce, a pesto, an alfredo, and this yummy BBQ sauce. We're still not done. She even has a little basil plant that we could pick from for our pizza masterpieces.

I don't really trust my cooking skills so I was prepared to buy pre-made pizza crusts from the store but that had the roommate aghast. Instead, she made dough from scratch following this recipe for Whole Wheat and Honey Pizza Crust and we even got to roll out our own crusts. This is an awesome idea for a get-together. it's fun and hands-on like an Arts-n-Crafts project, but then you get to eat it. Followed by a desert of thick brownies covered with rasberries, whip cream and chocolate sauce and we were ready to rest our full tummies while watching "Mystic Pizza." Ah, 80's movies...always a sure thing for a good laugh.

(Just some of the ingredient layout, place cards made by the roomie)

(my favorite, shredded baked chicken)

(I think girls were just snacking on the pears. I don't think they actually made it to any pizza)


(some of our pizza masterpieces pre-baking)

Field trip to the Discovery Center

Sometimes I'll bore you with details of my thrilling life. But, on top of my full-time job and my photography business, I also babysit a few hours every week. She's a darling 19 month old who charms everyone. Our house is pretty toy-less, but thankfully, she loves our piano, my photography props, and she's been known to carry around Scott's golf clubs. To break the boredom, my sister and I have organized combined field trips where I bring baby HB and my sister brings her three youngest girls, all 2 years old and younger. Last week, we went to the Discovery Center in Honolulu. I thought I would blog about it for anyone who hasn't been there yet.

Discovery Center Hawaii

Two big downfalls that we immediately encountered were operating hours and prices. They are open only for very limited hours. They are closed Monday (which we found out a few months ago when we tried to show up without checking out the website...oops). Tuesdays through Fridays, the center is open 9 am to 1 pm. That was hard for us considering my sister had to feed, clothe, and pack up three toddlers by herself. We didn't meet up at the center until 11 am. They are open later on weekends (until 3 pm).

The fee is $8 for anyone over the age of 1. We did eye my sister's twins and HB. Totally tempted to try to knock off 7 months off their ages. Darn, they can pretty much run already so we just had to pay full price. And the $8 is the kama'aina rate and military rate so bring your ID. Once we paid, we were instructed to leave all strollers in the lobby before proceeding into the play area. Yikes. That threw us for a loops. Together, my sister and I had brought

2 year old girl
one 19 month old girl
two 17 month old twin girls
two backpacks
a camera bag

Next time, pack light.

The price was a little high but I think it's comparable to other attractions and we got to escape the hot summer heat. That's the biggest plus I can think of. Once we were inside the Discovery Center, the fun really began. There was an area for the younger toddlers immediately after you enter. We let the kids loose and frankly, they could have played in there the whole time. There was a sailboat that the kids could clamber in. There was a little play fishing pool that the 2 year old used a fishing rod to catch fake, colorful plastic fishes while the babies chose to just roll around on the floor.

All the kids would have been thrilled just to play in the baby play area, but we definitely wanted to explore the rest of the floor and get the most out of our day. There were all these displays set up to convert real world habitats into pint-sized worlds fit for humans under 3 feet tall. I dont' have pictures because I had to abandon the camera to keep up with our little bundles of speed. There was a little hospital room with mini-scrubs hanging on the door hook. Fire truck and a bus. A small theatre with a cool panel where pressing buttons changed the lighting or added sound effects. I got a litttle crazy with the lightning sound effect and my 2 year old niece jumped in my arms saying "skeri, skeri."

The babies, 19 month old HB and 17 month old twins, 2 year old not pictured (running amuck)



Fishing is fun, and plastic fishes smell way better

One twin was trying to scale the picket fence gate and look who came to help

Shopping at the pint-sized grocery store





I think the Discovery Center is more geared for kids 2 years and up. Although HB and the twins loved the grocery store, the rest of the displays and scenes didn't hold any appeal. They took more enjoyment climbing up on the snack table. But the 2 year old loved it. It was perfect for her. And all the kids just loved the freedom of running around. I wish they had more props. I went to the children's museum in Boston and they had a 3 foot tall chess set, hula hoops to blow bubbles. I would have liked to have seen that here, especially since they make such cute photo opportunities.

I cannot say enough about the staff at Discovery Center. Everyone was completely kind-hearted, from the woman who sold us our tickets, the young helpers watching the floors who sweetly played with the kids as well, to the friendly staff in the lunch counter who didn't bat an eye when my sister (not the kids) spilled an entire container of macaroni and cheese on the floor. If you have kids who are between 2 and 6, I would recommend it. And you can bring your own lunch, you just have to eat it outside. Just remember to bring your camera!!!

Lacie's Newborn Session

For pictures of little Lacie, go to my other blog

See family session

For a family session I did at Waimanalo Beach, go here

Where have I been?

I want to blog. I wish there was more time...Here's a list of the stuff that I need/want to devote more time

-reading Bible and journaling daily (this maybe happens once a week)
-practicing the bass guitar (haven't done this in a month)
-practicing the regular guitar (I did spend some time this past two weeks practicing)
-learning how to use my new camera finally
-emailing people back!!!
-starting to jog again regularly

Here's the high hopes list
-go surfing again and wash the cobwebs off my board
-revise my photography website
-paint our kitchen
-save the world

Not only am I behind in this blog, but now my roommie, Tricia, has roped me into this getting fit and healthy and I'm supposed to blog that every day. That will make blog #4 for me. Oh geez louise.

Sneak Peek: John, Whitni and Baby "G"

Here's a sneak peek from our last-minute session with John and his family. He's being deployed next week and asked if I could create some memories of his family before he left. Introducing John, Whitni, and baby "G..."

Pancakes and Sand-Castles

We're such procrastinators. Joy, of our "Joy and Light" production, had her birthday last week but it took us over a week before we all went out to celebrate. Party animals that we are, we settled on a girl's breakfast at Cinnamon's of Kailua. We just love their yummy eggs benedict. And I have vague recollection of Krystal saying "we should stop by the beach afterward and build a sand castle." Wow, that sounds like such a cute idea. I thought of tossing on some swim clothes but I figured it would be a brief and carefree jaunt to the beach.

The girls (Tricia, Krystal and "birthday girl" Joy) and I headed over to Cinnamon's. I had the veggie eggs benedict with a poached egg perched on a chair of spinach leaves and tomatoes. Yum Yum. The ordering process was slightly complicated by Tricia who seems to have inherited a little "Sally" from "When Harry Met Sally." We stuffed ourselves full of Portuguese sweet bread french toast covered with drizzled maple syrups and benedicts.

The real adventure started on the sandy shores of Kailua Beach. I think the critical turning point was when someone started digging a hole in the sand and Tricia and I kind of stalled with the infamous question "Do you think that's high enough above the waterline?" Remember that question, it became critical. Thus ensued what was about 75 minutes of hauling endless buckets of sand under the hot sun...75 minutes that felt like 5 hours. It was so much fun...I just don't remember sandcastles being such a workout. I think I'm going to have to fill my plastic blue bucket with wet sand and see how much it weighs.

Krystal was the castle foreman and I focused on the protective moat and property wall. Very quickly we realized the tide was rising and waves were battering across our moat and washing up against our castle walls. Then it became a frantic rescue mission and all four of us had to abandon the castle and dig fervently to keep the water away. It was a total losing battle. We decided our castle would be a duplex so we just extended it up the beach. Despite our red faces, we must have made it look like fun because we had a sibling pair on vacation here from Hawaii join in on the fun. It was perfect timing because I think we were all about to pass out on the sand and they were little balls of energy. They actually were born and raised in New Zealand.

(You can't see me but I'm wearing a bright neon blue T-shirt. I somehow missed the memo to wear a black shirt.)

(Krystal, it's supposed to be fun, remember? There, that's better...there's a laugh)

(Tricia and her minions, she worked those two little New Zealand kiddies)

(Can you believe that Tricia actually thought she was going to go straight to work from the beach?)

(Our sand castle taking shape...it was a mansion)

(I can't tell who is having more fun)

(towers and castle doors)

(she was getting a little worked up over the battle between the wall and the waves)

(her brother was building a pond nearby for the castle royalty)

(then he took a little surf break)



(the stellar castle company)

My New Apprentice

Every week, our house usually gets a visit from an adorable little 18 month old little girl. I once told my roommate, Tricia, "HB loves you." To which she replied "HB loves everybody." And it's so true. She loves to hug people and she starts to booty dance every time she hears music, even if it is just you singing to yourself. And my husband is the worst. One time, he rushed into the room her on one arm and a tub of M'n'M's in the other hand and gave both to me. He said "Here. She wants candy and I can't tell her no. You tell her." Oh goodness.

She's so photogenic that I have been using her as my model for...well, eighteen months.




But she's starting to pick up the whole camera thing. Now she races towards my camera and lifts it up to her face. It's much heavier than regular point-and-shoot cameras so I've always got a firm grasp on one end. The other day, she figured out how to press the shutter. I took a look and holy cow, she took a really nice picture. I think...I think she's got talent.


Now the logo is actually incorrect. A photo always belongs to the individual who took it. So, disclaimer here: This photo is actually the property of HB, I guess I have to make a "HB Photography" logo. Just a few color curve adjustments in PS and there's your final product. I'm thinking I can be her second shooter when she hits five.

Coming home

So, I'm in LA. Scott didn't want us to put that on the internet in case our scandalous blog readers (you know...you, John-John,...oh, and you, Joy) read it and decide to burglarize our house. Well, we're on our way home and I feel pretty safe since Dural is house-sitting for us. Come on, Dural's arms need a permit or something.

I had so much fun but I'm also pretty excited to go home. I'm such a homebody. I will post again...with pictures. I just have to wait for Scott to download the pics off his camera since I didn't bring one. I just didn't have room. I hate traveling so all my luggage room was taken up with various media to occupy the flying hours.

We took the overnight flight to LA and it was about 5 hours long. I can't sleep on the plane, so I brought my computer, a DVD player, two books, my own personal pillow, a blanket, snacks, soda, and two magazines on the plane. I couldn't even move, I was cocooned by my belongings. But I think I used almost everything since it was a long flight and no one else stayed awake to entertain me. I even had to ration my water intake since I was on a window seat and both Scott and stranger in aisle seat were both completely out. I was trapped. Let's not forget the family of five in the row behind us with the crying infant and the little girl who kept kicking my chair in her sleep. I couldn't get mad. My heart went out to the mom who was trying to calm the little baby boy. But the rest of the trip was tons more fun. I hope I have time to get back to blogging it once we get back to our "normal lives."

I'm also wishing Joy a "Happy Birthday" just a day early. Girl, how are you celebrating?

Maternity Session-Matt and Leena

see other blog

The wedding of Scot and Kim-Waioli Tea House

Trying something new here...

see www.keaosphotography.blogspot.com

Dancing in the halls

I just had a random thought that watching "So You Think You Can Dance" is a deadly combination when you mix in the fact that they pipe in music through all the rooms and hallways in my office building. Apparently, I now think I can dance...and I tend to do so down the hallways when I swept up by the music. I'm always in the middle of my "dance for you life" solo when some officer walks around the corner...ogh!!!

Although, I don't just think I can dance....I know I can!!!. Okay, maybe I'm losing my touch. Last month, I was hanging out with family and I decided to show my teen niece how you're really supposed to dance. My dad sweetly said "oh, keao, stop. You unfortunately inherited dance skills from me...which are zero to none." I was super indignant.

Me: "What? I can dance. Dad, I danced in high school. Don't you remember?

Dad (perplexed look)

Me: Remember? I was on the school's dance team. Ring a bell?

Dad (perplexed look not fazing)

Me: Hello. I was gone for a whole summer in high school because I was at grandma's ( on a totally different island than where we live) so I could go to the summer practices.

Dad: You did? When was this?

*sigh* Family. But anyways, just keep an eye out when doing turns down the hallway at work.

Family: Joe, Evelyn, and their extended family

A photography business has two main components. "Photography" (which I love) and "Business" (which I am still working on). This the third month I've overbooked myself...again. *sigh* Mentally scolding myself as we speak. I keep meaning to take a break, give my poor hubby some quality time without my laptop molded to my lap...relax on the beach with a good book. However, it's the first half of "Photography Business" that gets me in trouble. I love photography. I get so excited when something comes up. An opportunity presents itself and the photography addict in me starts bargaining "Go for it, Keao, you can make time. You'll make it work." I just can't resist. Good photographer, bad bad business-woman. Ha ha. Seriously, you get there and it's so worth it.

For example, last week I received a call from Evelyn, the sweetest woman in the world. She and her husband, Joe, are sweethearts who moved to these islands years ago from Guam. They have raised three amazing kids and they are such a tight family. They joined our church's boot camp exercise together. I'm offering an "Introduction to Digital Photography" seminar in August and they signed up....together. They even do yardwork together. How do I know? They used to be my landlords. Before I married Scott, some friends and I rented out the first level of their duplex. And I fell in love. They were amazing to live under. I can't count how many times I would hear a knock on our door and there was Joe or Evelyn with a steaming pan of deliciousness saying "Oh, we made extra, so please enjoy."

In our premarital counseling, Scott and I read a chapter on "leaving and cleaving your family." Since living in a dorm as a seventh grader at Kamehameha Schools, I have pretty much lived on my own. So I thought this would be an easy and done deal. But the Flores family had quickly become family to me and when I finally got married, there was some definite moments of sadness and wishful thinking. I often joked with Evelyn that I was working on Scott to leave the house he grew up just so we could move back in with the Flores family.

Joe's father was on island visiting so it was a rare moment to have the family together for pictures. Evelyn and I threw this together last minute so we were looking for someplace close by. So we chose Kaneohe District Park. I have a new favorite location. I can't believe I haven't used it before. It has a gorgeous backdrop with the Koolau mountains and these pretty shading trees. I was a little worried about the sheer number of people (with Joe's sister and brother and their respective families), so I recruited fellow photographer, Joy Pishcura.

(Grandpa and all the grand-kids)

(the whole family. Missing only Carl who was firing up dinner on the grill for their barbecue)

just some silly fun, Connie (far right) and her son ,Dural (middle), and nephew Joseph Jr. (left)



(Joe and Evelyn)



(Joe and Evelyn with their amazing kids, Joe Jr., Kardyn, and Jared)

(Dural, a good friend of ours. We usually see him 2 to 3 times a week. Totally worth it)

(Dural and his mom, Connie, who is also Joe's sister)


(Joe's brother Carl couldn't make it so we took tons of pictures of his foursome)

(just some goofing around in the park)