(Kylie) Kailua Town Party

Busy busy busy. April is starting to pick up and May looks like it's going to tie December for the busiest months of the year. Scott helped me enter events into my calendar and whoosh...there went every Saturday for May. My sister called me to tell me that her twins will be coming next week Wednesday, sooner if her blood pressure doesn't come down. Ack, I'm not ready.

Sundays I usually try to get to sleep by 1 pm so I'm up for work but Kylie and her halau were dancing hula at Kailua's Town Party. So Scott and I met up with our friend, Keidi, and rode out there on motorcycles (I was on the back of Scott's, I don't want to make it seem like I rode my own). If you know my husband, Scott, you may know one of his quirks. The boy has no real concept of time or how long it takes to get to places. It can drive me a little crazy. So, although, I was a little scared of falling off the back of the bike, I was fearless enough to keep holding up my arm and shoving my watch in his visor....you know, so he could see exactly how late we were. We missed Kylie's first hula but thankfully she had two more...

Kylie is a gorgeous girl...and very very shy. She had a role in "50 first dates" as one of Rob Schneider's kids. I couldn't believe quiet, shy little Kylie had was actually on screen. She really stands out in a crowd.


She's dancing to "I Ali`i No `Oe" for this song.

(I don't remember what song this was)

(I love this picture...the sunlight just hits her haku lei and the glow is
beautiful. great job, kylie!)

Afterwards, we walked around just for a little bit. It was steaming hot...add that to the hot day at the zoo and that was way too much sun for me. I lived in kailua for five years and never went to the town party. It was really neat. Kailua definitely has more character than kaneohe.

There was a stage with a live band...they were rocking it with hawaiian music. Scott and I had to stop and watch the clearly crazy woman dancing "hula?" in the middle of the street. I question the use of "hula" to describe the motions. It was part 'hula' and part 'interpretative dance' and a small dash of 'booty-dancing.' *sigh* I guess every town has to have those quirky characters. She somehow was giving off an angry vibe so no one dared do anything but clap when she finished.

(Lauren) It's a zoo out there!!!

On Friday, I went to the Honolulu Zoo with my sister, Cassan, my niece, Ashley, her boyfriend, Jansten, and my youngest niece(for now), Lauren. My sister is due in around 2 weeks with twins so this may be our last chance to go to the zoo and it has been years since I have been. My sister told me to just come over when I woke up but I woke up at three in the morning, an effect of my working schedule. so i did laundrey and cleaned house until 10 am. By the time we got to the zoo, it was noon and blazing hot. I've concluded that the zoo needs to seriously consider moving their facilities indoors and investing in central air conditioning. this is not a frivolous request. The animals also looked hot and lethargic, mainly just lying down in the dirt, most likely from heat exhaustion. The poor flamingos were standing one-legged in their sad little concrete pool that had a few scattered droplets of water.

I did get some awesome pictures.

Warning: if you see some grouchy faces, it's because we were very very very hot.

When my sister asked if we could go to the zoo, I said "are you sure, that's a lot of walking." She said "oh, I don't mind." I replied " are you sure? you don't even like the walk from the parking lot to the sand when we go to the beach." And sure enough, we were halfway through the zoo parking lot when I began to hear the grumbles.

In the zoo was a keiki section that was pretty cool. Except there was an

area with llamas that looked very menacing. Aren't those the ones that

bite and spit? We stayed clear of that area. Oh, and by "llamas" I actually

mean the animal, llama...not like when my sister says "look at the llama." She

actually means 'ostrich.' No biggie. They are somewhat alike animals.

This is my oldest niece, Ashley, holding Lauren. I was surprised she came

since we left her house at 10 am which is about 4 hours before her usual awake time.

This gorilla was supercool. I wonder if he could get across the little moat.

The only way my sister, Cassan, will allow pictures to be taken of her is
if when you ask, you ask at a whisper under your breath and your shot is
when her back is turned and she doesn't see you.

We thought the hippo pool was empty and we were ready to give up when
my sister finally figured out that the two rocks on the side were the hippos.
The one on the right is coming up for air. When we looked closely, you could
see all these whiskers at the front. I guess he signed on for "mustache may" too.
(I'll explain that term later)

One of the coolest exhibits in the keiki zoo was a tunnel that goes right
through an aquarium. I barely was able to crawl through. Lauren easily
walked right through it.

Halfway through the tunnel is a glass dome where you can see the fishes
swimming right around you. That was amazing.

Lauren did very well. We tried to point out all the animals like the elephants
and the monkeys but she was way more excited to chase the pigeons around the
sidewalks. We could have saved ourselves a few bucks and just stayed out in
the parking lot. I saw a lot of pigeons there.

She did try to tackle a peacock. I saw her running towards it and I almost
didn't get to her in time.

(HW) Look at me now

Hmmm...my life must be really boring. Even my family can't pretend to care. I talk about things to my sister and she looks all confused...umm, Cassan, I wrote about it in my blog. "oh, that thing..." followed by a "it's a lot of words, I just skim for my name or Lauren's name." So, CASSAN CASSAN CASSAN. We'll see if that works. I called my dad tonight because I actually had the night free and he tells me he's listening to something on the internet. What? I'm so excited. My dad is actually on the web. So I walk him through typing my website into the internet explorer. And I really had to talk him through it...we had to try two different methods. Look, dad, it's pictures of your granddaughter!!! We can stay connected...I'm so excited that I'm telling him all the posts he can look at and he's slightly 'aha'ing. Go, dad, look at the top, click on that and you can see Scott's blog. "What? Oh. sorry, I closed the website a long time ago." Sheesh, that's my family. They'll kick on to this whole internet thing in another five years.

I'm driving Scott's car when I can since, I discovered upon trying to get a new safety check...that my insurance relapsed once I married and changed addresses and never got a bill. So, apparently, I've been driving without insurance for the last 7 months. Oh, well, look at how much money I inadvertently saved. This morning, after work, I was walking with my coworker to our parked cars in the basement garage. We were talking away and I got my keys ready. He walked me to my car and I hit the remote key and the car's lights flashed. I'm still talking away and i'm kind of looking at the car out of the corner of my eye. The inside looks different than when I drove to work. But when I drove to work it was pitch black so I probably didn't see the inside that well. Johnny still isn't moving away so I keep talking and I press the remote again and the lights keep flashing. I finally say "how funny, I don't remember that plastic bag in my car" and Johnny says "this is my car." Ooops, turn around and there's my car in the first row. He must have thought I was insane. I don't know if he believed me when I said it was my husband's car and I wasn't used to it yet.

we visited HW this past friday to take her real two months. Can't show them all, that would ruin the fun of it all.

Turn on the blue light

Ooops. I mean big oops. I was racing to work...not really racing..but I wasn't paying attention and I guess I was flying down the Pali to work. At 10:45 pm, there are no cars to slow you down...or, for that fact, to help you keep pace. And as I hit the last stretch right before the on-ramp...I saw the familiar shape of my fellow blue-and-white sticking out of some side street. Turn on the blue lights. Keao, pull over into some desolate, sad side street. Oh, let's not mention...slyly turn off my portable DVD player that was playing friends (I'm just listening to it, NOT watching it) and try to slide it under some guitar music. Ope...just remembered, don't have my license on me cause I don't know where it was. Was looking for it earlier which made me leave not so early for work, which made me go faster than my permanent 10-over-the-speed-limit.

Here he comes, with the gruff "you're going 50-something in a 35 mph zone." Sorry officer...had no license so I had to hold him my only form of ID beyond some leftover christmard card addressed to me...my H.P.D. picture ID. So embarassing. He let me off (I totally didn't ask for it, I deserved a ticket!!!) but not without noticing as he walked away that "hey, get your safety check, it expired in january!" In honor of Homer Simpson, DOII!! Of course, as he followed me out of the sad little side street, I know he was noticing my broken brake light. Gosh-darn it...so embarrassing. Hey, I'm a goody-two shoes...I hate crossing feet with authority...even when I work for that authority.

PS. "crossing feet" is a new expression...see if it catches on

So tired...but I woke up a little early to go walking with the Mely girls (mel, joy, and lisa). I started it off just as a way to hang out with Mel once a week but we love joy and lisa so we expanded. They're great fun and you can just talk about anything with them. Then I had worship practice and that included Clinton and Kacie...such proud beaming parents. They put a little clip of their son taking a mean fall. That's the kind of parent I want to be. Keep your kids humble. Never let them forget their mistakes. Heck, youtube it. Nah, seriously, they are so cool

HW at 2 months

Little HW has turned two months and I still haven't taken updated pictures...so these don't count. They were taken under fluorescent lighting at night after minichurch, and...as you can see....she is wedged into her carseat. But they will have to do until hopefully Friday when we can put her in some good natural light and show off all the cuteness.

Minichurch nights are getting real feisty with a discussion of guys versus girls...at least we have a fair amount of girls in the minichurch now. We did talk about the best way to encourage/appreciate/affirm girls. Trying to think of compliments that girls want to hear. Hmmm, what did the boys come up with...

1. You look real good in those jeans.
2. That's a nice shirt.

Now, I think they are much more encouraging than that...but I guess it's hard to produce compliments on the spot. I think as girls, we generally agreed that there are limitations.

From guy friends/who are strictly just friends:
1. No comments about our physical appearance...it can get uneasy

Oooh, it's almost the weekend already. Today, Thursday, I'm going to walk Charlie with Mel and Joy...I think Lisa might even be coming. I'm really looking forward to it. I like to walk around our neighborhood and it's even better to have company. This weekend is filling up but it shouldn't be as busy as last weekend. I do have some weddings coming up in May that I have to set up officiants for so I hope time doesn't keep flying by so fast. My twin nieces are going to be coming soon...like in three week. yikes. It's hectic enough with just one baby niece...whom Scott is still blaming for the disappearance of his keys. Whatever...I'd believe that Lauren was responsible if things like Stanton's harmonica or one of our fighting fishies disappeared, but not his keys.

Oooh, and how come my other niece's myspace page is so illegal...what happened to my cute little niece with missing front teeth who wanted nothing more than to watch Grease with a sippy cup of juice. I won't say which niece...but it's the page with tattoos and underage drinking everywhere.

(oh, she is adorable...it's hard when her daddy keeps rubbing it in our faces...but he's spot on)

(oh, that little foot has a lot of miles ahead)

(I so almost caught her smiling...she smiles plenty now...just not when the ugly black camera is looking at her)


the first and the last picture are the same. Just the black and white conversion and a flip of the orientation.

Points to Ponder at 6 am

Let's just get it out of the way. Kevin, give 'em the "blue steel" look:


Nothing really to report so just expect utter nonsense to follow. If you're thinking this will be short post then, you obviously underestimate my need to ramble.

That was my last picture from the golfing...there's a few more but this was the funniest. I have these pictures up on flickr...these fun pictures have no views but somehow, my picture of my deflated yoga ball had 16 random hits...how in the world...?

Tonight was our first slow night on the midnight shift. Someone told me that midnights were really slow but they lied to me. So, thankfully, tonight was slow enough for me to play catch up...and to resume doing squats and jumping jacks in my cubicle. Hey, it keeps me awake and my legs toned. Hmmph. Here's some random thoughts that I struggle with all night long with no one to talk to:

1. How come those little code words you have to decipher on websites to verify you're a human are so damn hard? I'm a human, have two college degrees, and still have gotten the word wrong on occasion. You try decpher "at0oz3s1l0" Hah, you're wrong...That one wasn't a letter, it was a zero.

2. How come Spencer from "The Hills" has gone three years without noticing that his girlfriend, Heidi, looks exactly like his sister? Eeegh, now that is Oedipus gone seriously wrong.

3. My shoes are real squeaky. I know, it's not really a question...more just a statement of fact that I notice everytime I have to walk somewhere.

(Friends) Swinging Small Sticks

We went miniature golfing yesterday...I wanted to put my pictures up. I'm sure Scott will blog more here about the day so I will be brief. Let's just say that the night before was my first night off in the week...and my body had just adjusted to staying up all night so I could not fall asleep. Much like my post where I posted "should I or shouldn't I...wake Scott up?" I had the same deja vu scenario and this time the vote was for "yes." A whopping 1-0 win for "yes." I thought this at 2 am but I waited until 3 am so he had enough sleep in my opinion. Eventually he did fall back asleep but I stayed up until about 8 am and then Scott woke me up at 8:30 am. So, I was miserable and cranky. And I would have loved to have stayed home but there were various factors that kept screwing me over.

Leilani said she was coming so I wanted to be there in case she did come. So I went...and she didn't come until much later. And then we were going to eat lunch after golfing and Scott said he could drop me off at my sister's house to sleep...but then Josh said he was going to meet us for lunch...so I skipped sleep some more...but he didn't even make it on time so it was a tough no-sleep day. But I did sleep afterward and I woke up in time for Steve's birthday barbecue...where he cooked all the food. Good birthday boy.

(yes, it's a waterpark but it also has miniature golf)


(hello tiki man)

(I just love the expression on Steve's face. What the heck is he thinking about?)



(this was my golfing group, Joy and Matt...we had a lot of fun when I wasn't yawning)

(joy, she's so brave...she jumped in the canoe for me. Matt took too long but Joy just got right in)

(joy took this one...this is me looking for my golf ball. Scott's group was taking to long in front of us so matt and I tried to see where the ball would go if you threw it in the waterfall...this is us looking for it)


PS. Scott preached twice this past weekend. Our church is doing a short series on the "sex needs of men and women." I know, a radical topic for a church but it falls under the relationships umbrella. And this past weekend was the "needs of a woman," and I guess they felt Scott qualified as an expert. Hee hee. But he did really well. Despite my threats to boycott the sermon, I did sit in and only experience one serious giggling fit. You may not be able to hear Scott preach it but you can hear the topic and even download the sermon at Hope Chapel's website.

Eleven Days Down- Worship Song #1

I'm having a little trouble typing because of this huge a#$ bandange on my right middle finger. I was heckling Scott while trying to wash dishes quickly and after I might have called him "dirty uncle" I gave a butcher knife a wrong swipe and sliced my finger. Probably manini to some of you (that means small kine for you non-olelos) but I have a huge phobia about skin flaps. So I was freaking out. Ugh, I'm still getting oogies. When I get cuts, my deal is to slap a lot of bandaids on them and never look at them again. I know the cut is probably healed when the bandaid falls off on its own accord. And I think we're screwed in the far future when we do have kids because I was holding my finger and jumping up and down and trying not to look down at it...and Scott, well, it turns out he has no idea how to put a bandaid on. he chose this superhuge one and wrapped it so that half is sticking out over the top of my finger in some glued twisted point. We're going to have to take our kids to the neighbors when they get booboos. Interesting, is that how you spell it...maybe it's spelled bubus.

On a side note: Scott said I brought it upon myself because I was heckling him...hmmm, so much sympathy, huh?

This morning, I ran to foodland after I went to work and I spotted this man sitting outside of foodland with one of those huge plastic trays of butter rolls. He looked like he might be homeless(I hate to make that assumption in case he's not and then he might be insulted that I thought he was). But there was no one else around and he sat there and was just eating his way through just a whole tray of rolls and I just got really sad. I always start to worry...what is his life like? Is he thirsty? Is bread all he gets to eat? When was his last meal? Is this the best food he'll get all week? But more so, I just wonder, is he lonely? As bad as his days get, who does he have to share it with? I honestly got so sad and was thinking about that the whole time I was in Foodland. I didn't know how to answer it or if I could do anything. I pondered if I should buy him something to drink, eating all that bread must make you thirsty. But, again, what if he's not needy, am I insulting the man...man, I wish they a checklist of things and you could just bless them. So, I couldn't figure out a solution and I was on my way home. I do think, loneliness must be the biggest fear of so many. My life doesn't seem so scary because I have Scott. I honestly think, even if I had no place to go, Scott would make my life brighter. And I have God...even if Scott wasn't there...I'm not truly alone...I can spend my days talking to God. When all else is gone, he will always be there. And there are so many that don't have that honor, it's there...they just don't know it. I could phrase this all better but this was just the random torrent of thoughts I had this morning.

and it inspired me to share some of my new favorite worship songs that bring meaning to my heart. I'd like to start a tradition...I thought every Friday but that might be too soon...so we'll just go with the 11th of every month. I just learned this song for the women's conference worship section but I looked it up online and found this beautiful harmony (I'm a sucker for harmonies). I think everyone in the Hope Chapel worship ministry should put up videos on youtube.

Lead Me To The Cross (a hillsong song)



Savior I come
Quiet my soul remember
Redemptions hill
Where Your blood was spilled
For my ransom
Everything I once held dear
I count it all as lost

Lead me to the cross
Where Your love poured out
Bring me to my knees
Lord I lay me down
Rid me of myselfI belong to You
Oh Lead me, lead me to the cross

You were as I
Tempted and trialed
Human
The word became flesh
Bore my sin and death
Now you're risen
Everything I once held dear
I count it all as lost

To your heart
To your heart
Lead me to your heart
Lead me to your heart

(Nursery) Work all night, sleep all day

Hello folks, I'm working first watch, which is police lingo for "who the heck works at this forsaken time of night?" And the answer would be a resounding "I do." Actually I like it so far. I work from 11 pm until 7 am and then I drive myself home in morning traffic bleary-eyed and sleep during the day. It's a much slower shift which is great on one hand but has it downfalls. Like, I can't call anyone. The other night, I had a case in Kahuku and I had to drive all the way out there at three in the morning. Ummm, I've only been to Kahuku twice, to the golf course, I didn't drive, and it was daytime. I'm so scared that I might just drive right through it and usually I call Scott to get better directions, it's kind of hard to look at the map book while driving the huge work SUV. But, I couldn't call Scott so i just had to wing it.

So, Scott is preaching this Friday night about the "sexual needs of a woman." You all should come...if you want to join me, I will be sitting outside in the courtyard the whole time. Apparently, my mother-in-law will be joining me. I don't know where this series in church is taking us but I'm thinking minichurch tomorrow night should be very very interesting. Might have to sit in with the single side of our minichurch and find out the scoops.

Tonight, we made an instrumental recording to accompany the children for their mother's day performance. I didn't hear it yet, Trevor took it home to tinker with. We had hoped to have a live band play with the kids but it's going to be pretty impossible now since our electric guitarist, Blaine, may be switching churches. I'm so bummed. He's the most amazing guitar player I've seen. I do get distracted in choir sometimes because I'm too busy watching him play and I forget to sing along to the song. We're really going to miss Blaine.

Every other Sunday, i work in the nursery. It's getting better, we were getting slammed the last two months but it's tapered off a little. I had to run to my car to get my camera and it just so happened that Mikey caught sight of me as I was dashing across the parking lot with one of my nursery babies, Hannah, in one arm and my keys in the other hand. He thought I had finally resorted to just stealing babies and I was trying to make a break for it.

(do you see the single tear? She's not a fan of us just yet...she loves her mommy too much)

(hee hee, this was Kahi'au's first time in the nursery, look at those big eyes...his sister has the same eyes...unbelievable...and I love the hair)

(just ignore the halo around kahiau, i had to lighten him because of the backlighting and I did a bad job...maybe I can fix it)
Here is eli, my favorite. I know, you're not supposed to have favorites, but he is. They're supposed to move up to the next group when they can walk and he's been walking for two months. We're never letting him go. He's staying with us until he hits junior high.

Aliya-"Happiness is cheetos and a slide"

This morning, after stupidly staying up until 3 in the morning at a diner with friends (okay, one hour was devoted to watching gilmore girls), Scott and I spent the morning watching Kawika and Pua's youngest daughter, Aliya. And, after the good 5-6 hours we spent together, I can still confidently say that I did not understand most of what she was saying. but, darn it, if she isn't the cutest kid.

I was deep in sleep at that unforgivable early hour when Kawika called like at 8 am and Scott answered the phone. Scott relayed Kawika's question "do you want to watch Isaiah too?" and from my deep slumber, I grumbled "not really." Now that I'm awake, I feel bad but we were pretty pathetic just watching Aliya. Scott kept trying to convince her to take a nap even though it was only 8:30 am and he never gave up. I guess she got tired of his bullying because she pointed at the mattress in the living room and told him to "go nehneh."

Her favorite word is also "no" which was loud and clear and one of the few words you instantly understood. The only problem is that "no" could mean "no" but it also could mean "yes."

Aliya: See fishies!!!

Us: You want to see the fishies?

Aliya: No.

And thus went a lot of conversations. Scott figured out that you have to ask the question and then immediately ask "yes" and she would answer "yes" if she really did want to.

She really is adorable and very well-behaved. Wandered around incessantly talking aloud, no real words that we could understand. She seemed to be talking in some sort of melody and I actually recognized it. I realized that she was singing "tomorrow" from the musical "annie." I kid you not. It was spot on...and adorable. All at home and in the store singing "tumahmoh, tumamoh." We took her to the playground where it was hot and tired us all out.
(first she found my froggie/toothbrush holder)

(then she thought it was fun to step on her crackers, those who live with me know i love a clean floor)

( i think scott's having fun...but I think he's really tired...me too)

(she stopped in the middle of the slide to take a cheetos break)

(here she is running to "uncle sot"

(i love this one...especially the faint traces of cheetos if you look closely)

My chair died last night

Not to sound like an old lady, but my hip starts to hurt when I have to sit for extended periods of time. Since my job often entails sitting at a desk writing reports, it gets a little stiff. I've been wanting to buy an exercise ball for a while because I've heard that they are really good to use as a replacement for your typical office chair. So, at Wal-mart the other day, and I bought the largest exercise ball they had.

I took it to my work cubicle. Let's just say, I spent the better part of an hour trying to pump it up since you're given only this little puny hand pump (which I think puffs in 5 parts air and lets out 4 parts air). But, once it was finished, I fell in love with my chair. I could sit cross-legged, I could stretch my legs...it was wonderful and kind of fun.

All of 24 hours later, last night, I came back from a case. Sat down to write up my notes. Was rolling around trying to get the most comfortable position and I heard a long

"psssssshhhhhhhhhooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo"

What the heck? I felt myself sinking and I jumped up to find that my exercise ball had punctured itself on my flashlight charger that had fallen to my cubicle floor. Oh!!! I applied firm pressure with my hand over the gaping hole and used my other hand to fish out fingerprinting tape from my bag. A few minutes later and I had a makeshift patch. I pumped it back up and kept using it.

But, alas, this afternoon when I returned to work, look what I found on my cubicle floor....



Oh, my chair has died. Let's have a sad moment of remembrance. If you wish to leave a few kind words to honor the late, ironically named 75 cm Anti-burst exercise ball.

What a dilemna!

Seriously, it's deeply troubling me...I don't know what to do...should I? No, I shouldn't. But, maybe...no, I really shouldn't. Oh boy...I'm so conflicted. I really want to wake him up. That's all.

No particular reason.

Just because I'm up.

It's two in the morning. I'm sitting her in the livingroom with all the lights on. See, it started when I was working until 11 pm so I ate dinner at 10:15 pm....and I had a can of coke. It was D-lishus. scrumptious, in fact. But, boy, that sugary goodness got me going. Then I watched "gilmore girls" on my TiVo. It was so good that it really woke me up. Then just when I was getting ready to go to bed...my fishes in the kitchen looked hungry and I tossed some fish food in there. Now, logic says that fish can't see in the dark so now i have to keep the lights on. So, I was politely waiting until they were finished so I jumped on my computer to pass the time and tive them some privacy to finish their snack...and now I find myself awake at two in the morning. And I'm bored...and I want other people to be up with me.

Hmmm...let's take a poll. Who thinks Scott would be receptive to waking up at 2 in the morning to keep me company.

All those in favor, write "yes" on chocolate coffee beans and hide it a liter of ice cold coke for me to find.

All those opposed, go to sleep, I don't want any of your backtalk.

I "heart" you

My sister and niece came over to hang out for my day off yesterday. Mostly my sister took a nap and I chased my niece around as she wreaked havoc with our DVDs. Vinnie and Krystie were also over moving the rest of Vinnie's stuff out of his room. They're super-excited about their new place way the heck over there in Makakilo. We're happy for them but it's going to take us a little bit of encouraging to make the trek over there to visit. It was kind of sad to walk into the empty room...I mean, vinnie was never home but he still was a good roommate. Oh, the times are a changing. So, now we have a room open if anyone wants to live with the coolest people ever!!

Discovered that Lauren is terrified of vacuums. My sister warned me but I tried anyway and as soon as I turned on the vacuum, she started stomping her feet and tears rolled down her cheeks. So I turned it off, picked her up and took her out to the livingroom to her mom, who said "I told you so." But, I went back to the room, turned it on and she would keep coming down the hall towards me (even though she heard the vacuum) and as soon as she hit the open doorway, start crying again. So, I had to give up vacuuming until she left.