Armyjeans' Adventures

Details of Robert's job in Iraq

2012-01-26T19:36:00.000-10:00

http://www.25idl.army.mil/images/banner/3a.pdfwww.25idl.army.mil/images/banner/3a.pdf

ALL I KNOW

2011-10-12T16:38:00.000-10:00

Ok, I have been crazy and busy...and CRAZY busy...but that is NO excuse for not blogging...seriously I will get those blog photos and adventures up and TRY my best to do this on a more regular basis...I mean..I live in HAWAII and all of you want to see it...RIGHT?

Let the countdown begin

2011-08-20T19:24:00.000-10:00

I have no idea where the time went this year but it has been racing. We are well into the 8th month of deployment and I will soon go to the event and hold up a "WE made it 9 months" sign. Of course it would have been even better if there were only 3 more month in a YEAR, but our YEAR was extended.

SO, we have 4.5 months to go on this long separation from Roberto. It was so much fun to have him around, playing with the girls, taking Cannon to swim lessons while I sit at Physical Therapy with Thorin. It was great that he took each girl out to dinner at a place of their chosing and had nice conversations with them about who they are and what they are doing with the gifts that God has given them.

Not only is he an amazing man, he is an even better dad. That was one of the things that made me love him the most. We agreed on almost everything about what our kids would be expected to do. No mooching handouts here. We support and encourage but REFUSE to make excuses or do the work for them.

This has been an amazing gift in the years of deployments. Our girls don't have a mom who whines about their dad being deployed. Just because you have hardship doesn't mean you are UNable to complete work or function. Just because your husband's gone doesn't mean you can't discipline!

We sent Robert off to finish his tour, we shed our tears and then we pulled our bootstraps up and went to the movies! No more tears and no more sadness. We were happy to hear his voice from Dallas this morning and know the time is ticking and he will be home for good next time we hug.

Now I think I understand

2011-06-01T21:36:00.001-10:00

All these years as a military spouse and I always hear about the mother in law stealing the first hug or first kiss. I know as an adult that I can take care of myself. I have been able to think and react clearly since I was a small child. I am the WHAT IF girl. I think about things before I do them. I "shop" like a freak. I look, look some more, THINK about it, look some more....I do this with everything. Before I volunteer I think about the steering team, the dynamics, the JOB Itself, can I do it AND be a great mom and wife, I ask my husband what he thinks.....I mean I really am the WHAT IF girl....of course in all these years as a spouse I have also been a mom.....so I know how very precious my little ones are to me but I guess because of my own childhood I never think that people carry that worry and care over when they become adults (or even teenagers for that matter). SO, this last week when I was thinking of my girls leaving for camp I got a very sick feeling in my heart. Forget the stomach....it went straight to the place it hurts most. I have tucked my girls into bed or at least checked on them when I returned for almost 11 years. I have hugged them, read them stories, done their baths, and most recently I have walked them all to class, hugging them and kissing them and telling them I love them before I left. I know the kids in their classrooms are in shock but I also know that they are jealous (which makes me a little sad for them).

I really love my girls!

So, it finally clicked when I realized I would not be there for 6 nights to tuck them in, kiss them goodnight or say a prayer with them. I might go a little crazy and look drugged from lack of sleep when I finally get them back.

But, the real reason I bring this up (other than I wanted to vent and whine about missing them already)....was because the paper announced the death of 4 soldiers last week and today I got the email about the memorial. When I saw their photos and thought about the short 21-23 years three of them had lived and the 33 years of the soldier most likely commanding them at the time of their death....I think about the mother who needed so badly to steal the first kiss. I think of the mother who had heart pains sending their sons off the camp (training camp). I think of the mother whose heart hurt when she had to let him leave home for the first time and now forever. I think of the soldier who was left in charge of keeping them safe and teaching them the ways of war and somehow didn't make it either. It is so hard for us to send our babies out into the world and pray that GOD takes care of them and brings them home safely. It is so painful to know that each one of these soldiers left home and many of them to crying mothers who really didn't want to see them go. I guess sending my girls off to camp is training for the day when they leave my home to lead their own lives.....but I don't have to like it one bit and I will miss them with all my heart.

So...all those moms out there stealing the first hugs and kisses...it might be partly because they did it for so long and really MISS their babies.

MEMORIAL DAY

2011-06-01T01:12:00.000-10:00

Memorial Day was a beautiful day to honor those who have given the ultimate sacrifice. We decided to support the post event and pray for the soldiers buried at Schofield. Most people are surprised by the engraved dedications on the stones. Many are infants and there are several Unknowns marked on stones in the back. The ones my girls found most interesting we the ones in a small corner behind a huge hedge. The hedge is there to hide the flag from view. These soldiers were executed for dishonoring their country in some way. They do not get flags on the ground on federal holidays nor do they get seen by those viewing the stones from the entrance gate. It is very lonely and isolated. We attended the morning service but returned later to see the flag lower and end our day visiting others in the cemetary. We met some very proud family member of recently passed veterans. The back of the field was where the most recent additions were and my girls loved that after the day was over the back was so full of color with all the flowers, balloons and flags. It appeared that people had visited all day to say thank you. It was nice to see.

UPDATED FINALLY....and I had no idea that I forgot to post so many...so there is a SMALL novel here ...SORRY!

2011-06-01T00:46:00.000-10:00

We went to a USO Seseme Street event for military kids. I had more fun than the girls dancing and being silly. It was a nice slower weekend gearing up for the big finale of the school and girl scout year. Thorin graduated from 5th grade...they actually had a graduation ceremony to congratulate the kids leaving elementary school. It was great to see the kids all dressed up and many parents who I had never seen all year attend the event. Then it was graduation from girl scouts...all 3 of my girls bridged up this year. What does that mean? Well to be me it means I get a fresh start in a new level to help them achieve their goals and have a better understanding of what to expect. It also means I had to buy 3 new uniforms(vests and pins) for the girls. It also means with a new level and moving season in the army we are looking for a new troop again. I just hope the year pans out better than last year started. I sure it will...but now at least I know what to do if it doesn't and they girls won't be left behind. They loved the troop leaders and the girls in their troops....we will miss the ones who are leaving but I am also excited about the possiblities of a fresh vest to fill!

ONE very big run-on weekend/week

2011-05-31T23:57:00.000-10:00

Like I said in an earlier post...life doesn't slow down with 3 very smart award winning kids. This was the competition where our school got a first place trophy. The team worked very hard getting these robots to work. We were there all morning and rushed out as soon as photos were over to arrive at girl scout camp for our overnight adventure on the Wainiae side of the island. The girls did skits, sang songs and enjoyed being together one last time as a complete troop. Soon girls will be moving and we will be getting new members to our group. Change is always hard but exciting too. After camp was over the girls regrouped at home for a few hours before heading to the ice skating rink for a THANK you event to the youth for all the volunteering they do for the chapel during the year. I am proud of my girls in their drive to serve in many arenas around post. They have a true heart for giving back and will be well prepared for when it matters on an application to college....but the fact that they beg to do it says it really means more to them than most.

May Day is Lei Day

2011-05-31T23:49:00.000-10:00

Hawaii has a festival celebration called MAY DAY. It is to honor the royal court and history in an educational way. The have a royal court to include a couple representing each island and a brief history is given about the islands as each couple walks to the front of the crowd. Each grade level performs to a song. Cannon did a surf song, Sorenna danced to the Hawaii 5-0 theme song and Thorin did FIREWORK....it was an interesting choice but at least they had fun. They did a great job at it was nice to see all my girls in one school for the last time in their education. Now it gets crazy.

Girl scout pampering/SPAM JAM and a little friend

2011-05-31T23:45:00.000-10:00

This was one BUTT kicking weekend and I LOVED every minute of it (except finding this little friend in my back yard). We of course were slowed down by this guy in my back yard and I sprayed him with A TON of RAID and flashed to photo...then killed it and threw him out. We then raced to the mall for our ALL day Girl scout reward for all the hard work during cookie sales. We started with NAIL primping. All the girls enjoyed the special attention. Mine were a little freaked out since it was their first time to a salon. We immediately ran over to calfornia pizza kitchen to be first in line with 16 girl scouts and chaperones with orders in hand to keep us on track. After lunch we ran to the movies to see HOP complete with popcorn a drink and candy. And finally after a little shopping at Claires and Barnes and Noble.....we were done at 4pm.

But the adventure didn't end there. We met our friends in the parking lot to carpool to Waikiki for the biggest party: SPAM JAM! We chased that giant can of Spam for photos and danced for hours. The bands were great, the SPAM burgers and tacos were great and we had a blast. The next morning I woke at 4am to run a marathon on Hawaii's NORTH SHORE...it was beautiful. LIFE IS GREAT!

RACE RAGE & magic shows

2011-05-31T23:36:00.000-10:00

These are just a few of the medals, crown, rewards I have collected this year in my crazy RACE RAGE...I promised to do at least one race a month during this year and in the heat of race season I did a half and full marathon as well as two 10Ks, a 5K and and 8.15 miler....looking forward to the next 8k, 5k and 10 miler....I wonder how many it will end up being once Robert returns...hmm?

Sorenna's birthday week/Easter

2011-05-31T23:30:00.000-10:00

Easter Week was all about Sorenna...Since her birthday fell just days after Easter Sunday we lit up the cake early. They had given up all sweets so it was nice to have a really Yummy treat and celebration at the end of our 40+ days. They dressed up in some very original dresses. Each one geared to their personality...gone are the days of matching and color coordination...they look great in their own styles.

Sorenna is also turning into a great leader. She was the team leader on her robot team for the stacking section. AND they won a first place trophy for never giving up. She was in charge of the junior troop field trip to the Police station and led them in a tour, activities and the thank you card that followed. She is growing up so fast and becoming so motivated....and her sisters are her biggest cheerleaders. These girls light up my world and I would be lost without them.

geckos and opera and more

2011-05-31T23:22:00.000-10:00

We have some very strange things that happen here in Hawaii but we roll with it. The geckos are one of those things. We see them all the time and love them but the one we saw in the bathroom was super cool and we had to have a photo. I have about 7 at any hour of the day hangin out in my room...but this one was much cooler than most. We also went on a nature hike with the girl scouts to finish some of our badge work before all the girls moved up to the next level and got new vests and badges.

As always Thorin got a cool adventure. SHe was chosen to perform with the opera at her school. She and a few friends dressed in a costume piece and acted out an original version of Little Mermaid. It was fun to watch. Cannon finished her year with a CHUCK E CHEESE day. I can say that I actually enjoyed the day there and can now say I did go to the CHEESE in every state we have lived in...took us 3 years to get in that one....not really a fan, but the happiness on all the girl scout faces was a great bonus.

Nene award

2011-05-31T23:14:00.000-10:00

The nene award is a student generated honor. A list of books is submitted according to a list of criteria. The students read books off the list and vote for the one they enjoyed most. During the school year students submit voice threads, artwork and skits portraying a piece of the book they enjoyed or they wish had been a part of the story. Students who WIN the contest are treated to a day to listen to and view the winning entries as well as meet the author and eat lunch with them....THORIN won that chance and sat across from Margaret Haddox for her work on the book SENT. She also wrote for the 39 Clues series and many more. Thorin and Sorenna were also allowed to perform Hula for a special event at the school. The author visited 3 schools during her week on the island and since our school had so many winning entries she chose ours. Thorin really enjoyed her talk with Ms Haddox and was glowing for days after her luncheon.

HIKEs for fitness

2011-05-31T23:07:00.000-10:00

I started hounding my girl friends to do some fun hikes instead of sitting around ...so we started a group of hikers. We did 2 at the end of the school year and plan to do some really serious ones when it starts back up....I am looking forward to some serious nature before the end of the year...we get some of the best photos too!

spring break 2011

2011-05-31T23:05:00.000-10:00

Spring Break week was one of the best ever! We sold out of cookies for 2 troops in one weekend!....then we went to celebrate at a deployed spouses retreat. The chapel sponsored several families at the best hotel on the beach in Waikiki. It was an amazing weekend full of penguins, turtles, beach digging and people watching with one of my favorite battle buddies. It has been a blessing to have such fun friends. We also spent a few hours searching for Rick Springfield who was filming Hawaii 5-0 in town...and we accidently ran into the filming crew at the hotel....and enjoyed running into Scott Cahn (literally!) He looks so much like his dad...BUT MAN he is super hunky...and Alex is not hard to look at either...HOPING to get on the extras crew before leaving the island.

Halloween

2011-05-31T22:54:00.000-10:00

Robert got to be home for Halloween and decided his "costume" was needing some more UMPH!
So he put more scales, bought a viking helmet and carried an ax. It was very "cute".

Thorin wanted to be the Jessie from Toy Story. The version she came up with was fun. Robert helped on her project.

Sorenna was the perfect cheerleader and Cannon looked so cute as a princess. I finally convinced her to be a sweet princess. She would only agree to be a princess if she could have wings!...really? OK!

2011 is finally BLOGGED!

2011-05-31T22:37:00.002-10:00

This was a fun start to the year. We had a helo land in our backyard and after a few facebook photos posted we had an IN PERSON apology from the pilots ...it was inspiring to see someone take ownership of a wrongdoing..and the girls were impressed too.
They also took a cheerleading camp with the PRObowl cheerleaders to include the players and mascots. We got to attend the PRE PRObowl party with the mascots, cheerleaders and players. It was a great day.
BUT the biggest news was CANNON moved classrooms, got the BEST teacher ever who inspired her to LOVE school again and she got Student of the MONTH and lost her first tooth....BIG adventures for that little bug.

SEPTEMBER rundown

2011-05-31T22:33:00.000-10:00

It was a crazy month. We had a birthday party for Thorin. It was a Bunco party and everyone had fun. She loved learning about the game that I spend every month hosting. I think she is hooked!
Thorin was honored as Student of the Month and just glowed.
The girls started Hula after school. They will have a lesson once a week and hopefully be able to perform for their school event at the end of the year.
The end of the month we got to see the BLUE ANGELS!
It was amazing. Those pilots are so precise. They cannot mess up and it is scary and beautiful to watch. If others could get just a small bit of the teamwork they have then our nation wouldn't be so messed up!

Thorin turned 10

2011-05-31T22:30:00.000-10:00

My baby girl turned 10. I am shocked that I have a 10 year old. Shocked that GOD blessed me with the goal of raising a sweet girl such as Thorin. I am truly lucky to have such a fun job.
Thorin has been amazing for all her life. She slept for 12 hours at a time when she was a baby. She did things early, always grew bigger sooner and made me so happy to be a mom.
At 2 she was bright. Talking and discussing things that many 4 year olds were not interested in and I never knew what to expect next. I still don't. Sometimes I feel like the kid because she is succeeding at things so quickly and I am learning so much from her. She says that I am her inspiration but I really love the person that she is becoming.
In just a short 10 years she has done so much with herself. She inspires others to do better and try harder. When she was 5 and ran her first 5K people started walking and exercizing.
When she was 7 people were amazed at her generous nature and started doing more for others.
She interviewed her grandmother just months before her death and gifted a tape of that interview to the family. She was so kind and patient during the questions. She really wanted to know more.
When she was 8 she amazed a Pearl Harbor Survivor with her personal questions and understanding of the event. He kept asking if she was only in 3rd grade and was this how all 3rd graders were now?....they were not.
Now at 10 she has been an alter server almost every week for the past year and CRAVES to serve in some way. It is not an obligation, in fact I would prefer she take a break some weeks, but she loves it.
If it is a requirement it really isn't a service. I am very proud of her.
Thanks be to GOD!

Sleeping girls

2011-04-04T00:30:00.000-10:00

We often wonder where our day goes, how we spend our time, and HOW did we get through another day.?
I just realized that I have checked on my girls sleeping every night (except for hospital layovers, an overnight retreat and one overnight girl scout event). I look forward to checking to see if they are in the blanket, check on their position and adjust where needed. Even if I fall asleep before I head to the bed (studying on the floor) I still have to go check on them. It is something I will miss when they are grown.

I will also miss walking my oldest to school every morning. We will have to drive her to another post early so I can get back and walk the other two. She will be a middle school kid. I pray that she keeps the sound heart and love for school, her friends and her church.

I already miss them and they are not grown up yet.

Dancing, Skating and RUNNING ...oh my!

2011-04-04T00:20:00.002-10:00

We were so excited to find out the Lt DAN band was playing again this year....but for the first time in 3 years he was coming to SCHOFIELD.....we could WALK to the concert. The weather was bad leading up to the event so they moved it inside....WE had a blast!...danced all night, sang and got completely wild!

Another adventure for February included ICE SKATING....with all our friends!

We also ran the 8.15 Great Aloha Race. Cannon was a pace car and we just ran after her. She did a great job finishing in 2 hours! We know it was a slow pace but for an 8 mile run THEY ROCKED!

Thorin had decided that she is running with her dad next year.HOPE that comes true! We went to Chili's to celebrate the great race.

CAMPING again

2011-04-03T23:57:00.001-10:00

WE were so lucky and got to attend CAMP again.The girls had the best time ever. We had a really fun day hiking, doing the giant swing and climbing the 50 foot tower. I did the 50 foot obstacle course and the girls went to a deployment camp class...it was fun!

We took tons of opportunities to do every fun thing there was...and it was great. I killed a scorpion and millipede within the first 5 minutes and all we good!...Year in the desert made me MUCH stronger...now if only I could get the roaches to stop flying before I smack them!?

YES,,that is Sorenna for the 5th time at the top of this tower. She wanted to do every route to see which one was best.

CANNON enjoyed a SMA...that is a SMORE without the chocolate....sma without the MORE

SO proud of my girls volunteering to raise the flag on our last day of camp. It never touched the ground!

YES, it is hanging from a palm tree.

We said goodbye to some of our favorite foreign exchange camp workers....we were all sad to see them go.

Student of the Month

2011-04-03T22:21:00.000-10:00

Cannon

This is my little STUDENT OF THE MONTH. The first month she was there was a transition time, but she earned Student of the month her second month in...and she was a super student too. We had pizza, and special drinks. She was so excited to be on stage for her lunch time and so happy to share her spotlight with me.

January....Helicopters and NFL....

2011-04-03T22:15:00.001-10:00

SO, as you all know I live on an army post and interesting things happen. This one was very interesting. I was on my way out the door for a social event, girls in the house with a sitter. The event was close enough to walk so I did. As I was leaving my house I heard a helicopter and it sounded very low. Next thing I knew it was coming over the single soldier housing low enough for them to jump out and land on it. They buzzed the palm trees (it was a vietnam, rice patty low....you know when they are half hangin out of the copter!?)...so that freaked me out JUST a bit....I waved to the guys on the side and thought to myself....DUDE..that is really low and I wonder if you are supposed to be doing THAT.?

WELL.....it got even better.....I see them go over a house and it sounds like it is going DOWN....I am thinking about the crash that killed two pilots on the airfield last year and FREAK OUT....I run through my front door and notice out the window that they are LANDING...so I grab my camera (FOR PROOF......photojournalist in me).....and I run out the backdoor barking orders to the girls NOT to come outside. I get out the back door and make eye contact again with the guys in the copter as they are lifting back off. MY photos on facebook somehow got the the command group and these guys were in so much trouble....IT is a residential area, NOT SECURE, children are all over the place, things are NO tied down and the wind this things generates IS POWERFUL...guess they turned over trampolines, canopies and much more in a few other neighborhoods...SO this PHOTO made sure they had to answer to those issues!.....COOL photos tho....RIGHT?

ON to the FUN....The girls participated in this event called PLAY60. It is geared to get kids out for 60 minutes and play. SO many kids need to use energy and the NFL sponsors this with kids. There were 100 kids playing football and 75 learning cheers. It was so much fun. The girls learned a dance routine used at the PROBOWL later that week.They all got water bottles and tshirts and got an autograph session. IT was even fun for the freaky grown ups with their memorbilia to sign...looked like BIG kids drooling over football players.

The mascots even showed up and I was REALLY happy to see Stanley DA Bear!.....I took some photos and sent them to some friends in Texas....YES there are BEARS fans in Texas!....

We later got a sneak preview of the players and cheerleader who didn't attend our specific event...it was SO FUN. We rode the bus to Aloha Stadium, watched cheerleaders dance, football players practice and the MASCOTS having some serious fun!...

Thought THIS outfit was very interesting. She said it was a special outfit to support Breast Cancer awareness. IT IS HOT PINK for sure!

SAD to say,.....THIS girl looked amazing, but when she OPENED her mouth...it was worse than FRan Dresher.....It was a BABY TALK that made me want to scream USE YOUR BIG GIRL VOICE....just smile, dance and look pretty..NO more interviews PLEASE...makes Texas look LAME.

END of year WRAP UP!....good bye 2010....

2011-03-26T00:48:00.000-10:00

Tis the season,....
We kept the momentum going after Robert left. In fact, that same week we went to a dinner event where a Hawaiian choir performed Christmas music in Hawaiian. It was very beautiful. The food was excellent and they even got gifts from SANTA!

We took photos in front of every tree (including the PALM tree). I even got into one of them.

We were chosen to be the OFFICIAL tree lighting family for Schofield. It was such a great night. We got there thinking we were helping to light the tree. Little did we know we were the only family doing it. The girls wore their matching candycane PEACE sign shirts and we hit the button to light up the entire post. I had never been able to attend. I was always at school the night of the event so it was extra special to me.

Cannon got transferred to a NEW class to get away from the little bullies and crazy kids. I was SO excited to move!....She is now the top of her class. I KNOW she was before but the teacher was too busy and distracted to care!
She is amazing her teacher with her creative writing, great reading skills (in fact a mom messaged me on facebook to tell me her son was really impressed with cannon..WOW!), and her kind manners and willingness to help others.

The girls we in a live nativity for Christmas eve. It was a little bit funny because all the girls were going to be angels when all of a sudden I have a CAMEL coming up to me. Cannon decided she wanted to be a CAMEL!...So our replay on the angel Christmas card was a bust....LOVE her as a camel.

My sweet monkey made it very clear that she could write her own songs better with a guitar...so she is now learning the guitar, Thorin plays the Ukelele and some day Cannon will get in on the act....or sing.

Thorin was getting too big for all the bikes we own.....so she got a BIG girl bike. Can't wait for the rainy season to stop!

Cannon was stylin in her Memere's jewels. I had gathered a few pieces in 2008 and finally gifted them to the girls. Pepere gave them jewelry boxes to store them in...good call Pepere!

I took photos of all the trees around our house this year. The funniest thing was when we splurged on a BIG tree. We got the 7 foot tree. When we assembled the trees (all 6 of them) the girls could not figure out why we didn't put up our OLD big tree (the 5 foot one)....When we told them we did....they ran to the tree and said no wonder we needed a new tree...."this one is ridiculous!"

At the end of the year I did a 1st birthday, belated 10th birthday and 8.5th birthday photo shoot. I also included a Christmas photo and some fun sister shots. I love how my girls are such helpful sisters. I am not saying they are NICE ALL the time....but when it is needed, they are there for one another. Sorenna is ALWAYS checking the food for any allergens to keep Cannon safe. Thorin is always keeping the girls out of trouble with her reasoning and logic. Cannon is willing to help find missing items and fill in when the girls have homework and can't get a chore done. I am so happy to have 3 girls so they always have at least ONE sis to lean

on.

FAVORITE PHOTOS of CANNON for the year!

Sept-early December 2010

2011-03-25T23:04:00.000-10:00

More catching up to do....this was the night to at least get into 2011....so I am almost there....Hang in there...we do WAY too much to keep up with this blog some days.

Ok, I have to say the end of the year was so much fun and really crazy. Sorry for NOT bloggin it sooner. I am slightly addicted to FACEBOOK....instant and easy.

So the photos you see are Thorin being AMAZING. She decided to figure out what the BEST variables were for planting in Hawaii where we live. Seems easy enough. Well, 12 plants, measurements, watering (with a set amount)....you see where this is going....she was very detailed and busy with this month-long project.

She has plants inside, outside, different soils in each.....it was crazy. I was shocked at how cool it was. There were of course the strange broken stems outside (which she accounted for and made note when measuring).....so she won a slot to district out of every kid in her 5th grade..(4 kids went).
Then as if that was not enough to be proud of....the day after her dad went to Iraq she was still calm and detailed enough to BRING home the prize. 3RD PLACE in the entire district!...WOW! Apparently she gets her green thumb from her dad....I can kill a cactus (and have proven that 3 times!)

Then this amazing kid during this science fair timeframe also earned her BRONZE award from Girl scouts. This is the highest honor a Junior Girl Scout can earn. She earned hers in 3 weeks. She decided to make cookies for the deploying soldiers and got the community to join forces. Her goal was to give out 300 bags of cookies to the group from her dad's old unit before they got on the bus. She has NO idea her dad was one of the ones leaving until a week before the ceremony. This was out of her love and caring heart. So, she made flyers and SOLD everyone she came in contact with on her plan for them to help her bake cookies. WE thought she would get a few helpers and then we would be baking the rest....I mean an entire weekend BLOCKED off to bake these cookies. Her plan was SO successful that we had 500+ bags BEFORE we ever fired up our own oven. The photos show our fridge and tables. She was featured on the 25th ID website, the newspaper and several other forums. General Champoux commended her on being an outstanding example of a community supporter. He said that he gives coins to soldiers who do an outstanding job and that she had gone above and beyond earning that honor....SO, she now has a "strawberry coin" from the general. She also got a lei from Miss Hawai and 2nd runner up for Miss America!....BUT the shining moment was when Robert got to pin the Bronze award on her vest for all her hard work!...Every soldier in all units got homebaked cookies to eat on the bus leaving for Iraq. There were tears and emails of thanks from the soldiers in Iraq. Her heart is so amazing. I am proud to be her mom and see the world through her eyes.

Of course we had a fun celebration with Ms cannon.....her birthday cake and shirt matched. She loved her cake and the adventures of ICE SKATING for her birthday. A snowy adventure in Paradise!

Then we said goodbye to Robert and pray for his safe return....hopefully BEFORE Christmas 2011.

Sept- mid Nov 2010

2011-03-25T22:22:00.000-10:00

Sept- mid Nov was loads of fun too. Cannon went to the aquarium and got to hold some fun stuff. The blowfish was her favorite. The girls attended another Father-Daughter Ball and had the best time. While all the little girls were crying around them because they KNEW their daddies were leaving....our girls were happily oblivious to that fact. REASON # 200 for NOT telling our girls super early. Life is best lived day to day.

We also had a great time trick or treating...Thorin still has a blast with the costumes and planning. Robert wore a TUNIC!...so I am not sure WHO gets into it more. I think I will be a go-go girl or something CRAZY this year.

Sorenna got Student of the Month, Robert finally made it out to the Arizona Memorial...it was very beautfiul that day. We also did a ROUND TRIP tour of the island on his birthday so he could say he had seen it all before he left for Iraq.

Blue Angels Sept 2010

2011-02-28T19:56:00.001-10:00

We had the best time at KBay in Sept 2010.
The Blue Angels are the most amazing team of pilots. Such skill and perfection. I was scared and excited watching the near misses. The girls helped me capture some of the best photos. They were on guard to tell me where they were lining up.
LOVE the show!

Robert closes a base in Iraq!

2011-02-27T15:58:00.000-10:00

Sunday, 27 Feb 2011

Time to return a base to the Iraqis and I’m nervous as I think through the multiple issues that could derail this operation. My stomach is in knots and I left half my lunch behind. This feeling will get worse in the months ahead so I force myself to let go and focus on the moment. I let myself enjoy the feel of the late morning sun warm on my face and the feel of sweat underneath my armored vest. It’s a feeling of being alive and part of the world and I like it.

It’s a ground movement today and physical memory systems go into high gear as we activate the multiple electronic and security systems on the vehicle. The layout of the vehicle, to include where the turret gunner places his feet, all trigger memories of past missions. For the next thirty minutes memories will continue to flood my brain as we traverse Abu Grab in route to our base return. Abu Grab was my unit’s area of operations six years ago and I wonder how returning there will feel.

We’re running late due to a coordination error so the long drive off base drags at my patience. When we finally exit the base the smells of town reach out to grab me and drag me back through the years. The dust, sewage, and ash filling my nostrils as my eyes start soaking in old sites that have changed. Many of the cement walls are gone, more people walk the streets, and the big mosque sweeps by my window. We pass the main town intersection and continue down a street I’d previously only traveled in the dark of night. The streets are still run down and filled with security but the shops on the other sides of puddles and trash are full of wares. The muffler shops even have new mufflers hanging outside where old recycled mufflers used to hang.

We cross the bridge that used to be blocked to all traffic and enter West Abu Grab in all its glory. There is the old house the IED makers operated from, then the street our snipers hunted IED emplacers. The main market area remains full of trash and debris but shops have an active clientele. I smile while watching a small child following her mother around a big nasty puddle. I could see the girl thinking how much fun it would be to jump in that big puddle. Her mom also saw her look and made the necessary verbal corrections to keep her on the dry path.

We drive by Iraqi security positions. The normal army positions and even some police who did not exist the last time I was here. I took a breath when we crossed the main check point bridge. The old hole from the suicide bomber was repaired and the bridge itself was open to civilian traffic. All normal things that were abnormal before. Kids are playing soccer in areas formerly forbidden and the town shops remain busy with all kinds of people. My mind is racing as we pass old landmarks, the prison, the “Evil Mosque” and even the propane plant all trigger visions of past misadventures. I say a brief prayer of remembrance and thanks and then let the memories go.

Soon we arrive at the base. The Iraqis are already manning the internal security positions on the American side and the US soldiers stood ready to leave the base. Being late had one advantage. We’d missed the Keystone Cop routine that seems mandatory before the Iraqi officials will sign the paperwork to accept the equipment left on the base. Even though we conduct joint inventories in the week leading up to the transfer the Iraqis always want to verify the whole thing before signing on the dotted line. They start running all over the base, counting air conditioners, generators, and light switches to make sure they did not run away in the night.

The final sign over is anti-climatic. The return trip is not as emotional. When we get inside the main gate I mentally check off one more base returned.

August-September 2010

2011-02-23T01:33:00.000-10:00

It has been too long since I UPDATED my blog so I thought I would start where I left off and really do it right.

We were so excited in August when Sorenna's best bud (RAMI) surprised her with a visit. She was so happy and the girls enjoyed each other as if more than 2 years had not passed.

I think they could be college roommates some day...I might start working on that now.

My dad joined us shortly after and we went through the Plantation Maze. It was so fun! We finshed in record time....and had fun.
It is the largest MAZE in the world.

We treated my dad to a Luau since Robert had not been to one and it was time he did.

We also hiked up the Diamond Head Crater. It is a very good workout. More than 200 stairs will have you sweating for sure!

We also loved the museum exhibit on SURFING!

Thorin and Sorenna helped their school win the 1st place trophy again. They are AWESOME runners!

Thorin enjoyed her 10th Birthday Party! We played BUNCO. Her cake(s) were giant DICE!
They were very yummo too

The girls started school and I volunteered once again to do the group photos. They turned out great for what I had to work with. What is the deal with 5th graders? They are TOO young to be teenagers already!

UPDATING SOON!!! UNDER CONSTRUCTION!

2010-12-31T00:11:00.000-10:00

I will post again soon. I have been captive to some crazy girls and cute husband (left Dec 1st..) and holiday crazy....sorry I haven't posted since school started....we had some ISSUES with a classroom and it FINALLY got fixed. WILL UPDATE ABOUT THE TRIALS OF LIFE SOON!.....PLEASE come back soon.

JACK SPARROW.....ARRRRRG

2010-08-07T14:56:00.004-10:00

WE MET JACK SPARROW!....REALLY!....

The first week of school and we got the chance to see the Queen Anne (Black Pearl) Pirates of the Caribbean filming area. I thought it would be fun to see the ship before they were done filming and to meet Jack Sparrow (Johnny DEPP). I have heard he is genuinely a nice guy and I LOVE PIRATES!!

So, I loaded the girls, dinner, water bottles, unbrellas, camera and the girls to head to the other side of the island. Went through 2 downpours but hoped it would be nice on the southern tip. WE were correct. A few showers, but we were not deterred!
We viewed the ship and took some fun shots of us waiting. A few planes buzzed overhead and then it was DARK....time to film.
The night we got there was STUNT night. We had to wait a lot longer than we thought, but when the girls screamed upon his arrival....I knew I would win some bonus mommy points in later years for waiting it out.

He came up, shook each girl's hand, made SMALL talk with them in his pirate accent and told the girls they were beautiful and that he hoped they had a great night. He was so personal with each kid. I am a MUCH bigger fan of his work and him as a person. What a very nice guy.
Not to mention....he is SUPER smokin in a pirate outfit. ARRRG!

BACK to SCHOOL already???

2010-08-07T14:45:00.003-10:00

The girls got some really nice teachers. They seem to be a very good fit at this point. I am happy to see the first grade teacher does SPELLING tests (the only thing lacking when Sorenna did 1st grade). The 3rd grade teacher is very alert and BIG into reading!

Sorenna already borrowed the 2nd Harry Potter book from her.

The 5th grade room Thorin is in has a huge garden they are responsible for keeping up and there are 2 teachers in her room. That should keep to focus up and the challenges coming!

All three have said they are amazed at how motivated all my girls are and it looks like it will be a great year!

SUMMER SCHOOL

2010-08-07T12:54:00.012-10:00

The summer started with a committment to do FUN things every week. Have shaved ice every weekend, go to the beach, have dates with daddy, go to places we have never been and just ENJOY being.....PERIOD....just being! NO dance, NO school, NO appointments, meetings or BUSYness! The only thing scheduled were the 2 nights I had to go to class each week. That is the main reason the BLOG sat for 2 months untouched.

Here are some of the "fieldtrip" photo assignments I had during our adventures.

I have really enjoyed the PHOTOjournalism class. I wish there were more classes like this one. The other class is on LIEs and DECEPTion......We discuss the various ways and places people deceive us all. Food industry, medical professional, entertainment industry and so many more. The most interesting discussion for me so far has been the one on EYE witness testimony. Our brain is very complex and it willingly deceives us every day. MORE on that later!

The best part of my photojournalism class has been the challenging "beat assignments", the software introductions and seeing others work through the photos. We show the SINGLE slides in class and we learn so much from what people present. I miss the news room sooooo much!

The hardest thing in this class (other than searching for the perfect MOMENT to take a photo) has been the AUDIO slide show!

WHO would have thought I would have audio in a PHOTO class...not me!

Now that I mastered the audio slide show concept....be looking for some of that on the blog. In fact, watch the one I turned in for the assignment. I had to interview and photograph ONE person doing a cool job or hobby and relay why it was cool in 2 MINUTES!!!

There was a lot of clipping, pasting, overlapping music with interview clips! I really like what turned out to be...but 2 minutes is not a lot of time. I have A HUGE admiration for people who MAKE the movie we see in theaters. They have to have a concept, VISUALIZE it and then clip it just right to make it all work. MAN....NO WAY!

Enjoy some of my fun photo assignments and video.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IxrZad6yHQI

Pepere's visit and Luau

2010-08-07T12:04:00.005-10:00

We had a great time with Pepere while he was here this summer. He seemed to be happy relaxing in paradise too!.
We did a luau, teh beach, a concert, fireworks, tons of walking, the Palace, stumbled onto a protest in downtown and so much more...all in ONE WEEK!

Memorial Weekend

2010-08-07T11:16:00.011-10:00

We spent the weekend paying respect to those who sacrificed their lives to defending ours.
Went to see the MIGHTY MO where WWII ended (signed documents on ship to declare the end). We also toured all the area (except Arizona memorial because it is under renovations)
It was a great weekend to start the summer holiday season. It was busy for the entire 2 months we were on break.

hawaiian culture school

2010-08-07T02:38:00.003-10:00

Hawaiian culture school was really interesting. Cannon got to help clean out the pond from debris to help save the new hatchlings.
This tree with huge fruits on it is very unique.
The fruit was too heavy for the branches so it eventually adapted and the fruit grows on the main part of the tree now. It is the only tree to flower and have fruit at the same time.

Horses and zoo adventures

2010-08-07T02:29:00.002-10:00

Cannon's 1st and 2nd 5K races!!!

2010-08-07T02:13:00.006-10:00

Miss Cannon amazed participants and spectators racing in 5K races this summer. She is a very strong little girl.
Her sisters have better their times this summer as well. Looking forward to cross country team soon.

School finale'

2010-08-07T00:59:00.007-10:00

This was a very exciting school year (2009-2010). The girls had GREAT teachers (and not just for Hawaii....for anywhere!) Our kindergarten teacher had a masters and taught for the DOD system. Every kid in her class was above the national standard and CANNON was doing 2nd grade level work....so she was amazing.
Sorenna had a newer teacher with a lot heart. Sorenna had exactly what she needed to push herself to do harder work. She is doing 6th grade work, but I still KNOW she is capable of so much more...she is just very creative and kind-hearted .....she will find her motivation and hit the stars very soon. THORIN had the best teacher ever. She knew Thorin could coast through the harder work and really pushed her to her own limits!
Thorin WON a statewide contest for the University of Hawaii's science dept.
She got a backpack full of goodies and presented an award at the university to congratulate her! I was so excited for her.
CANNON graduated in the top of her Kindergarten class even though in most states she would have still been in PRESCHOOL! No holding back the girls.
I am going to miss the teachers who moved. Good thing FACEBOOK lets me talk to them while they move around. Maybe we will see them again some day soon!

Birthday

2010-05-08T20:39:00.005-10:00

Sorenna FINALLY turned 8 years old! I say that only because she marked the calendar and counted down for MONTHS until it happened. That week was also her first communion so it was an all week Sorenna event. She is such a cooky kid and I love her spirit...most of the time! She is much like her aunt Cat from what I have heard. She is the true MIDDLE child. Life would be boring without her.

Dance Show

2010-05-08T20:19:00.007-10:00

This was probably my most favorite dance show ever. The girls each had different costumes and parts so they had to focus on learning it themselves. They all looked wonderfully cute and did great performances! I Loved Cannon as a french poodle, Sorenna as a CAN-CAN girl (very fitting) and Thorin was the customer in the doll shop. She was so graceful.

Sorenna CIRCUS day adventure

2010-05-08T19:47:00.005-10:00

I had the best time at this event the first time we went so we decided to go one more time. This time the older girls were able to do the fun circus stuff. They did the tightrope and learned how dangerous PINK lemonade could be back in the old days. Of course my LOVING husband had to push the limits a little and almost injure all our kids during a funny photo shoot.

Student of the Month & MORE

2010-05-08T19:45:00.006-10:00

Thorin was STUDENT of the MONTH for April. She is one amazing girl with TONS of drive! Our first year here was very hard because Robert left for Iraq, most of the volunteer positions at her school were filled and we were deep in the process of deployment readiness. After the family routine was set she was able to BLOOM. At the end of her 3rd grade year she ran for 2nd VP (the only position for students going into 4th grade). She did not get the position, but I was so proud of her campaign. She followed the rules, made every deadline and was a very polite loser. Once 4th grade started she was asked to be a peer mediator to help 3rd graders. She works with problem kids and helps them navigate arguements and conflict. WOW! She recently added HALL monitor to her tasks too. She leaves her class a few minutes early and helps keep the halls safe for the little kids. She is an example to everyone. Always the leader. She won a contest on KIDBIZ (a computer based reading program) for most work done. I am proud of the young lady she is becoming.

Girl scouts photos

2010-05-08T19:37:00.006-10:00

Somehow forgot to post these great photos of the girls and thier troops!

Camp Erdman Family Weekend

2010-05-08T19:12:00.016-10:00

The family enjoyed another adventure at CAMP ERDMAN....our favorite place! It was nice to have Robert there for family camp. The adventures and crafts are so fun. The girls enjoyed archery, swimming, hiking and more. The giant swing was a hit with all 3 girls and they helped while they waited. We were so lucky to have several of our friends attend the same weekend. In fact Sorenna's best friend was there. We are lucky to love the entire family. Meals were great. Good friends, good food and great fun...what more can you ask for from a weekend? Sorenna climbed the Alpine Tower with me 2 times. She is overcoming so many fears this year. I am so proud of her and her spirit of adventure. There was one very sad note for the first night. Sorenna bonded with Paulo, a camp advisor from Brazil. We had said our goodbyes in December thinking we would not see him before he left. We didn't realize our first night at Family camp was his last night in Hawaii. He was there to pack up and came to dinner. Sorenna was so excited to see (as was the entire family). Robert liked Paulo too. He was one of the most-loved members of camp. Sorenna was so upset when we had to say goodbye again. She gave him such a sweet hug goodbye that everyone was crying, including Paulo. He had no idea how much of an impact he had on her at our first camp. He was a great male figure. He was fun and adventurous and helped her cope with Robert's deployment. He now understood that he will have a special place in our family's heart. In Hawaii they call everyone auntie and uncle to show love....he is now uncle Paulo.

Cannon in her swim tutu

2010-05-08T19:10:00.004-10:00

Cannon started swim lesson in March and we realized that she had never had a NEW swimsuit. Every single one had come from the other girls. We went to get her a simple suit but ended up with this VERY girlie TUTU style pink one. I think it is the cutest suit any of the girls have ever had. Good things come to those who wait.

Easter 2010

2010-05-08T19:02:00.005-10:00

I bought these very cute skirts for a fun day and I decided that they would be EASTER dresses instead. I love living somewhere you can wear this to Easter service and looked DRESSED UP!
The rain made it hard to do a hunt so it was indoors!

Taro patch field trip

2010-05-06T21:36:00.022-10:00

This was the last 4th grade field trip of the year. This school has many teaching experiences and I have been lucky enough to go on many of them this year. Unfortunately they schedule some of the field trips on the same day as one of the other girls' field trips.

This one was great. We took the kids to the taro patch. This is a plant which Hawaiian feel is the base of their culture, even more than SPAM!
Our group started by weaving a braclet and Thorin's looked amazing. Then we moved over to the taro plants. The kids scraped off the peel with a sea shell then picked all the dark spots out. Then they pounded it into poi. Poi is a paste like substance that is good to mix in things for moisture. It is NOT great alone. Most Hawaiians add sugar or salt but they don't tell the tourists until after they eat it...it is like an initiation.

At the end of the day we all went to the shaved ice store and finished the day!

Here are some videos of the day:
Making POI 0ut of taro plants. Pounding poi until it is smooth so the teacher can make a poi cake for the class.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJpkol0cQqU
Getting dirty! This is the class helping to harvest the taro. It takes about a year to harvest each area. It is definately a dirty adventure.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UPwc5Hv4ja8

Rinse cycle. This is a 99% pure stream and is safe to drink once the muck settles. It comes straight from the mountains. This on is of kids watching their shoes float.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5E4RBeuJEM

This is the bus ride song on the way back to school
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tWivnqjFf1M
Bus ride continued http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5VAcUVVDO1g

1st communion

2010-05-06T20:50:00.016-10:00

Sorenna had a beautiful ceremony and I was one of the few who got a glimpse of her big moment. For some reason the chapel assistant decided to stand right in the middle of the kids and there was no way to see what was going on which was very sad.

The kids had practiced for weeks, even had a practice at the chapel with the priest to be sure they weren't nervous. Then this person stands right in front of us.
I am glad she moved just enough to catch this short video. I think GOD understood that we needed to share this with all of you.

Coming into the chapel http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qr6Tcd0i5c

Big moment http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rpz1B91p8KE

Final walk out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fy7Z7jCQVAU

Palace & state buildings

2010-03-12T23:40:00.011-10:00

Thorin's class went on a very cool field trip last month. We toured the only Palace in the USA and the House and Senate of Hawaii. The kids were allowed to take a photo behind the governor's desk where press conferences take place. The entire building is built with symbolism. The state is very strong on symbols and traditions. The pillars represent the Hawaiian islands, they stand in water to represent the ocean, the doors and desk have 8 panels to represent to areas as well. At the Palace we had a tour guide who told us about how advanced the palace was back when it was built. It had electricity before the White House! You should have seen it!
http://www.iolanipalace.org/index.php/history/restoration-of-the-palace.html
This website shows how beautiful the koa wood staircase looks. The original staircase is so expensive they no longer allow visitors to use it.

Can you imagine dancing at a Royal Ball in this beautiful room?? I could!

Marine Corps Base-KBay Adventure

2010-03-12T23:33:00.001-10:00

Today was a total adventure. We drove over to the other side of the island to get our last T-shirt replacements for the SWAMP ROMP and had a great time exploring the base. We had lunch in the courtyard, shopped a bit and took some tourist-style photos before heading out. If you are on Facebook you have seen my story, but if not....here it is.
We were driving back on Highway 3 (there are only 3 highways). This one is very high off the ground, has a tunnel and is only 2 lanes. So we are driving and we see a police car. Then we go a little more and more police cars. This is not normal. I made a comment about quotas and drove on.....then there were MORE so we started thinking something was going on around the area. I was hoping it wasn't a bomb threat. So, we were cruising along at 60 and a truck blew past us so fast that I looked like I was going backwards.....so I thought, those cops are sure to get that guy if they were here...but there were none....then more that 20 police cars, unmarked trucks and a couple helicopters swarmed us. We nearly got hit by an unmarked suburban. It was a little freaky. We were worried of running into something bad so we phoned a friend to see if there was a news story....nothing. We saw so many police cars that I think the entire state of Hawaii was around our car. I posted it to Facebook and many people were joking that it was an island and where were they going to go??
You would think that huh??
But this was an island-wide high speed chase and it ended shortly after they passed us.....they got AWAY!!!
It was a stolen truck and they hopped in another one! So, as I was looking for this bit of news to post on Facebook I noticed that it was a common thing here. There have been so many in the past few years that I was tried of reading. The very next day there was another high-speed chase and the mustang ran into the wall and the guy died.....glad I wasn't there that day!
SO, never a dull moment on this little island!

Student of the Month-Cannon

2010-03-12T23:29:00.003-10:00

Cannon was her class' student of the month. She is doing so well in school that I am excited that we came to Hawaii instead of another state where she would still have been in Preschool. She was mostly bored last year and irritated because she was ahead of what the other kids were doing. Even her teacher said that she was ready for school earlier than most kids. Well, her kindergarten teacher emailed me this weekend and said that after Spring Break she will be working on 2nd grade material because she tested out of the 1st grade work!!!

She is following in her sisters' footsteps and LOVES school as much as everyone else in our home.....I could not be any prouder.

crazy hair day

2010-03-12T23:27:00.001-10:00

This was Sorenna's crazy hair for spirit week.

Girl Scout Thinking Day

2010-03-12T23:25:00.001-10:00

I don't remember doing this as a Girl Scout, but it was a very fun project. The girls were assigned a country to research. Our girls had France, Phillipines and Ireland. It was very interesting to see what they came up with when they were looking into the girl scouts of each country. It was neat to see that they are very similar in other lands. They did little trinkets to give to girls and made a food from the country to try as well.
It was a fun experience and I look forward to what we will get next year.

Circus adventure at The Bishop Museum

2010-03-12T23:04:00.008-10:00

We finally got to attend the Membership preview day for one of the exhibits and it was a blast!

It is called Circus and explains all the small unknown details about Circus life and the bigtop. The girls were in a raffle for a chance to walk the tightrope and do a giant acrobat swing, but they didn't get picked. We did get a chance to squeeze into a small box, dress up like circus characters, and wear CLOWN noses and those adventure were just as fun. There was a trivia video that allowed you to take a quiz and it informed you of the correct answer. The girls learned tons of cool facts from that part.

My favorite part was the face painting. I told the girls they could get CLOWN faces...not a heart of flower for the night.

Robert was joking that Cannon had actually turned into a clown with the makeup. She was a NUT! The other girls joked that she needed to be a clown when she grew up because she was really good at it. Go figure...the quiet one is the clown!

Misc January & February events

2010-03-12T22:57:00.004-10:00

I know it has been a really long time since I got caught up on my BLOG....grad school, 3 kids and tons of volunteering has me busier than usual.

These are a few of the highlights from January & February.

Thorin became an Alter Server!!

We went to a concert (Lt. Dan Band) with Gary Sinise (CSI), we ran a few races and so much more.

My dad & Robert's golfing adventure

2010-02-07T20:49:00.008-10:00

Robert & dad went to the military golf course over on the Kbay side. This is the course Obama plays on when he is visiting (which is too much if you ask me!)....it is a very nice course.
Robert hasn't picked up a club since Texas (I think?) so I am sure it was an interesing day.
They had fun and I got to eat at a Greek restaurant with my girlfriends......it was a perfect day!

Can't believe it is February 2010

2010-02-06T16:23:00.016-10:00

The last post on this blog was during our very deserved family camping trip. We needed to enjoy our family and some DOWN time before jumping into the next decade. After the trip we had a few days until Santa arrived and enjoyed even more family time during our Christmas break from school and work.

Here are all the fun things we finished the year out with and all the craziness that went with it.
Once 2010 kicked off it was time for volunteering, fieldtrips, FRGs events, girl scouts, hikes, Outrigger canoeing in Pearl Harbor, Spouses' club events, Seeing High School Musical (live)and much more.....

MY DAD'S VISIT:

He had a blast. The girls were FULL of energy to put in nicely. It has been a long transition time since Robert came home. We are usually adapted by now, but since Robert left before we were really in a routine, it has been hard to get into one now.

I think February will be that month!

My dad went golfing at some of the island exclusive areas. He went on 2 field trips with the girls, to a Luau, the movies, we got to play games, go to lunch at some fun place, ate pineapple ice cream at the dole plantation and went HIKING!

HE saw some decent waves and a TURTLE!

It was fun!

I am running full speed as of this week. I met with my professor and think I have my topic to nail down and look toward getting out of school AGAIN!

I think with the classes I am taking during this final year I will be able to get a job doing what I love!

I think this year is blowing by and I only have 10.5 months until graduation.....will it happen??? I sure hope so!

I am very fortunate that my girls are doing GREAT in school when so many are not. This makes my school much easier to manage. Plus, I get to do some very fun adventures through the school such as the day-long round-island tour with Thorin. It was amazing even with the rain in a few spots.

My dad was able to go with us because some of the other parents could not and he had already gone to the zoo with Cannon's kinder group.

I was so excited to let him go too.

We left at 8am and returned around 4pm. It was a long day of Hawaiian history.

CAMP (YMCA) ERDMAN-North Shore Hawaii

2009-12-30T18:33:00.016-10:00

Mele Kalikimaka!
We are so lucky to be living in Hawaii and can take advantage of all the great adventures here.
Our family got to attend an awesome YMCA camp located on North Shore. We had a Makai (ocean) cabin with a beautiful view.
We stayed 4 days and enjoyed every moment we were there. While some families rested and went to the POOL (I know, who does that at an OCEAN camp?), we went and did every scheduled adventure available to us and our family.

Our girls relaxed with some target practice. Thorin seemed to be a natural at that too....she is very athletic!

We went on a beautiful 2 hour hike and watched the waves below.

Sorenna made it to the TOP of the alpine tower (50 feet in the air!) and was so excited to tell us about the amazing view. The girls climbed trees waiting for a turn to climb. Cannon made it half way and we were just happy she tried!....it is a little scary up there when you look down.

Of course we did some hula photos

The big girls helped daddy build a gingerbread house (Cannon had to sit out because the icing had raw eggs, the decorations were peanuts and chocolate and it was just a mess) She ate candy canes and cheered! The bonfire was so fun and everyone sang and laughed....then we ate SMORES (Cannon had a SMA.....no chocolate!)

Then we did the GIANT SWING...it is a 35 foot drop and SUPER fun!...Cannon did it and had a blast. Everyone, even Robert did the swing! Robert and I actually got to do an obstacle course and this time I didn't get a HUGE bruise! We have no proof (YET), but we were working on getting some of the awesomwe photos from that adventure from the other campers.

After all the fun was over we were really sad to say goodbye to our favorite camp staff volunteer Paulo. He is from Brazil and he is a wonderful guy. All the kids love him and he has such a love for adventure and kids. They all cried (even Paulo) when we wished him the best on his return home. All the campers were sad to leave.

We had the best time. A chef made all the desserts, the kitchen staff made amazing food! We had set-up and clean-up of the tables, but everything else was done for us! We got to focus on family and fun. We did the obstacle course, the tower climb, 2 hikes, kite flying, gingerbread houses, game night, watched a movie (ELF) on a HUGE outdoor screen with the sounds of waves behind us, had a campfire with SMORES, did crafts (ornaments, family board, tiles and a coconut) and hung out with young volunteers from all over the world. Italy, Brazil, Canada, Japan, Mexico, ....and more.

The photos can never tell the story of what an awesome experience we had and the memories we talk about every night. It was a great Christmas.

DANCE PHOTOS....This was a great show!

2009-12-07T00:23:00.005-10:00

Cannon has grown up so much since we left California. When we left she was barely big enough to ride the kiddie rides at Disney and now she is almost 42 inches. She has grown 5.5 inches in the time that Robert was in Iraq. The other day I was looking at her and the baby is grown. Her maturity has always been there, but now she looks big too. This photo shows how much grace she has in her dance class. They performed so well. Everyone came up to me after the show and raved about how they were really performers! They LOVE to dance!

MY baby turned 5 years old!

2009-12-06T23:45:00.003-10:00

Miss Cannon had her big COOKIE party with ALL GIRLS...it was a hit!

Her closest friends were in attendance and all sugared up by the end of the party. We rolled out cookie dough which is really hard during rainy season in Hawaii! The dough only lasts long enough for one set of cookies. There is just too much moisture in the air. The baked cookies were decorated with sprinkles, and the different designs were funky. They had a messy, gooey blast and Cannon was the happiest kid all day.

All the cookie professionals ready to go.

Father/Daughter Ball

2009-12-06T23:32:00.002-10:00

Ok, just look at all the fun these crazy girls had!
Robert had to dance all night trying to keep up with 3 girls!
They were so excited about the event and I can't wait to get the professional photos back soon. These were taken by the girls since moms were not allowed anywhere near the building!

Redeployment ceremony

2009-12-06T23:05:00.005-10:00

This was a huge event. The entire field was full of returning soldiers, flags, a band and the commanders.
Oh, and LeeAnn Womack! She came to perform a huge concert for the returning soldiers and their families, but first she sang the National Anthiem during the redeployment ceremony on Sills field.
As she started singing, everyone was very quiet listening to her perform. Then the sound system failed and the crowd could no longer hear her, just those of us close enough to hear her voice knew she was still singing.
The soldiers remained still, the families quiet, then faintly people started to sing. Before the middle of the song the entire field of war heroes was singing in what sounded absolutely beautiful.
It really brought new meaning to the song, took it to another level and left many people crying in the stands because of the flood of emotions on that field.
The soldiers on the field had returned safely, but there were so many others who did not. Some of those families were in the crowd. Soldiers recovering from injuries were there to receive medals for their duty. One lost both arms and both legs. It was too much for some to take all at once. The General was clearly emotional when he gave his speech minutes later.
He commented that he wants to hear it sung like that every time from now on because it was so touching.
This field was full of bravery, courage and honor. These are the men and women who protect our freedoms and help us sleep soundly at night. If you are given a chance, thank a soldier for what he does.

FOR ALL THOSE WHO DIDN'T RETURN....

Time to catch up with the world... and the blog.

2009-12-06T19:45:00.018-10:00

I have posted some random events because they were moments that were racing through my mind, such as the kayaking "adventure", but so much of the daily grind is amazingly wonderful and fun too. I finally have a small moment in my schedule to play catch up so this is the stuff that happened in between Robert's return and the end of November.....

We had a great time at the girls' first Songfest. They toasted marshmallows, sang songs and had a great time. The songfest was in prep for the Veteran's Day parade they were walking in last month. They won first place (their service unit) for best of show. The campfire photo made the paper. That makes 3 photos this year.

Cannon had a great time in her Halloween parade with her friend Alexia (the mad kitty).
Sorenna got to tour an old Sugar plantation. During the event they were allowed to dress in period costumes and I got my little puerto rican girl looking stylish.
The big adventure was when the girls went ice skating. We had never been and I still have never been on ice skates, but the girls had a blast and learned how to stay up in short time. We were attending a friend's birthday party.

Glad to be ALIVE!

2009-11-24T19:00:00.005-10:00

HERE is the story of THE DAY......because there seems to be one coming on as soon as the last one is written.
Today I went on a couple's kayaking adventure. There were 36 people and the truck with the extra kayaks broke, so we had to go out in 2 shifts. I took the first shift so I could be sure to be back in time to get my girls from school.
The first group of 20 were loaded up and ready to roll. Robert and I got a good start and headed to the testing point. This is where the guys make you jump out of a perfectly good kayak to prove you can get back in if you flip or drop out. The water was very cold and I was in and out FAST! So, we get going toward the island (Chinamans hat) for some fun. The plan was to circle around the back where there is this small "natural" boat dock. It is a notch in the island with a small cove. You circle around wide and line up to shuttle into the hole. When it goes well, you rush up on shore (a very small one in the middle of rough lava rock), you jump out and pull the kayak up out of the water and let the next one do the same. SO, we were in the lead just behind the guides and next to us was our friends (K & husband). They were holding still while we lined up and they were going to wait for us to get into the cove area before paddling in next. NOOOOOOO....that was not what happened. The waves kicked up just at that point and thrushed us BOTH into the cove. They lined up in the narrow docking area and us rushing into a cubby hole closer on the left. There was no way we could control the kayak or slow it down. We crashed into the enclosed hole with driving force. I thought, as I braced myself for the crash, that I was going to be thrown into the lava rocks. When we hit, we were ok. I thought, wow that was close.
BUT, then a second wave came and thrushed the kayak UP into the cove and we were crushed flat in the kayak against the rocks with no air path and trapped. I started to drown from the water entrapment. There was no way out of the boat and the water was rushing up into my face. I was less than an inch from hitting the cliff side and the wave was not letting up. Once the wave finally pulled back I coughed up the water and when the next wave came I was thrown against the wall and trying to avoid being hit my the kayak. The force of the waves with the kayak was very powerful! I have no idea how I got around to the other side of the cove, but once I got there...I was pulled under by the next wave. I was still trying to clear my airways from the salt water in the cove. I kept being pulled around and under while (unknown at the time) another Kayak did a near miss to the back of my head as it crashed on shore. Once I got up out of the water, that same kayak was threatening to throw me into the rocks and possibly crush my legs. I treaded and pulled rocks and sand to get up that ramp in the sand. I finally looked over at the cove and Robert was clearing the kayak from the hole with the others and getting out of the water. I told Robert I was ok, but that I had lost my Oakleys in the second crash, but that they were surely GONE! After the other kayaks were pulled up, and the 7 other kayaks were told to go around to the calmer water and not to line up to the ramp, my husband went into the cove and actually FOUND my oakleys! I was very grateful and still confused how I didn't drown, didn't hit my head and get knocked out from the force of the kayaks, and didn't break my legs.....all in less than 2-4 minutes...IT WAS A RUSH! That angel was WORKING TODAY!

I thought I survived with only one scratch and felt NO pain until the next morning when the bruises and bumps started to show. I guess the fight or flight mode had the pain at a zero, now all the pain is starting to come through. I hope this is all the pain I will get...the bumps are really getting big. Wish me luck with the advil!

TRICK or Treat???

2009-11-01T09:59:00.007-10:00

Well, the girls got their wish. Daddy went trick or treating with them. Last year, he had already left for his tour and the girls were very upset that all the other daddies were around. That was the hardest month of the entire year. Being girls, they LOVE to dress up and the most fun part of that is to impress daddy with their awesomeness.

Much to my surprise (after I told him he had to roam the streets with us and not stay home to hand out candy) he decided to make a NEW costume. He sewed cardboard shingles onto a shirt to make ARMOUR....so he was a warrior. Go figure!

He even carried a MALLET around the neighborhood. It was very impressive. I of course had to tease him about looking like a MERMAN......and people thought it was funny!
Cannon was the HIT of Halloween. Days earlier, we were laughing about something and she thought if she said it then it would be funny too. It was hilarious!!!

So, at every house, that was her trick....to say that little phrase.

She put her pinky to her mouth and said...

"ONE MILLION DOLLARS!"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXn1nWSSDXw

People thought it was the funniest thing. The fact that it was Cannon doing it made it even funnier. This is the girl who wouldn't even look her teacher in the eyes for a month last year. She is definately coming out of her shell. She is a super kid and the cutest Tinkerbell in polka dotted sneakers!

Hawaiian FURLOUGH FRIDAYS

2009-10-27T15:01:00.002-10:00

The big talk here in Hawaii is about Furlough Fridays. The government is over budget and they need to make up for all the money they have wasted, so instead of cutting benefits in the prisons (such as cable TV or extra perks) or taking welfare away from people who are not legal citizens, they have decided to take it out of the already LACKING education system.

I am not saying that my girls are getting a substandard education, but the system as a whole is very low on the national level.
Part of that has to do with the mentality of the families living here. Many of the people coming to Hawaii hear how bad the schools are and instead of fighting to be sure their kid has a good outcome, they use that information to make excuses for their kid's grades.

SAY WHAT??

Yes, it is true. There are only 5 kids each week who turn in their homework. This is ridiculous! My daughters get rewards for doing what is expected of them!
I have explained to my girls that even though the teacher feels the need to reward them, it is an expected obligation to be responsible and work toward their best education.
They all agree, but of course they are happy to get the treat!

Another thing I have observed in watching students and parents is that they are really not involved. We have a folder that comes home every week with important information. It is called the Wednesday folder because it comes home every Wednesday...imagine that!

I look forward to seeing it and getting all the updates on school events, field trips and other important documents. Last week a note went out detailing how our school is going to make up some of the time from the 17 Furlough Fridays we will be missing. There are some great ideas in there. They were voted on and some are now policy for the rest of the year. It will be interesting to see how many people didn't read the flyer.
School was getting out at 12:30pm on Wednesdays and starting next week, they get out at 1pm.
There will be so many people up there early and all of them will be complaining about how they needed a reminder. This is an entertaining concept to me. How, if they are unwilling to read what comes home in the folder, are they supposed to remind them of the change?

All I am saying is, Furlough Fridays (all 17 of them ) are what you make of them. We are going to go hiking, run on the track, go to the beach, head to the museums and just have a great time being a family! How can anyone whine about that?

I am not saying that I am happy about my girls getting fewers days in school, or that they won't have to work harder on the days they are there. I am just saying that the state voted, it passed and they are off from school for an extra 17 days....make it a great thing!

I get to have the best of both worlds!

Just a note:
Thorin recently won an art contest at the University of Hawaii's science program. She was chosen from all the 3-6th grade entries from all the school in Hawaii. It was on the news!

She also won the recent "make your own country flag" art contest in her school.

She is a very detailed artist, a super math student (she actually maxed out the national test last year!)....even though her school failed for overall scores!
Her classmates call her their weapon when they play math wars in class.

Thorin is very blessed to have one of the most challenging teachers in her grade. Sorenna's teacher is really pushing her to do great things and Cannon's teacher is moving her into the computer group (usually reserved for the older kids)....she is still only 4 years old!

Life in Hawaii is great...even with the dreaded Furlough Fridays!
Aloha!

REDEPLOYMENT!!!!

2009-10-16T06:43:00.009-10:00

The day finally came! I finally got word that our units were coming home....we welcomed many friends home and waited for our call. It came and I decided to surprise the girls. This was very easy because we had been at the hanger welcoming home so many soldiers, they didn't think anything of it. They had spent the last week making paper leis to hand out and everyone worked so hard to make sure every soldier was welcomed home. They were at every welcoming flight and ran to each soldier to put leis on their necks. It was nice to see them all smile!

We had a few guys already home who showed up to support their team....you can see the 4th MiTT name behind the girls in the photo! There is a photo of the 120 leis they made during break and several of our close BATTLE BUDDIES and families!
The girls are really excited to see him and I am VERY glad he is home safe!