One Very Special Adventure

A few days after I returned from seeing Jay in Hawaii, Maddie got go off on her own special trip to see him. The ship has a Tiger Cruise when they return from deployment, and family members have the opportunity to go aboard and experience life on the ship for a few days. Eight is the minimum age to participate in the Tiger Cruise, so it worked out perfectly for Maddie to go. She was so excited about this special trip she was getting to go on. She told all her friends and everybody at school about it. She was very proud and it was really neat to see firsthand the joy this experience gave her.  She flew down to San Diego with Jay's mom and the two of them got to ride the ship back to Everett. Maddie said one of her favorite things was being met on the pier by her Daddy and running to be swept up in his arms.

Checking out Dad's quarters

Relaxing in her room on the ship

Pulling out of San Diego

The tug helping the ship out to sea

Sporting her new ship sweatshirt

Hanging out with Dad "Top Gun" style

On the flight deck to watch the jet fly-byes



Definitely the experience of a lifetime!

A Glorious (and much needed) Trip

The six months that Jay was deployed this year were a definite challenge. I know so many people go through longer deployments, but for us this was a long time. We missed him immensely. Day to day life is so changed when one of the central characters is temporarily removed. I feel so proud of myself in how I rose to the challenge and shouldered through it all. And so proud of the girls for the way they adapted and came through it all like real troopers. 

When the ship's return started getting closer, the anticipation was nearly unbearable. They were stopping in Hawaii for a few days about three weeks before they returned home, and the opportunity to see him sooner was too good to pass up. Plus, this would be the first time I had the chance to visit that glorious 50th state. So my very kind and brave father came to spoil stay with the girls while I flew off to paradise for a few days. It was indeed glorious! I got to spend some time alone with the love of my life, and escape the dreary, cold, wet, never-ending-grayness that constitutes winter in the Pacific Northwest. It was WONDERFUL!!!

I arrived the night before the ship was set to pull in and was, of course, so excited and anxious I could hardly sleep. Then the next morning I was up and ready to go before dawn. I didn't want to miss a single minute of watching them dock at Pearl Harbor. I asked for a cab at the front desk and they sent up a white limo. Oh, no, I told them. I don't want a limo, just a regular cab, but they assured me the limo was the same price. Sooo. . .I rode to Pearl Harbor in a limo and even got a salute from one of the gate guards. I guess a limo is good for making you appear more important than you actually are. I was there much earlier than I needed to be, but I got to meet some really neat people while waiting on the pier. It was mostly parents and other relatives who were going to ride the ship for the Tiger Cruise to San Diego in a few days. Somehow, in all the excitement and flurry of activity, I missed Jay disembarking and he went right past me. But soon enough we were running to each other for a welcome back hug!

The day after Jay's ship got there was the day of the Japan earthquake and tsunami. I don't remember exactly how long after it happened that we heard about it. But it was awhile, because who watches tv news or listens to the local radio when you're busy being on vacation? We were having a drink in the hotel bar when we saw the news footage on tv. Even then, I didn't think much about it. But then the talk of tsunami warnings began and it started to sink in a little bit. When you're on a little island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, things like that tend to matter. Thankfully, the frequent announcements over the hotel's intercom, and some concerned calls from friends and family were the only thing out of the ordinary that night. And the next morning at breakfast we got to see all the boats from the local harbor that had been put out to sea as a precaution. The rest of our trip unfolded much less eventfully.

Kicking back on the hotel balcony


Beautiful afternoon rainbow

Apparently I couldn't get over how clear and blue the skies were

Jay and Diamond Head

At the Paradise Cove Luau

Making a flower headband

Wearing my creation

A perfect Hawaiian sunset

One of the highlights of our trip was the dinner we had at La Mer at the the Halekulani. To celebrate our 10th Anniversary we enjoyed the tasting menu with wine pairings. The food was exquisite, the atmosphere beautiful and of course, the company sublime. We dined by candlelight at an ocean view table with the shutters thrown open and the light evening breeze wafting in from the ocean. We were surrounded by the beautiful Hawaiian twilight while we ate. The entire evening was pure bliss. I love how the buildings there can be completely opened up to the outside like that. Such things would never work in any of the states I've lived in. Wyoming? Way too many bugs, and the wind! Yikes! New York? Fourteen inches of snow, anyone? Washington? One little problem, that four-letter word: rain. (all the time) Apparently none of these things are much of a problem in Hawaii, I guess that's way they call it paradise.

Menu Degustation - Did I mention this evening was pure bliss?

Ahhh. . .Hawai'i. What can I say? I don't think words can really describe just what a paradise it is. Everything I'd ever heard about how beautiful it is there is completely true. While we were there we had a wonderful time relaxing, relaxing strolling on the beach, relaxing exploring Waikiki, relaxing eating some great food, relaxing seeing some friends and family. Did I mention relaxing? Actually, I think it is impossible to do anything in Hawaii that isn't relaxing. We enjoyed every minute of it.

Wicked

Why pay to go see the musical when I can attend a live performance right here at home?

Now all we need is a pair of ruby slippers.

The Mysterious Case of the Vanishing Office Supplies

Something strange is going on at our house. I refer to it as "The Mysterious Case of the Vanishing Office Supplies." Apparently, office supplies, particularly pens, pencils and tape are highly valuable commodities in this house. You might say they are worth their weight in gold. If you have one of these items, you better guard it carefully, because anything left unattended will disappear and you'll never see it again. The sad part is that this is not even an exaggeration.

The need to write anything down is always met with an inability to find any type of writing implement whatsoever. A broken crayon may be able to be scrounged up, but that is about it. So, unable to ever come into the possession of a pen when needed, Jay discovered an online deal that was just too good to pass up. Six pounds of pens for $15. Yes, six pounds! Everyone was allowed to select their two favorite pens from the box, and it was a happy day. There is a sad part to this story however, and it is that despite the fact we now possess six pounds of pen, I still felt compelled to hide the remaining pens in the top of my closet. Why, you ask? Because I'm scared of how fast they might disappear if I don't. (smile and wink)

Bright Eyes

Ever since this little one arrived all the comments have been about her eyes. Yes, they're big. Yes, they're bright. And we wouldn't have it any other way! Here's to you, my beautiful, big-eyed girl. From your mommy who couldn't possibly be any more proud of you. And so lucky that I get to call you my own.

The Oregon Coast...does it get any better than this?

For the long 4th of July weekend we went on our traditional trip to the Oregon Coast. For the third year in a row we have enjoyed the sand, surf and incredible beauty offered by this part of the country. This year we were blessed with even nicer weather than usual and not a minute of the extra sunshine was wasted. The girls played in the sand and the waves every day and Jay took advantage of his new bogieboard. That man has superhuman powers when it comes to enduring cold water. I could barely let the waves touch my feet before they were aching from the cold, and Jay was full body bogieboarding with only a pair of swim trunks on. We saw several surfers wearing full wet suits and they were only in the water half as long as Jay was. It's crazy, I tell you! We had a lot fun seeing Jay's mom and his brother and family and enjoying the holiday.

One of the best things that happened this weekend was taking a romantic sunset walk on the beach with the love of my life. It was astoundingly beautiful, both the scenery and the moments together. I'm still so grateful for those moments we carved out of the evening for that walk. Words will never be able to convey how truly grateful I am that this man is the Daddy of my little girls, and the one I get to spend the rest of my life loving.

Dora the Explorer

Portrait of Dora and Boots

by

Kate

Around here we're still loving Dora as much as we ever were. Kate's affection for Dora the Explorer began a little after her first birthday. At that time Maddie liked Dora too, and it was a mutual interest the two of them shared. Since then, Maddie has moved on to other things, but Kate is still my Dora girl. It's an infatuation that's been going strong for four years. I expect it to continue, especially if Ellie is eventually swayed by her sister's opinion.

I love you, my gorgeous Buggie Bug!