Buddies

These two dudes had a great time together.


Dad always jumped into the way back seat in the 'burb to sit next to John.


I'd hear Grampie in the back saying, "Have you ever had a horse bite?"


Never heard that one before... Ha ha ha!

Tiki Hut Tours (take 5)

Look who came to the Aloha State!



Grammy and Grampy McB!



We had such a great time while they were here. We dragged them to all our marching band competitions and volleyball games, to dinner at friends houses, and even to a beach or two.



Unfortunately, all the beach photos are on Grammy's camera. She'll have to email me a couple to use on the blog...



Here we are at our little Wahiawa Botanical Gardens. It is a cute little park right on the way home from church.



It is not a fancy garden, but it has some nice trails and impressive trees!



More photos to come....

To Do

It's been a busy week, and the Tiki Hut is looking a little neglected. I really want to lay down and take a little nap, but before I do I need to get some stuff done:

To Do:

Make a list!
Blog
Call Running Store and let them know I can pick up my shoes tomorrow
Tidy Up
Fold Laundry
Dust
sweep
Mop
Vacuum
Wash special wash items
Rotate my mattress
Bathroom wipe down
Figure out dinner
Call Bellows - make camping reservations for Fall Break
Move the piano
Set up my sewing machine


That should do it!

What did you do today?

It's Aloha Friday

We are coming up on 3 years in the Aloha state, and we love it here.

3 years is the magic number for military assignments and so it is nearly time for us to say Aloha Oi.

But it looks like we get to stay a little longer! Nathan needs to do some training before we head back to Rapid City, SD, so that leaves the rest of us here in Hawaii until at least April. And hopefully we'll be able to finish out the school year.

I've been a little frustrated about not knowing our actual move date, and I'm ready to be a bit closer to family, but who doesn't want to spend winter in Hawaii? Plus, it just gives me a little more time to learn how to surf...

* * * * * * * * *


on the subject of beaches... kind of...

Over at Quiet Life, Donna asked about nursing photos. If that grosses you out, don't scroll down.

About 8 years ago, we had some family pictures taken on the beach in Pensacola, FL. I love those photos. Our friend, Heidi Salgado, was our photographer. She did a great job. At one point I sat down in the sand to nurse Emily. Heidi took a picture, and it's the only picture of me nursing that I have. (or atleast the only one I'd show you)



Sydney and Nathan. NAS Pensacola. Sunset.

Non-Nursing photo. Last chance to not scroll down....


4 kids x about 2 years of nursing each = 8 years of lactation.

Several of my sisters are having babies this year, and though I don't miss the middle of the night feedings. Or the accidental wet spots. I do miss nursing. Is that wierd?




I love Emily's little arm up over her head. And her toes. And the fact that she's not actually a little baby. She is like 18 months old! In my imagination, I thought she was smaller in that picture. he he he.

Happy nursing!

Air Show

Because dancing the night away was not enough Air Force Birthday-Fun, we spent Saturday celebrating at an Air Show with the Air Force Thunderbirds!



I love Air Shows.



The Blue Angels are my first love, but the Thunderbirds put on a great show.



The show was great, but the little man who came and stood too close to me, put me in a bad mood.

He was standing so close that his shoe was touching mine and his elbow was resting on my forearm. He didn't seem to hear or understand me when I mentioned that he was standing too close. If I moved over, he just moved closer.

At one point I said, "Please move. You are standing too close to me. Your camera is bumping my son." He set his giant camera down and seemed to scoot even closer to me. Grrrr.

I later told the story to my friend, Diane, and she said it was a cultural thing. Tourists!

That's too close!


Off we go
Into the Wild Blue Yonder...


.

Happy Birthday Air Force!

Nathan took me to the Air Force Ball this weekend.

Doesn't he look dashing in his uniform?



I must say that finding a dress that fits, and is cute and works with the Mormon-modest guidelines, and doesn't look like it belongs on the mother-of-the-bride is really hard. I think I'm going to sew for the winter formal.

ps - those two pictures were taken before I realized Nathan's bow tie was skiwampas and that he had forgotten his silver buttons...sorry Nathan... my eyes are closed in all the other photos...



The highlight of the night was seeing a WASP - Womens Airforce Service Pilot. "During World War II, a select group of young women pilots became pioneers, heroes, and role models...They were the Women Airforce Service Pilots, WASP, the first women in history trained to fly American military aircraft."

I was hoping that her name was listed on the program, but it's not. She was adorable! She attended the ball with her husband, a retired Air Force general. He was her trainer in flight school, over 60 years ago! Cute!

Happy Birthday, Air Force!

The Choice is Yours

I had a very grouchy day on Thursday. The little kids and I had to wait around after school for about an hour to help Hannah with a crazy recycling project. (What's with all the end-of-school silly projects?) It was raining. It was hot. The kids were hungry and tired and bored. And they picked and picked at each other. And it made me crazy!

When we got home I sent Emily and John to their room and I went to my bed, and I kind of forgot about them. After about a half hour John came downstairs, then ran back up the stairs.

I got up to see what he needed and found a little note by my bedroom door.

I cannot find the actual note, but the drawing at the top of this blog is another note he wrote that day. What did I do with that note? I know I put it somewhere very safe....

Here's what he wrote:

Mom, I know that your mad. Esept (except) make it a great day or not. The choice is yours. John

Waaaaa!

Every morning at school they have a little Character Education message. The 5th grade students take turns reading the message (be nice, don't be a bully, etc) and end each message with "Make it a great day. Or not. The Choice is yours."


Thank you John! I'm going to make it a great day!



Em and John, makin' it a great day. Box optional.

All Hail the Queen

May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii
Garlands of Flowers everywhere
All the colors in the rainbow
Maidens with blossoms in their hair.

Sydney and King Miles, wait to enter the May Day Celebration.

The King and Queen enter,

Parade around,

Bow to the people,

and sit to review all the performers.


The Royal Court performs Kawika

John is a little Myna Bird



Sassy Little Myna Bird!

Shoo!

Emily performs Pearly Shells



Shining in the Sun


My heart tells me that I love you, more than all the little pearly shells!


Each grade level performs a dance. Even the teachers dance! The ladies perform Milolii,


and the gentelmen perform Kuu Hoa.

Sydney performs the last hula of the day, Kawaipunahele.

Sydney - Noi Ka Oi

(Sydney's the Best!)

Sydney said she was so nervous her leg was twitching.

She is a lovely dancer!

All Hail the King and Queen of May Day!

Coming Soon -

Tomorrow is May Day Celebration at our elementary school. In Hawaii, May Day is a chance to celebrate Hawaiian culture and tradition. A Hawaiian King and Queen are crowned, Princesses and Princes from each island come to court, and each grade level presents a Hula.



I blogged about our first May Day in Hawaii two years ago - May Day 2007. We had been in Hawaii for just a few months. Sydney was in 3rd grade and Emily was in Kindergarten. John wasn't in school yet. The girls had just started hula classes. I remember being curious about the 5th graders in the May Day court and thinking how cute the Queen was in her white dress.

Fast forward to today, Sydney is in 5th grade now, Emily is in 2nd grade and John is in Kindergarten and they will all be performing in tomorrow's May Day Celebration! What makes it even more special is that Sydney is queen for May Day! Congratulations Sydney!

We found a lovely white dress (with a little train) and she has been practicing her hula. Tomorrow is her big day!

In case you want to study up on what May Day celebrations are all about, here are a couple of examples of other schools' May Day Programs:

Priory May Day Court

Ka Beauté o Nu`uanu


To Do for tomorrow -

buy leis

.


(This is not May Day. This is from earlier this spring. Sydney wants me to tell you that is NOT her shirt. Just before the performance Sydney realized she didn't have her white t-shirt. It was too late to run home for it. Luckily, I was wearing a white undershirt. Sydney didn't think it was lucky, but it was better than the striped pink shirt she had on...don't forget white dress tomorrow...)

More ROC

365 bells? on each dress

Aztec Dance



Samoan Sasa



Marcus



African Dance
Did I mention that Maybelline and Marcus are newlyweds?



Native American Hoop Dancing



I tried to google more about Hoop Dancing, but I didn't find much information, so I'm still wondering: How many hoops do they use? What are the different forms that they make? Is it a competition dance? How do you win? How old are you when you learn how to do that?



I am totally fascinated by this. How does that work?



Here's a close up of her hands and all those hoops.



Beautiful!



The hoop-girls were amazing. Did I already say that? They really were. It's not like they were just standing there on stage braiding hoops together. They were hopping and dancing around the hoops the whole time and then - shazam! - another hoop hops up and - voila! - she is an Eagle.

It makes our hula-hooping-on-the-wave-board trick look a little shabby. oh well. I can't do that either...

I wonder if they do hoop dancing in South Dakota?

I still have more pictures from the ROC performance, but it's mostly a Maybelline-Show from here on out (she is just so darn cute, and she danced in most everything), so I'll post them if she wants me to.