The Big Island

Next stop was the town of Hilo on the Big Island of Hawai'i. I went on a tour called the Land of Frozen Fire. It was pretty neat. The best thing about it was that there were only 6 of us on the tour (not counting the guide). Our first stop was Lava Tree State Park. It was a place where a bunch of trees were hit by a lava flow. It is a little complicated and I am not sure if I really understand what happened here but it was really pretty there.



We stopped at this hot spring where there is swimming. It was really neat and reminded me in a way of Glenwood Springs. It's not as fancy with the big swimming pool and everything. But there water is heated because it flows right next to the molten lava, the water is about 90 degrees. It think it is really neat how the pool and the ocean just flow together.



Our next stop was MacKenzie State Recreation Area. It was really pretty. I could spend hours there. It is right on the coast and you are at the top of these beautiful lava cliffs, with the waves crashing below. There are no rails so you are able to see it pretty close (at least as close as you feel comfortable). I was maybe a foot and a half from the edge.. it was amazing.

Back to Hawai'i

*** Before I get back to my trip, I thought I would give a quick update on my cousin. She is doing well, I went over yesterday after work and helped her finish up packing. We will start actually moving her out tomorrow afternoon. Don't know how much longer she plans on staying in the apartment, although she has to be out by Thursday. Continue to pray for her, as she has a long rough road ahead of her.***



Alright, where was I? Oh, yes... Kaua'i day 2... My favorite day on that island. I went tubing...The company that did the excursion was Kaua'i Backcountry Adventure. It was so much fun. You tube down these old irrigation ditches that were hand dug in the late 1800's. The 5 tunnels you go through are also dug by hand (no explosives). The ditches bring the water down from Mt. Wai'ale'ale, to the sugar cane fields. It was fun, and I would love to do it again.





Here I am decked out in my stylish helmet complete with flashlight.



One of our guides could have easily been my cousin C's long lost brother. He looked like him and also had the as sense of humor as him. I have to share this with you... The Hawaiian word for appetizer is pupu, the word for beef is pipi, and the word for chicken is moa. So you can have a pipi pupu, and then moa pupu. I am seriously wondering if there is some relation there, it's scary... Here is a picture of him... (he's the one on sitting up on the beam).



After we got out of the water, we went to a little picnic area where we had a snack and there was a little swimming hole we could get in if we wanted to. It was pretty.



We sailed out of Kaua'i early that afternoon. We sailed past the Napali coast (the north shore of Kaua'i). It is absolutely gorgeous.




While we were sailing along the coast, they told us to keep an eye out for whales as they had spotted a couple out ahead of us. (I was there right at the end of the migration period for the humpback whales). Unfortunately, I did not spot any, but I hope to go over there again so I could see some.

Well, that is all for Kaua'i. I will continue with it soon (possibly tomorrow)... Next stop, Hilo on the Big Island of Hawai'i.

A Quick Detour ...

I need to make a short detour from reliving my vacation. Although I would much rather stay on the vacation subject. This last week has been a little tough and I need to ask for some prayer. First off, my cousin A... her boyfriend was arrested Monday night for domestic violence. A is doing ok and the baby is safe. J is still in jail, and the earliest he will probably be able to get out is May 29. And I am not sure he will get out then. Please pray for A, that she will stay strong and resist any urges she may have to go back to him (as many domestic violence victims do). Pray that she will see that she can raise that beautiful little girl of hers without him. That she will lean on the family for support.

Also, please pray for my grandfather. We just found out that he has bladder cancer, and according to what my parents told me, it is aggressive. Pray that the treatments the doctors have put together will work, that God will work a miracle. It seems as though I have a lot of people in my life lately who are dying or getting sick. We tragically lost our children's ministry director at our church to a massive heart attack, 2 coworkers are very ill with cancer (neither are doing well at all and I would not be surprised if they did not make it through the year), my grandfather on my mom's side (actually my mom's step-dad) has cancer and I am not sure how he has been doing, but the last I heard, it was not good. I am almost afraid to ask. And now my dad's dad... this is the hardest one of all. I have been very lucky that I still have all my grandparents. And now I have 2, who are very ill.

So pray for these things. Hopefully I can continue my revisit to my vacation either this weekend or early next week. I will probably be helping my cousin pack up and move out of her apartment for at least part of the weekend.

Kaua'i Day 1 April 30th

Sorry it took me a few days to get to continue on my trip. I have been exhausted all week, never thought jetlag would knock me out this bad, especially when it is only a 4 hour difference.

Our first stop was on the island of Kaua'i, the Garden Isle. It is the oldest of the Hawaiian islands and has no live volcano on it. The wettest spot in the world is here on the island, on Mt. Wai'ale'ale, this stop receives between 450 and 500 inches of rain a year.




We were lucky enough to spend about 2 days on the island.
The first day, I took a trip to Waimea Canyon. It is called the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. It does resemble the Grand Canyon but it's not as big. It was really pretty though.




On our way back from the canyon, we stopped at the shore where there were some blowholes, where the sea is pushed up through lava tubes. It really is pretty.




We spotted a sea turtle popping his head up in the surf, but I didn't get any pictures of him. At the spot with blowholes, I was able to get a picture that shows you how many chickens run wild on the island. When Hurricaine Iniki came through the islands in 1992, it destroyed a chicken farm on Kaua'i releasing the chickens which have run wild since.




We made a couple other stops along the way, and then back to the ship. Ready for day 2 in Kaua'i.

Honolulu April 28th and 29th

Okay, so I didn't get into Honolulu until about 8:30 on Saturday night but I was traveling a good share of the day so I am going to count it. I got in, rented my car and made my way to the hotel. I stayed at the Aqua Palms and Spa. It is not on the beach but it is definately within walking distance. Parking was $15 a day so I would probably not suggest it if you will have a car and stay there for an extended period of time, but the room rate that I got (AAA rate) was really great, at lesst than $100, you can't ask for much more in Honolulu. I had a great nights sleep (thanks to a really comfy bed) and when I got up I stepped out onto the balcony and much to my surprise, I was able to see both Diamond Head and the beach.




I took my time getting ready and then headed out to Pearl Harbor. At the USS Arizona memorial, they had a small museum and gift shop. You then go in and see a short film about the history of Pearl Harbor and the attack on December 7th. Then you take the shuttle boat out to the memorial. It is really pretty and calm out there, even with all the people.




I then headed off to the ship to set sail for the rest of the islands. They had a sailing away party with Hula dancers and music and also leis and a barbecue on the pool deck.




We said Aloha to Honolulu about 8:00 and headed off for Kaua'i. Stay tuned...

I Made it Home...

Well, after a very long night of traveling, I finally made it back to Denver about 11:30 am on Monday. It is now almost 1am on Tuesday, and I just now got my pictures loaded onto the computer. I would try to get a post started but I have to be up for work... not looking forward to it and I will have my pictures from my waterproof cameras when I get a chance to sit down to do a post tomorrow night. It might take me a couple days to get it all out but I will do my best. Until then... Aloha.

Aloha, Colorado! Aloha, Hawaii!!

Well, in about 13 hours, I will be taking off headed for Hawaii!!! I still can't believe I am actually going. It's just so surreal. I have always wanted to go, but I really don't think I thought it would actually happen... But here I am, finishing up some things tonight before I head to bed. I will get up and finish last minute things in the morning before leaving for the airport. I doubt I will have a chance to update while I am gone, but I will definately post when I get back with pictures. Until then... ALOHA!!

A

Well, I meant to write this post a week ago but time got away from me. My lunch with A was nice. I think it is definately a step in the right direction to heal our relationship. Oh, and can I just say, Libby Jo is the cutest little baby girl. I miss her... I am hoping to try to make our lunches at least a monthly thing... that is until A leaves for the military and wherever that may take her... I only wish that we were closer before she was making this big change. There are still some things pending with her and I am still going to ask everyone to pray for her to make the right choices in the next few months.

It's Getting Closer

Wow... I can't believe that in less than 2 weeks I will be in Hawaii!  It just seems so unreal to me.  I really need to start giving some thought to what I am going to take with me and such.  I want to pack as lightly as possible as I will have no one to help me lug my bags around the airport.  I need to call the airline to check on somethings for my flights, I need to figure out how much money I will have to spend while I am there.  I feel like there are another million things I need to do before I go but right now I can't think of them.  I should start making a list... In the meantime, I need to get some sleep.  Goodnight!

Something to try

Okay, here's what you do...

Go to Google.
Click on maps
Click on Get Directions
From New York, New York
To Paris, France
Read line 23....

I saw this and I had to see what it said.

Happy Happy Easter (a Little Late)

Hope everyone had a very happy Easter! Mine was very good. After church Sunday morning, we went to my grandparents for lunch. The whole family was there (eventually). Everyone except my cousins A and J were there for lunch. A made it a bit later in the afternoon, and she brought Libby Jo (see previous post for pictures of the cutie), and J had to work so he didn't show up until later in the evening, but it was really nice to be able to see him again. We don't get to see eachother very often, so it is always nice when we get the chance. Seeing A was really great. Our relationship has been very strained for the last few years. Libby Jo was born in January (until Sunday, I had only seen her once) and I hadn't seen A since Thanksgiving. She and I got a chance to have casual conversation, which is much more than we have had in a few years. I think we really made a jump when she suggested that we have lunch this week (I work only a couple blocks from where she lives). So we (A, Libby Jo and I) have a lunch date on Wednesday and I am really looking forward to it. Also, I am finally working on getting all 5 of us grandkids (and the new great grandbaby) together for a portrait. There is a bit of a scheduling challenge (it's either in the next 2 weeks or not until the end of August) but we will eventually get it together. I hope to get a nice print from this, have it framed and give it to our grandparents for Christmas. I am going to end this post now, with a couple prayer requests. First my cousin J is having surgery on his shoulder in a couple weeks, please pray that his shoulder can be fixed and that he will have fast healing. Also, A is facing some life changing decisions in the next 6 weeks or so. Pray that she will choose the right path and that those of us who love her can help and support her through these changes.

Libby Jo

Just got some pictures today of Libby... Wanted to share them.

Pray for little Brea

Recently I have found a website of a family that brought their daughter Brea home from China about 6 months ago. This darling little girl became very ill and has been in the hospital since February. The family lives in Louisiana but Brea has been in Arakansas Childrens Hospital in the Cardio Vascular ICU for quite sometime. They have truly relied on God to take care of this precious child through many ups and downs. Today, she received a new heart and so far has been doing well. I just want to reach out to anyone who may stumble across this blog and ask you to pray. For Brea, her family, her doctors and the family who lost a child so that Brea could received her new heart.

You have GOT to be kidding me!!!!

This is what it has been doing all day....

I was laying in bed this morning trying to wake up and hear the weatherman say that there is 6-7 inches of snow on the ground and I literally said... "Seven inches, are you kidding me!?"
Actually this isn't all that abnormal for March here. March is actually on average our snowiest month of the year and so far this March, we had only had 2 inches of snow on the ground (average is a little over 11 inches) which actually fell the night of Feb 28. So we technically had not had any snow this month. Here we are the end of the month... and I thought maybe we got lucky this year. Yeah right. It is supposed to be snowy/rainy through tomorrow. Not looking forward to having to brush my car off again in the morning. I do have to say... at least the roads weren't icy today. We'll see what they are like in the morning.

Do You Think They Do This At Home?

Alright, I am ready to pull my hair out of my head... You see, I work in an office that is dominated by men. I workin in the office with 2 other women and then there is my boss. He drinks a lot of coffee which in and of itself is normal. However, when he doesn't finish his cup, instead of walking down the hall to the bathroom sink or even the drinking fountain, he dumps it in his trashcan! Anyway, back to the story, we process a lot of paperwork through our office which is important and we have to keep it all on file or it could cause a lot of problems. I won't go into a lot of details, but yesterday one of our files was removed from the office and it should have been returned to us. This afternoon, we realized that it had never been returned. Off I went to track it down. I talked to the person who had taken it from the office and she told me that she didn't realize we needed it back because "they were just copies." Anyway, she had passed it on to someone else and she didn't know where they were. She got hold of him and he said he THREW THEM IN THE TRASH!!!! I just about exploded when I heard this. Fortunately, the janitorial service is pretty bad and they had not emptied the trash cans in the office. We pull out the trash can and sure enough... there's our paperwork... DRIPPING WITH COFFEE!!!! To top it all off, this is not the first time we have found paperwork in the trash covered with coffee. My question is where did they ever get the idea that this was okay and do they do this at home?!? My goodness...

Things to do...

I made my reservations for my shore excursions on my Hawaiian cruise. I am really excited about them too. In Kauai, the first day, I am going Tubing on the Hanamaulu Ditch system an then the second day, I will be going to Waimea Canyon (the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific"). In Hilo, I will be taking a tour of an area that was destroyed by a lava flow in 1990. The stop in Kona, I will be renting a car for the day and get to drive around and see some of the sights on my own and probably spend some time just sitting on the beach. Maui is the one I am really looking forward to. First, I will be snorkeling at Molokini Crater. Hopefully I will get to see some sea turtles. Then the second day in Maui, will be a really early morning. I will be up at 3:30am on my way to the top of Haleakala, a dormant volcano where I will get to watch the sunrise. Then the rest of the day will be on my own and I will probably be taking some time to nap that day. So, just a little over a month to go and I will be off to paradise. I have already started to give some thought to what I want to do next year. I would really like to make it to Europe (Paris/London) but I am seriously considering taking a couple of small trips and driving around some areas of the country where I have never gotten to see. I have lots of time to consider those plans.

Friday's Feast

Haven't feasted for awhile so I thought I would partake this week. Will try
to get a regular post up soon.

Appetizer
What is your usual bedtime? Do you like that, or would you rather it be
different?

I try to be in bed by 10:30, but rarely am I asleep before 11:30, although
lately it has been 1am or later. Not a good thing. I really should be
asleep by 10:30.

Soup
When it comes to advice, do you give more or receive more?

I give more.

Salad
Describe a memorable meal you've had.

That would have to be the dinner I had the night of my Junior prom. Most
people would cringe at this, but I had a candlelit dinner with my boyfriend,
which was prepared by my grandmother (my whole family, and his mother, were
in the house at the time too). It was really special.

Main Course
Name a work of fiction that affected the way you think about something.

I don't do a lot of thinking and analyzing when I read. Nothing really
stands out in my mind.

Dessert
What is your favorite type of fruit juice?

I regularly drink apple juice, but I really like pear juice and Mango.

ALOHA!!!!

So what I thought would not be happening... is actually happening!!! I am so excited. I got a steal on a Hawaiian islands cruise in addition to the steal on airfare to Honolulu!!! I leave for Honolulu on April 28th and after 7 nights cruising around the Hawaiian islands, I will be back home on May 7th! I can't believe it! My travel agent was even in awe at the prices I found.

Big Fat NO for Hawaii

So it's not going to be Hawaii... too expensive but I did find the place I will hopefully stay at when I can afford it. I did get my airline reservations for July. I am still in need for something for the spring... I will figure something out eventually, hopefully soon though. Before I know it, spring will be there.

I am a Traveloholic...

I think I have a SERIOUS problem!!! I am looking for trips again. I know I will be in FL for the 4th of July, however, I do not have my tickets purchased. I need to make a decision. Airfare is going up and I need to do it quick, but I am wanting to wait in hopes that fares will drop. Not likely with my travel dates though. So I should book them tonight. We'll see. I am wanting to plan something for the spring (around the end of April) and am leaning toward Hawaii. But if I go to Hawaii, I want a nice hotel on the beach, not on Waikiki (too many people for me thank you). I would really like to stay at the Turtle Bay Resort on the north shore. But they are really expensive (about $250/night) and I still would need plane tickets into Honolulu (expensive, yet again) and am thinking if I am on the north shore, I really should get a rental car also... So this trip I am fantasizing about could cost me $2000 before I even get there!!!! It probably will not happen. I have also been considering another cruise... I have looked at some Caribbean sailings and am right now looking at Alaska (that would be early May). My fall trip, I have no idea right now, I just know I need to go somewhere. I get restless if I don't go somewhere every couple months. I think I have it down for my future plans... I will take trips in Jan/Feb, Apr/May, Jul/Aug, Oct/Nov... I have the vacation time to do it but I don't know how long I will have the $$$ to do it. I am just hoping that when I have children, they will keep me occupied enough that I will need feel the need to go somewhere all the time. I do want to travel with them though, I just know I won't be able to 4 times a year... unless I win the lottery and I am set for life with lots of extra spending money. Time will tell...

I was trying to check a price on a cruise to Alaska (Vancouver to Seattle) but the RCCL site is not working right... I will probably check tomorrow.