Football camp/Carly in town

Last weekend was super busy for us! Hunter attended a neat football morning camp that was run by a ton of NFL players- if Jason were here, he could tell you all about them, but since he isn't all I can say is that they were Hawaii natives, huge, and some had nicer hair than me! Hunter had a great time and got a little intro to football. He said he'd like to play for the first time this fall. Cool! Another sport to add to the list. Wonder what position he'll play.

We also spent some time with a good friend. Carly is in her senior year at Utah State, the manager for the girls' basketball team, and the daughter of a wonderful friend of mine, Glenna. We took her around the island to do a little site-seeing and have dinner. The next day she got us and a bunch of friends in to watch Utah State girls basketball team beat up on the Hawaii team. It was a great game and fun time! We love to have visitors!!

Ace of Cakes

What's a perk to being an Army family? Getting to see a super cool cake and see the Ace of Cakes baking team in person!!! Hunter and I waited in a long line on Thursday to see the awesome blackhawk helicopter cake made as a tribute for our familes and soldiers. The little building was crowded, hot and loud, but worth it! If you've never seen the show- check it out. This was taped and should be on their season finale. You might just catch a glimpse of us! We immediately became paparazzi as they were entering the building and even snuck a shot of Duff when he was talking on his phone out back. So COOL!!!

pupukea hiking

Today Hunter and I were trying to catch a look at the monster waves...not too many to see, but the weather was great for January. We did a little hiking around Pupukea and got some fantastic views of Waimea Bay. The surfers were out today and it was cool watching them catching some pretty decent waves. Everything looks pretty small from up here, but check out the size of the surfers compared to the waves!

After that we headed to the pipeline and were surprised to find a friend we haven't seen in a while. Tania is our Commander's girlfriend and had brought his dog, Husker, to the beach for a little quality time. Hunter had a lot of fun playing with him- too bad we left Mack at home today. I shot a little video of them running around- that's for you Chris!

Kaena Point

We headed up to Kaena Point today for a hike and some swimming. The weather was PERFECT! We saw a monk seal at the point- he was growing some algae on his body- get moving dude! We saw at least 10 humpback whales, some jumping clear out of the water. I'll need a faster speed on my camera to catch those shots. Hunter isn't unhappy in his pictures- he's been trying to give a "cool" look lately. We decided tonight after looking at the pictures, that it just isn't working for him. I can't wait to get his cute smile back. After an afternoon of whale watching, hiking, swimming, and 4-wheel driving, we stopped in historic Haleiwa for a shave ice; talk about hit the spot. Only thing missing was that wonderful man in our lives- he'll be home for R&R in about 80 days- YAHOO!!! We can't wait!

Banzai Pipeline

The waves have been up on the North Shore, so we sat for a little while Sunday afternoon watching the excitement at the famous Banzai Pipeline. The waves were about 12-15 ft. If you look in the pictures carefully, you'll be able to see the daring surfers. That's the only way to give you a perspective of the massive powers in the ocean. We brought Mack along with us, she enjoyed sitting on the beach chewing on coconut husks. The waves are projected to be even bigger this week, so we'll see if we can find parking to catch a glimpse.

Outrigger Catamaran

Today after church, we headed down to Waikiki for some fun with a few other families. We started at the Hale Koa pool, went on our first trade wind catamarn sailing trip (1 1/2 hrs of relaxing) and ended the day with a Cheesecake Factory dinner and walking around downtown in the evening. What a day!!

The catamaran was fantastic. We got to sit on the net in front. The water was only a few feet below us and it was gorgeous! The waves were pretty calm, but every now and then we would hit a little bump and the water would come splashing up onto us. The kids would squeal and laugh. It was so relaxing and the weather was perfect. This was my first time on a non-motored boat. Now I think I know what I want for Christmas next year, but I'll need a captain. Maybe Jason will be interested in the position. ha ha

The picture of the catamaran was our sister ship, it looked just like ours though. I can't wait to do this with Jason when he comes home. The views of Honolulu and Diamond Head were fabulous. We were hoping to see some whales today, but only saw a few flying fish. Maybe next time. Our walk back after dinner was so nice. Waikiki is beautiful at night. Kalakaua Ave. is full of shops, tiki torches and lighted tress. We are truly blessed to be in such a beautiful place.

Bishop museum

Today we went to the Bishop Museum with some FRG friends. The Megaladon shark exhibit was on display and the kids just loved it! We did some exploring, saw the constellation show in the planetarium, had a picnic and enjoyed a beautiful day. Ashley goes back to school on Wednesday, so only a few more free days left...yahoo, bring on the fun!

girls gone exploring!

Today Hunter played golf and had a sleepover with a friend, so Ashley and I took off and went exploring the island. We had dropped Hunter off at the Kaneohe Bay golf course and were already on the windward (eastern) side of the island, so we headed north and checked out some scenic locations. The waves were pretty serious today and it was a little drizzly. We stopped at the Malaekahana State park and saw tons of little man-of-war jelly fish washed up on the beach. Not a good day to be in the water. We followed the beautiful winding road along the coast up through the north shore. The views are always spectacular. We stopped at Laie point, which was our first time visiting. Breathtaking!! We will definitely head back when the weather is a little clearer and do some whale watching. It was a great afternoon and we had fun just hanging out and getting the Jeep all muddy.

Party People

Ashley and Hunter were quite the little party people on New Year's Eve. We spent a little time with some of the families in our FRG playing board games and having some snacks. We rang in the new year quietly at home together, playing Wii until 1 am.

They saw Mack asleep in the hallway and decided to join her for a few minutes of rest.... that was until she became fully aware of the two big chew toys laying on either side of her and attacked!!