Halloween, 2008- Chris and I spent the weekend on Kauai with Melissa and Brendan for their wedding.  We arrived Thursday afternoon.  Melissa’s parents surprised her and came to Hawaii for the wedding.  Thursday night we all went to dinner in Hanalei. 

We all stayed in Princeville, at the Sea Lodge condos.  This was the view from my condo.

Friday, day of the wedding, checking in at the beach where the wedding will be held. 

Make-up and hair, done!

Chris shot the wedding video

Melissa and Brendan, during the ceremony

short rain delay- Kauai is green for a reason- plenty of rain!

The next day the four of us hiked for 8 miles along the Napali Coast

A beautiful, but muddy trail

After the first 2 miles, we came to a beach.  Then its two more miles to the waterfall, then all the way back…

Some of the trail was right beside giant steep cliffs.  Of course there are no pictures for the worst of it.  We were just concentrating on not going over!!

Made it to the waterfall!

Lunch time

Then time to go back…four more miles to go!

Back to the beach

Sunday, driving along the highway

 You will never see more roosters in one place than on Kauai. This one posed for me.

 Chris checking out the next step in our adventure, again, with the roosters.

A little off-roading in the Jeep down a road where Jurassic Park was filmed.

Smiling, but looking for T-Rex

Had to cross a few water bridges.  Chris took this way slowly…

… and came back a little faster!

Flying back to Maui on Sunday- took some pictures of Oahu as we came in for a quick layover.

Looking down at Diamond Head and Waikiki Beach

 Honolulu

Back to Maui!  View of the windmills on the west Maui mountains.

We had a great weekend and were so happy to be a part of their day.  Guess we’re next!!

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Aloha!  Just wanted to let everyone know that Chris and I are engaged! He proposed on September 29th on Keawakapu Beach at sunset.  I didn’t have my camera (imagine that!) so I don’t have any pictures. Luckily Janie was able to capture it through this drawing.

So the next weekend Chris and I grabbed a bottle of wine and went to the same spot for sunset and took some pictures so everyone could see where we got engaged.

Here’s the ring!

Then, last weekend the planning began.  We had brunch at Seawatch started making plans

Cheers!  Aloha!

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 My friend Melissa is getting married in a couple of weeks so we had a bridal shower for her at the Grand Wailea.  Thanks to a friend we got a cabana for the morning by the pool, then we all went to the spa (tourism is down so locals get good deals). It was the best bridal shower ever!

Here’s me with Melissa and Heidi in the cabana.

and the view from my chair

We all enjoyed the waterslides

and then a chi chi

Recognize this famous person floating by?

It’s Kelsey Grammer!  Fun Day!

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Aloha!  This blog is going to be some misc. pics of what’s been happening recently.

First of all, our house was full of termites so it finally had to be tented.  This is very common here so I guess it was just a matter of time.  Since it never gets cold the bugs just seem to stay year round.  We had to pack up all food, shampoo, everything into these bags and then move out for a couple of days

And here’s the house!  Looks like a circus right?

So that was last weekend.  A couple of weeks before that we went to a friend’s daughter’s birthday party. Chris was a hit with the ladies when he put the new big wheel together.

One bright and sunny day, a group of us went down to Keawakapu Beach and watched the sunset.  You know by now I love to take pictures of palm trees against the blue sky.

Jim and Chris, enjoying the beach.  Not a bad start to a Saturday night!

On a sad note, last Sunday was Megan’s last night on Maui.  She moved back to the mainland and met Peter in Texas.  We miss them both!

Yesterday a group of us got up early and went snorkeling in Makena, at a place called the aquarium.

First we hiked through the trees…

…then over lava rock to get to it.

We’re here!  Lots of fish to see

looking up towards Haleakala from the water

wasn’t this guy in Finding Nemo?

Ollie made a new friend.  He picked it up to look at it and it attached to his mask.

Matt dries off on the lava rocks.

Ollie’s friend back home in the water

That’s about it for me!  Back to work tomorrow.  Have a great week!

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Hi folks.  I have very sad news!  My very first friend in Hawaii has moved back to the mainland.  We were all very sad to see him go, but wish him the best going back.  Last weekend we all hung out for one last time.  Saturday was a beach day, of course…

boys avoiding the sun

Chris takes a kayak out

Rachel and Dante enjoy sunset

After sunset we had hot dogs and a fire.  Laura played the ukulele.

Sunday, we all went to the Maui Film Festival.  Sunday was the last night (and my third trip this week).  It’s always fun to watch movies under the stars.

Sunset at the film festival

Aloha Peter!!!!!  We will miss you soooooo much!

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It’s official.  Maui has the highest gas prices in the nation… 

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Aloha everybody!  If anyone is still out there reading…I am still here.  Its just that I have almost been here 2 years and wonder if anyone really wants to see more pictures…kind of the same thing over and over, ya know?  But, last month Mom and Dad came back for their third visit and we had a great time! Chris and I were able to take some time off work and got to vacation with them.  Here are a few of the highlights… 

Day 1, fresh off the plane.  They check into the Wailea Marriot and head straight for the Mai Tais!

Always a favorite- swimming with the honu (sea turtles)

We spent a day sailing and snorkeling on Trilogy.  Started at surise, sailed to Lana’i, snorkel/sail from there and then sailed back at sunset.

Our new favorite place for Happy Hour and sunset, in front of the Marriot

Mom and Dad check into the luxurious Kealani in Wailea

Thanks to a few buddies of ours, Mom and Dad had an amazing suite with the best view!  This is looking down at the pool from their balcony.  We had a blast on the water slide.

Ahhhhh, a day in our private cabana…

and the next morning, a canoe trip!

Thanks Mom and Dad!  We had a great time!  Come back anytime!  We miss you!

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Aloha!  Here’s a blog-worthy Wednesday evening…I heard a rumor from a friend who works at a hotel in Wailea that Bryan Adams was playing a private concert at the Grand Wailea.  So, since the beaches are public, some of us packed up a little picnic and headed down to the beach a couple of weeks ago (Feb 13th) to hear the concert.  The stage was actually facing the water.  It was going to be like being at the private show, only we got to hang out on the beach!

enjoying sunset and waiting for the show

ready to rock to some 80’s classics

So I had to show this “still life” I took.  Remember this is one of the nicest beaches in the world.  When you see celebrities playing in the ocean on Maui in People Magazine, its right here.  (This is the beach for the Grand Wailea and the Four Seasons).  And, on this beach, we enjoyed Easy Cheese, PBR, Ritz crackers and red wine out of plastic cups.  Classsy.

Right after the show were fireworks, set from a barge on the water.

What a great mid-week treat!

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Hello to everyone!  I know its been a while and I don’t know if anyone is still reading this, but here’s a long overdue blog.  There hasn’t been much blog-worthy going on here.  That is, until last week when it snowed on Maui!  I woke up and saw snow on top of Haleakala.  It was beautiful and especially cool since I could see it from Kihei, which is on the beach and warm and sunny as always.  Here’s some pictures I got from the Maui News website.  The first is looking down at the coast (where I live- see me?)from the mountain.   

Look at the top of the picture, above the airplane, and you can see the snow on top of the mountain.

so that was fun.  Here’s a few pictures to catch you up on what’s been happening for me here in the islands.  I moved to a new house.  I loved my little house, but living alone is just not practical here.  It got to be way too expensive.  So, I moved into this house… 

…with my new roommates, Chris and Jim. 

Here’s the place, all decorated for Christmas.  Good news- we are having a blast, and the house is great.  Its got a great deck on the second story where you can see the moutains and the ocean.  We have enjoyed having everyone over for everything from bbq’s to yoga.  The bad news- it’s for sale. It just went on the market and the owner is eager to get rid of it.  The price has already dropped from $680,000 to $599,000 (Maui!).  So, we’ll see…

I went to NC to visit the family, thanks to Dad’s frequent flier miles.  Thanks Dad!  Here I am with my nephew Damon, ready for church on Christmas Eve.

And, got to see some pals too!  Here’s Selena and Janie bowling.  It was fun to bowl for real for a change. On Maui all I get is Wii bowling.  Turns out I’m not so great in real life.

After Christmas its back to the same.  Here’s a Saturday beach day that turned into a beach night.  We built a fire on the beach.

had some hot dogs and smores

and burned an old Christmas tree.  Aloha!

Hope all is well.  Come visit!  It’s warm and sunny and the whales are back!

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Happy Thanksgiving everybody! Hope everyone had a great day and ate lots of turkey.  I had a great day in Maui.  A bunch of us got together at Jay, Matt and Rachael’s house for lunch.  I was in charge of mashed potatoes.  Here’s Chris helping out by doing all the peeling (he peeled about 14 potatoes!). 

Matt bastes the turkey

boys cooking!

time to eat!

After lunch we played with the Nintendo Wii.  We bowled…

…boxed…

…and played baseball.

nice stance. is someone taking her baseball a little too serious?

Hope everyone had a great day!  Happy Thanksgiving!

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