The Flight Home

Pics from our flight back to Oklahoma...

Final Days in Hawaii

Aloha friends and family,

It's been a long time since I updated my blog but I'll do better from now on. Look for a lot of upcoming slideshows -- some are from hawaii and lots of new ones from oklahoma. Hope you enjoy them.

Sea Life Park adventure

Journee and I had a great day at Sea Life Park for our dolphin encounter. We took my friend's daughter Selena to help take photos and just enjoy the day with us. It took Journee a second to warm up to the dolphins -- they are rather large animals. I must admit -- it was something I would encourage others to do with their children. Making memories -- that's what life's about...

Glow Putt

Here's a slideshow from our evening with Journee's friend Kaitlyn. I took them to see Kung Fu Panda and then to play Glow Putt golf at Windward Mall in Kaneohe. We had a great time and it was fun for me to see Journee having a good time with her friend. We're sad about leaving our friends here but excited about seeing our friends in Oklahoma and making new memories with them.

Here's a slideshow from Journee's last day of school. I attended the 6th grade graduation to see my friend's daughter Cheyenne graduate and give her a candy lei. Then, I went to Journee's classroom to help with the party. The keiki had such a good time and it's always funny for me to see them love to eat the spam musubi (spam and rice wrapped in seaweed). Journee's looking forward to the menu at Moore Schools. But, we are going to make leis for the kids there -- bring a little aloha to Oklahoma. Hope you enjoy the pics.

Polynesian Cultural Center -- video 1

Here's a slideshow from the sea. I went out on a tour boat with friends who work on the boat. Hope you enjoy the slides.

Horizon's show at the Polynesian Cultural Center

Here's a slideshow from the Horizon's show at the Polynesian Cultural Center. The evening show is great and entertaining. You see the different dances of the Polynesian islands. The performers are excellent and it's a must see too.

Polynesian Cultural Center

Everyone must visit the Polynesian Cultural Center on Oahu. It is such a great place with lots to see, do and learn about. The people are great and fun and it's a great family place. And, the proceeds go to BYU students. You cannot see and do everything in one day -- it takes two or three. We had a great time but my feet and legs were so sore after. Hope you enjoy the slideshow.

Samoan Fire Knife Dance

Samoan warriors display courage, strength and bravery as they perform the traditional Samoan fire knife dance during the Horizons show at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, Hawaii. Slide show from our visit at the Polynesian Cultural Center to come.

Memorial Day Slideshow

May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii

Journee and classmates at May Day
Journee's class doing their Pokeman dance
Journee's class walking back to chairs after May Day dance
2nd graders dancing -- purple girl is Journee's friend Katelyn
6th grade conch shell blowers -- the did awesome

May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii

The first Lei Day was held May 1, 1928, and everyone in Honolulu was encouraged to wear a lei or many.  Festivities were held in downtown with hula, music, lei making demonstrations and exhibits and lei making contests.

At Journee's school, the keiki (children) celebrated multi-cultural awareness (which here is japanese, korean, samoan, american, hawaiian, portuguese, chinese, vietnamese).  The kids did an awesome job.  Journee's class did a Pokeman dance and wore oversized aloha shirts wrapped around them and tied with a sash to represent the Japanese kimono.  

I will miss the May Day celebrations.

Ballet Recital

Journee in her beautiful costume (Lilac fairy)
Kris doing Journee's makeup
Me and Journee after the Saturday evening performance
On stage
In their dressing room (6 and 7 year olds)

Journee's ballet recital was this past weekend.  She had so much fun getting her makeup done by Kris and then performing on stage.  She had good fun but has decided she wants to take up gymnastics rather than ballet in Oklahoma.  It was so much fun watching the kids dance and have fun.  

Puohala Concert and Craft Fair

Journee holding a bunny at the petting zoo

This year the 'pony ride' was actually a 'horse ride'
Me weaving my hat from palm leaves from a coconut tree
My palm leaf hat -- the finished product

We visited the annual Puohala Concert and Craft Fair for Puohala Elementary Hawaiian Immersion School.  The fair is tons of fun and they had awesome dancers and performers as well as crafts, bouncy houses and a petting zoo.  While Journee was playing on the bouncy houses I took the time to weave a hat with palm leaves.  It took me an hour and a half but the end product was worth it.

Kualoa Ranch

Kualoa Ranch from the road
Journee petting a horse with tourists in the background
Journee petting a horse.  She has begged me to stop by everyday since this...

We pass Kualoa Ranch everyday and I always say we'll stop by one day.  Journee had a field trip there once and had a great time.  Well, lately the ranch's horses have been out in the front area and we stopped by to visit with them.  Journee loves horses and is excited about coming back to Oklahoma and seeing my brother's horses.  My brother Tim raises Paint horses and has quite a few from what I hear.  

The ranch here is beautiful and next week during the holiday we'll stop in and visit the other animals on the ranch.  Hopefully more pics to come.

Our New Baby

Journee and Alana
Me and Thaoy
Alana sleeping
Thaoy's mom and Alana

My good friends Thaoy and Tin had their daughter 3 weeks ago.  Her American name is Alana and her Vietnamese name is Thuy Lyn which means 'gentle spirit'.  She is such a beautiful baby and I'm so glad we got to meet her.  It was amazing for Journee to know Alana in her mommy's belly and then to see her at the hospital.  

Thao and Tin are great parents and we look forward to watching Alana grow and see them in the future.  Hopefully they'll be able to visit Oklahoma in the future and we are planning a trip to Vietnam with them.

We also met Thaoy's mom (we called her Auntie) who came to visit from Boston.  Auntie and I went to Chinatown twice and had good visits.  She was also nice enough to sew up some clothes that needed fixing.  Thaoy's mom teased Journee about taking her back to Boston with her -- hopefully we can visit one day.  She cooked many different types of food and desserts for us and hopefully I can get the recipes and fix for Oklahoma friends (don't scrunch your nose -- it's good food).  heehee...

Mokapu Lighthouse

Me at the top of the lookout
Kris and Ata
The lighthouse in the background
Overview -- isn't it gorgeous???

Some type of cactus we saw growing along the roadway up to the lookout.  It looks like a seastar

Another day during my vacation, friends Kris and Ata (both from school) and I walked up to the Mokapu Lighthouse lookout.  It is a long walk up and I was exhausted but it was so worth it once you see the view.  This lookout is also the best place to see whales but we were late in the season. We had a great time and it was good exercise and good fun.  I was so happy and proud to make it to the top and I screamed delight when I made it to the top.