He also hid the eggs that the kids decorated last night, and we had quite a tough time locating the final egg! Daddy came through and found it when we got back from church! 
I don't know if you've heard of this organization, but they are really cool. They were founded to provide a way for soldiers to get the real message out to the public about what is going on in Iraq. They are real war heroes who are telling their own stories about the GOOD that they've seen with their own eyes and done with their own hands over there. It is amazing. David Bellavia was in our unit in Vilseck. He is up for the Medal of Honor!!! He is a really cool guy, and he is a co founder (I think) of VFF. 
Several guys--Pete Hegseth, Bellavia, and a couple others--spoke. Academy Award Winner John Voight spoke (he's awesome) The kids kept saying "We got our picture taken with Ben's dad!" (from National Treasure!)
and two bands performed. It was so fun! The kids had a great time. They have never been to a concert before and they got to be right up next to the stage. 
We talked to both bands after their performances, and took the kids pictures with them. The guitarist gave N and his buddy P some guitar picks, and I thought they were going to pass out! 
We ate lunch and kind of just hung out the first day. We were going to go to a luau that night, but decided to wait until a few days later. We ended up taking a nap and then having dinner really late (for us--9:00!) at a wonderful restaurant called Hy's.
The guidebook that I was talking about is called Oahu Revealed. The people who wrote it actually move to a place and live there before they start writing their books. So, it is like having a local show you around a place. All of the restaurant reviews were SPOT ON. So was all of the information about the tours, places to visit, scenic drives and hikes, etc. Anyway--it recommended Hy's and it was totally worth it.
It was a very "fancy" restaurant, as far as the food and the decor go, but it had such a comfortable atmosphere. I am always uncomfortable in places like that, because I feel like I am an imposter. But, the waiters were so warm and friendly--and the food was fantastic. I think it must be hard to pull off that kind of combination in the restaurant industry. But, they do it and they do it well. The garlic cheese bread was out of this world.
Anyway--it took a few days to realize it, but I started learning something that evening. Life is SO DIFFERENT without kids! I had them when I was so young, and I've never been away from them, so I didn't realize how much of my life the kids dictate. Not that it is a bad thing, I just didn't realize it. For example--what time to eat dinner. I always was amazed when people would talk about meeting for dinner at 9pm. I would think "Dinner is at 6 or 7--not 9!!!" But, I realized on that trip that dinner is at 6 or 7 because the kids are starving by then. Stuff like that made me more appreciative of the trip than anything else!
So--the next day we went to the "orientation breakfast" provided by the tour company that booked my trip. Obviously, this was designed to sell more tours. They actually are a really good company and they get tours and stuff like that for much lower prices than booking directly with the companies, because they buy in such bulk. I would definitely go through them if I were to go again, just because they do a good job of coordinating things like airport transfers, etc. You also get a lot of perks when you use them. . .like we got free valet parking at our hotel since we were booked through Pleasant Holidays. That is normally $29 a day! So, it is worth using the company.
But, as far as actual sightseeing, I don't really like tour groups. I almost always get carsick in buses, and I can't STAND the waiting around. Waiting for the bus to pick you up, waiting 2 hours for everyone to finish what should only take 20 minutes, waiting to drop people off at a million different hotels. I'd rather just figure it out myself. So--we did.
We left the breakfast and took the city bus to Diamond Head. We had to walk from the road up to the gate, but it was only about a 1/2 mile. And it only cost $4--total for both of us, round trip. Compared to the $29 it would cost to go on a tour bus. I was prepared for this outrageous hike because everyone talks about "climbing to the top of Diamond Head" like it is a really tough thing. It actually made me really proud of myself, because I could tell that I was in pretty good shape. At least a lot better than I was 2 years ago--and definitely better than most of the people on that trail. It never did feel very tough, and I only got out of breath on the staircase! 
This is a picture of me at the very top, in the lookout platform, calling my mom. For some reason, it just seemed weird to be able to call from up there. (I also hadn't talked to her since I left Texas and I needed to check in. She was getting her hair cut!) I took the pictures myself, that's why I look so weird!
This is probably a good time to say that it rained the whole time we were in Hawaii. It was ok, since we didn't really want to just lay around on the beach anyway. We can do that at home, and there were a lot of "tourist" things we wanted to do. So, we did them anyway, and we didn't get sunburned. The day in Diamond Head was the only day that it didn't rain (actually it did, but not while we were hiking). I'm glad we chose that day--since that would have been the one thing we probably would have had to cancel, had it been raining, just because the path would have been so slippery.
Anyway--these are the only "distance" photos I have from the whole trip that aren't covered in fog!
After that, we went back and I sat on the balcony of our room and read a book. It was heavenly! S. went for a run and I DIDN'T--and I don't feel a bit bad about it. I took a nap too. Actually, I took a 2 or 3 hour nap everyday! (I don't feel bad about that either!)
I kept feeling very disturbed by the fact that it is just RIGHT THERE. Parts of it (the USS Arizona) are still sticking up out of the water. I know that most of the guys on the ship were asleep and that many of them were killed by breathing the fumes, so they couldn't have gotten out, but it just seems so AWFUL that they are just INCHES below the surface of the water. They--the people--are really further than that, since the ship was giant and there were several levels, but it just feels disturbing. . .
The names of everyone who died are inscribed on a wall inside the memorial. In the bottom left of the photo you can see a little "bench" with more names on it. Those are the sailors who survived and have since died and chose to have their ashes interred in the ship. Every two weeks divers go down to take inventory of the things on the surface of the ship--and to place the ashes. Anyone who was aboard the Arizona that day has the choice to be interred like this. I can imagine that having survived that day would have created quite a feeling of guilt. A lot like the people who survived the world trade center. A "why them and not me?" feeling. They probably felt that for the rest of their lives, so I can see how being put to rest aboard the Arizona would feel like the right thing to do. 
On the boat on the way back to the visitors' center, I was thinking about those who survived and had their ashes placed aboard the Arizona. After the week in Texas, watching my mom kind of freak out about where to put G's ashes, and then the relief when she realized that she didn't have to decide right away--it just gave me a strange sense of the rightness of it. I don't think that most people's main thoughts when they visit the memorial are of those survivors, but it was mine. I can't explain the mix of thoughts. They are still jumbled in my head. The only word I can come up with is "poignant," but I don't even know exactly what I am referring to. Anyway--as we got up to leave the boat, I looked back at the memorial, and there was a rainbow just off to the right. It seemed so perfect.
That was the end of the sadness. (As far as the trip goes, I mean. I had thoughts about G and my mom throughout the week, but that was as much "memorial" as I could take. S would have liked to go to the Missouri or the other memorials, but I just couldn't do anymore.)
The next day we went whale watching. "The book" wasn't really hip on the idea of whale watching tours. They emphasized that you are not allowed to get closer than 100 yards from the whales, so TV makes the tours seem a lot better than they are. Still, they listed a couple of companies, and I HAVE wanted to do this since I was about 9 years old. Guess what--huge disappointment. First of all, we only saw a couple of blows and a tail or two from VERY far away. No breaches. Not even one. Then, it got rainy and really rough water. We were in a really small (40 foot) catamaran, so we were bouncing up and down a lot. I was fine while I could see where we were going, but when we had to go under the deck because of the rain, I got really sick. I never threw up, but BOY did I want to. 
Oh--we saw two green turtles mating. They were in the open water, so I'm not sure how they could stay with each other and still stay above water, but they did. No picture though.
We went to the Holana Blowhole, which is basically a hole in the island that waves crash underneath and water comes up through like a geyser. It was really mesmerizing to watch. I'm not sure why, except that you can't tell when it will be just a tiny flow of water and when it will be a HUGE spray, so it is kind of like a slot machine addiction. You just keep watching. Most of my photos were of the smaller sprays (inevitably I would take one and as the camera was setting itself back up, a HUGE ERUPTION would spray out!) 
We went snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, which I have also wanted to do since I was tiny. Let me tell you how I felt during the actual experience--TERRIFIED! Every time I put my face in the water I basically hyperventilated. Not because I was afraid to breathe through the snorkel--that was pretty easy. Every time I put my face in the water I was afraid something was about to grab my legs. At one point, S tapped me, and I nearly had a heart attack. I tried and tried to convince myself to stop freaking out. S tried to hold my hand. But, nothing worked.
One of the problems was that they tell you over and over and over not to touch the coral. Well, there is all this "correline algae" that is not coral, but looks like it, and in some places it was really shallow--like about a foot of water above it, and I was trying to swim over it without touching it or scraping my hands or stomach.
Anyway--I saw a few fish and then bailed. I convinced S that I would be fine watching him from the shore. I kept my eye RIGHT ON him the whole time (so nothing would grab his legs!) but he didn't stay long. He said he was bored and that he was worried about touching the coral too, but really he just felt bad for me. He kept saying he was sad for me because I had looked forward to doing that for so long, and I had not enjoyed it. I didn't really care about that. I figure that I have always wanted to do it, because I wanted to know what it was like. Now I know. I don't have to wonder anymore (nor do I ever have to plan another snorkeling trip again.) I just felt guilty for wasting his day.
We left there and went on the "Tantalus drive." It was pretty amazing. The view was obstructed by the fog a little, but it was still really cool. This pic is of Diamond Head--it does look like a pretty tough hike when you see it from this angle!
They have these amazing trees called banyans there. The limbs grow out, and then roots grow down from them (those are the "vines" that Tarzan swings from). The roots eventually plant themselves into the ground and help support the tree. This lets the limbs get outrageously fat. Some of the "roots" look like another trunk. The tree at the International Marketplace was just ridiculous. If you include the branches and roots that grow down from it, the thing must be 50 feet wide. Maybe more. I couldn't find an angle to take a picture of that one, but here is another one. It is MUCH smaller, but it gives you and idea. . .if the picture is clear enough.
The next day we went kayaking. We rented a kayak in town, and had to strap it to the top of the jeep--which meant taking the top off of the jeep. That is fine, since that is what jeeps are for--except for the fact that it rained the whole 20 minute drive to Kaneohe Bay. It also rained while we kayaked, which made me scared. We couldn't find the sandbar that "the book" described, because the tide was too high (and we argued about whether or not we had gone far enough out). We only stayed out on the water for about an hour, but it seemed like 50. I was really cold, and really wet, and ready to go home. Fortunately, though, we found a fabric store with lots of hawaiian prints, so I got some fabric to make the boys bandanas. R and J wanted "headbands" with hawaii fabric, but I couldn't find any, so this was a great solution.
That night, we went to a luau. It was actually a polynesian show, with performances representative of lots of the cultures in the pacific islands. We actually went to the show at the Hale Koa, and it was really good. It was good food, excellent prices (about 1/2 of what it is at any of the other shows) and the performances were beautiful. It was too dark for any of the pictures of the show to turn out, but here are some shots from before:
I wore the sarong I bought as a dress. It was a little windy, so I was holding the side close most of the time when we were walking to and from the Hale Koa. On the way "home," I was trying to pull the ends across each other to close it better, and ended up doing the opposite and totally flashing these people who were walking towards us. The wife didn't notice but the guy cracked up! (Thanks--that's exactly the response I need to showing someone my underwear--hysterical laughter!) 
At the show I learned that kalua pig is delicious, poi is even MORE disgusting than I had heard, and Mai Tais are my new favorite drink. Hy's were the best, Cheeseburger in Paradise's were the worst, and the Hale Koa's were in between.
This was a military hotel, remember, (the Hale Koa, not ours) so of course, they ended the show with a salute to the servicemembers (and the families!) They had veterans of each war stand (there were 2 from WWII!!) When they said Iraq and Afghanistan the whole place erupted in cheers. It was nice. They had the family members stand at the end too. Then, they sang "Proud to be an American." The MC was Glen Madieros (yes--THAT one, and yes, he did sing "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love for You" during the show) He said that he teaches history to high school students during the day, and he was so honored to be able to perform twice a week for the heroes of our country. You could tell that it wasn't a "rehearsed" speech--even though he probably gives some version of it every time--because he stumbled over the words a little, but it was truly from the heart and it was very moving.
The day we left was bright and sunny. I'm not kidding--it was beautiful. I was sad to say goodbye, but ready to get home to my boys. I think they were ready to have us back too.
Even though it seems like I complained a lot in this post, there wasn't a single minute that I didn't enjoy. Actually, maybe I didn't enjoy the time in the cabin of the catamaran, but other than that, every moment was a pleasure. The beautiful view from my balcony while I read my book, walking down the beach holding hands with my husband, even the things that didn't turn out the way I planned were still SO GREAT. You know how sometimes things seem awful, and then when you look back at them months later, you realize how funny they are? Well, I was blessed to be able to see that in the moment, and it just made my appreciation of the time even that much greater!
Like I said, I have lots to post about, but this has taken me a long long time, so the rest fot it will have to be at a later time!
Oh--a special story for Uncle G. . .at one moment (I think while we were eating chili at Zippys) I said something about how fun it would have been if G and S had gotten to be there at the same time as us (that was originally the plan, but deployments and stuff messed it up!) I said "Well, if YOUR friend--" S immediately interrupted me and said "First of all, I can't be responsible for his actions, he lives too far away from me. Secondly, you say you wish they were here now--but you know as well as I do that if G were here--you'd still be sittin' there in the rain freezin' your ass off in that kayak! He wouldn't have let you get out just because it was raining and the water was choppy and he SURE wouldn't have let you stop snorkeling yesterday after 10 minutes!" Touche--note to self--appreciate the husband-he indulges my irrational fear of invisible monsters and my dislike of cold, wet, or any other physical discomfort!
My stepfather died this week. He was a heart disease patient for 11 1/2 years. He had an LVAD and a heart transplant. He got really sick lots of times, and better lots of times. But, this time he didn't. I got to Texas on Saturday and he got progressively worse through the weekend. Monday, it was obvious that it wasn't going to get better. I stayed in the room with my mom and my aunt until the very end. Maybe I'll write more about that some time. I'm not sure I can.
They had their first game this weekend. It did not go as well as the beginning of this story might have led you to expect. They lost 9 to 18. But, considering they rallied in the last 2 minutes from a 3 to 18 score--they did pretty well. I think at the end, they suddenly remembered that they knew what they were doing. And they started having fun and quit freaking out. Next week will be better, I'm sure. N. had a really good shot. It was, actually, a "swish." I did not get a shot of it. That seems to be the way things work. I'm so busy cheering and screaming for him, that I forget to take his picture. I will concentrate better next week!
J's Santa Stuff
A couple of minutes after coming downstairs. . .
New Skates!
Look at me! Just like Uncle E!! (except I'm naked!)
The sport of the season--BASKETBALL!
