Happy Birthday Inoke!

The Big 3-0...

Today Inoke is 30! One thing that has always baffled me about Inoke, is that he doesn't care much about birthdays. Growing up I always looked forward to my special birthday dinner of choice, and my special birthday cake, and my presents, etc. Not, Inoke. Over the years I have slowly gotten him used to the idea and he has actually gotten pretty good at celebrating MY birthday (yeah!!). I however, am still working on getting him excited about his own. SO Happy Birthday Inoke! I was reminising about all the fun times we have shared together over the last eight years and I thought a slide show down memory lane might be kind of fun. Please excuse the quality of the photos, they are scanned. (After all, we didn't have a digital camera back in those days... )

Fishy...

First, let me just say that I am so not a pet person. I don't have anything against animals, I love animals, I just don't want to be responsible for any animals of my own. So a couple weeks ago at a church activity I won the early bird prize. The prize was to take home one of the centerpieces from the dinner. Yeah! I love winning prizes... the theme of the evening was "Teach a Man to Fish" so you can only imagine what the centerpiece was. Yep. A Fish. Inoke and I were flying out to Arizona the next morning so I asked Alumita to watch and take care of the fish for me and I would pick him up when we came back. Really I thought after a week or so she would like having the fish so much she would want to keep him and I would be off the hook. (No pun intended) So we went on our trip and when we came back Alumita called to see when I would be picking up the fish... I managed to put it off for a couple days. Then last week Inoke saw Alumita and she asked him when we wanted our fish. He was so excited that we had a fish! He called me on the way to work and asked "Hey did you know we have a fish!?!" to which I replied... "Uh yes." So that was the end of my procrastinating that evening our little fish was delivered. So next came naming the fish. Inoke wanted to name it Karla... what? I still don't know what he was thinking. I voted for Bruce. Just because he is blue, and wasn't there a blue shark named Bruce on some disney movie??? Inoke didn't like Bruce and I don't like Karla. SO Fishy it is. I think little Fishy is actually growing on me. He is certainly inspiring ideas for Inoke... now he is talking about getting a big aquarium and buying all these big fish for it. Uh Oh.

Mc Dreamy...

One advantage to Inoke working lots of nights is I can go watch all the chic flicks that come out. Inoke is always amazed at how many movies I manage to see without him... so this weekend I was out and about shopping and had a few hours to kill before Inoke finished work. I was very excited that Made of Honor was finally out as I have been wanting to see this one for a while. I know it got some so-so reviews, but I liked it. I mean hello what do you expect from a chic flick anyways. The highlights for me were: they drove Landrover LR3s (my favorite dream car), Mc Dreamy was in a mini-kilt, the beautiful Scottish Castle and countryside, people speaking real Gaelic (a language that really fascinates me because it is pronounced completely different than it is spelled) and some serious laughs along the way. So after watching the movie I so want to travel around Scotland. Inoke has always talked about going to Edinburgh to watch rugby tournaments... hmm... next time I might be a little more open to the idea...

Top 5 things I love about Hawaii...

So the other day I was talking to my dad and he was saying how he had spent something like seventeen years in Alaska; and how for a military man that was quite a long time. Then I started thinking and this August makes ten years since I landed on this island paradise. Back then I was just a 19 year old college sophomore looking for a fun semester involving lots of sunshine and beach time. If you would have told me back then that in TEN years I would still be here in good old Laie, I would have never believed it. I have seen a lot of changes and growth that is for sure; but there are a few things that may have driven me crazy in the beginning, that now are my most favorite things about living on this rock in the sea. So here goes my top five things that I love about living down in this crazy little country town.

5. Teds Bakery

If you know me at all, you know that I have this unbelievable sweet tooth and the chocolate haupia pie from Ted's Bakery calls my name every time I drive past. I have to say that I love EVERYTHING there, the chocolate eclairs, the dream cake, the carrot cake, the danishes, etc. Thank you so much to Amy Basalusalu for introducing me to this little bakery way back in the day. And yes their butter rolls are still amazing.

4. "Free Range" Chickens

When I first arrived I just couldn't believe that there were so many wild chickens roaming around the streets of this town. If you have ever been to Laie you know exactly what I mean, they are everywhere! I mean we are in America, this isn't a little village or a third world country...but we do have some serious chickens roaming the streets. Now I have come to love the rooster calls in the early mornings telling me to wake up and go exercise.

3. Kamehameha Hwy.

I can still remember the first night I arrived. The good old "Coconut Express" came to the airport and we all loaded into a van to head for the North Shore. It was late and dark. Being an Alaskan girl I kept looking out the window and smiling at all the coconut trees along the road and trying to see what was out there in the dark. As we started past Kahaluu I began to realize we were driving right NEXT to the ocean. I mean the road was right there and the waves were softly crashing against it. Anyone who has driven out along the Kam. Hwy. to the North Shore knows exactly what I mean. It truly is a breathtaking drive.

Which brings me to 3A... the speed limit in Hawaii. So when I was younger and in a rush to get to everywhere I totally HATED the 35mph speed limit along the Hwy. I mean it is a HIGHWAY shouldn't it be at least 55mph?! Now I have finally learned to relax and it is normal for a 23 mile trip to take about 45 minutes... Actually when we went to Arizona a couple weeks ago I found myself going about 35-40mph and it felt so fast to go the speed limit... guess it is all relative.

2. 85 degrees year round.

What else can I say. Hawaii is the most amazing place to live for that simple fact. It is right around 85 degrees in the summer, winter, fall, or spring. I can go for walks and exercise outside year round! Even during the rainy season it is still beautiful and 85.

1. The BEACH.

Yes if you know me, you know that I am borderline obsessed with beaches. I love the beach. Even though now I am all grown up and work way more than I should; so I am sporting the "fairy princess white" instead of the "glowing golden tan." I still love the smell, sound, feel of the sand between my toes and the waves lapping into the shore.

So there you have it. Those of you who have left Hawaii, I hope this triggers warm thoughts and happy memories of the little idiosyncrasies of this island paradise.

Sikeli & Kimra

I am beginning to notice a pattern here... no it is just wedding time. We had a fun and busy weekend. Sikeli & Kimra finally tied the knot on Saturday and here are a few pictures of their "lunch."

Here is the happy couple:

Kimra performed an amazing Hula for her new husband:

The lighting wasn't all that great for this shot, but a picture tells a thousand words and Sikeli was so amazed at his new wife's dancing skills... by the end of the serenade his jaw was dropped and he was drooling... we always get a laugh when Sikeli is involved...

David and Linnea happened to be over on Oahu for the weekend. We haven't seen them since graduation and I was so amazed at how big baby Jone has gotten!

Here is Sikeli's little brother Kali enjoying the lunch.

Nemani and Inoke have been enjoying getting caught up on old times the last few days.


No comment here... just have to show that I was there too... haha.

So that was Saturday...

Alena & Lote

Well last night was Inoke's cousin Alena's wedding. It was a beautiful ceremony held down in Ka'a'awa. Here are a few photos of the event. I was so proud of all the boys for lasting through the entire ceremony before jumping into the swimming pool and jacuzzi...We are so happy for Alena and Lote and wish them all the love and joy in their future together.