back to present day

A little ABC singing from Lainey...with her rosy red winter cheeks.

EP #8 - The finale

Our hike on the Makapu'u Point Lighthouse trail. That was probably one of my favorite overlook views on Oahu!

 A look back at Kailua, the Mokes, Kaneohe Bay and the Kaneohe Bay Marine Base Ulupau crater.

 Koko Head crater.

 The beautiful cobalt blue ocean! I miss that.

EP #7

I love these pictures! These patio furniture chairs were worn by the time we moved from Hawaii. Lainey loved to be outside (still does) and we would often go and sit outside to pass the time in the afternoon. We sat out there a lot, so it was funny to see how many pictures Ethan took of us sitting out there. Another entertainer was the cars that would drive by. We saw quite a few of our friends (that would cut through our neighborhood) on their way to Kailua or over the mountain to Honolulu. They would honk and we would wave. Good times!

 Ethan took tons of pictures of everyone playing in the backyard too. Now I know why they all needed baths EVERY night.

So glad spring is pretty much here. We can do a lot more of this outside stuff again.

EP #6

What is the best part about having your own camera? Taking silly face pictures.

EP #5

Ulupo Heiau State Historic Site...no sightings of the menehune for us though.

 Some lichen on a rock.

 Lainey-Lou spent a lot of time riding in that carrier.

 A neat root system

 Some snail eggs.

 Some tadpoles.

And a taro patch...where future poi might be made from.

EP #4

"Our Lord has written the promise of resurrection, not in books alone, but in every leaf in springtime." ~Martin Luther

I think my "walk down memory lane" came because of this very idea. Life was all around us in Hawaii (green plant life that is) and there is something about having life and color all around us that would brighten my mood, bring comfort and give me a visual picture of God's life-giving work. Having winter (a cold one that is) for the first time in 7 years was a hard adjustment for me. It's dreary, lifeless and I am longing for those first blooms and green leaves for the trees.

EP #3

The beautiful Ko'olau mountain range behind our house.

EP #2

 A Monkey Pod tree...

...my kiddos and their friend hugging one.

The Ethan Project #1

I've been trying to go through my photos on my computer and delete ones that didn't turn out, hoping it would free some memory on my hard drive so it might run a little faster. Then I came across a folder of Ethan's photos from his camera, which are numerous since he takes pictures of everything (his file might be the reason my computer is running a little slow). But I had a hard time deleting any of them because he captured all the things around us that I normally wouldn't take pictures of...and they were all from our last year in Hawaii. Seeing those great memories made me homesick. So I thought I would post a few in a series I will entitle the Ethan Project (EP). It will be a fun walk down memory lane...at least for me.

First, my baby...was she really that little just a year ago?

And a self-portrait of the kid who took the photos!

schooling in the house

These are pictures I never think to take or post. But this is us doing school. I promise these are not staged. They are so studious looking aren't they?