2009-07 JULY

Bellows 8 images

Pu'u Ohia 12 images

1 Fourth of July fireworks at Kailua Beach. This year they raised the money very quickly to save the fireworks by collecting donations. That's a Ben-blur playing in the sand.	2	3 Nice display for about 20 minutes. Crowds and crowds of people walked to the beach, shoulder-to-shoulder.	4
5 Boys were wide-eyed! Sam has seen fireworks before but they never cease to amaze. Most recent display was at Tito Pig and Tita Bear's wedding!	6 Here we are...and a big bright full moon behind us. Ben was in heaven - fireworks and a full moon!	7	8 Ghostly us...can you see us at all?
9 The finale.	10 Holo holo on Ford Island for a jog and visit to the Aviation Museum. Also want to see the USS Missouri sometime. Kids age 6 and over can actually sleep over on it! Very cool.	11 Big banyan tree growing right out of the road in a little housing area. We love to swing on the "ropes."	12 Ben stridin' out :)
13	14	15 At the Plantation Village with our buddies, learning about the lives of workers in the days of yore. First workers to the islands were from China in the mid-to-late 1800s. By 1890 or so, if my recall is correct, the Chinese accounted for about 22% of the population. The sugar plantations were owned by missionary families.	16 Popping open a macadamia nut.
17 Bread oven.	18 Like the old-style "crib"?	19 Dave would love one of these after work.	20 Old-time slippahs.
21 "Old Makana had a taro farm..."	22 The adventurers parked astride.	23 Had to check out this train before leaving, of course.	24 Sea Life Park turtles.
25 Really studying them, figuring out which are "girls" and which are "boys." (The painted color coding helps!)	26 Ben LOVES fish.	27 And thinks this is a doggie!	28 The playscape is a big hit there. Sam played HARD for about half an hour.
29 Sam going down a big pole on the base playground. This was a major feat for him. He gets a little freaked out sometimes. I had him choose how many times he wanted to go down before he did it on his own, so we kept going at it, down and then back up the climbing wall, down the pole again with a wee bit less assistance the next time, back up, then down again...go go go. Try not to think, you can do it. The longer you sit and think the more scared you'll get. (I know because I am cautious by nature.) He finally did it, and even did it standing up, reaching out, and down on his own. I was VERY proud of him for overcoming a major fear.	30 Here we are at Mike and Angel's having a dinner to celebrate the arrival of our friend April - one of the charter members of the A team :)	31 We took a picture like this in 2001 - see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil :)	32 One of those pictures that would be taken totally out of context unless you were there. We had had only 1 drink. Just happy to be together and giggling again. See Dave's face in the background?
33 The three As back together again :) I just cut my hair off that day - ponytail got chopped right off for charity!	34 We just need to photoshop Rich in now :)	35 Ah - that's better.	36 Then to our house for dessert after the boys went to bed. Dave cut the cake into As :)
37 Hmmm...deep conversation about...Angel's latest bathroom adventure. Very interesting!	38 Out checking the housing options for April - at Pearl City peninsula. The home to the right will be hers end of July! I look like I'm just losing it with Ben wiping out, but I'm just holding my hair back in the wind :)	39 Whew, back up again.	40 Sam helping - we're on Ford Island now being tourists and checking out the Navy Lodge. VERY nice!
41 Ben stops for all circles, so I bet he'll get hung up checking this manhole cover out. ALL circles. Everywhere. Loves circles.	42 Now to the USS Missouri. Very interesting tour. This is ship upon which the final surrender document was signed to close out WWII.	43 This is the actual spot where the surrender document was signed.	44 The USS Missouri guards the USS Arizona memorial.
45 Sam looking for bad guys with his "gun."	46 Sam and Ben both love these!	47 The Pacific Aviation Museum is very cool and has the best lunches on the planet. You can also get beer there. This is the original tower that was in place during the attack on Pearl Harbor.	48 Just love looking at this view.
49 Ran an 8k race with the two boys over in Lanikai. What hard work - headwind, heavy stroller, suspension not in the right position, and rather numb feet (going to the doctor about that on Monday). Dave tried to take a picture of us finishing - it was so hard to catch us, we're THAT FAST ha ha...finished 9/12 in my age group, in the middle of the pack overall. We were the only double stroller. I guess that's not bad but two years ago I got second pushing just Sam. Oh well...	50 Sam playing with the band again! He is so lucky. Eddie Kamae himself gave Sam a new ukulele!!! Sam's old one totally fell apart after some heavy jamming.	51 That's Ocean to the left and Ana to the right.	52 Out on a fun run at Ala Moana Beach Park. Sam rode his bike while I pushed. That's Diamond Head in the background.
53 Sam did a great job weaving around everyone on the bike paths.	54 Very mellow lagoon at Magic Island afterwards.	55 Ben has NO FEAR. We're working on that.	56 Love these trees. The colors are so beautiful.
57 Out on another run with my boys. We had a good time checking out a new park.	58 On a hike with my friend April and my boys. They all got into swinging off the vines!	59	60 Ooops! Sam liked this - so did Ben!
61 See April sneaking up on Ben?	62 He wanted to hike with my pole. Would NOT give it up!	63	64 I got stuck under the train table! Sam freed me before Dave could grab a picture. When Sam went to get Daddy to help would you know Dave left me there while he ran off to get the camera first? So Sam was my hero :)
65 Dave made this for himself. Just a typical night, reading a book. Thought I'd capture it.	66 This is a crazy haunted house prop I found on Bellows and Sam said to color the picture blue. I sent it to my friend Liisa who likes it as a location for photo shoots now. I think she will do some interesting stuff with it! You'll see it featured later in this album as well (Bellows folder - a hike we did July 30).	67 Sam checking out the skull. We are running/biking all over Bellows today, finding areas we probably should not be in, but there was no sign saying do not enter... Sam later said "Hey Mom! I just saw a little trail there we could check out. There was no sign or gate so I think it will be ok!" So cute, huh? Love it!	68 Ben looking, too!
69 Telling the guard about the trail we'd found and how the poor signage made it seem like it was ok to be on that trail behind the paintball fields.	70 Lounging against the doggie - tired boy!	71 I painted this, trying to capture the Ko'olaus. But I really need to paint with them in sight. I am not a good painter from memory. If anyone out there wants it, it's yours.	72 At Magic Island after a run.
73 After a morning at the North Shore. We're at Cholo's - the boys worked up a great appetite snorkeling! Sam went all the way out into the big guy cove at Shark's Cove. He is so good at snorkeling now. So proud of him swimming around with Daddy, clearing his mask and snorkel, pointing at things. He talks through his snorkel - it is so funny!	74 Mom, stop taking pictures already!	75 Eating with Ben is a blur.	76 This is what it feels like! See the quesadilla Dave is trying to get past the spinning arms? (to right of photo)
77 Whew - finally got it into his mouth! In the eye of the storm now.	78 Cute boy. I do love you, Ben!	79 Sam doing the "dinner dance" at the beach park for a picnic.	80 More dinner dance :)
81 Then a quick castle build.	82 Ah ha! Up to no good!	83	84 Daddy's castle.
85	86 At the zoo! Big cactus!	87 And even bigger tortoise! Hi Nana! We were talking to you as I took this picture!	88
89	90 Love this shot of the faces looking at giraffes!	91 I am not sure where or when I took this picture. A cell phone shot, looks like a trail run at bellows. Loved Sam's form :) I think it's a year ago or more, though.	92 This ball was mailed to us when Sam was two weeks old by my friend and former mail lady on Coronado - Janine-Anne. We still have it and continue to enjoy it. I sent her this picture. Amazing we stay in touch so many years later. Such a nice lady with neat kids. She literally addressed the ball itself and sent it in the mail! She would know that's permissible - who knew!
93	94 Ben's first soft serve!	95 Then he insisted on putting Sam's goggles on when we got home!	96 We saw a real baby hammerhead shark!!!
97 Tide pools after a run.	98 Pillbox hike with Angel and April! Love having the A's back together!	99 April was so fun with Sam talking with him at length about all the little critters they saw on the bunker and the trail while I was keeping Ben from flying off the bunker.	100 We all enjoyed waving at the helicopter and actually seeing the crew member wave back at us. We will always have a touch of sadness with us when we see the orange helos - we knew an amazing man who lost his life last year in a Coast Guard helicopter. Since his loss I have gotten to know one of the other ladies who lost her husband. It touches you in such a profound way to come close to these men and women who serve every day in dangerous jobs yet we all take their safety for granted. Sam and I now pray for service members wherever they are - front lines or training at home.
101 Ben loves helicopters - LOVES them. Says "Toctor!" and waves!	102 Yes, these are the real colors.	103 Like the foreground message?	104
105 A little tricky getting down. This is a good technique.	106 Love all the faces here!	107 Shave ice for lunch! What?