Thanks to mom and Richard – a quick paddle is documented! This was the first beautiful day in a while so we grabbed my paddleboard and headed out! Mom stood up, too – I haven’t seen photographic proof yet, but she tells me it was for 10 whole minutes. My good friend Heidi showed up on the beach right near us, so she took a turn as well and stood right up. She’s hooked now. I can’t wait to head out again and surf it! The glassy water is not challenging, but it’s so peaceful to be unreachable for a few moments.

While out on a jog, I came up with a new sport – tree jumping! You jump Christmas trees that are out on the road for pickup. You see how high up the wide part of the tree you can jump without landing splat on your face. The boys enjoyed watching me and I really got a kick out of it. I had to run fast then kick my legs up high. I refrained from going too too crazy because I still had four miles to run to get to my breakfast.

Thank you, Richard, for grabbing this very impromptu shot!!! You did a great job in very little light and with a very squirmy baby…and I enjoyed the pictures of Ben mauling me 🙂

It’s the last day of Nana and PopPop’s visit! We have had a wonderful time and they have really (REALLY) helped us knock to-do items off a long-standing list that grew while Dave was in school at night this past year. Here are Nana and “Bops” watching while Sam and PopPop enjoy “the ball show” – romping around in the back yard.

Slide show: 2008.wmv

I created a slide show to capture our memories from 2008. I enjoyed reminiscing the fun and special moments we were blessed to share with family and friends. It is still about 7 minutes long after many passes to trim…despite my best editing efforts there were just too many special memories! Many of you will see your mugs captured in a frame or two 🙂 (Depending on your connection it may take a minute or two to buffer the download.)

Lots of aloha to each of you, and our prayers are with those of you deploying this year. A hui hou!

Photo courtesy of Bill Krug.

You were 7 months old on Dec. 21, a few days before Jesus’ birthday. Just 10 days earlier you began to crawl, and you already know to crawl to the bathroom when you hear the bath water being drawn!

Silent Night – Brothers Cazimero (click for mp3)

Merry Christmas to you and yours! Thank you to all those who called or mailed us – you are near and dear to our hearts! Thanks for crossing the miles with your presents to be present with us 🙂 Gail and Bill (Dave’s parents) and my mom were here for Christmas morning…

Pictures are posted (click on mp3 file then on photo above to enjoy song and pictures). Sam LOVES his Lego gifts – he’s outlasted two grown men today with building a fire station! Bill and Dave are taking turns while Sam works. He barely takes a break to go to the bathroom! Hours and hours and hours he’s been at it! Also in the December album you’ll find movies of Ben crawling.

We were in Kalapawai this morning and I looked around to see a gun strapped to a man’s leg, and as my eyes scanned upward they bulged and my mouth gaped. He had on black pants, black shirt and a baseball cap. Here’s what happened next:

The monarch caterpillar we were “hosting” hatched!!! We woke Sammy up to see it – he said “this is EXCITING!” 

Yesterday I kept Sam out of preschool and enjoyed a totally unscripted long morning with the boys, starting with a run onto base for doctor appointments. On our way through the gate we saw Obama’s motorcade coming out (they’d been working out at the gym).

So how do you like our remodel? Nice place to stay? Ha! This is the Paul Mitchell Estate, where it was initially reported the Obamas will be staying for Christmas. I went to a wine tasting here with my friends a month or two ago. It’s now being reported the Obamas will be staying even closer to where we live, near the Marine Corps base, but the street will be secured and we won’t be able to get near it. I am guessing that’s why the location was changed, or never was going to be in Lanikai in the first place.

 

Trivial side note compared to the meaning of the season, but I am afraid I’ll forget my promise to Sam unless I write it down: if you ever find yourself sitting at a triangle table, you can eat like a pirate! (i.e. sit on the table, eat with your hands, throw your plate…) We’re continuing to work on manners…when does it end? 🙂 I’m hoping triangle tables are really as rare as I imagine…

I thought we’d do an easy walk near the ocean today, somewhere that typically gets a lot of sun even in winter, and avoid the major mud-fests we’ve encountered in the mountains lately… We were COVERED in mud by the end of the jaunt! Click on the photo above to join us from the comfort of your dry chair 🙂

Above is Sam, dressed in a “dress-up” shirt with lots of buttons (that he does himself), at a concert – actually a recital at Punahou School. You’ve heard of Punahou – that’s where the President-Elect went. It’s a gorgeous campus, and you’d think it was a small college vs a K-12 school. Anyway – I stay tuned into free music events so I can take the kids often. I saw this chamber music concert (which I later found out was a recital) and decided to go. Fiasco or success, it would be memorable.

Check the album – I’m trying to keep it updated so you can enjoy festivities virtually 🙂 Happy Holidays from Hawai’i!

• Dec 4 – Ben’s first tooth, bottom left
• Dec 10 – crawling!!!
• Dec 11 – pulling to a stand – already??? yikes!
• Dec 12 – second tooth, bottom right!