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The following entry was written the morning that we left San Francisco for Honolulu. I would have posted it sooner but we were so busy during our Hawaiian adventure that I decided after the first day to wait to post details and pics until after we arrived home. Bummer for all of you, I know. We are home now (sadly), have collected our kiddos, and are trying our best to move on with life ... kinda hard after the amazing trip we had. I'm going to do a daily recap of our time there so don't worry - you'll see and hear about all of the fun we had :) Until then, enjoy this post that is strictly for my own journaling purposes!!
Happy Friday the 13th!
Yes, I realize that Friday the 13th is not usually associated with good luck - the kind we need after a day like yesterday - but I am confident that later today we will be basking in the sun in Honolulu with our friends who actually made the connection yesterday. Besides … one of the last Friday the 13ths we had was the day Cougar was born … after not being able to get into the hospital to be induced on the 12th. Look how well that turned out! Quick, easy delivery that involved no pushing at all and the perfect baby to boot!
We woke up at 7 AM to take showers and put back on the same clothes we wore yesterday … all day. Not the best way to start but at least we had slept in a bed (for a few hours) and actually got to take a shower. The hotel had toothbrushes and toothpaste that we used once we got to the airport. Glamorous, I know, for a fabulous trip to Hawaii ;) We caught a shuttle back to the airport at 8 and got through security with no glitches. Breakfast was provided by our generous $10 food vouchers from United. We bought a sandwich to share on the plane for lunch, too, since airlines apparently don’t believe that food should be included in your almost $800 plane ticket when you are in flight for 5 hours. We met up with the same group we were traveling with yesterday - all wearing the same clothes. Our “new friend” looked at us and said “nice outfit!” I know she was just hoping she had enough diapers for her 2 year old to make it through another day.
The good news in all of this drama? Our plane boarded on time, pushed back at 10:30 on the dot as scheduled, and we are looking to arrive in Honolulu just before 1 PM, giving us plenty of time to enjoy our day there (thanks to gaining 3 hours in flight)!! Our flight is not jam packed because they actually added an extra flight just for us. Out of 182 seats there were only 92 checked in and 30 getting on standby. We may not have had 5 extra hours on a plane with Mike and Teisha yesterday but we have 8 amazing days of jam packed fun ahead of us once we get there.
The funny part? Our horoscopes in the United Hemispheres magazine said:
Libra (Steve) - Traveling to new destinations has a ring of familiarity. Be flexible with scheduling and expect last-minute changes to be the norm.
Capricorn (Kari) - Last-minute scheduling conflicts require you to be flexible.
Sagittarius (Teisha) - Don’t expect travels to be drama-free.
Aquarius (Mike) - Venture out with friends.
I personally like Mike’s the best and believe we’ll live up to all of them in the next week!
Pictures to come once I get to my other camera .. and actually have something worth taking pictures of! I’m sure pictures of us sitting in the airport in the same clothes 2 days in a row really wouldn’t be that exciting. The main difference in our pictures? The bags and dark circles under our eyes this morning after yesterday. Nothing that a little time at the beach won’t solve this afternoon!!
Well, our less than perfect beginning turned into more of a bad dream - we ended up having to deplane when they couldn't fix the mechanical problems and told us they were bringing in another plane ... that was JUST about to leave Denver - over 2 hours away! The people from United went back and forth trying to figure out what to do with those of us connecting to Honolulu (there were 65+ people on our plane making the connection - most of them teenagers for a soccer tournament). Would they hold the plane waiting for us in SF? Would they be able to find room for us on other planes that were already overbooked? Would they route us through LA or another connector?
Well, they sent the plane waiting for us onto Honolulu with the Marsdens on it while we waited in the airport. Apparently there were 75 people trying to get on that flight standby so I'm sure they were thrilled when there were suddenly 65 seats open! They got us on a flight to SF that left around 8:30 (original time of departure was 3:40). United wouldn't even give us food vouchers while we were stuck in the airport!! They gave them to the soccer players "because they were kids and they didn't have money." Um ... totally disagree!! Those kids were going to play soccer in Hawaii for heaven's sake - and many had their parents with them. They were hardly going without ... most had laptops, iPods, AND cell phones with them. I overheard one girl say her friend went and got a dozen cookies from Paradise Bakery with her voucher because she had already eaten. I would have liked one of those cookies during my LONG airport vigil!!!
So here we sit in San Francisco waiting to catch a flight to our "perfect vacation" tomorrow. United has been acting like they're doing us a favor putting us up in a hotel for the night and giving us a $10 voucher that we can use for breakfast in the airport while we wait tomorrow. Apparently they "upgraded" one of their other Honolulu flights tomorrow to a larger plane that could accommodate the extras from our flight ... thanks for going out of your way to help us!!! Trust me - United will be getting a letter from me after this fiasco!
To top it all off, our carry-on bag has our cameras, laptop, snacks, books, 4 swimsuits, and a cover up. We were told if we wanted to wait and pick up our luggage tonight (rather than having it sent right on to our new flight) it would take 2 hours. Needless to say we are sleeping in our clothes and won't be able to comb our hair tomorrow - really tough on Steve, I know ;) Guess that is our "what to pack in a carry-on" lesson. Good to know since it will probably be another 9 years before we travel again.
Just got a text from the Marsdens - they just landed in Honolulu. I bet the smell of plumeria is amazing. Can't wait to smell it for myself ... tomorrow. We should get there about 16 hours later than originally scheduled. At least we'll get there in time to hit the beach, get in some shopping, sip a tropical drink, and watch the sunset :)
Are you singing along with me?! We are off on the trip of our lives - or at least that’s the plan ;) Things aren’t working out EXACTLY as we had hoped, but I’m sure once we get off the ground things will be perfect (how’s that for positive thinking?)!! This trip has been in the works for over 9 months now so it definitely feels like it is ABOUT TIME!! We took the kids for a vacation with Grammy and Paca so we could take our first “real” vacation since kids came along 9 years ago. We’ve either been in school with no money, just out of school with no money, pregnant, or tied to home with a new baby … the timing just hasn’t been right! Now we are Hawaii bound with so many fabulous things planned that I can hardly contain my excitement.
We are currently sitting on a plane that was supposed to take off almost 2 hours ago. They are trouble shooting some mechanical problems and are hoping to be San Francisco bound in 30 minutes. Let’s hope we get moving soon - my battery power on this laptop is sucked dry in about 30 minutes tops so I’ll be lucky to finish this entry … which is really too bad since we may be here a while and I could be really productive in catching up on our lives the past 6 weeks or so! Our dear friends are already in SFO awaiting our arrival so we can board the plane to Honolulu together. So far they are holding that plane for us to arrive since there are 65 people on this flight getting onto the Honolulu flight. If they put us on another flight it means 5+ less hours we get to spend with the Marsdens … and then they are stuck in Honolulu waiting for us to arrive (since we are the ones with the timeshare reservations)!! Good thing we have the next 8 glorious days with them filled with amazing excursions, lots of sunbathing, fabulous food, people watching, and laughs galore. I’m hoping to check in here along the way to post some pics of our adventures - thank heaven for wi-fi!!
They just announced that they have been unable to fix the A/C problem so far, so they are contacting their chief to see where to go from here - my vote is San Francisco and then onto Honolulu!!! By the time we get there it will be after 2 AM “our” time and since I was up until 3:30 this morning getting packed and ready for us to be gone (my entire house is clean … all the way down to the kitchen floor … ALL at the same time!) I will be one tired girl :) Good thing we’ve got a lazy day of snorkeling, laying on the beach, shopping, and eating planned for tomorrow!
P.S. I would post pics from sitting in the airport but my USB card reader is only sized for an sD card and the card in my P&S camera (which I used for the few pics in the airport … easier) uses a CF card!!! Will take plenty with the “right” camera/card to post once we make it to Hawaii :)
I figured it was time to come up for air and let you know I am, indeed, alive and quite well ... except for the fact that our summer vacation officially began at 10:50 this morning when the girls got out of school. Thank heaven I have Hawaii to look forward to in a few weeks - should keep me going (if swim team every day doesn't)!!
I have so much to post it's overwhelming so I'm going to take it one bite at a time rather than making you sit through a post that could rival a good novel ;) There has been a kid-free, husband free, completely perfect vacation, Ashton's birthday & party, stampers group projects, Mother's Day, swim team practice, a fun mini-album project for a surprise baby shower, our first 100 AND 110 degree days, and a sweet family move into our backyard!! Throw in some church related activities and a few other things at the school, my parents visiting, and trying to actually spend a few minutes with my husband and we've had a busy month! There will be details ... and pictures ... coming soon now that I have "entertainment" for Cougar during daylight hours - otherwise he sits and pinches my arms when I'm on the computer :)
I'll start with posting our most recent family delight ... we have a family of quail living in our backyard!! No idea how they got there (although we're assuming the eggs were laid in our yard and now that they've hatched they're sticking around until they can fly) but we are getting such a kick out of watching them!! Steve first noticed them a few days ago. They hide in the lantana bushes and then wander out onto the pool deck or the grass. We've been able to get a few good pictures of them and even a video clip with Ashton's new camera (will be covered when the birthday is discussed). The girls are so concerned about them. We've had rain the past few days and they have been praying for Heavenly Father to protect them and keep them safe. We got a really good downpour this afternoon which prompted another fervent prayer on their behalf. Within minutes the rain stopped, the sun came out, and all 12 babies, mom, and dad were out playing on the deck!! The girls were thrilled to know that their prayer had been answered and that the family was safe. Brinley said "It's amazing that one little prayer for one simple thing can make such a difference!" How true. Here is our little family playing after the rain storm:
And a few pictures for good measure (and journaling purposes) ... aren't they adorable?!
Thanks for putting up with my absence ... I know how disappointing it can be to see the same post title every day when you are checking ;) I've still got lots to say so come back soon! I'm nearing 100 posts and there will be fanfare! I should hopefully be making the blogging rounds again soon so I can see what all of you have been doing in my time away!
Okay ... so it's not tomorrow but it's less than a week since my last post so I should get some credit, right?! I'm gearing up for some "mommy time off" so I'm trying to make sure the house is ready (aka clean and stocked with food) and the closets and dressers are full of clean clothes ;)
The triathlon that I had trained so hard for is now a thing of the past, but my memories of the training and the actual event are still so fresh ... maybe since I haven't really stopped working out (although I haven't gotten to the pool the way I would like and look forward to biking again tomorrow morning)!! The entire process from the training to the actual event were so great! Tori must have known when she asked if I wanted to do a triathlon that this was exactly what I needed right now. I really only had 6 weeks to train and certainly wish I had had more time but I WILL have time to continue training for my next race (yes, I will ABSOLUTELY do another race this year - if not 2)! I'm looking at a race in September, Thanksgiving Day, and possibly a holiday one in December. Can you say addicted?! Not really by the competition of it all but rather the idea that I pushed myself so far outside my comfort zone and tried something that I never even imagined I would do. I went from despising running (and sucking major wind by 1 mile) to being so proud that I could run for 40 minutes without stopping. Now I look forward to the days I run *GASP* Yes, I said it out loud!! I loved the quiet time I would have with just me and my iPod as I rode my bike in the early mornings while it was still cool outside (relatively speaking). Tori and I had a great time at the pool working on our swimming and enjoying ourselves and marveling at what we were training for. The camaraderie and support from all of the others who were training and competing was truly inspiring. Everyone was willing to share what they were doing, tips they had learned, etc. The whole experience was completely empowering and something I will never forget.
The morning of the 19th was much cooler than I expected. In fact I didn't look forward to having to get out of the pool for fear I would freeze to death! I got to the rec. center around 5:45 A.M. for a 7:00 A.M start. I had been up most of the night with Kendyl who was throwing up - good times the night before the race. Steve was actually getting up with her but I wasn't getting much sleep. I was able to borrow a road bike at the last minute so had to get my pedals onto that bike and get a feel for it before using it in the race. Kinda scary to switch out on race day but that bike helped me shave some major time off of my bike portion and I am now having to save my pennies for a nice road bike (preferably a tri bike) ... my mountain bike from college just won't cut it!! There was plenty of time to stand around and talk to friends about how nervous we were. I got checked in and had my number - 31 - written on both arms and legs. Sure made reality set in!! There were 49 people who were racing which was such a great number ... especially considering I knew 80% of them! Made it a very comfortable situation since so many of us were 1st timers :) They started the swim at 7:00, sending one swimmer every 15 seconds. After the first 25 people they took a 2 minute break before starting the next group. The actual race itself is kind of a blur considering how long and hard I had trained for it, but it was exhilarating and fun - I tried to enjoy every minute of it! Those were my main goals in the race ... to finish (and run the entire thing) and have fun. I succeeded in both! The run was very hard for me that day (considering I came down with stomach flu that afternoon I was just very thankful to have finished) because I hadn't practiced transitioning from the bike to the run as much as I needed to, but I ran and didn't stop which is what I wanted to accomplish. Here is a glimpse of what my race day looked like:
Steve went out and bought posterboard the night before and helped the girls make signs to hold up along the race route. He also made one for Cougar ;) It was so fun to see them cheering me on from the sidelines!! I can't count the number of times they told me how awesome I did and how proud of me they were that day. It meant the world to me. They finally understood what I had been spending so much time getting ready for! Here is what my cheering section looked like (including a pic of me and Tori at the finish line):
Now, I didn't expect to be "competitive" in this race - and I wasn't - but I was happy with my time. Really, I was happy to have finished!! I finished the race in 55 minutes 54 seconds coming in 19th out of 49. I now have more training and races to look forward to and I'm excited to continue on. This race was a "mini" sprint triathlon so my next race will be longer ... I look forward to the challenge :)
Don't bother telling me this boy and his new haircut are not the cutest thing in the world ... I won't believe you!!
Had to post my layouts for the first week of class. The first one is the sample LO that Jessica created in the video lesson ... basically copy and learn the tasks. This lesson was WAY more complex than some of my previous lessons and it took me much longer to complete ... about 2 1/2 hours!! We learned to:
Create complex shapes with the Photoshop shape and marquee tools
Use compound shapes to create clipping masks
Create straight scalloped edges on patterned paper
Add "pop" to a photo with a colored overlay
Wrap ribbon around objects
"Hang" a tag from ribbon
Create compound masks for a single sheet of patterned paper
Create a semi-transparent journaling block with shaped text in it AND
Recolor textured items on their own layer
The second one is our "challenge" LO for the week. We were supposed to create it ourselves using several techniques from the lesson and including different criteria that we choose. It was definitely a challenge ... I have such a hard time choosing what papers and embellishments to use ... but I was happy with the way it came out and was thrilled to remember how to do some of the tasks on my own!!
You are witnessing one ... a new post after FAR too long!! I won't begin to bore you with all of the reasons I haven't had/made the time to post lately. Let's just say my plate is full and I don't always do the best in the balancing act department ;) It's been PTA meetings, church meetings, digiscrapping class, helping out where needed in other areas, and did I mention I'm training for a triathlon?! I keep thinking "once I get _____ done then things will slow down so I can breathe." Unfortunately by the time I finish one thing it is on to another. The good news is that things are going well and getting accomplished!!
We have Stake Auxilliary Leadership Training coming up next week so we are busy planning for that. I got lucky and don't have to speak so I'm getting to do the fun stuff like invitations (which are already in the mail ... should have arrived today or tomorrow), creating notebooks and matching pens for the YW presidencies, and creating a sample notebook to help the leaders train their young women to be leaders themselves. All of it is time consuming but enjoyable - far more than having to prepare a talk (sorry, S)!!
Bigger than that meeting is the fact that my adorable baby boy is turning 1 on Sunday!! I can't believe a whole year has passed since that sweet little boy came to our home. Life has been enriched in so many ways in the past year and it has been so fun to see my girls shower our little guy with love. He is going for his first haircut tomorrow so he looks extra handsome for his birthday pics ... you know I'll be posting plenty!!
Onto triathlon news ... the race is a week from this Saturday and I am starting to get really nervous about the whole darn thing!! I feel like I have been training pretty hard for it - haven't missed a day (except for taking weekends off) for over a month now. Then I talk to others who are training and feel there is no way I will be ready by the 19th!! I am running 3+ miles consistently now without feeling like I will die. I've run the actual 3.2 miles outside a few times now and actually can't believe I can do it ... it is such an accomplishment for me!! I almost feel silly thinking about how proud of myself it makes me since I know that is such a little thing for many, but it is BIG for me and it makes me feel so good to think how far I've come in my running in such a short amount of time. I even ran the whole thing pushing a DOUBLE jogger with Kendyl AND Cougar in it the other day (with a potty break in the middle for Kendyl)!! I really need to work on transitioning from the bike to running the rest of this week and next ... and getting from the pool to dressed and on my bike. The photos of this event should be pretty entertaining ;) Hopefully Steve can get some good ones while trying to juggle 4 little ones cheering their mom on!
The airline we bought out tickets to Hawaii on (for our trip this summer) filed bankruptcy this week and canceled all of their flights, leaving us scrambling for tickets before prices skyrocketed due to the higher demand. We've had to file a claim with our credit card company but should be getting our money credited within 6-8 weeks. We actually got lucky and saved $150 with our new tickets ... even though we are now on a red-eye flight home rather than returning at a reasonable hour :(
My newest digital scrapbooking class started last Monday and it is beyond amazing. It is called Digi: In Deep and that is exactly what it is!!! I can't even begin to list the things I've learned in the first 2 lessons. It is challenging, exhilarating, frustrating, and empowering all at the same time! It is pushing me to try so many things I never would have imagined and is teaching me ways to do things in Photoshop that I never would have thought to try. Jessica is such a fabulous teacher and her resources and videos are worth way beyond what I've paid to take any of her classes. She'll be starting a new session of all her classes, starting with her beginning class, in May if you want to dive in. My newfound knowledge and relationships I've built through taking her classes have changed my life.
Okay, okay ... I'll wrap it up ... that is the drawback of not having posted for 2 weeks - You get all of the mish mash ramblings of my life in one long-winded post!! Thanks for hanging in there waiting for something new. Now if I could just get around to creating the new header and blog look that I've been itching to work on ... maybe after the race and my class ends ;)
After traveling for what seemed FOREVER we were thrilled to land in Honolulu to find our luggage already taken off of the belt and waiting for us - I guess that's the kind of service you get when your luggage arrives before you do (since it actually MADE the flight that you were supposed to be on)! Some of my favorite things I saw at the airport were these:
