New House - 14 Oct

The big day finally arrived and we started our move into our new house.

The house is located on the Makalapa Compound across from Pearl Harbor Naval Base and the Arizona visitor's center.  The house is an old shaded neighborhood and a half mile from Chuck's office.  It was built in 1942 and restored about a year and a half ago.

Here it is.

No garage, but a two car carport with interesting canvas shades on three sides.  They are opened and closed through ropes and pulleys.  Very nautical.

Backyard.

Lanai.

Den and playroom looking out back.  As with the last five places we've lived the couch and love seat don't fit again.  Might have to finally breakdown and replace.  Ouch.

There is no central AC so the house has split AC.  Each room has it's own unit built into the top of a wall.  You can see the unit in this room just to the left of the door.  They are actuated via remote control.  

Some features from it's pre-AC days - windows that open from the guest bedroom to the stairwell.

Ah, the fun of moving.  Storage is a little tight so we're crossing our fingers this stuff will fit.

Making Grandparents shiver - a young family with a garage full of moving boxes.

Come visit sometime.

Trip to Kauai - Columbus Day Weekend

We spent a quick 48 hours on Kauai to check things out.

Can't get the pictures off one of my cameras, so this post is a little lacking for our better pictures.  I'll try to update it when I fix my camera.  

Chuck had a four day weekend so we flew out early Friday morning for the town of Lihue.  We spent the afternoon roaming the eastern and northern sections of the island before finally making our way back to our hotel in Lihue.  

Checking out one of the hidden beaches on the northeastern coast.

That evening we attended the Smith Family Luau which is apparently a big event on Kauai. Smith family doesn't sound too Hawaiian, but they go back a good five generations.  The event was very well put together and everyone enjoyed their first of no doubt many luaus (boys call them lulus). 

Chuck and the boys checking out the Polynesian flora and fauna.

One of the Tahitian dances during the show.

We got up Saturday morning to a torrential downpour and made our way over to Blue Hawaiian Helicopters hoping the rest of the island wasn't as socked in.  It was and they canceled.   Oh well.  Trip got less eventful and a whole lot cheaper.  

Undeterred, we drove up the Waimea Valley, the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific" and the supposed highlight of the helicopter flight to see if we could get a glimpse for ourselves.  We couldn't.  

This was the best view of Waimea Canyon we came across....

or maybe this was.  Hard to say.  It was raining so hard I used the waterproof camera for these shots.

Still in the rain we made our way to the town of Poipu for some lunch and the rain finally stopped.  So, back to the hotel pool.  

Boys had a good time in the shallow, sandy bottomed kids pool.  

With the overcast and windy weather it wasn't warm.  Andy stayed in the pool until he his lips turned purple.

Zach scores the window seat on our return early Sunday morning.  We'll attempt a reattack on Kauai.

Quiet Weekend

Not much happening this weekend.  

On Friday Andy was honored as a Star Keiki at school for his birthday last month.  

Star Keiki at morning Flag Ceremony.

He also had his golf lesson on Friday afternoon.  We did better this time after a shaky start on lessons 1 and 2.  So far, tennis lessons are greatly preferable to golf lessons.  No doubt Grandmother implanted something in the subconscious.  

Unhappy this is not putt putt.

On Saturday Zach had his first soccer practice at Pearl Harbor.  This practice was very Aloha as the coach apparently lost or forgot the soccer balls.  Zach rarely worries about details and had a good time anyway.  

The Dude.

Post practice carb recovery.

It has come to light Zach has a new 'special' friend at school.

Weekend of 26 - 27 Sep

Out and About for the Weekend.

Not a lot happening.  The Army offered us a house last week and we went by Saturday to take a look.  It's located on Ft. Schafter about halfway between Pearl Harbor and Honolulu. House is fine in a Hawaii sort of way (actually designated for O-6s) and the commute is good so unless the Navy pulls a rabbit out of its hat we may be living Army style.  

On Sunday we hit up the lagoons of the Marriott resort in Ko 'Olina on the leeward side.  

Check out new video on the right hand column for a quick video of the day (With Sea Turtles!)---------->>>

The lagoons are all manmade and open to the public.  Very nice swimming.  

Hawaii is apparently vacation spot #1 for the Japanese.  This was the third JAL 747 to fly over in less than 30 minutes.

And this was the third Japanese wedding party we saw getting pictures on the beach.

Chuck getting geeky again with the tropical fish.  That's a Hawaiian White Spotted Toby which is endemic to Hawaii.

The crew.  The boys were freezing with the breeze.

After lunch we headed over to Ford Island for some bike riding.  

Hickam AFB Airshow - 19 Sep

The Thunderbirds made the trek to O'ahu for the Hickam AFB open house.  The boys went to another Thunderbirds show back in Montgomery, but they were below the age of situational awareness.

This show was good for little ones.  The Thunderbirds were the only flying demonstration so it was short and it wasn't oppressingly hot like airshows in the Southeast.

Chuck and the boys in front of the new F-22A Raptor.  Maybe one of the boys will fly this in 20 years and say, "gaaaah, this technology is so 2009!"

Chuck was trying to recreate a picture from his youth of him in front of a CH-53D like this one right after getting a ride in it.  Andy refused to cooperate.  We put Zach in front of it by himself but when he turned around and looked at it he got really scared.

For some reason the boys thought the slow pass was the neatest.

Zach begins his walkaround of the Galaxy.

Do you really need to chock a C-5?

Daddy says if you're not dirty after a preflight, you're not doing it right.

The big one next to the big one.

Zach has recently found his inner-rhythm (obviously from Kim's side) and the Thunderbirds had plenty of music in their show.

Andy's Birthday Party

Andy had a few friends over to the Tiki mini-golf "complex" at Kaneohe Marine Corps Base.

The party featured unlimited bumper boats and putt-putt.

Bumper boats have built in squirt guns.  Everyone got soaked.

Electrically powered squirt guns and nonstop collisions.  Couldn't be better.

Million dollar putts require lots of discussion.

Andy and his buddies Ethan and Julio.  Off camera is Diego.

Clifford was the theme.  Mr. Dan sets up a tradewind shield.

Presents!  There's Diego.  Thanks everyone!

Andy Turns 5!

Big Boy!  

9/11/09 Andy turns 5.

He had a special day  at school.

He got to be the broadcaster during the morning flag ceremony.  He told everyone his name was Andy, it was his birthday, he was five today and his Mom said he couldn't open his presents until 4:30. 

After library Ms. Hohnstein announced it was Andy's birthday and there was a special snack outside.

Kim made the class snacks which they ate out on the lanai.

Chuck got to visit from work.

That night we opened family presents.  Very excited.

Birthday cupcake.  His big cake is for the friends party tomorrow.