Mele Kalikimaka 2012

So to keep with our new tradition that we started last year with Cory, we went to the beach on Christmas Eve! I broke out the boogie board and caught a few waves while Linda and Brandon played in the sand. It was a little cold because it was overcast so they didn't get in the water. Cold here is the low 70s - that's when we break out the hoodies with our shorts and slippahs (flip flops).







The next adventure will be learning to surf.  Not sure about that yet but we will see what happens.









Brandon's school also participated in the BYU-Hawaii Christmas Tree lighting ceremony. It is tradition for the school to do their Christmas program in the Cannon Activity Center on campus followed by the arrival of Santa and the lighting of the tree and lights on campus. This year his class sang a song about snowmen so they were all dressed up like snowmen...it's the closest thing we will get to snow here!!!

Brandon was also part of two violin concerts this month. His teacher and her students performed for a group at an assisted living center. They each played a number and then a Christmas carol. At the end, they played a group number in parts. It was the Carol of the Bells. They did a great job.

Brandon has also been helping the teacher that teaches violin after school. They played at a community concert with the Ko'olauloa Children's Choir. Brandon played the harmony for them. They did a good job.

At our ward party this year, we had a visit from Hawaiian Santa in his little hut. It was a lot of fun. He handed out treats to the kids and we all had a fun visit.


We had a visit from our landlords the other day and they told us that their daughter was buying the house we live in and we would have to move. There is no rush but the school is looking for a new home for us.







Since we will be moving from our current house, we were eyeing Hawaiian Santa's hut as a possible new home!!!







It is always great here to see the sky and the beauty it brings. While I was walking to work the other day, as I walked by the temple, I looked above it and there was a beautiful rainbow shooting up into a clear blue sky. I took this picture but it doesn't really do it justice

We also took a trip to town (Honolulu) and went and visited the Sheraton Hotel where they had these two sand carvings. It is amazing what they can do with sand. Sad thing is it all goes away when they build the next  displays and the artist has nothing to show for it but pictures.



This one is Santa and his Hawaiian elves.

This one shows the family opening their presents on Christmas day.













This shows you the size of the sand carvings as Linda and Brandon are standing right next to them.

The most exciting news of the month was the birth of our first granddaughter. Chris and Malley were hoping for a 12/12/12 baby. They went to the hospital that morning but the baby was born early in the morning of 12/13/12. Brandon was hoping for a birthday baby but we figured it was still 12/12/12 in Hawaii so she was still a present for Brandon on his birthday.







Juliette Christina Black was born at 1:11am on 12/13/12. She was 8 pounds 1 ounce and 21 inches long.












Brandon also turned 11 this year and moved from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. He had his crossing over ceremony and received some new scout equipment for Christmas.






Here are some of  his friends that welcomed him into the troop. He is excited to start working to become an Eagle Scout like all three of his brothers.










Here are the lights in the neighbors yard and palm tree. The pictures don't do justice but the lights are really nice.










This is our house. You can't see our palm tree too well but it is lit up on the right side.  It is always fun to see the lights and then the families gathered outside their house having a dinner party for the whole family. Christmas is about families and it is especially so here.







We also had the opportunity to go to the Temple Visitor Center on the Sunday before Christmas and listen to Michael Ballam and his family perform and tell about the history of many of the Christmas Carols.  It was a lot of fun and it was really inspiring and enjoyable.

And we can't leave the Christmas season without showing everyone the flower arrangement Linda put together for us to enjoy during the Christmas season. It is beautiful. She is such an artist. She will be taking a couple of classes next semester here at BYU-Hawaii.




We hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Volcano Visit

In September, Linda and I took a little trip to the big Island of Hawaii. We flew to Kona and spent a couple of days there. The island is very different from Oahu. It has a peak that is about 10,000 feet, live volcanoes, and pretty beaches. We were able to drive out to Volcano National Park.

















We got to the ranger station and Linda was talking with the ranger who stated he was taking a hike out into the restricted area on the volcano floor. He asked her if we would like to join him. We didn't even hesitate to say yes. Then we looked down at our feet and realized we were in flip flops. We looked at the ranger and he said he didn't care if we didn't. So off we went on the hike. It turned out to be about a 4-5 mile hike but well worth it.




















We were standing right on the volcano floor and could feel the steam coming up through the cracks in the lava. The active cone was about 150 yards away and they wouldn't let us get much closer than that.




























We also got to see some very interesting plants that grow on the volcano floor and as they decompose, they start to form the new layer of soil that will become the ground as the volcano cools underneath. It was very interesting.

We also saw Pele's hair which were thin little glass pieces (lava that cooled) that form in the cracks.














Also of interest was the plants that are not native to Hawaii but which are taking over. They would be imported many, many years ago by someone wanting the plant in their yard and then it started to reproduce. Without any enemies in nature, the plants start taking over the forest.











It was also a bit of a rainy day sprinkling here and there throughout the hike but nothing really bad until we were almost at the end of the hike when it started really raining. By the time we got back, we were drenched. Not being used to the elevation of the island, we also were getting really cold. When we got in the car, it showed that it was 59 degrees and we were soaked so we cranked up the heater so we could warm up.

We left the park and started the drive back to Kona. On the way, we dropped down to the Black Beach. It was 72 degrees there so we were warm again. All the sand on the beach was black as it was formed from lava rocks. It was really interesting.















On Saturday morning before heading back to the airport, we drove up to the Kona Temple. It turned out it was fairly close to where we were staying. It is a beautiful temple.

 Of interest this month, you can see that Brandon is really maturing.  We will be buying razors for him soon so that he can take care of that goatee!!!

Back to School and Arrow of Light

August starts out with Brandon going to 5th grade. He is pretty excited about it but more about that later.

August is also the month they bring the Iosepa Canoe out of the Polynesian Cultural Center for it's annual run. It is a large canoe driven exclusively by sails. Students attend class for two semesters to learn to handle the canoe and then get to go out on it. Many locals also engage in the activities. It is sailed around to various ports on the island for different activities and then brought back home and taken out of the water until next year. Here it is anchored at the Hukelau Beach.

Next we had a great activity at the Gunstock Ranch where Brandon and three other boys were awarded their Arrow of Light Awards!

Even though it was a bit breezy that evening, it was nice to see the boys recognized for the highest achievement in Cub Scouts.





Brandon's next adventure was his 5th grade trip to Camp Timberline. It is a high adventure camp for the kids and you would have thought that Brandon grew up in the mountains or something. He flew through the ropes courses and had a blast on Big Red (an obstacle course in the air with a zip line) and in the pool. They also participated in team building exercises and had a great time.

Linda got to go out with them for one day. I was going to join them but that was the first weekend of Woodbadge at Camp Pupukea which I attended this year.










Here is Brandon in his hoodie (it was a bit cold - probably in the low 70s that day) up on Big Red.



Here he is climbing up to the High Ropes Course and going through the course.

Now, remember the Dragon Fruit from an earlier post.  Here are some more pictures of the flower that opens up and blooms for one night and then dies.



































After a couple months, the fruit is ripe and ready to pick and eat. It looks like a huge kiwi but it is either maroon or white inside and delicious.