15 Glimpses of 2015… so far

I know it’s been a long time.  I haven’t written a thing since LAST YEAR!  So here’s a glimpse of what we’ve been up to in 2015, including a few of the days leading up to it.

1. We celebrated Ti’s B-day with Aebelskivers for breakfast and blueberry cobbler with all the neighbors for dessert.  He and I also went to see Handel’s Messiah together.  Just the two of us.  I was so proud of my handsome date.

Titus turns 11

2. All the boys paddled down Alii Drive in their racing outrigger for the Light Parade and won a 2nd place trophy for their efforts.  It was way longer than their usual regattas but I didn’t have to worry about them huli-ing (tipping over) the whole time.

Joel paddling the Keauhou Canoe Club into Light Parade history

3. After living in it’s shadow for 3 1/2 years we finally made the hike to the top of Hualalai.  We’d heard rumors of volcanic craters with parrots in them.  No parrots.  But plenty of seemingly bottomless craters to tumble to your death in.

My guys on top of Hualalai with the Kohala coast line behind

4. Tom took Nate out for his first night-time snorkel with the manta rays and they were both thrilled to have a friend visiting from Hartland join them for their adventure.  I was just thrilled to have my little boy back safe and sound.

Vince, Nate, and Tom heading out for a night swim with the manta rays

5.  Then came the glorious 2-week visit from Oma and Opa.  You have no idea the thrill it is to have family around.

Opa, Oma, and the stars of the “Grandparents Recital”

6. The boys’ dear, sweet piano teacher hosted a recital just for the grandparents.  Of course, we had to invite all the neighbors, too.  What a long-suffering crowd we are surrounded by here.

Sam and Linda’s duet

6.  Gideon.  He makes every minute an event.  As soon as all his older brothers had finished playing he climbed right up on the piano bench like his name was next in the program and pounded away like he’d been practicing all week.

Gideon’s turn

7.  New Year’s Eve in Hawaii.   Every year we walk down to our beach when it gets dark and watch a bunch of old guys light stuff on fire.  Then by 9:00 all our neighbors go to bed but we suffer through another 3 hours playing games until midnight at which time we go outside and light louder stuff on fire in order to wake them all up for the New Year.

Old guys lighting stuff on fire

8. I got my first pedicure.  It was a gift from the dear lady downstairs I help take care of.  A lot of wisdom comes with 90 years and the successful raising of 7 children.  Getting this mama into a day-spa for the first time in her life was certainly evidence of that 🙂

I went in a tired mom and came out a movie star. The boys all wanted me to get red but I had to go with pink just to be rebellious.

9.  Tom and I celebrated our 16th anniversary by utilizing a sweet Cyber Monday deal at the local Hilton.  This could only happen because Tom’s folks were here.  For 3 days and 2 nights we got to live like the wealthy kid-less crowd.  Except we ate peanut butter sandwiches in our room and talked about our kids a lot.

Showing off my toes again and a very relaxed husband.  Paradise indeed.

10. After our anniversary trip we gathered everyone up and headed over to Volcano National Park where I got to enjoy some solitary hikes on rain forested trails like this one.

That bench through there clearly had my name on it

11. We also had a chance to visit the new lava flow in Pahoa.  This is where it crossed the road and took out a house but skirted neatly around the garage.  Even lava has it’s priorities.

That’s the newest rock on Earth folks!

12.  In the winter we do a lot of whale watching but with the recent epic surf we’ve been doing a lot of wave watching as well.  This particular swell lasted several days and just pounded our coastline.  It was like having constant thunder over head and our condo shook like an earthquake every time the waves hit the shore.  Today all was calm and placid again and the whales and dolphins were back out in force.

“The seas have lifted up their pounding waves” Psalm 93:3

13. We’re still enjoying our monthly service with the folks at the nursing home and love seeing our boys grow in their own capacity to encourage others.  This time even Gideon made sure to give everyone a cheery personal greeting right before throwing a fit over not being able to accompany the hymn singing on the piano.

The boys enjoy turning pages for our service at the nursing home and the older ladies enjoy letting them whether they need the help or not 🙂

14. Hockey season is in full swing which means heaps of stinky gear to keep organized.  Congratulations to Dad who helped lead his own men’s team to 1st place!

No gear for Gid yet but he makes good use of his cubby anyway

15.  School’s been back in session for a couple weeks now and bag-pipe lessons start back up tomorrow, so with piano and ukulele and sports and friends and the general rough and tumble activity that comes with boys, it’s just a whirl of noise and mess and motion around here.  That’s life in a manger.  And the year has  only.  just.  begun.

From the oldest to the youngest we’ll be filling 2015 with music and laughter.