Hannah Clare's 1st Haircut

Hannah Clare was quite the princess getting her hair cut for the very first time! She sat so perfectly and really loved the whole experience. In the end, the stylist put powdered glitter and rhinestones in her hair. A video camera is the only thing that would fully illustrate how long she looked into the mirror! A diva in the making...

 

 

 

 

Oh we're going to a hukilau...

A huki huki huki huki hukilau

We throw our nets out into the sea
And all the `ama`ama come a-swimming to me
Oh, we're going to a hukilau
A huki huki huki hukilau

That's right-- Bill and I went to Hawaii. We went to Maui and Kauai for our honeymoon, but this time it was to the BIG Island. Though we missed them terribly, we went without the children and Wow!, it was a 2nd honeymoon. The children stayed home with Nana, Pop Pop, Aunt Kerry and Aunt Kathy. Many thanks to them for allowing us to refresh sans kids!

Some highlights of the trip:

1. Going to the Summit of Mauna Kea. The peak of Mauna Kea is 13,803 feet above mean sea level but 33,476 feet above its base on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. It is the world's tallest mountain by this measure, taller than Mount Everest which is the highest mountain above sea level. So, it was very cold, but the sunset was breathtaking since we were above the clouds. We could even see Maui from the summit! After watching the sunset, we traveled down to 9000 feet and observed the stars with a huge telescope. Scientists, NASA, etc. view this as the best place from which to view the night sky. What a show! I don't think I've ever seen stars like that.

 

 

 

 

2. The beautiful nature at the resort was fantastic. The Hualalai Four Seasons is situated in the perfect spot for catching the season's last sight of Humpback Whales. Everyday we were there, we saw Mother whales with their babies breeching out of the water and slapping their tails. What a sight. Next, the fish, turtles and birds on the resort were easily accesible. Turtles crawled right up next to the beach loungers while we were sunning ourselves. They needed sun too! Another amazing experience was feeding Spotted Eagle Stingrays. Of course we didn't have the camera, but what gentle creatures. They eat right out of your hand and I wished that Liam could have been there for that one!

 

 

 

 

3. Finally, we enjoyed the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. While we were there, the SO2 was very high due to a change in wind direction and lots of activity in the caldera, but we were still able to see craters, lava tubes and active steam vents. Seeing the power of a volcano really makes you want to respect Mother Nature!

Here comes Peter Cottontail!

Liam's class celebrated Easter a week early because we had Spring Break this past week. They all enjoyed the hunt and party.


This past week, we attended a Maundy Thursday dinner at the home of one of Hannah Clare's classmates. The service on the front lawn was very child-centered and special! Yesterday, the children both participated in an Egg Hunt sponsored by the church. The children broke into their eggs and ate the candy almost immediately!










On Good Friday, we colored Easter eggs.











Today, we went to church and Liam looked extra spiffy with his tie (he hated every minute of wearing it and refused to wear a belt). Hannah Clare was beautiful as ever. Happy Easter!