Author Archives: Reb

Dinner Al Fresco

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DSC_0340So the other night I suggest we eat dinner outside. The kids jumped right on it. We NEVER eat out on our lanai and it’s a shame. Unfortunately I am SO unhappy with my backyard/lanai that I just don’t use it like I would like. I canNOT grow grass… The green you see up there? Mostly weeds and some groundcover. The red dirt is everywhere and Bowser tracks it up on the cement lanai and makes it all dirty and when he runs back and forth the dirt gets all over the and chairs so I have to hose them off. (First world problems, amiright?) We I finally decided it was going to be worth it, I made a delicious pesto chicken dinner, Mckenna cleaned off the patio furniture and set the table, and we had a nice relaxing meal out there. Well until Bowser realized that now everyone’s food was at eye level for the first time (we eat at a counter height table). I even enjoyed a cup of coffee out there when was over, the lanai is great, there is even a ceiling fan. If I could only grow grass I would be a happy camper!

(Also citronella candles, those mosquitoes were annoying!)

 

Trouble in Paradise

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It’s not all aloha here in Hawaii. Unfortunately I had to deal with that last night. Someone broke into my car and swiped my GPS.

Theft is one of the downside to living here. There are a lot of cars broken into, items stolen from porches, bags swiped at the beach, you get the idea. I have been pretty conscious about what I leave in my car and house security. The only thing in my car worth taking was my gps, I don’t even keep a garage door opening in there because I don’t want someone to break into my car and then be able to break into my house.

It just sucks to have your stuff stolen and I’ve probably been lucky that this is the first time I ever remember having something stolen and having to file a police report. Seriously, I was SO nervous to dial 911! Honolulu PD doesn’t have a non-emergency line…

Also having your car alarm go off at almost 11pm is not good for your heart. I ignored it for a few seconds then got up and peeked out my window and saw it was MY car… run downstairs to grab the keys and call security to have them walk to my car with me. I should have just called HPD then but honestly I didn’t really think someone had done anything, maybe kids bumping it or something? I don’t know. I wasn’t thinking I guess. Security came and walked me out to the car and after checking inside see my gps is missing (it was in the center console)… Sucks for me, now I am gps-less and this island has some tricky spots!

What also sucks is the fact that I normally park right in front of my house under a street light, last night there was someone in my spot so I parked across the street in a shadowing dark parking spot. Both the security guy and one of the police officers mentioned that they always see my car parked in that same spot in front of my house. Guess it was the wrong day to change up parking places!

Update:

OMG, I think I found my stolen GPS on craigslist! I can’t wait to call the police tomorrow. I am 95% certain it’s mine.

You know you are in Hawaii when…

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You see feral chickens in the Walmart parking lot…

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Easter!

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Easter1These probably need no explanation. There was basket hunting. (Does everyone not do this? I always did this growing up… You have to find your basket!)

Easter2Fun treats from Mimi like the hatching dinosaur and the wierdo marshmallow rabbits. Because my family is really weird, these bunnies may have had a cameo during our Skyping. Along with Dove rabbits… The marshmallow rabbit tragically met it’s end in the microwave. Wow this sounds really demented as I type it out, but it entertained us all!

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Full disclosure… the egg hunting and dying took place on Monday, the day after Easter! I know! What a holiday fail! But the kids were happy and we just ran out of time during the weekend! Also, I just filled the eggs with candy they received ON Easter. But they REALLY did not need anymore candy!Easter3That picture in the lower left corner, she was just cheesing and had NO clue the egg was right next to her head. Walked past it TWO more times after that!

We had my awesome friend Cat over for dinner with her three darling kiddos who we just love!

Easter5I was making a big dinner anyways, I cannot cut my holiday meals down in size!

Also my wonderful friend brought me the bestest hostess gift! (Please ignore my goofy face and grainy ipod photo!)

photo (13)I have a new favorite wine. Seriously. Yum.

Wonderful Easter Sunday with some pretty great people!

 

 

 

 

 

Ko’Olina Lagoons

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Well the kids are finally back in school for their two day school week, but I wanted to share some more of our fun Spring Break adventures… On Monday we hit up Ko’Olina Lagoon, specifically #4 near the marina.

These lagoons are all man made but it makes for some great swimming for the kids. The water is nice and calm and there is a nice reef right outside the lagoon to keep the critters out. Unsuccessfully, there was a 4 foot reef shark spotted in here last week! No sharks for us, we did get a quick glance of a honu or green sea turtle. He was too fast for me to snap a picture.koolina

Yes the water is really that beautifully clear. And it was hot and sunny the entire time we were there, getting updates from all our Honolulu friends who were getting a downpour and my Virginia family who was getting snow! koolina1Shortly after I took the picture of our beach site I got reprimanded for having a tent up. I forgot that I am not too fond of this beach. Lots of rules, no umbrellas or tents, which is crazy because this is over on the west side which is the hottest side of the island! We did get to glimpse the cutest baby octopus ever! I don’t know how they even saw him in the water!

 

King Kamehameha’s Summer Palace Ruins Hike

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Oh my goodness. This hike was killing us. This was our THIRD time trying to find the trailhead and thankfully this time we actually found it!

I cannot recommend this hike enough, it is a very short hike and leads to an amazing set of ruins. I would just caution to not walk on them or disturb them because the walls are crumbling.

First things first: How to get there. Once again this is another hike of Nu’uanu Pali Dr. off of Pali Highway. Park near the Water Supply building and head up the road just a bit. You should see a gap in the bushes like so:

ruins1Continue on the trail, do NOT take the first left at the big tree, that will loop you around and take you back to the road. Head straight until you see a large path to the left while you are in the bamboo forest. The trail should start to climb a bit. You should start seeing lovely stone walls around you… This is good, you are headed the right way!

All of a sudden you should see this beauty in front of you:

ruins2Ten thousand people here for a luau?! Can you even imagine? I would have LOVED to be at that party.

ruins3It’s sad to see these ruins so neglected. When I was looking online for information about them, it said by the 1870s, just 30 years after the famous luau, they were already ruins. The history of these islands and their rulers is fascinating to me… I keep joking that I am going to start sitting in on Hawaiian studies classes at the University so I can keep learning!

If you have a time to fit this hike it, I recommend it. It should take no more than 10-15 minutes to hike in and would make for a great picnic or photo background location. I think there may also be another waterfall tucked away in here, but that is another hike for another day!