Thought this would be a great hike to start with on my blog

Sunday, February 5, 2012

I really have not kept up with this blog like I'd hoped. I am thinking I'd love to start it up again and start sharing about some of the hikes we have been doing with our little family and some of our awesome friends here. The past few months we have been doing quite a bit of hiking on the island. We probably have about 6 months left living here and we are trying to make the best of it. Today, we had a really fun day.
This morning my husband had to go into work and was going to miss the hike we had planned to go on today. I got myself and Lukas's things ready for the hike in a backpack and then made us both breakfast and got us ready for his basketball game. He played great, like usual. For a 5 yr old, he's pretty good defense. I got a text from my husband during the game letting me know he was off of work. Yea! That meant he could go on the hike after all. We went with 8 others on this hike, much thanks to our friend who got a permit for us to legally enjoy it (It's on private land and is illegal to hike without a permit. Not very many people know about this hike.)
The first trail took us to Lulumahu Falls. First, we walked through a bamboo forest and then through a more tropical rain forest area. Lots of trees, beautiful green plants, rocks, and of course stream crossings. We had to climb over big boulders in a few places. It was well worth it to see Lulumahu Falls and it really wasn't that long of a hike. It was just making sure we were going in the right direction and didn't get off track.


After finding Lulumahu Falls, we went back to the road where we started, took a left, walked a little ways down until we came to an opening in the greenery on the side of the road. Again we walked through some bamboo. We came to a fork and went left, rather than straight. Left took us to King Kamehameha III's Summer Palace ruins (AKA Kaniakapupu). It's a beautiful spot. I can definitely see why a King would choose to build there. We did explore a little and followed a nearby trail with markers to a deer stand (not sure they are called that here since there aren't deer here, ha...maybe it's a boar stand?). We turned back around and after sharing a coconut, we headed back to that fork we came to earlier.



We decided to go the way we hadn't checked out at the fork because we were told there was a small waterfall. So we hiked to the waterfall and took a few pictures before heading back to our vehicles. We were all pretty tired, especially the kids, who were quite the little troopers!





Originally, we had also planned on finding another waterfall we have been interested in but weren't able to do so today. After we got home, I did a little more research and now I know how to get to that waterfall. Hopefully in a few weeks I will be posting a new blog about the hike to those falls with pics to show for it :)

Fall

Monday, October 25, 2010

Hello again blog world. It's fall and we've been enjoying it around here lately. Friday, Lukas and I went to a fall festival on base with friends. Saturday, we went to the pumpkin patch. Sunday we carved pumpkins. I cannot wait to take my little guy trick or treating. We are also getting ready for my husband to deploy. It will be his first deployment since before Lukas was born. I'm hoping all goes well and that Lukas will handle it well.

Hello Blog. Long time, no see.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

I feel like I have really neglected my blog. I would like to get back into the hang of things. Plenty has happened since my last post. I'll try to just name the most significant things.

I had to take a very last minute trip back home to Louisiana because my grandmother fell very ill. It was a very bittersweet trip but it felt good to be able to say goodbye. I got there and my parents drove us straight to the hospice where she was. She said my name when she saw me and kept saying "I love ya." and cried. That was on Tuesday, May 25. I went back for a couple of more visits. Saturday, May 29 was my last visit with her. I brought my sister Katie and my son that visit b/c Katie hadn't seen her recently and I knew she needed to. My grandmother was asleep and her breathing did not sound good. My son grabbed my sister's hand and pulled her out of the room. I turned around and my aunt and I looked at my grandmother and she had stopped breathing. She was gone. The most beautiful, most inspiring woman I'd ever known gone. Just gone but not forever because we shall meet again. She was 91 yrs old. She lived a long life and she lived a great life.

This doesn't seem nearly as significant as saying goodbye to my lovely grandmother but it is an accomplishment for me. I finished my 1st semester towards my degree in Paralegal Studies this week with a 3.6 grade average.

Not much has changed with me and my little family here in Hawaii. Lukas keeps growing up more and more everyday. My husband will be deploying in a few months but for now we are enjoying the time we have together.

Been such a LONG time

Thursday, March 25, 2010

It has been way too long since I last blogged. Plenty has happened, I'm sure. Probably way too much to put here so I will talk about recent happenings and such. My little Lukas had to have his tonsils and adenoids out at the beginning of the month just before my 28th birthday. He did really well and he no longer seems to be struggling to breathe at night and no more snoring. It's taking me some getting used to because he was such a loud breather at night before. It has made a huge difference and it's such a relief to have it over with. So it's been a little over 3 weeks since his surgery and he already had to return to the hospital Monday for some stitches after a fall :( I'm glad is okay! He is supposed to have the stitches taken out tomorrow. Should be fun...not! He will most certainly put up a fight.

In other news, I'm an online college student. I have returned to school to receive an Associate's degree in Paralegal Studies. I would really rather be going into criminal investigation but maybe sometime further in the future. My dream is to work on and help solve cold cases someday but for now I'm just trying to get a little degree so I can get a decent job when the little one starts school.
Here are some pictures from around the house. Happy Spring Time!

October

Sunday, October 11, 2009

So far, October is going okay. I broke my foot, we got a new dog, lots of appointments, decorating for Halloween...that's what is going on here. I go to a neurologist on Tuesday for my dizziness and blurred vision episodes. Next week the dog goes to the vet and the week after I go back to the orthopedic surgeon for my foot. Right now we are in the process of decorating a little bit for Halloween. I'm hoping to take Lukas to the pumpkin patch sometime soon. If we don't make it there, I guess we will just buy a pumpkin from the grocery store. The past few days, Lukas has had a little bit of a cold but he seems okay otherwise. Other than actually taking naps, he's been his normal little self. The dog is doing pretty good too other than a few accidents in the house here and there. I'll try to update after my neurologist appointment if I find anything new out.

No more crutches! Yay! :)

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

This morning I had an appointment with the orthopedic surgeon for my foot. It went well. They gave me a boot to walk around in so no more crutches. This makes me very happy. I even conquered grocery shopping with Lukas all by myself today. It was great :) It's so nice not to have to hop and hobble everywhere. It was only a week on crutches but it felt so much longer because of all of the trouble my son kept getting into. He was quite a stinker last week and over the weekend. We are loving our new puppy dog too. She is so sweet. She just hangs out with me on the couch and takes little puppy naps.

I also went blonde over the weekend. It was time for a change again.

A puppy dog and a broken foot

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

I think it's definitely time to blog. Sunday was quite a day for us! We found a doggy :) Her name is Harley and she is so cute. Unfortunately, while I was taking her for her first walk, I stepped off of the curb and broke my foot! Yes, I broke it. Luckily, Harley is a sweet little lap dog and hangs out on the couch with me.

Might Be Adding to the Family ;)

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

This weekend we decided we are ready to make a new addition to the family. Maybe not exactly what you are thinking but we want a puppy dog. We've decided we want to try to find a silky terrier or a yorkie...or possibly a hybrid mix with one of the two or both. I have always wanted a dog but have horrible, horrible allergies. I actually held a silky terrier and spent a little time with one at a pet store over the weekend and wasn't bothered at all by him. There's no way we were spending what the store wanted for him. So the search is on for the perfect dog for our family. I'm hoping to find one to adopt soon but don't want to rush into it.

Meanwhile, I finally got an appointment with a neurologist but don't go until October. Speaking of October, Halloween will be here before we know it! I think I'm going to dress Lukas as a pirate again (he was a pirate for his first halloween) because he is really good at saying, "Arr!" haha! Heck, and if we find a dog before then, we'll dress him/her up too!

Update & the Weekend

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

I went back to the doctor yesterday to go over my labs and to have my blood pressure checked again. Everything was in normal range so now I just have wait and go to the neurologist. If the neurologist says everything is good, then it's back to an ENT dr to see about getting my ear drums repaired. Again, not much of an update but it is what it is.

Well, the weekend went pretty well. On Saturday morning we went garage saling. We found a great deal on a Thomas the Train table plus lots of tracks, trains, and other pieces, all in great condition. I also got a few extremely cheap wall decor pieces :) I love garage sales, thrift stores, etc. I'm hoping to do it again this weekend. Saturday afternoon, we went to Waimea falls with our neigbors. Sunday, I got a lots done around the house. Laundry, cleaning, rearranging, decorated a little, etc.

A truely beautiful woman.

Friday, August 28, 2009

I really want to write about my grandmother and what an amazing person she is. I am so blessed to be her granddaughter and to have her in my life. She is the greatest role model I have ever known. She is a true Christian woman and I have always looked up to her. My grandmother showed me how to really trust in God. She is beautiful both inside and out. She is so close to God, I hope I can get nearly so close. I'm working on it. She's traveled many places. She raised 6 children and was a wonderful wife to my grandfather. She has always been very active in the church. She was one of the first women to do the readings in Catholic church. She volunteered with the church, bringing Communion to the Nursing Homes and she would bring me along sometimes when I was a little girl. I never minded going and I admired her so much for it all. I remember spending the night at her house and we'd always go to the mall and she'd buy me an outfit. She survived the death of her husband, a stroke almost 4 yrs ago, and the death of her son, my Uncle Johnny. My Uncle Johnny was her baby. He had Down's Syndrome and passed away just last January. Having a son of my own, I know that had to be the hardest thing for her.
A few weeks ago, my grandmother suffered another stroke. She seemed to be doing better shortly after and was transferred from the hospital to a rehabilitation center. Unfortunately, she started having problems and was transferred back to the hospital, where she is now. Everyone seems to think this is the end and she is asking God to take her home. Only God knows if it's the end for sure but I wish that I could be there to hold her hand and tell her I love her.
I have lost other relatives and it's been difficult not being able to be there to say goodbye but this is so much worse. This is my beautiful grandmother, who I have looked up to all of my life. I am going to miss her so much. I don't want to go through this and I don't know how to. I just keep reminding myself that God will get me through it.

6 Years of Marriage

Monday, August 24, 2009

Yep, today is our 6th Wedding Anniversary. We had a fun family day together. I packed us some lunch and we went on a nice hike up a mountain. I barely could make it up and honestly I decided not to go all the way up because I had one of my dizzy spells up there but I got so very close. Even though I decided it was best that I not go any further up, we got to see some incredible views of Kailua, Kailua Beach, and Lanikai Beach. After our hike, we went to Kailua Beach to cool off in the water and have lunch. Lukas got wiped out pretty good by a wave and he was done after that. He fell asleep in the car on the way home. The poor little guy had a rough weekend (Saturday, he got stung on his little hand by a bee--whom he showed who was boss by smacking it into the pavement with his hand).

Time for a little Update

Saturday, August 22, 2009

I think it's about time for an update since I finally went back to the doctor. My appointment went well and I have a good dr (nothing like the one at my last appt). There are a number of things that could be causing my dizziness and the blurred vision. I got some labwork done and my dr is sending me to a neurologist b/c he is concerned about the blurred vision I had a few times. So, I guess this isn't really much of an update but it's what is going on. We have to narrow this down. The dizziness could still be caused by my ears and may need to go ahead and have surgery to have my eardrum repaired...the dr said, even w/surgery that there is a possibility I could just have dizziness for the rest of my life. I also had elevated blood pressure today so he wants to keep an eye on that. Hopefully, nothing serious is going on.
Meanwhile, Lukas has started going to daycare/school a few times a week and he loves it! We are still working on potty training but I'm not pushing it too much because I know he will eventually get it on his own. Tomorrow, I am going to try to get him signed up for swim lessons :)

Dr's Appt-no answers

Friday, July 17, 2009

I hate complaining about people but here I go, I guess. I did say I'd update after my doctor's appointment yesterday. It did not go well at all. The dr focused on only one of my symptoms and ignored the rest. He just focused on the dizziness and decided that it was a side effect from my b.c. pill and sent me home with a refill of it! So I still don't know where the headaches, blurred vision, and tiredness came from. He did go back and look at my past labs and said my thyroid is good, cholesterol good, and he said no diabetes. I don't know where he got results for diabetes because last time I was checked for that was when I was pregnant with Lukas. I left very frustrated and confused. I don't know whether to make another appointment or to just ignore my symptoms since this dr didn't seem the least bit concerned. I really do not like going to the doctor for myself so it really irritates me when I go and get absolutely nothing out of it.

My Health

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

So, I finally made a doctor's appointment for myself. I go in tommorow. I am still having dizzy spells, sometimes blurred vision, headaches, and I get really tired. I have been avoiding it and didn't know why. I know there's a good possibility that I could be diabetic. I'm so scared I'll have to give myself insulin shots. I'm not afraid of getting shots and I have tattoos but thinking of giving myself a shot really freaks me out. I know I can deal with it if I have to but I admit that I am scared of everything that could come with this. I just went on the diabetes website and read up some more on it. That's when I realized that I was scared. I know I need to find out sooner than later or I could really risk my health.
Yesterday, started off pretty good. I got up, got dressed, had breakfast, and tidied up around the house while Lukas slept in. Then when Lukas got up, I fed him breakfast and got him ready to go. We went to the thrift store and I found some picture frames, a skirt and shirt for myself, and a puzzle book for Lukas. Then we went to the grocery store and then I hauled all of the groceries upstairs and put them away. After that, we had lunch. After that, like so many other days, I got so tired and all I could do was just lay down on the couch while Lukas was destroying our living room. Then when I finally felt like I could make myself get up, I had a horrible headache. My husband gave me some excedrin when he got home from work and all it did was make me jittery. Yesterday, made me realize that I really shouldn't keep going on like this. Not just for me but for Lukas. It's not fair to him that mommy has no energy.

Eating Healthier, Getting in Shape-Got any healthy recipes?

Friday, July 10, 2009

I am trying to eat healthier and get in shape. I need some more motivation to be more active! I have a wii fit and want to start working out more often. I just have the worst time sticking with stuff. I'm trying to find healthier foods to eat which isn't easy for a picky eater like myself. One thing I've started to realize that I really like is fresh sliced pineapple. Yummy! I used to think I hated pineapple but it is so good. I didn't know how to cut a pineapple so I found this website http://www.howtocutapineapple.com/ Pretty simple, right? Ha, I thought so. It really wasn't as difficult as I thought it would be. As long as you have a sharp knife, things go well. I do still have all of my digits.

I also love putting this with fruit (had it on a blueberry kashi go lean waffle w/fresh blueberries for breakfast):
8 oz fat free cream cheese
1 cup powdered sugar
8 oz fat free cool whip

I put the cream cheese in the microwave for 30 secs-1 min and then mix the powdered sugar in. Then fold the cool whip into the mixture. Great with grapes, blueberries, pineapples, etc. It's sooo good. I actually got it from a grape salad recipe that my stepmom-in-law gave to me.


If anyone else has any yummy healthy recipes, let me know! I've been doing smoothies, tuna and crackers, and fruit. I need more ideas.

Pics from 4th of July Weekend

Pretty Flowers and a Rockstar

There are now flowers in my flower bed. Let's see how long they live. I've also added some river rocks to it since taking pics. I have never really had a garden of any kind. I used to help my mom with her garden on rare occassions when I was growing up. That is about the extent of my very vast gardening experience. While I was planting my lovely flowers, Lukas rode his big wheel and his 4 wheeler. While he was riding around, every once in awhile he would yell something out. I kept trying to figure out what he was saying and I was almost sure that he was yelling, "Poptart!". I thought he was saying poptart until today. I finally realized he was yelling out, "Rockstar!" I cracked up! haha! The other day, probably about a week ago, I asked Lukas if he was a rockstar and he replied with a big, "Yeah!" What a cute little rockstar I have. He's the coolest!

4th of July Weekend

Monday, July 6, 2009

We had a nice 4th of July weekend. Friday, we went to Hanauma Bay (one of our favorite spots) with friends, got some yummy shaved ice, and then later had dinner at Buca Di Beppo's. Saturday, the 4th, we went to the Dole plantation, enjoyed going through the maze and taking a ride on the train. Lukas was so excited to ride the train that he was screaming and jumping up and down for joy. Sunday morning I made pancakes for breakfast and we cleaned house. We went to the store and bought some gardening supplies. Then I made some red beans and rice for dinner. It was my first time making red beans and rice so I was happy that it turned out pretty good. My husband ate 2 bowls so I figure it was either really good or he was really hungry. After dinner, we cleared out my flower bed and my husband saved me from a big scary centiped. Now I have to figure out what we should plant. I want some pretty, colorful, tropical plants and flowers.

Father's Day Weekend

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

We had a nice Father's Day weekend. Saturday we drove on Round Top Dr (Tantalus Dr area) up to the top and back down. It was beautiful. You can see the most amazing views of Honolulu from the mountain. I didn't get as many great pics as I would have liked because my camera died but I'm sure we will be going back again sometime in the future. Sunday, we went to the Byodo-In Temple. You can read more about it here http://www.hawaiiweb.com/oahu/sites_to_see/byodo-in_temple.htm . It was a beautiful sight, even in the rain.

Slowcooker Mac N Cheese Recipe

I totally forgot to come back and post the mac n cheese recipe I talked about in my last blog. I didn't get to take a picture but it did turn out pretty yummy. You could even try using different cheeses. But anyhow here is the recipe:

Slowcooker All Day Mac n Cheese (not my recipe, I found it online somewhere a while ago)
8 oz elbow macaroni
4 C. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 (12 oz) can of evaporated milk
1 1/2 C. milk
2 eggs
1 t. salt
1/2 t. pepper

In a large pot cook macaroni pasta until al dente. Drain. In a large bowl, mix together 3 cups of the sharp Cheddar cheese, cooked macaroni, evaporated milk, milk, eggs, salt, and pepper.Transfer to a slow cooker which has been coated w/non-stick cooking spray. Sprinkle w/ remaining 1 cup of shredded sharp cheddar cheese.Cook on Low for 5-6 hrs, or until mixture is firm and golden around the edges. Do not remove cover or stir until it is done.