CHRISTMAS DAY-Mt. Haleakala, AM

We thought taking in a sunrise on this special day, Christmas Day would be a nice way to give to Jesus today and show our gratitude by recognizing His hand in all creations.  What a great way to start the day.  God has given us so many things that remind us of His love for us, 

and sunrises and sunsets are my favorite!

But to take in a sunrise at the top you have to start at 4:30 AM. 

 And it is windy!  Look at Mariah's hair!

The missionaries were able to join a family on Christmas, so they went too.

(Jared, Rachel, Josh, Garth and Laneah)

It is also cold!  Yes, even on Maui.  It actually snows up here.

It is 10,000 feet up.  Laneah never even came out!

At this high up, the view is amazing!  

It is a cool feeling to be above the clouds. 

 Wow, one day I want to be above the clouds 

and see the universe with God-what a "perfect day".

Doctrine and Covenants 50:24

24 That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day.

Wait for it....patience.

Proverbs 4:18

18 But the path of the just is as the shining light, 

that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.

2 Peter 1:19

19 We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, 

as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, 

until theday dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts:

God loves us!

What a glorious morning!  And it was with the family here. 

 I am so grateful I was able to share this with my children. 

 I hope they see the beauty of all God has blessed us with.

THE COMMANDO HIKE (Dec/Sept 2011)

This hike has earned it's name. 

 It is called the Commando Hike because it is rough and has many aspects to it.

For 1-you get dirty...

Did I say DIRTY....???

The hike begins by crossing a fence into a field that is being used by cows....

Rachel.....were you not looking?  How could you have stepped right in that!?

2-It brings out the "warrior" in you.

These next few pictures were taken when we took the hike previously in Sept. of 2011 and had a lot of fun.  So having the rest of the kids do it was a must!

3-Difficult.  You are following a riverbed full of huge rocks, 

which at one point is so overgrown by jungle that the only option is going over the thick branches.

4-Dark. A cave.  Yes, you have to go through it!  

There is water inside you have to swim through.

This is towards the end, and I must say, I was glad to finally arrive at the cave!  

That little Laneah tho, she was at the front of the hike the whole time and never 

complained a bit.  It was total extreme adventure for a 7 yr old. 

 If she can do this hike, she can tag along on anything!  

5-WET!  Everything gets wet.  

Swimming through and then climbing the wall of water 

coming through the cave to get out.

(Isaac)

6-Hiking.  Yes, it is a hike to the top of a mountain 

with a nice waterfall and a swimming hole.

We made it to the end, now to get back out....There is a path you can go out on, 

but it is longer but not in a riverbed. 

 This was moms first and last commando hike going through the riverbed.  (It was difficult!)

(Josh)

So Isaac had heard that you can jump from the top part of this waterfall, and so he did, and Josh followed.  Garth declined-he has children.  It was treacherous enough just to scale the face to get to the jumping spot.  My stomach was in a knot just watching them climb up.

  And a flip to boot!

It was a blast tho!  Wow, what a fun time, and the cave was the best part!

GAMES, FOOD, and MORE FUN! (Dec. 20-24)

Playing games and just visiting and laughing about times past.  Oh, the things you find out about after they have grown up.....

Our favorite place to go for dinner, Fred's Tacos just down from our house.

Who is paying for this?

This is an "Extreme" version of spoons, the regular one wasn't exciting enough.  You pass the cards as well as rotate around the table.  Then you all dash for the spoons...not on the table, but on the floor!

Notice the cusions on the glass doors.....a bunch of teenagers, 3 of which are over 6 ft all fighting for a spoon!!!  (Kathy, Elder Hatch, Jared and Isaac)

New game Elder Hatch was teaching us.  The missionaries were over for Christmas Eve.

See Jared going "duh..." and Mariah laughing....:)

Now to end with the rest of that  hilarious story!  This is our favorite place to snorkel.  We always see turtles.  It is the back side of Makena Beach, you go through a small cemetery to get there.  We are all out in the water and Mariah is far behind as they are all swimming out to where the turtles are.  Garth says, "Mariah, come on!" to which she replies, "there is something wrong with these fins!"  Garth goes toward her and watches what she is doing.  She is not moving her feet back and forth, but moving them in and out, or up and down together......no wonder!  Everyone was in stitches as  Garth tried to explain this to her and saw what she was doing.  We all still laugh about it!

ALL TOGETHER NOW! (Dec 19, 2011)

We are all here now!  Leticia and family were here a few weeks ago because they could not come in December, but now everyone else is here.  We have missed having everyone together...How fun!

At the airport.  Rachel, Mariah, Garth, Jared, Isaac and Laneah

Can't wait to get started on our visiting!

We went to the whale watch and a bit of window shopping, then everyone got bored....

BOOGGIE BOARDING!  What a beautiful day! Rachel, Kathy, Laneah, Mariah and Isaac

It is so good to have all my children together.  We have such a good time.  Now that everyone is more mature:) and older, the relationships are easier than when they were younger and everyone has a  better attitude!

Not sure I would want to just jump to the teenage years tho....smaller children has it's advantages and great moments I would not want to miss out on....it just crossed my mind, briefly.



Shopping for souviners with teenagers!

A Dragonfly: Light and Change

In trying to catch up on this blog I found a picture I took just a few months into arriving on Maui.  It reminded me of the experience I had in finding it.  Looking back, I now realize how un-ordinary it was to see a dragonfly at one of the most popular beaches, and right where all the people were.  I have not seen one since and I have been here a year now.  They are usually more upcountry.

 I was sitting at the beach enjoying the beauty and the sounds of the ocean and trying to figure out how I ever got to live here!  I looked down to see a dragonfly there just in front of me.  It was beautiful and the bright colors on it matched the blue ocean.  It just stayed there for the longest time till I realized I could be missing the opportunity.  I got out my camera and it let me take a picture.  Soon after I took the picture, it fell to the ground and curled it's tail and died.  I was so saddened by this that I went home to read about the dragonfly and what it could mean for me.

When I got home I pulled out a book about animals and insects and how nature can speak to us.  Let me share.  Dragonflies develop more jewel-like coloring as they mature.  It was a mature one, evidently at the end of it's life cycle.  This can reflect how our own true colors come out with maturity.  Dragonflies inhabit 2 realms-water and air.   Early life they live within the water and as they mature and go through metamorpphosis they move into air.  This can indicate a period of change and transformation.  Dragonflies adapt well.  Summer is their most powerful time as they need the warmth of the light and the sun.  It suggests spending time in the water and sun which will be beneficial for restoring and changing health conditions.   It also has the ability to reflect and refract light and color, representing new light and joy.

I followed Garth here, but I came to heal, as I have found many people do.  I am so filled with joy that I am here, where the pace is slower and the climate is more mild. I will adapt.  I intend to take time to learn, grow and mature, and let the water and the sun restore my strength for whatever may lie ahead.  I have much to do in life still with children to care for and desire to serve well.  I am grateful for the gift from God, for a beautiful respite where I can increase in light as I learn and gain strength for the journey ahead.   Thank you for the reminder and the focus.  I am grateful I was able to witness the beauty of a mature insect in it's last few moments of life.  I will have joy in every moment here!

A HAWIIAN CHRISTMAS- 2011

Well, this is Christmas in Logan, Utah the "traditional" way.  Snow, lights, decorations and candles glowing in the window. 



This is Christmas in Maui, Hawaii, the un-traditional way...Who gets to live on Maui and play in the sun for Christmas??  We do!!!  It does not get better than this:   Toes in the sand, the sound of waves to calm you and water to cool you, wind in your hair (and sand) and chasing rainbows overhead.

All the kids flew in to have Christmas together.  Leticia and Samson came earlier and had to get back, but now Jared and Mariah are here.  We have some fun stuff planned!!

We still had our family traditions, they just looked a bit different!  Out stockings got packed, so we had to do it the old fashioned way.  "Everyone go get me a sock to fill!"  Santa did not have to have very much to fill these stockings.  When you wear slippers (flip-flops) all day, who has socks?!  Garth had to share a few Sunday socks.

Having your own special box of cold cereal is still a favorite tradition.  Yes, now you know everyones favorite cereal.  Quite the mix, from Raisin Bran and Grape Nuts to Captain Crunch!!

Aloha, and Merry Christmas!

UPDATE then Catch-up

Maui, Hawaii

We have been here just over a year now on Maui. Our time here is coming to a close.  So a quick update, but I will write a post about leaving, for it deserves it's own telling.  We are moving to Show Low, Arizona.  It is time to go now and with the changes in extended family too, we can see the wisdom in it all.  

Garth got a job there and is excited for the new opportunity, and we are excited for the new adventure.  Garth started his new job on May 21st.  Isaac and Kathy left and came for the funeral and stayed.  Isaac is now out on his own with 2 jobs in Logan for the summer and is earning money for his mission.  Kathy  left  to take some testing back in Utah and is now with Leticia in Az.  We (Rachel, Laneah and I) are still here finishing up school and will be on the mainland by June 1st.  Mariah came to help me move and is keeping her options open.  She is now a licensed Massage Therapist and might stay for a while.  Joshua moved out a few months ago and is staying on Maui.

We have loved our time here, so I will not forget the experiences we have shared as a family and individually.  They will be recorded in a post.



Time goes by so quickly and if you drag your feet at all, you get behind.  There are many things we have experienced and learned from being here.  Hopefully we have grown in good ways through the experiences, for it is not just the destination, but the journey of life that is important also.   It molds and shapes us into who we are.   I am behind in some of the posts I have intended to write up,  and so the next few posts will be to catch-up on some of the past few months.  I need to finish the blog of Maui.  I can hardly believe we are half way through 2012 already!!!

For record keeping purposes, I will put the date in the posting or the title, so do not be confused!