Mama On The Move

We try to have a family game night every so often, and we try to think up topics of conversation that let us actually learn about each other. One of our topics tonight was "What is one of your favorite memories?" Kerry started off, "I remember my mother making homemade pretzels. I used to love the smell of them, and I liked to watch the dough rise." Ben stared at his father for a few seconds and then said, "Wow. You must have had a pitiful childhood!"

26.2 miles. The famous grueling marathon that so many people subject themselves to for some unknown reason. Keep in mind that the original Greek warrior who ran that distance after the battle of Marathon died at the end. There is a reason for that and I will elaborate in detail later on. In an effort to stave off my mid-life crisis I decided to embark on a mid life "challenge" instead and run a marathon. My 43rd birthday was approaching and I could almost hear the fat lady singing (she was enjoying a duet with the Grim Reaper). I figured this was healthier and less costly than a fancy red sports car and much smarter and safer on the marriage than an affair:-). So I dutifully signed up and decided to run the marathon in December (of note is the fact that I am just now writing about it as I have finally recovered physically and mentally). I laid out a well-conceived training regimen that included running, cardio, weight lifting, and stretching, along with a good di...

Well, the Army has given us our marching orders. We are leaving paradise and heading for the east coast this summer. We are all partly glad to be heading back and partly sad to be leaving here. This is a giant bag of mixed emotions. I'll honestly say we have never loved any duty station the way we have loved it here. I'm going to have to start working on a list of things we need to see and do before we leave. I've also started scouring websites, looking for long sleeved shirts and sweaters. I don't think any of the kids even own any at this point!

Kerry ran in a half-marathon this past Sunday. If you check out this video , you can see him at about 2:18.

And today, we had hail and a tornado on the Windward side! I'm soooo glad we aren't still camped out over there!

Being stuck under a pavilion (which is open on three sides) during a flash flood warning can leave you damp and bored. However, after watching the teens, tweens, and kids who were with us on this campout try to outrun their boredom, I've come up with a pretty good list of ways to entertain yourself if you ever find yourself in this situation: First of all, take pictures of fire. Not just one or two pictures. LOTS of pictures. Fire looks different every time you photograph it, so don't stop snapping those photos for a minute. Actually this one can be done when it's not flooding as well, if the number of fire photos I have ever since Emily learned to use a camera is any indication. Play board games and card games. Change all the rules to make it more interesting. When you hear the sound of a hatchet hitting wood, sit up and stare (with your mouth hanging open) the entire time the wood is being chopped. Imagine what it would be like to be the one hol...

When we reserved the campsite, we were told that the pavilion was unavailable. It had already been reserved by another group. The lady on the phone actually laughed when Kerry asked about it. "You have to reserve it a year ahead of time to get it," she told him. However, when we arrived, we were told that the group of boy scouts who had reserved it had cancelled their trip due to the rain and we could have it after all. Over the course of the weekend we sent up prayers of thanks numerous times for that pavilion. Turns out, it would have been a miserable weekend without it! The fact that another group cancelled their trip because of the weather should have been a big clue. Flash flood warnings had been issued. We just didn't know it yet. The spot where we set up our tents seemed great. In between rain showers, we ran out and set the tent up and threw our gear inside. During the rainy moments, we hunkered down under the pavilion (Thank You Lord, fo...

Ho'omaluhia Botanical Garden is 400 acres of rainforest located on the Windward (east) side of Oahu. We went camping there this weekend with a group of friends on what turned out to be a very memorable trip. There are wonderful camping areas with large covered pavilions, clean bathrooms, and showers (but no hot water). There are electrical outlets under the pavilions but they will tell you they don't work, which is a lie. They just turn off the power to them so you don't cost them any extra money in electricity. The view is stunning. Ho'omaluhia, which means "to make a place of peace and tranquility", is located in the foothills of the Ko'olau Mountain Range. The gardens were actually created by the US Army Corp of Engineers to provide flood protection for the town of Kaneohe. See? The Army does all kind of great things that you don't know about! The area is divided into sections representing different geographical locations around the world. ...