Loving Life

Switching...

2011-08-08T03:16:00.002-10:00

Ok people so I have officially decided to switch the blog over the tumblr. It is just easier this way. Thanks!

http://mattlovesheather.tumblr.com/

10 Year Anniversary

2011-08-08T02:18:00.000-10:00

That's right folks, TEN YEARS!

July 21st was our anniversary of 10 years dating so we wanted to do something besides a stay-cation or simply our usual dinner & a movie gig. So, we had decided months ago (since our Kauai trip) we were going to head over to the Big Island for 8 days. Well, after renovations and the unexpected move which equaled unexpected 2nd car and furniture purchases we cut down our 8 days to 2.5. We didn't want to do a half ass trip to the Big Island since we have never been so Matt suggested we go back over to Oahu and do all the touristy activities. We have each been over about 4 or 5 times each but each time was for "business" and not fun. We already did the Arizona Memorial so we planned to hit everything else we possibly could in 2.5 days.

Day 1: We flew out around 10 am to Honolulu. After getting our bags we immediately picked up our rental car and started driving up north. Our first stop was the Dole Pineapple Plantation.

After that we made our way to the North Shore to Haleiwa. There we stopped at Giovanni's to get lunch. It was so yummy and Matt loved it, which I was surprised because he doesn't usually like shrimp scampi that much.

Shrimp scampi and lemon/butter shrimp

We drove through the North Shore past all the beaches and pipeline (didn't stop since it's summer). Next we hit Laie and stopped at the LDS temple. I wanted to stop to get pictures for my mom & the temples are always so pretty anyway I wanted to check it out. Matt was hesitant to get out thinking we would get hounded by missionaries. But the cute Japanese missionary lady took our photo.

Then we drove down the windward coast on the east and stopped at beaches along the way. We found Chinaman's hat and visited the Valley of the Temples.

Chinaman's Hat

Byoda-In Temple

Day 2: This was our anniversary day. We got up very early to hike Diamond Head Crater.

Afterwards we drove around the south side of the island that we didn't cover on the first day. We saw beautiful coastline and got lunch at the Windward Mall. After lunch we walked around a little bit and then got Cinnabon. We don't have one in Maui and I haven't had one in about 3 years so I had to get one. We then took the Pali Hwy to try and find the Pali lookout. We found it and it was pouring. It was rainy and we were tired so we went back to the hotel. Well, I fell asleep and Matt didn't wake me up so we missed our planned dinner date and went to bed early like 2 old lame asses. We woke up the next morning and were still stuffed from lunch and the cinnamon rolls so it was probably a good thing we just fell asleep.

Day 3: The last day we woke up early again for another hike called the Makapuu Lighthouse hike. At the top it has amazing views of Koko Head Crater and the Windward Coast. It was by far my favorite part of the trip besides the fact that we are complete morons and wore slippers for the hike. It was paved and only 2 miles up so I figured we would be fine. Matt wasn't bad but I wasn't wearing my rainbows so my feet were so sore the rest of the day. Anyway, after that we went back to the Pali lookout which was also incredible. It was extremely windy. We ended up laughing the majority of the time. We ended by going to downtown Honolulu to the King Kamehameha statue and the Iolani Palace.

Makapuu Lighthouse

Pali Lookout

`Iolani Palace

And that my friends is our trip. We were definitely tired from the trip since it was so planned out but we hit everything on our list [minus Hanauma Bay due to the fact it was closed both times we tried to go :( ]. Now for sure our next trip is the Big Island!

I can't Believe It Is Already August!

2011-08-08T01:25:00.000-10:00

Alright, so I have been seriously slacking. Not a fan of blogging lately...It just seems too time consuming. So I am going to do my best at an update that is not too stingy.

First thing's first: We moved. We are now quietly settled into the condo. Renovations complete (with a few little things needing Matt's handy touch still), furniture purchased and boxes unpacked. We are enjoying the quiet here compared to the apartment and also enjoying living in Kihei. It feels much more island like over here closer to the beach and such. So here are some before/after shots. (You can click to enlarge)

Front entrance (still needs work, that is next on our list).

Living & dining room

breakfast bar before/after

kitchen before/after

I have had so many people ask us where we bought our cabinets from. Makes me SO happy when I see how shocked they are when I tell them I refinished them meself :)

another kitchen shot

view from the living room

Living room before/after

Master bedroom before/after

Second bedroom before/after

Master bath

Main bath

Matt passed his licensure exam and we are STILL awaiting his actual license to get here in the mail before he can officially start selling anything. Ugh, that has been rough. In the meantime he has kept busy with a rental property they are managing. Keeping our fingers crossed that it comes in the mail this week. It has been nice spending more time together during the mornings and afternoons while everyone else is at work though :)

Heather has continued to keep busy at work. Things have slowed down a bit as census has dropped. It's been nice but the option for overtime is long gone so that has been both a good and bad thing. Hate doing the OT but I love it when I get paid. Other than that just been chugging along with wedding planning. Less than 7 months away now!

Krull gave us a scare when we took him to the vet to find out that he has acute prostatitis (enlarged prostate). He was given a 10 day course of antibiotics that hopefully shrinks it down and takes care of the infection. More often than not it becomes a chronic [read: expensive] issue. He is now acting like his normal self so we are hoping that it doesn't become a serious issue.

Other than that nothing too exciting. Just every day life and trying to have fun together on days off together.

Long Overdue Update

2011-05-10T05:01:00.001-10:00

It has been awhile since I have updated this blog. Life has been SUPER busy and there just hasn't been enough time in the day to sit down and blog. So here I am at 0430, awake and home sick from work so I guess this is as good of time as any.

First thing is that we nailed down a venue for the wedding. Yay! Deposit is down so there is no turning back! We did a complete 180 from the place we were originally looking at and chose something that is the exact opposite. It is called the Hotel Wailea and instead of actually being on the water it is up the hill from the beach with ocean views. The resort has a beautiful lawn with a gazebo for the ceremony and then the reception will take place indoors with the hotel restaurant (Capische?) catering. We had originally wanted to get married on the water, being in Maui and all, but after viewing this new place we both fell in love and new it was right. The grounds are incredible with a million photo opportunities. Only 10 months to go!

Aside from wedding planning work has kept us both busy. For me (Heather) there has been some drama regarding a new union contract. The governor wants to give us another 5% pay cut and increase insurance premiums. They also completely removed step movements (these are cost of living pay increases along with experience increases). These had originally been frozen the last 2 years but now they have been taken away indefinitely. Needless to say, with gas reaching $5 and $6 a gallon here in Maui and us state nurses already making 30% less than average wages we were not happy. Somehow I became one of the main players in a nurse awareness campaign and new contract negotiations. With normal work hours and meetings it has kept me very very busy. We go to arbitration this month! Hopefully we get what we deserve being I haven't ever gotten a raise since being a new grad nurse.

Matt has been busy with work as well. Some changes at his current job have taken place rather quickly. Long story short we have decided that it is best for him to leave the apartment management job at this time and get back into real estate like the plan was before we moved. It is scary and exciting at the same time. He will be working for his good friend and our realtor Keith. He starts June 1st at the new job, and in the meantime he is getting licensed in Hawaii.

So, that bring us to another issue...where will we live? Well, as the condo has gotten closer and closer to being completed I put an ad out on craigslist for some renters. Even without pictures we got an influx of calls and emails about the place and had begun the process of getting it rented out for May 1st. Soon after we made the decision for Matt to leave his current job. That means there is really no reason for us to continue living where we do so we are now moving into the condo. It seems like it was all meant to be and we are very excited to move in to our new home and enjoy all the hard work that has gone into it. Renovations are coming to a close and paint has been scheduled for May 21st and then we can FINALLY move in! It is looking incredible and I am so thankful Matt is so handy.

So that is our last few months of crazy. Lots of change in our near future!

Chicken Torilla Soup

2011-03-23T14:25:00.002-10:00

Recipe # 4 (I am lazy and didn't post #3)

Ingredients

•1 pound shredded, cooked chicken
•1 (15 ounce) can whole peeled tomatoes, mashed

•1 (10 ounce) can enchilada sauce

•1 medium onion, chopped

•1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chile peppers

•2 cloves garlic, minced

•2 cups water

•1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth

•1 teaspoon cumin (I left this out)

•1 teaspoon chili powder

•1 teaspoon salt

•1/4 teaspoon black pepper

•1 bay leaf (I left this out)

•1 (10 ounce) package frozen corn

•1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

•7 corn tortillas

•vegetable oil

Directions

1.Place chicken, tomatoes, enchilada sauce, onion, green chiles, and garlic into a slow cooker. Pour in water and chicken broth, and season with cumin, chili powder, salt, pepper, and bay leaf. Stir in corn and cilantro. Cover, and cook on Low setting for 6 to 8 hours or on High setting for 3 to 4 hours.

2.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

3.Lightly brush both sides of tortillas with oil. Cut tortillas into strips, then spread on a baking sheet.

4.Bake in preheated oven until crisp, about 10 to 15 minutes. To serve, sprinkle tortilla strips over soup.

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Tsunami 2011

2011-03-12T03:53:00.001-10:00

On March 10, 2011 I woke up around 9 pm after napping from my 3 nights in a row to Matt's phone ringing for about the 10th time. I looked at my phone and noticed about 5 missed calls. I checked messages and learned that we once again were in danger of having a tsunami come our way. Matt got home from the gym and I told him what was going on. We turned on the news and found out that due to the 9.2 earthquake in Japan there would be a tsunami warning issued in the state of Hawaii around 9:59 pm. A little after 10 pm we heard the first alarm sound.

At first we were thinking it was going to be a replay of last year, and were tempted to stay home and ignore the evacuation. But after watching the news we changed our minds. It was expected to be much worse estimating 6-7 foot waves with a surge inland of about 300-400 ft. So once again we packed a bag with sentimental items and a few necessities and said one last goodbye to all our belongings and apartment. We drove up to higher ground in Waihee to wait it out at our friend/Matt's employee Tanya's house. The first wave was set to hit Kahului at 3:20 am. We waited there until around 7 am when we figured it was safe to go home.

Luckily there was no damage to either the apartment complex or the condo in Kihei. We are so grateful everything turned out alright. Things could have been much much worse! We are now 2 for 2 on surviving tsunamis! Let's hope it is the last one! :)

Krull getting restless to go home.

Beautiful day after the storm

Saving the stranded honu; Kanaha Beach Park flooded

Recipe #2

2011-03-04T21:18:00.003-10:00

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Tonight I made pulled pork BBQ sandwiches.

They were so easy and tasted great. I've got a ton of leftover pulled pork as well since Matt already finished the chicken I made. I guess it's safe to say he is enjoying this new dinner goal.

Ingredients:

1 lb Pork Tenderloin

12 oz rootbeer

Your favorite BBQ sauce

Hamburger buns or hoagie's. (Whatever you prefer)

Directions:

Cook pork tenderloin in slow cooker with one can of rootbeer on low for approximately 7-8 hours (or until it falls apart easily). Mix BBQ into pork and serve on toasted bun.

New Goal

2011-03-01T01:14:00.004-10:00

We have been SO busy with work and renovating the condo that our meals leave much to be desired as of late. Read: lots of fast food, cereal, malt o' meal and just plain going hungry. The other night while daydreaming about delicious homemade meals I made a pact with myself: that at least once a week I will be trying a new recipe. This will help us branch out and be less boring. I know we are both so sick of our usual "go to" meals. Here is a recipe that I tried tonight. It was very low on difficulty and cost (even in Maui) and tasted amazing. Enjoy!

GARLIC CHICKEN FARFALLE

16 oz. Farfalle pasta

1 c. heavy whipping cream

3-4 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)

2 to 3 cloves garlic, crushed OR garlic salt (I did a spoonful of crushed garlic)

1 Tbsp. pepper* ( I used a tad less pepper)

1/2 c. butter

1 lb. bacon, crumpled ( A lb of bacon seemed a little much for me so I just used 4 strips and I thought it was plenty. Matt could have used more bacon LOL)

1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese

1 (12 oz) Lawry’s mesquite marinade with lime juice

*Seems like a lot of pepper, but it has a wonderful flavor when everything mixes together. If you’re apprehensive, do less pepper. You can always add more.

[ directions ]
Crock pot chicken and bottle of marinade on low for 6 hours. Pull marinated chicken out of the juices, allow to cool a little bit, and shred (I pull it apart). Set this aside. About a half-hour before serving, boil the pasta. In a small saucepan, melt butter, add garlic, whipping cream, pepper, Parmesan cheese, and crumpled bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 3-4 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta, add chicken and stir through. Sprinkle a little bit more shredded Parmesan cheese on top.

((Original recipe from Recipes to Share))

Elton John Concert Feb. 2011

2011-03-01T00:54:00.000-10:00

February 24, 2011 we had the opportunity to see Elton John in concert. He was only planning on playing one show on the 25th. Tickets were open to MACC VIP members at first and they sold out quickly so he agreed to do a second show. I unfortunately still had no idea about the concerts and missed out again. I was so disappointed until our friend Keith came through for us and had extra tickets that he agreed to sell. It was great to see an artist that I have been dying to see for years now and Matt was nice enough to go with me even though he has never been a big fan. It was a good night.

Happy Valentines

2011-02-14T12:31:00.000-10:00

Happy Valentines to the love of my life & everyone else.

Today will be spent working on the condo so in celebration of the holiday I am going to try my hardest not to get irritated today lol. Easier said than done.

Love you Mr. Bush.

Boys At Work

2011-02-13T19:28:00.003-10:00

Tile is started. Its going to look amazing.

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The Condo Is FINALLY Ours!

2011-01-31T05:25:00.000-10:00

After 4 months we finally closed on our condo! It has been quite the process and we are very happy that it is over and that we can finally start renovations and get it rented out.

Here are the before pictures of our new 2 bedroom 2 bath condo located in Kihei.

We have big plans for the place and can't wait to get started. We spent half the day at Lowe's and Home Depot scoping out prices for what we want to do. Matt's dad is nice enough to come out and help with the renovations the second week in February.

So, anyone want to come rent a condo in Maui? ;)

`Ahihi-Kina`u Reserve

2011-01-24T02:17:00.000-10:00

On January 17, 2011 we drove out to Makena and did a hike at the reserve. It was fairly low intensity and a relaxing day. We enjoyed the sun, getting some physical activity and the southern coast of Maui. Afterwards we stopped in Kihei for lunch at Fred's Mexican and sat on the patio while watching the ocean talking about how we still can't believe we live here.

Kiawe Forest

Me in the middle of the last Maui eruption :: Matt in the forest

Pretty Maui coast

Southern view of Haleakala

Anchialine pond :: Us in one of the bays

Matt was working on something for a bit while I took photos :: Dead fishies

This is his final product LOL! {fishing pole}

He commenced to tie a small rock to the end and fish. He kept telling me that I was going to eat my words and regret making fun of him one day when he catches one...

Krull

2011-01-17T14:17:00.001-10:00

We torture our dog. Ha

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Kaua`i

2011-01-15T02:10:00.002-10:00

On Friday January 7, 2011 we visited Kaua`i for the first time to celebrate our engagement. We were there for four days and three nights, which was a perfect amount of time. We stayed at the Kaua'i Beach Resort and loved it. Definately a place we would recommend and stay at again. It rained on Friday morning as we left Maui and arrived in Kaua'i but thankfully cleared up shortly after just in time and then stayed nice and clear up until our last day. It was perfect!

Day #1

The first day we arrived on the Garden Isle around 0830, picked up our rental car, ate a quick meal and immediately started our exploration. We drove around the West side of the island and up to Waimea Canyon. It was incredible to say the least. I had mentioned to Matt about the canyon when planning the trip and he was indifferent about it and even the entire about 2 hour drive up he remained tired from travels and ho hum about it. I never said anything about what it is like etc, to kind of dumb down the experience. (I've done this with other things and it is so fun to see his reaction when we finally arrive at our destination.) Well, it worked once again because we walked up to the lookout and he was in awe. So much fun!

Us at the canyon lookout

The ever amazing Waimea Canyon (Grand Canyon of the Pacific)

There are Roosters EVERYWHERE on Kaua'i! We even listened to "Rooster Country" almost the entire time we were there. Matt thought this one was especially cool because it looked so different than the normal colors all the others had. We saw this one at the Canyon.

Our next stop was driving back towards Li hue where we were staying. This was on the way and had been on my list of things to see (what can I say, I like history). It is the Russian Fort Elizabeth, built in 1815. One of multiple Russian forts built on Kaua'i at that time and the last remaining one. The outer wall is still intact as is a staircase near the coast.

We liked it.

Entrance to the fort : Matt standing at the center

On the drive back to Li hue and on the way to Po'ipu is a famous Tree Tunnel of eucalyptus trees that was planted by Walter Duncan McBryde (a Scotchman) over 150 years ago. They used to create a canopy but the tops have been destroyed by hurricanes. We love how thick and lush the ivy is on this island.

Tree Tunnel.

We had lunch at a little place at the Coconut Marketplace on the South side and walked around the shopping area there. Matt found this swing made of all wood. Apparently he is going to make one for our future house. ha ha

Matt and his swing.

At 4 PM we were finally able to check into our hotel. It had been a long day and we were very ready to be able to unpack and relax. So we checked in and headed out to look at the grounds. It was a really cute place with great pools, although freezing because it was so cold that weekend.

Matt just outside the lobby.

Us on the beach at the hotel. The surf is so much more rough in Kaua'i.

Day #2

Our morning started with a quick breakfast and then we started our day activities with a helicopter tour scheduled at 1000. Our guide was such a fun guy and he took us to the airport with two other couples. The flight was 60 minutes and does a circle around the island with a few other side destinations. It was our first time in a helicopter and it was a great experience. Worth the money, especially since the majority of the island cannot be reached except by air.

This is us waiting to take off.

Na Pali Coast

Waterfalls

Flying into Mt. Wai'ale'ale, the volcano. This is the wettest spot on Earth!

Also where we started feeling a little sick towards the end of the flight.

Wailua Falls from above.

After the helicopter tour we were exhausted (both from the Dramamine and the flight). We decided to venture out to the East and North shore to get some lunch and diet coke. We hit some of our stops that we had planned to see on the way there before stopping in Hana lei at Bouchon's to have lunch and relax. A really cute small town with gorgeous views of the many green mountains.

Kilauea Lighthouse in Northern Kaua'i

The northern most point of the Hawaiian islands, built in 1913, it had the largest lens of it's kind and guided ships heading to and from the Orient. In the 1970's its light was turned off and this landmark was replaced by a low-maintenance light beacon.

Tunnels Beach. This is the one beach I HAD to visit on Kaua'i. I had seen so many pictures and it just looked incredible and it was. Supposedly it has great snorkeling and reefs but unfortunately in the winter the waves were HUGE so we refused to even get in the water.

Manini-holo Dry Cave in Ha'ena on the North shore.

Waikanaloa Wet Cave

Day # 3

Day three was devoted to our last actual planned activity: Wailua River and Fern Grotto tour. The Smith family runs the boat tour down the Wailua River and stops at the Fern Grotto which they also have ran for about 5 generations now. It is a short ferry ride where they entertain you with historic facts and culture of the island and also some music accompanied by hula dancing. When you arrive it is about a 5 minutes walk to the grotto where they tell you the history and sing a Hawaiian wedding song. The guy tells you to kiss at the end and that you are "married" and that "remember; if you don't kiss it means...you are no fun."

This is a small village on the river that was used in the film Outbreak with Dustin Hoffman. I am in love with this picture. It is just so peaceful to me. Next trip we will Kayak the river and make a stop there.

Us at the Fern Grotto. Pictures don't do it justice (of course).

It's so pretty. You used to be able to walk up into the cave but not anymore :(

Us overlooking the river.

After the river tour we drove around, got some lunch and then went back to the hotel and lounged out by the pool. Matt made a friend in the hot tub, some guy from Australia and quickly began planning his proposed honeymoon that he keeps telling me we are taking there haha. Afterwards we headed back out and explored more coast on the East/North side and made the short drive to the Wailua Falls that was previously seen from the helicopter. A local guy in his truck asked us if we wanted to see something cool and had us turn around and stare at the falls and try to focus on one droplet. Apparently it makes a cool trick with your eyes that I couldn't see/do. Matt said it made the cliff walls warp and move. The locals on Kaua'i are SO MUCH NICER! After that we got dinner at Lemongrass and went back to the hotel for sleep.

Matt at the Wailua Falls

Day #4

The last day we had to check out at noon. We had planned on just relaxing and lying out by the pool but we woke up and it was pouring. So we obviously had to change our plans. Instead we got ready, packed everything up, checked out and went to get some food. Afterwards we drove around and explored as much as we could before getting lunch at Brick Oven Pizza and turning in the rental car. It rained the rest of the time while we waited at the airport.

Us at Brick Oven Pizza.

It was yummy and service on Kaua'i is so much better than Maui, not to mention the food is so much cheaper! Gas was about 30 cents cheaper a gallon as well. It was a nice change.

We had a great vacation just the two of us. Our first vacation since our cruise to Mexico when we were 19 years old, so it was about time! It was great to be away but we were happy to get home and see our Krull!

Next stop: Big Island in July for the big 10 year Anniversary...

we can't wait!!!

Wedding Website

2011-01-11T11:40:00.001-10:00

So, we have set a date and just returned from our celebratory trip to Kauai (will post on that later). Here is our wedding website to check out what is going on now. It will be updated as needed during the planning process. Enjoy <3

www.weddingwire.com/MattlovesHeather

Engagement Photo Shoot

2010-12-17T12:03:00.002-10:00

This last weekend we had some pictures taken to use for our Save the Date cards and announcements that I am sending out. Whilst planning and researching other wedding items I came across a photographer on Craigslist offering a free photo session [Yes I said FREE]! So being the frugal (read: cheap) shopper that I am I immediately emailed the guy and set up a date. The reason the shoot was free of charge was because he is trying to build up his portfolio. I checked out his website and he is more amateur than professional but I figure any idiot can get a few decent shots with good equipment. So here are the one's that turned out decent. Enjoy all the picture goodness :)

(Side note: He charges for editing and quite frankly he sucks at editing so I did it myself).

Which is your favorite?

Our Weekend

2010-12-13T13:40:00.001-10:00

This weekend we had dinner at a possible venue for our wedding! It's in Kihei on the south side of Maui at a place called the Five Palms. The ceremony and reception would take place there. It is RIGHT ON THE BEACH and the views are incredible. I am sold but Matt wants to "check out all our options" whatever that means. ha ha It is so much fun and exciting making all the plans.

We took Krull across the street and let him play around on the grass a little bit. Good opportunity for some cute shots of the boys. It has been rainy here all weekend except for Sunday thank goodness because we had a photo session scheduled.

It has been one expensive weekend: We got the Jeep's brakes fixed, our AC pooped out and with me being on night shift and sleeping during the day it is totally a necessity in the heat and as a noise issue. Then Krull got an ear infection. $1,500 later - Merry Xmas to us because that is all we are getting ha ha!

OK and the real reason we aren't doing presents is because we are going for a mini vaca in Kauai come January as an Xmas, Birthday, and engagement celebration. Yay, can't wait!

Krull posing for me at the Vet

2nd Time Around

2010-12-13T13:14:00.001-10:00

So a few months ago we purchased a lava rock plant. We both think they are so cool and had been wanting to get one and finally just did it. It was a pink quill and was so pretty. I was told when we bought it that it is literally one of the easiest plants to take care of. It doesn't need much sun or watering. Well time went by and it stayed nice for a few weeks and then it slowly went down hill from there. Ultimately the poor thing shriveled up and died and we were both pissed that we wasted about $50.

So we went to Kihei yesterday and were looking around at these plants again and started to speak with the owner of the kiosk thinking that maybe we wanted to attempt one more time. We soon found out that we did nothing wrong and that the plant only blooms about once or twice a year and that is supposed to "shrivel up and die". A girl that worked for him had given me wrong information. Good to know. So we purchased a different one to see how it goes. He also gave a few freebies for our trouble with the first one :) If all goes well and we can keep it alive we are going to put in an order for a large lava rock with 3 different plants!

So wish us luck!

To eBook or Not to eBook?

2010-11-22T17:28:00.001-10:00

So, I have been thinking lately that I really want a kindle (or other brand equivalent). I am torn...

Pros:

When I am at work and finish a book I have another one on hand
Compact so I can carry it in my bag/purse
Instant downloads of books
Offers free books
Book price is cheaper

Cons:

I keep the books I love almost like trophies
Not actually having the actual book

That is where I am at. I read a good amount, especially working the night shift. Does anyone own one of these? Do you love it? Help...

Engagement

2010-11-14T14:39:00.005-10:00

We are officially ENGAGED!

After almost 9 1/2 years.

We are very excited.

Day at the beach & Matt calling the parents.

My new favorite thing.

Yay! Out to celebrate with dinner and champagne!

Everyone keeps asking me "how did he propose" so here it is, mainly I am just typing this out so I can remember it when I am old and wrinkly.

The story: Matt had been planning to propose since May 2010. After looking at rings, he had purchased one and then later decided it wasn't right so returned it (luckily with no problem). He then picked out a separate ring at another jeweler and was feeling somewhat confident in this choice. Well, on October 5th I for some reason mentioned in passing that I didn't really care for three stone rings anymore. I thought nothing of it until Matt got upset and started swearing. I asked him what was wrong a few times until finally he said "Well I guess I need to go see my jeweler again." I had no idea he had been planning anything so was completely shocked. So that afternoon we went in to look at what he had picked. There was a loose stone and a setting, both were gorgeous but the setting was something I would have liked 4 years ago so we looked around and couldn't find much. The lady helping us said there was going to be a showcase with more options on the 25th. So we waited until the 25th and looked for almost 4 hours before Matt suggested the final setting. It was something completely different than what I had been looking at and as soon as we put the stone on it I fell in love. We left and was told it wouldn't be ready until around Nov. 15th. Patiently waiting for the ring to be set and sized on the mainland I tried to leave Matt alone and let him plan his own thing. On Saturday November 13th we were walking down to the beach at the Makena Beach & Golf Resort when Matt started to listen to a message and put it on speakerphone. The message turned out to be from our jeweler saying the ring was ready. Matt was angry at himself for ruining any chance of a surprise because I was just jumping up and down and told him he HAS to pick it up immediately. I had been waiting for over a month keeping this a secret and couldn't wait any longer. He finally agreed, so we spent a few hours relaxing and swimming together before heading home. He dropped me off and went to pick up the ring and came back shortly and proposed. It was perfectly us! I thought it not being a total surprise would make it less exciting, but that was not the case at all. It was moreso exciting knowing exactly what I was waiting for and I love my ring. That night to celebrate we went to Bistro Casanova for dinner and champagne, it was just one of those blissful days... We can't wait to just be married already!

Pumpkin Carving

2010-10-25T00:04:00.002-10:00

Last year I was dying to carve pumpkins but by the time we got around to it there were no pumpkins left (sad face). So this year I made sure that we bought some on time. Tonight we finally got around to carving them together. Mine is the owl and Matt's is the haunted house. His looks so dang good, but took a good amount of time longer than mine did. We saved all the pumpkin seeds and I am going to bake them tomorrow...

Happy Halloween!!!

Stand By

2010-09-17T00:56:00.002-10:00

Tonight I was scheduled to work but got put on "stand by". So basically I need to stay close to home, not drink, and be able to show up at work within an appropriate amount of time if I am called in. It's midnight and I haven't been called yet...crossing my fingers that the ER is slow. So, since I can't really go to sleep (I don't want to be groggy if I get called in and I work tomorrow night again anyway) what else is there to do but blog? :)

____________________________________________

The end of August we met up with Des who was in Maui vacationing with friends. We spent Saturday in Wailea at the Grand where we had lunch, swam and chatted. We had so much fun and laughed the entire time. Love her!

On September sixth Matt and I did a short hike to the Olowalu Cultural Reserve where there are ancient petroglyphs on the cliff walls. It was very cool but a little disappointing since you aren't allowed up close anymore. We still have a fun day together AND found some chewy gobstoppers (my favorite) at the convenient store so to me it was a success!

In other news: We bought five new tires for the Jeep (much needed!) & painted all the trim. Here is a before and after shot. We love it and think it looks a bajillion times better.

Birthday Tribute

2010-09-09T16:01:00.002-10:00

HaPpY BiRtHdAy
Today is Matthew's Dad's birthday.
Just wanted to post something and say
that we hope you have a GREAT DAY!
Wish you could have been in Maui again this year.
We love & miss you.
Happy Birthday!

Famous Maui Sunsets

2010-08-19T19:04:00.001-10:00

Ma'alaea Harbor. Day after Christmas 2009

Matt's Dad Visits

2010-08-15T21:16:00.001-10:00

After Bob surprised Matt in Oahu he flew over to Maui to spend a few days. We were able to go to the beach on Sunday and hang out for Matt's day off. Unfortunately, Matt has been super busy at work and couldn't take time off the Mon-Wed while he was here.

In Kihei getting shave ice and at Big Beach Makena

Funny boat from Big Beach : Matt & his dad coming back to shore

All 3 of us.

Since Matt worked, his dad and I headed to Lahaina for some historical fun on Monday. We visited the old courthouse and original jail, and walked front street. We saw the Banyon tree and of course got more shave ice.

On Tuesday night we went to Paia to Mama's Fish House for dinner. It's a famous Maui restaurant right on the coast and is adorable. Good food as well.

Surprise & State Championship

2010-08-15T20:15:00.001-10:00

So this past weekend Matt's dad surprised him in Oahu for the State Paddling Championships. He flew in shortly after Matt and just set out in Honolulu to try to find him. Ironically enough the first place he went to, the lagoon where the race was to take place the next morning, and found him napping on the sand. This is a picture of when he first saw him. He loved the surprise.

That night they went out to dinner with the rest of the team and went to bed early. Saturday morning was the race and his dad enjoyed the day. They ended up getting 10th place out of 16 I believe. They were all disappointed with the outcome but knew going into it that they were just not as fast as some of the other teams who have been racing since they were keiki. I for one think it was impressive that they won a spot for states at all. So congrats to the team! They still had a lot of fun and a great experience.

The canoe that is used for State is called a Koa Canoe and is made from one tree. There is a ceremony for the cutting down of the tree etc. They cost around $80 grand!!! It's tradition so for State races you have to use a Koa Canoe. Matt's club borrowed one being their canoe is still being built by hand. They are absolutely amazing looking!

Famous Maui Sunsets

2010-08-11T00:27:00.000-10:00

View from Mama's Fish House, Paia HI

[This is something new I am doing since I have so many damned pictures of sunsets and want to share them. Enjoy!]

Hello Night Shift, Goodbye Normalcy

2010-08-05T17:40:00.001-10:00

On August 16th I am being promoted to RN III (woo hoo!) and with my promotion comes the night shift! Yesterday was my last shift on days and I begin nights next week. Because of this I needed curtains. So this past weekend I went out and bought curtains for the bedroom and living room. I bought them and Matt hung them :) I need them in order to sleep during the day and I think they will work well being it makes it very dark even on the brightest days. We are very happy with the results.

[In other news Matt heads to Oahu tomorrow morning for the State Championship Regatta races with his canoe club. What he doesn't know is that his dad is flying out tomorrow morning in order to see the race. He is going to surprise him in Honolulu and then fly back to Maui with him on Sunday and stay for a few days. I can't wait for him to be surprised. He is going to be so excited!!!]

...Life is good & we are enjoying it immensely...

Blast From the Past

2010-08-05T00:37:00.000-10:00

::Matthew and Mike @ UH Riverside circa 2004-2005?::

Lunch at the Grand

2010-07-31T18:31:00.002-10:00

Today I got to visit with my friend Ronette from nursing school. Her, along with her husband Edmond and new son Kingston are vacationing in Maui and staying at the Grand Wailea. I haven't seen her in almost 2 years and it was so good to see her!

Thanks for making time to have lunch with me! Have a great vacation :)

I love living in Maui and getting to meet up with people on their vacations. So much fun!

____________________________________________________

I was just reminded about the biggest reason why I love keeping this blog updated: looking back. It's just like this huge collection of memories with pictures included. It's fun and crazy to see how different life is from just 2 short years ago. :)

Na Kai 'Ewalu Regattas

2010-07-28T20:07:00.003-10:00

Matt has been super busy with his canoe club practices during the week and regatta races on the weekends. Since my last post on the subject they got first place in two more races! He gets a medal for every race that they place in so he got two golds :) About two weekends ago, there was an important regatta in Lahaina town that determined if they would place for state competitions. Well, THEY WON! They got first place which guaranteed them a spot at states. The weekend of August 6th he will go to Oahu with the team to compete. Good job Matthew!

Right before the Men's Novice B crew race (Matt's crew)

Heading out to start and paddling away. Matt is in front.

You can see how far ahead they are : Celebratory tunnel

Number one!

Year NINE

2010-07-28T11:25:00.001-10:00

July 21st was our 9 Year Anniversary.

Matt secretly planned a sunset dinner cruise in Lahaina.

We spent the day together and went to the movies to see Inception.

The sunset was amazing (most Maui sunsets are).

The boat and food was fun and delish.

The person who accompanied me was the best part.

To us and another nine fun filled years.

There hasn't been a dull moment yet.
<3

It's about that time...

2010-07-28T10:14:00.000-10:00

WE ARE GOING PRIVATE!!!

The time has come, and I just feel like now is a good time to announce I am going to make this blog private. If you would like an invite just email me at bennett.heathernoel@yahoo.com or leave a comment here. Seriously, don't be afraid to ask :)

4th of July 2010

2010-07-05T18:00:00.001-10:00

Happy 4th of July!!!

Matt had a paddling excursion this holiday weekend. He left Friday night for an early morning paddle Saturday morning to Molokai. From Molokai they paddled to Lanai and spent the night camping and then back to Maui the next morning. He was so tired from the weekend we decided to be lazy for the 4th. We lounged around the apartment all day and then Barbecued for dinner with Danielle and her daughter Dana. We ate, chatted and played games (I of course won! ha). A good way to spend the holiday.

[Please excuse the quality of these pictures, I am awaiting my new camera in the mail and this one is just about the cheapest camera ever!]

Brindilyn Dalton Photography

2010-06-28T16:30:00.002-10:00

Brindi is my cousin and she has quite the eye for photography. She took my grad pictures (see HERE), and has also taken grad pictures for Kari twice along with other special occasions for people. Photography is something she does on the side and if you live in Southern California and are looking to have some AMAZING pictures taken then you should contact her HERE!

Trip to California

2010-06-28T16:08:00.001-10:00

June 9, 2010 - June 15, 2010

We flew out at 6 AM on June 9th and had a layover in Honolulu for about and hour then made our way to LAX. Kari picked us up at the airport and it was so great to see her! We stayed with my close friend, Becky, who lives about a mile away from Kari. It was PERFECT! After we got settled and were able to catch up we met up for dinner at CPK. It was Matt, me, Kari, Becky, our friends Chad & Erin, and my cousin Brindi. All of us at one point have worked at CPK except Matt so it is only fitting to go there :) What a great night to start the trip.

Thursday June 10th we headed up to LA to the Huntington Library so my cousin Brindi could take some grad pictures of Kari. The plan was for Matt and I to tag along so she could get some shots of us in as well, but pretty soon we had a whole party. Becky decided to join us and so did our friend Jackie. We all had such a great day and got some very cute pictures in as well. That night my mom drove in from Utah so we met up with her and went to bed early for the next morning.

Friday June 11th was GRADUATION DAY. We woke up super early and drove to the UCLA campus. The graduation was amazing in so many ways. It still amazes me how far Kari has come, I feel like a proud mom! The ceremony was about 2 hours and very well done, then we took photos outside in her cap and gown and cape :) She looked amazing! Congratulations Kar! After graduation Kari showed us around campus and we ate at a one of her favorite lunch spots by the school. That night we celebrated with family and friends at La Creperie in downtown Long Beach. It was a great night for everyone to come together and celebrate Kari's huge accomplishment.

Saturday June 12th was Kari's birthday and we met up with my sister Jill and her family for a day at Disneyland. We ended up being there for about 14 hours and had a ton of fun. My uncle and cousin also were able to meet us in downtown Disney for lunch. So great to be with family again!

Sunday June 13th Matt left early in the morning for Temecula to visit family and friends. He met with his old highschool soccer coach, Toni Rossi in Riverside. That afternoon Kari, Brindi and I drove to Corona to meet Matt along with our friends Mike, Rachel and their baby Kiley for lunch. Afterwards we drove back to LB while Matt went home to his parents. The rest of the day was spent relaxing with my sister.

Monday June 14th was mine and Kari's one day that we spent together, just the two of us. It was such a great day spent doing things just like we used to. Wish we could have had more days like that. We shopped and talked and just enjoyed seeing eachother. That night my mom drove back to Utah so we had lunch with her and Jill's family and said our goodbyes.

Tuesday June 15th we spent packing and getting ready to say goodbye. We had to be at LAX pretty early so all we had time for was lunch. We got to say goodbye to Jackie and Becky at lunch and then stopped at CPK to say one last goodbye to Brindi. Kari drove us to the airport and we were off.

It was a quick trip and we wish we had more time to see everyone and do more. It made us realize how much we miss family and friends, but also made us see how Maui has since become our home and we were happy to get back to our bed and our precious pooch waiting for us!

Matt's 26th Birthday

2010-06-06T21:07:00.005-10:00

|H|A|P|P|Y| |B|I|R|T|H|D|A|Y|

to Matt!

On June 5th Matt turned 26. He woke up early in the for canoe club races in the morning. He did two races. The first was a mixed crew and the second was an all male crew. The all male one came in 2nd place and they received medals for it. I was able to watch that race and get some pictures. (Matt is in the front)

After paddling Matt opened gifts and then we went to lunch at Cafe 'Ole in Kihei. After we went and saw The Prince Of Persia. Matt was so tired from the work week and paddling that we came home and he fell asleep early. That's alright though, because going to bed early is the perfect birthday gift for him!

Na Kai 'Ewalu Canoe Club

2010-05-22T15:36:00.002-10:00

This morning Matt had practice for his canoe club at the Kahului Harbor. The practice consisted of a few short races that were basically just for fun. Since I was off this weekend Krull and I walked over and were able to take some pictures and enjoy the sun.

Enjoy the pictures and check out the website for the Na Kai 'Ewalu Canoe Club http://www.nakaiewalucanoeclub.org/

There are also pictures on the website of last weekend's paddle in Hana. Matt is in a few of them!

Kula Hospital

2010-05-22T15:19:00.000-10:00

Starting this past Sunday [May 16th] I began a cross training rotation at Kula Hospital in upcountry Maui. I will be working there for 4 weeks doing 8 hour shifts. It is currently a long term care facility but also has a small ER and clinic. It is very different from Maui Memorial and being at an acute care facility. The building itself along with the grounds is pretty amazing though. 2010 is it's centennial and it has an interesting history...

It began operations in 1910 as a tuberculosis facility. The original name was the Kula Sanatorium or Kula Sans. In 1936 it had 200 beds for TB patients. By the 1960's it began offering psychiatric care and then evolved in to a long-term care facility during the early 1970's. It also at one time served the community as a general hospital with a surgery room, medical-surgical unit, and labor and delivery

The first time I arrived at the place it as about 6:30 am and still a little dark outside. I was a little creeped out because it is such an old building and looks like it belongs in a sci-fi thriller film. It takes me about 40 minutes to commute for work because it is up Haleakala crater quite a ways. The views are amazing to say the least!

Visit From the Boss Lady

2010-05-22T14:55:00.001-10:00

Last week Cynthia [Matt's boss from corporate] came back to Maui for her routine checkup. During the week we were also able to hang out and have some fun. We did some shopping and lounged at the pools at the Marriott in Wailea where she was staying. Adam Sandler, Jennifer Aniston and Nicole Kidman are on the island filming a movie and Cynthia made us stalk the set for a little while at the Grand Wailea. We ended up seeing Adam Sandler and Jennifer Ansiton, unfortunately they didn't allow picture taking :(

We're Going Home, Back to the Place Where We Belong!

2010-05-11T12:27:00.000-10:00

I FINALLY booked our flight back to Long Beach for Kari's graduate school graduation from UCLA! After all the trouble and calculations of miles, discounts etc. I was finally able to get the best deal I could ask for while traveling in June. We are so excited to see family and friends after being away for 1.5 years. Goodbye island fever, hello my loving Long Beach June 9th - June 15th! Our time is booking up quickly so if you would like to see us let me know NOW!

Olivine Pools

2010-05-03T16:35:00.001-10:00

On Saturday we wanted to do something outdoors to enjoy the good weather we have been having. Matt suggested the beach so I thought we should take the back way to Kaanapali so we could enjoy Maui's coast in the Jeep. On the way to the beach we decided to stop and hike down to the Olivine Pools along the coast. We drove as far down as we could and then hiked the rest of the way. It's a pretty good treck down and is actually pretty dangerous if you aren't careful with the tide (many people have died being dragged out into the ocean), but it is gorgeous! Once we got down close to the ocean Matt found a blow hole. So we hung out and took some pictures and just took the sites in. Needless to say we took such a long time enjoying the drive and the pools that we never made it to the beach. We ended up just getting some lunch and then heading home. It was a great day and we are just loving the Jeep more than we ever would have thought!

This last picture is a request from Matt's dad. Here it is: Matt's paddle!

This is the paddle he uses for the Canoe Club he is a member of. He had a long distance practice this Sunday early in the morning. He is having a lot of fun with it. I really need to get my butt out for some of the practices and races and take more pictures of him, but they are so early ha ha. It's also hard to go and watch when they practice/race in the ocean so you can't really watch after a certain point.

Daily Happenings

2010-04-28T18:35:00.000-10:00

Here are just a few things we have been up to:

We replaced our fridge with one that is brand new and a little bit larger (yay!). Basically the complex needed another fridge for one of the apartments and so they bought a new one and we switched ours out with that. Perks of being manager ;)

|setting up the new fridge|

Matt had the opportunity to be a score keeper for an NFL sponsored golf tournament in Makena this last week and got paired with a team that won the Southern California tournament. It was a random group of a retired NFL player, a farmer, a broker, and two other rich guys that I don't know what they do. After the game they invited us to dinner with them for some Sansei sushi. They were a really fun group of guys and we had a good time.

|on our way to sushi in Kihei|

The last few days off I have been (slowly) working on a project for the guest bedroom. I found the idea on my friend Jen's blog awhile back and have wanted to attempt it for some time now. I finally printed out pictures, bought all the supplies and got to work. It is safe to say it was a tad more work than expected but I am happy with the result.

|finished product|

Another Attempt

2010-04-23T10:57:00.001-10:00

Last Sunday we decided to try out the Jeep on Krull along with a beach trip. If you have seen my previous posts on Krull vs. water you know that he HATES it! But we keep trying to get him used to the idea of being in the vicinity of the ocean so he can join our outings. We went to the Maalaea Harbor and enjoyed some calm waves and sun. We didn't get Krull in the water but he did well just hanging out with us. There was an occurance when we both got in the water and he cried from the shore for about 10 minutes but he got over it. Krull absolutely loved being in the Jeep!

New Car!!!

2010-04-17T22:20:00.003-10:00

We had originally wanted to purchase a Jeep when we first moved to Hawaii. After looking at prices we decided it just wasn't worth the money when we weren't actually in need of a vehicle.

Thursday night I was driving home from Walmart and noticed a Jeep in a rental lot that was for sale. I told Matt about it when I got home and how it was unreasonably cheap for how good of condition it was in. Then Friday night after we both got off work we drove there and took a look in the dark. It looked like it was a good deal and worth checking out so this morning we went over there on the way to the beach. After a test drive and few questions we decided to go for it! We are both so excited!!! Matt has already started looking online for Jeep equipment to add to it.

After the purchase we continued on to the beach with Shawn. It was so windy that we were getting sand-blasted so we didn't stay long and decided to get a snack and swim at one of the hotel pools in Kihei. One of the pros of looking like a tourist is that we blend in well :)

In other news our "garden" is flourishing and we have been using our herbs but have been waiting for the strawberries. Well, we finally got our first strawberry and it taste like...........A STRAWBERRY! Who knew it was so fun to grow your own food!?

Blast From the Past

2010-04-15T14:17:00.000-10:00

Melissa, Kari & Heather Seal Beach circa 2005?

Relaxing Beach Day

2010-04-12T00:24:00.000-10:00

The last time we went to Big Beach in Makena the bottom of the ocean felt like cement. It is usually the best beach on the island with nice soft sand all the way through and close to zero rocks/shells at the bottom; making it so you don't stub your toes [like at some beaches]. This was about 2 months ago that we were there with the cement like bottom and since then we haven't gone back since it was so junky. It was a beautiful clear day and we didn't want to drive all the way to the other side of the island so we sucked it up and headed over to Makena. We are so happy we did, everything is back to normal and it was an amazing day at the beach! We still don't quite know what happened the last time we were there, it was so strange.

311 Concert

2010-04-10T23:24:00.000-10:00

At around 12 this afternoon Rich (Matt's landscaper/grounds man) asked Matt if we wanted concert tickets for tonight for $10 each. I asked who it was for and it was 311. Neither of us have ever been huge 311 fans but we enjoy a number of songs so figured for that price, what the hell.

During the day we went and saw 'Date Night' in the theatre. It was pretty good, not bad for matinee price. Then we just relaxed at home before heading over to the Maui Cultural Center for the concert. It started at 6:30 pm with The Throwdown and a local band called Iration. They were both pretty good and Iration actually played once at our apartment complex before. 311 finally came on around 8 pm and we stayed until around 9:30 basically waiting for Amber to come on. Once it did we were content and took off. We had a good time and enjoyed ourselves for the price :)

Easter 2010

2010-04-04T20:06:00.001-10:00

I woke up this morning around 8:30 AM because I had to pee so bad. On my way back to sleep I looked out one of the bedroom windows to see if it would be a good beach day and saw this amazing rainbow so I had to go outside real quick and take a picture. So happy I did.

After sleeping a few more hours we woke up and found our Easter baskets. Matt bought me a rice cooker and used that as my basket. It was filled with candy (that I picked out for myself) and the Sherlock Holmes blu ray. Matt's basket had Toy Story I & II and mainly gummy bears, since they are his favorite.

After realizing we were both starving and that we have nothing to eat in our apartment we decided to go out to breakfast at Ihop. We then came home and took Krull out on a walk and then drove to Lahaina side to enjoy the beach. After a few hours in the sun we went and had our Easter lunch/dinner at Outback in Kihei.

We had a fun Easter just the ~~two~~ three of us, but we missed our families terribly.

Hope everyone had a great Easter as well!

Coloring Eggs

2010-04-01T23:26:00.001-10:00

I work on Saturday so we colored eggs tonight in order to not miss out on all the fun. Plus, Matt loves hard boiled eggs so this just gives him a few extra days to enjoy them :) I put together the baskets tonight as well to save some time - so now we are all ready for Easter morning. I was supposed to work Easter day but my nurse manager is so sweet and let me switch days since it is my favorite holiday.

[I have been off of sugar for 32 days now and so Easter will be the day I break my no sugar stent! Woo hoo!]

(had to add my cute Krull)

Happy Easter everyone!

Weekend Fun & Green Thumbs

2010-03-28T18:02:00.002-10:00

This weekend we went over to the harbor for some sun, water and fishing. It was Matt, Shawn and I. The boys fished while I lounged and talked on the phone with Kari. Unfortunately nobody caught anything; but, it was a nice sunny day and not too windy so we didn't have any complaints.

Sunday we decided to try out our green thumbs and plant some herbs and strawberries in some planters on our balcony. Neither of us have EVER grown any kind of plants before so this should be interesting. It gets pretty windy here so we are trying to figure out some kind of solution to keep the wind from preventing our plants from growing. Any suggestions???

Strawberries | Parsley | Chives | Basil | Cilantro

A Few Hours of Visitors

2010-03-22T18:08:00.000-10:00

Matt's Uncle Dave and Aunt Karen are currently on a Hawaiian cruise through the islands and ported in Maui today for a few hours. They did a submarine ride in the morning and then Matt took a half day off of work so we drove over to meet them for lunch in Lahaina. We ate at Lahaina Fish Co. and then walked around the shops and art galleries. It was nice to be able to see them for a few hours.

When we got home Matt put together our new table and saddle stools for the kitchen. It was on sale at Sears and saves us tons of room in the living area. Not to mention it is so cute and I love it!

Other than that we have just both been working and trying to get out in the sun on the weekends I actually have off. Work is going well for both of us and its nice to actually be saving up some money. We did taxes early and already got our federal refunds which will go towards our California trip back home in June to see Kari graduate from grad school. I am currently working on Maui North which is a med/surg floor but also known as the wound care floor. I have about 2 more weeks on this floor until I head to Molokai South which is post op & I am looking forward to that. We also got Krull a new "gentle leader" for walks and we love it. He can't pull at all anymore and it makes walking him so much more relaxing. He hates it, but will hopefully get used to it. That's about it. I will try to update more since I have been slacking :)

Whale Watching Excursion

2010-03-22T17:42:00.000-10:00

On March 13, 2010 we went on a two hour whale watching trip with Safari Boat Excursions. We started off the day early by driving to Lahaina/Kaanapali. Our excursion wasn't until 4 PM so we enjoyed the morning and afternoon in the sun at Black Rock beach in Kaanapali. We then drove back a little ways over to the Lahaina Harbor. We left on the boat shortly after we arrived... Just about 10 minutes into the water we stopped for two whales very close to us when one of them swam directly under our boat and then came up about 10 feet away from us. Below are pictures of the whales and us on the boat. The first two pictures are of the whale under our boat and then it surfacing. That made the entire trip worth it!

Whale face :)

There are 3 whales in this picture but where at least 5 at the time!

View of Lahaina from the boat

Lahaina Harbor

Matt in front of the Banyan tree

We are so happy we got to experience the whales from a boat instead of just our usual whale watching from the coast. Great experience, and so worth the money. It was a great weekend together and we can't wait to do more activities where we pretend to be tourists!

Tsunami Feb. 26, 2010

2010-03-05T15:37:00.004-10:00

The earthquake in Chile led to a Tsunami Warning for the Hawaiian islands on February 26, 2010. Matt found out around 2:00 AM that there would be a warning in effect and that the evacuation alarms would sound around 6:00 AM. He says he tried to wake me up to give me a heads up but I just kept talking nonsense about something being "brand new." We were woken up around 4:15 Am by a knock on the door. It was one of the residents informing us about the warning. Matt told me what was going on and we figured it was a good time to start packing some things and getting ready to evacuate.

Packing a few select items

We packed a few clothing items, some food for us and Krull and gathered some valuables. I grabbed all my discs with photos saved on them and all the pictures I have printed. I also grabbed some jewelry and other priceless items that had sentimental value. After finishing up and both grabbing our laptops we decided there was nothing else we could do, so we said goodbye to our worldly things and the apartment then took off. Matt had to go door to door and evacuate all the residents at the complex and we helped give 6 other residents a ride to a safe zone.

Krull did NOT enjoy the crate

High school which is just a few miles up the road to Wailuku. There we sat from around 5:00 AM until around 2:00 PM. The Tsunami was "scheduled" to hit around 11:20 so we found ourselves a good view of the ocean in case anything big happened. We waited, and waited, & waited! Nothing ever happened. Matt's parents were giving us updates on what was happening on the other islands via texts. We were told that the news reported that in Hilo on the Big Island and in the Kahului Harbor that we live directly across from, the water receded out of the harbor but then there was only about a 3-4 foot wave. Obviously we weren't able to view this from where we were because it was too small of an occurence.

Watching from the safe zone

We are so thankful that we were able to return home and that there were no injuries or damages sustained. It was definitely nerve wracking to be evacuated from our home but it really makes you realize what is truly important. It would have really sucked to have lost all of our belongings (i.e. the 2 new Samsung TVs & our brand new LG washer and dryer to name a few) but when we left all that behind it was comforting to know that Matt, Krull and I would all be safe together and that feeling was priceless. (Having my pictures, or what I like to call lifetime memories captured with me was pretty comforting too ha ha).

We survived our first (& hopefully LAST) Tsunami!!!

Valentine's Day 2010

2010-02-15T21:34:00.004-10:00

We started off the day by sleeping in. Well I slept in, while Matt snuck out early to get us breakfast/lunch and me some flowers and a sweet card. During the day we made and ate some lunch together, then we did dishes, laundry and cleaned up the place a bit. Matt enjoyed some Olympics before we headed out to see 'Wolfman' at the theater. The rest of the afternoon and early evening we relaxed and then got ready for a late dinner at Sarento's on the Beach in Wailea. The restaurant is {as it says} right on the beach; however, our reservation wasn't until 9:30 PM, so we missed the sunset. The meal was delicious and we still enjoyed our night together remembering previous Valentine's dates we had. Overall we had a great 3 day weekend spent together and are both reluctant to get back to reality.

::My gorgeous flowers in such a cute vase::

::Krull loving on Matt during the Olympics::

::Ready to go to our V-Day dinner::

Whale Watching Valentines Day Weekend

2010-02-13T19:50:00.005-10:00

We went to the beach to lay out for a bit today and then got some lunch and ate it at Maalaea Harbor to enjoy the coast and whale watch. We got there at the perfect time to find a mom and baby whale playing together. They played right in front of us for about 15 minutes. One of the coolest things I have ever seen. We are doing a whale watching excursion in about 2 weeks and can't wait! The picture below is of the baby whale. It looks like just a dolphin but if you enlarge the photo you can tell it is actually a whale. Enjoy the pictures and video.

Cynthia Visits.

2010-02-13T19:42:00.004-10:00

Matt's boss Cynthia from corporate came to Maui for about six days to work and then enjoy the weekend. We went out to dinner in Paia at Flatbread Pizza the first night she flew in and enjoyed good food and catching up. That weekend on Saturday after we all worked during the rest of the week we took the drive around the North coast for views. We stopped at Oneloa Bay to lay on the beach and get in the water. Afterwards we continued on our way around the coast to Lahaina for some lunch and more lounging at Black rock beach. On Sunday we met up early for breakfast at Cynthia's hotel restaurant and then caught some sun at the pool. It was nice to have her back and we had a great time.

Today in the Life

2010-02-02T16:00:00.010-10:00

I stole this from Karen...

Outside my window... it is gray, gloomy and cloudy. I can also see the Carnival Cruise ship in the harbor; definitely not a good day for the tourists.
I am thinking...about what else I need to get done on my day off today, how sad I am that it is my last week on telemetry and how I really should tackle the dishes staring at me in the sink.
I am thankful for... life right now. Things are great here with Matt, Krull and I. The only thing missing is family and our close friends.
I am wearing... jeans, a white tank, my grey Uggs, and a zip up sweatshirt.
I am remembering... good times these past few years. I have been organizing photos and reminiscing in the meantime A LOT lately. {Maybe too much!}
I am going... on our nightly hour long walk with Krull when Matt gets off work.
I am hearing... Law & Order: SVU playing in the background.
I am reading... Chasing Harry Winston
I am creating... the best 'home' I can out of this apartment.
Around the house... Krull has left his many toys in the middle of the floor. Always picking up after [both] the boys! ha
One of my favorite things... days off just like this one where I spend some quality time with myself.

Not much new going on with us here on Maui. We haven't been outside much due to this strange weather. It has been rather gloomy as of late. Not that I am complaining because I just love being able to wear my sweaters and Ugg boots. I will be finishing up my last week on the cardiac unit and then moving to a new floor at work. Matt has been working hard preparing for Cynthia from corporate to come out again who arrives today. Really nothing special has been going on, just continuing our day to day.

::Krull enjoying our new bedding::

::Enjoying an impromptu day at Big Beach::

::Me back to dark hair with some bangs added::

...Lately...

2010-01-23T01:58:00.003-10:00

We went out to Maalaea Harbor over the holiday weekend for some whale watching and to enjoy the sunset before some sushi dinner. We saw a few whales pretty close up but unfortunately no splashing action. Maybe next time...

New Years Eve 2009

2010-01-05T14:36:00.011-10:00

Happy New Year!

For New Year's Eve we decided to take it easy since we both were feeling a little sick. We went out to dinner just the two of us and had some good food, good drinks and enjoyed our time together. We then came home to a rented movie and ended up calling it quits early. We both ended up falling asleep before midnight but we were woken up by Krull's barking and people celebrating when it hit midnight. So we exchanged "happy new year's", kissed and went back to sleep. Yes, we feel lame and old.

We made sure Krull got his kisses :)

Highlights from our 2009:

Heather visiting family in Utah & getting to meet Bridg and Ailyn.

Being reunited in Maui after living apart for 4 months.

Exploring the entire island together.

Heather passing the NCLEX {twice}.

Our first concert together - Journey!

Visiting Oahu.

Matt turning 25.

Matt starting his new paddling hobby with the Canoe Club

Visitors GALORE!!! {Cynthia, Kari, Jackie, Chad & Erin, Shannon, & Matt's parents!}

Visiting Lanai.

Heather starting a new job as an RN.

Matt finishing his first year as Manager.

New purchases for our "home".

Celebrating Christmas living together.

Heather turning 26.

Being away from family and friends this entire year has been rough, but we have had a great time spending even more quality time together...

...Bring on 2010!

Happy 26th Birthday Heather!!!

2010-01-02T16:46:00.007-10:00

December 29, 2009 = 26th birthday.

{3rd birthday: 1986}

I was originally supposed to work but managed to switch around my schedule so I could have the day off. Unfortunately I was sick, so I spent the morning sleeping. Eventually I woke up and went to get a bagel and iced tea at my favorite place, Maui Coffee Roasters. I recieved a free drink because it was my birthday. After that I went straight to Green Ti for my massage and facial, courtesy of Matt. Then I came home and got ready for our late lunch/early dinner. Matt took me upcountry to the Kula Lodge. It was an adorable place with amazing views, except for the fact that it was hazy so we couldn't see much. But it was still a nice change from the warm weather, it was actually chilly and there were some pine trees in place of the usual palms. It felt a little more like December up there. When we got home there were flowers on the table that Matt surprised me with. We ended the night with a movie at home and going to bed early since we both had to work early the next morning.

Happy Birthday to me!!!

Day After Christmas

2009-12-28T16:28:00.000-10:00

We both had December 26th off of work so decided to go to the beach and enjoy the nice weather. Shawn joined us, along with apparently everyone else on the island. The beach was packed with tourists, definitely the most crowded I have ever seen it. It was a gorgeous and clear day though and nice to get back to the beach since I haven't been since September!!! We were able to see a few whales breech not far from the coast, unfortunately I wasn't quick enough to grab my camera and only got a shot of the ending splash. On the way back we got some lunch and ate at the coastline of Maalea for more whale watching.

Merry Christmas 2009

2009-12-25T15:02:00.006-10:00

Merry Christmas!

On December 23rd we had dinner at Casanova's for Matt's work Christmas dinner. There was a decent turnout, the food was good and we had some fun.

Last night for Christmas Eve we relaxed and made our gingerbread village together. Then this morning for Christmas we had some breakfast just the two of us and then opened gifts. Krull even got his own stocking from Matt. Tonight we are having prime rib with asparagus, scalloped potatoes and rolls for our Christmas dinner. Other than that we are just enjoying time off for the holidays. Merry Christmas from a very warm Maui!

New Hair

2009-12-01T14:55:00.007-10:00

I was finally able to find a hairstylist out here after some not so great trial runs with a few others. I will definetly be going back to her for all my hair needs :0) Matt likes the lighter brown color since I usually just go dark. I think it's a nice change as well...

Feeling Festive

2009-11-29T17:19:00.002-10:00

I am feeling especially festive this year for some unknown reason. So we snowed up the windows and bought a christmas wreath. I guess it makes it a hell of a lot more fun when it's your own place. I need some other fun holiday decorating ideas....

...And of course I couldn't resist a pic of my cute pooch lounging :)

Happy Thanksgiving 2009!

2009-11-26T17:23:00.008-10:00

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

This year was our first Thanksgiving alone. We have always gone to one of our parent's homes for the holiday. Last year Matt spent the day alone in Hawaii while I was still in Long Beach making dinner with Kari. We made a ton of food even though it was just the two of us.

Turkey and gravy
Homemade stuffing from scratch
Candied yams
Mashed potatoes
White corn
Rolls
Cranberry sauce

{The aftermath}

Everything turned out so yummy. Matt also made pumpkin pie for himself and I bought a single slice of pumpkin cheesecake (because I gag on pumpkin pie). Matt was distraught about not having "fancy" serving dishes for our festive meal. I told him that's the kind of stuff you get when you get married. ha ha ha

We also set up our mini Christmas tree. It's small but kind of perfect!

We are thankful for:

Both having jobs
New experiences together
All the visitors that were able to make it out here
Technology that allows us to keep in constant contact with family/friends
Our pooch
Eachother <3

Edit- Matt made me play Monopoly (which I hate because I NEVER win) and I actually destroyed him. I had to take a picture for proof for future posterity...

Maui Ocean Center

2009-11-25T16:52:00.000-10:00

Sunday November 22nd we went to the aquarium here on Maui. Matt has been having a rough time at work with so much crap going on lately so we decided we need to do some fun things on the weekends to make us not hate it here haha. It is located in Ma'alaea on the water. They have a few different exhibits with fish, sharks and some other indigenous creatures to Hawaii. Then we had lunch at the restaurant. We ended up having a great day to ourselves. It was nice to get out and do something since we have been just relaxing on our days off lately.

Halloween 2009

2009-11-02T12:27:00.013-10:00

We were pretty damn boring this year and didn't do much for Halloween. There is a big bash that goes on in Lahaina but Matt went last year and I have heard it gets pretty crazy with so many people. So we decided to just hang out on our own. I decided the night before after work that we should carve pumpkins so we went to the store and of course they were out. The next best thing was decorating cookies.

So on Halloween day we frosted cookies and set up our new washer and dryer. Finally!

Shawn helped Matt set them up while I watched :)

Happy Halloween! :X

Obsessed Much?

2009-10-21T13:35:00.005-10:00

It's Wednesday:

That means laundry for me. Wednesday is the one day I have had off continuously since beginning my new job so I have therefore deemed it laundry and cleaning day. Ok, who am I kidding - actually with my OCD every day is my cleaning day {or as Matt endearingly calls it, 'ridiculousness'}. So scratch that, Wednesday is just laundry day. During this time spent waiting for the clothes to wash and dry so I can continue on to folding, I have found myself with a new ~~ritual~~ obsession. I search for pictures of houses.

This is crazy talk because we are in no way looking to buy a house anytime soon, especially now that we are living in Hawaii. I just can't help myself though, what is wrong with me. I literally shop around for housing ideas like we are in the process of building. Sheesh, do they have a "Home buying fever anonymous" class??? Anyway, I figured I might as well share some of the jewels of pictures that I have found for my {distant} future of a house. Enjoy!

Ah, I L♥ve me a Craftsman home.

Blast From the Past

2009-10-20T11:42:00.002-10:00

Mexican Cruise: Circa 2002

It's another week. Not much is going on with us, both of us have been busy with work. Here is a little recap of what we have been up to lately...

Matt working the regular work week and hiring an accounts manager to help take some of the load off of him.
Heather working her 12 hour shifts at the hospital.
Heather was able to take ACLS (advanced cardiac life support) and get certified along with advanced EKG.
Matt did another race with his Canoe club this past Saturday and continues trying to make it to practices on Tuesday and Thursday nights.
We went and saw "Couples Retreat" in the theatre for date night.
Enjoying days together {when we have them} just relaxing at home.

How Much Have We Changed?

2009-10-09T15:01:00.003-10:00

How much have you changed in 15 years?

~15 YEARS AGO (1994)~
1) How old were you? We were both 10 [ Heather, almost 11]
2) Who were you dating? This was back in the day when 10 year olds didn't date and have sex.
3) Where did you work? No working yet, those were the days ;)
4) Where did you live? Matt: Temecula, CA /Heather: Taylorsville, UT
5) Where did you hang out? Matt: Ramunxto or Mason's/Heather: Home with Kari or hanging with the neighborhood kids.
6) Did you wear contacts and/or glasses? Nope
7) Who was your best friend? I can't recall
8) How many tattoos did you have? None
9) How many piercings did you have? Matt: none/Heather: ears
10) What kind of car did you drive? No driving
11) Had you been to a real party? Do birthday parties count? ha ha
12) Had you had your heart broken? Nope
13) Were you Single/taken/Married/Divorced? Single
14) Any Kids? Nope

~7YEARS AGO (2002)~
1) How old were you? Both 18
2) Who were you dating? Eachother
3) Where did you work? Heather worked at Mervyn's
4) Where did you live? Both lived in Temecula, CA
5) Where did you hang out? School, Dash's house, or Matt's house.
7) Who were your best friends? Matt: Dash, Tobin/Heather: Kari and the girls in dance/cheer
8) How many tattoos did you have? None
9) How many piercings did you have? Matt: none/Heather: ears
10) What kind of car did you drive? Matt: El Camino/Heather: Ford Explorer
11) Had your heart broken? Matt: Somewhat/Heather: No
12) Were you Single/Taken/Married? Taken
13) Any Kids? No.

~TODAY (2009)~
1) Age? Both 25
2) Where do you work? Matt: Manager, Kulanaa`o Apartments/Heather: RN, Maui Memorial
3) Where do you live? Kahului, HI
5) Who are your closest friends? Eachother, Kari, Chad & Erin, Tobin
6) Do you talk to your old friends? We try really hard to keep in touch with everyone
7) How many piercings do you have? Matt: ears/Heather two in each ear
8) How many tattoos? Matt: none/Heather: one on foot
9) What kind of car do you have? Matt: El camino/Heather: none (I drive a truck and minivan ha)
10) Had your heart broken? Not Lately
11) How many kids? Just Krull :)
12) Are you Single/Taken/Married/Divorce: Common Law
13) Contact or Glasses? Neither for both of us

We tag: Erin, Sophie, Mickey

Maui County Fair

2009-10-06T12:49:00.008-10:00

This past Saturday we were able to go to the Maui County Fair. We only went for about 2 hours because it was such a small event. It literally took us 30 minutes to slowly walk through the entire thing. It definitely doesn't compare to the OC Fair. We were able to get some funnel cake and fried ice cream and enjoyed our little "date" but we probably won't be going back next year.

I did, however manage to find $20 on the ground while we were there so it didn't end up costing us hardly anything to go. I love when I do that!

Blast From the Past

2009-09-28T15:57:00.000-10:00

Matt 11 years old: Baseball pic circa 1995

Aloha to Matt's Parents

2009-09-23T22:29:00.004-10:00

Matt's mom and dad visited from September 14th - September 21st. We were able to take them all around the island while they were here. It was great to see them and we wish they could have stayed longer! Hope you guys had fun!!!

All of us on the way to Lahaina: Matt & his dad boarding Big Beach

Ahihi Kinau Reserve

Hawaiian ritual

Blast From the Past

2009-09-21T12:00:00.001-10:00

It's Monday again...

Jill, Heather, Kari in the old 'love truck': Circa 1990 {ish}?

Blast From the Past

2009-09-13T12:00:00.003-10:00

Heather & Raiden: Hogle Zoo Utah circa 2005

More Visitors & a Surprise.

2009-09-11T13:55:00.005-10:00

This past week Matthew's old sister Shannon {along with her friend Kate} came to Maui to celebrate her 30th birthday. Matt & I both had to work during the week so they explored the island just the two of them. We were able to meet up for dinner at sushi one night and join them on the Road to Hana on Saturday. This time on the way to Hana we did some lava cave exploring which we hadn't done yet. It was crazy to think we were walking where lava flow had been.

Matt's dad's birthday was on September 9th and little did he know we had been planning his surprise birthday present for months in advance. He turned 60 so we thought we would fly both of Matt's parents out here. For his actual birthday we sent him a card with the flight itinerary inside. Matt's mom said that he was VERY surprised and what was even more surprising is that his vacation time off and everything has already been requested and set up. So fun surprising people! So, they will be arriving on the 14th!

They will be our last (planned) guests for this year as far as we know. Other than that not much has been going on. I started working on the floor and Matt has been working hard as well.

Life is good.

Blast From the Past

2009-09-07T20:51:00.002-10:00

Matt & friends circa 2002

{He is on the far left. Hilarious!}

Weekend Retreats and Employment Feels Great!

2009-09-03T17:36:00.007-10:00

So - the big news... I did in fact get the job at the hospital. I am officially employed with Maui Memorial Medical Center in Wailuku. Woo hoo! I started the orientation portion of training on Monday and will finish my first week of work tomorrow. Both Matt and I could NOT be more excited {and relieved} that I finally found a permanent nursing position. Enough of that, now on to pictures.

August 21-23rd our friends Chad & Erin came for a visit and we got to have some fun at the beach and the Road to Hana (again!!!) Our other friends Tobin and Heidi were able to join us for Hana since they were in Maui on their honeymoon. Enjoy the picture highlights.

Then this past weekend we took the Ferry from Lahaina to stay on Lanai courtesy of the Jaramillo family. They invited us to come and stay at one of George Lopez's houses on the island of Lanai for a few days. Matt played golf, we went to the beach, and enjoyed the pool. It was nice and relaxing and we got to visit with people we haven't seen in a good while. Lanai is definitely a place to go and lounge because there is absolutely NOTHING on the island. One more island down...

Blast From the Past

2009-08-24T15:17:00.002-10:00

Heather & Krull circa 2005

Update on the job.

2009-08-14T16:07:00.003-10:00

I have received a good amount of comments and emails asking me what is going on with the job I interviewed for and this exam I am taking. So here it is, to clear up any confusion {there is a ton} the explanation of what exactly is going on...

In June {June 1st to be exact} I interviewed with Maui Memorial Medical Center for what was called a Graduate Nurse II position. Basically the description was for a nurse who just graduated and has zero experience i.e., me. So I went to a panel interview and found out that the job was for a float pool they are setting up to try and get rid of the travel agencies. I was stoked since floating would give me some good experience in different areas and give me a good opportunity to become well rounded since I want to move on to Critical Care and Emergency nursing. I pretty much rocked the interview so needless to say I was shocked when I received a letter in the mail 4 days later saying that I did not get the position.

So fast forward about a month and I receive a letter saying that I will be being re-interviewed for the position because there were "inconsistencies in the interview and selection process". Confusing I know. So I got a call and re-interviewed for the position. During the interview I was told that the reason I did not get the job was because technically I wasn't qualified. I was overqualified. The job title is in between and LPN and an RN position. Because of this, the job requires you to have your LPN license for the three months of training/orientation and then come the end of those three months you are then promoted to RN and sign a permanent contract. Apparently, this hiring program caters to students who have graduated here on the islands because the "bridge" program is popular where LPN's go on to get their RN.

So where does this leave me? I got a call on Tuesday (August 11th) offering me the job. The catch is that I need my LPN license in hand by the 28th. In order to get this I need to take another board exam, the NCLEX-PN even though I already have the higher RN license. It is what it is and doesn't really make sense but I am doing it anyway so I can finally have a permanent job! I hope that answers everyone's questions.

Jackie Visits Maui

2009-08-14T15:15:00.004-10:00

On July 16th our friend Jackie came to visit immediately after Kari and Christopher left us. I thought it was going to be stressful having so many guests in a row but it actually ended up cushioning the blow of Kari leaving. We went back to the apartment and chatted for a bit and then went to see the new Harry Potter movie. Jackie and I enjoyed it but Matt was so tired from working and guests that he fell asleep.

The next day Matt had to work so Jackie and I headed out to Kihei for some beach time. We swam and chatted until the sun went down and watched the sunset before we came home.

The next day was Saturday and the three of us did the Road to Hana. We made mostly the same stops that we did in my previous post {with the exception of Hookipa lookout in Paia} and got to the 7 Sacred Pools while it was still warm and sunny. We swam in the pools and hung out for awhile before driving back.

Sunday we went to Lahaina and went to one of the beaches there. Then we went to Whaler's village in Kaanapali for some lunch and Black Rock Beach. We played in the water for a few hours before calling it a day.

The final day Jackie and I went to Big Beach and got her burned {not on purpose} before her flight that evening. Krull was especially sad to see Jackie go because every morning she woke up at around 6 AM and took him on a long walk while I was still sleeping. Who does that? She also managed to buy us dinner, and bought me flowers! Jackie, you are welcome back anytime!

The Time Traveler's Wife

2009-08-10T17:22:00.006-10:00

I am so unbelievably stoked for this movie to come out. I have read the book twice {once like 4 years ago and again last month} and if you are looking for a good read I highly suggest it. I am going to make Matt go with me to see it on Friday night whether he wants to or not. So here is to hoping the movie doesn't suck in comparison to the book.

Disclaimer: I suggested it to my mother before reading it for the second time and I quickly called her after I started re-reading it because I had forgotten how sexually explicit and risque the book really is. Not particularly a big deal to me at all, but my mom isn't a big fan of what she would call 'smut' ha ha. So there you have it, you were warned.

I personally loved it.

New Hobby

2009-08-07T23:57:00.009-10:00

The other night after work Matt went out with one of his employees, Cory, to talk to his coach about Kulanaa`o sponsoring their rowing team. While he was there he thought he would try it out and decided that he likes it. They had him row out with a few of the girls {since they have a long distance competition coming up} so the actual team could practice. He is now going to try to make it to a few of the practices and if that works out he wants to join the team. Here are some pictures of him in the Kahului Harbor.

Other than that here are some random shots from snorkeling and the beach from the past month or so. The one's with Matt boarding are from this past weekend. Enjoy!

Reunited & It Feels So Good...

2009-08-06T14:34:00.026-10:00

So Kari was able to come visit us in Maui from July 16th-23rd of 2009 with her boyfriend Christopher. On to the pictures! Note that pictures are before and the description follows...

{Friends that I won't mention also came with but are no longer considered friends so we won't speak of them and will focus more on the fun than the drama they brought along.}

July 16th:We picked them up at the Kahului Airport and then came back to the apartment to settle in and for Kari to see her son again, Krull. It was a very happy reunion for everyone!
After things were settled we got some lunch at the mall across the street and then went over to the harbor to check out the water. The rest of the night we just hung out and went to bed early since they were tired from the flight.

July 17th: We went to Big Beach in Makena for almost the entire morning/afternoon and then went Fred's Mexican restaurant for lunch and to one of the hotel pools in Kihei on the way home. Then we stayed up late that night playing some games and chatting.

July 18th: In the morning we took S. Kihei Road to the Ahihi Kinau Reserve to see all the dried up lava flow and some pretty views of the coast. After that we went snorkeling close by and then back to the beach for more sun and water fun. That night we went back home to clean up and drove to Paia for some organic Flatbread Pizza then went to bed early.

July 19th: We began the day at 3:00 AM and drove up Haleakala Crater for the sunrise. It was very early, very dark and very cold! But the view of the sun rising over the water and volcano were amazing and totally worth it. After then sun came up we walked around the crater for a little bit. We then went back to the apartment for some naps and breakfast. In the afternoon we drove to the other side of the West Maui Mountains over to Lahaina and Kaanapali. We went to Black Rock Beach and the plan was to stay all day in that area but the aforementioned people we won't talk about cut the day short when one of them got hurt cliff jumping at Black Rock and was taken to the hospital... So enough of that, the rest of the night we made dinner and hung out at the apartment and crashed from such a long day.

July 20th: We ventured out on the Road to Hana at around 0900. We made a good amount of stops but were set on making good timing...that is until we found out that a section of the one lane road was closed for a good 3 hours. So then we headed back to Ming's Pool for some fresh water swimming and a picnic lunch of sandwiches and fruit. Christopher also managed to steel banana's and coconuts. We also stopped at the Halfway to Hana store/hut for shaved ice and banana bread. After the road was reopened some other stops include Waianapanapa State Park for the Black Sand Beach and lava caves, and the Red Sand Beach. We then drove on to the final destination being the Seven Sacred Pools at the Haleakala National Park. By the time we got their it was starting to get dark and a little cold so we didn't actually get to partake in swimming. We were totally bummed but we did end up getting great pictures because hardly anyone was there. Matt then attempted to speed down the cliffed mountain side to get us home quickly. I chose to sleep through this part to keep myself from pondering my untimely death!

July 21st: Happy 8 Year Anniversary to us! During the day Matt had to go into work unfortunately so Kari made chicken crepes for lunch and we hung out until Matt got off early and went to the beach for a few hours before we had to get ready to go out. We had a reservation at Mama's Fish House for dinner. Cute place and pretty good food.

July 22nd: We went to Big Beach again and stayed there for a good amount of time, even though it was sprinkling. After awhile it started to really come down and rain so we left and went to the beach at the Grand Wailea for a little longer. We went for another Shaved Ice run in Kihei and shopped at the touristy shops for awhile before going to Sansei Sushi for dinner.

July 23rd: On the last day we went in the morning to Iao Valley and then Matt had to go to work so Kari, Christopher and I went back to Big Beach and got one final Shaved Ice before coming back and taking them to the airport.

Time, slow down!

2009-07-30T17:27:00.008-10:00

I don't have a ton of time but thought I should do a mini update if you will. I feel like time is going by way too fast and I don't have enough time to post about it all. My sister Kari and her boyfriend Christopher, along with Jacob and Shawna came out to stay with us for a week long vacation. It turned out to be way too much drama for me, but we had a good time. The day they flew out my friend Jackie came to visit for 4 days. So we have had a ton of visitors and fun. I will post pictures when I have more time.

I have been busy filling out things for a job I am starting in September for a flu clinic. I also had an interview at Maui Memorial Medical Center and won't hear back about that position until the 10th of August. Well, for that job I need to get my LPN license {yes, that is below my current RN license}. It doesn't really make sense and I will only be using the LPN license for about 2 months before I then start work as an RN but I am in the works of taking boards AGAIN! Sucks, but I am gonna try at least. So needless to say I won't be posting anything for awhile since I only have about a week and a half to study for something I have never been prepared for. Wish me luck, I need it!

Day In - Day Out

2009-07-11T00:00:00.007-10:00

We haven't been up to much. Our 4th of July was uneventful, and by uneventful I mean we did absolutely NOTHING! Matt has been working so hard lately that when the weekend came we ended up just relaxing at home. We decided not to go to a fireworks show because we did not feel like driving to Lahaina (about 45 minutes away on the other side of the mountains - Yikers we sound lazy), but we were still shocked that we didn't hear or see any kind of fireworks going on all night. I guess they aren't too big on the whole 'Independence Day' thing here in Hawaii. So... Happy {late} 4th!

Cynthia from corporate is here again with her friend Carrie. The three of us hung out this morning at the Maui Prince Hotel and waited for Matt and Shawn (Matt's maintenance supervisor) to finish up work. When they finally showed up we went snorkeling and to Big Beach.

{Feet in the sand:Cynthia & Carrie}

{Us at Big Beach}

Weekends...

2009-06-29T00:25:00.019-10:00

Saturday: We went to Black Rock in Lahaina with almost all of Matt's staff. The girls laid out and swam a little while the boys body boarded and did some cliff jumping. The current around Black Rock can get pretty intense so I decided to leave the jumping to Matt. It was a nice change from Big Beach without the huge swells.

<----- West Maui Mountains on the way]

[I have to give a little back story here... last week right before we were getting ready to leave for Haleakala I was in our room and Matt told me to shut the door now. I kept asking him what was wrong and he wouldn't tell me so I grabbed Krull and shut the door. I again kept asking why he was acting weird and all he said was, "I don't know what to do." I told him he was scaring me and to just tell me what's wrong. Well, turns out he was in the guest room and saw a huge cane spider (google it for a picture). They are about the size of a tuna can! So he saw it, tried to kill it and it ended up crawling inside the door frame. So we were ready to leave but now we had to leave this huge spider in our apartment with Krull. He called the construction supervisor who lives underneath us and asked where that leads and we were told that it doesn't connect with any other wall. So we figured it was stuck in there and Matt stuffed paper towels in the door frame crevices.]

So now...Sunday: I was sleeping (so tired from the sun and getting burned the day before) and Matt comes in and wakes me up to tell me that he got it. He told me that he saw the spider on the wall in the other room and killed it. I was half asleep so of course I dreamt of spiders after that. He didn't tell me the full story, because when I finally got up I went into the room and found all the furniture moved. Apparently the spider gave Matt quite the chase. So YAY! Disgusting spider is gone. I would put a picture up but bugs make me gag. So I won't.

After relaxing during the day we took Krull to the park. Actually Krull and I took Matt to the park so he could fly his kite ha ha. Krull loves to chase the kite and it is hilarious to watch. After that we came back home and said goodbye to Matt's friend/previous employee Todd. He is moving back home to Virginia for awhile and flew out tonight. Then we went and got sushi for dinner and watched Valkyrie.

Hiking Haleakala Crater/Happy Father's Day

2009-06-21T12:02:00.016-10:00

Yesterday (Saturday) we headed up-country to Haleakala National Park to hike the volcano with our friends Todd and Shell. The views were amazing and the hike was pretty intense (for me at least). The hike is backwards so you hike down first which isn't too bad, but then you have to hike all the way back up. It was a lot of fun and totally worth it. We did what is called the cindercone, Ka Luu o Ka Oo, and it is a popular 1/2-day hike destination in the summit area. The landscape is so different from anything else on the island that it doesn' t feel like you are in Maui anymore.

This is us on the drive up to the volcano.

Us beginning the hike: Heather along the hike

The group: The cindercone where we ate lunch

Eating lunch: More hiking: View of Maui on the drive home
After the hike we went to Dinner at Outback in Kihei and then drove back home to Kahului.

On another note, it's Father's Day today so Happy Father's day to Matt's dad :)

Happenings

2009-06-19T00:12:00.005-10:00

A little recap on the last few weeks...

- Matt working hard trying to further things along at the complex
- Me still avidly looking for a job without success :(
- Continuation of Matt's birthday celebration (see below)
- Community service @ Habitat for Humanity
- Beach, beach, and a little more beach
- Kite flying at the park with Krull
- Rented movies at home

That is about it. Things have been pretty uneventful and low key as of late. Here are some pictures of brunch and Baldwin beach for Matt's birthday. We went to Cafe Olei` which is a restaurant at a golf course that has great food and an amazing view of the West Maui mountains. Unfortunately on the day we went it was a little voggy. Then we decided to head over to Baldwin beach to change it up from our usual Big beach. It was crazy windy, and pretty much sand stormed the entire time so we didn't stay long. But we still had a good time.

Happy 25th Birthday Matt!

2009-06-05T23:51:00.012-10:00

Matt actually went in to work but got off early (or more so he let himself go home early). In the morning for breakfast we got McDonald's. I know what you are all thinking - I was going to make him breakfast but he went into work around 6:45 AM and he didn't want to wake up early to eat breakfast so he told me not to. His employees were so cute and decorated his office with balloons and a Happy Birthday banner. Shell also made him chocolate cupcakes. When he finally got off work he came home and opened presents. His main gift being the PS3 that he just had to have 3 months early. So I wrapped the box it came in so he wouldn't forget =)

[The birthday boy with his cake --->]

Since his birthday landed on a Friday we decided it was pointless to take a personal day and instead we would just celebrate on Saturday and Sunday. So tonight I made dinner and we rented a movie and then he went to bed early since he is going snorkeling/spear fishing early in the morning. So the fun continues tomorrow...more pictures to come.

::Matt at Big Beach::

[I love this picture!]