Sandy Beach.

No, it's not a general description of the sand and surf, Sandy Beach is a pretty well-known beach on Oahu's South Shore.  We spent the afternoon there a few weeks ago, and even brought along the boogie board.  We didn't use it, however, because it's one of most dangerous beaches on the island, due to the shore breaking very close to the edge.  The rip currents are so strong, that they basically sweep you up and then dump you (often head first) into the sand.  I didn't care to have sand in my brain, but Javi gave it a go.  Little S stayed close to me and played in the little pools of water that collect between the rocks. 

ALOHA!

Meet my new dining room chairs!

Well, they're not new if you've ever been to my house.  Same ones I've had since 2004.  But they are re-upholstered courtesy of Target's napkin department!  I've been in the mood for a fabric change for a while, and  instead of buying expensive fabric that I'd have to cut down to size, napkins were the perfect fit (and in my budget)!  All I had to do was unscrew the bottom of the cushion, staple the fabric, and screw it back on.  I didn't even bother taking out the existing fabric. 

*UPDATE: I just saw the napkins on clearance for $5!!! Aggghhhh!!

Aloha!

Slow Weekend.

It was just me and my little man on Sunday, but unfortunately he was feeling under the weather, so we vegged around the house.  We watched a lot of t.v. (he's sick!), read and I managed to get some projects off my to-do list.

The weather was warm, sunny, and beautiful, so we played in the backyard for a little while - S with his water and sand table, and me with my camera. 

These are some of the plants that grow in our small  backyard.  I have no idea what their names are (except for the italian parsley in the middle below), but I love the colors and little fruits.

 


Aloha!

Hawaii Bucket List (revisited).

When I started this blog a few months ago, I wrote a post about all the things I want to do in Hawaii. 

Here is the list, again, with the things that I've done marked in red. 

Pick sea glass 

Surf 

Watch pro surfing competition 

Polo Sundays 

Moonlight Kayaking 

Paddle Surf

Picnic at sunset on the beach 

Whale and dolphin spotting 

Horse-back riding on the beach

See an active volcano 

Jump down a (small) waterfall 

Acquire original Heather Brown art

Find Japanese glass floats 

Snorkel 

Collect Hawaiian fabric 

Ukelele concert 

Hike Diamond Head

I'm adding these things to the list:

Go to Kauai

Go to the Big Island

Eat at Alan Wong's restaurant

First Friday

 It's a good thing we have 2 more years to check off the rest!

Aloha!

 

A Year in Review (2010).

This year, as every year in our life, was full of changes.  We left a snowy Wichita Falls, Texas, for Hawaii at the beginning of the year; we stayed in 4 different hotels in a span of 3 weeks, found a tiny rental in a nice neighborhood in Ewa Beach and got our stuff that same week.  I started working the following week, and little S started daycare.  He was sick every 2 weeks.  After five months, I quit my job and have been at home with him ever since.  I started working out again.   

We had lost of visitors.  My mom, brothers,  in-laws, my grandparents, and old friends.  We made new friends.  We took staycations and explored the island.  From the Leeward coast to the Windward side, from the North, to the South.  We continued our family traditions (Friday Night Pizza Night) and instated some new ones (malasadas and the beach on Sundays).  We became real fans of surfing, and learned pro surfers' names and surfing ability;  we incorporated the shakka. 

I made a conscious effort to take more photographs thanks to my new camera and a growing little boy.  I discovered the world of blogs, and eventually started one of my own.  I began to edit my photos and made slide shows for our friends and family. 

It was a year of teething, temper tantrums, sleepless nights,  fevers, and vomiting,   It was also a year of firsts: first steps, first haircut, first words, first friend. I've never loved a little being more than I love my little boy!

We spent most of the holidays away from our loved ones, but cherished the time we were able to spend together.  At the end of the year, we received some sad news about my grandfather's health, which changed our plans to spend the holidays with my family.

But it was also a year of happy news:  the birth of little ones, J and E (who was born on my birthday!), weddings, promotions, and reconnecting with special people in my life; spending time with my grandparents and brothers, and watching them interact with little S.

So without further ado, here are my top photos of 2010.  Enjoy!

*I didn't include a lot of my personal family pics on purpose.

ALOHA!

Picture of the Week.

My little boy is 21 months old already!  Here, he's waiting for his "papa" by the back door.

ALOHA!

Holiday Cards.

This year, I want to get on the ball early (although it's already Thanksgiving) and send out Holiday Cards on time.  I have a few ideas in mind,  but now I just need the pictures of the three (+ Anoush) of us!  Let me say that I am hardly in pictures because I'm not photogenic, not because coincidentally, I also end up taking all the pictures of our family.  

I have a bunch of albums up in my Shutterfly account, which I've been using  for years now, so it's really going to be a matter of finding some time (hail nap time!) to go through them and choose my favorite ones.  This year, I'm ordering my Holiday Cards from them.  I wanted  a beachy-theme to fit our Aloha lifestyle, so I've narrowed it down to the holiday photo cards.    I may even do a Calendar as a present for our parents, with a picture of us from the corresponding month from this year.  

What do you think of these? And no, this is not my family.  :)

 a.

b.

 c.

d.

e.

 f.

I'm leaning towards "b" or "e."  Any suggestions?  

They have a zillion cards to choose from, and bloggers can receive 50 free cards!  Click here to learn all about it.

 Aloha!