Monthly Archives: May 2015

Akaka Falls and Waipi’o Valley

Posted on May 28, 2015 by theowenscrew

Again with no plan and not wanting to waste my last day off this week we headed out to explore more of the Hamakua Coast. Well we took a detour and checked out a few more beaches in Hilo. It was raining and not really a good hang at the beach day. Then we headed up to Akaka Falls.

Kahuna Falls was faint and very hard to see through the rainforest mist.

Akaka Falls is a bit mightier so you can see it but still not very well. Good thing the lucious green walk was so beautiful.

We used our umbrella from Great Grandma Lawhead for the first time not that it was raining any more than any other time. It just sounded like a good idea.

We revisited the location of the Laupahoehoe school that was taken out by a tsunami during School hours.

We visited several other beach parks along the coast. When we had stopped for malasadas at Tex Drive-in last week Chad had noticed the burgers, we headed back to do a taste test this time.

The kids opted to buy malasadas for dessert with their own money. They must be good. Then on to the Waipi’o Valley… We have been so close several times and some how missed it, not this time.

Waipi’o is the valley of the Kings once filled with people now only about 100 people live there. You have to have 4 wheel drive to get down there. We didn’t hike it today but now we have at least seen it.

Then we checked out the shops in Honokaa. We should be home before sun down. Now the work week can start.

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Visiting with Ricki

Posted on May 26, 2015 by theowenscrew

I had the pleasure of working with Ricki at my last assignment in Southern California. Since that time we have been planing to visit with her when she was here on the big island for her grandsons graduation this last week. It has been a pretty busy week for both of us and I was beginning to wonder if we would miss each other in the busyness. It just so happened that she was in our neck of the woods today and headed to one of our favorite beaches. We made tenitive plans for a picnic at noon. We got there a little before their group did so Chad hung the hammock we enjoyed the tide pools and quite pond just off the beach.

Eve found some girl friends, she is such a social butterfly we have to watch her pretty close.

It was good to see Ricki’s beautiful smiling face and meet her family. It took the kids a little while to warm up and start playing together. By the time it was time to go they were playing really well together.

There were sea turtles everywhere and as many times as we have been to Punalu’u beach I have never seen them out like they were today! Five of them were resting on the beach.

The kids are now crashed out in the car!

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Blog Out of Storage

Posted on May 25, 2015 by theowenscrew

A year and a month into our journey and we have officially had to upgrade our blog because we have used all available storage, could be the overdose of pictures. It is totally worth the added cost. The upgrade in storage allows us to also post videos. I am kind of looking forward to using that feature. Thank you for all of your love and support and for coming along with us via this blog.

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Sunday Funday

Posted on May 25, 2015 by theowenscrew

Up bright and early, I have been trying to make a habit of waking up and 5 AM everyday not just the days that I work. Got some reading done and everyone showered way early for the 10 AM service. It is so nice not to be rushed! The message on righteousness was encouraging and of course we enjoyed the fellowship. Our planned picnic turned into lunch at Lucy’s Taqueria then hanging out at the beach.

Hannah and Isabel explored all the islands at the Onekahakaha park while Eve and I checked out the more northern pool. The main pool is way better I’m guessing that is why most of the time that is where all of the people are at. The boys dried some spear fishing but there really wasn’t many fish at all. It was windy and kind of cold so we changed and headed early to Walmart to pick up snacks for the couples game night. We were responsible for bringing “Ore” (York peppermint patties). Jesse and Isabel had lumber and wheat (broccoli and wheat thins). We punched in the address and headed out, I love GPS! I mostly like to support Chad in his love of Settlers of Catan, but game night with a bunch of young couples is an opportunity I could not pass up.

The full on Cities and Knights ended up being a long but good game, we got home at 10:30pm good thing it is a holiday weekend. I tuned off my 5:00 AM alarm…the ambitious getting up at 5 every morning was going to have to take a day off.

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Natural Energy Lab tidepools

Posted on May 24, 2015 by theowenscrew

With no real plan and only one main objective today turned out perfect. The goal was to get out of the house and do something we have not yet done. We had driven by the Natural Energy Lab tidepools before on a really hot day in the middle of the afternoon when we were looking for waves and it didn’t really fit the bill. Today we got out early so a quiet place where the kids could explore sounded best so we set our GPS. As we pulled onto the road with the tidepools we noticed a seahorse farm sign….hmm that looks fun. We checked it out, bummer, it was only open Monday-Friday we will have to come back.

Chad must have picked the best parking lot there. We were right in front of a good sized pond fed by the spray of the waves hitting the rocks that formed the pools edge.

The kids got their swim suits on and we started exploring!

Look at the salt in the rocks where the sun’s heat has evaporated the water and only left salt.

I hope the kids don’t get sick, they tasted the salt. We found lots of shells too. It was also fun to watch the black crabs skuttle around on the rocks.

A close look at the sand and you can see dozens of tiny shells!

The kids entertained themselves for quite a wile jumping off the rocks into this little pool.

Eve thinks she is showing you her finds, but she is showing you her awesome pair is shoes. She keeps leaving her shoes places like the bathroom at the beach or the play ground and when it is time to go and she looks for them they have dissapeared. So today she had no shoes left to wear even though Chad has bought her two pairs of flip flops this week. So she has found two flip flops in the tide pools. One my size one is her size.

We loved the bottle top art work showing the islands at Ultimate Burger. And this Lehua flower was or table decoration. Hannah is trying to lick ice cream off her nose. Tables in the shape of the islands at this park on the way home. The kids played in the rain at Punalu’u beach a busy but fun day!

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HMC first week on days

Posted on May 23, 2015 by theowenscrew

I did get put on call one of my three shifts so my first day shift week picture is based only on two days. So far I love it! It is way more busy than most of the nights. It starts in a wirlwind of activity as all the nights inductions are delivered, and scheduled c-sections come in and are delivered, then the NSTs (a non stress tests is where we monitor the baby and look for signs of wellbeing for a short time usually less than an hour) get sent in from their providers offices as they are needed. With all the commotion and busyness slowing down about 4:00pm in just enough time to get the unit all cleaned up restocked, and looking like we did nothing all day by the time night shift arives. The busyness passes the time quickly and the nurses have all been so helpful and friendly. There is nothing that makes me love nursing more than the times where teamwork shines. It is like that feeling, in basketball, when you have practiced all the plays and know them like the back of your hand. The opposing team tries to pull a full court press and your team (including you) pass and moves the ball down the court scoring effortlessly like the opposing team is not even there.

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I love this Hawaii House Limerick by Caleb

Posted on May 22, 2015 by theowenscrew

I love this Hawaii house;

I haven’t seen a single mouse;

The cockroaches are plenty though;

There hasn’t been a single snow;

Though, I wonder, if there’s grouse.

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Eleven Years Too Long

Posted on May 20, 2015 by theowenscrew

Northwest Nazarene University has given me a lot of things the meeting of my husband for one, a great education for another, life long friends and professors who I can look up to. Whenever I am going through town (Nampa Idaho) I try to stop in and at least see the campus and on occasion when school is in session and I know the teachers are there I have visited. I didn’t know a week ago that I would get the chance to catch up with one of my professors here on the big island until a just landed in Kona post crossed my FaceBook feed. A tentative coffee date turned lunch date was set and today we were blessed with the oportunity to visit with Judy Taylor one of my main nursing professors at NNU the years that I was there in the program. We started at graduation and talked about what we have been doing since. She was wonderful with Hannah and Eve who joined me on this outing. We loved to see the dolphins, reef sharks, turtles, and monk seal who lived out side the hotel. And, the kids have been telling everyone we see about the pools and slides.

Thank you Judy for the wonderful day it was so good to see you! Thank you Lord for the blessing of this visit with a college mentor!

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It’s Official

Posted on May 19, 2015 by theowenscrew

Today we signed our next contract! Starting 7/13 we will be kicking it at the Oregon Coast and working in Newport. I’m not sure that I am going to love working at a critical access hospital but I love to learn new things and I have a feeling that I will be out of my comfort zone a few times which is always good for me. What we are looking forward to the most though is being close to home for a little while we have missed our friends and family!

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Malasadas, a Hike and Chillin at the Beach!

Posted on May 19, 2015 by theowenscrew

We finally made it to Tex Drive in today for Malasadas although the did not have Haupia the Portugese donuts for a two thumbs up.

Although it has been raining it wasn’t now so we decided to hike Pololu while the weather was good. What a beautiful and fun hike! There was absolutely no complaining from the kids. The path alternated from muddy to rocky and was a bit of a challenge, no time to be bored and the scenery was absolutely amazing.

There was stacks of rocks everywhere! Look at this Portugese Man of War (like a jelly fish). You don’t want to step one one of these babies!

We saw our first millipede don’t know if these babies are venomous like the infamous centipedes.

At a gas station Caleb picked a pretty flower for my hair.

Then to cool off after our hike and watch the sun go down we pulled into Spencer Beach Park. We all played until 6:00pm when it was time to get showered up and head home.