Halloween/Completely moved out

Aloha!
This weekend Zac and I went to a costume party at Steve and Marisol's house. They completely out did themselves with decorations, fabulous food and even games with prizes! We had such a great time. We recycled our Barney and Betty Rubble costumes, since we have been so busy with the move. This is what we looked like, if you haven't already seen. :)

Friday a moving company also came to get the rest of our stuff that we had at the house. This is what the living room looked like before...

It only took the movers 25 minutes to pack all of this and finish the paperwork. I know it isn't that much, but I was amazed! And yesterday we completely cleaned and left our beautiful Hawaiian home. I was so sad. Here is a sunset picture to remind us all of the beautiful days and nights we witnessed there.

We also sold my car this week. So, here is the last picture of me in it right before we dropped it off. It was such a great car!

So, we accomplished a lot this week, moving-wise, and we are that many steps closer to living in Texas!

Me ke aloha,

RAWE

Kay and Steve visit Hawaii! - and Zac's Wardroom Farewell

Aloha! About two weeks ago Kay and Steve flew out to Oahu to spend a few days with us. We saw the USS Arizona, Punchbowl and had some great meals with them. That Saturday they left for a seven day cruise on NCL to see Maui, Kauai, the big island and then back to Oahu. They said that they had a marvelous and relaxing time on the cruise, and that the ship, islands and experience was great. They spent a couple more days here on Oahu with us before heading home, and we went to the North Shore, snorkeling at Hanauma Bay, 'Iolani Palace and of course did a little shopping. ;) We had so much fun being with them and we hope that they had a great vacation! We love you guys!
Click HERE for the pictures that I took from their trip!

Also, this weekend was Zac's (and Jason Downs') farewell with the wardroom of the USS Louisville. We all got together at the Simsic's house to tell funny stories about the guys and their time on the boat. Zac and I could not believe that it was actually time for his farewell. We have had such an incredible time and experience with these families, and will miss them all so very much.
Click HERE for the pictures from the party!

We have had a very busy past two weeks, but we are really enjoying our last few days on this beautiful island with some of the people that we love.

Me ke aloha,
RAWE

Hawaiian Portraits

We have SO enjoyed our time in Hawaii, and wanted to remember the beautiful surroundings with some professional photographs. The other night our sweet and very talented friend, Audra, took some pictures of us on Secret Beach on the North Shore. Here is a link to her blog, where you can see the four preview shots she posted. We hope you love them as much as we do!

http://simplesoulphotography.blogspot.com/

*If you are checking this a while after my blog post, you may need to scroll through her blog to see them.*

Me ke aloha,

RAWE

Hawaiian Pack-out

Today the movers came and packed ALL of our household goods. We are now living with an aerobed, two beach chairs, our clothes, coffee maker, microwave and a few dishes. Doesn't that sound glamorous? It totally is.

I loved how our movers improvised and sent the boxes down the two flights of stairs! Here is a video of the sliders.

We also made a lot of travel arrangements today. So, if you have questions about dates and locations of when we will be where, just ask!

Love to all - me ke aloha,

RAWE

Beth's Second Trip to HI!

Aloha!

This past week Beth came back to visit us here in HI. :)

We did a lot of hiking and saw a few of the sights that we missed her first time out in July. I didn't take nearly as many pictures as I should have, but HERE IS A LINK to the pictures from her trip (from my camera). For more pics, see FB.

We hiked Manoa Falls and Kuli'ou'ou Ridge/Valley Trails, if you would like to see where they are. When we hiked Manoa Falls, it was POURING RAIN, but that made it much more adventurous. The Kuli'ou'ou Ridge Trail was a BEATING, since we went the wrong way at the beginning, were literally followed by clouds of mosquitos (whose bites I am STILL recovering from) and didn't pack enough food and water to sustain our thirst and hunger! We were hiking for over four hours, and I burned over 1500 calories (yes, seriously - thank you heart rate monitor for reminding me how hard I worked). AND, we all fell at least twice. And not just little falls, but really hard falls. Needless to say, I complained a LOT about how much fun I was NOT having. :) I wouldn't really recommend that trail for novice hikers. And trust me, I will NOT be doing it again before our move.

Wed. we went snorkeling at Hanauma Bay (finally got to park there thanks to a lot less tourists being here)! Afterwards we went to Kaimuki for lunch at Big City Diner. Since living here, I have wanted to try "loco moco", a favorite Hawaiian food specialty. What is "loco moco" you may ask? Loco Moco = bed of white rice, with a hamburger patty topped with sauteed onions, a fried egg and brown gravy! I know that it may sound strange to you, but we really liked it! So, if you are here in Hawaii, TRY IT!

Me ke aloha,

RAWE

Becky and Janie visit HI!

Aloha!!

This past week Becky and Janie came out to Hawaii to explore the island and visit me! We had so much fun at Doris Duke's, the PCC, the swap meet, the North Shore and seeing so many Oahu sights.

CLICK HERE to see the pictures of some of our adventures.

We even found several Aloha shirts to makes some Hawaiian quilts with. :)

I am so blessed to have them in my life!

Me ke aloha,

RAWE

Aloha Shirts

THIS is my new muumuu.

I got it yesterday while shopping for these...

I've been shopping for Aloha shirts to make a Hawaiian quilt (someday). This is the stash Becky, Janie and I found at the Salvation Army in Kailua (and some from Kaimuki). :) Aren't they fun?

Me ke aloha,

RAWE