So there IS more...

Because I like to begin my posts with pictures, I share with you a sunset on the North Shore...this is how we spent Valentine's Day. I'm sure there will be many more of these to share with you in the future. A little random, but I just had to share...

We've started to figure out that there is a little more to this island than pasty-white tourists on Waikiki Beach (yeah, I know, WE still fall into that category right now). Besides familiarizing ourselves with the base amenities, our explorations thus far have taken us to several beautiful areas on the island.

The Eastern, or Windward side of the island, is really incredible. The H-3 (Oahu has three highways...numbered one through three) winds through a mountain valley and it is a really spectacular experience, leaving the drier, Western (or Leeward) side of the island, and all of a sudden being in what I can only describe as a rainforest. We went from sunny and 80 degrees to a misty rain and 70 degrees within seconds! I cannot even describe in words the beauty of the mountains here, especially those on the Windward side, with the clouds hovering just around the tops...AMAZING!! The rain didn't make for great picture weather, so I will post pictures of this area as soon as the weather cooperates.

Our second weekend here, we ventured out to the Diamond Head area and snorkeled Hanauma Bay. It was great! The water is a gorgeous, turquoise color and there are so many different colored fish and coral. It was a little cold...85 degrees outside, but a cloudy sky made it seem much cooler. We bought our own snorkeling equipment at the Navy Exchange, and with free admission for military to Hanauma Bay, we will certainly make snorkeling a regular activity in the Baker household. Still waiting for a sea turtle or whale sighting, though...

Side note on water creatures: the only thing I've seen in the water that was large enough to get really excited about was what I THOUGHT was a whale. Blaine and I were enjoying lunch on the water's edge at one of the base restaurants a few days after our arrival. The water's edge we were at was actually Pearl Harbor. As we are eating lunch, this large, whale-shaped thing appeared out of nowhere in the water...it was a SUBMARINE! Neither Blaine nor I have ever seen a submarine in real life, but there it was...just carrying on like no big deal! And I saw another one about a week later! Seriously?! It was pretty cool.

We also went to the farmer's market in Haleiwa last weekend. Haleiwa is a small, surfing town on the North Shore. Their farmer's market was a little smaller than Charleston's, but was still really neat. I love that everyone here is into eating healthy foods...it makes it so much easier for us to stick to a healthy diet. And the fresh pineapple is awesome!! There are several farmer's markets on the island, as well...we plan on visiting them soon. I really don't think the mountain views will ever get old...you can see them from the Haleiwa farmer's market! And did I mention our trip down memory lane?? This farmer's market has boiled peanuts, just like our beloved Charleston! Another thing that is really popular here is Hawaiian Shaved Ice. I'm sure you all have seen what I refer to as "snowcone stands" where you're from, but here, they are a BIG deal! I think it has something to do with all of the extras you can add to them...we just got plain, flavored ones...no weird toppings this time around.
Haleiwa is also where the infamous North Shore waves are found. I have to say that the North Shore is my favorite area so far. The waves are incredible and the beaches are not crowded at all! This might be attributed to the fact that you can't swim at some of the beaches because of the enormous waves. But what a gorgeous area!! And we also found some great Mexican food in Haleiwa with even greater margaritas! That's all I really need to be content. :)

And for those friends thinking of adding Hickam AFB to your wishlist of places to move to...I will say that the views from here are incredible! The base is so pretty...the streets are all lined with palm trees, you can see mountains from anywhere on base, and the private beach is wonderful! There's even a bar and grill on the beach so that you can enjoy a Mai Tai while you sunbathe. I think I could get used to this!

I have been writing this post in segments at a time...so much to share since I wrote the previous paragraph. I have been taking scuba diving classes this week and will be a certified diver on Sunday! More to come on that... AND, I think we found the perfect place to rent off-base while we're waiting for base housing...and I think you, our future guests, will find it as amazing as we do! DEFINITELY more on that in the near future. We just looked at it tonight, and if all goes well, we will move in soon!

You can bet on more pictures and updates soon. Miss and love you all!!

We Made It!

We made it!! After many months of preparation, packing, and paperwork, we are now Oahu’s newest residents. And what an adventure it has been…

We began the moving process in August, right after receiving word that we would be relocating to Hawaii. Believe it or not, the most time consuming (and stressful) part of this move was not our household goods shipment…it beat us here by three days; it wasn’t our car shipment….it should be here in the next day or so; it was actually getting Blaze and Holly here! Hawaii is a rabies-free island, so they are very particular about whom they grant entry. I have devoted the last six months to making sure our dogs would be allowed on the island, with many visits to the vet and LOTS of paperwork (and money). I must also mention that the military vet in San Antonio, who was supposed to do the health certificates, informed us the day before our appointment (two days before we were to fly out) that they were not qualified to complete health certificates! That was fun. Thanks to my hometown civilian vet, who was AWESOME and scheduled us at the last minute, we got them done just in time. A couple of microchips, rabies vaccinations, blood tests, health certificates, and 30 hours of being cooped up in their kennels later…..AND our flight was delayed and our dogs showed up at the quarantine station in Hawaii AFTER HOURS. Huge disappointment! Normally, they would have had to spend the night there and undergo inspection the following morning. But, Blaine pleaded with the agent and she let them come home with us that day! Needless to say, we have been giving them extra loving after all they had to go through. Poor babies. All is well now, and they are sleeping peacefully as I write.

Our actual flights out here were very nice and didn’t seem as long as I thought they would be. Our first flight was from Austin to Sacramento…we upgraded the tickets to first-class. It was great. The dogs were under the seats in front of us while we sipped on our Bloody Mary’s and had a yummy lunch. It was during this flight that it really hit me. We were moving. And to a far-away place! I was overcome with emotion…reading Glenn Beck’s Christmas Sweater during this flight didn’t help things. I cried the ENTIRE flight. Blaine laughed while I tried to hide it…and I’m sure the other passengers were wondering what was wrong with the basket-case woman in seat 4A.

After a night at Travis AFB, CA (which I would recommend to anyone…nice place!), we headed to the passenger terminal to board our military-contract flight to Hawaii. Here, we also pleaded with the airmen on duty to let us carry Blaze and Holly on, but to no avail, they had to go in a separate compartment. I felt much better, though, when they reassured me that they were going to be in the same cabin, just separated from us by a wall. The DC-8 plane that we were on has a space for cargo in the front (near the cockpit) and seating in the back. The dogs went in the front instead of down below with the baggage, which was much more comforting. The flight attendants even checked on them and gave them water throughout the flight. Blaze charmed one of the flight attendants to the point that she wanted to take him home with her! Our flight was a Space-A flight, and most of the 32 passengers were retirees heading to Hawaii for vacation. They had lots of good advice for us, which was very nice. This flight was just like first-class; with meals, drinks, and plenty of leg room. Leaving the mainland and being over the Pacific made the move seem even more real and made me think about how much I already miss Charleston and my friends there. Cue the Bloody Mary’s again…I had SIX to ease my anxiety.

Arriving in Hawaii, I was overwhelmed with how gorgeous it is! I couldn’t believe the 80 degrees of tropical weather that hit me when I stepped off the plane. And the palm trees! They are much taller and tropical-looking than those in Charleston. I wasn’t expecting mountains either…but they’re here, too! It’s really amazing. I felt as though we were in St. Lucia on our honeymoon again. Our sponsor from the squadron met us at the airport and, as Hawaiian custom goes, presented us with leis. REAL leis! Mine was made out of beautiful, fragrant, fuschia-colored orchids and Blaine’s was made out of seashells, leaves, and kukui nuts (see picture at top). They’re not the cheap silk-flower ones I’m used to. I was very impressed! We spent our first two nights at Hotel Renew on Waikiki Beach. Very nice! And pet-friendly!! The hotel even provided a dog bed filled with treats, food, a dog bowl, and a magazine called Island Dog. We soaked up a few rays on Waikiki, had some P.F. Chang’s for dinner, did some people-watching…we came up with a new game which is very easy to play here. It’s simple…you get 10 points for every guy you see in a Speedo…20 points if he’s over 50! ;) Waikiki is very touristy and not my kind of place. We’re looking forward to seeing the rest of the island to figure out what Oahu is REALLY all about!

I’m writing from TLF now…our temporary lodging facility. It’s in a nice neighborhood on base, and very spacious. It has two floors, two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a living room, a dining room, and a kitchen. It’s okay for now…but we really can’t get settled here. The housing office told us they can guarantee us a brand new house on base…in AUGUST. In the meantime, we have to find something off-base. The good news is that the AF will move our things to base in August so we won’t have to worry about it this time! We are going to do some house-hunting and island-exploring (I promise to have more pictures posted) in the next few days. And who knows? We may like our place off-base so much that we won’t want to move back on base this summer. Either way, we will have a place for you to stay if you’d like to visit!!

And, now, for the most difficult part of all. I can’t finish this blog entry without writing about it. I miss my family! And I miss you girls in Charleston! I’m getting teary-eyed just thinking of you all. In all honesty, I’m crying like a big baby right now! Of course, I will see my family and friends in Texas again soon, which makes it a little easier being so far away from them. But I won’t see you girls nearly as often. I hate that I won’t be there to celebrate all of the upcoming births, or see my favorite little ones grow up. I know I will make new friends here, but you girls hold such a special place in my heart. I wish you could all be here with me…it’s the only thing that would make this the perfect assignment. I’m always really uneasy about starting something new…and THIS is NEW! And I know it will be fine. But it doesn’t make it any easier or make me miss any of you any less. I love you all so much!! I will keep in touch! And I hope to see you all again real soon...