G'Day, mates!

A trip to Australia has been in my sights since we moved to Hawaii, so I was thrilled when Blaine agreed to take some time off to make this vacation happen. After much thought about where to go and what to see, we decided to stay in Sydney and tour the surrounding area. There are so many other places to see, such as Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef, Brisbane, Melbourne, the outback...you name it! But seeing all of these places in eight days is like touring the United States in eight days...that seemed overwhelming to me. We decided to pace ourselves, stay in one city, and we will go back to see the others in separate visits. Here's a recap of our trip!

Day 1: After missing the Space A flight over (no seats due to cargo), we booked our tickets for the next morning and were off on our 11 hour flight. We stepped out of the train station in Circular Quay to see all kinds of lights and street artists...much to our delight, we just happened to choose to visit the week of "Vivid Sydney", where artists put on amazing light shows all over the city! It was beautiful! Our first full day in Sydney, we headed straight over to the famous Opera House for a tour. We saw a rehearsal for a show the following night, which piqued our curiosity...more on that later. We also walked around The Rocks area and made our way to the Sydney Observatory, where we learned about the "Transit of Venus"...more on this later, too.   I fell in love with Sydney the first day...what a beautiful city!

Sydney Opera House

Sydney Observatory

 Day 2: We visited the Taronga Zoo to get a glimpse of some of the wildlife since I was sure we wouldn't be spotting any kangaroos in downtown Sydney. It was a nice zoo, and we really liked being able to walk amongst the kangaroos and wallabies in their enclosure. After our zoo visit, we went back to the Opera House for the show that we had seen in rehearsals the day before. "Stop the Virgens" was touted as a "psycho rock opera"...I can't believe I just wrote that. I'm still not sure what it was about and found myself scanning the audience to try to figure out what I was missing. It was an excellent people-watching venue, however! And quite an interesting experience. ;)  The main attraction was Karen O. of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs...yeah, I don't know who that is either.

Koala!

Lazy kangaroo

 Day 3: We spent our third day walking around the city, taking in the sights and sounds. If I had to describe Sydney, I would say it's a mix between New York City and Charleston, with a little bit of Europe thrown in...perfect for me! Have I mentioned how much I LOVED all of the outdoor cafes lining the streets...and my daily (sometimes multiple) cappuccinos? :) We visited the National Maritime Museum and then cozied up to a blackjack table in the neighboring casino afterwards.  ;)

Adorable market right around the corner from our hotel...and an outdoor cafe!

Same market at night...not so adorable.  ;)

City Centre

National Maritime Museum

 Day 4: We took the train to the Blue Mountains, but didn't get to see much of anything due to the rain and fog. The little town, Katoomba, that the train stopped in was super cute and was the perfect place for a yummy breakfast, though...and yet another pub visit!

Cute town of Katoomba!

The yucky weather...and why we didn't get a glimpse of the mountains.  :(

 Day 5: The rain continued so we decided on a veg out day, checking email and surfing the Internet while sipping on cappuccinos at our hotel. Sometimes you need veg out days on vacation.  No pictures of this day, obviously.

Day 6: Perhaps my favorite day!  We decided on a "Boutique Wine Tour", which sounded nice but I was completely prepared for a "touristy" and cheesy tour.  NOT AT ALL!  Our driver picked us up that morning in a little Mercedes van with only three other people!  He was funny and knowledgeable and even asked if there were any specific wineries we wanted to visit.  The Hunter Valley wine region is about two hours north of Sydney and looks just like the Sonoma Vally in California.  We tasted wines (MANY) at four different wineries: Savannah Estate, Iron Gate, Constable Estate, and Ernest Hill...you may have not heard of any of these because they are boutique wineries.  They typically sell out of their wineries and really don't ship anywhere.  Of course, we brought six bottles home with us.  :)  AND we even pulled over to see a big mob of wild kangaroos!!  We thought it was SO cool, even though they view kangaroos like we view whitetail deer in Texas.  ;)

Savannah Estate

Iron Gate

One of the vineyards...one of my MOST FAVORITE sights in all the world.  

Constable Estate

Ernest Hill

I light up any time I see vineyards...I just love the way they (and their wines) make me feel!  ;)

Blaine's tasting notes...did I mention they gave us A LOT of tastings?  Sweet Awesomeness?!  HA!

KANGAROOS!  In the wild!  Awesome!!

Day7: I'm glad we saw just about everything we wanted to see at the beginning of our trip because the weather did not cooperate this day.  We caught the ferry over to Manly Beach, such great views and a beautiful area!  Of course, it began to rain as soon as we got there, so we found a couple of breweries to spend some time in.

Sydney Harbour Bridge

Manly Beach...and storm clouds rolling in.

Day 8: Remember our visit to the observatory on day one?  Well, while there, we read about the Transit of Venus, when the sun, Venus, and Earth align just right so that you can see a tiny, black dot (Venus) traveling across the sun.  It only happens twice in a lifetime...eight years apart (2004 and 2012), but won't take place again until 2117.  If you are super bummed you missed it ;), you can check out the Transit of Mercury in 2016.  Blaine HAD to see this, as this is what drew Captain Cook and his crew to Australia in the first place.  And it was quite popular in Sydney...they sold out of the viewing glasses all over the city!  We were bummed about that, until we had the idea to walk up to the observatory that day where I just asked some guy who had already seen it if we could have his glasses!  We paid the good deed forward and gave the glasses to a guy we met later that day.  :)  After the transit, we strolled over to the Sydney Harbour Bridge and climbed up one of the pylons to take in the views of the city and harbour...gorgeous!

Viewing the Transit of Venus!  (We are SUCH nerds.)

View from the bridge pylon

Blaine taking in the transit one more time before giving away our glasses to another guy on the pylon.  I love this picture.  :)

Another shot of the bridge

Sydney...notice the historic buildings in The Rocks area nestled in front of the big City Centre!  Too cool!

We had a great trip and I'm so glad we made it to Australia!  Our next trip will definitely be a diving excursion, though.  :)

Two days after we returned, we island-hopped over to the Big Island with our dear friends, the Amidons!  Since Blaine won't have many spear-fishing opportunities in Alabama, he and Nate chartered a "deep blue" fishing trip, where they went out into the open ocean for some spear-fishing.  They saw a lot of fish and some whales, but even more sharks.  : /  While they fished, Elizabeth and I enjoyed relaxing by the lagoon in our cabana, sipping our new favorite drink (see recipe below!), reading books...everything a beach vacation should be before I get my hands on it and make one of my infamous itineraries.  ;)  It was AWESOME to spend four days in Kona with the Amidons...with NO itinerary...just relaxation in the sun.  Thanks, Nate and Elizabeth, for a very memorable vacation!

And if you've made it this far in your reading (sorry for the lengthy post), you will now be rewarded with one of the BEST recipes I have stumbled upon!  

SKINNY PINA COLADA

2 oz. coconut rum

2 oz. pineapple juice

5 oz. coconut water

Combine ingredients in a cocktail shaker with ice.  Shake and strain into a glass filled with ice.  Garnish with a pineapple slice and/or a maraschino cherry (optional).  ENJOY!  This makes two drinks at under 100 calories each!!  So yummy!  :)

Hot Air Balloon Baby Shower

When I recently took on planning a baby shower for a dear friend, Ashley, I asked her what she was interested in so that I could get an idea of where we wanted to go with the theme.  After getting her input, we decided on a hot air balloon theme, of which was a bit out of my comfort zone as I had never seen a party with that theme.  Little did we know that this would turn into one of the most beautiful showers any of us had ever seen!  :)

We had a lot going for us to begin with, which made this the perfect event!  First, I got to work with an AWESOME team of ladies who brought their A-games in every way.  Many thanks to Allison R, Elizabeth A, Lana P, Lauren K, and Lauren R for the time they spent planning, decorating, and preparing food...and tolerating my OCD tendencies!  ;)  Second, we scored THE PERFECT venue!  After taking a "field trip" around Hickam AFB to scope out the possible shower locations, we decided there was only one place that could offer the ambience we envisioned...our Wing Commander's backyard and lanai!  Now, three of our husbands, including Ashley's, work for our Wing Commander, so I felt comfortable asking him and his wife if they would entertain the idea.  We were beyond thrilled when they happily agreed and were honored to help!  Many thanks to them!!  As Allison put it, she felt as though someone just accepted her proposal for marriage when they said yes!  I agree, HA!

This venue was the perfect setting and MADE for a magical and whimsy baby shower!  And the covered lanai provided some relief to the unexpected Hawaiian shower that decided to show up.  ;)

3D hot air balloons cut with Allison's cutting machine and glued together.

We asked guests to bring their baby photos for a fun game of "guess who"...photos were displayed on a burlap-covered board with twine and tiny clothespins!

Guests left sweet thoughts of encouragement and words of advice on hot air balloon and cloud shapes.  These, along with pictures from the shower, will be put into a scrapbook for Ashley.

We tied ribbon around mason jars and added these pretty paper straws for the drinks.  I just love these colors together!

Our lovely food spread...backed by an awesome fabric swag created by Allison and Lana!

Lauren R ordered yummy cupcakes from Hokulani Bake Shop...they recently won Cupcake Wars on The Food Network!!  Allison made these adorable food labels, which added such a nice touch to our tables.

All of our hard work paid off for THIS reaction!  :)

Isn't Ashley gorgeous?!  Lauren K presented her with a fresh flower lei that coordinated with our shower colors.

Love this girl!!  :)

Allison cut letters so spell "BABY BAIZE" and attached them to twine with tiny clothespins...adorable!  And you can see the board that we displayed the baby photos on in the background, too.

An amazing team of ladies!  Jen, Lana, Allison, Lauren R, Elizabeth, Lauren K, and, of course, Ashley, in front!

We had a great turn out of about 35 ladies!

Allison suggested a fun impromptu game...we wrote some of the phrases down as Ashley exclaimed them while opening gifts.  Then, I read them back to everyone...but this time, thinking of them being said when Baby Baize was conceived.  HILARIOUS!!

Ashley poses with her shower sign...she had such a great time!

Allison made these adorable chocolate hot air balloons from candy molds for guests to take as favors...they were such a hit!

So incredibly cute!  :)

We had so much fun hosting this shower I didn't want it to end!  Most importantly, our goal was achieved...to make Ashley feel like the most beautiful, special, and loved girl in the world that day.  I'm glad to have been a part of something so memorable for her.  Love you, sweet friend!

A Cold Front...

...has hit Hawaii. It was 62 degrees when I left the house this morning, which feels FANTASTIC to me! Others...not so much. I can't even count how many students came in today wearing jackets, long pants, and complaining about the cold! Seriously? I also heard that one of the weather forecasters here was on TV yesterday, wearing a North Face jacket and gloves! I find this all to be slightly humorous. :)

In other news, this week is Teacher Appreciation Week! I have been getting fruit (yes, lots of apples), stationary, flowers, and leis all week. But today takes the cake for being the best...hand-written notes of thanks from students. :) I have been getting the sweetest cards and drawings...some from students I never imagined cared or thought of me any more than the time we spend together in class. Who knows, maybe I will be one of those memorable teachers in some kid's life?! I am very humbled (and have shed a few secret tears) at the thoughtfulness of my students and the power I have to leave a positive impression on them. What an awesome day!

Who was your most memorable teacher or mentor? WHY did that person leave such an impression on you?

I'm Making Our "Good Luck" Meal...

...of pork tenderloin, black-eyed peas, collard greens, and cornbread today. Our good luck meal means one thing...it's a new year! Which also means I'm feeling a bit anxious today for all that 2012 will bring.

Today is January 1st. We will be leaving Hawaii in July. That's SIX MONTHS away! I know from previous moving experiences that six months will FLY by in the blink of an eye. And I'm kind of freaking out about that today. I'm not sure why it just hit me today, but it has, and now I'm thinking of all the things I want to do in the next six months. Rather than make resolutions that I know I won't keep ;), I'm making a list of things that will make me feel I have enjoyed Hawaii and won't leave this beautiful state with any regrets...

1. I changed my blog background to a "beachy" one...I figure I should enjoy this background while I still live at the beach. :)

2. I want to revisit some of the other islands. We've been to Kauai, the Big Island of Hawaii, and Maui. However, I don't feel that we enjoyed all there is to offer on each of these! So, I'm thinking some long weekend trips and perhaps a Spring Break island-hop is in order. We also have yet to set foot on Niihau, Molokai, or Lanai, but we have seen them from afar.

3. I would like to travel to one (or ALL) of the following: New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, Bora Bora, Tahiti, and this list goes on and on. Maybe in June? After I'm done with school and our household goods are long gone?? So many places to see...and so little time to see them!

4. I have 87 teaching days left. A couple of weeks ago, I would have sighed at the thought of having SO many days left. But, the new year (and much needed break) has provided a nice reset for me and I now see this number as ONLY 87 days left to shape, mold, and leave an impression on these awesome kids who deserve love, patience, and more patience. ;) If I set any resolution, it will be to take deep breaths and remember that these kids are LEARNING and it's my job to TEACH them to be the people I want to associate with in the real world. I also hold the great responsibility of leading them to a love (or, at least, something beyond a hatred) for science and math, as these kids have the potential to do great things for future generations!

5. I want to enjoy Hawaii's beaches, culture, people, cuisine, and music every chance that I get...I've become desensitized to hearing "aloha" and "mahalo", but I know I'll miss this dearly when it's no longer at my fingertips. The Hawaiian people are among the friendliest we have ever met. Sure, there are bad people and areas...but bad people and areas exist everywhere! The Hawaiian/local people have been wonderful to us because we have been respectful and kind to them. I'm not sure how some of the military community has come to the conclusion that "Hawaiians don't like military people"...what an unfortunate stereotype. This assignment is so much more than living in paradise, enjoying Mai Tais on the beaches, and wearing shorts year round...it's about embracing another culture and keeping an open mind while learning about something bigger than you. And that's what I plan to continue to do for the next six months! I'm going to miss the kama'aina!

6. I also want to enjoy quality time with the amazing friends we have here. I never thought Hawaii would feel like a home to me, especially when we were living in TLF, had no friends, and I was crying and missing my Charleston friends (whom I STILL love and miss dearly)! Now, I know I'll have the same reaction as we fly back over the Pacific to a new home. Okay, I'm done thinking about that for now...

7. Lastly, I want to slow down...I want to savor each moment of each day, no matter how small it is. I went to the beach for the first time in MONTHS recently and just laid there, ran my fingers through the sand, and soaked up that day along with some sun. As I cleared my mind and just thought of what a blessed life we live, I felt a rush of happiness run through me. I want to feel that every day...so I must slow down to feel those moments and to take those opportunities to give thanks.

And with that, I wish you all a blessed and happy 2012!

Mele Kalikimaka...

...and Hau’oli Makahiki Hou! (Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!) I still have a hard time saying that with a straight face, but figure I should take advantage of it while we still live here in Hawaii! :)

We kicked off our Christmas break this year with an overdue trip to Maui! School let out on a Friday, I went straight home to get ready for our squadron's Christmas party, and then it was back home to pack for our 8 a.m. flight the next morning. Quite a whirlwind, as I don't really remember even being in the airport that morning! But it was all worth it as we began our relaxing drive around the beautiful coastline of Northwest Maui. Ahh, what a gorgeous island! All of the Hawaiian islands are SO different from one another, Maui having it's own unique features, too. As we traveled to our resort, we couldn't help but notice how rural and untouched Maui is, and there aren't many people! I pictured an island with big cities, where Hollywood's rich and famous come to vacation...kind of like a "Hawaiian Beverly Hills". Maui is NOT like that at all!

Our first stop was Kaanapali Beach for a couple of nights in a resort. We enjoyed doing a whole lot of NOTHING, a nap on the beach, some awesome snorkeling...I saw my first spotted eagle ray, several turtles, and we heard TONS of whales in the distance, and we enjoyed dining at several nice restaurants. Unfortunately, we both came down with colds while at the resort, but we were determined to make the most of our vacation!

Rainbow along coastline drive

The first of many cute little churches we would see in Maui!

Nakalele Blowhole

Molokai, another Hawaiian island, in the distance

Another cute church!

Our view from the resort lanai...and Lanai, the island! :)

Not feeling very well, it was a tough decision to check out of the resort on Day 3, as we decided to CAMP our third night in Maui! I know, you must think that we lost our minds, but we had a good reason. We drove the Road to Hana, a winding road along the coastline through beautiful rainforests...this drive takes 3-4 hours one way (Maui is BIG) and we didn't want to feel rushed to drive back that night. So, taking advice from some friends who had recently done the same, we camped at a beautiful beachfront campground just on the other side of Hana. I think we were the only ones there who were camping for leisure and not living out of our car, but our fellow campmates seemed to be enjoying life. ;)

Road to Hana...driving through lush, tropical hills

One of many valleys along our drive...Maui is known as the "Valley Isle" (I can see why!)

Looking back at the Road to Hana (you can see it in the hillside)

With rain, you get waterfalls. With LOTS of rain (throughout your entire vacation) you get LOTS of waterfalls. I have seven pictures of different waterfalls, and those were just the ones we saw from the road while driving!

There are several roadside fruit stands along the Road to Hana...

...and they operate on the "honor system"! I love it!!

Our awesome camp set-up, with crashing waves nearby!

After a somewhat sleepless night due to the pouring rain, we packed up on Day 4 and continued our drive around the Southern coastline (BEAUTIFUL, we liked this drive better than the Road to Hana). Perhaps the best part of this hidden gem of a road is the little church and graveyard, tucked away in the rainforest, where Charles Lindbergh has been laid to rest! Blaine was beyond thrilled, and humbled, to be in the presence of this amazing pilot. This drive took us around and back up towards Haleakala, the big crater on Maui. We made last minute plans (two days prior) to stay at Kula Lodge, a charming log cabin lodge up on the mountain. So cozy..and it felt like winter as the temperatures were in the 40's and 50's! Yes, it gets cold in Hawaii! This is also the point in which I realized Blaine left all of my winter clothes packed in the resort dresser! The resort has since mailed them to me, and I have since forgiven Blaine. ;) We positioned ourselves at this lodge so that we could be close enough to make it to the infamous sunrise at the summit of Haleakala. Of course, the weather did not cooperate, so we didn't see the sunrise, but we loved the lodge and will go back again!

Seven Sacred Pools...I'm sure they're more glorious when a monsoon hasn't turned them into a muddy mess!

Charles Lindbergh fell in love with Maui after a visit and decided to make it his home. He was diagnosed with lymphosarcoma, was getting treatments in New York at which point he was told he didn't have much time left, and so he decided to stop treatments and return to Maui because he wanted to die here.

Haleakala Crater

My favorite little church! I think Maui should be known as the "Island of Adorable Little Churches"!

After a wet and cold night of camping, we needed and appreciated this warm, cozy fireplace at the lodge!

We spent Day 5 checking out the area near the lodge before heading to the airport to return home. We visited the Kula Lavender Farm (awesome!) and the Tedeschi Winery, where we stocked up on yummy wines! After every trip to the other islands, we have returned home wanting more, so I'm sure we'll head back to Maui before we leave Hawaii.

Lavender farm overlooking West Maui! Gorgeous!!

Lavender...the air smelled so wonderful!

I love lavender. :)

Our chameleon friend at the winery!

We returned from Maui four days before Christmas, enough time to get together with friends and neighbors for Christmas celebrations! We hosted a small Christmas Eve EVE celebration, baked SO MANY goodies, joined our friends at their chapel Christmas morning, and wrapped up the season with a perfect Christmas potluck out back with friends and neighbors. This was our first year away from family, whom we missed so much, but our wonderful friends are just like family to us and we enjoyed every second spent with them!

Baby Taylor didn't find it nearly as amusing as we did to put her in the Christmas top hat!

Gabe and Diana scored the most coveted gift in the gift exchange...a "Christmas Vacation" ornament! It was stolen three times!

The boys made a ruckus outside...

...while the girls played a game of Apples to Apples!

Jewlee decorated the tables for Christmas...perfect for our Hawaiian Christmas potluck!

Jewlee and I both donned our sparkly Christmas shirts! :)

A wonderful Christmas break so far, and we're only half-way through!! We hope you are enjoying this season with friends and family and feel as blessed as we do.