Monday, May 18th, Big Island>>>Oahu

Kilauea

Recipe for an awesome volcano experience:

1. Wake up at 2:45 am. Regret going to bed at 11:30pm. Drag self out of bed.
2. Leave B&B at 3 am. Drive on never ending winding roads.
3. Meet guide at little "Painted Church" at 3:50 am. Said guide must be a local Hawaiian with express permission to access areas closed to others.
4. Walk in the dark through lava fields with only a headlamp, somehow avoiding twisting an ankle, falling on "glass" lava shards, or succumbing to poisonous gas emitted from the occasional steaming vent.
5. Arrive at destination, still in the dark, in total awe of the fiery red glow only 20 yards from where you stand.



The lava was flowing from one major river and many small streams around it the morning we went. Our guide said he had never seen it like this before (he goes to the site daily). Also, the wind was going in a slightly different direction than normal, so the smoke was blowing out and we were able to see more than usual. Sweet.

The wind constantly blew the smoke in different directions, so the view was always changing. And the lava constantly changed, too. One minute an area would be gushing, the next, it had stopped and a new area around it would start to flow.

As the lava would hit the water, big chunks would cool down and break off, forming lava rocks that would then float around in the surf. They would continue to glow slightly and let off lots of smoke and steam. There were probably a couple hundred or so of these at any given time floating nearby. There are volcano boat tours that come out this early in the morning as well. It's too bad, because the people on the boats can't really see much, since the smoke clouds cover the view from their direction. We felt sorry for those that had paid to take the boat tours. Not only could they not see much of the volcanic activity, they were also put at serious risk from the hydrochloric acid gases produced as the lava hit the water. Of course, the boat operators weren't going to tell them that. The gas in the air was congruent with the acid in the water--not really good for the boat itself. Oy. Also, we watched one of the boats go right into the middle of all the floating lava rocks. There was a very loud bang as it's propeller hit one of the rocks. We could hear one of their guides trying to distract the people on the boat with some "volcano facts" as we watched two of the boat crew frantically trying to look out the back to see how bad the boat had been damaged. Oh boy. They were able to leave, so it must not have crippled it too badly.

One of our favorite pictures. This was around 4:30 am, just after we arrived on site.


And here is the culmination of the entire experience...totally unexpected and very real.

I need to add a note here on our guide. He was very knowledgeable, very cautious, and had our safety in mind at all times. This was just part of the whole volcano experience, unexpected dangers and all!

The rest of our day was a bit more calm. We took our island hop from Hilo to Honolulu in the afternoon, checked in to our hotel, and just walked around until dinner. We met up with one of the Trustees (of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentists) and his lovely wife for a heavenly dinner at a restaurant on site, then returned to our room to relax and crash for the night. All in all, a fabulous day.

Big Island, Sunday, May 22nd

Our first adventure of the day was to the Hawaii Botanical Garden. It is located in a bay with small waterfalls and crashing surf. An array of orchids, heliconia, ginger, spider lilies, cannon ball trees, banyan trees, and so much more filled the hike around the gardens. Although the entry charge was $15, it was totally worth it.

Ginger Plant




Heliconia




Heliconia

Bay At Hawaii Botanical Garden

As we drove around the island, we encountered all sorts of fun little roadside shacks and stands. We stopped at one and had the best fresh fruit smoothies (no ice, ice cream, sugar or other added junk) we've ever had. And a fantabulous fish wrap sandwich. Yum. Wish we could go back for more.

Later in the day, we went driving along the north shore of the Big Island. One of the little side trips off the highway was to Akaka Falls. We passed through the farming community of the island, and saw many sugar cane and taro fields, coffee plants, etc. The waterfall was a short, steep 5 minute hike that seemed to appear out of nowhere. It reminded me of the sheer magnitude of Multnomah Falls in Oregon, but with the lush tropical vegetation of Hawaii everywhere. Stunning.

Requisite Touristy Photo Op

Akaka Falls

We drove to the Mauna Kea observatory summit to watch the sunset and see the stars this night. Took a pic of the GPS readings to prove it!

Elevation at Mauna Kea Observatory Summit

We had to take the Saddle Road from Hilo to near Mauna Kea, then from there, the summit road, which required 4wd, so the convertible rental had to go. We traded it in for a Jeep for the day. Mauna Kea is a 30,000+ foot mountain, but 17,000 of that is underwater. But we had the privilege of driving the other 14,000 (okay, so 13,861 ft to be precise) feet up. Lots of ear popping and VERY sharp and winding roads. Oh, and the warning about "invisible cows". Evidently, the moo-makers like to suddenly appear on the road in front of vehicles, out of the mists. Lucky us that we didn't encounter any of the beasties.
Not so great weather though, which was really a bummer. There was a freak cloud storm. Our first stop was at the visitors center at about 9,000 ft. We needed to pop in there for about 1/2 hr to adjust to the elevation change to help avoid altitude sickness. We were hoping that the weather would clear up as we reached the summit.
The observatory was amazing in that we were able to go from sea level to 14,000 ft elevation in less than an hour. But the weather didn't improve when we got up there. In fact, it was worse. It was 37 F and with gale force winds. There was a couple 10 second or so breaks in the fast moving clouds is all. We stayed about 15 minutes (in the car), then went down the mountain again.
Well, I can officially say that I have experienced altitude sickness. And it sucks. Think horrible headache (like from a spinal leak, which I can unluckily say I have experienced), nausea, dizziness, trouble concentrating, and generally feeling quite ill. The cure? Get down to a lower altitude. FAST.It's amazing how quickly I recovered once we got down to about 7,000 ft.
Naturally, Matt didn't have any trouble at all. I'm so jealous.

Cloudy and Windy

Hawaii Adventures #1

DISCLAIMER: For some reason, while using Matt's computer, I cannot get these pics and such to format in my post the way I want to. So the pics are all over the place and the entries look discombobulated and poopy right now. Sorry. I will edit them later when I can use my comp again. :(

Manta rays

The Trip There and Day #1, Hilo, Big Islan

Matt and I left Friday at 6:30am MST and arrived in Hilo, HI at just around 9:30pm Pacific time. That would be 1:30am for us, so just under 24 hrs of travel time. Yuck. We would have arrived around 4:30pm if our flight from Salt Lake hadn't been delayed 2 1/2 hrs, which resulted in us missing our island hop from Honolulu to Hilo. Luckily, we were able to catch the very last hop out that night, on the very last seats available. The Hawaiian airline ("GO") was kind enough to not charge us for completely new tickets! Mahalo!

The boys have stayed home for this trip. We felt like the traveling itself would be too long for them. After finally getting here, we would have to say that it was a good choice, although we are already missing them. We have to say thanks to "M" for agreeing at last minute (as in three days before) to watch them, when our other sitters had to cancel due to injury. So, thanks again, "M"!

We stayed at the Orchid Tree B&B in Hilo. Great two room place in a quiet neighborhood in Hilo. Breakfast consisted of breads, juices, cereal, and a fruit platter with fresh pineapple, papaya, mango, banana, rambutan, longan (sp?), lychee, and orange. Yummy! We will definitely stay here again if/when we return to the Big Island.

Saturday, May 16th

We are exhausted from the travel, but have a good night's rest, despite the noisy coquil frogs outside!

Decided to go visit the west side of the island, around Kona. The diverse landscape is amazing. It's volcanic rock one minute, then lush grass and cane fields the next, to mountainous regions covered with palms, banyans, and other trees. There isn't a straight or smooth road out here and the average speed limit is 35mph, just right for taking in all the views. And seeing multiple mongoose running across the roads...

Kona is the more developed side of the island, with more shops, etc. The snorkeling is better on this side, so we grab some gear and head over to "The Refuge" area nearby the the Captain Cook monument. The tang fish were literally right at our feet before we even stepped off the natural volcanic rock ledge into the reef! There were many spiny urchins as well.

Wana (black urchin)

After snorkeling, we were able to go grab some dinner before our next trip out. While we were getting our snorkel gear, Matt found out about a night dive to see manta rays. We went out on a boat with about ten other people. I am happy to report that I did not get seasick and puke in front of everyone (I was petrified that I was going to). Matt was the only diver on our boat aside from the master diver, which he was really excited about. Turns out the master is also an endodontist that works on the naval base. Go figure!

There were 13 manta rays that showed up that night. The smallest one was 2 yrs old and "only" about 5 ft across. The largest was 13-14" across. They eat the swarms of plankton that are attracted by the diving lights, so Matt got pictures of the actions from below at 35-40 feet, while I was able to snorkel above with the rest of the group. The mantas were so surreal. They would swim and flip around right next to us, even skimming my stomach a couple of times! Matt said that he got knocked over more than once. They weren't aggressive towards us at all, more like oblivious to us! In the videos he took, you can tell when Matt was getting bumped by the rays!

Weeds

We have weeds. They are growing at such a rapid rate that I have yet to find something to slow them down. These are not regular weeds. No, they are very special ones.

Grandpa J and our "weeds"

Yep. I'm having one of those "When did you get big?" moments about the boys. As I was folding laundry today, I noticed that the boys are starting to run a little thin on pickings for pants. They all seem to have hit a growth spurt in the past two months. Xander is definitely into "5's, and almost to "6's," and Talmage is in "4's" now. Kalvin is wearing some "8's" already. He started wearing size 6 when school started!

Talmage just hangin'

We are noticing other things, too. Kalvin is now able to read any of their books to his brothers and likes doing so. Xander is trying to "read" now himself. He will grab a book and tell the story out loud based on the pictures. He "practices" the words and identifies the letters in them. His drawings are quite identifiable now. Talmage is talking nonstop. He tells us full stories when we ask him questions about what he is doing or how his day has gone. He no longer looks like a toddler.
It makes me sad at times to see them growing up so quickly. I wonder if Talmage's "firsts" will be the last ones in our family. We don't want them to be. We sincerely hope that we will be able to adopt another child. The boys have said quite a bit recently that they would like to have a sister or another brother. So far, their vote is 2-1 in favor of a girl, but it also seems to change about every other day! Matt and I would be happy either way.

We Are Blessed

It seems like there is never a dull moment around here. The days seem to disappear before they even wake to the morning sun's rays. Next month will make it official--we will have lived in Montana for 5 years. 5 YEARS!

Matt and I were sitting on the floor in our great room last night, relishing the incredible view we have of the whole valley and the mountains surrounding us. How blessed we are to be in the gorgeous state of Montana. Amazed at how blessed we have been since we moved here (not that we weren't before, too, of course)-- A good "starter" home when we first arrived. The joy of an unexpected pregnancy after the heartaches and complications of infertility and miscarriages. The unanticipated difficulties of this pregnancy that taught us how strong we can be with Him on our side. The beautiful boy that joined his equally beautiful older brother in our family. The wonderful friends that did the remodel of a house they owned-much sooner than they had planned on, so that we would have a home after selling our house. The experiences and knowledge gained through building our home ourselves (Disclosure: I was the general contractor. The subs wielded the hammers and saws). The indescribable joy of holding a baby in our arms through the blessings of adoption. The happiness Talmage's sweet spirit brings into our home. The house we built that has become our home. The silliness of three rambunctious and loving boys that we are honored to be able to call our sons. The opportunities we have to serve others through our business/Matt's work. The chance to serve even more when the Strawhouse building is completed this summer.





We are thankful for all of these blessings, including the hard experiences we have gone through, because we have grown and been strengthened through them.

We are blessed.

Healing

Xander is the proud owner of a new light blue cast! We saw Dr. H. Friday morning to check on how his left arm is healing. The bones are still together, albeit at a slight angle. When the new cast was put on and hardening, the doc put some pressure on Xander's arm at a few specific points to hopefully reduce/remove the angle the bones were sitting at. We have to go in for more x-rays at the end of this coming week to see if it worked. We're sure hoping so. If not, it's back for another operation--and a much more complicated one at that. Crossing fingers again...

On another note, it doesn't seem to be slowing Xander down all too much. He spent much of today outside with his brothers, rough and tumble as usual. They ran around the property, exploring for bugs, riding their scooters on the drive, bouncing on the trampoline, and generally getting dirty. Boys will be boys.

BBQ TIME

Fired up the grill tonight for the first time since last season. Thick ribeye steaks with an Argentinian rub, grilled medium rare, then topped with chimichurri sauce. Mmm....I forgot how much I missed the grilled food. Bring it on!
There are some around these parts who probably think we are wimps. But we just don't see any fun in trying to grill outside with -10 below temperatures and a howling wind during the winter. We'll stick with braises, stews, and crock pot recipes during those cold months, thank you very much!

THE REMODEL

Progress on the Strawhouse is slowly but surely being made. The more visual changes of the construction project are about to commence. We should see some new walls and flooring going up this week. I wonder if the deadline for the end of June is going to be met. Guess we'll just have to wait and see. Sorry-no pics. It's going to be a surprise, remember?

Latest Food Musings: Chimichurri rub, fruit smoothies from frozen berries and ripe bananas (and nothing else), crab cakes.

Sticks and Stones

April 8th. Tuesday late afternoon.
I get a call from the preschool. The news: Xander had fallen on the playground and his arm was hurting and swelling. The person calling sounded very calm. It couldn't be that bad, I thought. Big brother Kalvin and I jumped into the car and headed to town.

When I got there, I experienced one of the saddest, most heart-wrenching moments I've ever had as a mother. My little boy was sitting in one of the tiny chairs at a work table, his left arm resting on an ice pack. Tears were streaming down his face. He looked at me with his large puppy dog eyes and just cried out, "Mama!" His left forearm just below the wrist was turning blue and was indeed swelling. And it was distorted. Very obviously so.

I scooped up my little boy, trying to not move or jar his arm in the process. He just cried and cried. We made it to the car, I buckled him in as carefully as possible, and drove to Daddy's office. When I walked in holding Xander, Matt and Dr. S., our anesthesiologist we work with, could see from across the room that his arm was probably broken. A splint was applied to Xander's little arm, and we were then off to the Emergency Dept.

Waiting for the doctor

Poor little guy. We had the usual wait before being taken back to be seen by the doctor. A few x-rays and the verdict was in: two very broken bones, and they needed to be reset in place. An IV, medication, and some painful tugs later, our brave little guy was put back together. Thank goodness for sedation medication--he doesn't remember the very uncomfortable resetting part.
A cast laden arm and some hours later, Xander and I finally left the hospital. He was sure tired after the whole ordeal, especially with it also being 2 hours past his normal bedtime.



Unfortunately, the drama continued throughout the rest of the week. The next day, Wednesday, Xander's little arm was swelling so much under the cast that the circulation to his hand was being cut off. His fingers looked like little sausages. At the Dr's office, they had to cut an incision down the length of the cast to allow it to expand. The color of Xander's fingers immediately improved, and he wasn't complaining so much about them hurting. They took another x-ray as well. The bones had shifted in the past 24 hrs, and the Dr said Xander would need to have surgery on Friday to get it fixed.

Thursday was fairly uneventful, aside from the fun of trying to conjure a waterproof covering over the cast so Xander could have a shower.

All wrapped up for a shower

Friday. 11:10 am. My little boy is wheeled into the OR. A good friend, another anesthesiologist, graciously agreed to come in on his day off, to take care of our Xander. About 45 min later, I look out of the waiting room and see and hear some familiar crying. The nurse has carried Xander out of the OR in her arms, and he is looking around rather dazed and confused. He settles down as soon as I hold him. How good that made me feel to know that I, his mother, could provide the comfort he was desperately seeking. I carried him to his room and we got to snuggle together for the next three hours while he recovered from the anesthesia. As much as I hated to see him have to go through the experience, I thoroughly enjoyed the quiet time we were able to share together. I think he did too. At least he smiled alot.

Just before surgery

Today, our X-man is doing great. We let him go without the sling today, and no swelling or other problems popped up. He complains of no pain, and hasn't needed any pain medication for two days now. Of course, he is running around the house at full force, which terrifies his Dad and I. We're sure he's going to take a tumble and upset whatever healing has been able to take place thus far. Xander has a follow up with the orthopedic surgeon on Friday to see how things are going. We're crossing our fingers for good news!