Darryl and Cindy Cunningham

Are you there?

2012-01-26T09:04:00.000-08:00

Is anybody there? Does anybody Care?
No?..... Okay.. no problem.

You don't have to comment, it's all good. I love you! :-)

The Ragnar Relay Florida Keys - 2012!!

2012-01-19T15:48:00.000-08:00


Team Smoke on the Highway at the Finish line!

Can I just say that I hate this new blogger layout and I may need to find a new way to post on my blog. Well, all of those frustrations aside, I started to put my photos up the way I used to, last to first, but they started posting in the opposite order, then I couldn't get them to delete. When I finally figured out how to post them correctly I realized I now don't have the time to put them up in order and label them, so here's what I'll do. Below are pictures of my very first Ragnar Relay!! I loved it. Our team did fabulous and I was able to run with 4 of my children and I made new friends (Roddy, Barry, Mason and Wendy) along the way. We ran 199 miles from Miami to Key West Florida. Even though the pictures aren't in order I hope you enjoy them!

Jason leading the way across the finish line in Key West !

Barry handing off to Skye on his last leg.

What? Cody do something spectacular and hurt himself at the finish line?

Finish line madness!

Our fabulous driver and coach, Darryl and our great van and mascot.

Shiloh getting her 2-fer medal.

Ryan, Skye and Reagan.

Our own Barry Robyn!

Wendy and Roddy!

More finish line photos.

Below is Charleigh tattooing Cody at the beginning of the race on Friday.

Finishing my first leg, Cody is waiting to receive the "baton".

Poppa Mike Proudly displays his medals.

Trying to catch a few Zzzz's Friday night.

Friday morning before the start of our race day.

Cindy Finishing leg one and Cody thinking about starting to run.

The runners of Van 2 - Skye, Cindy, Roddy, Wendy, Cody and Barry "Robyn".

Skye, Cindy and Wendy.

Can I just say.. Wendy is AWESOME!!!

Skye handing off to me for my first leg!

Skye in the hammock, Darryl on the ground.

Darryl giving Skye some encouraging words.

Cindy with the 2012 Speedway fairy. (Where's your hat and wand girl?)

Making smores at the Homestead Speedway.

Cody went a little crazy with the leftover Turtle Tattoos.

Jason is the man!

The "Smoke on the Highway" Team and Support Crew at the Southern Most tip of the Continental United States in Key West, Florida. Cody is on top of the Marker Monument.

Barry, Roddy and Mason

Mike and his sons, Jacob (with Lily) and Jason.

Cami and Ransom

Miss Lily Pie was a great Cheerleader!

Cami, Jacob and Family at the southern most tip of the Continental U.S.

Cali and Parker having fun on the beach.

I was a happy momma to be able to run this race with 4 of my children! Skye, me, Cody, Cali and Shiloh.

Hillary, Cami, Skye, Reagan, Gage and Ryan

Shiloh and Jason

Shiloh, Roddy and Cody

Darryl and I with our 7 children at the Southern most point in Key West. The first time the 9 of us had been together since August 19, 2009.

I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT ONE!!!!

Christmas Weekend at Grandmas

2011-12-28T17:13:00.000-08:00

My birthday present from Cami and Jacob came on Thursday the 22nd. I came home to find a Pro-Flowers box at my door. I put them in water on Friday so they could bloom then we left for North Carolina. When we came home Monday this is what they looked like. Even today are still beautiful!

Saturday evening Darryl gave me my birthday gifts. A Korean poster and Heartstrings DVD. Can I just say one more time I LOVE KOREA!!! (oops, I just deleted the picture by accident. ) I can't wait until the day I get to visit. And thanks to my kids for their gifts. (You can't go wrong with NCIS, a gift card to your favorite bookstore, running gear, and more!)

It's a red velvet cake. I had to make him talk one candle off since he had 6 small ones on there.

-------------

Christmas morning we opened presents with mom.

I don't thinks it's really Christmas for my kids until they can at least see Grandma Peggy's Candy Counter.

This picture was taken after Church.

About 3:30 Shiloh, Jason and the kids arrived. We took some pictures, had tons of fun and then ate a wonderful Christmas Feast (of which I have no pictures. We were too busy eating.)

OH.... here is the family as they really are....CRAZY!!! "Nuttin' but love for ya!"

Hey... let's play smash Cole!,,,,,

And Keep away.....

And Pig in the poke.......

And opening presents......

And how many kids can you cram in the Santa House?......

And then have a plate of Cool Whip just because you are at Grandma Peggy's and you can.

It was a wonderful Christmas weekend. I hope you had a joyous Christmas and may you remember the blessings which are ours because of our Saviour, Jesus Christ, now and throughout the coming year.

Sorry for the Delay...Thanksgiving & More!

2011-12-18T19:39:00.000-08:00

I am normally a much better blogger than what I have been the last 6 weeks. Suffice it to say my excuses are lame....
Right after Thanksgiving work got really crazy (50+ hr. weeks), I got really sick and my camera broke. Except for the Christmas decor pictures at the end all of these pictures were from Darryl and Cody's phones.

#########
Yesterday we went to the Temple. It was a beautiful day so I took a picture of Darryl and Cody. Darryl and I have been called as Temple Workers in the Baton Rouge Temple. We are very excited to say the least.

Now to play Catch-up since November....
We left at 3:30 Wednesday morning the 23rd to Drive to North Carolina for Thanksgiving. We stopped in Augusta, GA at the Lowry's on the way so Darryl and Cody could meet Reagan Elisabeth and visit with Skye and Ryan and the Lowry Clan.

We spent the night with Shiloh and Jason and Columbia, SC and on Thanksgiving morning drove to Huntersville, NC to run in the Guffey Gobble Hobble Wobble 5k. It was a lot of fun and the medals were delicious!

That afternoon we went to Grandma Peggy's for Thanksgiving dinner with lots of Family. Shiloh and Jason's Clan, Cami and Jacob's family, Bill & Linda, Dave and Alayna, Cindy, Matt & Will and the 3 of us. It was so wonderful to be with family and loved ones!

Cody meeting little Gage William.

Darryl, Cindy Marie and Bill

Darryl, Cindy, Peggy, David and Bill

Darryl and his Mother, Peggy Suz Cunningham. She Celebrated her 86th birthday on December 4th.

Grandma and Grandpa with a our wonderful Guffey Munchkins and the Wright one. :-)
We love to be with our Grandchildren!

Jonas babysitting Gage.

Peggy and her kids.

Oops, this one is out of order. It was taken in Augusta on Sunday the 27th. We were celebrating Shiloh and Jason's 13th Anniversary, Jacob's 34th Birthday and Adam's 4th Birthday.

Back to Thanksgiving... That evening we loaded up Shiloh's 'tank' and Cami and Jacob's SUV and went to see the lights at Tanglewood.

These are for Cali, Hillary and Jesse. We sure missed having you with us.

Saturday morning, Nov. 26th. Jamie Lowry married her best friend, Matt Stokes in the Columbia, South Carolina Temple.

What in the world could that be?

Ryan, Skye and Baby Reagan pose for a family portrait.

The Cunningham contingent at the Wedding. (Well, technically it's the Cunningham, Guffey, Lowry contingent)

The reception was FABULOUS!!!! Donna and Doug can put on an amazing party!!

And the hall was decorated beautifully!

Well, this is this afternoon. I was busy making Christmas Goodies. I am finally healthy enough I don't think I am a health hazard anymore.

And now to our Cajun Christmas decorations. At a Garage Sale in September Darryl bought a 50lb. bag of Mardi Gras Beads. They now adorn most everything in the house as part of the Christmas decor.

Notice how they not only decorate the tree but hang from the balcony and even the dining room chairs.

We have not put any on the inside Christmas tree...

They give such a festive air to the ficus tree on the balcony..

That's it for now. I found Darryl's old camera and will use it for a while until I can buy the new Camera. I have a special one in mind and will save my money for it.

Y'all have a good week and a very Merry Christmas. I promise it won't take me so long to post the next time.
*******
Cody updated his blog today with more Thanksgiving pics. Check it out if you have time.
http://littlebrothercody.blogspot.com/

Next Time I Am Staying Here.....

2011-11-20T13:38:00.001-08:00

I am making an executive decision. The next time our family travels to the "Islands" to visit Skye and Ryan or have a big family 'Todo', we are going to stay here. It is out on the point, has 4 bedrooms, 3 baths, dining room, Large Kitchen, TV room, Patio, Lanai, Pool, Garage and with the pull out couches, beds, etc, it sleeps over 20. It is within walking distance to the PCC, grocery Store, beach and Temple.
*****
And the best part. . . Ryan knows the people who manage it. He works there part time doing maintenance. What do you think?

Aloha!!

Thank You!

2011-11-11T18:39:00.001-08:00

Thank you to all who have served in the United States Military.
God Bless you always and may the people of this country never forget what you have fought for, lived for and died for - FREEDOM!

For 30 years I was privileged to call this soldier and airman Dad.

Bill Cunningham 1923 - 2006

1943 - 1945 WWII Fighter Pilot
U.S. Army Air Corps.

He also flew fighters in The Korean War 1950-1953
and Cargo Transports in the Vietnam War 1961 - 1974

To celebrate this Veterans Day, every one should read
A MESSAGE TO GARCIA
it was written in 1899 and was required reading for all military men in the U.S. until the 1960's.
(You can google it!)
Thank you Daddio! I Love you!

Our Little Pumpkin and Hawaii Fun

2011-10-29T22:51:00.000-07:00

So, it is my duty as Grandma to make sure that this little Reagan Pumpkin is appropriatly dressed. Since there were only 3 days to Halloween and Reagan has 4 Halloween sleepers I thought I better get started. I took them all to the hospital and played dress up with the smallest one.

Today when Skye and Ryan brought her home they dressed her in this holiday number. Gideon loved holding her, but she wasn't too happy.
Don't Ask. ... I really don't know why I am looking at Parker like that. I think Cali took this picture to blackmail me or something.

Tonight was the haunted barn up at Turtle Bay. Parker and Gideon put on their costumes and got their Party on!

Wednesday morning we went to the beach. Cali has lost so much weight she had to get a new swimsuit, so she gifted me with her old one.

Parker didn't want anything to do with the sand and water this day.

Cali, Gideon and Travis had a lot of fun in the waves.

Aloha Until Next time!

Meet Reagan Elisabeth

2011-10-29T11:34:00.000-07:00

Ryan and Skye welcome a little angel to their family.
What a beautiful little addition she is.

Reagan Elisabeth

Born 10-27-11

at 8:08 a.m.

7 lbs. 1.1 oz.

19 inches long

Oh how we love her!

We won't go into the labor story here. Suffice it to say Skye was induced and it was a LOOOONNNNGGGG process. Yesterday and today when new nurses came on shift they would look at Skye's chart and say "Oh.... your the one!" Hmmmm.

Ryan, being the awesome husband he is, never left her side. Well, unless she requested food. :-)

Above we see Skye on the Birthing Ball.

Sometime around 34 or 35 hours they had to put Skye on oxygen to help keep the baby's heart rate up.

Skye's request for the squat bar was granted. This is just 2 hours before Reagan was born. Skye looks remarkably good for all she had been through already.

Reagan and Mommy meet face to face.

Getting cleaned up, weighed and measured.

Reagan cried and cried and cried! It was such a beautiful and healthy sound!

She has good lungs! Bet she will be a fabulous singer like her Mama!

Daddy has an immediate calming effect on his little girl. I can't believe how alert she is. She likes to see what is going on!

Her first bath!

I think Skye was talking to either Donna or her dad. Reagan looks like she is listening intently.

Grandma Gets to hold her newest little Granddaughter.

What a beautiful Baby!

Aloha!!!

Laboring On the North Shore -

2011-10-23T09:56:00.000-07:00

I have been in Hawaii one week waiting on little Reagan to make her appearance. Since she isn't cooperating with our wishes we have tried to take matters into our own hands to force the issue. We first tried a 3.5 mile hike to Kawela Bay (pronounced Ka-ve-la). These pictures are from the Kuilima point looking over towards Turtle Bay Resort.

Standing by the WWII Bunker on the point.

Getting a look-out's view.

This is a HUGE Banyan tree. You've probably seen it in the TV series LOST.

Since the hike didn't work on Thursday, on Friday before the Dr. Appt. we went to the mall to walk around, play Glow Golf and eat some lunch.

Skye was a little handicapped, so we won't mention her score.

Ryan and I tied with 42. (He would have whooped me bad if I hadn't made a hole in one on the 15th hole where he scored a 5. Bhwwaaaaaahhhhhh!)

It was a lot of fun, but I think the black lights had some kind of effect on Skye. She had very intense contractions the whole time we were there.

But still no baby.

Yesterday Skye and I drove up to Hale'iwa to look at some art galleries and shops. We then drove to the Dole Plantation for Lunch and a pineapple whip. YUM. We also picked up a piece of art work for Ryan.

After lunch we went back to Hale'iwa where we strolled on the beach and looked for coral and sea glass until it was time to pick Ryan up from work.

It was raining this morning when Ryan went to work. When I stood in the doorway this is what I saw. Y'all have a wonderful day wherever you are, I know I will!

ALOHA!

Muppet Baby, Zombies and Darryl Finds the Wings

2011-10-12T16:13:00.000-07:00

I will start this post by stating that I LOVE all of my grandchildren! I think they are the most beautiful babies in the world. But let's face it, sometimes they do things, or look a certain way that just makes you smile. Okay.... sometimes you gotta laugh. Take this little angel for instance.

My beautiful little Tyree!
Here she looks like a sweet little angel....

But then she can also look like this.....

I couldn't help it... I had to laugh. She reminded me of the little Muppet Christmas Carolers. Click here and watch for them starting at the 1:56 mark.
Tyree... You know grandma loves you!!
*****

Speaking of funny looking... Cody and I had a lot of fun at the Zombie Bash 5k.

This is my friend Kristin.. This was her very first 5k. She helped teach me the Thriller Dance.

Okay.. a little advice to the pasty white college kid on the front row. PUT YOUR SHIRT ON DUDE!! And it wouldn't hurt if you laid off the beer and did some Insanity work outs. The old tan dude next to you is about to smoke you fool! (Yeah.... the old guy in his 50's finished second overall and 1st in the masters with a time of 17:40+) Or at least find some old fat white-er gal to stand next to.

Cody coming in 5th with a time of 18:23. Advice to future runners. . . When you cross the finish line and they hand you a little piece of paper, don't put it in your pocket! Fill it out and hand it in. That has the order of finish on it and they want to know your name and how old you are.

Cody didn't turn his slip with the 5th place finish on it so he didn't get credit for his 5th place finish or for finishing 1st in his age group.
Lesson learned... (I hope).

He did run back up the course and encouraged me as I finished the race. I finished with a personal record of 37:23.

ON Saturday Darryl and I went to Houma, LA so I could run in the Race for the Wetlands. All the festivities were held on the property of this old plantation home.

As soon as I finished my run Darryl insisted that we go get some wings and Jambalaya. He was a rush to get the food... then I found out why. :-)

It was a great weekend. Can't wait to have more fun on my next run!

Birthday Girls

2011-09-21T19:50:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was September 20, 2011 and it was Cali and Parker's birthdays. And in case you are looking on the time stamp on the picture... YES IT IS WRONG! I thought I had removed it but instead it went back to the factory setting. Oh well,... on with the post.

My Birthday girls on their day as we were leaving to go to dinner.

It would be impolite to tell you Cali's age, but Parker is 1 year old and was born on her mom's 33rd birthday...

Cali's best birthday present she was when she stepped out of the house and her sister Jesse said, "Geeze Cali, you look like a toothpick!"

FYI- Jesse is now holding the "favorite sister status" for Cali.

I made Cali a Sopapilla Cheesecake for her birthday cake. It was delicious. I am sure she had some this morning for breakfast! Happy Birthday Girls!

Birthdays and Babies

2011-09-19T06:26:00.001-07:00

What a wonderful week for the Cunningham family! I spent the week with Jesse and Kelly as we awaited the arrival of their little girl. We set up the nursery, finished the fall yard work, washed the windows (with Jesse doing the outside windows going up and down the ladder. I know, I know.... But she is a lot like her mom and insisted on doing most of this work herself, either hoping it would put her in labor or afraid of me hurting myself or breaking something :-) and mostly waiting and waiting.

On Friday Cami went into labor and gave birth to Gage William Guffey in the early evening.

Gage (or as Aunt Cali calls him G.W.) weighed in at 7 lbs. 2 oz. and was 19.5 inches long.
He was 1 day past his due date.

Lily and Ransom love their little brother. Here Ransom tries to share his cracker with him.

Lily is having fun being a little mother to Gage.

Of course Jacob is proud and happy of his little family.

Yo Ho Ho! We are so happy you are here with us little Gage.

Although Parker's 1st Birthday is on Tuesday we celebrated it on Saturday when the whole family could be there. Gideon showed me all the decorations he helped put up and was very proud to fulfill his official job - Hat and party blower passer outer. :-D

Parker was so happy to have Daddy home. Travis helped her watch Gideon open all of her presents as she didn't really know what to do.

Hey Grandpa.... I am thirsty.

Everybody sing - Sister, Sisters... Phyllis and Daniece (Nana).

Kelly and Jesse just hours before she went to the hospital.

All these are for me?
COOL!

Yes, it's fun to be one! Love the cake Cali! (Bwaaaahhhhh!!)

Gideon taking the opening of sisters presents very seriously.

I know you lost a lot of weight Cali, but it looks a little small for you. Love the Scottie Dog though!

Saturday night Jesse and Kelly went to the hospital and Sunday we had another beautiful Grandbaby. Tyree Kay Crystal!

The happy Crystal Family!

Tyree is a little bigger than her new cousin, of course she was 11 days overdue...

She arrived at 3:00 in the afternoon and weighed 8 lbs .06oz. and is 21 inches long.

She is a round little thing and has quite a bit of hair.

The Aunties couldn't wait to hold her. Cali and Randi Jo fawning over little Tyree.

Grandma Jolene and her new baby girl.

Aunt Cali and little Tyree.

The Proud Grandmas, the beautiful mama and our little bundle of joy!.....

Tyree Kay Crystal!

P.S. - The dates on all of these pictures are one day ahead of what they should be. No matter how many times I change it it is still wrong. I am now trying to take the date stamp off all together.

Sunday Memories

2011-09-13T10:12:00.000-07:00

On Sunday Sept. 4th after Church we went over to Grandma Louise's for a short visit.

We also had a chance to run by the Cabin in Carbon. We even went inside....

From Sept. 1995 to Jan. 2, 1997 this little cabin was part of our home. The 4 oldest girls slept up in the loft. Shiloh was amazed that the wreath they hung up was still there.

There is no longer a bridge or road across the creek here. It was a little sad to see, but we have a lot of fun memories of the place. I didn't realize that Cody had not been back to see it since we moved away in January 1997.

All he needed was Two Socks and Woody. :-)

Eppert Family Reunion

2011-09-07T15:38:00.001-07:00

The winning team of the Family Golf Scramble.

Labor Day weekend means tons of fun in Indiana at the Eppert Family Reunion. Cody and I stayed at Patty and Chuck’s. Shiloh and Jason also stayed there and the kids were thrilled to see Uncle Cody for the first time in 2 years!

We checked out Chuck’s new Koi pond.

Saturday Morning was the Golf Scramble at Marc’s Par 3. We start with breakfast and some visiting and then divide into teams.

Sunday Afternoon is great food and a lot of fun and games.

Here are the Team Captains. Cindy, Laura, Clay and Amy. The games we played were based on the TV game show ‘Minute to Win It’. It was a lot of crazy fun!

Wish you could have been there. I love my family!

To my family - if you want to enlarge the pictures just double click on them. If you want to copy them to your computer, right click and select "save image". Have fun!

This Crazy Week

2011-08-29T11:22:00.001-07:00

Okay, I messed up and forgot to put in the skeet shooting pictures in the order it occured and so I added them last which means they are at the first of the blog. Just know that the shooting comes in after the Cat's claw incident and before the weiner roast!

Well, it has been a very fun and very busy week with the return of our SECOND missionary, parties, house guests and a trip to the Redi- care 24 hour clinic lasting until 2:45 a.m.

Miss Parker was always ready for more fun!

Darryl and Cody solving the mysteries of the universe. Or.... planning, counseling and discussing the gospel.

Wednesday Cali, Hillary and Cody went to the movies. On Thursday Eden came to visit and on Friday we went to the temple in the morning and in the afternoon we went to the new Rexburg water park to try it out!

Cali's new nickname is skinny Minnie. She and Gideon and Parker had a great time.

Saturday was the Mesa Falls Marathon, 1/2 Marathon, 10 and 5K races up in Ashton. Cali talked Cody into Running. He said since he wasn't in real good shape he would just do the 5K. Cali ran the 1/2.

Cody won the 5k and beat the 2nd place finisher by over 5 minutes.

He and Darryl went up the route to find Cali and cheer her on.

Cody's shows as the overall winner for the 5K.

Cali did a wonderful job. I am so inspired by her dedication and persistence in running. What a great example she is to me.

Back at the house Saturday afternoon, it was time to trim the Cat's Claw vine out of the sky light. Cody was a little nervous.

Evan Walker, one of his mission companions came to help us welcome him home. We immediately put him to work! Parker loved him.

After the skeet shooting (see above) we had a weiner roast. It was a beautiful day to spend out doors.
Eden was a little under the weather but she managed to come outside for some of the festivities.

The Ritual - It is customary for Missionaries from his mission to burn a suit when they return home.

Cody said this suit and tie were cursed because he had his worst bike wrecks while wearing them.

Cody spoke in church on Sunday and did a very good job. After church friends came over for a lasagna dinner and to visit. We had folks from Washington, Utah and Colorado here too.

Two of his companions, Elder Evan Walker and Elder Scott Jackson came in Saturday and stayed the weekend. They are signing CRM which stands for California Riverside Mission!

It was a wonderful weekend and we are looking forward to more fun this coming week.

(P.S. All of the dates are off by one day. I did remember to fix it on my camera after I posted these.)

Cody is Home!!!!!

2011-08-25T13:27:00.000-07:00

Note: When I changed the battery on my camera Tuesday morning I guess I set the date wrong. It should say 8-23-2011.

Yes.... After 2 years and 4 days our missionary has come home!!!

We made signs and got to the airport just in time because.....

His plane came in 10 minutes early! We just barely got the signs out before he came through the door. Thanks Cody for waiting to be last off of the plane!!

Then it was time for Hugs!!!! I waited 2 years for this moment!

He talked on the phone to a sister or two...

What a Happy Day!

Afterward it was BBQ and Birthday cake at Cali's.

The day's funniest moment. .. Cody reached over and put his hand on Jesse's baby belly and was commenting that she had a basketball under her dress when little baby Tyree decided to move. We heard him say "WHoaaa!!!! and this is what we saw! Too Funny!

Dad, Hillary and Cody all opened birthday gifts.

Cody didn't get his birthday gift from dad until after he had been released. He didn't even go in and change before trying it out!

The last couple days have been consumed with unpacking, shopping for a phone and new running shoes, signing up for a 5k this Saturday, applying for a job, and spending time with family. (which ususally involves eating) We will have more pictures from this weekend. Until then... I need to get another Cody hug.
See you later.

My Babies' Birthdays!

2011-08-18T17:01:00.000-07:00

The third week in August is always a special week for us. It is 'Birthday Week'. Of our seven children only Hillary and Cody were born in the same month and they were 3 days shy of being 2 yrs. apart. Hillary on the 19th and Cody on the 16th.

---------

They may be 23 and 21 but they are still the babies of this family. So this is a birthday wish to mama's baby girl and baby boy.

*********

So Happy 21st Birthday to Cody, aka Elder Cunningham

And Happy 23rd Bithday to Hillary Ruth, aka... Boo Bear.

And many more! Hip, Hip Hooray!

I Am "Confessing"

2011-08-11T22:16:00.001-07:00

It started innocently enough. Taking care of my daughter after surgery,... bringing her food and drink,.... making sure she took her medication and keeping her company while she watched TV.

She had told me about watching Korean Television on Netflix and how much she enjoyed it and I just smiled (my silly little girl, who is almost 23) and told her I wasn't interested - until that day when I was taking care of her and she introduced me to this show ......

BOYS BEFORE FLOWERS

It sucked me in and I am now confessing that I LOVE Korean Television Shows!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The programs I have been watching - - Boys Before Flowers (The F4 were a little over the top at first but you can't help falling in love with all of them!), Playful Kiss (Noodles, school and one sided love), My Princess (Diplomat Park is enough to make you want to join the Diplomatic Corps) - are clean, fun, with no gross lewdness or Sexual inuendos. (A kiss is a real big deal in Korea) I am only one episode into City Hunter but Hillary highly recommends it!

Sometimes it's silly (like American TV) Sometimes it breaks your heart (yes, I cried), sometimes the acting seems a little cheesey (like American TV), but so far it's been clean, sweet fun and the newest one (City Hunter) is full of action. (Think James Bond meets Jason Bourne in Korean)

Watching these Korean Dramas, Comedies and now City Hunter, has made me realize what a beautiful, modern country South Korea is. I see their culture and I want to learn all I can. I am even planning a trip to Korea! Darryl, as always, is indulging me in my latest obsession. Look what he bought me! (I am so spoiled!)

Yes, this is a true love affair with all things Korean! I even found a Korean store in New Orleans where I can buy Kimchi and other Korean foods! I now have my favorite Korean actresses and actors and I am learning the basics of the language.
Check it out sometime on Netflix, Drama Fever or viki.tv

If you do watch an episode, please comment and let me know what you think.
*Fighting!*

Until Then..........

감사합니다

Birthdays, 5k's, and Baptism

2011-08-05T06:34:00.000-07:00

Oh What a lucky woman I am! I really am married to the best man in the world!

Yesterday was his Birthday!
I love you Darryl!

Thanks for keeping yourself young and fit you Hunka-hunka- burnin' love!

Darryl and I were married 35 years ago on July 14th. Imagine my surprise when I opened up a package from my cousin and found the dress she wore at my wedding as a Jr. Bridesmaid. It is in great condition and fits my granddaughter Emily perfectly. That was so thoughtful of you Amy!
Thank you!

Last weekend I drove to South Carolina to spend the weekend with Shiloh and Jason's family because something special was happening.

**********

ODI PODI turned 8 years old on Saturday!

This was the birthday breakfast she requested!

I have a new motto for Shiloh and Jason's crew.

THE FAMILY THAT RUNS TOGETHER GOES PLACES!

Yes, the whole family got up at 5:00 a.m. on Adrianna's Birthday so they could run in the 1st Ella Wood Memorial 5K. Shiloh was the race director and I was able to help her while Jason and the 4 oldest kids ran the race.

Preston actually led the pack for the first mile. He would slow down a little and when the pack started to catch up with him he would giggle and throw his head back and run away from them. It was about the mile mark when he started to slow down a little.

I think Jason finished 4th or 5th overall. Our 9 yr. old Jonas ran the entire 5k in 28:40+. We are so proud of them.

Also running the 5k was the newest member of the Guffey household, Cole. He is a wonderful young man who has come to live with them for the school year. The Whole family just loves him!

Saturday night we celebrated Adrianna's Birthday for real!

She loved the gift and the package it came in that she received from Aunt Skye and Uncle Ryan.

Sunday was a very special day for my Birthday Girl.

It was her Baptism Day!

We are so proud of you Odi Podi Puddin' and Pie!

A Little Louisiana

2011-07-21T12:06:00.000-07:00

We arrived in Gonzales, Louisiana on Friday the 8th of July to a lot of heat, humidity and Cajun Cookin'. Saturday we went for a drive to familiarize ourselves with the town and proceeded to get lost as we went down Canal St. After turning around in a very beautiful, upscale neighborhood and heading back we came upon this sight. Two guys in a canoe towing a dead, bloated carcass.

The Conversation went something like this:

Darryl: What the heck do you think they are doing?

Cindy: Maybe they are trolling for Alligator.

Darryl: What is it they are towing behind them?

Cindy: (A reputed authority on all things dead and bloated) Looks like a pig or something.

Darryl turns the truck around and goes back for a second look. He then stops and asks the 'gentlemen' what they are doing and the answer, although a little difficult to understand in the thick Creole accent, surprised us.

"This here's my 18 year old Lab. She went missing a couple o' days ago. She done crawled off and died up the canal a ways and we've looked all over for her. Junior here spotted her dis mornin' and we went and found her and are takin' her home to be buried beside her sisters."

Hmmmmm............

Speaking of Swamp People - Darryl and I haven't had TV in our home since 2007 so we weren't really sure about the whole 'Swamp People' Craze. But now that we have been down here among the Bayous and swamps we are here to tell you there are a lot more Swamp People than what you see on TV! And boy can they cook! (Some new church friends are actually neighbors to the famous Swamp Folk from the History Channel.) We are loving it down here.

*******************

SOUTHERN CHARM

And when you speak of the deep south something that always comes to mind are the beautiful plantation homes that were built right along the Mississippi River. Below are only three of the many beautiful plantations in the area.

Houmas House Plantation - Circa 1828

Bocage Plantation - Circa 1837

And the very beautiful Oak Alley where Darryl and I were treated to a wonderful luncheon and Tour of the house!

Oak Alley Plantation - Circa 1839

On Saturday we found our way down to New Orleans for a little sight-seeing. We walked and window shopped along Royal Street strolling into many antique shops - (Can you say $300,000 Dresser and $100,000 Chandelier?) St. Charles Street, Jackson Square and the River Walk. We ate our first Mufalato Sandwich and realized there will be so much more to see and do on our next trip.

Below are picutres of St. Louis Cathedral, the oldest Cathedral in the U.S.A.

The Statue of Andrew Jackson - Hero of The Battle of New Orleans. Contrary to popular belief, the legend of the meaning of the horses hooves is just that - Legend. Andrew Jackson did not die in Battle and later served as President of the United States.

And the final picture is in honor of our sweet Cat.

See ya while ago!

The Office Redo and Lucy's Minnie Me

2011-07-17T18:38:00.000-07:00

Dad Officially finished the office remodel in June and he loves his new office / library.
The central feature of this new room is this guy.

When Grandpa died Grandma gave Darryl Grandpa Bill's Dress Mess Uniform. We sent away for the Official shirt studs, cuff links, jacket clasp, cumberbund and bow tie as they were missing.

Now dad would like all of you girls to email / mail us copies of any photos you have of Grandpa in Uniform or from his service for the wall behind the Mannequin. He would like to turn it into sort of a gallery of Military photos and memorabilia of Grandpa.

Here are the bookshelves and other photos in Dad's new favorite spot. Too bad he has to be without it for the next 18 months.

***********
*****
LUCY'S MINNIE-ME!
The kittens are getting quite big and very cute. Rascal has been a good mama cat. One Day I saw Lucy sitting in the window pressing her nose against the screen and sniffing this little kitten. So I brought her in the house and realized she is just a little Minnie-me of Toulouse. How Cute!

I'll put up more photos from last week in Louisiana. In the meantime, y'all take care!

Our Hometown 4th of July!

2011-07-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

Celebrating the 4th of July in Menan is pure Americana and what a hometown celebrations should be.... Lot's of venders booths from families to cheerleaders to dealers.

Great food and good friends and neighbors to share it with. Ashlynn and Michael Egloff came to spend the day with us. Gideon is trying very hard to sit still and listen to the entertainment because.....

Grandma Cindy was singing..

These young boys had a great time entertaining little Miss Parker.

Gideon got a sword and was happy to sword fight with his new found friends. He also got ... ummm... mis-placed at the jump house when grandpa was watching him. After about 15 minutes he was found in one of the other jump houses that we hadn't paid for him to be in. Go figure?

The Parade is one of the highlights of the day. This is Gid the kid thinking.... "Will this thing ever start!"

The best seats for the parade are from the bed of Cody's truck.

Gideon would stand out there all by himself and hold his little arms out with a look on his face reminiscent of Oliver's when he took his bowl up and asked "more Please". It worked and almost every vehicle threw candy directly at him. The Motorcycle Policeman even stopped and handed him a Deputy badge.

Below you will see that Parker was very intent on the parade!

The picture below is a little out of order and was taken shortly before the start of the parade.

Just a portion of Gideon's Candy haul.

The Parade lasted about 40 minutes. At about the 30 minute mark Gideon was looking like "Will this thing ever end?"

Yes, it ended and it was a lot of fun.

The Difference Between a Jogger and a Runner -

2011-06-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

"The difference between a jogger and a runner is an entry blank."
-George Sheehan

Hi! It's me Gideon and I am here with my sister to cheer mom and grandma on in there race.
It was last Saturday the 18th.
Aunt Jesse came to help cheer and keep an eye on Parker. She brought me a hot chocolate and a big #1 finger to use as I cheer.

Grandma came in first, but then her race wasn't very long. I held up the big finger and cheered for "Grandma Cindy".

Yay!! Grandma may have finished 294th, but she wasn't last and she is #1 with me.

Mom ran the 1/2 marathon. I know.... it sounds crazy to enjoy running 13.1 miles, but she does it. They didn't have any water on the course after mile 8 so mommy's time was a little slower than usual.

She looked kind of tired when she came in, so I ran out to her and helped her to the finish line.
My mommy is so cool!

Well, that's it from the Scenic River Classic. The next races aren't until 4th of July weekend. We'll let you know how they do.
See ya later alligator!
Gideon - aka- 'Big boy'

A Summer View from My Life

2011-06-21T08:10:00.000-07:00

The temperatures have been a little on the cooler side the last couple of weeks, but when the sun shines my view of the valley is one of the prettiest on earth!

HAPPY FIRST DAY OF SUMMER!!!!

Running the “Dam” Thing

2011-06-19T13:44:00.000-07:00

"In running, it doesn't matter whether you come in first, in the middle of the pack, or last. You can say, 'I have finished.' There is a lot of satisfaction in that."

-Fred Lebow, New York City Marathon co-founder

The Teton Dam Marathon races were a lot of fun. Cali talked me into doing the 5K while she ran the Half-Marathon. Our friend Eden called about 10 days before the race to say she was coming down from Washington (near Spokane) to run in her very first Marathon. What fun we had. Eden’s race started at the Teton Dam Site at 6:30, Cali’s race started in Rexburg at 7:30 and mine started at 8:30. There were some pretty good hills that each of us had to climb. Mine was at the very start of my race and went up for 1.7 miles. The good part is I ran most of the last mile (which is downhill).

Darryl and Eden’s mom were the designated babysitters for the day. Darryl dropped me off at the park for my race then they took off to go find Cali and Eden. Gideon loves to run along with his mom when he sees her coming. Eden did excellent for her very first Marathon and caught up with Cali toward the end of the Race. Her official race time was 3:54. She finished 3rd in her age group (20-29), fifth for the women and 21st overall. What a great Job.

Cali did well for her Half Marathon. She has done one faster, but this did have a lot of hills. She is such an inspiration to me as I start on this journey of running. She teaches me to have patience with myself and to celebrate all of my little victories and milestones in my personal running quest. By her constant and persistent personal example she shows me that I don’t have anyone to compete against except myself, and to improve myself is all that really matters. – Of course, She also gives me ‘that’ look (you girls know the one I mean) when I start talking like I am too tired to run or want to wimp out. Just knowing that eyebrow might raise as she looks at me is enough to make me want to go for a run. Thank you Cali. You really do keep me going. (And she looks so darn cute when she runs. )

After the race we had a picnic on the median of the boulevard as we cheered on the runners coming in!

As for me, this was my second 5K and I was able to run half of it and although I was spent at the end it did feel good!

Jesse's Baby Shower

2011-06-02T12:59:00.000-07:00

I do have one picture from Jesse's baby shower. These were some of her closest friends in School. Katy, Jessica, Julie, Jesse and Amber.

It was a wonderful time! Be sure and read the other post. It has more Pictures of my girls and Grandkids!

Tra La - It's May! Baby Showers and Other Fun!

2011-06-02T10:16:00.000-07:00

Darryl and I arrived home from Mississippi on May 15th. The following week was very busy with cleaning, unpacking, repairing a leak and remodeling the weight room into a library. We did have one sweet surprise when we got home...... 4 newborn Kittens!!

Gideon also came over to spend the night with Grandma and Grandpa. He serenaded me in the morning with "Snowman, Snowman". Can't we teach him a springtime song? Popcorn or something?

The following Tuesday I ventured down to Utah to meet up with Skye and Ryan. Cami also flew in and Cali and Jesse came down for a surprise baby shower for Skye.

Hillary hosted the outdoor event- the weather was perfect and the food, delicious!

This is the first shower of any kind I have been to where the backyard trampoline played such a key roll.

It served as a good babysitter for the children who were there.

Parker enjoyed herself immensely...

She very quickly took to Uncle Ryan and he entertained her most of the day.

Skye was very surprised and had a great time opening her gifts.

Thanks to all who attended,... it was a wonderful affair.

After everyone left I decided I needed to get a picture of my three expecting daughters.

Jesse is due first on Sept. 7, Cami on Sept. 15 and Skye on October 21st.

After that the fun really began as all my daughters decided they needed to play on the trampoline.... The instigator of this was Cami..

Three pregnant ladies on a trampoline.... this can't be good.

Then Cali and Hillary joined them... Oh what fun!!!

And then it moved right into Hilarious....

In her defense.... This is her third pregnancy .....

No... no one is hurt. They are laughing so hard at Cami's predicament that they couldn't even stand up!

Cami, billions of mothers can relate....

******
This past Monday and Tuesday we had 2 more baby showers here in Idaho. One for Skye and one for Jesse. Lily loved the refreshments....

My sweet expectant Mothers!

Good food, good friends and lively conversation. It was so fun.

Cami... you're supposed to be helping to make the refreshments, not eat them all!

Unfortunately, my camera battery died so I have no pictures of Jesse's shower, but I am sure she will post them on her own blog.

Finally, more than a week ago I promised Gideon that he and I would hike the butte when Lily got here. Since yesterday was so beautiful we took full advantage of it.

Lily and Gideon packed snacks in their backpacks, grabbed a "bug house" and butterfly net and away we went.

When we got back home Cami and Parker were enjoying the afternoon on a blanket in the yard.

Yesterday, Darryl had to pack for a short trip to Colorado. Little Miss Parker decided she needed to go with Grandpa!

Gideon has learned to work the jets in our master bath tub. Cali put a little bubble soap in there, but when her back was turned Gideon put the rest of the bottle in and punched the Jets button.

We could see they were very, very clean.......once we found them amid the suds.

And that, dear family and friends, is what we have been doing for the last two weeks.
Have a wonderful day!

Photos of Smithville Tornado Damage

2011-05-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

For the last month Darryl and I were working in Columbus, Mississippi, just 45 miles south of the town of Smithville, Mississippi. Population 857.
*******

Damage assessments have determined that 150 homes, 14 businesses and 2 churches were destroyed by the tornado in Smithville. The homes were well-built, of recent construction, but the storm was violent enough that all appliances and plumbing fixtures in the damage path were "shredded or missing." 27 people were killed, and 40 injured. The tornado has been officially rated as an EF5 tornado with estimated winds of 205 mph.

********

Here are a few pictures I took a week after the tornado hit.

On Saturday May 7th, Darryl and I went up to work in Smithville with Mormon Helping Hands. It was an experience I will never forget. In the Picture below the volunteers are checking in with FEMA.

In the picture below you can see the area where there was a trailer park. I understand that many of the fatalities in Smithville were from the trailer park.
Last count 27 people killed, 40 injured.

Below - One of the two churches that were destroyed.

Our crew clearing and cutting up fallen trees.

The control center for government officials was the Piggly Wiggly parking lot.

The building with the flags was the police station.

This is the post office. The sign board is telling residents to pick up their mail in the town of Amory, 10 miles away.

City Hall. The Mayor, his secretary and a clerk walked out of that rubble.

Another view of the post office.

Below is a picture of the other church that was destroyed.

The hand painted sign says...."Looting causes lead poisoning."

We saw two magnificent demonstrations in Smithville. The first is the Power of God. It was evident everywhere we looked in the destructive forces of the winds. How can we, as mere human beings, even begin to think that we can control the heavens and the effects of weather?
The second was the Glory of God manifest in the people of the immediate area and from all over the South, working together regardless of politics, race or religion to help their fellowmen rebuild their lives. One of the churches that was destroyed offered free meals to volunteers. Several other groups would come by in vehicles carry food and water to all who were cleaning up and helping. And everyone was moved to tears by the many selfless acts of kindness in the midst of such devastation.

Our friends, Gene and Arcola Voyles and their daughter Michelle and her children live barely 2 miles from Smithville. The 2 tornados that went through the area went on either side of their farm.

How grateful we are that they were spared.

My Derby Hat

2011-05-07T17:28:00.000-07:00

Dad picked out the flowers, I added the eggs for that "Spring" look. We were trying to channel the hats from the royal wedding.
What do you think?

Easter Surprise!

2011-04-24T17:57:00.000-07:00

At 2:00 Saturday morning Darryl and I left Lakeland, FL and headed for Columbia, SC to surprise Shiloh and Family. We had called Jason Friday and to make sure they would be home. We arrived at 9:45 in the morning to the great surprise of Shiloh and the kids. That afternoon we went to the Columbia State Museum for children to go on an EdVenture. What great fun we had.

We spent the night so we could enjoy the Easter activities this morning.

106 eggs (43 hard boiled 63 plastic filled with candy) were hidden in this living room!

Then it was off to church!

HAPPY EASTER!
Darryl and I had to leave after Sacrament meeting to go back to Mississippi for work.
It was a wonderful weekend, just too short!

Dinosaur World, A Ball Game and The Beach

2011-04-18T15:01:00.000-07:00

What in the world are they doing? Well, how about trying to figure out which dinosaur is in the hole. We have a lot more dinosaur fun...... just scroll down!

April 9 - 11th were special because Cami, Jacob and the kids came up to Lakeland and we played and played! First on the agenda Saturday morning was a trip to Dinosaur World.
Can I just say ....

It was a blast!!

Feel free to add your own captions!

Ransom liked feeding the fishes...

and so did grandpa.

Lily gets dad to help her dig for fossils.

Then Jacob help the kids uncover a full dinosaur skeleton in the

Boneyard!

Saturday evening we went see the Flying Tigers Baseball Team. They are a farm team for the Detroit Tigers.

Lily took this picture of her Daddy.

This past weekend Darryl and I drove to Plantation and on Saturday we played at the beach.

Ice Cream at Jaxon's in Danilia Beach, a little shopping and Dinner at a Cuban Restaurant (yea for Lechone, shrimp and Tostones) made for a wonderful Day.

And on Sunday morning Lily showed me all the good stuff she was taking to church. Who knew you could remove Buzz's wings so he could fit in her purse?
That's what we have been up to for the last couple of weekends.

Birthdays and the Mississippi Pilgrimage

2011-04-11T06:20:00.001-07:00

On Sunday the 27th of March we celebrated Jesse’s 28th Birthday. Since her brother-in-law, Ryan has his birthday the same week we celebrated for both of them.

Gideon helps Aunt Jesse open her present.

On Monday the 28th I packed up and left early the next morning to go to Mississippi to meet up with Darryl. He was staying in lovely town of Columbus, Mississippi, Birthplace of Tennessee Williams. This town has scores of beautiful Antebellum homes and the week we were there they were celebrating their Pilgrimage, the time once a year when people open their homes and gardens for tours. Below is a small sample of some of the beautiful homes in Columbus.

This home is called “White Arches” circa 1857. An eclectic mix of several different types of architecture. As you would drive by these pieces of living history you would see southern Belles sitting on the porches or walking in the gardens. They were volunteers from the Air Force Base. I am sitting in front of the Barrister house, the bed and breakfast where we stayed. This is Jackie who co-owns and operates the Barrister House and also manages the gardens at Homewood, Circa 1836. Darryl and I in front of the pool and gardens at Homewood. The house is there but the gardens are designed to show off the stone artwork from Nigeria Africa.

The front of Homewood.

The back of Homewood where the old house blends with the new addition and the garden.

Driving around this town is like taking a crash course in in pre-Civil War Architecture.

Most of these homes have names out in front and a sign that tells you when the home was built.

A close up of the stonework at Homewood Gardens.

And the Barrister House. Circa 1832.

Quilts and Gardens

2011-03-26T14:09:00.000-07:00

Just over a month ago this is what it looked like here. Luckily the snow melt is here and it is beginning to look like spring.

I also finished the Birthday quilt for little Mary Alice (Maggie).

And finally, I noticed something exciting happening in my flower beds. Last year we dug up the beds and sorted out all of the bulbs and then replanted them. Now they are peeking up through the ground.

And finally, these last pictures are for Darryl so he can see how much the snow has melted.

Spring is almost here!!! Yippee!!

OUCH!!! No Wonder it Hurt!!

2011-03-22T16:17:00.000-07:00

It happened around the 1st of March. I was running down a quiet street in Laie, Hawaii when a sharp pain shot through my ankle. I had a lot of fun still waiting for me in the Aloha State so I wrapped it up tight and kept going..... for the next 10 days.

It kept hurting and nagging me but I was undaunted. I was a little shocked at how swollen it got when I flew home, but it was bearable. I even taped it up on Saturday and power walked my first 5K. Sunday it was extremely sore, more than normal and last night it hurt so bad I had trouble sleeping. This morning I had enough and finally went to the Dr. to get an X-Ray.

Diagnosis: Broken Fibula in the ankle. Miraculously, it was still in alignment, so the Dr. put me in a knee high stability book for the next 4-6 weeks. I hope I am a quick healer! I want to get back to running.

A Message From Parker

2011-03-20T15:57:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone, it's me, Parker. I want to tell you what a great Saturday we had here in Idaho. It was a fun day. (Hey.... Don't you love my new outfit that Nana got for me?)

First thing Saturday, Mommy and Grandma went to the park to run a race. Well, Mommy ran but grandma just walked it real, real fast because she had a hurt ankle.

Mommy was fast and beat grandma by a lot. Probably because she's an experienced runner, but she was proud of grandma for not wimping out and going the whole 5k distance.

Yea for Grandma Cindy!! And to think that a year ago she couldn't even walk without a handful of painkillers or a cane. Grandma's time was 44:41. That's walking a 14:32 mile. I don't know if that's good or not but for grandma it's great!!

This is Adam. He works with Grandpa and Grandma at Dome Technology and this was his first race. He ran the 10k race.
He and Grandma are the "DOME RUNNERS".
*********
Saturday afternoon was the best!!!!

Sunday is Gideon's 3rd Birthday and Mommy and Daddy threw him a BIG Party on Saturday!!!!
Mommy put on a great buffet with lots of delicious food.

Everyone ate and visited and then it was time to ......

Play Games!!! It was a Back Yardigans party and the game was stick the bow tie on Pablo!

The little kids didn't have to use the blind fold. I didn't get to play.. I was keeping Papa busy.

After Games it was time for Gideon to blow out the candles on his cake. Where are the candles you ask? They are the little stars on the sticks. Gideon is good at blowing out the candles. One puff and they were all out!

Then Gideon opened TONS and TONS of presents!! Wow!!! He is soooo spoiled. But it's okay because he always shares with me.

After the presents it was time to eat cake and Ice Cream. Ashlynn and Eden did the serving.

Grandma, I am so proud of you for doing your race today I am going to give you a big surprise!!!!

A great big slobbery wet kiss!!! I love you grandma!

Oh.... and this is Gideon's new girlfriend Eden. He calls her Edie. I guess those college guys better watch out. Gideon is stealing their girl.

That was our Saturday. I hope your's was just as fun.

ALOHA... and some Random Hawaii Pictures

2011-03-10T10:08:00.000-08:00

I have a few pictures that I left out of other posts and some new ones. Above is a sign I had made for Skye at the Dole Plantation. I stood there as the artist painted it. He charges $1.00 a letter. It took him all of three minutes to make this beautiful sign.

...and above you see a picture of Skye and I on one of the 3 sets of steps / stairs as you climb Diamond Head. This set has 99 steps.

Gunstock Ranch in the rain. It is beautiful.

Tuesday Skye and I got a ride to Hukilau Beach and walked down to the Malaekahana State Park.

It was a pretty day for a stroll on the beach...

Then we waded through the water, sometimes up to our waist, and went out to Mokuauia or "Goat" Island which is a Shearwater Bird Sanctuary.

We were the only ones on the Island and the day we went was lovely. We snorkeled for a while and then hiked around the perimeter of the Island before heading back to shore.

We came to shore at the state park where Skye's sweet neighbor, Carrie, came and picked us up.

Carrie and her boys, Caleb and Matthew (Bubbers). Carrie was kind enough to take us several places and loan us her car on occasion.
Thank you Carrie!!!

Some of the Ladies from Church wanted to learn to quilt, so on Thursday the Feb. 24, we tied a quilt and today I bound it. Here is Colleen and Shawna...

Sister Tofa, Rhoda and Sister Lakatani and myself. We had so much fun. These ladies are the best and they just adore Skye and Ryan.

Here is a picture of the apartment house where Skye and Ryan live. Their's is the middle door on the left. Their Studio Apt. is 10'x20'. It has been cozy!

It has been a wonderful 22 days and I will be sad to leave Skye and Ryan and my new friends, but I am excited to get home and be with my kids in Idaho. Hopefully Darryl will get home from Mississippi before too long.

Aloha!

ROAD TRIP!!!!

2011-03-05T12:30:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday we packed our bags and headed to the leeward side of the island and the resort community of Ko Olina to house sit for friends for a few days. BTW/ the domes built by Dome Technology in 2000-2001 are almost visible from their house.

Ryan and I rode the motorcycle while Skye (who was still sick with her cold) stayed home and rested until Ryan picked up the car and went back to get her and our luggage. It was a fun ride but my bum was sure sore by the time the 1 hour 15 minute ride was over.

Tuesday it was drizzly and cloudy most of the day. We drove up the coast in the evening to see what was up there. The sunset was beautiful but I forgot my camera. We made up for the mistake by spending time that night at the pool and hot tub. Se la vie.
******
Wednesday was Swap Meet and DIAMOND HEAD day.
I have no pictures from the swap meet. I mean, it hasn't changed at all in 3 1/2 years. My sprained ankle was killing me so we decided to eat lunch and rest my ankle before taking on the climb. We ate lunch at "The Counter". A build your own burger place in Kahala Mall that served up one of the best burgers I have ever had, and the sweet potato fries were fabulous. Hillary, Daniel Dae Kim is part owner of the restaurant, but we went because of the great food reviews.
Then off on our next adventure.
Yes folks, even with a sprained ankle I decided I had to climb Diamond head. It was worth it!

Skye leading the way up the main trail after getting off of the sidewalk.
This was not a smooth path.

Skye and Ryan on the path going up.

Coming out of the tunnels and winding stairs.

The views from the top.

Somehow I missed putting the pictures of the stairs on this post. There were two sets of steep stairs. The first has 78 steps and second 99 and probaly 30 on the spiral stairs at the top. I will post them later. I just kept telling myself that if my 81 year old mother-in-law could climb the 200+ steps of the Daytona light house with her bad heart, then I could climb this. BTW, Peggy climbed Diamond Head when she was in her 60's.

Pearl Harbor

2011-03-05T12:27:00.001-08:00

On Thursday we went to Pearl Harbor. This is my third time to visit the WWII Valor in the Pacific National Park and USS Arizona Memorial. I am stirred by a overwhelming sorrow and and thankfulness for all who served our country so valiantly during WWII. The other two times I have spent nearly all of my time in the museums but this time, before we did the USS Arizona Memorial Tour we decided to look at a few other things.

Ryan and I checking out the periscopes that were located by the Conning Tower that had been removed from a Submarine.

Skye shows her skills at working the Hatch and the wheel and setting the bowplane dials.

Taking my turn at the helm.

A picture of the entire conning tower. It always looks so much bigger in the movies. Go Figure!

Ryan standing beside a Japanese one man suicide torpedo.

In front of the Submarine USS Bowfin.

After we finished our tour of the grounds we went on the Tour to the USS Arizona Memorial. It was raining, so I don’t have pictures from the memorial, but some things are better kept in our hearts.

Playing at Ko Olina

2011-03-05T12:02:00.001-08:00

Skye and Ryan took me to the beaches at the Marriott Resort near Paradise Cove. The first thing we saw was an endangered Monk Seal. He pretty much took up most of the beach. :-)

Then we went up to the Aquarium tanks and saw the sea life. Starfish….

Rays…

..That colorful little fish with the funky name…Humuhumunukunukuapua’a….

Some pretty yellow tangs, a Unicorn fish, Parrot fish and of course…

Sharks! I guess these

Bonnet Heads are the reason they call them the Shark Tanks.

Skye and Ryan also checked out the new Disney Resort that is nearing completion.

I don’t know what these little plants are, but picking them could be painful. They were in boxes surrounding the shark tanks.

The following day (Yesterday) we went back up to the beach and over to Paradise Cove to do some snorkeling. It was cloudy and the water on the open sea was rough, but I did get to see a few things before it started to rain. The whole time we were in Ko Olina it was Cloudy and overcast so unfortunately I didn’t get any sunset pictures. But we had a ton of fun anyway!