The Things...

I will miss...

1) great friends=great times and great laughs
2) lots to do, and all so close
3) wonderful weather year round
4) Driving by the place where we started it all

that I will NEVER!! miss...

1) Sitting in TRAFFIC for 2 hours to go 30 miles
2) Bugs and birds in stores and people thinking that this is normal
3) Critters that creap and crawl in every nook and cranny
4) Price Gouging of everything from gum to milk.

That I will never understand...

1) Why Hawaii pays policemen to stand out construction site, to do nothing
2) Why 10 police cars pull over one person
3) Why people hang out in Parking lots
4) Why people drive slow on the Freeway or don't know how to MERGE


Tonight I went out with the girls to have one last "Girls Nite Out" It was alot of fun. I don't know if I have laughed so hard in my life. We started out at the Pearl Highlands Food Court (Yes that food court Whit). We all had our dinners from various venders and eat and talked until our 7:20 showing of Bride Wars started. OH!! was that funny. I am a firm believer that movie company makes that movie good or not. And my company was great. We laughed through the entire movie. When were just having too much fun to let the night end, we decided that we want ice cream, after discussing a few options we settled on the Walmart McD's up the street. This is where the evening got the funniest. We sat and laughed until most of us cried until 10:00 or so. I am sure that the employees where like be quiet and LEAVE!! But we didn't. There were some amazing quote from the nite, everything from "so-and-so has crabs" to "yes this is my sidewalk, one day you will be cool enough to have your own". As I drove back to my hotel, with no traffic may I add, I began to think of my time here. Hawaii is a special place from me. This is were I grew up, not actually growing up, but this is where I emotional grew up. Hawaii has shaped me into the person that I am today. This is also a place that is so special to John and I. This is where we started, where we met, then came back to start our marriage, and our lovely family. This is the place that John got baptized, and where we went to the temple. When this move thing first started I thought I would never miss Hawaii, but as I think about it, there is lots I will miss. This place will always be special to me. It will always hold a place in my heart.

Thanks to everyone who has made my time here amazing and wonderful. Thanks to the wonderful friends that I made that were like family here. Thanks to all the wonderful lessons I learns and the milestones that I have reached here. I have lived in Hawaii 1/3 of my life, and I will miss parts of it.

Checking Out and Checking In

So we are finally all checked out of our house in Ewa Beach and checked into "home" for the next 5 days. We are staying at the Embassy Suite Hotel, courtesy of the US Navy, it is a nice place with two queen beds, in one room, and a sitting area in another. Isaac was so funny, when we got here, he just wanted to go to bed, and it was only 6pm. But our day was not over yet. Our day started alot earlier than that and was so crazy busy. After loading all our luggage in our TINY car last night John and I went to bed SUPER late. And then my day started at 6:30, same as always, with waking twice in the middle of the night (both children now decided to wake up at different times since the movers came, thanks!) I remopped, and recleaned the entire 1250sqf house again. I was so afraid that we would not get all of our deposit back, which I am not really sure why, since we only lived there 6 months! But anyway, I cleaned and cleaned all day. Our check out was a 3pm. By 3:05 she was done with the walk through, by 3:15 we had our check out paperwork signed and ready to leave. (Just I side note, and an irking one at that, I spend 4 days cleaning, she take 5 mins to walk through GRR!!) Then we went to drop of the modem and wait in line for 45 mins. Then to wait in traffic for HOURS!! I will NOT miss that at all. We finally got to the hotel at 6 pm. 3 HOURS LATER!! But our night was not over. We needed to renew our temple recommends, and tonight was the only time with the stake, so we quickly got changed, and got back in the car to wait in traffic some more, and then wait on the stake meetings. WOW!! Alot of waiting tonite. But either way we are checked out and checked in.

Just a side note. OH how grateful I am for chairs, tables, and couches. 4 days without them will make anyone grateful. Drawers and closets are nice too, lamps and a microwave will come in handy thats for sure!!

Judging the New President

I was reading this article from CNN that stated that many believe President Obama will be judged differently, because he is BLACK. Now I don't agree with this at all, as does 61% of white people. Now I think that many did vote for him because he is black, black and white alike. My personal opining (and it is just that) is that many white Americans voted for him because they were afraid to look racist to others. Now I personally think that he will be judged on what he does and how well he does it. Not by the color of his skin. The article quoted many other first African Americans, the first fighter pilot in WWII, and the first African-American admitted to a decorated university, and the stated that he would be held to a different standard because they were. Well DUH!! It was a different time, a different setting. That were long time ago, racial differences have come a long way since then. And since I am on a tangent now, and it is all flowing out, I personal think that African-Americans some how make race a big deal. I don't really care if someone is yellow, black, purple, red, white, brown, or polka dotted. (Well maybe if they were polka-dotted, cause they might have chicken pocks or something, but you get the point.) But political correctness makes things hard. I have to make sure I call them African-American, and not black. Although they can call me WHITE!! From now on please call me Euro-American!! The article mentions how Obama needed to be perfect to be elected. PERFECT!?!?! Last I checked we weren't even sure if the President had a valid Birth Certificate!! Perfect? Now ask yourself this... there is a man John works with who cannot get a sercurity clearance because his family is from Kenya, so there are certain jobs that he can't hold in the military, but the now Commander and Cheif, the leader of that same military has family from Kenya too, but he has the highest security clearance!!! So why is that? They mention that McCain had ties to a man who was accused of anti-Semitism. Obama's Rev said many racists, anti-American, on TV, in front of MILLIONS!! Not to mention his lovely wife's comments about how is was finally proud to be an American!! It also talks about how even the most progressive thinkers, and open minded supporters still will hold Obama to a different standard. And that they would probably cross the street if they saw a young black man walking down the street, all because of stereotypes. Now I am not innocent of stereotypes, if I claimed to be, I would be a liar. But my stereotypes are more like if that man wears a nice clothes are not. Still a stereotype I know, but it has nothing to do with the color of his skin. And to be HONEST if I was alone I would probably cross the street no matter who was on the street with me, just out of pure caution. The last bone I have to pick with the article was the very last sentance "If the president was Jesus Christ, '' Jefferson said, "they would still debate if he's qualified." EXCUSE ME!!! Didn't they have that debate anyway, about the real Jesus Christ!!! And if one more person compares him to the Savior of the World, or even the Free America, I think I might scream!!!

ANYWAY (sorry lots of built up feelings about the things people are saying about him and this country!)...I will not judge the President different cause is HALF African-American, I will judge him on what he does, or doesn't do in office. How well he handles things with congress, and how well he protects this country, and its people. I mean protect in a board sense, from everything from morals to actual safety. But either way I could care less about what color he is. And I personally think that it is RACIST to keep mentioning that he is BLACK!!!

3 Movers, less than 5 hours

So my whole house is packed. Nothing in it except what we are taking with us on the plane. And it seems surreal. We have been working towards this day for days, if not weeks, or maybe even months and it is finally here. It took the moving company less than 5 hours, with 3 mover to pack everything that we own, and we hold dear into crates and leave with a loaded truck. Now my family naps on the floor, in closets and well the suitcases (years of deployments will teach you interesting things)

Our move is nowhere near over, but it is started that's for sure. We stay here at the house until the 27th then on to the hotel. And we will actually leave HI on Feb 1 at 945pm HST. Oh the excitement is building, I can hardly wait to move to the next chapter of life.

Sheila, at this time know that I am thinking and praying for you and Jeff. All will be ok, I am sure that it all happened fast, and you barely had to time prepare yourself for the surgery to remove his appendix, but know that we are there in spirit with you. LOVE YOU!!

In the WInter of Change

Like others that I know I have mixed feelings about the 44th President, Barack Obama. I disagree with him on so many policies, and didn't vote for him because of that. But I don't want to be like so many where to Bush. John and I called them "Bush haters", those that hated Bush before he ever did anything. But I am not willing to give our new President a holiday yet like Marion, AL. Let us see him DO something first before we start taking the day off because of him. I am proud of this country and how far we have come with our racial differences, yes he is half black and because he looks it, may of seen some discrimination in his life time. BUT let us also remember that he grew up in a white privileged family, attending one of the best schools in Hawaii, as well as other great schools in America, it is not like he grew up in Harlem.

But on this day that he takes office, I want so bad for him to be the right thing for this country. We are in need of good leadership and some of the things that he has promised for this country will be wonderful, and I hope with all my American mite that he succeeds at them because my American way of life depends on it. But some of the things he wants to do, like getting rid of the military for his own civil army, well as we know that would be bad for my way of life. But I do hope that he succeeds at a new economy, new commerce, and new technology's to better our lives. That he brings this country together in a way that only tragedy has before, without the tragedy. I hope with all my heart that he is able to do some of things that he has promised to do. But either way, whatever he does, for good or for bad, I will pray that the Lord may guide him, to guide this nation, to keep us safe, warm, and prosperous. Because whatever happens in his time in office this is still America, this is still the Land of the Free because of the Brave!!

We have to do what we can

Every day this country struggles to continue to do what is moral and right. Or rather people struggle to keep laws and bi-laws in place for what is moral and right. As we watch the news, or even in some cases live it, and see the decline of this country's morals we might ask ourselves what we can do. Some might think there is no hope. Well I am here to tell you there is hope. We can make a difference... and one thing that we can do to make a difference is to sign this petition that is against the freedom of choice act (FOCA) that President Obama will sign in if possible. It would raise all restrictions and make abortion a right, like the right to free speech. If you also want to sign against it you can do so here.

The time is coming close...

So with the move in 21 days!! We are preparing ourselves to live on the bare minimum for the next 2-3 months. Yes I said months. We leave on Feb 1 arrive in Port Hueneme, CA on the 2nd, start the house hunting process, then wait for escrow to close. They are telling us that it will take 30-45 days for escrow. So we get to live in hotel all that time. It will all be worth it, but man will that be fun! I am the most concerned about Isaac and how he will handle it, moving from this hotel to that house, to this house, to this family members, then back to a hotel, then in to the house. But anyway...I just thought that I would post about how "real" this is all becoming. The movers came today to get out express shipment, I wasn't really sure what to put in it, since we will be in a hotel for so long. So we put some PC kitchen things, since I can't cook without all that stuff, I am so addicted to it. ALOT of toys for Isaac and some extra clothes, so that I don't have to wear the same outfit to church for 3 weeks. In two weeks we ship the car and the rest of our household goods. Then we have 3 days to clean, not that it will take us that alot, since we have barely even lived in the majority of our house. Then to the hotel. And since we are staying on the military's dime we are stay at the Embassy Suite in Waikiki! That is going to be the best part if you ask me. Then off to the next chapter in our lives! YEA!!!