I'll Show You My Thanksgiving; You Show Me Yours

I hope everyone had a beautiful THANKSGIVING surrounded by friends and family. We did it a little different this year (much smaller) because everyone is spread out around the country. My poor husband was stuck on a island in the Pacific but don't worry, Thanksgiving went on as usual there too. His mom was sweet and gave me the recipe for his favorite Sweet Potato Pie which I made and left for him to enjoy on Turkey day! So a little piece of home made it all the way out there to hula land.


I've been having a great time back home seeing all the dear friends I've missed so much and celebrating a much smaller than usual Thanksgiving with family. A very good friend of mine and I were talking about traditions. She asked what Cuban traditions we added to the meal and I was puzzled by the fact that we didn't do any...well until I walked out of her house and realized: Cuba doesn't have Thanksgiving! (I don't think the pilgrims ever made it to the land of rhythm and tobacco.) I thought about it and asked, why couldn't the Cubans and the Pilgrims meet? From now on, my thanksgiving will be infused with a little Latin flavor and to start it all off, Diablitos a Caballo and Angelitos a Caballo snuggled up to the turkey and dressing on our Thanksgiving table.

{Thanksgiving is not just about the food, everyone had to take time for photo shoots!}

Last Thanksgiving Jason's brother Walt asked me what my family does for Thanksgiving. Being married you get to have a front row seat to view how another family does the holidays. It's fun to realize the things that your family does that someone else's doesn't and vice versa while getting ideas for the things Jason and I will eventually make our family traditions.

With that thought, I'll share a little bit of our holiday with you. What are special things you do and eat?

{Jes and Ash were trying to re-enact romantic photos from their wedding but I had to fire Jes because she wouldn't take it serious.Next time I'm hiring professional models!}

Our menu included:
Breakfast: Homemade Fruit Salad (Grandpa usually makes this but I've apprenticed under him for years so this year it was my job...several tears dropped into the bowl as I remembered Dan Cole and how much I miss him, but isn't that what the holidays are about: sharing love and remembering others.)


Lunch: Butternut Squash and Pumkin Soup (compliments of chef Ash)
Diablitos a Caballo and Angelitos a Caballo for an appetizer (my Cuban fusion)


Dinner: Turkey of course! (Basted by Mom with white port wine reduction with chicken broth and giblets.)
Stuffing (mmm...grandmas delicious homemade stuffing with onions, chicken broth, olives, pecans, bread crumbs, celery, parsley, herbs etc.)
Gravy (Ash's delicious contribution to the turkey)
Garlic Cream Green Beans
Garlic Mashed Potatoes (Ash again...I can't wait till he has his own restaurant!)


Dessert: Peppermint Chocolate, Espresso Hazelnut, and Pecan Chocolate Pastry Rolls (Jes is the talented baker. She makes things fluffy and sweet and I just end up with flat or burnt. Oh well)
Raspberry, Strawberry, Cranberry and Pecan Mold topped with a Lemon Sour Cream Sauce (This has been a family must since I was little when my mom randomly found it in a children's cook book. This year Grandma Nan made sure this was perfect for the feast.)
Valpolicella and Chianti wines (I wanted to try a Valpolicella because I'm always curious to try new things.)

During dinner we went around the table and said the things we were thankful for. It was mom's idea and a nice way to stop and be grateful because we are so blessed!

Mmmm. I can't wait for Christmas! Jason, Hanna, Uncle Jimmy, Aunt Pam, Daniel, Sylvia, Jason, Lauren, Cindi, Carol and everyone else who couldn't be together this year. I missed you all but I hope you had a wonderful holiday surrounded by friends and love!

{Photos compliments of all the house photographers...I'm a little fuzzy about who did some of them.}

It's Still Your Birthday in Hawaii!

{LOVE} Happy Birthday Jason! I wanted to dedicate this post to you (my husband) while you are over the sea...so many miles away. This adventure {life} that we are both on has been so much richer with you to share in the moments. You have been laughter, love, encouragement and an anchor in my life. May I never forget how blessed I am to have you by my side. Thank you for being there every step of the way. Thank you for being for being more than just a husband...you are my love in this life and beyond.

I thank God for the blessing of you!

Happy 29th! (almost 30!)
...I know, you'll always be younger than me even though I try to make you forget.




"Te amo sin saber cómo, ni cuándo, ni de dónde,
te amo directamente sin problemas ni orgullo:
así te amo porque no sé amar de otra manera,
sino así de este modo en que no soy ni eres..."

Pablo Neruda (a portion of the Sonnet XVII)

"I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where,
I love you simply, without problems or pride:
I love you in this way because I don't know any other way of loving
but this, in which there is no 'you' nor 'I'..."

Jason's new job with Air Med Hawaii

A view of sunrise at Honolulu International Airport.

Sunset at Honolulu International Airport.

My maiden voyage.

I took these photos with the camera on my phone so the quality might not be the greatest. You get the hint though. The video was of my first flight back in September (yes Bradley the Medic is asleep). For more info. about what I and AirMed does, check out www.airmed.com/hawaii

Our Clean and Organized Apartment

One of our silly projects here in Hawaii

This was the horrible shape our headboard was in...

Jen snarling at the camera in the hot, sweaty, unnerving condition she was in while painting our new headboard.

Our unfinished, 1950's Japanese style, mahogany bedroom suit.

Me (Jason) sanding the drawers after paint striping.

The new product (dresser)

Our bedroom from a glance (with headboard)

This is a little sneak peak at where all the magic happens... (ha,ha thanks cribs)

For our bedroom we decided to purchase a Japanese, solid mahogany, antique set from the 1950's for only $150. It was painted black and in rough shape. So we stripped, sanded, painted, and finished it.

Better late than never, right?

Niki Swann

Poor worm :(

I think Jen's earrings were bigger than that fish she caught!

Just thought we'd fill ya'll in on some old stuff from before we left for Hawaii... like these of our red-neck wives, fishin.

So much for art...

Jessie eat your heart out!
This was one of our dates to the North Carolina Art Museum in Raleigh, NC before we left.

Jen's Delayed B-Day video

The girls veggin out watching Planet Earth (Jen's Bday present)

Our famous brother, Chef Ash Evans whipping up some good eattin.

Pioneer Plunge

Happy 30th Birthday Jen!

On Jen's 30th birthday of this year we happened to be at Windy Gap and guess who got Blobbed... This you've got to see!

That night we "roughed it" in a cabin up in the woods called Pioneer Plunge. What a way to spend a B-day, no running water, no electricity, but we did have our Mac.

Kahenoe Bay Air Show

5 Blue Angels in formation.

A Huey, the work horse introduced during the Vietnam era.

Those F16 fighter jets are so loud!

Thanks to my father (Jason's), I have acquired a love for planes and flying. As a boy dad use to take us to air shows at Fort Bragg. This day we watched the Blue Angels and wandered the air strip at the Air Force base and toured planes and helicopters.

Amphibian Day at Turtle Bay

Jen's excitement lit up the day.

He (her/it) was very graceful swimming but not so skilled at walking over rocks.

I (Jason) walked right up to it and got within a couple feet. I didn't want to touch it b/c supposedly the bacteria on our skin can affect/infect them.

Past Pipeline and Sunset beaches on the North shore of Oahu lies a Resort called Turtle Bay famous for turtle and whale sitings was where we took a stroll down the beach and found our first sea turtle.

Mokule'ia Wall video

This short film narrated by Jennifer and Jason Haynes and filmed by Jennifer aka "JRod" is an actual rock climbing spot on the North Shore of Oahu called Mokule'ia Wall. There are over 50 different climbing routes for top rope/sport climbing ranging from 5.7 to 5.13a. At almost 2000 ft above sea level, the views are spectacular. Our 180 degree view over looked the north shore, a YMCA camp, a small airstrip where glider planes take off and whirl around us, and field where polo is played on Sundays. Quite a few scenes from "Lost" were also filmed on the beaches below. There is mountain biking and 4 wheeling just up the road as well. Also little did we know that there are such things as "barking spiders" in Hawaii. You have to listen ever so closely toward the end of the clip. Enjoy!

Rock climbing here has incredible views of the Ocean

Amazing views from Makapu'u Point

At Makapu'u Point there is a short 40ft volcanic rock face in which we conquered. This area also has a lighthouse and is very windy.

If you'd like to check out the climbing here in Hawaii you can check out this site for more: www.rockclimbinghawaii.com