It's That Time of Year!

It has been over a year since we've posted anything on this poor site so what better day to bring it back to life than Jason's birthday! I love when his birthday rolls around because for the next 8 months he can't pretend like I'm 2 years older than him. (One day I'm going to figure out how to become younger than him but until then I'll enjoy the parts of the year when we only seem 1 year apart.)

Happy Birthday Jason! I'm blessed to celebrate another year of having him in my life. I can't imagine how much laughter (and everything else in between) I would've missed without my crazy man!

Besides all of the other wonderful things that I ask him to do, he's also my part-time model. My niece, Hanna, says he looks like a mysterious super hero in this picture and I couldn't have said it better my self!

Happy Birthday Superflightsuitman! I love you!

...I wonder after all of this time, who will discover this post first? Anyone? ...maybe it will just remain as a birthday secret ...

An Ode To Sweet Ellen Mekay

Oh saddness...I was a bazzillion miles away on your special baby day!
But don't worry I was still there...or at least here...thinking of you there hoping that you felt loved as you opened tiny Ellen treats and feasted on delicious sweets and shared this special day with those who love you the most. (except me that is!)


So in honor of Ellen and our collective "SILLINESS" here's an ode to your little toot:

Silly sweet Ellen Mekay
That’s what you’ll be
You’ll see one day.

And little you I can’t wait to see:

You’re cutie toes
And bunny nose
With nose triangles
And silly tangles
Bouncing in your curly twirly hair
…ok that’s not fair…
I’m not sure about the hair,
Straight or curly
It will be perfect most surely

I can’t wait for the days
I get to watch you skipling in your footie p.j.’s
And dipling your little fingers into everything sweet
Swirling paint and making messes with your silly dancing feet

And I bet you’ll have a silly button
Just like your mommy and me
And be a crazy wonderful little “punkin”
‘Cause that’s all you need to be…

I’m sure you’re gonna be one of the funniest toots anyone did meet
But if your not and instead your shy, loving and sweet…

Then you’re you and that’s the best
And just as good to me!

And would you call me “Auntie”
Would you would you please?
And Grow up proud of your mommy
Because she’s the bestest you’ll ever need.

I love you love you Ellen Mekay
And can’t wait for the day….

THAT YOU’RE FINALLY HERE!

I know , I t has been FOREVER since we've blogged. Sorry for making you wait and wait. Internet here is unpredictable and slow as molasses (or so the saying goes) and I've been creating resumes and begging for jobs (which I'm failing at so far) but no more excuses, you're right it has been WAY too long. I've collected a bunch of pictures to catch you up on our Hawaii happenings, so in the next day (or two) we should have a much better post than this little sample.
Until then... I posted this picture of Rush romping on the beach at Kaena Point State Park
I was pondering the saying "It's a dog's life" and immediately thought of our crazy, and must I admit, spoiled, pup and all the fun he gets out of life. Ok I know, the meaning of this saying would change drastically depending on third-world versus western dogs...and strays versus loved pets but wouldn't you just love to have a moment of pure joy like he's having here!?! (just before he nearly tumbled me over and splattered sand all over my lens...oh well)
Random, I know, but just thought I'd share with you my photographic interpretation of this simple phrase...and make an attempt at distracting you from the fact that we're not keeping up with our posts.

And I promise, one to two days and you'll have a better post to enjoy...thanks for hanging in there!

(off the coast of Makapu'u point)

So this is what happened...I went into our photo files to grab some pictures and publish a post to catch you all up on our Christmas, New Years and good ole' Hawaii happenings BUT true to my procrastinating self, I found this photo and forgot about my mission. I need Jason...the secret of our blog's existence is my husband! He's amazing and has done about 99.999% of the posting. What have I done you ask? Changed the color and promised to put up a post. Well, I actually have changed the colors on this blog a bazzillion times and as for putting up a post...hmm, instead I've changed the color in a photo we've already posted or played around with photos on our computer that have nothing to do with the post in need.

Why did I put up this picture?...well, so you'd have something new to look at while I admit my failures and beg my husband to unearth this blog from the pile of posts it should have!

So hug your husbands, hug your friends, family and even the dog because, you can run but you can't hide from the fact that you need others! (or at least I do!)

THE MOMENT...

I know it has been forever since we've put up a post. Our Mac decided to crash a couple of times and give those Mac geniuses a bit of a headache but now it's back better than ever and I don't know where to even begin.

So instead of starting at a logical point I decided to share with you these moments in time.

I've been thinking about a lot of things lately. (Being unemployed will do that to a girl.) One of my ponderings was about my future and what it would be. As most of you know I've loved photography since...well, since I can remember (thanks to the artistic abilities of my parents and watching my dad photograph and teach me how to use his Nikon). The catch is that the style of photography I want to do is artist/editorial pieces. I believe God gives us "eyes" to see different things and those things that touch our hearts turn into passions. I know many photographers have a passion to capture a wedding day or a portrait of a family or take photos of stock products etc. In fact, our wedding photographers, Jenny and James of Visio Photography are inspiring because they are doing exactly what they believe called to do...they have a passion to be more than just photographers but to also bring meaning deeper than just the day to the beginning of two people's lives together. I love that!

I love that but I don't feel that passion. So in the process of years of thinking, observing and praying about how my life can be more than just my life, I've discovered the story. Have you seen pictures that seem to tell a story, they capture a moment in time and seem to begin a story... That's what I want to do! That's my passion... to observe the moment and help tell the story through art. So now that I have known what I feel a desire to do, it's time to share. I have crates full of slides and files full of memory that I keep collecting... just collecting.

The thing about the arts is they are scary - terrifying in fact! You can dream about it all you want but when it really comes down to it, art is meant to be shared. And that my friends is the terrifying part (at least for a procrastinating/perfectionist like yours truly.)

So I decided (as I was sitting, wondering about my life) that this was it...time for photography therapy...time to share some shots with you, all of you and finally get over the fact that you may hate it or you may think it's not even worth a second look (and for those that totally missed it...scroll up a bit on your screen) or finally, some might love it like I do.

I took these shots a couple weeks ago at the Triple Crown on the north shore. Not what you would think of as surfing competition shots? No, but I loved the moment : calm before the salty storm.

Love it / hate it , either way I wanted to start sharing with you... and maybe I'll become brave again and share some more (without the long commentary next time - I promise).

~ Thanks for "listening"

Quote of the week.

"Evenings were peaceful, smoke settling in the quiet air to soften the dusk, lights twinkling on the ridge we would camp on tomorrow, clouds dimming the outline of our pass for the day after. Growing excitement lured my thoughts again and again to the West Ridge...

There was loneliness, too, as the sun set, but only rarely now did doubts return. Then I felt sinkingly as if my whole life lay behind me. Once on the mountain I knew (or trusted) that this would give way to total absorption with the task at hand. But at times I wondered if I had not come a long way only to find that what I really sought was something I had left behind."

Thomas F. Hornbein, Everest: The West Ridge

In my newest book I read this quote and thought about all of you back home. Hawaii is beautiful but is no Everest in the slightest or even something that we feel that we have to "accomplish". All I know is that we do want you to know how much we truly miss all of you back home.

Random pic of the week.

Last week I rode my bike down to the beach (around 9 miles round trip) and stumbled upon this guy that was only on the beach about 15 min and caught this Oio fish. Native to Hawaii, this fish is really bony and you can't make much out of it except fish cakes. What they do is scrape the meat off and mix it with other ingredients and deep fry it.