~ Our Hawaiian Adventure ~: January 2011

Sunday, January 30, 2011

More of Shark's Cove

Amazing tide pools and incredible snorkeling.

From November thru March whales migrate past the North Shore of Oahu and can often be seen from Shark's Cove. We haven't spent much time looking for whales because the scenery is so spectacular. But it's like they say about fishing "the worst day fishing is better than the best day working". So we'll continue watching for whales at Shark's Cove.

Dangerous Surf

It must be really fun to ride the waves when red warning flags are posted all along the beach. The danger is high. The thrill is great. The hormone released by the body is an endorphin. It's effect is narcotic. It becomes addictive.

If you can blow up this picture you will see many surfers catching the wave.

Just a little bite of Campus

We are standing in a parking lot on campus looking across the entrance. In the distance is the double stake house on campus. This is where my religion class is.

Mahalo means thank you. You even see it written on the trash cans at McDonald's instead of Thank You.

There are miles and miles of pineapple fields that surround this plantation.

IF IN DOUBT, DON'T GO OUT

We were sitting on a bench at the beach today reading from "Lessons from Great Lives" (an awesume book) when a haole surfer dude came out of nowhere hunting for new surfing grounds. While observing the left curl off of Laie point, He shared his life's wisdom with us, "the small waves tear you apart, the big wave's drownd you". Then he took off his shirt to reveal a 12" scare, his 'badge of courage'. He said that a 2' wave had snapped the head of his humerous and almost completely severed his arm from his body. The wisdom is If in doubt, don't go out.

Poodle Trees

I don't know what the "Kanaka Maoli" (native Hawaiian) name is for this tree but we named it the Poodle Tree because they look like they have just got back from the pet groomers.

The miracle of the little waves

Elder Bednar spoke at our devotional about 10 days ago. He said "I am aware that today is big surf day and that there are surfing competitions scheduled all along the north shore." He thanked us for all showing up at the devotional and then He quoted the scripture that says, that the Lord will give no temptation so great that it can not be resisted. (or somegthing like that). He then confessed that because he had grown up in California, he had considered asking President Wheelwright to get another speaker so that he blow off the devotional and go surfing. As it turned out the competitions were canceled due to very small waves. So we were all very glad that the Lord had made good on his promise or we could have missed out on Elder Bednar because he was hanging 10.

Its a dog's life.

This dog likes to chase sticks on the beach but he doesn't like to get sand in his mouth so he works the stick up with his paws until he can bite it with out getting a mouth full of sand. Smart dog.

Sunday, January 23, 2011

More pictures from the PCC

Polynesian Cultural Center

The PCC is a great place. It has all the villages from the Pacific with people from those places working there.

70% of the people that work at the PCC are students that attend BYUH. International work students are required to work there will going to school.

At the PCC they will teach you how to make jewlery, foods, take you on canoe trips, teach you the different dances and also perform all around you. The PCC is adjacent to the campus on the opposite side then the temple. We can hear the drums all around campus and sometimes the singing too. We will post more pictures on another day.

We call this the Laie Point

Some day we'll find out it's real name. We go here a lot to watch the waves crash up against the rocks. On stormy days it is nothing less than spectacular. People are always here and it's even hard to find a place to park. They even camp here, which is amazing because it is always blowing pretty hard.

Papa says we come here often to make sure that the ocean hasn't drained through the big hole and gone dry. What do you think?

This is the elementary school that John and Alisa attended. Do you recognize any of it.

Long shot of BYU Hawaii

We took this picture at about noon. The wind was blowing and a light rain was falling. 10 min. later is was sunny. In the far distance you can see one of the buildings on campus. We are standing almost in front of the elementary school that John and Alisa went to when we lived here before.

The Temple is next to the campus

The road to the temple goes to Kamehameha Hwy. It is lined with palm trees and lights and is so beautiful day or night cloudy or sunny. There are water fountains all over the grounds. Some you can see here and some you can't because they are up by the front doors.

Elder Bednar spoke on campus on Thursday. What a great day that was. His talk was on Being Converted to the Lord. He talked about in these last days a testimony won't be enough to get you through what is coming, and that we need to work daily on our conversion to be able to withstand the trials ahead.

Love you guys and hope that you know that you are always in our thoughts and prayers.

A hole in the island.

This small island of the Laie Point has a hole all the way through.

Left

This would be the view over my left shoulder.

My new office.

Last week when we were here a Hawaiian man caught a thirty pound Japanese mirror fish. He said it put up a good fight and it would be good eating. I've been thinking about making this my new office.

Open after a major restoration closed it for two years.

We did sealings

and a session Thursday. It turned out the schedule facilitates a handicap session the hour we showed up so we went through. It was interesting because it was all done in a small veil room. The Temple has been restored to accommodate progressive sessions. So when we go again we will move from room to room as in the original Hawaii Temple.

Wheels again!

It was fun riding the bus but now we are ready to have wheels again. It seems a car makes us much more efficient. It is a 2004 Hyunda Elantra. We are as happy as if it were a 2011 Ferrari and in fact it has much more trunk space. Not to mention we hardly ever race and we think a Ferrari would be unhappy being owned by us.

Sunday, January 16, 2011

This is Turtle Bay Resort. It is about 5 min from our house by bus. It is so beautiful, we will sent more pictures of it when we can.
Just another quote from Lessons from Great Lives. "Before the people whom we hold up as an ideal can exert their maximum power, we must get ourselves within their magnetic range. Those we would admit to this Private sanctuary would be the ones who are most able to set our hearts afire with devotion for truth. They could serve as an example to us as they personify faith and make fidelity real. they would repulse what is unclean or unfair, and strike a direct blow at the painted faces of falsehood and deceit."

This is our daily transportation. We take it to and from school and also all around the island. We meet a lot of people and we do a lot of walking because the bus doesn't go everywhere.

Quote for the day. Thomas Carlyle said, "Great men taken up in any way are very profitable company, for we cannot so much as look upon a great man without gaining something from him." We cannot entertain in our minds and hearts the great patriots, or the great scientists, or the great religious leaders, without bringing ourselves to resemble them more intimately. As the flower reaches up toward the light of the sun, so every human being has an instinctive tendency to reach up to those who embody traits more noble than his own. A man can be made great by the inspiration of other great men.

Just another view in the park. The house we live in is the downstairs of the two story house in the center of the pic.
Quote of the day: Minds can be broadened, hearts can be enlarged, and spirits can be given greater power. One cannot long remain small while he is thinking and living big. Greatness can be made to reproduce itself in the lives of others.
Love ya, crave ya

Wednesday Jan 12, 2011
Mom preparing for class. Sitting between the Aloha Center and the Aloha Center Ballroom. Sunny at the moment but lots of rain that day.

Jan. 11, 2011
This is a little hard to see but this is our gecko that lives in the apartment. We named him T-Rex because he is responsible for devouring scary creatures that enter the apartment.

Tuesday Jan 10, 2011
We've sent you the pictures of the beach park across from us, and you can see the small hill by the beach. This is a picture of the path we always take to the beach from the hill. There are very few people on the beach except for weekends.
Today we started reading Lessons from Great Lives by Sterling W. Sill and Dan McCormick. It is an amazing book with many powerful lessons and quotes.
"You're the heir to wisdom that has already been discovered."
"Employ your time by improving yourself by other men's writings, so that you gain easily what others have labored hard for."