It's Happening

In less than a week we board a jet plane headed for our island home.  Seems crazy, a bit surreal and so so so exciting!  I just read a post I wrote a year ago about our plans to head back after the 2012 Holiday's and the time has come.  It is a funny thing moving to Hawaii - nooooo one has sympathy for us (which they shouldn't, but if we were moving to Oklahoma or something the comments would surely be different)!  I can't really explain why Hawaii has grown on our hearts - and it isn't purely because of the idealistic weather, warm ocean and year round outdoor play activities.  It is our community, where we belong - we really feel it is where God wants us for the foreseeable future.  We hope and plan to make nice long visits to Colorado when we can and will miss the family and friends we have here. 

Here are the details.  We land Feb 9th and stay with some dear friends that have room for us until the 16th.  I hopefully do an orientation day at my new part time job on the 11th if my background check clears in time.  We are pursuing a rental at this place - Kanaloa - which is walking distance to my job.  I'm feeling blessed and crazy spoiled that it is in our price range!  Other units the same price are not nearly so nice, on the ocean or this close to my work. My good friend will check it out on Monday and give the thumbs up or down - if it looks good it should be ours starting the 18th.  Hopefully we can get settled and find a new groove that works for all of us as we are going to try to not use daycare and have me go in super early.  It should be interesting (hopefully better than we are currently imagining) for Aaron with Abby in the morning.  She is currently not taking a bottle very well and I will be gone for about 4 1/2 hours.  If it doesn't work then I will likely split my day and go back during afternoon naps to finish my hours.  Off we go!!!!  Praising the Lord and trusting him with our next steps!  (oh I forgot to mention that I'm still researching my dream of building a small home on Walua Rd.  - the lot I want is still available - we will be oh so busy if we are able to get that underway!)

Good Bye 2012 and Hello 2013!

2012 Reflection Questions:

1. What was the best thing that happened to me this year? Meeting our 2nd baby girl and the huge amounts of time we have got to spend with family and friends!

2. What did I do this year that I'm really proud of? A second natural birth, relaxing a bit more about money, deciding Kona will be our home

3. Who did I really help? My students in Kona and house projects for my parents (they have been so generous to keep us and I've had fun decorating, fixing and adding here and there!)

4. Who do I need to thank and acknowledge for having been there for me? My mom - she is my closest friend (other than Aaron of course)

5. What are the top three lessons I learned? Life is to short to sweat the small stuff, I still need more Grace toward others and myself, Life is so good

6. What increased my happiness and joy this year? My family

7. What's something I got through that was really tough? I don't think I would consider anything to be really tough this year

8. What did I avoid that I must pay more attention to in 2013?  Eating right - pregnancy/nursing consumption will need to end 

9. What character trait did I develop most this year?  Contentment

10. What new people did I meet that are now in my life? Hogans

A few fun adventure stats from 2011:

States visited: 8
Nights spent in different cities: 18
Days with the Watsons: Not enough (-: 11





Goals for 2013!

1. Back to pre-pregnancy weight
2. Spend 20 minutes 5x a week in God's word
3. Buy or build in Kona
4. Work part time
5. Surf 3-4x a month
6.  Run a 10 k in under 60 mins

Happy 3 months Abby

Christmas - Addy wanted you to try on some doll clothing (-:

Christmas Morning

Belated Christmas with your new Lei's Grandma Nona made

Pretty Girl!!

Family Christmas Photo 2012

Oh - mom...dad...

Santa Train - Georgetown

Grandpa Alfred's 80's birthday celebration

Snowing out side

16th Street Mall Downtown Denver Horse Drawn Santa Sleigh

 Abby! You are now 3 months old and growing growing!  You've nearly made it to 10 pounds - you weighed in at 9 pounds 12 ounces this evening!  You are my tiny tot!!  You are a good baby - mostly eating, sleeping and dirtying diapers!  You have been very tolerant of all the moving about and activity of the Christmas season. Everyday we get to see a bit more of your personality as you calmly coo and kick in our lap. You have a soft laugh when I tickle your neck and ribs.  As the month went on you spent more and more time awake and happy and engaged in face time as well as handling and looking at toys. Unfortunately you have spend the entire last month with a minor cold - it hasn't been too bad except for the couple of days it went in your lungs.  Nana got us an Angel Care monitor for Christmas that would alarm if you stopped moving - it has been nice to have since you have been sick. You have very little patience when you are hungry and go from sleeping to outraged in about 10 seconds.  You are mostly a momma's girl - you do let others hold you, but it is highly dependent on your mood. This month you have decided that the breast really is best and need a fair bit of convincing to take a bottle with pumped milk in it - but you are eventually giving in, even if it takes a few tries.  You are a sweet sweet girl and we love you so so so much Abby!!

Fun things you have got to do this month!
Light Parade in Grand Junction
Go to Grandpa's 80th birthday
Ride the Georgetown Train and have lunch with the Watson's
Spend an evening in downtown Denver and ride a Santa Sleigh
Christmas and Christmas Eve with the Browns
A belated Christmas celebration with the Carvers
Kick your feet in the Rec Center Swimming pool in your swim suit

 Abby on top - Autumn below

The Brown family cousins