Modeling

The New Digs

Here we are, in Kona! It has been two weeks now!

We are enjoying our new life, and trying to get it all figured out. It is exciting to see so many new things and go swimming each day. Danny is steadily adjusting to his new work conditions and duties. It is a fresh new challenge for him and he is going to do great.

Below is our turnkey condo we are renting. Ours is the only door you can see very well, behind the stairs on the right.

We love the location. Our condo is 5 minutes or less from Danny's job, church and the temple, the beach, groceries, and other big box stores. It is fun to be so close to everything, including the main tourist drag along the beach, Alii Drive. It is really quiet and peaceful here.

Our condo is brightly painted and furnished with contemporary ikea-ish furniture. It has two bedrooms and two bathrooms and a desk area off the side of the bar. The girls share a double bed that we pushed up against a wall and they like their light purple wall color and the flower pillows that came on their bed. My and Danny's room is sea green, white, tan, pink, and red. ...We definitely feel like we are staying in someone else's house! But even though it is kind of strange, it is also sorta fun and even nice to get to live in a place decorated by someone else.

We almost rented a condo at about the same price, that was much nicer, was closer to the beach, and was decorated very well in tans and browns, but we chose to live here instead because it had so much personality and it felt so open and bright, plus it had a lovely ocean view!

Some of the paintings and knickknacks drove me a little crazy and after a couple of days I put them all away in the garage and rehung some of the paintings. They were hung up really high on the walls. Aak!

We have a a wide, open view of the ocean from our back lanai, and sometimes there is a small breeze that comes through to cool off our condo a bit. Air conditioning is pretty expensive here so we don't have it and can't use it.

There is a nice little garden and walking path behind our complex. We haven't tried it yet, but Melia has been in Heaven looking at and picking all the flowers everywhere. She even adores all the strange bugs and lizards!


This lawn is across the parking lot from our front door. Isn't it pretty? The path to the pool is to the left of that brown sign in the grass. The girls love to go swimming. We are so lucky it is so close.

Below you can see the blue sky and the cloudy sky. The clouds are actually "vog," or volcano fog. It rolls across the sky often and so far, there have only been two vogless days. The vog is definitely not as pretty as the clear blue skies because it just looks overcast, but I like that it cools the temperature down a bit, plus it doesn't linger for days. The wind has blown it away each night.

Thanks so much to everyone for all your help and support with our move over here!
We are very happy to be here in Hawaii. We still feel like we are on some kind of extended vacation or tour, and there are many things about living here that are just bizarre, but it is so pretty and so interesting we can't help but love every adventure! This place is so diverse, so colorful.

I will do my best to keep you updated on our many upcoming adventures!

We love and miss you all!

Sunset at the beach of the King Kamehameha Hotel, Danny's current assignment, which brought us to Hawaii.

4th of July

We went to the parade today and had a good time. This place feels like a small town.  We hope to feel like we fit in before too long.

Farewell to Fernley

I am packing, packing, packing, cleaning, packing, packing, packing. Danny is in HI working already and I am here moving us out. Thank goodness I have help watching the kids! I can't believe what a big job this is. There is so much to do.


I can't believe how I feel right now. Though I am very excited for our new bend in the road, I am very somber about leaving this place. My heart flutters with excitement at times, but is quite heavy as well. We have family here. And friends. Good neighbors. A good life.

After all, this is our first home together, where we brought two children into the world and discovered life as a small family.
We worked really hard and had a great life.

I am really going to miss a lot around here.

Yesterday, I was pulling out of my subdivision to go get some moving supplies and I saw this sunset. Wow! I couldn't believe how beautiful it was. It was like a gigantic, larger than life painting staring me right int he face. This sky conveyed all of the feelings I was experiencing over moving! I pulled to the side of the road for a moment and took it all in. What a wonderful surprise and blessing.

I found my ring!!!

1:23 a.m.
I just found my wedding ring!

I am staying up late tonight to get my laundry done and my office cleaned out. I have a lot of energy because Danny is coming home tomorrow from his 10-day sojourn to Kona, Big Island. I am aggressively wiping out all the crap from my washer and dryer, hungrily taping and labeling boxes, and looking to clear out every last item in every room. I am having a great time. Moving and cleaning with my man out on business is a challenge, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel, my man is coming home tomorrow, my kids are safe asleep in their beds, we are flying to Hawaii with nothing but our clothes in just three days!
Load 3 is up, cold water is running, detergent is in, and what is this? Huh. A dirty old work jacket of Danny's that has been hanging in my pantry closet for at least two years. Should I even wash it? There is crap all over it, I wonder if it is going to come out at all. It looks like grout. Did I tile the kitchen back splash wearing this coat? Huh. I better wash it. I unzip pocket one: nothing. Pocket two: a ring. Who's ring is this? I wonder.

(gasp)

MY WEDDING RING!!!

And I still think it is so beautiful! Hooray!

We Are Moving to Hawaii

...Kailua-Kona, Big Island.

This will be our home for almost a year.

We are SO excited!!!

FYI

Danny accepted a position as a "Project Manager" for Pacifica Hotel Corp. His first assignment is in Kona, Hawaii, working on the renovation of the King Kamehameha Hotel. Then we will most likely move to California after that.  We are very happy for this next chapter of our lives.

Happy Birthday Sophie!

Our little Sophie is two!

What a joy she has been. We are so glad to have her.

Sophie, we love your firecracker personality and daring tricks, your jubilant yells throughout the house, your extremely resilient attitude (through so much crap!), and your tender little hugs.

We love you!!!

And just for fun, here are some pictures of her look-a-likes:

The Kewpie Doll

and a Campbell's soup kid!

Baby Alana

We have a new niece, born May 15 to Christie and Cameron Brady!

Alana Mae

Overstimulated

Yesterday I had to go to the mall. That is something I am against doing. But it is sometimes necessary-- so I gathered my courage and walked right in, with two little daughters in tow. As I entered the loud, crowded corridor, I immediately felt the usual angst and discomfort I have always felt, ever since I can remember.
As I take it all in, I ask myself, "Why do I dislike malls so much?" Most of my of my friends enjoy them! And many friends have worked at them! And liked it!
"Why don't I like this?" I think to myself. "Why don't I like this?"
This is a question I have asked many times, and never found the right answer. "Will I find it today?" I wonder. "Let's see."
I am confused. I look around. "Ugh, where am I?? Shoot! I entered in at the wrong door again!" I change my direction and speed up my pace to a quick, urgent one, because my destination is actually on the other side of the maze, I mean mall.
The girls are loving the whole deal. They wish I would slow down. Their eyes are trying to take it all in. They can't get enough of it. They keep wanting to stop. They want to touch stuff. I keep them steady; I am on a mission.
"Why don't I like this?" I ask myself again. Some red high heels catch my eyes. I stop to look. The girls contentedly study all the nearby shoes. Melia loves the shiny ones, the ones with buckles, the ones with bows. Sophie wants to use them to make cracking noises on the glass table. I want the red shoes. I see a sale sign. "Oooh, maybe I could!..." I think. I hold my breath. I peer underneath the shoe at the red marker scrawled over the original sticker price.
I let my breath out. The shoes are still $59. "NO WAY." I whisper sternly and quietly to the shoe. I walk out.
"I know." I say to myself. "Malls are too expensive." My eyes widen. I inhale quickly. "That's it! The reason I dislike malls is because they're a tease! ...right?"
"Hmmm....no. That's not it at all." I know that malls are cool. I know why they are cool. I can't say that I don't like them just because I can't afford everything I want. That is ridiculous. I am just uncomfortable. But then I am onto something there, I must admit. I hate feeling like I want everything in sight. It makes me feel bratty...and then it makes me feel poor when I can't satisfy all my wants.
"So is that it, then?" Is it because malls make me feel poor?"
Hmmm...another thought. "Is it because I feel ugly and plain when looking at all the pretty models and coordinating outfits?" Hmmm...now I could really be onto something.
These answers ...are all part of it...but they still aren't it. Because I can't hate the mall for having too much pretty stuff to look at--I like pretty stuff. I like the big displays and the interesting decors and the matching color schemes. Beauty is a good thing, right.
"But too much beauty is not a good thing. Too much of anything is not a good thing."
And that is when the true answer hits me of why I don't like malls. One word. In my brain.

"Overstimulating."

"...Yes, yes, THAT'S IT!"


I know-- overstimulating.

The first time I ever heard it was when my older sister used it to describe her baby's toy time limits when he was a few months old. I thought it was such a cheesy, nerdy word. But then I have used it myself since becoming a mother. When Melia is overstimulated, she has night terrors.
And so it is with me. When I am overstimulated, my brain goes into hyperactive mode. (Suddenly, my brain is no longer clearly thinking about the task at hand: you know, buying what I came in for. No, this is an example of what is happening in my overstimulated, hyperactive head: that shirt is sooo cute, i love how it fits, is it a good style though? Will I wear it enough, is it practical? ugh can I afford it? I really shouldn't be spending any money right now, am I just satisfying my clothing lust? Jeez annie give it a rest you buy like 5 new shirts a year, for all four seasons just buy it, am I poor? No i am not I am rich--there are people starving and I am here at this mall suffering intense inner turmoil over a style of shirt-of which my body may look ridiculous in it after I wash it or when I stand in the wrong light--oh my gosh did you see what that girl had on (or what she didn't) and is hanging out I can see that our society is too loose, and too unhealthy, oh what can I do to raise my children right, am I ignoring these people in society that have problems, should I volunteer somewhere because we must work through these class systems in society, there is so much misunderstanding in the world and I am such a bad person for not doing anything about it here I am looking at this stupid shirt, oh I hate it now I'll just walk away, but it is what I came here to buy in the first place! But jeez if I would just work out more I would look way better in it. Aah this store is just so perfect. I hate it. why can't I decorate like this? is this stuff superficial Blah blah blah blah blah blah!)

OVER STIMULATION. That's it, people. Malls have WAY too much going on. There is too much to look at, too much to try out/try on, too many temptations, and too much decision making! (Sigh)

I think about it more and more and it makes total sense. Of course! No wonder I get such a kick out of being in nature, running by myself, reading a book, going on a drive, taking naps. I am a slow-going, keep it cool kind of girl that prefers peace and quiet wherever I can get it! That stuff is easy!

And furthermore, there are other things I like a ton, but in reality, can't enjoy as much because they, too, are a lot to take in and think about at once: amusement parks, magazines, airports, teaching (meaning in schools), going to concerts, party planning, big cities, and fashion, to name just a few.
(another sigh).

I love people. I love things. Just not a bunch of them all crowded together in the same space. I can't think straight.!Yuk. I like my peace.

It is nice to know I am still figuring myself out, at age 27.

Well done, Annie. Well done.