and the answer is.......

Two of you were right.... Hawaii!! The stuff in my hand is black sand from the Black Sand Beach at Punalu'u. One of the beautiful and incredible places we saw during our visit.
We flew to Honolulu (on Oahu) and spent two nights on Waikiki Beach.

(Sunset at Waikiki Beach!)

We toured The Polynesian Cultural Center and Pearl Harbor. The center was beautiful and very interesting, We learned a lot about the culture of six Pacific Islands (New Zealand, Tahiti, Fiji, Tonga, Hawaii and Samoa).... their language, music, homes, food etc. We learned how to do the hula and found out you have to have special hips for that ! :-) We ate poi....once....and decided you have to have a special taste for that! The day ended with a luau... roasted pig and all!



(In case you are wondering....that isn't me!! ha!ha!)


(View from a canoe ride)

Pearl Harbor was very emotional for me. Especially when I learned of the men who survived the attack, but chose to be buried with their comrades in the waters of the harbor when they died later in life. Once you are inside the memorial, as a sign of respect they discourage talking and don't allow photos.


The third day, we boarded the Norwegian Cruise Line’s Pride of America. For seven days, we traveled to three more of the Hawaiian islands.

We saw a live volcano and visited the black sand beach on Hawaii. Both were amazing!

(That night as the ship left the island, we could actually see the lava flowing .... fiery red in the black night!)

(Baby palm tree.......talk about determination!)


On our first day in Maui we traveled the Road to Hana and saw beautiful waterfalls and incredible beaches. (And, don't tell the rental car people, but we picked up two college age hitchhikers from California who were hungry and exhausted!) Believe it or not, we took our camera with us that morning when we left the ship, but left the battery charging in the cabin!!! So, no pictures from that day. :-(
On our second day we visited Iao Valley and got a taste of the rain forest......we were there 15 minutes and it started to rain! We also toured the Maui Aquarium and Ocean Center where we saw the marine life that is indigenous to the Hawaiian Islands. J, being a real "fish guy" loved that!
On Kaui, we spent one day at the beach. J snorkeled about 150 ft from the shore while I sat on the beach enjoying the view......beautiful water, large turtles visiting the shore, bright blue sky, and children playing. And J saw a great variety of beautiful fish. The next day, we visited Wakimea Canyon, which was impressive (not as "grand" as the Grand Canyon, but pretty big!) and we saw wild chickens everywhere!The ship was great....wonderful service, delicious food, family oriented entertainment, and beautiful cabins.

It was the trip of a life time. I still have trouble sometimes believing that we were actually there....but I have pictures to prove it! Hope you enjoyed the tour!

what is it? and where is it?

J and I took a trip last year (before I was blogging) to celebrate our 35th Anniversary (a year late!) I was looking at the pictures and thought I would write about our adventure. But first, can you guess where we went by looking at the picture? I'll give you a day to figure it out and then I'll tell you all about it!!

old (oops! I mean, long time) friends!

One of the happy things that happened during this past week was that I had the opportunity to see some old friends....... old, as in we've known each other a LONG time!! :-) My friend, Linda, and I grew up across the street from one another. We had many adventures together. From kool-aid stands to going fishing with her granddaddy, from talent shows in my front yard on summer nights to trips on the city bus to the movies on Saturday afternoons, from playing hop scotch to going way too far from home to "trick or treat" (it was safer then, but our moms still would not have been happy!!). She stills live in the town where we grew up and where my dad lived. So, she came to visit on Friday and it was great to get caught up. We had not seen each other for 24 years. She has a great sense of humor and could always make me laugh.... she made me laugh on Friday and that was a good thing. I needed to laugh.
From first grade through high school and on to college, Donna and Debra (twins) were friends of mine. We, too, had many fun times together. We had spend the night parties, swimming parties, went on school trips together, worked on projects together, and served refreshments at each others' weddings. The last time I saw them was when their father died a few years ago. It was wonderful to see them Friday, as well. They haven't changed a bit...... still quick witted and fun. It was so thoughtful of them to come and I can't tell you how happy it made me to see their faces. I exchanged email addresses with all three and we promised to keep in touch.
I am so grateful for life long friends. Even though we had not seen each other for years, these dear people were there when I needed them. Our history together and the fact that we know and love the same God has bound our hearts together. What a special blessing that is!

saying good-bye

I'm not sure how to begin this post. It is going to be difficult to write. In my last post, I told you I was going to visit with my dad for 4 days while my step-mom went on a trip. Well, on the second day I was there, the 9th, he went into pulmonary distress. He continued to decline over the next 5 days and this past Thursday, July 15, he passed away. He was 83. We had his "home-going" service yesterday and I am now back home after being away for 10 days.
Needless to say, it was a very difficult and painful week, but I am so grateful that I was allowed the privilege of being with him as he gradually slipped from his earthly home to his heavenly home. He spent much of the time sleeping, but during the conscious hours, we were able to express our love for one another. He indicated on several occasions that he was ready to go and we assured him that it was okay. On Sunday, he told me and my husband, "I think I may have to leave you." I told him that was okay. J told him we would see him there soon. My dad's response..."Praise the Lord. Amen!" On Wednesday, he said "I believe everything is in order." I assured him that it was and that there was nothing left for him to do. He nodded. He left us in the early morning hours on Thursday.
It is a wonderful comfort to know that he is with his Heavenly Father, his Savior, and my mother in heaven. She died 28 years ago at the age of 53. One of my step-sisters said, "Don't you know your mom was glad to see him?" I thought, she probably said, "What took you so long?" :-)

on the road again!

I'm leaving this evening to stay with my dad until Sunday while my step-mom goes on a trip with her three daughters. I won't have access to a computer, so I will be "out-of-pocket" until I return.
Thought I would share this "grand" story before I go. First, you have to know that our oldest granddaughter has trouble saying the "th" sound... as in thanks, thing, etc. She says the "f " sound instead.
So, a while back our oldest son was traveling with his two girls to see us. The youngest (3) was being noisy and saying the same thing over and over.... driving her big sister (7) crazy! Finally, big sister said, "Stop! Hush! Be quiet! Zip your lip! Don't say another "fing"! The little one lends forward in her car seat, looks at her sister and says with all seriousness, "fing?"Big sis got mad, dad cracked up and we have been telling the story since!
I'll be checking in with everyone and reading all your posts when I get back, because I don't want to miss a "fing"!

and we had fun, fun, fun....

Okay, you are probably going to get tired of looking at pictures, but, what can I say?.....I love pictures. I'll try to keep the text brief so you will have time to do something else today/tonight besides read this post! ha! ha!

Our oldest son and his youngest daughter taking "BIG" steps at the playground... it's a very nice one divided into two sections...older kids and younger kids.

Our grandson exploring the tube!

We went for walks every night after dinner. This is me and my daughter-in-law... our grandson's mom. Can you guess which one is me? :-) The three grands are with us. The oldest is taking the picture and the two little ones are just out of sight, admiring the red reflectors at the end of each driveway. They were round and on tall white sticks....they called them lollipops!

Playing bocce ball on the beach.....this was a windy day so it was cool when we got wet. It was something fun to do out of the water.



My sweet girl enjoying high tide.... water way up on the beach!

Our oldest granddaughter and I slipped away for the first walk on the beach. She couldn't resist getting a little wet. Later she climbed on some nearby rocks and I did a photo shoot. She loved that!
The ever present beach birds.We always carry bread to feed them, so we are their favorites!

" Gran, Daddy is digging to China!"

We thought this was the beginning of an ice chest full, but it was not to be. The guys went for a little while every day but one and caught just enough for us to have low country boil one night! The catch was disappointing, but the boil was yummy!

This guy was waiting to see if there was anything in the net for him!

Driftwood on the beach where we were shrimping. It is the result of erosion, but it sure is pretty.


One of the crabs we caught. They aren't big enough to keep. J says you could starve to death before you could fill up on the little bites of meat in those claws! Not worth the work it takes to get to it.

Horseshoe crab... a big one! In case you are wondering...... we put everything back in the water except the shrimp. So, no sea animals were harmed in the making of these pictures! ha! ha!

J and our oldest son pulling the net......

.... and waving at the photographer!

This is the way we like the beach.... wide open and not many people. Of course this beach is never full like many others are. It is a small island, so even on holidays, there is plenty of open beach.

Our two 3 year old grands look like they could be twins! Our younger son had to work so he didn't make the trip. So, "uncle" helped out with "daddy" duties.

J, or "Chief" to the grands, riding the waves with our littlest man! They did this over and over... I'm not sure who loved it more!

High tide makes digging in the sand a little difficult!


1..2..3..jump! Mom and son having fun in the waves.

J feeding the seagulls. He balls up the bread and tosses it. They catch it in midair!

"The sea is His and He made it" Psalm 95:5

This is the most expensive hotel on the island. It has beautiful grounds..... a great place to take pictures!

The island's commercialization is limited. There are a few hotels, a few restaurants, about 6 tiny shops, a small convention center and a campground. Much of the island is natural... lots of wooded areas. So, the deer come out in the evenings and wander through the residential area where the rental houses are. We saw them every night. This is one in our backyard.


Well, "all good things must come to an end"... so our week came to a close. It was a special time being together....enjoying each other, the goodness of God and the beauty of His creation. Can't wait til next year!

good and tired

The week was good and I am tired! Have you ever felt like you needed a vacation to rest after a week’s vacation? Having fun is exhausting! :-) I have stories to tell and pictures to share, but I need a day to get it together.
Today, I will just say that the ocean is amazing! One afternoon, the waves were so gentle, they were barely lapping the shore. The next day the wind was blowing and the waves were big, rough and quickly came one right after the other. Sometimes the salt in the water
irritates the skin (as our little grandson can testify), other times it heals it. On one occasion, the ocean is generous with its bounty and on another (like this week!), it withholds the harvest.
I think that is a picture of how God works. Sometimes His prodding is gentle and His voice is soft. Other times, His voice is louder and His nudge is harder and is more insistent. When needed, God’s Word convicts and makes us uncomfortable. More often, it brings comfort and encouragement. Many times His answer to our requests is “yes”. But, when it is for our good, He says “no” or “wait”.
One thing that is predictable about the ocean is the tides. The high tides are 12 hours apart. The low tides are 12 hours apart. We can count on them to be on time. We can’t predict how God will work, but one thing we can count on.... that we can trust... is that it will always be consistent with His character. That never changes!

“O, Lord God Almighty! Where is there anyone as mighty as you? Faithfulness is your very character.” Psalm 89:8