Our 1st Visitors!

Gosh, I'm months behind on this blog.

Grandma Pam and Great-Grandma Rose came to visit us back in October.  They were our first visitors to make the long flight to Oahu to see us, and we couldn't have appreciated their visit any more.

When they first arrived, we took them to La Mariana.  Really neat place, off the ocean, in a marina, with great food.

At dinner, minus Rose because she was taking the picture.

Day 2 of their visit, Justin took Pam and Rose to Pearl Harbor.  Pearl Harbor is a non-profit park because it is a national park.  So everything there is free for viewing, but you do have to go pretty early because of this.  The crowds do increase and once they run out of shuttle boat passes, you can't go to the USS Arizona Memorial that day.

While there, they were able to walk around the historical grounds, view exhibits, take lots of pictures and take the shuttle boat to the USS Arizona Memorial.

Replica of the memorial...everything that is grey/brown is what is underwater. 

Rose's model pose ;)  Behind her is Battleship Missouri that is now decommissioned.

Day 3 consisted of a hike up Diamond Head.  Rose stayed at home with Gracie while Justin, Pam and I went downtown to get to the old volcano.  I was definitely exhausted by the time we finished.  Being pregnant, nauseous and out of shape are not a good mixture for this hike.  I thought I'd die before I reached the top.

Pam taught her kids to walk fast.  I am slow. On our way up!

View from the top! 

Waikiki...close up.

Mom and son made it to the top

On our way down.  That tunnel was scary!

Day 4 we went to the Ko'Olina lagoon for some fun in the sun.  It's called the Hidden Lagoon because it is tucked back behind some property and you have to walk a little bit to get to it.  Every time I've been there, there are sea turtles swimming in the water.  It is an amazing place!

Heading out to do a little snorkeling, minus the snorkel.

Burying Pam in the sand and Rose in the water!

Our little mermaid loves to be in the sand.

Grandma Pam and Gracie

My precious babe :)

Sea turtle!  It actually scared Pam while she had her back to it.  It was pretty entertaining.

Day 5 was our trip to the Disney Aulani Resort.  At the resort, guests and locals can reserve a time to come to their character breakfast and meet Minnie, Mickey and Goofy.  Gracie had a blast meeting the 3 characters.  She absolutely loved Minnie Mouse the most.  Goofy she was a little afraid of.

The gang and Mickey 

Family picture with Minnie

Scared of Goofy

Giving Minnie lots of love :)

We also took a trip up to the outlet shopping center in Waikele.  But no pictures, as shopping means you have to look around and browse and not be camera happy :P  Plus why would I want to take pictures of things I cannot buy.

Day 6 and 7 were mostly spent shopping and browsing and hanging out at home.  Eating delicious watermelons and homecooked meals.  Oh we, Justin and I, had our 1st prenatal appointment and heard the baby's heartbeat too!  That sound will never get old to me, I love hearing it every time we go to the doctor.  We also made the announcement on Facebook to really make it official.

Thanks to Pam and Rose for making the long flight out to see us.  We were so glad to spend time with the two of you and enjoyed your company.  We have missed you every day since you left and can't wait to see you both in February when we return home for our visit.  Love you both!

Moving on up

So last post was about us living in the hotel and hotel life.  This post is from the time we moved in to right before our 1st visitors arrived.

Here is what we were up to for a month and a half...
1. Playing with lots of toys...Cars matching game, Sorry, miniature figurines, coloring books, Legos, and other items that she can't live without.

2. Playing outside when I'm feeling good.  We have been to the beach many times, but I always forget my camera, so I don't have much proof of that.  But Gracie loves the ocean and playing in the sand.  She gets so excited when we go!

3. Went bowling at the nearby bowling alley.  Gracie loved it and by the end was carrying her own ball.  This made us nervous but it was so cute!

Check out her bowling shoes :)  I wanted to take them home, but I know karma would come back and haunt me.

4. Here are some of the mini figurines she loves to play with.  These are her Cars ones but she also has Toy Story figurines.

5. Another thing I don't have proof of is our playdates.  I've mentioned in previous posts about the great women/moms I've met out here, and we love to get together with them and play.  Gracie is making some good friends and getting back into the swing of things like sharing.  That is a tough concept for little squirts like her.  We've gone to the beach, to the pool and to one of the mom's house to play.  They are a great group of women and kids, and I'm so blessed to have met them.

So life will only get busier when I start feeling better.  I hate being trapped in the house when I'd rather have Gracie out playing with other kiddos.  Plus, I love the adult interaction.  You can only handle so many conversations about Cars, Toy Story, and potty training.  I'm slowing starting to feel better but it really takes it toll on what we do most days.  So I cannot wait for normallacy to come back into my life.  Gracie can't wait either.

Next post will be all about Pam and Rose and their first time in Hawaii.  Not sure when I will get to that as our 2nd pair of visitors will be arriving tomorrow!  We love having visitors and hope more of you can come out as it makes our time here that much more fun and worth it!

Pictures Post

Since I'm a terrible blogger and a terrible uploader...I'm combining the 2.  A blog post with pictures!  I actually blogged about some of these things when we first arrived but never attached photos so it may sound familiar.

Here is what we have done since we moved from Homaha to Ala Moana Hotel...
1. Made cookies in the hotel room.

2. Checked out the view from the hotel room since there was minimal for us to do (this is facing downtown)

3. Went site seeing on one small portion of the southeastern coast

4. Hung out in the hotel...a lot.  With no car and a 2 year old who likes to run free, we weren't really able to walk around the outside of the hotel to see what was around.  Plus, to be honest, it was kind of scary around the hotel.  Nearby were a few strip joints and adult stores, Ala Moana Beach a.k.a.  Bum Beach, a recycling center a.k.a. Bum Beach Extension, and the largest outdoor mall, which we did visit daily but that got old quick.

5. Enjoyed the daily rainbows at approximately the same time every day :)

6. Ate a Eggs n Things.  Packed house = having to entertain Gracie at next door coffee shop for 45-50 minutes.  It was so worth the wait though!

7. Hung out some more.  Like I said, the mall got old, especially when I knew I couldn't purchase anything because I do not have an income.  But seriously, look at this cute face!

8. Saw Dog the Bounty Hunter at the strip joint next to our hotel (he's getting in the SUV below).  I was so shocked and excited, my brain didn't function well enough to grab my camera sooner.

9. Enjoyed a fun afternoon at Wet 'n' Wild.  Gracie had a blast on the slides, definitely her favorite part.

10. Gracie became a shark at Jimmy Buffet's Restaurant.

Next post (hopefully within the next day or so) will contain pics of what we have done from the time we moved into the house till our 1st visitors arrived.  Until then, hope you enjoyed the pics and are becoming less jealous of our living situation.  Believe me, if you are in Omaha, I'm jealous of yours ;)

Baby, baby, baby...I'm back!

Ok, my blogging skills totally suck, especially since I haven't felt well since September 2011 (that feels like eternity!)

If you live in a cave or don't have Facebook, Justin and I have made it FB official...we are expecting baby #2!  Baby is due to make his/her appearance around May 6th.  I'm hoping for a Cinco de Mayo baby considering I'm Mexican and all and that would be pretty fitting.  I would even consider putting him/her in a baby sombrero for that special day if I find one.  But when he/she is ready, we will be here waiting!  Gracie is starting to kind of get it.  She knows there is a baby in my belly and points to where he/she is, she also likes to say "Baby Sister" and on occasion "Baby Brother", she is starting to get the jist of it.  I don't think she'll really get it till he/she is here and not going anywhere.

It helps having some close friends having some little tiny ones themselves since we've been gone.  After we left, Emily and Matt had their 2nd little boy, Dominic.  He is such a cutie and I can't wait to see him in person!  I tell Gracie that Jude has a little baby brother now and she says "baby brother" like she gets that he belongs to Jude.  A few weeks later, in September, Erin and Chris had their 2nd baby, a precious little boy named John.  He, too, is a cutie, and I can't wait to hold that little guy (well he'll be a bit bigger by the time we come to visit).  I tell Gracie that she will have a baby brother or sister like Millie.  She points to pictures of John and says "Millie baby brother".  Then came October, and another couple friend of ours, Katy and Matt, had their first baby.  Not to my surprise, it was a BOY and they named him Benjamin "Benji".  He is so cute and has the cutest little pouty lips in the world.  When I show Gracie pictures of Benji, I tell her how we will have a baby like that someday.  She again will say "baby brother, baby sister."

Now, I'm not the only one that she knows who is expecting.  One of my very best, most awesome, forever friends is going to have her first in April!  Our friends Emily and Charlie are preparing for parenthood, and we could not be any more excited for them.  I wish I could just physically be there with Emily to see her experience pregnancy and motherhood as it is happening.  But I know Emily and Charlie will be fantastic parents!  Another couple friend of ours, Anna and Nathan, are expecting their 3rd baby in February.  I went to Mercy with Anna and was reconnected through good ol' FB after Gracie was born.  The Magdanz's welcomed Gracie into their loving home weekly.  Anna watched and cared for Gracie when I went back to work and watched her until we left in August.  They have been such a blessing in our lives.  Gracie even calls Fiona her "best friend" when we look at pictures.   Now I tell Gracie that Fiona gets to have 2 baby siblings!  She is very excited for Fiona and Callie.  It's endearing to hear Gracie talk about the baby and even say those words.  I think she is going to be a great big sister come May.

Now that today was a good feeling today, and I'm praying that it's the beginning of many, I do need to blog about some things that we have been up to lately (parties, visitors, hiking, beaching, etc.) and add some pictures to these pictureless pages.  Hopefully tomorrow will be another good day and I can do some blogging during nap time.  Keep your fingers, toes, legs, arms, and eyes crossed!

Still Unpacking

Yes, we are still here and still unpacking.

We have been in the house for almost 1 full month (1 month tomorrow) and it's been a while since I last posted an update (3 weeks?).  I've been pretty homesick so it has not helped with my attitude or the unpacking process.  I think I have found the truth in why I haven't unpacked every last thing that was packed up in the our home in Omaha.  I think I was still somewhat am in denial that we have made this huge move.  I think I thought that if I didn't unpack everything, it somehow meant that I would be coming home sooner rather than later and there was no need to make this "home".  Well, I've finally come to the realization that this is not happening and that we will be here for the expected 2-3 years (which I will be pushing for the 2 years every day until it happens).

I was even explaining to a friend this morning that I didn't want to hang pictures or mirrors because I didn't want to have to deal with the patching and painting when we left.  She said, "Well, you will be here for a while.  If you don't do it, it won't feel like home."  It was at that moment that I realized she was right.  We ARE going to be here for a while, and I DO need to do things to it to make it feel like home.  The house we are in doesn't feel like home and that makes things difficult.  This is a very hard thing for me to accept for many reasons.  I have always lived my life in Omaha, I imagined my future in Omaha, but the reality is that this is not what God had in his plans for us right now.  He wanted us to take this opportunity and do something with it, to enjoy it, to live it.

It is not the easiest or quickest thing to accept that you are no longer home.  I seriously lived in the same house for 23 years and 2 months until Justin and I hitched.  Then we moved into an apartment and then the place I love to call home, our cute little brick house.  Can you blame me for being sad that I'm no longer living in Omaha?  Moving is difficult because of all the people and places that you love to see and go to are no longer at your front door.  This is hardest part about moving for me, and I will probably feel that sadness until we return and things are back to "normal".  Our families and friends have played such an important role in who we are and how we live our life, and they are not easy things to leave behind.  They will never be easy to leave behind.  You guys mean the world to us!  But after this morning, I know I need to do something to try to make this adventure worth it and to make it meaningful.  Plus, I will be back, we will be back, whether you like it or not. ;)

Now, putting my tears aside, I need to get this house into shape.  Good thing this realization hit me today because my 2nd mother and her cool mother are coming to visit in 2 weeks.  I absolutely cannot wait to see Pam and Rose and to have them physically here with us.  But, I can't let them see how unpacked we really are especially because they will need a bed and a room to sleep in!

To wrap this all up, I would like to share the things that I am thankful for because moving has made me appreciate many things:
-First and foremost, having Justin and Gracie by my side.  I wouldn't be here without them (literally) and I wouldn't have any comfort without them as well.  You two are the greatest people I know.
-A dishwasher (this house does not have one, which we didn't notice until we moved in :(  I hate doing dishes!
-Having a garage to store things that we brought but will not need (i.e. my classroom from Rohwer)
-New found friends...I have met some amazing women and their children since being here.  Thank you for welcoming me and Gracie into your homes and hearts.  You will never know how much it means to me.
-Our family and friends back home.  I feel special to know how lucky we are to have such amazing people in our lives.  God had truly blessed us, hence the reason why it is not easy being gone.
-My Rohwer coworkers who have kept me in the loop with school things and things about their lives.  You also make it hard to be here because you are all amazing people and teachers.  I pray every day that I get to come back to Rohwer and be with you all again.
-Skype, you are my connection to home and I love you.  I almost love you as much as I love Pam's Scotcheroos.  If you have a skype name, let me know or find us (andresenx3).  We would love to see you and chat!
-Facebook...well kinda...sometimes it makes me more homesick because I want to be there so bad, but it is nice to see family and friends enjoying life as everyone should.  I think I'll like it more when it's winter back home :)
-Crossfit Omaha. Yes, I hated working out just ask anyone that knows me.  But this place is amazing!  I never loved a gym as much as this place.  Great people, great coaches, great supporters, great workouts, and a great community.  If you want to know more about it, ask me, otherwise just go there and join.  You won't regret it.  It's worth every penny.

Ok that's enough for now, I'm sure my list could get longer, but I know I might be losing your attention now.  Plus, I have a lot of things and people to be thankful for.  Shoot, even the movers who came to get the boxes out of the garage...  Ok I'm done :)

Week 4 of too many

Monday:

Today is Labor Day, and I am thankful to have an extra day with my wonderful hubby.  Most people hate Mondays because they have to go to work, I hate Mondays because Justin has to go to work.  Being out here is lonely so I long for the weekends to get here so I have an adult to be with and spend some time with.  So, yes, I am thankful for Labor Day because it gives me another day with Justin.

Tuesday:

Moving Day!!!  I can't tell you how excited I was to get out of the hotel and into a real house.  I had been waiting several weeks for this day to come.  I couldn't wait to see our furniture, clothing, shoes, dishes, rugs and more importantly the computer!  I seriously wanted to hug everything as it came in the door.  We had last seen our things July 25th.  That was the day they started packing everything into boxes.  A day that I did not want to see the final product.  Just walking through my home with nothing in it was tough.  Anyways, the movers arrived at the new house around 10 a.m. and were finished around 4 p.m.  They set up all the beds, brought in all the heavy furniture and boxes, and set up remaining boxes in the garage that we probably wouldn't open the whole time we are here.  They were really helpful with all this as I knew what my max deadlift was and these boxes and furniture were too much of a competition.

Here are some pictures after the movers left.

       

 

It is chaos and we are slowing try to put it altogether again.  I hate it.  Too many boxes, too much stuff, too little of a house.

Wednesday:
Gracie and I took a break from unpacking to go play with some new friends.  We went swimming at a pool with a few moms and their little kiddos.  We have met all of the moms and kids before so it was nice to see them all again.  They are so sweet and so inviting...definitely makes me feel a bit better about being here.

Thursday and Friday:
Can't remember much of it so I'm assuming we spent those days unpacking.  I think the unpacking and trying to get all settled as quickly as possible is starting to affect Gracie a bit.  I just have to remember that not everything will get unpacked, I can't do it all in one day, and to remember to stop and play with my babe for a while.  She needs me, not half of me, but all of me.

Saturday:
Justin's Kiewit group had a get-together in Kailua, complete with food and dodgeball.  Needless to say, I did not want to show off my incredible dodgeball skills so I sat out with Gracie.  From the moment we got there, she went straight to the bounce house anyways, and we had a tough time getting her out of there.  She loves those things. Seriously.  She bounced while I watched her and Justin played dodgeball.  After we ate some lunch, which for Gracie consisted of cheetos, fruit juice, pb&j sandwich, grapes, goldfish and a cookie (most things we rarely have in our kitchen), we went over the little hill to hit the beach.  Absolutely beautiful!  It is a must-do when we have visitors.  Plus, the drive from Kapolei to Kailua is awesome!  I wish I had taken pictures to help you see the beauty of it.  Our mountains on this side of the island are a bit dry looking, the mountains to Kailua are lush and green and breathtaking.  Apparently, somewhere along that mountain range you can hike 3 peaks but they are dangerous.  They recently had people fall to their death. :( yikes, I won't be doing that hike or any if you really know me.  So, back to the beach.  Gracie had a blast!  She loves the waves and if she was taller and older she would have walked out further into the ocean.  She makes me so nervous!  She swallowed enough ocean water to make her choke multiple times and vomit once.  She does this really funny thing when she gets water in her mouth.  She scream/grunts until it is all out then cracks up hysterically.  She is such a goofball! Did I mention that she makes me nervous?  Eventually, we packed up and headed home in hopes to get the cable/internet working.

Speaking of which, the work ethic out here is a bit different than the mainlands.  From my perspective, they do everything at their own pace, when they want to, and they will only come back to help if it is convenient for them (which it never is).  So therefore, we did not get cable/internet fixed and missed another weekend of football...sad people.

Sunday:
Another uneventful day, so uneventful I don't remember any of it.  Plus, we didn't have cable/internet to do much else.  I think we went shopping or something or maybe that was Saturday night.  Since my full-time job is watching the little "I love to see my mom scared"Gracie, my days all run into each other.  I'm surprised I remembered any of this information actually :)

Until next time kids...