Obama is in Hawaii and I got to see Air Force One at the airport today in Hilo. Pretty sweet...
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Christmas...already?!
Whoa! The last real post was so long ago I forgot what I wrote! Lots has happened over the summer and into the fall...and through Christmas and over New Years...
My trip to MN in July was long and well needed. We stayed at Island View Lodge for a week before the wedding, it was fun to finally be paying customers rather than hired help! Not much has changed there in the last 15 years, it was definitely like entering a time warp! Mandy, Kaleb and I all had jobs there at one time or another...and it brought back many memories and great laughs. Lots of friends came out to visit...got to see Krista, Missy Walls, Sara and Missy Tate. David and Mindy Nguyen (plus I got to meet Jackson!), Davina and JP, Dave and Jessalin Karsnia (who are also expecting this summer!), Jimmy Peterson stopped by for an adult beverage or two (I also got to hang out with him in Boston) and the list was endless when we hopped parties and took Mitchell's pontoon boat over to Sha Sha. There is nothing like summer on Rainy Lake...nothing!
The week ended with Brook and Brackin's wedding. All the family was there and it was great to see my cousins from San Antonio. Brackin was beautiful and we had fun dancing (thanks to many glasses of White Zin!). The night ended with a party at Sutch's house (of course Kyle planned that one!).
The next day was Mom's birthday...so we headed back to Grand Rapids for a little R & R before I took off to shake my tail feathers at Moon Dance Jam. I can tell you how nice it is to just wake up and have a cup of coffee with your family. I cherished every second...
Moving on to Moon Dance Jam...Sara picked me up in Grand Rapids Wednesday morning and we hit Duluth with a fury. Missy's boyfriend Vinny was playing at a local watering hole with his band and we decided to grace them with our presence. It was a hoot. Got to see Josh and Christine (can't wait for their wedding in May!).
We packed up on Thursday and made the LONG drive to Walker, MN to kick off Moon Dance Jam. It was ridiculously COLD this year and I was NOT prepared! I didn't bring one pair of socks...remember now that I live in Hawaii and socks are only worn by people who go to the gym...seriously...
This was also the place where I fell in love...yes, with Bud Light Lime. I.can't.stop.drinking.it.
Anyways, all of the pics are of us bundled up in jeans and sweatshirts...wishing we had mittens and scarfs and perhaps some long johns! I will not be making that mistake next year...and I think the cold weather has prompted us to upgrade from tents to a camper...or is it our old age?! Hmmm...either way, we will be better prepared!
The line up at MDJ was AWESOME! Journey, Sheryl Crow, Kansas, Lita Ford, Whitesnake, Judas Priest, Foghat and Spin Doctors...classic rock!!! Next year already has Lynyrd Skynyrd and Buckcherry signed up...yay!
Following that long weekend came the incredibly long trip back to Hawaii...did you know that I live closer to Japan than MN? Yeah...threw me for a loop too...insanity...
Went to the No Doubt concert in August...Gwen Stefani was RIPPED...no joke. You would never be able to tell she has ANY kids...crazy. Such a good band, brings me back to high school and Spiderwebs!
Ok...so fast forward another month and I am back on a plane headed to Boston. Kaleb and Angela finally got married (after 7 years of dating!). I flew out the weekend before so that I could go to Angela's bachelorette party in Cape Cod. I got to meet all of the other bridesmaids and a few other friends. The weather didn't really cooperate, but then I get a lot of sun here, so I wasn't sad we couldn't "lay out" before Fall weather hit.
After the Cape, my Mom, sister and the kiddos flew in. They had a LONG layover in Atlanta ( I know, I know, cheap tickets...we should have paid extra for the direct flight!) and Kaleb and I picked them up around 11pm...we headed down to the beach house we rented (I had to make last minute plans, as the house I had originally rented was suddenly "double booked" and the guy had already spent my deposit...needless to say I am still trying to get that money back!). The house we rented was absolutely amazing! It had four bedrooms and two bathrooms, a large wrap around deck, hot tub and private beach right on the ocean! There was a little seafood store a block away and we got FIVE 5lb lobsters...yep...FIVE! The guy who sold them to us laughed all the way to the bank...TOURISTS! HAHA...it will probably be one of my most favorite memories of all time! I will never forget Kyle putting that gigantic lobster on my plate...I think I screamed it was so big!
After the beach house we headed up the reception site. We rented another cabin there, only this one was a little more like boot camp than beach house! We all had to sleep on twin beds and share dorm room style bathrooms...oh well, that's what you get for traveling in a "pack"!
The groom's dinner went off without a hitch, the food was excellent. It was cold that night, so we decided to make a bon fire...but I should probably mention that we didn't exactly have permission to build this fire (please picture a bunch of MN boys out in the woods looking for firewood...Ginter's shack anyone?!) and about three hours into it, we had to "PUT IT OUT...ALL OF IT, OUT!!! YOU DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO BE LIGHTING A FIRE!" This was all done in some foreign accent which gave it a more comical twist than a beat down. Needless to say, we put the fire out and hoped we wouldn't get kicked out before the wedding even took place!
Alas, onto the day of the wedding. It was gorgeous out and a perfect day to get hitched. It was a small wedding about 15 minutes away. Angela was so beautiful and she teared up saying her vows. Precious! We headed back to the reception place for great food, yummy cocktails and to shake our tailfeathers well into the wee hours. Kaleb and some of his college buddies got out the infamous glow sticks and put on a show from their days at the Clubs...hahaha! Techno mania!
My trip to MN in July was long and well needed. We stayed at Island View Lodge for a week before the wedding, it was fun to finally be paying customers rather than hired help! Not much has changed there in the last 15 years, it was definitely like entering a time warp! Mandy, Kaleb and I all had jobs there at one time or another...and it brought back many memories and great laughs. Lots of friends came out to visit...got to see Krista, Missy Walls, Sara and Missy Tate. David and Mindy Nguyen (plus I got to meet Jackson!), Davina and JP, Dave and Jessalin Karsnia (who are also expecting this summer!), Jimmy Peterson stopped by for an adult beverage or two (I also got to hang out with him in Boston) and the list was endless when we hopped parties and took Mitchell's pontoon boat over to Sha Sha. There is nothing like summer on Rainy Lake...nothing!
The week ended with Brook and Brackin's wedding. All the family was there and it was great to see my cousins from San Antonio. Brackin was beautiful and we had fun dancing (thanks to many glasses of White Zin!). The night ended with a party at Sutch's house (of course Kyle planned that one!).
The next day was Mom's birthday...so we headed back to Grand Rapids for a little R & R before I took off to shake my tail feathers at Moon Dance Jam. I can tell you how nice it is to just wake up and have a cup of coffee with your family. I cherished every second...
Moving on to Moon Dance Jam...Sara picked me up in Grand Rapids Wednesday morning and we hit Duluth with a fury. Missy's boyfriend Vinny was playing at a local watering hole with his band and we decided to grace them with our presence. It was a hoot. Got to see Josh and Christine (can't wait for their wedding in May!).
We packed up on Thursday and made the LONG drive to Walker, MN to kick off Moon Dance Jam. It was ridiculously COLD this year and I was NOT prepared! I didn't bring one pair of socks...remember now that I live in Hawaii and socks are only worn by people who go to the gym...seriously...
This was also the place where I fell in love...yes, with Bud Light Lime. I.can't.stop.drinking.it.
Anyways, all of the pics are of us bundled up in jeans and sweatshirts...wishing we had mittens and scarfs and perhaps some long johns! I will not be making that mistake next year...and I think the cold weather has prompted us to upgrade from tents to a camper...or is it our old age?! Hmmm...either way, we will be better prepared!
The line up at MDJ was AWESOME! Journey, Sheryl Crow, Kansas, Lita Ford, Whitesnake, Judas Priest, Foghat and Spin Doctors...classic rock!!! Next year already has Lynyrd Skynyrd and Buckcherry signed up...yay!
Following that long weekend came the incredibly long trip back to Hawaii...did you know that I live closer to Japan than MN? Yeah...threw me for a loop too...insanity...
Went to the No Doubt concert in August...Gwen Stefani was RIPPED...no joke. You would never be able to tell she has ANY kids...crazy. Such a good band, brings me back to high school and Spiderwebs!
Ok...so fast forward another month and I am back on a plane headed to Boston. Kaleb and Angela finally got married (after 7 years of dating!). I flew out the weekend before so that I could go to Angela's bachelorette party in Cape Cod. I got to meet all of the other bridesmaids and a few other friends. The weather didn't really cooperate, but then I get a lot of sun here, so I wasn't sad we couldn't "lay out" before Fall weather hit.
After the Cape, my Mom, sister and the kiddos flew in. They had a LONG layover in Atlanta ( I know, I know, cheap tickets...we should have paid extra for the direct flight!) and Kaleb and I picked them up around 11pm...we headed down to the beach house we rented (I had to make last minute plans, as the house I had originally rented was suddenly "double booked" and the guy had already spent my deposit...needless to say I am still trying to get that money back!). The house we rented was absolutely amazing! It had four bedrooms and two bathrooms, a large wrap around deck, hot tub and private beach right on the ocean! There was a little seafood store a block away and we got FIVE 5lb lobsters...yep...FIVE! The guy who sold them to us laughed all the way to the bank...TOURISTS! HAHA...it will probably be one of my most favorite memories of all time! I will never forget Kyle putting that gigantic lobster on my plate...I think I screamed it was so big!
After the beach house we headed up the reception site. We rented another cabin there, only this one was a little more like boot camp than beach house! We all had to sleep on twin beds and share dorm room style bathrooms...oh well, that's what you get for traveling in a "pack"!
The groom's dinner went off without a hitch, the food was excellent. It was cold that night, so we decided to make a bon fire...but I should probably mention that we didn't exactly have permission to build this fire (please picture a bunch of MN boys out in the woods looking for firewood...Ginter's shack anyone?!) and about three hours into it, we had to "PUT IT OUT...ALL OF IT, OUT!!! YOU DO NOT HAVE PERMISSION TO BE LIGHTING A FIRE!" This was all done in some foreign accent which gave it a more comical twist than a beat down. Needless to say, we put the fire out and hoped we wouldn't get kicked out before the wedding even took place!
Alas, onto the day of the wedding. It was gorgeous out and a perfect day to get hitched. It was a small wedding about 15 minutes away. Angela was so beautiful and she teared up saying her vows. Precious! We headed back to the reception place for great food, yummy cocktails and to shake our tailfeathers well into the wee hours. Kaleb and some of his college buddies got out the infamous glow sticks and put on a show from their days at the Clubs...hahaha! Techno mania!
Soooo...I got back on the plane and headed home...where I have been ever since! (Note to self: DO NOT use all of your vacation days before Christmas...EVER AGAIN!). Halloween came and went...I rented a Marilyn Monroe costume, only to be sick that whole weekend and didn't get to wear it. Nice waste of $50...story of my life. However, I did dye my hair to look like Marilyn...and its been uber blond since. It started out with a little too much gold overtone though, so I went back to bleach it and it got lighter...but not really what I had in mind...still gold in it...tomorrow I get it done AGAIN and I think its going to be WHITE! Sweet...I figured since I have already gone this far, I might as well knock it out of the park and then go back to my old self...or not!
Thanksgiving came and went...nothing too crazy. I got all my Christmas cards out in the mail and presents ordered online. Went to my work Christmas party...walked away with a cool chip/dip platter from the gift exchange.
Christmas came and went...I was sick for this holiday too...had the WORST sore throat...it has now morphed into some kind of sneezy, stuffy nose thing that I still can't believe I have...how do you get a cold in Hawaii...I mean really, people...only me!
New Years also came and went...we watched fireworks from the beach and had a few cocktails. Nothing crazy...hit the pool for drinks the next day...went to bed early and chilled the rest of the weekend.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
Three Weeks and One Day
That's how long until I get on a plane and fly back to MN. I CAN'T WAIT!!!! There is SO much going on and I get excited just thinking about it.
First, I fly into Mpls and will spend the first day shopping (living on a island sucks when it comes to buying clothes!). Then, I'm driving to the Falls with Mandy and the kiddos where we will meet up with my Mom, Kyle, Kaleb and Angela and spend the whole week at Island View. Kinda weird renting a cabin at a place you used to work at... :) I finally get to spend time with Davina and JP whom I haven't seen since Dave's wedding almost TWO YEARS AGO! Not to mention the five million other people who will be in town for the 4th of July...YAY!
The following weekend is Brackin and Brook Miggins wedding...can't wait to see all of my cousins from Texas! Talk about a family reunion. Jenica better be baby free by the time we show up! :) Can't wait to meet the newest baby girl!
Next, I will head down to Elbow Lake to see Jessie, Tim and the kids. Little bit of a road trip but haven't seen them in two years either.
Finally, its off to Moondance Jam with Missy, Sara, and Kari. The lineup this year makes me giddy...I love 80's music!!!! Not that excited about sleeping in a tent for five days...but once I get there I'm sure I'll get over it! :)
TICK TOCK TICK TOCK...Mama I'm comin' home!
First, I fly into Mpls and will spend the first day shopping (living on a island sucks when it comes to buying clothes!). Then, I'm driving to the Falls with Mandy and the kiddos where we will meet up with my Mom, Kyle, Kaleb and Angela and spend the whole week at Island View. Kinda weird renting a cabin at a place you used to work at... :) I finally get to spend time with Davina and JP whom I haven't seen since Dave's wedding almost TWO YEARS AGO! Not to mention the five million other people who will be in town for the 4th of July...YAY!
The following weekend is Brackin and Brook Miggins wedding...can't wait to see all of my cousins from Texas! Talk about a family reunion. Jenica better be baby free by the time we show up! :) Can't wait to meet the newest baby girl!
Next, I will head down to Elbow Lake to see Jessie, Tim and the kids. Little bit of a road trip but haven't seen them in two years either.
Finally, its off to Moondance Jam with Missy, Sara, and Kari. The lineup this year makes me giddy...I love 80's music!!!! Not that excited about sleeping in a tent for five days...but once I get there I'm sure I'll get over it! :)
TICK TOCK TICK TOCK...Mama I'm comin' home!
Monday, May 4, 2009
Compassion International
I have adopted a child from Compassion International. Her name is Kathryn and she is from Ecuador. She turns 6 this month and I can't wait to get her a present and send her letters. She is the custest thing on the planet, and if any of you would like to send warm wishes to Kathryn, just let me know. If you are interested in a child of your own, its only $32/month and the website is http://www.compassion.com/
Isn't she precious!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Germaines Luau
The luau was FUN! Here are some pics and videos...believe it or not, it was SUPER chilly out, so Mom got me a new sweatshirt...I am going to miss her! My bed has been made every day, my laundry is done right after I wear it...she has definitely spoiled me! We had a great time and I am so GRATEFUL that she was able to come!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
USS MISSOURI
Happy Easter everyone! My Mom is here in Hawaii with me and we went to visit the USS Missouri, USS Arizona Memorial and a tour of Pearl Harbor. The Arizona Memorial is UNREAL, it literally sits on top of the sunken ship from Dec 7th, 1941. The USS Missouri was awesome, here are some facts:
Nickname: Mighty Mo
Launched: January 24, 1944
Length: 3 Football Fields
Takes 2700 men to operate
Was the last battleship to be built by the U.S.
Site of surrender of the Empire of Japan which ended WWII
I have attached a video and some pics...enjoy!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Tsunami...
Just when you think you live in Paradise...
TSUNAMI MESSAGE NUMBER 1
NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER EWA BEACH HI
831 AM HST THU MAR 19 2009
TO - CIVIL DEFENSE IN THE STATE OF HAWAII
SUBJECT - TSUNAMI ADVISORY
A TSUNAMI ADVISORY IS ISSUED FOR THE STATE OF HAWAII EFFECTIVE
AT 0831 AM HST.
AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS
ORIGIN TIME - 0818 AM HST 19 MAR 2009
COORDINATES - 23.0 SOUTH 174.8 WEST
LOCATION - TONGA ISLANDS REGION
MAGNITUDE - 7.7 MOMENT
EVALUATION
THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER HAS ISSUED A NON-EXPANDING
REGIONAL TSUNAMI WARNING FOR A PART OF THE PACIFIC NEAR THE
EARTHQUAKE. BASED ON ALL AVAILABLE DATA THERE IS NO DESTRUCTIVE
TSUNAMI THREAT TO HAWAII.
HOWEVER... SOME COASTAL AREAS IN HAWAII COULD EXPERIENCE SMALL
NON-DESTRUCTIVE SEA LEVEL CHANGES AND STRONG OR UNUSUAL CURRENTS
LASTING UP TO SEVERAL HOURS. THE ESTIMATED TIME SUCH EFFECTS
MIGHT BEGIN IS
0236 PM HST THU 19 MAR 2009
MESSAGES WILL BE ISSUED HOURLY OR SOONER AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.
TSUNAMI MESSAGE NUMBER 1
NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER EWA BEACH HI
831 AM HST THU MAR 19 2009
TO - CIVIL DEFENSE IN THE STATE OF HAWAII
SUBJECT - TSUNAMI ADVISORY
A TSUNAMI ADVISORY IS ISSUED FOR THE STATE OF HAWAII EFFECTIVE
AT 0831 AM HST.
AN EARTHQUAKE HAS OCCURRED WITH THESE PRELIMINARY PARAMETERS
ORIGIN TIME - 0818 AM HST 19 MAR 2009
COORDINATES - 23.0 SOUTH 174.8 WEST
LOCATION - TONGA ISLANDS REGION
MAGNITUDE - 7.7 MOMENT
EVALUATION
THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER HAS ISSUED A NON-EXPANDING
REGIONAL TSUNAMI WARNING FOR A PART OF THE PACIFIC NEAR THE
EARTHQUAKE. BASED ON ALL AVAILABLE DATA THERE IS NO DESTRUCTIVE
TSUNAMI THREAT TO HAWAII.
HOWEVER... SOME COASTAL AREAS IN HAWAII COULD EXPERIENCE SMALL
NON-DESTRUCTIVE SEA LEVEL CHANGES AND STRONG OR UNUSUAL CURRENTS
LASTING UP TO SEVERAL HOURS. THE ESTIMATED TIME SUCH EFFECTS
MIGHT BEGIN IS
0236 PM HST THU 19 MAR 2009
MESSAGES WILL BE ISSUED HOURLY OR SOONER AS CONDITIONS WARRANT.
Happy St. Patty's Day
Here are a pic from St. Patty's Day. We were downtown Honolulu, where a pretty good party was starting to happen...too bad it was on a weekday...and I had to work...otherwise, it would have been game on!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
Pro Bowl Pics
So...the Pro Bowl was on Sunday and we had a blast! The NFC beat the AFC 30-21. It was such a good game! The sun beat down on us the entire time and as a result I have REALLY burnt arms and chest...the sun is slightly hotter than MN or CA! Whoa! I have been applying aloe ever 15 minutes it seems...I should have worn long sleeves! :) Here are pics from the event!
Monday, February 2, 2009
PRO BOWL 2009
Well, it's the last Pro Bowl in Hawaii this year, and YES, I got a ticket! I haven't been to any official NFL games or events, so I am definitely looking forward to the experience. The block party is held in Waikiki the night before, and fortunately I live down there, so I will be walking around, checking out all the fun events. Stay tuned for pics...let's hope I don't become shark bait while cage diving, less I would miss the game!
http://www.nfl.com/probowl
http://www.nfl.com/probowl
Monday, January 19, 2009
Shark Cage Diving
Yep, you read right. I am going shark cage diving on Feb 7th. Here is the website. Cripes!!
http://www.hawaiisharkencounters.com/
http://www.hawaiisharkencounters.com/
Friday, January 16, 2009
Sony Open-Hawaii
Happy Friday everyone! I hope all of you on the mainland are keeping warm! I am headed out at noon to the Sony Open today. Its being held at the Waialae Country Club. Some of the bigger names playing are Ernie Els, Vijay Singh, Paul Azinger and Jerry Kelly. Obviously, I am not a big golf fanatic, but you have to try everything once, right?! The weather is not that great today, but after hearing -52 below in MN, a little wind and light showers is NOT that bad! I will take some pics and post later...I hope everyone has a great weekend!
http://www.sonyopeninhawaii.com/
Honolulu 78 °F
Partly Cloudy
Wind : From the Southwest at 20 MPH
Humidity : 76 %
http://www.sonyopeninhawaii.com/
Honolulu 78 °F
Partly Cloudy
Wind : From the Southwest at 20 MPH
Humidity : 76 %
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
MN Pics...
Ah...the Whitbeck clan! Soon to be one more! Jenica looks very tiny standing next to Tyson in this pic...can't wait to see them again this summer! 
Jed, Brianna and Brenyn...this was in the Falls, but all three were able to make it down to Grand Rapids the following week to spend New Years and then some with us. It was so great to spend time with them and catch up!
These two are the cutest kids!!! Look at that smile! Destry's dress was too cute for words!
Here is Destry (Jenica's daughter) and Brenyn (Jed's son) on pre-Christmas Eve at David and Heidi's house. She couldn't WAIT to open presents! MN=Fun but Snow=Bust
So here is the follow up to my MN or Bust blog...I had a fabulous trip home and it was so good to be with family and friends. What I don't miss about MN is the SNOW and COLD. I seemingly had forgotten what a chore it is to just live in MN. I flew in on Saturday morning (12/20) and was scheduled to drive to the Falls...I got there, but not before the snow started taking out the roads and I found myself driving 40mph (at best) from Orr to Lake Kabetogama thinking there is NO WAY I will ever make it to the Falls at this pace and cursing the fact that I should have spent the extra money to fly right into town.
Phew...I did arrive and congratulated myself with several Bud Lights later that night! While I was sleeping it continued to snow...just as I was about pull into my Grandma's driveway to shower up for Church, I notice that there is no way my car will make it through the snow drifts, let alone get back out, until someone plows it. ARGH! So, I make a mad dash to my Dad's house in town and pull up to Church just as Jenica and Destry are getting there! Talk about timing!
It was frigidly cold for the remainder of the day and continued like that up until I left on Wednesday. BRRRR! The scraping of windshields and the snow that blows in your face off the roof, not to mention the snow you scraped falling into your boots or inside your mittens is enough to get me back on a plane to Hawaii!
For those of you who still live in MN...I give you props for being troopers. I drove through 4 snowstorms while I was home, and doing 35mph on I35 is NOT my idea of a good time!
But, as usual, there were plenty of good times to be had! I will upload some pics that I took when I was home...I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Phew...I did arrive and congratulated myself with several Bud Lights later that night! While I was sleeping it continued to snow...just as I was about pull into my Grandma's driveway to shower up for Church, I notice that there is no way my car will make it through the snow drifts, let alone get back out, until someone plows it. ARGH! So, I make a mad dash to my Dad's house in town and pull up to Church just as Jenica and Destry are getting there! Talk about timing!
It was frigidly cold for the remainder of the day and continued like that up until I left on Wednesday. BRRRR! The scraping of windshields and the snow that blows in your face off the roof, not to mention the snow you scraped falling into your boots or inside your mittens is enough to get me back on a plane to Hawaii!
For those of you who still live in MN...I give you props for being troopers. I drove through 4 snowstorms while I was home, and doing 35mph on I35 is NOT my idea of a good time!
But, as usual, there were plenty of good times to be had! I will upload some pics that I took when I was home...I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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