Whale watching

Last weekend, Drew and the rest of the Marines had a 96 (aka 4 day weekend). Drew surprised us with a whale watching tour! I have always wanted to go on one of those and get a closer look at the Humpback whales that migrate to our warm waters to birth their babies. They're here from around November to April every year. They're easy to spot from shore, so you don't have to pay to see them, but it was a very neat experience. My pictures aren't that great since my zoom lens is out of commission. My friend, Kristina took some really good ones. Our tour was aboard the Star of Honolulu, which also does sunset dinner cruises. We chose the tour that included lunch, but if I had it to do all over again, skip the lunch because it was too distracting trying to eat AND watch for whales. But it was GREAT and if you ever have the opportunity to go on a whale tour...TAKE IT!

View of Diamondhead crater

Kristina waiting for a whale

The boys

Andrew would hardly put the binoculars down.

A mama and baby whale came up right beside the boat!

They looked a lot closer (and bigger) in person.

We caught this baby on video. Even though he looks more like a dolphin, he's the size of a minivan! I left the video going a little longer just because I like the random kid screaming in the background.  He was so excited!

Old Glory whipping in the wind.

Family photo before departing.

Andrew and Wyatt waiting to disembark.

After our tour we went upstairs at the Aloha Tower Marketplace to get ice cream.  What a fun day!  I'm going to miss things like this when we're not in Hawaii anymore. 

Happy Valentine's Day!

Sunday after church we opened our Valentine's gifts.  I opened Andrew's first.  He got me a willow tree figurine.  He said "This one looks like Mommy and this one looks like Andrew."

He is such a sweet boy!  I loved my figurine.  Drew got me the one called "cherish" with a couple hugging.  

Andrew opened his presents next.  He got some more geo-tracks, a watch, a Care Bears movie, and way too much candy!

Next he opened a package from Grammy and Granddad.  He had them on speaker phone as he opened it.  

He was particularly excited about his Skittles!

Finally Back in Hawaii

After a few "cancellations" we finally got a flight out of Jackson, MS on Feb. 11.   We had a 4 hour trip from Jackson to Travis AFB, CA.  It wasn't bad at all.  There was only one other man besides Andrew and myself on the flight, so we pretty much had the C-17 all to ourselves!  Then in California we picked up 45 more people.  Still, there was plenty of room on the plane.  It took 6 1/2 hours from there to get to Hawaii.  Drew picked us up and we went to eat.  Andrew and I were starving!
Andrew fell asleep in the car on the way home and woke up the next morning to one of Santa's gifts that he had yet to see.  (Santa left him a picture of it on Christmas morning and told him it would be waiting for him in Hawaii) Here's his face as he saw it for the first time.  (Please forgive the blurry picture...and the bed head!)

He immediately started checking things out and making me "breakfast."

I think he likes it! :)

Later on that day he even helped me vacuum his room.  We had to rearrange the whole thing to make room for all the geo-tracks he got for Christmas! (thanks a lot Drew for this hideous not so flattering photo of me in my pj''s!) 

So we're home now and Andrew loves his new toys.  He wasn't so thrilled that we moved his bed when bedtime neared, but after 4 days he's finally ok with the change.  The house is once again cleaned and unpacked, so we can resume life as normal.  

Oh and for those of you wondering:  Yes...Andrew picked right back up on his schedule.  He's asleep by 8:30 and sleeps until 8:30 or 9 am every day!  He kept the same schedule in Albertville, only he didn't adjust to the time difference, so bedtime was after midnight (sometimes much later) and he woke up between 11am and noon everyday.  I'm so glad we're back to a NORMAL bedtime! :)

Albertville Fine Arts Building

Well, as most of you know Andrew and I were on the mainland for a little longer than expected.  Drew had training on the Big Island in January, so we stuck around for a few weeks after Christmas.  Those few weeks turned in to a MONTH.  We were waiting on a military flight to get us back to Hawaii.  Memphis cancelled all their flights to Hawaii in January and had their first one back scheduled for February 3.  On the 2nd, just before hitting the road, I called and yep...it was cancelled.  But getting delayed an extra week allowed me to go to the very first EVER show choir competition hosted by Albertville High School.  It was a huge success.  There were 29 groups there from 5 different states!
For those of you who don't know, AHS is undergoing a HUGE renovation/re-building.  They're getting an all new school, which includes the amazing Fine Arts Center.  (I have to admit that I'm a little jealous that we didn't have something like this)  It's beautiful.  It was my first time to see it and it was a little surreal.  I had to keep reminding myself that I was in ALBERTVILLE!  Here's what the stage looked like for the awards ceremony.

I got to see so many people; my old choir director and his wife, several of my old show choir buddies, and even some of the current chow choir kids that I've known pretty much their whole lives.  It was great.  I got to see Will Casey.  He and I were in show choir together.  (If I were still in Albertville I'd have to put the video of of us at the Opelika Show choir competition in '97, dancing the tango outside of a Shoney's) ...we were CRAZY)  But I'm in Hawaii and don't have the tape on hand, so this picture of us 12 years later will have to do!

Here's a random shot of my favorite costumes of the day.  This group is from South Jones High School in Ellisville, MS.

But the biggest surprise and possibly the best part of my very long day, was watching Opelika High School perform.  I used to teach dance there in college and I recognized some faces on stage.  Turns out two of my little girls are all grown up now and in show choir.  Rachel and Mary Carlton were in my dance class from Kindergarten to 5th grade.  Last time I saw them...they were 10!

It was such a surprise to see them and an even bigger surprise that they remembered me! (By the way...they won the competition) :)

I'm so proud of Albertville and all that they've accomplished.  The new building is gorgeous and I wish them all the luck in the world!

We Love Gracie and Uncle's House

Andrew loves his Aunt Gracie and Uncle.  (Uncle has a name...Jefforey.  But Andrew just calls him "Uncle.")  He always wanted to go spend the night with them.  So while we were home we had the chance a couple of times and Andrew had a blast!  He loves playing Rock Band.  He says, "I'm a rock star!"

For some reason, carrots are the snack of choice at Gracie's house.  Andrew knows a little poem that goes like this:  There was a chubby snowman, who had a carrot nose.  Along came a bunny, and what do you suppose?  That hungry little bunny, looking for his lunch, ate the snowman's nose.  Nibble, nibble CRUNCH.  

Gracie and Uncle always build Andrew a tent above the futon.  That's where he gets to sleep.  This particular morning Soffee came and woke him up.

He loves that dog!

We went back to their house for the Super Bowl.  That night he was Uncle's buddy!

FUNundrum

While we were home, the circus came to town.  Annah really wanted to take Andrew, so we got the tickets and made it happen.  Actually, my cousin's wife, Traci got our tickets and we were going to go with them.  (They're Raegan's parents)  Unfortunately, Miss Raegan got sick and they couldn't go.  So it was just us.  Gracie and Uncle Adam went with us.  We had great seats on the 5th row, so everything was really close.  Here's Andrew waiting for the action to start wearing his hat that came with his $10 bag of cotton candy.

Opening festivities

All american elephant

Andrew was really excited to see them!

These guys did some neat flips.

Andrew said "look Mama!  Those tigers can dance like Chiquita!"

These girls had no bones!

Amazing feats of strength!

Yes folks...she's hanging by her hair!

Andrew was on the edge of his seat watching the tight-rope walkers.

His favorite part of the night was the motorcycles.  They fit 7 (SEVEN) in the dome!

He was impressed!

We saw 12 clowns come out of the VW bug

Elephants on parade!

These trampoline guys were great.  They looked like fire balls bouncing around. Neat stuff!

He waved goodbye as the show came to an end.

After cotton candy, a program, a snow cone filled dumbo cup, and watching the greatest show on earth,  Andrew was pretty excited.  So excited in fact that when we started to leave, he started walking toward the stage.  I asked him where he was going.  His reply: "To ride an elephant!"

Put to work in Albertville

When I'm home Mom likes to use me for manual labor encourage my creative spirit by letting me remodel her house piece by piece. :)  A couple of years ago we tackled the master bedroom and bathroom, which was a much larger project than this one.  This trip she wanted a new look in the dining room.  Thank goodness we're saying goodbye to the country blue!  (circa 1985...when they built the house).   A little house history:  My Dad built this house by himself (and a little help from my Papa).  He worked on it on weekends, holidays, and in the evenings.  It took him 3 years.  Some of the wood used in the house was made from trees that he cut on the property.  It's a very special house.  Ok, back to the remodel.  Here's the blue wallpaper.  (which has the tiniest white stars all over it)

Bye bye wallpaper!

Hello paint and newly refinished hardwood floors!

Welcome new table! (Andrew approves)

The china cabinet stays...Dad made it.

Same goes for the shelf on the left!

Next time I'm home I hear I'm tackling the kitchen and the foyer/upstairs hallway.