Hi all, sorry we have not been updating the blog lately. We arrived home in Denver last night at about midnight. The last couple of weeks have been super busy and with lots of travel and moving around. We never quite seemed to get settled and of course had to cram as much fun stuff to do in as possible which generally left us all worn out at the end of the day and not too interested in blogging.
I'll try to figure out a more efficient way of getting a bunch of photos out on the web using flixter or shutterfly or something in the near future.
Just to give you a sense of where our minds are at right now...yesterday we had mixed feelings about leaving Hawaii. We love it there and it holds a lot of nostalgic feelings for us from "back in the day." The green fields and mountains, the gentle tradewinds, the blue and turquoise ocean (full of fish!), the great weather, the sand with its unique beach-to-beach characteristics, the sunsets over the water and of course the friends that we re-connected with and the new ones we made. What's not to like about that. Now of course, we have a whole new set of memories that we will treasure and that will draw us back to the islands once again.
That being said, it was also great to come home to a neighborhood full of wonderful people that are so awesome, to Colorado which is getting ready to "Spring" and our house, into which Heidi has put so much good work, making it our home. We are still trying to figure out how we can make this place work (with the stairs and no main floor bedroom or shower.) So far my "sherpa" skills are woking, so I don't think we are under TOO much pressure to do anything about it.
Out for now. B.
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Saturday, March 8, 2008
Back on Oahu
Hi guys,
We made it back to Oahu the other day and have been settling back in. Really like our location here on the beach. Have I mentioned that before?
Since the last blog entry we met up with our friends from Highlands Ranch, the Bova family who were staying next door to us over that the Fairmont Orchid. We had fun hanging out with them on the Mauna Lani Beachclub beach and then had an EPIC day over at Hapuna beach, which is by far the best beach that we have been to on any island. Props to Mr. Agasa for pointing us in that direction because the beach is beautiful, the water was amazing, the waves were great for the kids and the whales were pounding the water just offshore with their tales. We all got a great opportunity to do some body surfing. I rode the waves with the girls on my back, which was really fun.
So we have been hanging out mostly here at the house, but we did get out for a surfing lesson for the girls yesterday with our old friend Gaby. We met her at good old Zippy's and followed her over to the beach at what used to be Barber's Point NAS and is now public beach. She's a teacher so naturally was good working with the girls. They went "tandem" with her on a big soft-top board and all of them got up and surfed with her help. See attached photos. It was a magical day. I even got to go out and paddle around for a while. I say that because try as I might to catch a wave, the photo you will see of me on my blog is about as close to surfing as I got. http://billshiblog.blogspot.com
Tomorrow we are going to have a couple of friends over in the afternoon for some beach time and a little barbeque and then have a BIG surprise for the girls tomorrow evening.
'til next time!
Bill
We made it back to Oahu the other day and have been settling back in. Really like our location here on the beach. Have I mentioned that before?
Since the last blog entry we met up with our friends from Highlands Ranch, the Bova family who were staying next door to us over that the Fairmont Orchid. We had fun hanging out with them on the Mauna Lani Beachclub beach and then had an EPIC day over at Hapuna beach, which is by far the best beach that we have been to on any island. Props to Mr. Agasa for pointing us in that direction because the beach is beautiful, the water was amazing, the waves were great for the kids and the whales were pounding the water just offshore with their tales. We all got a great opportunity to do some body surfing. I rode the waves with the girls on my back, which was really fun.
So we have been hanging out mostly here at the house, but we did get out for a surfing lesson for the girls yesterday with our old friend Gaby. We met her at good old Zippy's and followed her over to the beach at what used to be Barber's Point NAS and is now public beach. She's a teacher so naturally was good working with the girls. They went "tandem" with her on a big soft-top board and all of them got up and surfed with her help. See attached photos. It was a magical day. I even got to go out and paddle around for a while. I say that because try as I might to catch a wave, the photo you will see of me on my blog is about as close to surfing as I got. http://billshiblog.blogspot.com
Tomorrow we are going to have a couple of friends over in the afternoon for some beach time and a little barbeque and then have a BIG surprise for the girls tomorrow evening.
'til next time!
Bill
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Hi Everybody, It's Bill giving an update
Hope everyone out there reading this is doing well. I would like to say that we really miss you guys and are looking forward to seeing everyone in late March.
We concluded our stay on the Hilo side of the island and drove over to the Kona side (actually the Kohala coast, for those who know the island) on Wednesday. Soon (not tonight) I'll post some photos of our last few days over there. (color on the othe blog)
We had fun going to the tropical botanical gardens north of Hilo and to Akaka falls that same day. For me, the highlight of that trip was at Akaka falls where the ramp down was "under construction" and so we had to leave Heidi at the parking lot...UNTIL...this really cool dude offered to help me get her down the 50 or so steps to where the path began again. He carried the chair and I carried Heidi down about 40 of them and she walked down the last 10 or so and then we rolled her up and down the crazy trail out to the falls.
We got a nice family photo out there that i'll post. On the way back up the stairs, she got a Queen's ride up the stairs with two guys on the sides and me on the back handles with her in the chair right to the top. There are lots of good samaritans out there and we find well wishes and help wherever we go, it seems. I hope that these types of things will be good lessons for the girls. The seemed to really dig the whole thing with Mom acting out her best Queen Lili schtick.
We may even have a photo of that ride. If so, i'll post.
Back at the gardens, we saw all manner of tropical plants and another beautiful waterfall scene. Heidi has been snapping photos like a madwoman (or directing me to) and so we have way more than we can post...but then again how many photos of exotic orchids do you really want to see? The girls also spotted a giant jumping spider, which looked REALLY gnarly. Giant fangs and the works. Big green sucker. I got a photo of him, but I figured he was a jumping spider, even before the manager told us so, and I didn't really want to get all up close and personal, so even the "macro" shot is not all that close. You don't get a good appreciation for the fangs in the photo, nor the ominous potential of a full face sucking jump-and-bite.
The next day we went over to the public hot pool on the coast and to Kapoho lagoons, which are really cool protected lava tidepools that harbor all manner of fish in crystal clear blue-green splendor. Unfortunately for me, the hunter, this area is a marine preserve and so I couldn't bring my spear and get dinner. I think the girls might have gotten a photo or two with their underwater camera provided for them by their teachers, so we shall see.
The next day we drove over to this side of the island and enjoyed a little stop in Honoka'a and a leisurely run through Wiamea. Nothing all that great on that journey except the views and the fudge we picked up at a little shop in Honoka'a.
The last few days here we've just been Chillin' like Villin's and hitting the beach club at the Mauna Lani. Today we toured down the path to the beach and checked out the lave tube cave and the ancient fishponds. Heidi felt like she was on a ride at Elichs' due to the ups and downs of the path over the lava and me running pushing the chair like one of those old school baby buggies, but without the shocks and the big wheels.
Of course more color commentary on "the other blog." ;-) http://billshiblog.blogspot.com
Peace out.
b.
We concluded our stay on the Hilo side of the island and drove over to the Kona side (actually the Kohala coast, for those who know the island) on Wednesday. Soon (not tonight) I'll post some photos of our last few days over there. (color on the othe blog)
We had fun going to the tropical botanical gardens north of Hilo and to Akaka falls that same day. For me, the highlight of that trip was at Akaka falls where the ramp down was "under construction" and so we had to leave Heidi at the parking lot...UNTIL...this really cool dude offered to help me get her down the 50 or so steps to where the path began again. He carried the chair and I carried Heidi down about 40 of them and she walked down the last 10 or so and then we rolled her up and down the crazy trail out to the falls.
We got a nice family photo out there that i'll post. On the way back up the stairs, she got a Queen's ride up the stairs with two guys on the sides and me on the back handles with her in the chair right to the top. There are lots of good samaritans out there and we find well wishes and help wherever we go, it seems. I hope that these types of things will be good lessons for the girls. The seemed to really dig the whole thing with Mom acting out her best Queen Lili schtick.
We may even have a photo of that ride. If so, i'll post.
Back at the gardens, we saw all manner of tropical plants and another beautiful waterfall scene. Heidi has been snapping photos like a madwoman (or directing me to) and so we have way more than we can post...but then again how many photos of exotic orchids do you really want to see? The girls also spotted a giant jumping spider, which looked REALLY gnarly. Giant fangs and the works. Big green sucker. I got a photo of him, but I figured he was a jumping spider, even before the manager told us so, and I didn't really want to get all up close and personal, so even the "macro" shot is not all that close. You don't get a good appreciation for the fangs in the photo, nor the ominous potential of a full face sucking jump-and-bite.
The next day we went over to the public hot pool on the coast and to Kapoho lagoons, which are really cool protected lava tidepools that harbor all manner of fish in crystal clear blue-green splendor. Unfortunately for me, the hunter, this area is a marine preserve and so I couldn't bring my spear and get dinner. I think the girls might have gotten a photo or two with their underwater camera provided for them by their teachers, so we shall see.
The next day we drove over to this side of the island and enjoyed a little stop in Honoka'a and a leisurely run through Wiamea. Nothing all that great on that journey except the views and the fudge we picked up at a little shop in Honoka'a.
The last few days here we've just been Chillin' like Villin's and hitting the beach club at the Mauna Lani. Today we toured down the path to the beach and checked out the lave tube cave and the ancient fishponds. Heidi felt like she was on a ride at Elichs' due to the ups and downs of the path over the lava and me running pushing the chair like one of those old school baby buggies, but without the shocks and the big wheels.
Of course more color commentary on "the other blog." ;-) http://billshiblog.blogspot.com
Peace out.
b.
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