Kayaking up the Wailua River to Secret Falls

We got up early this morning and walked across the parking lot to the kayak tour company and prepared to kayak up the Wailua River. We had about 13 people in our party and we set off for the marina. We unloaded the boats and set out. It was absolutely amazing. The water was cool, but as calm as a lake. We paddled about two miles then beached the kayaks and then hiked about a mile through the orignal area where Kauai was settled. We actually were hiking through and irrigation canal that was built over 800 years before. It was hard to believe at that time there wasn't a forest. All of the forest has been developed over the past two hundred years by trees brought from other places. Apparently there was a flood on the river last November that brought a 20 foot wall of water through the forest. Where the water went you could see stacks of trees some more than a hundred years old. It left clear spots in the forest which were quickly being overtaken with green vegetation. The fall was really cool, we stopped and ate lunch there. On the way back we saw the ancient queen's bathing area. After arriving back at the marina we were really tired, but had reservations for the Smith family Luau a couple of hours later. The Luau was incredible, the music was good, the food was good and the dancers were incredible.

Pictures around Kauai

Tunnel Beach, Oh, no a shark, make that several sharks have decided to come eat a turtle at the beach just as we were getting in the water. The lifeguard closed the beach. So much for snorkeling there.



The view from the passenger seat





One of the farming valley on Kauai

Pictures around Honolulu

Diamond Head almost did Daryl in, but the view was worth it!

The Coronation gazebo outside of the Palace. The kings of Hawaii are represented on each side of the gazebo

The Iolani Palace, the only royal palace within the United States

King Kamehameha statue outside the Court House

Daryl playing the piano at Queen Emma's Summer Palace

Boy Scouts of America, Aloha Council This was the sign at the entrance


Flowers at the Dole Plantation and the big snails

The Rainbow tree

The Dole Plantation



USS Arizona Memorial

The Sunset at Waikiki

Honolulu

Our hotel
We had a long eight hour flight that left Dallas at 11am and got us to Honolulu at a little after 2 in the afternoon. Hawaii is five hours behind Waco. We got our rental car and checked into the Marriott Waikiki. We took a walk on the beach and bought some cookies from the Hawaiian cookie company. The pineapple cookies were particularly good. We went to dinner at D K Steakhouse,it was phenomenal! The steaks were great and they had a cayenne rosemary butter that was great on the bread. Our room had a balcony and we had a partial ocean view. We were on the twelfth floor and had a pretty good view.
The next morning we got up early and headed to the USS Arizona memorial in Pearl Harbor. We got their about 6:30 and it opened at 7:00am. There were a couple of tour groups in front of us, but we got on the first shuttle boat to the memorial. We heard that if you come back later in the day the wait can be up to two hours. The visitors center is built on reclaimed soil so we were actually standing where the bay was in 1941. They had to rebuild, because the old building was sinking into the bay. They were still constructing the museum, but the gift shop and ticket booths were complete. It was an awesome experience seeing the Japanese and American people come together to remember what had happened so very long ago. The drill Sergeant on the transport boat was very serious and a Japanese couple sitting next to us did not understand when he told us to stay seated and they proceeded to take a picture and he promptly told them to sit their butts in the seat and grabbed them and sat them down. Since this basically was a cemetary they requested that we not use our cell phones. Apparently some woman did not pay attention and he grabbed her and was chewing her out about the cell phone and would not let her go onto the memorial. The size of the ship was amazing to me and the tears of oil that still seap from it were incredible. It is amazing that people are still interred into the ship after their death. Some of the survivors wanted to be placed in the ship with their shipmates that didnt survive after their death and the Navy accomodates them. From there we headed to the Dole Plantation for some pineapple. They had the most amazing trees in the parking lot called rainbow trees. They almost looked painted and had all the colors of the rainbow on their trunks. We drove around the rest of the island and ended up at Queen Emma's summer Palace. While looking for the Palace we ended up at the Aloha Council of the Boy Scouts of America. We stopped and got Greerson a shirt and a patch. At the Palace Daryl got the opportunity to play the piano. It was made around 1800 in London and was purchased in Boston and brought back to the islands. It was in amazing condition. We walked on the beach again that evening and ate a Cheeseburger in Paradise for dinner.

Busy this Spring

Three great minds at work!


Setting up for the concert at the Houston Rodeo


Christa and Greerson watching the action


Mimi, Brenna and Stephen


Shanda feeds Brenna lunch


Greerson on the boat ride in San Antonio


The Tundra hooked up to the trailer


Christa and Lucky

We have been really busy in February and March. In February Greerson graduated from Cub Scouts into Boy Scouts and immediately started working on merit badges. Daryl took him to the University of Texas Merit badge college and they camped at McKinney Falls. Then a couple of weekends later they went to the A&M Merit badge college in College Station. This was just a trip for the day. He really enjoyed the Nuclear Science class, but said Engineering wasnt quite as fun!
Spring Break was fun. Greerson had the second week and Daryl had the third week in March, so in typical fashion we vacationed the last part of Greerson's week. We went down to San Antonio on Thursday and camped a lake Medina at Thousand Trails and spent Friday at Sea World and saw the baby whale. It was born January 7 right after we had been there for New Years. We went with the Howards and the boys had a blast. After a little Sea World we went to the river walk and ate at Casa Rio and had rio pollo (I think that is spelled right), anyway Daryl translated it to river chicken and the only thing that resembled a chicken were the pigeons. So we joked about having river pigeon for an appetizer. We ate outside so the kids spent the time feeding the ducks chips and chasing away the pigeons. After lunch we rode the river boats then went to the Container Store. After dinner at the Salt Grass we headed back to camp and played a new word game that the Howards brought.
Saturday came early we left the camp about 5am to head to the Woodlands. We went to Christa's brothers house and put on our rodeo clothes and met her parents and headed to the Houston Rodeo. It was awesome! We ate lunch under the tent and then looked at the exhibits. Christa's Dad was looking for something and I guess he found it. Greerson watched a chicken hatch and checked out the rabbits. We also saw the dog trials. I don't think Lucky would do so well, but some of the dogs looked like him! We saw somebody Shelton at the rodeo. I recognized one of his songs, but to tell the truth I was more interested in watching the staging and the special effects. We were on a higher deck than Christa's parents. Bill Franks a close family friend was the Chuck Wagon boss or something like that and he drove one of the wagons out at the beginning of the rodeo every night. He got them tickets before we knew we could go, so our seats were a month later afterthought. They sat right above the chute where everyone came out. we were on the deck above them on the front row. I really like our seats I could see really well!
Oh the other big news during spring break was that we said goodbye to a longtime family vehicle. We traded our Honda Pilot in on a Toyota Tundra. We had the Pilot since May of 2002, it was a great car and was still doing fine, but we really needed a truck. The Tundra pulls the trailer better and should handle the Rockies in August just fine.
Daryl is preparing to judge two one act play contests this month and Greerson is preparing to take the TAKS test soon. Daryl is also directing a Tennessee Williams play, Summer at the Lake for Navarro College in April.
Angel Food is going great we had 45 people take advantage of it this month. We are also studying Revelation in small group this spring. It is a look at the imagery of Revelation and is very interesting.

Bernadette Peters and Carol Channing

I had the pleasure of experiencing two Broadway legends this weekend. It started on Friday with Carol Channing.It was almost magical. She was supposed to be interviewed, but she took over and performed for us. It was absolutely incredible. When she wasnt performing she was pulling threads from the garment of theatre history. She has worked with so many famous and incredible theatre showmen. Who else could comment on what Ethel Merman told her about an opening night performance? She ended the afternoon by singing "Hello Dolly" and she walked us through the number and directed us while we sang the chorus part. Then to top it off we got the opportunity to sing Happy Birthday to her. She will be 89 next week. The funny thing was she said she was brought up Christian Scientist and she didnt celebrate birthdays, the
host said, well I was brought up Southern Baptist and we do!

Bernadette Peters was more of a straight interview about her career and she has worked with several prominent Theatre professionals, but I guess her 61 years didnt quite hold as much experience as Carols 89. She did however sing a lullaby that she wrote for her daughter and it was absolutely beautiful. I didnt realize that her husband was killed in a helicopter crash while on business in Montenegro or somewhere like that. She didnt discuss it, but I was investigating her a little closer and discovered it. She lost him in 2005. I know I shouldnt find this shocking, but she was having difficulty remembering something and when she got it she proclaimed "Praise Jesus". I guess after the Christian Scientist Carol ( she very well may have changed by now) it caught me off guard. Carol indicated that she didnt directly follow their beliefs, but she didnt suggest what she did believe.
I really enjoy attending Theatre conferences where I get to meet legends of the theatre.

December Happenings

Leo dressed in his Christmas Finery






Thanksgiving isn't December, but I am going to start there anyway. We went to Christa's parents house and they had a new WII and we were all sore from playing tennis and bowling when we got back home. We were the only ones there her brother and his family had gone to Minnesota to be with his mother inlaw.
December weekends were filled with lots of activities. The first weekend the scouts caroled at the nursing home and we had a pizza party/Court of Honor followed immediately by Angel Food order time. Angel Food has really taken off it was the third month and we had 96 boxes ordered. We also found out that we will become an independent site in January. We also attended Christa's office party.
The second weekend we participated in the Hewitt Christmas parade. We got the trailer and decorated it, drove down to the IGA and then back to the Middle School and undecorated the trailer. That may sound pretty mundane and boring, but the boys had a great time!
On Sunday we had the children's musical at church and Greerson's ear was bothering him and he had to drop out at the last minute. On Wednesday that week his ear was hurting so much we took him to the emergency room and they found a little bead in his ear. We have no idea how long it has been there. The funny thing is that now that it is out he doesnt seem to hear us ask him to do things!
The third weekend was the party weekend it started with the Sunday School party on Friday night. When I arrived there was one couple there and Christa was in Goldthwaite on her way back from Muleshoe. Another couple arrived and Christa got their in time for dessert. Several of the other couples had trouble and couldnt make it at the last minute.
Saturday was Angel Food delivery day. We unloaded the truck by ourselves, but when we got to the church we were blessed to have about 20 people to help us unload it and sort it out. We wrapped that up and went shopping to make the appetizers for that night's party which was great, but we didnt get home until about 1:20 in the morning. And then bright and early we got up and headed to the ranch for Christa's grandmother's get together. We had a blast and Greerson got to target shoot with his cousins.
I went to my sisters to drop off presents and she had her dog dressed up like a reindeer. It was quite the sight.