Hawaii

In and among my craziest meltdown Gregg calls me up one day and says, Hey I have to go out of town on the 23rd. Okay good two day's after Jaxon's birthday where are you going? Hawaii??? Oh I am so going with you! What a tough job to get called out of town for work to Hawaii. We have only been there once [Maui] and it was amazing! We had so much fun. This was not the best timing [it was over the Primary program weekend--I am/was the music leader] but how can you pass up the opportunity to go somewhere like that with more than half being paid for. Besides, I justified things by saying I deserve it, it has been a hell of a year!

So among the busy time at work, Jaxon's birthday party, football, soccer, Halloween costumes, etc. etc. I had my work cut out for me to get us ready to go.....I didn't have the energy! I was exhausted and by the time we left it was as ready for us to go as I could have gotten it. Everything was not perfect but we made it. We went to Oahu this time. We were excited to see a new island. And wow did we find out just how different the two islands were!

SNORKELING
We had so much fun snorkeling in Maui we knew we would have fun in Oahu. Wow were we surprised at just how much better we had it at Oahu. We went to Hanama Bay. It was absolutely amazing how many fish we saw. They were so close we could touch them [but we didn't] and they didn't swim away. We got so carried away we ended up floating so close to the coral and rocks we were skimming the surface with our bellies! They were beautiful!


PEARL HARBOR
Gregg was so excited to see Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona the most. It was so humbling to me. I didn't know what to expect at first anyway. I didn't know what I would see [I am not the best at history] but what I did see made me so proud and sad at the same time. Proud that we have such an amazing history of men and women that are willing to fight for our freedoms and willing to put themselves in harms way for us to have what freedoms we have. Yet sad in a huge way because that could be my boys that are so willing to die for me and everyone's freedoms. It made me think of all of the GI Joe toys we have at home and how my boys look up to any 'GI Joe' they see in uniform around town. Jaxon had an army birthday party when he was 5. I went and got some fun 'swag' for the party and spoke with a recruiter when I did it. One thing he said to me will always stick in my mind that "I am really glad you are so supportive of his interests now and I hope when he is older you will still be so supportive". Wow does that have more meaning and impact to me now seeing what I have. I am torn and I am glad that decision does not have to be made anytime in the near future for me! Oh ya, he is already 9! It is right around the corner!
This is one of the torpedo's recovered from the attack.
You can actually still see the USS Arizona. I can't believe how shallow the waters are. How frustrating for them/us that it is that shallow and yet so many men and boys died inside!
The black tears that drip from the hull of the Arizona.