That doesn't really mean much to me these days since i'm not in school, however, Stuart finished his finals on Wednesday and has a week long break. This morning we got up early and headed out to the beach. Stuart was able to get a little surf session in before his leash broke. But here are a few shots I caught of him.
Free-spirited and wise. You have a strong passionate spirit that touches and changes all who know you. The wisdom and common sense that you have is really what guides you through life. Even so, you also have a very playful side that loves adventure and excitement.
A while back we participated in a Beach clean up at our local beach here. It was an event put on by the BYU-H Ocean Appreciation Club and the Kokua Hawaii Foundation. We set out with out big trash bag and filled it up. After everyone had finished, we were able to load up Tank with bags and bags of rubbish and haul it over to the dump time and time again.
Because of Tank's super star effort we were invited to go to this private little show yesterday at the 101.9 radio station where Jack Johnson and Mason Jennings were there to play a few songs. We were pretty much stoked out of our minds before we even got there and saw how cool this really was! There was a room with a little stage in the corner and couches and tables set up around it. It was such a small area it was crazy! Without delay Jack and his guys came out there was a little chit chat between them and the radio host guy and then they started playing! Here's Jack!
And yes... we really were this close! I didn't even have my big fatty zoom lens so I really was sitting there about 8 feet away.
After a couple songs Mason came out and they played a couple of his songs together! The sound was absolutely amazing! It was funny how being so close, I could kinda here their voices coming from them and not the sound system.
Here is Zack with his accordion :
Mason Jennings is one of Stuarts favorites! He was so shocked at how after they were done, no one was really paying any attention to him (everyone was crowded around Jack)... so he goes over and starts talking to him like they were old friends, for a second there I thought he was going to invite him over to hang out with us! Hahah!
Here's me and Mason.
Other people who were there were getting shirts and lame coasters signed by them... but we went all out and now have the coolest autographed guitar!
My guitar was a cheap little thing that we carved designs into last year. It was all black but Stuart had the genius idea to sand part of it down to get it down to bare wood. So now we have this Guitar signed by Mason Jennings, Jack Johnson, and Zack the accordion guy (sorry didn't catch his last name)!
Oh yeah... and we're going to Kokua Fest Tomorrow! Its a concert with Jack "and friends" that means people like Mason Jennings, Dave Matthews, and others will be there performing! Its gonna be awesome! Sorry though, no professional cameras allowed but it'll still be pretty rad!
It was pretty dark in there and i'm not too good with low light settings yet.... but you get the picture. =)
Dad was here to visit this last weekend! He was actually here to get some interviews with old or former classmates. Dad's 50th High School Reunion is coming up in a couple months! How crazy is that?!? For anyone who knows my dad, he's way into making video highlights for sports teams and shows the video at the end of the year banquet. So he decided to make one for his reunion coming up... besides, it gives him a good excuse to come out for a visit with me!
I was Dad's assistant in Maui... I can't complain about that! It was nice to spend some quality time with him. We were able to go up to Haleakala to catch the sunrise early one morning.
It wasn't quite as spectacular as we had hoped it would be but it was still beautiful! On a good day the sun bursts out from below the clouds. We were all standing there (freezing) waiting for the sun to "rise" when a park ranger lady came out and said the sun rise (was) at 6:03am... it was past that. Oh well maybe some other time!
This is a picture I took of Mauna Kea (on the left) and Mauna Loa (the smaller one on the right just poking up from behind). Mauna Kea ids the highest point in the Hawaiian Island chain.
It is such a sight to see being up on top of Haleakala because you are above all the clouds so you feel like a care bear... ok maybe YOU don't feel like a care bear, but I do, or at least wish I was one.
After that early morning adventure we went back to Dad's classmates house (where we were staying) and got all set up for the interviews we would be videoing. We were trying to find a good backdrop so I took a picture of dad. I thought this was a nice one!
During some down time, I went around the house just to play with the camera and this was my favorite! (its one of the arms of a ceiling fan)
We had a few days with Dad back home on Oahu and Sunday afternoon we were able to go down to Valley of the Temples where Tutu Man and Tutu Lady are buried.
Before going over there Stuart went and collected some Plumeria flowers so he and I could make leis for them. This is what we came up with:
I was able to get this picture of Stuart and Dad and I just love it!
A passerby offered to take a picture of the 3 of us together. I didn't mess with the color on this one so you can see how beautifully green it is right now! Actually its usually this green and beautiful come to think of it!
Dad we loved having you visit! We'll see you again soon!
Its about time I got a haircut! This is sad... please don't judge me, but the last time I got a hair cut I was in Albuquerque New Mexico... yeah that means it was during the summer, which also means that was about 9 months ago! Usually if I go that long without a haircut i'll at least trim my own bangs... and I didn't even do that... maybe I did a while ago but not very recently because they were really grown out.
Today was filled with appointments. First one was a follow up doc. appointment from the accident, then they sent me to go get an xray (that was just a walk-in though... no appointment necessary) and then it was off to get my hair cut! I actually went into the Hair cut Store... yes thats the name of the place, how funny is that. That means Lindsey washed my hair, cut it, and blew it dry (sorry don't know how to say that correctly). I realized I haven't used a blow dryer on my hair for probably a year and 1/2. (nevermind, I've dried my hair in california when its cold and getting out of the shower without drying my hair I would freeze) I lost mine, ever since our wedding day its been missing. No big deal. So today My hair was nice and soft and shiny! Thanks Lindsey!
Last Thursday, I climbed onto the bus along with 25 girls and the other coach. We were heading into town for a scrimmage against Mid-Pac. All seats were full. As we drove along Kam Highway, I took in the beautiful scenery that I had past so many times. Kam Hwy is a two lane road that hugs the coast as you drive into town from the north-east side. The bus was quiet as girls were resting up for the game and focusing. I looked up into the rear-view mirror and watched the faces of the younger girls as they sat next to each other talking in low voices. Who knows what they were talking about... what do 8th grade girls talk about? Besides, my ears were filled with the songs of Jack Johnson... My attention return to "Understanding Exposure" the book I had checked out from the library. I'd read a few pages then look up or close my eyes so I wouldn't get car sick from the reading. Then I would return to the pages filled with such beautiful photos....
Suddenly I felt the brakes... and I heard the cries of the bus driver, I looked up to see a white car stopped ahead of us. The bus was too heavy, we weren't slowing down fast enough. We were going to hit this car. The bus swerved to the right but that didn't help, the corners met, I saw a piece of the bumper or taillight fly up into the air. Screams of the girls filled the bus, they must have seen it too... the shoulder of the road was quickly running out. I saw the drop off. Could we really end up in that ditch? I could see everything so clearly and it was like it was in slow motion. Then all of a sudden, as if making up for lost time, everything sped up. The bus had tipped on its side landing at the bottom of this ditch that had to be 8 feet deep. I had been on the left side, the high end, so that meant falling across the bus and landing who knows how.
The mind is a funny thing, what we remember and how we remember it. I don't remember holding onto anything and I don't remember how I landed, but it's like I saw the windshield cracking in slow motion when we hit the ground. And I still had my bag with almost all of its contents on my arm.
I looked towards the back as Makana instructed the driver to kick the windshield out so we could get out the front. Girls were crying and screaming "Get out! Get Out!" as the front half filed out I saw the terrified faces of teenage girls. I saw blood dripping down faces as well as the tears streaming. I could hear music softly playing and wondered where it was coming from then realized I still had one headphone in my ear, I pulled it out. I saw my Library book on the windows which were now the ground, being trampled. I found one of my slippers and walked out the front leaving its match behind never to be reunited again. As I stepped out of the bus and into the running water (we ended up in a stream) I could see that there were already people down there helping everyone out. They were the owners of the little store on the other side of the road. A young boy helped me cross the ankle deep water without slipping on the loose rocks. One of the younger girls was already on the phone with her mom, crying uncontrollably trying to explain what had just happened. I couldn't understand a word she said. She handed me the phone and I tried to explain where we were and what happened and that her daughter would be okay... I tried to do that while staying calm so she wouldn't be even more worried than she is already. I walked around the back of the bus where we could climb back up to the road. Again people were there helping me up. The response time was amazing. By the time I was up on the road, there were police officers already there and a fire engine and ambulance just arriving.
It was like a nightmare, one you wish you could wake up from, but can't.
The picture at the top is hours after the accident as they are pulling the bus up out of the ditch... but this picture shows how the bus landed (on its side showing its underbelly).
We were definitely being watched over that day. Seeing how bad the accident was and how many girls were on the bus that were thrown around, we were lucky. Things could have been a lot worse. Everyone is alright... or at least will be. I thank heavenly father for watching over his girls that day. And especially for the wisdom he had in making sure there was a big strong tree there to keep us from rolling any more.
*Pictures are from the actual Honolulu Advertiser article that was out the next day. We were one of the stories on the front page.
