Thanksgiving 2009

Meet Baby Maggie. She is really sweet and getting huge! She is over seven pounds now. Still too tiny for me to comfortably hold, but a joy to her Mom and the Bubb.

We waited until Thursday morning to drive to Sarah's for Thanksgiving. Of course we forgot the pies, the only thing for which we had responsibility. We're getting a few bats in the belfry, but don't mention it.

Sarah and Aaron did a wonderful job on the dinner, including a BBQ/smoked turkey breast that was really tender and moist. We enjoyed the feast and the opportunity to share it with the family.



On Friday morning Bubby woke on a mission. She had names for which baptisms needed to be done, so we headed to the Jordan River temple, arriving before 6:00 AM. Bubby was baptized for 21 and I for 10. We were completed before 7:00. On our way back to Babsy's, Bubb wanted to stop at Winn Co. We had a grand time wandering the aisles, particularly in the bin area. Bubb could not resist buying a little ice cream, particularly because it was Tillamook brand. Pictured above.are Bubby and the kids getting ready to enjoy Aunt Laur's favorite variety. They loved it.

Dan his kids came on Friday morning and we spent the day together, including a trip to Andrew's little Red Robin for lunch. The kids all dig their Mac and Cheese and unlimited fries.



On Saturday, Daniel, Rosalyn and the kids came up and we played some games while the kids enjoyed being together. It was a great way to make a dent in the leftovers and fun to be together.

On Saturday evening, Sarah's family, Bubby and Poppy, and Grandpa Gary and Grandma Marsha all joined forces for a trip to Temple Square to look at the Christmas lights. We all met at Little America where we parked and caught free Trax to the Square. We were early for lights, but passed the time pleasantly enough in the V.C. Sarah is doing remarkably well for a lady who had a C-section recently. I could not help but see the smile similarities between this photo and the many we took of Katie this weekend.



This is a great shot of Lydia before the fall (more about that later). She was having fun looking at all of the lights. Each of us had responsibility for a child and Babsy had responsibility for Chee Ha.



A great photo of the kids on Temple Square. Bubby was the photographer. She should be proud.



When we walked over toward the Church Office Building, Chee tripped on her Mom's foot while she had her hands in her pocket trying to warm them. The result was yet another bunged up face. She even scraped her forehead, under her bangs. She is a trooper through it all. It only makes her sad for a short time.



On Sunday morning before the blessing, we did a little photo shoot. There were some great photos, but I have only included a few. Kate with Sister Maggie.



Bubby in heaven with her newest grand.



A nice family photograph. The family rallied around to support the event and following the blessing we adjourned to Sarah's for a nice brunch and some pleasant conversation. It was great to see everyone.

We had a splendid weekend and lots of fun. Glad we were able to share it with Sarah and Daniel. We missed Booty, Laur and Leo, however.

Buboppy

On Saturday, the activity was a bus tour of the island, starting with the Dole Pineapple Plantation. Cousin Bob picked us up and drove us out to the site. It was quite a commercial venture, with pineapple carving demos, lots of things to buy (AK got talked into buying 4 pearls, at a very reasonable price. Then they started talking settings. Ouch! Bubb and I have been down this path before. In Raro, they will give you the pearl if you will buy the setting).



I know I have photographed these before, but I am always intrigued by growing pineapples. Maybe because all of my ohana (family) love them so much.



Bubb and I decided to take the Pineapple Express on a tour of the Dole Plantation. Here is Bubb and T, the son of my friend Debbie who invites me to play golf in the Thunderbird classic each year. He is very fourteen.



This is the Pineapple Express as it was chugging into the station. We enjoyed our little tour of the fields and gardens. I guess Mr. Dole really had a strangle hold on Hawaiian agriculture during the 50's and 60's. They closed the Dole cannery in 1991, and Hawaii no longer exports pineapple. What is grown in Hawaii is consumed here, mostly by tourists. Every afternoon, a guy slices up pineapple in the hotel lobby, for example, and we all stand around like vultures waiting for a fresh piece. It is dewlicious, in fact it's dole-icious.



I couldn't resist including this photo taken from the train. Those are star fruit. Who knew that was how they grew?



After a box lunch, we left the Plantation and drove along the rainy, and stormy North Shore. We passed Sunset Beach and Waimea, famous surfing spots. However, there is a jellyfish warning in effect, and the water was silty and cloudy due to recent rain in the area. We didn't even stop.

We did stop in Laie, at the temple grounds. The temple is under renovation, but the grounds and VC were glorious. We enjoyed this stop very much.



You all know I can't resist photos of tropical flowers, so . . . This is a bird of paradise that was perfect and growing on the grounds.



These yellow hibiscus were lining the outer fence and were equally breathtaking.



From Laie, we drove along the east shore to the southeast corner of the island. We were running out of time, so we didn't stop at Hanauma Bay (it would have been pointless with the surf and water conditions).

We did stop for a quick photo at the Blow Hole. You can see the spray issuing from the hole in the rock each time a wave crashes on the undercut beach.

Bubb wanted fish for dinner. She was willing to do nearly anything to get it. We asked the concierge, and he recommended several options, including Duke's, which is what we chose. Bubb got her fish, and it was most delicious. The fish was new to us, locally called opah or moonfish. I had a seafood macadamia nut pesto on pasta, UP had a skewer of beef which he really enjoyed, and AK had some chicken which wasn't up to much. The salad bar was very, very good, and included a fresh made Cesear and yummy taro rolls.

It was a great day, and we had lots-o-fun.

Buboppy

On the Water

Following our adventure at Leonard's, we decided to go down to the beach and see what was going on. This is Bubb, ready for fun. There was a lot going on, mostly a lot of people. You wouldn't have been able to find a private stretch a sand within a mile of where we were.

We noticed a sailboat tied up and and trying to entice passengers to pay to ride. After a brief barter, we decided that $20 for a 1.5 hour trip was a fair price. It included all of the soft drinks one could consume and it was a lovely day for a sail. When others in our group who were lounging nearby on the sand saw what we were doing, they joined us. It turned into an SUU alumni outing.



This is a shot back at the hotels and Waikiki beach. It really was a spectacular scene from the water.



Diamond Head. We sailed out past it, and then turned around and headed back in.



UP and AK having fun and enjoying the sights. We saw sea turtles, submarines, fishing boats, surfers, helicopters, and every other means of conveyance that can be turned into money. Waikiki is a very commercial environment.



This was the mast of our boat, Na Hoku II.



A member of the crew took this photo of the Bubb and I. She confessed to me today that she wouldn't mind another run, just because it was so fun to hear the wind in the sails and enjoy the sun. Maybe tomorrow!

Buboppy

Bus Ride to Adventure

The activity we had scheduled for Friday morning was canceled due to a problem with the transportation. We started off slow, and didn't hook up with UP until around 10:00 AM. Bubby and I were remembering when Rich took us to a malasada spot on the Big Island, and we decided, on a whim, to investigate what O'ahu has to offer in that particular area.

Bubby visited with the concierge and got directions to the bus and an indication of how to get to the "best malasada on the island". We explained our scheme to UP and AK, and although AK wasn't really interested in fried bread, she was a good sport for this outing. Bubby offered to bring one to the concierge. While she was sorely tempted, she opted not to have one. She did thank us warmly for offering.

We caught the bus, and during our bus ride, we struck up a conversation with three sisters and one of their husbands from Washington state who were on the bus in search of a grocery store. They asked what we were doing, and I was rather vague. Eventually, they got it out of us that we were headed for malasada. They were intrigued, so when we exited the bus, they joined us in our quest.



On O'ahu, this is malasada heaven. It is called Leonard's and it was a jumpin' spot. I noticed that they open at 5:30 AM and close at 11:00 PM. There was a constant line inside. When we got up to order, having previous experience with these tasty, but heavy, delights, I ordered one for Bubb and one for me, and we tried each other's flavor (custard filled and coconut filled). The malasadas are fried to order, so they come to you perfect and ready to enjoy.



This is a photo of UP's. It was hot, filled with chocolate, and covered in sugar. What a thing of beauty.



The moment of truth. The verdict? He loved it, but we all resisted the urge to order another (they were only $0.90 each. Aunt Karen got a sweet roll made with Hawaiian sweet bread, so she was happy, too. All of that, and a ride on the bus. Are we having fun, or what?

Buboppy

Is it snowing?

We understand that it is snowing in Cedar City this morning. Gosh, sorry about that! We arrived without much fanfare, and after a couple of lodging glitches we have been enjoying ourselves. Here is the Bubb sitting near the koi pond at our hotel in downtown Honolulu.



Honolulu is home to lots of high-rise hotels. This is what the Sheraton Princess Kaiulani looks like from the outside.



Our room is comfortable, and we have a lana'i (outside patio). However, Bubby gets vertigo when she goes out because we are on the 17th floor.



Yesterday, we drove to the northeast side of the island, to Laie. Here are UP and AK in the bus with the Bubb. It took quite awhile to make the less than 40 mile drive because our driver, who wanted us to call him Cousin Bob, and who referred to his passengers as "cousins", was more interested in his monologue than in driving. He did have some great information, but his deliberate delivery got to be a little annoying. Aunt Karen was faking interest and show the disturbance sign on the back of UP's seat. Of course UP was entranced. He is so nice.



We did make a stop on the north shore road for photos. This photo was taken of a small islet near shore.



In this photo you get a sense of the interior architecture of an eroded shield volcano. Cousin Bob forbade me crossing the road to get the photo, but, you can see I didn't pay much attention.



The object of our quest was the Polynesian Cultural Center. It is located near the Temple, however, we were so busy inside that we didn't get a chance to visit the temple site. The center is comprised of seven cultural sites showcasing six Polynesian cultures: Hawaiian, Tongan, Ao Tea Roa (New Zealand), Samoan, Tahitian, and Fijian. You move through the center and visit their various villages. They have cultural activities and presentation that are pretty interesting, even for a guy who feels he knows a lot about each of the cultures.

In the Tongan village, Bubby got involved in a spear toss, an ancient method of settling disputes. There were three concentric rings arranged on the grass. The object is to make an underhand spear throw and stick your spear in the smallest, central circle. Bubb is studying her target above.



Here she is in mid-launch. If you paid the guy a buck, you had a chance to win shell necklaces, woven hats, and wood bead necklaces. Bubb wanted one of the hats. She actually hit the hoop surrounding the smallest ring, so had to settle for a couple of shell necklaces.



There was a floating review about 2:30 PM that included barges filled with costumed representatives of each of the cultures. Live music, dancing, and lots of fun. I had to take a photo of Tahiti. That is the closest culture to my personal favorite.



Of course, we had to visit New Zealand. This meeting house is a scale model of the building that Bubb used to go to church in when they lived in New Zealand in the 1960"s.



Part of the intricate carving inside the meeting house. Those who have followed this blog for many years will remember when we visited the original in NZ a few years ago.

There was a wonderful luau for us to attend, and an evening show that was part island culture and part Las Vegas/Branson, MO. The luau was fantastic, probably the best buffet food I have experienced in a long time. The MC could play the ukelele like a rock star. He was fun to watch.

There is so much more to tell, but, alas, it is time to go out and have more fun! I am headed for the shower. We had a food tour arranged this morning, but it canceled. It rained hard last night, flash flooding in parts of the island, and there are heavy winds forecast for today. Don't know what we will do, but something. We have our first Rainbow Classic basketball game this evening. The team was in the PCC with us yesterday.

Buboppy

Missin' the Bubb

I realize that this is not the forum, however, I am feeling pretty lonely. This used to be a lot easier, it seems to me.

Just want you to know I am thinking about you.

Poppy

We Meet Maggie

We had every intention of posting these pix on Friday evening, but for some reason, I couldn't get access to the internet through Beany's wireless router. Very frustrating. I even called tech support in Dallas, and not even Booty could help me past the problem.



Here is Bubby holding Miss Maggie. She is very excited, and loved the thought of loving on our newest granddaughter. She announced that Maggie likes her, but admitted that it would short lived. It is hard to overcome the hold that Babsy has on her babies. Ly still won't have much to do with us, even though I know she likes us.



Bubby brought this purple tricot blanket for the baby. It has circus elephants quilted on the front and is quite purple. Sarah and the baby both seem to be enjoying it.

We left the hospital and drove to see the rest of the kids. We also needed to give Beany a break. We stopped on the way and bought Wendy's for dinner. The kids were happy to see us, if for no other reason than chicken tumors. Aaron abruptly departed, and we were officially on-duty. No problems at all. Lydia went to bed after a couple of attempts and the big kids had a sleep over in Jakey's room.



On Saturday morning, Bubby wanted to go to Temple Square and visit the R.S. building for some Enrichment ideas. We decided to turn it into an adventure and took the kids on an outing. We drove to Little America where we parked and had breakfast. Katie was suitably impressed with Little America, especially when we called it a "princess hotel". Our coffee shop breakfast was good, and proceeded without incident. Ly ate her own plus Katie's leftovers.



The girls at breakfast.



The boys at breakfast.



Lydia's breakfast.





We caught Trax on 5th S. and headed up to Temple Square. The R.S. Building was closed, so we went to the visitor's center. The kids had a good time, particularly Jake. Then we caught Trax back down to the car. Ly and Kate loved riding on Trax.

The photo above was taken of the kids standing outside the temple doors. The photo below was from inside the VC.



By the time we got back to the house, Babsy and the baby were home. Then the mauling began. I left for home in the early afternoon, and I have been wondering how it is all going. I left Bubby in SLC, and when we talked last evening, all she could say was that it was a long day.

I got back to CC in time to see Drewfy and Sister in their Halloween costumes. They looked great, as you can see in their Mom's blog. Daniel and family came to Sunday dinner. Yes, I can manage to cook that with, or without, Bubby's help. It is certainly more enjoyable with her help, however. After dinner we played blocks and watched the kids play. They left for home at about 6:30 PM.

It is going to be a long week without Bubby, but I have lots to do at work, so it should pass quickly. At least she will get some quality Maggie time!

Bubopppy