Cone Head

Poor Kaia was fixed this week and has to wear a cone and she is hating it. I thought that she would slow down a little but having surgery hasn't slowed her at all.

Ok, Now I can breath...

Life is getting back to normal. We are settled into our place in Kailua and even added a new addition to our family. Hudson had a new little sister, Kaia (Hawaiian for "Of The Sea").

(Hudson and Kaia)

Rob has been busy with his new job as XO of MSST Honolulu. Goes in before the sun comes up and doesn't usually make it home until after the sun goes down. That is ok because we have a lot of fun exploring the islands on the weekends. Rob has also been training for the Maui Marathon this September. In a few weeks we will be venturing over to the Big Island for a half marathon.

I have been busy working as well. Back with Thomson for round two. Was in Arizona this past January for the Global Sales Meeting and it was great getting to see old friends again. I love to work remotely, but you miss the office shenanigans.

(Julie, Marcy, Amber and Me)

This past fall we had Adrianne and her fiance Paul come out as our first house guest. They loved surfing and Paul can really "Paddle Out". We had fun kayaking in Kaneohe Bay and the sun burn was worth the experience...next time remember water proof sunblock when you are in the water. While Rob and I worked during the week they ventured over to Maui and enjoyed the beaches of the Ritz.

(Paul and Adrianne on the North Shore)

The Loewes were our second group of visitors. Rob and I both had to work during week again so they spent time on the Big Island. The found a beach that actually has green sand...on our next trip over there I am going to have to find it. We ended up doing Sunday Brunch at the Officers Club at the Marine Corp base and all ate way too much food, but it was so good. It was great getting to spend time with Jeana and Nic (we need to plan a trip to Chicago soon).

(Nic and Jeana in Waikiki)

Finally, Mom and Dad Morgan came to stay with us over Christmas. They spent a lot of time at the beach and exploring everything historical that the islands had to offer. It was great getting to spend Christmas with them. Western Michigan Men's Basketball was in town playing at the Diamond Head Classic so we got to watch them play on Christmas Day.

(Mom and Dad Morgan landing in Honolulu)

One Step Closer

The movers have been here all week packing us up to go and it is a little sad. The house is almost empty now and just a few boxes and random things left behind. California has been a lot of fun, but now it is time to try something new. It will take about a month for our stuff to make the long trip to Hawaii, so in the meantime we are going to be setting up shop back in Michigan. Rob will have to report in on July 3rd, but Hudson and I won't be there until the 11th (fingers crossed that the weather will cooperate and it won't be too hot for him to fly). It will be really nice to be back in Michigan to see family and friends.

My class reunion is happening the day I am scheduled to fly to Hawaii so I will have to miss that, but I can't believe that it has been 10 years already. I feel like it was just yesterday I was saying goodbye to all those people I grew up with. Rob missed his reunion a couple years ago as well so we will both have to go back for the 25 or whatever comes next.

Hawaii....22 days till we are there.

Hawaii Here We Come!!!

It has been a few months since we blogged last, but a lot has been going on. We received orders this past February and found out that we will be stationed in Honolulu, Hawaii on Oahu. We are really looking forward to the move, but there is so much to do before we leave. The poor dog has had to be tested and poked. The quarantine laws are very strict and to keep him out of quarantine for 120 days we are trying to get everything taken care of before we get there. Rob will be the Executive Officer (XO) for the Maritime Safety and Security Team (MSST). I was very lucky when it comes to work. The company I use to work for in Michigan was looking for a remote sales rep for the west coast (including Hawaii) and I got the job. Yeah! We are still trying to figure out all of our travel plans on when we will be there, but once we get settled let us know when you want to come out an visit.

Back From Vacation

Rob and I had an amazing time on our vacation and it was hard to come back last week. We were able to see some very cool stuff and get some really neat pictures. We started out in Miami where I was able to meet up with my old college roommate, Tiffany. It was great to see her again. We were staying with a friend of Rob's from the Academy downtown Miami and went to a great place for dinner. It was like a little jungle in the middle of the city.

After departing Miami we spent the first day at sea. The first port call was Roatan, Honduras. We took a bus to a beach on the other side of the island and just enjoyed the sun and warm water. The next stop was Belize City, Belize. We took another bus to the Mayan Ruins of Altun Ha. After climbing to the top, my legs hurt for days, but it was worth it. After Belize, we went to Cozumel, Mexico. Rob picked up a few cigars and we took a nice walk along the shore. The weather was overcast so we decided to find a non-tourist restaurant and have a few beers (and a couple shots). Our last port call was supposed to be an Island in the Bahamas owned by Norwegian Cruise Lines, but due to some nasty weather the island was flooded and we went to Key West, FL. On the way to Key West, the Coast Guard had to conduct a medical evacuation of a sick kid. It was too windy for the Helicopter to land on the ships helo pad so they had to do a basket hoist. It was interesting to see, but I just hope that the kid was OK. Finally, we were in Key West. It was a beautiful day so we started off early at Pepe's for breakfast (a place Rob would go when he was stationed in Florida). Florida oranges make the best fresh squeezed OJ. We also toured the Hemingway house and got to see all the six-toed cats. It was very cool to see the place where he wrote such amazing books. It was a great vacation and it felt wonderful to relax.

During our vacation Rob's sister, Leah, came out to stay with Hudson. I hope that he wasn't too much trouble.

Roatan

Belize

Mexico

Mexico

As we were leaving the park we came across some Elk grazing. They didn't mind us being there so we got some great pictures.

Point Reyes National Seashore

We decided to take a little road trip to Point Reyes National Seashore on Saturday. Hudson had never been to the beach and Rob and I wanted to go. We loaded up the car and drove north to Marin County.

Hudson rushed to the water

Totally freaked out by the waves

Great picture of Rob and Hudson

He found a small dune to watch the sun set

Beautiful view of the shore