Another day in Paradise

Paul and I are in Hawaii with our good friends Bret and Arainne. It has been a dream of mine to come to Hawaii for as long as I can remember. I joked with Paul that when he graduated from Law School I would take him to Hawaii (really more for me than him, since he's already been here). We're staying at the Turtle Bay Condos, which is on the North Shore. It's much less populated here than in Honolulu. There are even open fields with horses. Who would have thought? The beaches here are picturesque. The first full day we were here (Saturday) we went to a quiet little beach just down from Shark Beach. There weren't many people on the beach, probably due to the sharp lava just under the water. Makes swimming a little more tricky. I cut my feet up pretty good. Paul and Bret were out playing in the water when they saw a turtle. They called to Arianne and I to go out to visit Mr. Turtle. I had never seen a turtle in the wild before. Amazing! It was about 3 feet across. We were swimming so close to it that I actually touched it!!! (But shhh! I later found out there's a $2000 fine attached to anyone caught touching a turtle. Oops!). We later went to Waimea beach. Paul enjoyed a little cliff jumping. Super crowded with many body shapes and sizes--all of whom were wearing as little as possible. I was constantly surprised by the shapes of bodies that felt perfectly comfortable bearing it all. I don't think I would bear that much skin in public, but still wish for that same confidence.

One of our favorite places to eat was Angels Shaved Ice. A scoop of ice cream on bottom, topped with snow-like shaved ice, three flavors soaking into the snow, doused with sweetened condensed milk and topped with whoopin' cream. Heaven on earth. Or better said, Heaven in Heaven. We went to Hukilau beach to walk the beach and eat our little piece of heaven. We need an Angels in Surprise...

So, we got suckered into using up some of our Hawaii time to attend a "vacation club" (not "time share") sales pitch with the promise of free ocean parasailing and jet skiing. Just have to give up 60-90 minutes of our time in paradise to get these "free" gifts. Knowing these were things we would not otherwise pay for, we took them up on their offer. But to make things a little more interesting, Paul suggested "code" words. Each word would be worth a set amount of points and whoever had accumulated the most points by the end of the meeting would be declared the winner. "Bumblebee" was worth 10 points. "Corn beef and hash" was worth 25. "Sex" was worth 100. Surlester (our "vacation club" guide) was taken back a bit when Paul introduced me as "Leslie, my little bumblebee". Who could help but laugh? Surlester wanted to know the story behind that nickname, to which Paul was able to use "bumblebee" at least 5 more times. Paul was definately in the lead. But not for long. As we were walking back to the presentation room, Bret dropped the "sex" bomb and immediately earned 100 pts. The bar was raised, and you can only imagine what a great time we had. We lost track of points only a few minutes into the challenge, but I'm pretty sure Bret won that contest (although Paul will contest that). It definately made an otherwise super boring presentation more entertaining. After saying "NO" as many times as they allowed, we went to retrieve our well earned "free" parasailing and jet skiing adventure. Knowing Waikiki was an hour drive for us, we planned on staying the whole day and made sure that Julie (the gal who had talked us into this event) could get us our "prize" that same day. Funny how things change. Wouldn't you know that all the parasailing trips had been booked for the day. Blast! Now what? We were a little ticked at having just wasted 3 hours of our time in Paradise. But, we did end up coming out of it $120 per couple richer. Not too bad. We really should have known better.

We hiked up to Waimea falls. We swam across the little pool to reach the waterfall. Yes, Paul and I were bathed in one of Hawaii's waterfalls. Who wouldn't want to do that?! There were beautiful botanical gardens with flowers made of colors I had never before seen on petals. How fun to feel like an awesome photographer when our pictures were able to capture these amazing species. Gods creations are breath taking!Paul and I were actually fighting over to camera so we could each capture our own visions of beauty.

Some of our other favorite places to eat were Ted's bakery and Hukilau cafe. Ted's had some of the most amazing pastries I have ever seen and tasted. Paul got a coconut cake that was amazingly fluffy and delicious! Paul LOVES coconut and this was a super wonderful treat for him. I had a doughnut that melted in my mouth. The Hukilau cafe had some of the best, most fluffy and biggest banana pancakes I have ever eaten. Totally a local hang out. The waitress, bus girl, hostess, cashier (yes, she did almost everything, except cook) referred to the locals as "uncle" "cousin" and "auntie". I love the family feeling I was able to observe while on the North Shore. Ohana (family) is a very important part the Hawaiian culture.

We made a point to go to church while we were in Hawaii. A questionable decision at first, but after spending a Sunday at church with these culturally diverse people (especially at BYU Hawaii), our decision was well rewarded. I loved seeing the men in their white shirts, skirts (I still forget what they're really called) and flip flops. Our Sunday school class only had 4 white Americans (Bret, Arianne, Paul and I). There was an array of accents to be had. So sweet.

The last couple days on Oahu were rainy. I had heard that Kauai was the rainy island, being called the "garden island" because of all its greenery. So I was bummed when our last days on Oahu were wet. Oh well, we were still in Paradise, right? The last day we went to the PCC (Polynesian Cultural Center). The polynesian islands were represented in vilages--Tonga, New Zealand, Tahiti, Hawaii, Fiji, Samoa. Each of the villages showed dances and customs unique to their culture. We all had a good time with the Fiji representatives.I loved the look on this poor, embarrassed girl, being kissed by 2 handsome men. I definately had a special affection for Samoa since that is where my dad served his mission. But they were also one of the most entertaining vilages we saw at the PCC. The night show gave me chills--it was breath taking to watch these beautiful people in their cultural outfits so proudly sharing the traditions of their people.

So, we landed on Kauai, got our car and headed to our condo. It was so nice! The condo's we stayed at in Turtle bay were fine. A little old, with white wicker furniture. Not my taste, but just fine. But let me tell you, the condos on Kauai were ideal! Our room was on the 3rd and top floor, and overlooked a green field and the ocean (at Turtle bay we had a 10 minute walk to the beach). We could hear the waves crash up on the beach when our sliding glass doors were open. The king sized bed was new and oh, so comfy (the queen sized bed at Turtle Bay was very firm and squeeked when the fan hit it). The kitchen table was real wood (the table at Turtle Bay was laminate). The family room had a nice looking sofa and a flat screened tv with a remote that actually worked (not that we spent much time watching tv). There was a contemporary cd/radio sitting next to our bed with music to greet us. (Turtle Bay had clock radios). The bathroom had a giant, granite counter top with two sinks (Turtle Bay had the pedestal sink that sat next to the toilet, that sat next to the shower). The shower at the Kauai Coast Resort didn't have any black stuff in it. It was beautiful! The pool was right next to the ocean. It had two hammocks hung between palm trees. THIS was my vision of paradise! So the first night, when we were drenched with rain, it was ok, because that was exactly what I had resigned myself to getting on the "garden island". But the sun greeted us the next morning and every morning after that.

The first morning on Kauai was spent on a 65 foot catamaran cruising the Napali Coast Line. This is a part of the island that has such steep cliffs that it is only accessable by water or air. We were greeted by spinning dolphins--a small type of dolphin found in Hawaii. They jump out of the water and spin in the air. They love surfing in front of the boats because the current that the boat creates helps them swim with little effort. The cliffs were phenomenal! Steep ridges covered in green! It is beyond my imagination how these were formed. Once the boat was stopped, Paul and I were able to SCUBA (something I hadn't done in nearly 8 years). I was a bit nervous at first, wondering if I would remember all the nuances of SCUBA again. But after a very brief 5 minute review lesson, I felt confident enough to take the plunge. We had to follow our dive instructor (if that's really what he was). He was able to show us all the little valleys we may not have otherwise found. While I wasn't very impressed with the colors and variety of fish we saw (the Keys were much prettier), it was super cool to see more turtles. One of the turtles was at least 4 feet across. A very old turtle who had survived a shark attack--he was missing his back two flippers and part of his tail. Oh, the stories he could have told.

The next morning, we woke up early again to get our rented kayaks and kayak up a quaint (somewhat creepy) river. I mentioned to Paul several times that I was sure we were going to spot a dead body floating in the water beneath the tree branches. It was a little shady (in more than one way). We made it to the start of the Waimea water fall trail (yes, that's right, another Waimea fall). One of the guides suggested water socks since the trail can get pretty slick. So with our newly donned water socks (my black and hot pink water socks were just new to me, had been purchased at the Thrift store located behind the kayak rental place). I soon realized that the new to me water socks had no traction as I was slipping all over this very muddy (like water and oil) trail. What a great idea...give the girl who is already balance challenged a pair of water socks with no traction and stick her on a trail as slick as they come. Oh yeah, it took me a while to get anywhere. I am proud to say that although I came close several times, I never ended up on my rear end. The water fall was well worth my stress in getting to it! Paul ducked under it (without me this time, I had already experienced my picturesque Hawaii waterfall). The water was falling with such force that he compared it to pennies being dropped on his head. No thank you. I made better time on our hike back down to our kayaks--it wasn't quite as slick. We continued our little adventure up the river a bit to a rope swing and a cliff the boys just had to jump off. Paul did several "America's Funniest Videos" worthy belly flops off the rope swing. And of course each time one of the boys jumped from the cliff, the next had to jump from just a little bit higher, and the next, just higher than the one before. Boys will be boys! (no matter how old).

And then it was Sunday again. We found a little chapel in Kapaa just up the road from our condo. What a beautiful sacrament! Not only was the building beautiful (a separate room for the chapel with three walls of french doors allowing all the sun light in), but the meeting was beautiful as well. I just can't get over how beautiful these people are! I love their dark skin, dark hair, big dark eyes and big smiles. A family of 5 kids were confirmed members. There were 4 boys in their white shirts and a beautiful girl without any shoes on (only in Hawaii). The girl (whose name I can't even come close to pronouncing) was confirmed first. I was stuck by the spirit that was present there. Next, a young boy was confirmed. I was especially effected by these young boys. By this point in our trip, we were really missing our little boys. The gentleman confirming this boy had a thick accent. It was obvious he was new to the church. He didn't quite have the proper verbage down for the confirmation blessing. I noticed that he had omitted the part about the Holy Ghost. I was disturbed by this, mentioned it to Paul, but was comforted when it became obvious the missionaries had noticed it as well. They were instructing this brother on what he should say. I could hear them whisper several times "I say unto you..." but the sweet brother just couldn't get those words to come out of his mouth. He got the job done to the best of his ability. It was so fresh to witness the rawness of new members performing these ordinances. What a treat for us! I felt especially uplifted knowing it was our choice to be there. We could have skipped out and been perfectly happy at the beach, but we were so much more uplifted having participated in this sacrament meeting.

We did a bit more beach hopping. Found a beach on the North Shore of Kauai that Bret and Paul had an absolute blast at! The surf was a good 10 feet high. They played in that surf and were slammed to the ground for at least half an hour. Slowly they would pick themselves back up, laughing, and run back out for more beatings by the powerful white water. What did I say earlier about boys being boys?

We had an unforgettable time with our great friends Bret and Arianne. They are moving to San Antonio for Bret's residency in just a couple days. We had become such great friends before, and are even better friends now. The boys were able to do boy stuff while us girls were able to do our girl stuff. The trip together is making their departure so much harder to handle. They are the type of people that make us want to be better people by being in their presence.

Our time in Paradise was coming to a close quickly. We had an amazing time! Paul and I were able to spend one on one time together connecting in a way we have never connected before. Ten years of marriage, 4 sweet little boys, and 2 graduate degrees later... we needed that reconnection! I am more in love with my husband now than I have ever been. He is so handsome, has such a great sense of humor, is so adventurous, and is developing a bit more of his sensitive side (but don't tell him I said so, he would lose some of his "man card" points). He treated me like a lady and absolutely adored me. And I did my best to make the trip amazing for him as well.

As our flight landed and reality set back in, we were refreshed and ready to be parents again (at least that's what we told ourselves). We kissed each of the boys goodnight. Andrew, who had missed us more than I could have ever imagined, awoke with a huge smile and an "I love you" then went quickly back to sleep. Barik and Cooper didn't stir. As we kissed Drake goodnight, we couldn't help but get him out of his bed and snuggle him a bit. If his looks had a caption bubble above, they would have said, "Is it really you mom and dad? Are you really back? I wondered if you were ever coming back." I can't imagine the fear our sweet little 10 1/2 month old baby felt. I had written each of them a letter the night before we left describing the blessing Paul had given each of them, also telling them what I would miss about them and the things I looked forward to doing with each of them when we got home. And while the older boys understood to a certain level, how could our sweet baby understand that we were really coming back?

The boys put my fresh loving motherly skills to the test today--fighting constantly and tattle telling. BLAH!!! Welcome home, mom and dad.

Graduation

What once only seemed like only a dream came true Saturday--Paul graduated from Law School. He actually finished his classes in December, and questioned whether he was going to participate in the commencement exercises (not really thinking it was any big deal). But he was a good boy and did what I asked him to do. I had hoped he would feel accomplished and acknowledged for all of his hard work. He completed law school part time while he continued to work full time (thus still being able to provide for our family). This was a 4 year journey. He commented to me that law school was the most difficult thing he has ever completed (this comment came while he was running his marathon--about mile 20, a VERY difficult part of the run). Law school was a difficult journey for all of us. The first two years, he had class 4 nights a week. That meant that the kids didn't see dad from Sunday night until Friday night. Many nights of dinner by ourselves, bed times without dad, etc. We had 2 babies while he was in Law school. All of our lives continued. It was hard on Paul to be away from all of us for that long. The second half of law school was much more manageable--he was able to be home every other night. That made a huge difference for all of us.

Paul had some classes that were very challenging. One professor accused him of being a bigot, a male shovenist, a cheater and a racist (the lady on the end). Other professors assigned an unfathomable and at times seemingly unattainable amount of work. But through it all, Paul pressed on. So when the opportunity came up to be acknowledged for all of his hard work, and create some closure to this Law school experience, I pushed for it. He looked so handsome in his cap and gown--so distinguished! And because he graduated Magna cum Laude (gpa of 3.5 or higher) he wore the yellow "honor" rope.

Of course the graduation ceremony was boring. We left the kids with a babysitter knowing how difficult it would be for them to sit through that ceremony. It was difficult for ME to sit through that ceremony. I wanted them to be there (at the end). After all, they were a big part of this journey as well. But knew it would be torture for them. There were a couple times when I questioned my decision. Especially when I saw other graduates with their kids. But my decision was confirmed when I heard the other kids crying, banging toys and falling off their chairs during the ceremony. It was then that I was thoroughly content to be sitting all by myself. I am so proud of him for graduating Magna cum Laude. He was among the top 5 of this graduating class. He is intelligent and hard working in everything that he does. He always strives for the best. Congratulations, baby! We all love you!

Mother's Day

Today was Mother's Day. And all I have to say is that I love my husband!!! He got up with the kids, and what seemed like only a few seconds later, they were delivering breakfast in bed. This is a real treat (for the boys even more than me). They LOVE climbing up in bed with me and sharing my breakfast. Paul has learned over the years that this is the case, so he was prepared with extra. Scrambled eggs w/ cheese, yogurt w/ cut up bananas, two pieces of toast, some blue gatorade, and a freshly cut rose all on a tray. What a treat!

He was asked to give a talk today in sacrament meeting about how to support your wives. And while I mocked the idea of having to take care of all 4 boys by myself during sacrament (what kind of gift is that?!), he did a remarkable job (or so I'm told). I was out in the hall with Cooper, our wild child--as most 3 year olds are. He did really well up until Paul got up to speak. He had maxed out his time in Sacrament meeting. So off to the halls we go. I got to hear snippets of his talk. He started with some things other primary kids said about their mothers. I'm sure the moms all loved that. I know he helped make their mothers day special as well. He ended with a tribute to his "beautiful wife". I was a bit embarassed, but loved every word I could hear (still in the hall at that point). Several people commented to me about how wonderful my husband is. All I can say is "I know." He truly is amazing and I am so blessed to have him in my life.

Mother's Day didn't stop there. We got home and he continued to pamper me with lunch, made dinner, did all the dished (he kept commenting that he felt like he was doing dishes all day). He even kicked me out of the kitchen when I tried to help with dinner. He bought some little chocolate cakes, a book and a card. I loved them all, but most of all, I loved the attention and the pampering.

He even focused FHE on me tonight. Barik was super sweet, Cooper was running wild, Drake was oblivious and Andrew was a smart alek (sp?). He's in a really selfish phase right now (at lease I hope it's a phase). He came home from church with a mothers day card that said something to the effect that I shouldn't ask him to do things that I can do myself. What kind of mothers day card is that?! Paul sat him down and tried to explain to him the idea behind mothers day...so FHE was his next shot. Oh yeah, he blew that one too. Paul asked the boys all sorts of questions like who makes sure you have clean clothes, who makes sure you have something to eat, who makes your lunch, who reads you stories and sings you songs? And while all of these things are done by both of us, it's mainly me who does them. But Andrew had to keep making little comments like "well, she doesn't do that good of a job at that." or "Dad does that too." He just doesn't get it. Is it a first child thing to be so self consumed? Did we do something wrong with him? How do you teach a child to be more respectful and appreciative? Stop doing all things for him so he can learn the hard way? Paul and I just sit back and shake our heads about that aspect of him. He's so great in so many other ways (I think--hard to remember right now).

Anyway, don't want to end on that negative note. I am so grateful for my healthy family. I love my 4 sweet little boys. They are the reason I get to celebrate Mother's Day. Barik was super excited to give me his mothers day gift--a foam star with his picture in the middle of it. He is so sweet. Cooper wanted it for himself--I think he wanted to make something for me too. I had the nursery kids make hearts for their moms, but he ripped his in half. Oh well. Good try anyway.

Off to watch a movie with my wonderful husband. Happy Mothers Day to us all!

Miracle

We witnessed a miracle on Friday—the life of a little boy was saved right before our eyes.

My friend Nikki and her 5 boys came over for a play date. With temps in the 100’s, and a pool in our back yard, swimming was the natural option. The boys had a great time—in and out of the pool for the better part of 2 hours. Nikki and I had been pool side (feet in the pool) for a bit. It was getting time to wrap things up for the afternoon, so we moved to the chairs right by the pool while Nikki got her baby changed back into his diaper. Checking the pool, Nikki asked “What’s that at the bottom of the pool?” Time stood still. In the back of our minds, we knew it couldn’t be a child—maybe just a towel. Then she said, “Is that Peter?” Peter is 5—Barik’s age. He isn’t a good swimmer. Nikki dove to the bottom of the pool to retrieve her lifeless son. She placed his rag doll like body on the deck of the pool and started doing compressions. Peter was not moving. He was not breathing. His lips were purple. Nikki screamed to call 911. Frantically, I ran to the house and was pounding on the locked sliding glass door (it locks automatically) screaming “Let me in!!! Let me in!!!” It seemed like an eternity. No one was coming. I then yelled “Call 911!” I knew that would get someone to the door a little faster. Someone unlocked the door (I still can’t remember who). I ran to the kitchen where Paul stood with a questioning look on his face. “Peter drowned!” I grabbed the phone, dialed 911 and we both ran back to the pool. Nikki was still doing compressions. I was on the phone with 911 at this point. Paul assessed the situation, trying to get his bearings, and immediately asked Nikki for Peter’s full name. He proceeded to give Peter a blessing. Before doing anything else, Paul gave Peter a blessing. How many people would think to do that first? The blessing was very short and to the point—Paul blessed Peter to breath. Paul then gave Peter 2 short breaths, and then Peter was breathing. His breathing was very shallow and labored at first, but he was breathing. His eyes were still rolling to the back of his head, but he was breathing. Now we had to sit back and wait for the paramedics. Soon Peter was crying. I can’t tell you how relieved I was to hear that sound! Before the blessing, Peter was lifeless. No breathing. No life.

The paramedics were here within minutes. They brought Peter over to the grass to give him oxygen and do more work on him. Nikki continued to tell him that he was going to be ok. She would get him swimming lessons. This would never happen again. He was going to be ok. These men were here to help him. He cried to whole time.

The paramedics took Peter out to the ambulance where they continued to monitor him. A helicopter came to fly Peter to St. Joseph’s hospital (a trauma hospital). This hospital would take at least 40 minutes to drive to. They were there in 8 minutes. Any time there is a near drowning with a child, they are monitored over night. The next question on my mind was whether Peter would have brain damage. How long was he really under water? How long had his brain been without oxygen? The police officers asked me that question several times. I wish I knew when he went under. I wish I could tell them how long he had been under water. If I could tell them that, they would be at my house.

I think that most people who know me know that I am very cautious around water. I never leave kids in the pool area without an adult. We have a pool fence that is always closed and locked (with the key in the house) when the pool is not in use. I know how easily something can happen. There are always drowning stories on the news. When we have friends over, they know I can’t relax around the pool. You can never be too careful. And yet, look what happened. We never left the side of the pool. This near drowning happened right in front of us. And we didn’t see it. We were wrapping up the fun afternoon—Nikki was getting a diaper on her baby, thinking about what to make for dinner. I was chatting with her. In the mean time, Peter had jumped into a ring in the pool, and slipped through. There were 3 other kids (all 6-8 years old) swimming right above Peter’s lifeless body. Nobody saw him. The mistake we made was getting too comfortable around the pool. We enjoyed each other’s company too much. How easily can that happen to any one of us?

I share this story for a couple reasons. The first reason I share this is to acknowledge the power of our Heavenly Father in saving Peter’s life. I am so grateful to have a husband who is a worthy priesthood holder who can administer blessings of not only healing, but life saving. I am so grateful that a blessing was the very first thing he thought to administer to our sweet little friend. A blessing definitely wasn’t my first thought. I felt frozen, terrified. Paul’s first impression of giving Peter a blessing saved his life. The amount of time Peter was under water isn’t known for sure. But given his location when Nikki found him, (on the bottom, nearly 5 feet under) it indicates that he was under water for a longer period of time (1-2 minutes) rather than a shorter period of time. Peter has no residual effects of the near drowning. His mental state is perfect—his brain was not affected. The blessing Paul was prompted to give Peter not only saved his life, but saved his quality of life.

The second reason I share this story is so that others can learn from the mistakes that were made Friday. Always be 100% attentive when kids are in the pool.

There are several blessings that have come from this experience. First is obvious, Peter is still alive and perfect. Second, we were all able to witness a miracle. And the rest are wonderful learning lessons we are actively attaining—getting refresher courses on CPR, knowing that I will be attentive at all times around the pool, even designating a life guard when several adults are involved—you go sit over on that side of the pool for 15 minutes, and then we’ll switch.

I know how easily this could have turned into a very tragic situation. I hope by sharing, it will prevent a tragedy of this sort in your own lives.