One Month In

I have lived in Hawaii for one month now and I honestly feel like I've lived here for years. Everything is so comfortable I have asked myself many times, "What took me so long to move here?" I love how familiar and warm my surroundings are to me, it really does feel like home.

I live in Hawaii Kai just about 1 mile from Hanauma Bay with my partner in crime, Angela Hansen from Canada who is here studying MS in Marine Science focusing on Environmental Toxicology in Whales and Dolphins. I met her just after 3 days here at a Marine Debris Conference down in Waikiki. A night that changed my life forever. I met many people at this conference from around the world and made some great connections in how to get more involved with cleaning up the ocean. It felt so good to be in my element with other people that are passionate about the ocean and making a difference in the places they are from. One of my favorite parts of the evening was overhearing a girl from Slovenia named Andreja talk about this conference she is organizing on the Adriatic Sea in a couple years. I asked her what countries she had representatives from and she names just about every country but Albania. I asked if she had considered Albania and she responds that she didn't know anyone who has been there before or who could translate their material. You should've seen her face when I told her I could translate it for her! She is getting a PHD in Marine Debris and interactions with wildlife. We spent about a week together after the conference and feel pretty confident that this will eventually work out. I felt so strongly when I was living in Durres, Albania that I would be a part of some educational movement to get the young kids aware of garbage in the sea. Who would've imagined 3 years later, in Honolulu, I would meet the link of making that happen. I was definitely in the right place at the right time.

I started work a month ago now, which is crazy, and so much has happened it's pretty remarkable. Somehow I was able to get settled, find a place to live and find a car in just a few days so I could start work right away. I work primarily out of the shop in Pearl Harbor and have a view of the Arizona Memorial outside our front door (Yes, I get to help men in uniform all day long :o). I have learned the ins and outs to booking diving classes, tours, refresher courses, selling equipment, repairing equipment, filling tanks and how to visually inspect tanks as well. I completed the Rescue Diver Course, Enriched Air (Nitrox) course, Visual Tank Inspection course and am currently a Divemaster Candidate with my dear friends Craig and Irina. More on them in a bit.

I have had some wonderful opportunities in the water from swimming with turtles and hearing whales to helping a quadriplegic man go diving. I have had numerous beautiful dives from both the boat and the shore where I'm continuously pinching myself that this is my life. I will load photos immediately following this and please stay tuned for some stories from my first day working the boat on a 3-tank night dive to Rescue class with me being the only female and how I learned to pull grown men out of the water.

Aloha :)

Leavin' On a Jet Plane...

I know, I know, I know. It is embarrassing to admit that it has been months since my last post! I have been wrapped up in the world of painting, making jewelry, working on old sailboats and spending lots of early mornings at Kali's body pump and combat classes. I have some pics here and there that I will have to throw in later. I am currently sitting next to huge bay windows overlooking the lovely vast tarmac of LAX waiting to redeem my ONE WAY TICKET to Hawaii. :o)

It has been a long time prepping, selling my car, trading in my desktop for a netbook (thank you Uncle Jim), packing up my belongings and downsizing my life to one suitcase, a backpack and a duffel bag. I start my new job with Ocean Concepts on the 28th and need to find a roof over my head and some mode of transportation preferably with good gas mileage and a decent amount of rust to keep me under the radar so that I don't get broken in to. Something I know is bound to happen.

It's amazing how NOT nervous I am, which in a very round about way almost makes me nervous! I keep asking myself, "Should I be nervous?" I have been reassured time and time again by prayers, family and friends that this move couldn't be more needed and more perfect for me. I am so excited to see what 2011 brings!

Please stay tuned for more updates that I promise will be coming more regularly!

~ ALOHA ~

My thoughts exactly...

Many of my closest crazies, I mean friends and family, in my life have sent me cards from this designer more than once. Leigh Standley is the genius and a kindred spirit of Curly Girl Designs. My collection is growing and I am so excited that there are now calendars, mugs, journals and convenient little travel bags (thank you Natalie). I wasn't surprised to find other bloggers that have made a tribute to Leigh and I wanted to share my favorites with y'all.

This first one, my favorite, I have been given numerous times from very different people. One of my dearest even went out of her way to frame it for me :o).

This is My 2011 Motto.
The rest of these are in no particular order, but each time I find a new one it's like finding an old friend. I have laughed, smiled, cried and have had numerous tugs at my heart while reading her cards. Yes, I have broken down in tears in the middle of the store and I just keep saying to myself, "My thoughts exactly". I hope you treasure them and keep your eye out for them. New designs each year!

Please visit curlygirldesign.com for more!

His Name Shall Be Called Wonderful...

For Unto Us a Child is Born ~ Simon Dewey

O holy night, the stars are brightly shining;

It is the night of the dear Savior's birth!

Long lay the world in sin and error pining,

Till He appeared and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope, the weary soul rejoices,

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn.

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born!

Led by the light of faith serenely beaming,

With glowing hearts by His cradle we stand.

So led by light of a star sweetly gleaming,

Here came the wise men from Orient land.

The King of kings lay thus in lowly manger,

In all our trials born to be our friend!

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born!

Truly He taught us to love one another;

His law is love and His Gospel is peace.

Chains shall He break for the slave is our brother

And in His Name all oppression shall cease.

Sweet hymns of joy in grateful chorus raise we,

Let all within us praise His holy Name!

Fall on your knees, O hear the angel voices!

O night divine, O night when Christ was born!
~ Adolphe Adam, 1847

A Worth of a Soul ~ Liz Lemon Swindle

To Be with God ~ Simon Dewey

Forgiven ~ Greg Olsen

It came upon the midnight clear, That glorious song of old,

From angels bending near the earth, To touch their harps of gold;

“Peace on the earth, good will to men, From Heaven’s all gracious King.”

The world in solemn stillness lay, To hear the angels sing.

Still through the cloven skies they come With peaceful wings unfurled,

And still their heavenly music floats O’er all the weary world;

Above its sad and lowly plains, They bend on hovering wing,

And ever over its Babel sounds The blessed angels sing.

Yet with the woes of sin and strife The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angel strain have rolled Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not The love-song which they bring;
O hush the noise, ye men of strife And hear the angels sing.

And ye, beneath life’s crushing load, Whose forms are bending low,
Who toil along the climbing way With painful steps and slow,
Look now! for glad and golden hours Come swiftly on the wing.
O rest beside the weary road, And hear the angels sing!

For lo! the days are hastening on, By prophet-bards foretold,
When with the ever circling years Comes round the age of gold;
When peace shall over all the earth Its ancient splendors fling,
And the whole world send back the song Which now the angels sing.
~ Edmund Sears, 1849

He is Risen ~ Walter Rane

I had a wonderful Christmas Eve surrounded by family and laughter. We attended a beautiful candlelight service and as we sang O Holy Night!, I was overcome with love and admiration for the Lord. It was beautiful and I wanted to share those lyrics with you. So many times on the radio I hear an edited version of this song which drives me crazy because it is so powerful. Also, I wanted to share some of my favorite paintings of LDS Artists that have captured something special that has left an impact on my heart. The second song, It Came Upon a Midnight Clear, brings me back to mission days with the lovely Mota Nygren and the times we spent twirling around our appartment listening to this song. The lyrics are also moving and inspired.

So much has happened this year, which is another story, but I am so thankful for the faith that I have that has kept me inching along this winding road. I have had a very humbling year and when I look back at all those times that I truly felt alone, abandoned, forgotten, or misunderstood, I think of when the Saviour was on the earth and how everyone turned his back on Him. I know that He has experienced all that I have and I need to remind myself of that when these emotions become too much for me to stand up to. I know that the Lord has already conquered them and is standing next to them with His hand stretched out. It is my Christmas prayer that I have enough strength to remember this and actually act upon it!

Here I am celebrating the Saviour's birth and am so thankful for Him and His life, His atonement, His resurrection, His gift. It's so fun and wonderful to celebrate it, truly the best time of the year. It is just so human of me to forget the excitiment of His coming when I am down or struggling, as if my actions would say all other 364 days of the year "I do not believe in Christmas". I hope that I can be slightly more consistent with celebrating Christ all year long.

I pray that anyone who is reading this will be blessed, will feel the Lord's arms around you and that you will have the Peace that you are longing for in your life. Most of all, I pray that you feel loved and that you never feel alone, for the Lord is with you! Merry Christmas! Gezuar Krishtlindjet te gjitheve!

Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo

Once upon a time there were two girls that shared a room in a little cottage on a magical cove called Stillwater. Known locally as Tastebuds and Noodles, these girls would play in the cold pacific water and it felt like they had the whole ocean to themselves. Tide permitting, they would walk all over the smooth rocks looking at all the treasures the ocean would bring to them. These two girls even found a "hot tub" where they would sit and enjoy their private surroundings. It was in this magical cove on Pebble Beach that they embarked on kayaking adventures, would swim with the seals, play on the rocks and have lots of memorable photo shoots. It was around this time that Noodles finally opened her eyes to her prince charming while out on a "practice date". Tastebuds was very lucky to witness their relationship develop over time.... Prince charming was always doing things for Noodles and surprising her in fun ways. Like when she had told him that she wanted a garden of flowers and he snuck out in the middle of the night (off post) and planted an entire bed of flowers outside the front windows! It was a treat for all of us in this little cottage.

Tastebuds had her surprises as well, one morning she woke up to all these alarms going off. She looked over her bed and saw footprints leading to the door that lead to the ocean. She followed them and found her roommates gathered on the cliff watching the sunrise and having a birthday breakfast in her honor. It was a wonderful surprise. She felt very loved. She was deeply loved.

Noodles and her prince charming were engaged to be married and Tastebuds went out to see her be married in the castle (Salt Lake Temple). The ceremony was so elegant, just like a fairytale. One year later... little Penelope Joy joined the family. It was around this time that Tastebuds was crowned by Captian Double-A-ron to be Penelope's Fairygod Mother. Tastebuds did what she could to make her little fairygod daughter feel special and beautiful. Sending her pretty flowers and jewelry so she can play dress up. 2 years later, Harrison was born and Tastebuds was so excited to meet him too.

A wonderful relationship developed over the years and Tastebuds has grown to love her fairygod children dearly. She has visited them on many occasions and they share fun stories of building forts, sleeping in tents, having tea parties and playing pirates. One of Tastebuds favorite memories is when she was coming to visit after living overseas and when she arrived at the airport she came down the escalator and saw little Penelope holding a sign just for her. She was ecstatic! Recently, Tastebuds and Noodles were living together again and had such a wonderful time reminiscing their past, painting and decorating Noodles new house. Penelope would ask Tastebuds, "Can you stay forever like 5 times?" Harrison would shout, "Don't leave! Come back!" Tastebuds felt loved. She is loved.

It was during this last trip that it was decided that a photo shoot was needed to capture the Fairygod Mother moments. Noodles was naturally an amazing photographer and had great ideas for some fun photos. Penelope helped dress her Fairygod Mother and even let her borrow some of her favorite dress up clothes. They headed down to the water and let the magic begin. Take a look at that great day and an inside their beautiful story.