Mele Kalikimaka 2014

Mele Kalikimaka and Hau’oli Makahiki Hou! [Merry Christmas and Happy New Year]
Morning rainbow from our beachWe wish you all a wonderful holiday season and a fantastic new year!

We pause in our summer trip report series to reflect on our past year and think about the things that bring us joy. We greatly enjoy our home on the beach. We enjoy sunny morning tea time interacting with our green gecko guests, watching the birds play in their bath, listening to their songs, and watching the ocean. We enjoy visits with our friends on our lanai overlooking the ocean (there are usually warm scones involved). We enjoy time with our parents in their island homes. Nan and Neil enjoying coconut shrimpWe enjoy home cooked meals and preparing foods with locally grown fruits and vegetables as much as possible. We enjoy the garden surrounding our home and picking (and eating!) fresh mangoes, papayas, and coconuts. We have already written a couple of posts this year about our most recent gardening projects. This year, we only had a few mangoes from our favorite tree (the one over our house) but they were spread out so we harvested them as late as October! We also had the great fortune of discovering a new favorite mango tree (at an undisclosed location 🙂 ) and we stuffed the fridge, thus providing us uninterrupted fresh mango breakfasts until mid-December. Yum!

I also enjoy exercising my creativity by writing web sites like this one and ones I’ve done for clients. Our friend Roger Stephens asked me to create a nice web site for his business. It was a lot of work and fun and we’re all happy with how it turned out. Here’s a link to look at it if you’re interested: Picture It Framed, Maui. I also helped our friend Ginger Book create an appealing web presence to offer her ohana for vacation rental: Serenity Villa.

The Levys and Mom, Pam, ChrisIt was an eventful year with family graduations, a wedding and a college reunion on the mainland. My niece Madison graduated from Nursing College in May. My great-nephew Quentin graduated from eighth grade in May. My nephew Will graduated High School in June. Neil’s daughter Ariann married Eric Schultz in July. A group of my college friends had a reunion in August. I wanted to attend all but knew multiple trips weren’t going to work out. My mom Audrey, sister Pamela and her husband Chris represented the family at my niece and nephew’s graduations in Maryland. College Reunion FriendsNeil and I traveled to Montana for Ari and Eric’s wedding and spent the rest of the month of July traveling. Neil flew home to Maui while I flew to Ohio to visit with my Dad and Jane and with the Kreischer side. Returning to California, I spent a fun-filled weekend with my college friends in San Luis Obispo area before returning to Maui.

Neil points out our house from the Lahaina Pali TrailBefore the summer trip, we started “training”—hiking training! We realized we would be in the mountains of Montana with Ari and Eric where outdoor adventures abound and we wanted to be ready to keep up with them. We alternated our hiking days with steep climbs and other days doing longer level walks. Our endurance hike was the Lahaina Pali Trail. The trail begins and ends at sea level with a 1600 foot elevation climb and covers 5.5 miles. On the steep ascent, I felt like I was climbing an uneven rocky stairs the entire way up. I only made it 1/3 of the trail the first time and each time increased the distance. Nan Sunset at OlowaluWe eventually hiked the entire trail several times. 😉 What incredible views at the top! We were glad for our training on the several great hikes during our trip.

I had a wonderful October birthday month. This year was about pampering! Neil gave me a deluxe manicure/pedicure appointment on my birthday before taking me for a wonderful dinner. I spent my birthday money on massages and a spa day at the Grand Wailea Spa. It was perfect way to spend my birthday.

Audrey and Bill CampbellMy Mom and Bill are living part time on Maui and part time in Ridgecrest. I am glad it is working for them and enjoy them when they are here. I often walk the beach with Mom in the mornings and we sometimes join them for sunsets on the rooftop patio of their six story building. They volunteer at the church food pantry on Fridays and twice a week Mom has water aerobics while Bill goes snorkeling. Neil’s mom Jean and husband Morley are right next door and we have been able to help out when needed. Morley was in the hospital with pneumonia over Thanksgiving but we are happy he is home now getting back to his routine. They enjoy a mid-day beach walk when the tide and wind cooperate. Dad and Muffin the catDad and Jane continue in fairly good health in Ohio and Dad stays busy keeping up with his home acreage and being active with the Lion’s Club. I got to help with a few various projects when I was there: putting a new top on the chimney, and sweeping the soot out, sorting antiques from scrap metal, and cleaning the Lion’s Club sausage trailer. Muffin the cat likes to follow Dad up the ladder and inspect the projects. All Muffin needs to look official is a little hard hat and a clipboard.

Quentin is 14Quentin turned 14 this October and is a freshman at King Kekaulike High School. And he has a girlfriend! I know, right! He does well in all his subjects but especially enjoys his electives of media (video) and drama. He plans to take these same elective classes all four years and has joined the drama club. He is teaching himself piano and really has an ear for it. He is quite good in just a short time. He enjoys running and was considering joining the track team except the coach expects them to be a practice 5 days a week even in the off season. That was too much commitment when he has other interests. I understand from Vajra that he is looking for a job. I don’t get to see him as much now that he is so busy. Vajra is balancing a few jobs giving herself a variety of work.She has a boyfriend too! She is finishing her last class for her Master’s in Public Administration.

Mailea, Ari, and NeilNeil’s daughter Mailea left Maui in January for Ireland! She lived there for four months and returned to Maui for a month until Ari’s wedding. Fall semester she lived in Washington and continued work on her PhD project. Right now she is in Australia for Christmas! Ariann and Eric’s wedding was beautiful and is described in a previous post.

My siblings are spread between California and Maryland. Pamela works for the Lawndale Library and Chris continues in his 16th year as co-pastor of Centinela Baptist Church. Their son Jason is in Oklahoma. Melanie and Will recently moved to a new home in Maryland. Melanie continues with MaryKay and as a personal trainer while Will continues with the Bureau of Engraving & Printing.Sunset from rooftopTheir daughter Madison recently started as a nurse for an Endocrinologist, her husband Dennis is a fireman, and Will IV works at an Italian restaurant while he decides his next steps after graduation. Warren is in Bakersfield and continues working as a plumber/handyman.

Wishing you a warm and happy holiday!

This post has a gallery with lots of other fun pictures which you can view by going to the website. (I can’t fit them all in the text.) Clicking on the first photo brings up a larger view with a description. Depending on your browser, you can use the arrow buttons or keys to move through the gallery photos.

Ari and Eric’s Wedding 2014

Ariann and Eric Schultz

Ariann Miller-Rhoads married Eric Schultz on July 5, 2014, at Dunrovin Ranch, Lolo, Montana. Family and friends gathered in Missoula to celebrate their commitment to each other.

Ari, Eric, and LyraAriann is currently working at Community Medical Center Hospital in Missoula as a Labor and Delivery nurse while Eric is doing research as a biochemistry post-doctorate at the University of Montana, Missoula. Lyra, their dog (and baby) of many years, stays at home, ever vigilant for couch squirrels.

The celebrations started Thursday night, July 3rd, with a cocktail party at the home of Eric’s uncle and aunt, Mike and Pam. The gathering was the first time Neil and I had met Eric’s family and we really enjoyed getting to know them. Eric’s parents, Maggie and Alan, are from Bakersfield, California, and his extended family came in from California, Wisconsin (I do believe the Green Bay Packers were mentioned a few times), North Carolina, New York, and Arizona. Ari’s mom Jamie and step-dad Michael came in from Arroyo Grande, California, along with family and friends from California, Utah, Washington, Arizona, and us from Hawaii.

Nan and Neil at 4th of JulyOn Friday July 4, the festivities moved down to the horse ranch for the Independence Day picnic and fireworks and the Saturday wedding. Friday we played outdoor games, chowed down with a BBQ dinner, did the wedding rehearsal, and watched fireworks once it got dark after 10. There were some accommodations available at the ranch plus a tent camping area. Mailea and I slept in the studio that during the day served as the catering kitchen, the groomsmen dressing area, and the common shared bathroom. Neil would have stayed in the studio also but because of the linen laundry fragrance (again, sigh) Neil set up our tent and slept out near the pasture.Tent site at Dunrovin Ranch

Saturday morning began with the decorating, food prep and reheating, and setting up for the reception. In the afternoon, the bride and bridesmaids disappeared to the upstairs suite to dress and after a few finishing touches on the decorations everyone else went to put on their finery.

The Wedding PartyThe wedding was absolutely beautiful and touching. There was so much joy and love shared. While the photos were being taken, I saw a line forming at one particular cooler. Why were Eric’s relatives standing in line over there?? Perhaps it had something to do with Green Bay Packers?? Turns out it held 4 kegs of Eric’s homemade brew specially made for the wedding reception: a double IPA, a saison, a peach cider, and a chocolate porter. Eric is a great brewer and they couldn’t wait to start sampling. I tried a little of each and, sorry Eric, I still don’t like the taste of beer but that one with a hint of chocolate was the tastiest to me. I’m glad you made the cider too 🙂 Dinner, wedding cake and dancing filled the evening of celebration. Did you know that Packers fans like beer?

Neil with his daughtersSunday morning, everyone pitched in to clean up and restore the ranch to a working horse ranch as we found it. The extended families and friends gathered for brunch in Missoula to say farewell and a final toast to the couple. In the afternoon, the living room at Ari and Eric’s home filled with family viewing the wedding photo slideshow and watching the gift opening. A full and fun filled celebratory weekend!

I must complement Ari and Eric (and “moms”) on the incredible organization and preparation. The whole weekend flowed perfectly. We were glad we could help with the wedding set up and later clean up and spend so much time with family and friends.

Photo gallery below:
Clicking on the first photo brings up a larger view with a description. Depending on your browser, you can use the arrow buttons or keys to move through the gallery photos. If you are receiving this in an email and don’t see a photo gallery below, please click into my webpage to view all the photos! Photo credits: Mailea Miller-Pierce and Neil Rhoads.

Gratitude

Receiving all the festive holiday cards and email messages I get this time of year reminds me how grateful I am for all my family and friends. I realize it has been a year since I last wrote a web page. Although our day to day lives seem uneventful, there is much to be grateful for. We love our tiny cottage home on the ocean in Maui. Each morning, we have morning tea on the lanai together enjoying the beauty around us, visits from our little green gecko friends, and chattering birds feeding and bathing. Neil has a youtube channel displaying numerous videos of the geckos eating out of our hands and the birds in their bird bath. It is also that time of year when we are watching for whales as we sip our tea. Geckos Lining Up to Eat From Our Hands

My mom Audrey and her husband Bill have purchased a beautiful oceanfront condo just a mile from us. It’s really a joy to have them so near. Mom and I often meet mid-way on the beach and walk together. They are here part time for now. We will be able to have Christmas together; first time in many years.

We are grateful to have Neil’s mom Jean and her husband Morley still living next door to us. I expect we will gather for the traditional tree trimming soon. We don’t have room for a tree in our small space but I did get some decorations up this year.

My travels this year were two trips to Ohio to visit my dad Bob and his wife Jane. I am grateful to say they are in fair health. Dad had the same back surgery at the end of January that Jane had last spring. He was diligent with his rehab and is doing great. When I went in February, I was lifting the 50 lbs bags of water softener salt into the truck. On my trip in September, he was keeping up with me bag for bag!

Quentin, my great-nephew, just turned 13! He is in 8th grade and continues to be outgoing. He still loves his video games. His sister Sophie was here this summer and will be back for two weeks this Christmas. We look forward to seeing them all on Christmas with their mother Vajra.

Neil’s daughter Mailea has been living on Maui for several months this year. We are grateful for the time we get to spend with her. She has a place of her own and many new friends. I’m sure many of them will be life-long friends. We are glad she is loving Maui. Neil’s daughter Ari is engaged to be married on July 5 to Eric Schultz. They are currently living in Missoula, Montana, where Ari works in Labor and Delivery at a local hospital while Eric is doing his post doctorate. Ari, raised in southern California, is learning what temperatures below 0 feel like. I’m sure her sweet dog Lyra gets Ari outside on a regular basis!

This feels like another year of technology (ok, we are techno geeks.) I moved back to a smartphone after two years with a basic phone. We both got Samsung Galaxy Note II this summer. Then after becoming familiar with that, we decided to try a tablet and got the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1. I was very grateful to have it in November when my desktop computer (that Neil had built me 5 years ago) died. I was able to easily keep up with email while waiting for a new laptop to be built and arrive. I was also able to start to prepare for Windows 8. Had I done the OS research before ordering the Toshiba, I might have listened to all my friends who rave about their Macs. But I do continue to do some training and felt I would need to learn the new Windows 8 environment eventually.

We continue to pray for peace on this earth and love for all. We are grateful for our simple life full of family, friends, love, and the beauty of each day and each sunset.
Sunset Time Lapse – 80 Minutes in 80 Seconds

Sophie’s Summer Visit

Quentin and Sophie at party

Sophie flew from Oregon for a Maui visit with her mom Vajra and brother Quentin for a month this summer. They celebrated her 9th birthday with a party the first week she was here (a month early but then she had all her gifts to play with during her visit!) Neil and I attended the fun festivities which included piñata bashing, buffet browsing, candle blowing, gift opening, and swimming.

I got to spend a few mornings with them. We went swimming and played in the sand at the beach. Sophie is really a water nymph and could practically live in the water. As a special treat for the kids, Vajra took them to stay at the Wailea Marriott again as she did last December so they could play in the water park area reserved for guests.

Sophie returned to Oregon in mid July right before her birthday in time to spend it with her father. Quentin come to stay with Neil and I for two days the following weekend while Vajra and Marjorie went to Oahu for another surgery visit. Quentin brought his computer and as an early birthday present for him, we got him the computer game Minecraft as a download. He was on the computer almost solid for the entire time. As Neil said, he just resurfaced for food and went back to his nest on the couch again. Quentin starts school on Monday already! The summer goes fast for Maui school kids.