As I sit here listening to Christmas music and enjoying the colored lights and ornaments we have put up to celebrate the season, I am grateful for all my family and friends. We had the opportunity to visit family on the mainland as well as enjoying many Maui visits from friends and relatives throughout the year.

I continue to work as a freelance Travel Director. The freelance part means I work for several DMC (Destination Management Companies) and also means I am not full-time with any. The busy “season” for Travel Directors is January to May when many companies schedule their employee incentive trips to Hawaii . I do a wide variety of things: I work at the airport for arrivals and departure greetings, work at activity locations (e.g. zipline or snorkel boats), dispatch transportation, oversee evening dine-arounds, and work at the hospitality desk. Sometimes I am scheduled out a year in advance when a company knows they will be hosting a large group and other times I get contacted just a week before as the group is finalizing their activity plans. I might be scheduled a full week with one group or a day or two at a time. That’s why it’s good to work for several companies to keep a full schedule during the season. This past year, I worked on Kauai, the Big Island, and on Maui (the companies cover all expenses for me on other islands.)

Neil continues to work at Hilo Hattie’s shipping and receiving as his “day job.” He commutes to Lahaina and prefers working four 10 hour days a week saving a commute day but making the other days very long. He enjoys driving our new Kia plugin hybrid allowing him to be on electric power when stuck in Lahaina traffic. Not only that, they like him so much they let him put in a power outlet at work so he can charge up the car while he works. That means we hardly ever use gas in that car and sometimes get over 300 mpg on a tank. Yessss!

We enjoyed time with Neil’s daughter Mailea this spring when she spent several months on Maui. She was traveling the world since completing her PhD last summer. Most recently, she taught some courses at Washington St. this summer and fall. She is headed for Australia for a few months on her next adventure.  Neil and Mailea just submitted a second scientific paper on Maui water quality which they have been working on this year. Their previous submission was so dense with information that the reviewers recommended dividing it in to more than one paper. They have more data and research to continue their work and another paper is being discussed.  

As soon as my last Travel Director program ended in mid-May and we had attended Quentin’s high school graduation, Neil and I headed to the mainland for a month-long trip. We had a 12 hour layover in Portland where we spent a fun day touring the beautiful city with Quentin’s sister Sophie, her father Peter, and her grandparents Dianne and Mike. Our next stop was Missoula, Montana, to spend two weeks with our grandson Patrick and his parents Ariann and Eric Schultz ;-). Patrick was 2 ½ at that time and was so full of energy. We had adventures hiking and exploring. One of his favorite things was throwing rocks, especially into water. He has a strong throw and good aim, and appears ambidextrous like his granddad. We worked on a few house projects and left a few that they completed when we left (downstairs bathroom remodel). We also got exciting news that Ari and Eric are expecting a baby due February 1 right after Patrick turns 3 on January 9. Ari is wonderful staying in touch making weekly video calls with Patrick so we can be part of his life and watch him growing up. It touches my heart every time he enthusiastically says “Grandma” with a big smile. Such a precious boy.

Our next stop was Hastings, Minnesota, visiting Neil’s sister, Cindy, new husband Dan, and nephew Keegan, and nieces Gillian and Kalli. They showed us a fabulous time. We were going non-stop for the 3 nights and 2 days including boating, fishing, kayaking, sunny cocktails, cooking, eating, touring, and lots of gabbing to catch up with their lives. Minnesota is beautiful in the summer but glad not be there in the winter. On to Ohio and visits with Dad, Warren, and cousins, aunts, uncles on my Mom’s side. Neil hadn’t been to Ohio since our 2007 two month trip in a camper van! We were there on Father’s Day and Dad had all four of his kids there to celebrate! (We hardly misbehaved at all.) Pamela spent a week in Ohio overlapping our trip, and Melanie drove up from her new home in South Carolina where she and Will were still settling in. It was fantastic to all be together with all my siblings!

Back home on Maui, Neil went back to unpacking boxes at Hilo Hattie’s and I had a few occasional working days working with DMCs through the summer and fall. My Mom came over for a week in July to visit and spend time with her Great Grandson Quentin before he headed off to University of Portland mid-August. She helped him pack and sort boxes for his “move.” I helped him finish up packing and emptying his room the week before he left. Family and friends saw him off at the airport for his new life adventure.  

Jean, Neil’s mom, and her husband Morley are still great neighbors living right next to us. We usually check in with each other every day. Morley spent a week in the hospital in August with an infection but is back to taking care of all the shopping and other chores. Jean took a fall in October and fortunately no broken bones but just a knock on the head with a few stitches. She said it knocked some sense into her. Neil said he is waiting for her to prove it.

I realized I had a month between work in Sept/Oct and was missing Quentin already. I really wanted to see Quentin in his new “home” (read that as dorm room on campus). Dianne and Mike graciously offered me to stay in their home for my visit and Mailea offered me her second car for the 4 days. I arrived in Portland Friday morning and Quentin gave me a quick tour of his dorm and the campus between his classes on Friday afternoon. He said classes were hard and took some adjusting but he is loving campus life. He is clearly well liked from all the friends he introduced me to in the dorm. He had a weekend dorm house retreat scheduled Friday afternoon to Sunday afternoon but I had plenty to fill my days. I enjoyed evening meals and breakfasts with my hosts Dianne and Mike as we traded cooking. Saturday I drove to The Dalles, Oregon, to visit my niece Hailey (Warren’s daughter). She is now 32 and has two beautiful children: Jesse 3 years old and Jemma 1 month old at time of my visit! I hadn’t seen her since she was 16 but with Facebook photos we have been able to keep up with her news. Sunday afternoon I picked up Quentin from University of Portland and Sophie came to grandma and grandpas. We visited while I cooked Indian food for a fun family dinner with Mailea driving down to meet Quentin’s extended Portland family for the evening. Monday morning I visited my good friends Sara and George in North Plains and then connected with Mailea in the afternoon to visit her tiny house home. We picked up Quentin for dinner at Le Bistro Montage before she dropped me at the airport for my flight to Ohio.

It was hard not stopping in Missoula to see Patrick, Ari and Eric but I still had Ohio and California on my schedule. I spent 10 days staying with Dad and Jane. We had lots of projects to do including cutting firewood and cleaning the Lion’s Club sausage trailer. Warren is working full time but was still there with his chainsaw early morning when we went to cut wood! I am glad I got to see a lot of my brother! And I also enjoyed lots of visits with Mom’s side of the family.

The very sad news this year is the death of my brother-in-law Christian Beamer, Pamela’s husband. He was in pain since April but the doctors didn’t diagnosis the 4^th stage pancreatic cancer until mid-July. Chris chose palliative care and I am so grateful Pamela and he had quality time preparing for his passing. The grief is for those missing his presence with us on earth even as we can celebrate he is free of pain with his Lord and Savior. Pamela and Chris’ sister Cynthia were with him as he transitioned on September 30, 2018. I had scheduled 10 days in California even before his passing knowing I could help or be there to support my sister Pamela.

I arrived in California about a week after Chris’ death and Pamela and Cynthia already had things well in hand. Pamela had decided to move to Ohio near Dad, Jane, Warren, and extended family rather than move to the California desert near Mom and Bill who are still in good health. Pamela started the house hunting process while I was still in Ohio. Dad, Warren and I looked at 3 places and we thought a certain clean and well managed duplex was the nicest. I took lots of photos and Pamela agreed with us. She got confirmation within 3 days that she would have a place to move to when she arrived in Ohio at the end of October! (Update: She is really enjoying her new home and furnishing it. The cold however is another story after living in California for most of her life.)

By the time I arrived, Pamela was ready to get out of LA for a while and so we drove to Ridgecrest to spend a week with Mom and Bill. The day before we left LA, Neil’s niece Stephanie, nephew Dustin, and great-nephew Jonathan were wonderful to drive over from San Jaquinto, California, to spend the morning with me. We walked the beach and had lunch on the pier at Redondo Beach. It was a great time catching up with them. Stephanie has just retired from the Army after 20+ years and she and Jonathan have a new home in California. Dustin moved from Iowa to help them with their home remodel and upgrades.

Overlapping our time in Ridgecrest, my sister Melanie and her husband Will came to town for their 40^th class reunion. Pamela, Melanie, and I were all in Ridgecrest to celebrate Mom’s 83^rd birthday! What a special time for all of us.

Back on Maui, we continue to love our little cottage in warm Hawaii while we think of all of you in the cold and snow! Mele Kalikimaka and Hau`oli Makahiki Hou!

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