It is summer in Maui. The warm tropical breezes are blowing, the surf is rolling onto the beach, the sky is clear and sun is directly overhead. (Comment from Neil: Actually, it passes exactly overhead on May 24^th and July 17^th and in between those dates it is in our northern sky!) We have been walking the beach every morning and enjoying our ocean front home. Plus we are excited it is mango season again.

We had a wonderful trip last fall seeing our family and friends. We also really appreciated coming home to Maui. We got back in December in time for the holiday celebrations with friends and I worked several evening events at the Ocean Center.

For Neil’s birthday, we had dinner at the new Indian food restaurant on Maui. We met the owners when we were in Anchorage last summer! Our friends took us to their Indian food restaurant because we said we couldn’t get the food on Maui. When we talked to the owner as we left and told him we were from Maui, he said he had just vacationed there and was looking to open a restaurant. When we returned in December we were pleased to discover they found a location only ½ mile away from us. Neil thought we were just going with his mom and Morley so it was a surprise for him when some of our friends were waiting for us there. His mother celebrated his day by wearing her hair special!

We were happy to be home for whale season as well. Neil continues to get some amazing photos with our camera and captured some great shots on our whale watch. I also took Quentin on a whale watch trip this year. At first he was bored, then he got excited when we were close and people were shouting “Thar she blows.” But then got bored again when all the whale mother did was nurse the calf right next to the boat. Aside from breathing and minor maneuvers there is very little action. He was more interested in playing with the other kids on the boat. Then unexpectedly I got to see a breach right next to the boat! Woo hoo!

Neil and I usually cook dinner for his mom’s birthday. One year remember it was Octo-ball spaghetti (where the meatballs had eight arms made by poking spaghetti noodles through the meatballs before cooking). This year it was jellyfish soup (transparent noodles poking out of mushroom caps floating in a clear Thai broth). For dessert, she got her own specially decorated carrot cake.

We were thrilled to have our friends Timothy and Helene Randle and their daughters Shane and Talia visit Maui in February. We had many adventures including introducing the girls to snorkeling and boogie boarding. Plus we had many meals together and great time spent catching up.

My mom, Audrey, and her husband, Bill, visited us in March. We loved having them here. We found them a great condo with an ocean view, plus they were located within walking distance of many restaurants and shops. Bill enjoyed swimming and snorkeling in the ocean most every morning. Mom enjoyed beach time and getting a chance to sit and read. She is always on the go at home. They treated us to a wonderful sunset dinner cruise and we cooked for them a few nights. We are perfecting our Indian and Thai recipes. Mom and I played cards with Peggy and Pualani and had a good visit with Bill and Peggy. We spent Easter together and mom brought treats and gifts for Quentin and Sophie.

I have a new great-niece! Journey Arianna Beamer was born to my nephew Jason and his wife Crystal on November 26^th. You can see how adorable she is on her web page.

Quentin and his mom Vajra moved to “this side of the island” so I get to see him almost once a week. He got to spend the night with us last month and Neil thought up all kinds of projects and games for him. He thinks his Uncle Neil is great. I am also “The Best” because I bought him a new Pokémon game for his DS. He has two new web pages, one with photos of him working on projects and the other of his May Day pageant at school. He is going to be in 3^rd grade this year!

Ariann, Neil’s daughter, graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a BS in Biology. She’s working at a biotech company in Santa Cruz and thinking about getting a Master’s in Nursing to become a Physician’s Assistant. Mailea and Greg have moved into the town of Newport, RI, and live in a building that was built in 1758. They love being downtown in this historic area. Mailea has two more years in her Master’s program.

We stay busy with computer consulting and house projects. Even though we rent, we spend time gardening and maintaining the house. Neil put in an exhaust fan that helps vent out the summer heat. They had to cut down the trees on our south side to put up a new fence which took some of our shade but opened up more sky views. We are working to get some red touch ginger plants started along the fence. We’ve also planted herbs for our cooking. We spend some time each morning picking mangos and we enjoy our sunset time with Jean and Morley sitting on the front lawn.

We continue to pray for peace in the world. May you stay healthy and happy and surrounded by love.