more pics from our trip

Pu'uhonua o Honaunua National Park - where we swam with dolphins



Some beautiful coral at a local beach where Jon went suffering and we both were able to snorkel with sea turtles and many more exotic fish!



A small remote beach we found off the beaten path one day



A 800 ft water fall at Akaka State Park



A tree that caught my eye at Wapio Valley



A quick picture at our resort before heading out to dinner one night



Watching the sunset the last night before we caught our flight home

Amazing

We made is safely to Hawaii (after 15 hours of travel). The resort we are staying in has surpassed all of our expectations…2 bedroom, full kitchen, deck, fitness center, swimming pool, hot tub…it is beautiful. The wonderful thing about the time change (we are 5 hours behind) is that we are waking up around 7am each morning. saturday we were able to relax and catch up on needed rest at a local beach, then the pool and then to dinner. Today we ventured to Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park where we spent hours snorkeling. Amazing does not even begin to explain what we saw. I felt like I was in the movie ‘Finding Nemo!’ the area we snorkled in is known as a resting place for doplins. While we were out in the water a school of dolphins came ‘to rest.’ As I looked down a small dolphin swam directly under me (within arms reach) and then a school of 50+ followed….unbelielveable!!! once we had had enough sun for the day we jumped in the wrangler (the Lord was so kind to bless us with a jeep wrangler…a prayer of jons) and drove to Kealakekua Bay where we saw the most spectacular views. On the way home we spoted an adorable antique store and a local farmers market, where we stopped and browsed.

Yesterday we ventured out to a place called Waipi'o valley - its the most amazing beach/place we have ever seen! The trail down to the beach was only accesable by 4x4 vehicles - Jon loved that! the sand on the beach was black and we were surrounded by massive mountains and cliffs on almost every side.


We have now been here for three days and there has not been a day that has gone by that we have not remembered all of Gods many blessing this year - even in the midst of pain and suffeing. Nor has there been a day that has gone by that we have not thanked God for all those who made this trip possible. We are having the most amazing time! We have been stunned by the breathtaking views and beaches, our love for one another is only growing, and we have had our souls refreshed again and again since our arrival.

here are some pics of our time so far:

we can't believe this...

we are leaving for Hawaii in less than two hours! to all who made this trip possible...THANK YOU! we do not have the sufficent vocabulary to communicate our gratefulness for you and our current excitment for all that this trip will hold for us.

we are hoping to post some pics of out time away while we are there!

here is a pic of our resort...

weekend fun

here are some pics from our weekend. pics from a trip we took today with the lee family to the national aqaurium in baltimore city. and carson brining flowers and candy to his mama on sunday morning.

mother's day

this mother's day has been mixed with both sorrow and joy for me. i can so easily be aware of all that i have lost as a mother today...but there is so much more that i have gained. as i was having my quiet time this morning, i opened a mother's day card from my amazing husband. in it was this quote...

'your parting is not for long. This ruined body will be raised, and all its ravished beauties more than repaired. As for my other loved ones, whom i see exposed to disease and death, i know that death cannot touch them unless my Heavenly Father, who orders everything for me in love and wisdom, sees it best. so that i can trust them, though trembling, to His keeping, and be at peace. Our little one is now a ransomed spirit...this is a hope inexpressible and full of glory. As we feel our deep anguish, our hearts bleed. But as i ask, 'where is the soul whose beams gave clay all its beauty and preciousness?' i triumph. Has it not already begun, with an infant voice, the praises of our Savior? perhaps one of the loving angels that bore home his spirit has been teaching and training him to heavenly manhood. perhaps he has been committed to our sainted father, or to my wife's sainted grandmother. as one of their redeemed posterity. to keep and train till we can embrace him again. at any rate, he is in Christ's heavenly house and under His guardian love. Now I feel, as never before, the blessedness of the redeeming grace and divine blood, which have ransomed my poor babe from all the sin and death which he inherited through me.'

love, thank you for always pointing me Heavenward...for helping me to always fix my eyes on Christ...i truly do not deserve you.

through out the day i have experienced such a peace and such joy. i am humbled that the Lord has allowed me to have one foot here on earth and one foot in Heaven. I have the gift in my son Carson, who brings me so much joy and laugher each and every day. and then i have the gift in my son Chase who reminds me daily of Heavean and the price that was paid on Calvary to enable him to be with God and experience eternal joy and happiness. over this past year and a half the gospel has become so much more alive to me than ever. it is at the hill of calvary that i have run today to experience such grace...where 'Christ was all anguish that i might be all joy, cast off that i might be brought in, wounded that i might be healed, athirst that i might drink, tormented that i might be comforted, entered darkness that i might have eternal light' (Valley of Vision, pg 42). may each day (even if they may be as hard as today has been) bring me to marvel more at the undeserving mercy that God has given me in the death of his own precious son!

Allergies and Sickness

Carson and dada have both been experiencing the effects of allergies and sickness (for jon) this past week. thank the Lord, everyone is doing MUCH better now (carson went to an allergist this past week and is doing SO much better).

these two pics are a great picture into our life here this past week. jon came home a little early one day b/c he was not feeling too well. carson was pretty miserable that day due to allergies. i went upstairs for a while and came back down to this picture...dada had fallen asleep, carson (for some unknown reason) took his pants off and found a comfy spot on the couch to rest (on top of dada)!

more thoughts from a 2 year old

carson loves to read his little Bible (that nana got for him when he was born). I often get my Bible out and read to him, 'children obey your parents in the Lord.' i will ask carson, 'do you know what that means? it means carson obey dada and mama.'

the other day he had his Bible out and i asked him to read to me. he said, 'abay mama.' i was so encouraged.

the following day he had his Bible out and i asked him to read to me. he said, 'dada obey. mama obey.' I asked, 'dada and mama obey who?' with a smile on his face he said, 'meeee!'

spring party

this is the second year that we have attended a spring party at the brewers house. they are so kind to open thier home to friends and TONS of little ones. hiding TONS of eggs for the kiddos to find and grilling up some great food. here are some pics from our time there:












it is fun to look at pictures from last year and compare them to our time at the brewers this year...take a look...

carson and his best bud KJ Hydoski playing last year...



and playing this year...





carson playing in the basket of eggs last year...



and carson playing in the basket of eggs this year (with the help of two friends)...



carson finding eggs with dada last year...



carson finding eggs with dada this year...