My Husband the Hunter

Saturday morning Jeff got up early and ventured into the Southern Arizona deserts near Oracle with a buddy from our ward in search of a Javelina hog (aka- hunting). They took a 4-wheeler and a few guns and came back with this:

Considering Jeff is from Utah and grew up hunting only deer and elk, this was obviously his first Javelina hunt and he got one!

Nice teeth, eh?

It only took them a half day and 1 shot to get this hog. Jeff's aim was right on apparently because as they were gutting this pig they realized the heart was blown apart. Lovely, isn't it? Such a manly hobby that I will never understand. The best part was when Jeff got home and walked in the door asking, "Hey honey, what do you want me to do with this hog in the garage?" (Excuse me? were my thoughts exactly.) It was his way of announcing that he was home and that he got one... and I went out to take a look. No doubt, a dead javelina lay in my garage waiting for me to decide what to do with it. (Luckily Corbin was napping and never really saw it... scary!) Fortunately for me a friend of the family who smokes javelina meat and enjoys the taste wanted it, so Jeff threw him in a cooler and stuffed him with ice and he's gone... for good! Jeff really wanted to taste the meat because he heard it was very good for you so he went over and brought some home.

Kauai Vacation: Day V

After Jeff's snorkel with the 2 sea turtles on Friday it dawned on him that they didn't use the underwater video camera to get live footage so he really wanted to go out again with the video camera. So, Saturday morning Jeff, Cameron, Malu, and I drove down to Kuhio Shores again on the south side and the boys went out in search of more sea turtles. This time they only saw 1 male but they got some great footage of it... if you want to see it, let us know. Anyway, I really contemplated going out with them this time, but gave in to just relaxing on the beach to finish my Nicholas Sparks book. While I was sitting there I would occasionally glance up to see 3 heads bobbing in the water... but once I suddenly saw an entire WHALE leap out of the water and then land with a huge splash back in the ocean. I kept watching and to my surprise saw 7 more whales completely leap out of the water and splash and fluke and spout. It was incredible. They were about 200-300 yards off shore from where I sat and of course I didn't have the camera ready in time to capture it, nor was there anyone else around to witness it but it was amazing!
After the successful snorkel we caught a bite to eat and watch half of Ty's soccer game before driving up to the north shore (Hanalei again) for Jeff's private surf lesson. (Anywhere you drive in Hawaii is gorgeous but on the Garden Island it's especially beautiful because of these tree tunnels you drive through.) Unfortunately, it started to rain a little and Jeff was wiped out from the previous swim, so the surfing didn't last long, but it was fun to watch. He got the gist and had a few good rides. While we were sitting there a girl walked up with her friends and I noticed she only had 1 arm... Bethany Hamilton the young surf pro who lost her arm to a shark attack right there on Kauai a few years ago (albeit on a different beach a few minutes away). So, we got to watch her swim and surf with her friends... the local celebrity! Anyway, that night we stopped by Coconut marketplace again for some amazing Lappert's ice cream... and then drove back down to Lihue to watch the movie Jumper at the little theatre in town. It was an ok movie... definitely left open for a sequel. All in all it was another packed day.

Kauai Vacation: Day IV

As Jeff and I were planning our trip I asked Jeff some things he really wanted to do besides just relax since he'd never been to Hawaii. The only thing he specifically mentioned was to find a sea turtle while snorkeling. Well, on Friday (2/15) after Jeff took another Snuba dive, he and Cameron took off snorkeling at Kuhio Shores in search of sea turtles. They found 2 females that morning and Jeff was so excited! While they were out swimming I took off up the coast a mile or two to Spouting Horn and did a little shopping and sight seeing myself... and Jeff joined me later. Of course, I saw more chickens because they are everywhere but this one had just had a ton of new chicks and I thought it was pretty cute how she tried to hide them under her wing when people passed her. Later that night after cleaning up we attended a very nice fundraiser dinner at the local LDS chapel (Cam & Alicia's ward) for the youth. They served a 4 course meal (salmon and ribs) and provided live Hawaiian music. It was awesome. The money donated will go toward sending the young men and women to EFY on Oahu this summer. It's an annual event and we were happy to be a part of it.

Kauai Vacation: Day III

For Valentine's Day Jeff & I decided we'd try a little river kayaking adventure and a picnic lunch at the base of a waterfall... who could beat that, right? Well, it was a blast. I have to tell you at first it didn't sound that great to kayak up a river 4 miles round trip being 6 months pregnant, but it wasn't that bad in a tandem kayak. We got the best arm workout and thought we'd be miserably sore the next few days, but we're stronger than we thought I guess. The Wailua River is the longest navigable river in the state of Hawaii and it's gorgeous. After about an hour up-stream we tied up our boats and hiked about a half hour through the jungle and over streams until we rounded a corner and beheld a gorgeous waterfall, Uluwhi Falls; Hawaiian for Secret Falls. It's 125 feet tall and cascades into a small swimming hole at the bottom with several smaller pools under that. It was breathtaking... literally! It was cold water so we just waded after enjoying our lunch. I think I could handle picnic lunches like that more often. On the kayak trip downstream the current and wind were working against us and Jeff and I took the challenge of beating all the other couples in our group back to the docks. We decided we'd be awesome on Couples Fear Factor or The Amazing Race. We won by a good 15 minutes and got to relax in the kayak before venturing home. Later that night we walked around Coconut Marketplace in Kapa'a and had dinner at the local favorite: Kintaros. (Particularly amazing if you like sushi... but not for Jeff or pregnant women, so we enjoyed terriyaki chicken, rice, and miso soup). A nice cup of cookies and cream Dip'n Dots followed. Not sure how we'll top Valentine's Day next year... maybe Paris?

Kauai Vacation: Day II

Alright we know this one is LONG, but it's the full day and we were busy. This day (actually our 3rd on the island) we took a drive up to the north shore to try and check out the 15 to 20 foot swells (waves) the locals said they saw. It was a gorgeous drive along the coast and through tree tunnels and over rivers with scenic views everywhere! We caught a glimpse of the NaPali Coast as we came to Princeville and Hanalei Bay. We watched whales spout and fluke off the coast for a while before we hit the beach. After some sunning and people watching we drove back to Kapa'a (where we stayed) to meet up with Cam at the local farmer's market to get our share of fresh pineapples, coconut, and star fruit. It was delicious. Afterward we picked up Alicia, Makoa, Megan, and Tyler and went to Hopi Falls. It was a 10 minute hike through the rain forest along a stream that cascaded down a 30' drop into a deep pool. Luckily it was a nice day which made the water bearable... and all 3 boys and Megan jumped for a while while Alicia and I took pictures and video of their madness. We topped off the night down on the South side @ the Marriott's Duke's Restaurant. It was the perfect environment for a nice meal... topped off with Hula Hula Pie..... you'll have to go to Kauai to try it, it's indescribable.

Kauai Vacation: Day I, Part II

After a scenic drive through Waimea Canyon we decided to meet up with Cameron and his father-in-law who own Kauai Snuba on the South shore. We enjoyed a private Snuba Dive of the deep and got to see many of the ocean's creatures including: many varieties of tropical fish (the humahumnukanukaopuau), a baracuda, a lizard fish, sea cucumbers, a lobster, sea urchins, pencil urchins, and a brittle star. We even got to feed them for an up close encounter.... and come to find out they love wheat bread! If you're interested in more footage, let us know because we have live video of our dive compliments of Cameron! It was a nice day on and under the beach!

Kauai Vacation: Day I, Part I

Well, here it is... the first posting of our Kauai Vacation. Since there are so many pictures, I am adding 1 day at a time in slide format for your viewing enjoyment... and I'm being selective, there are plenty more. These are just some of our favorites that capture the essence of our trip.
It was, well... paradise. This is the first vacation Jeff and I have really had alone since our honeymoon and though it was hard to leave Corbin, it was so fun to spend a week with some friends on an island. Thanks to Cameron and Alicia States for allowing us to stay with them and for their hospitality and "tour guide" abilities. It's not often that you get such local treatment when you visit Hawaii. They filled us in on all the neatest things to do and best places to eat. Yes... even being nearly 6 months pregnant, I lived it up with my baby bump!
We arrived in the afternoon on Monday 2/11 and enjoyed a cruise along the coast in our Mustang Convertible Jeff upgraded to... along with the handy Garmin GPS (so reccommend that if you rent a car). Then we enjoyed dinner at Bubba's Burgers... the Kauai Burger was amazing. On Tuesday 2/12 we cruised down to the South and West sides for a scenic drive of beautiful Waimea Canyon... and the rest will follow...

Our Little Man

As Jeff & I packed for Hawaii this weekend, we are finding it harder than we thought to leave... not because we don't think we won't enjoy paradise and pina coladas on the beach for entire week, but because we have to leave this little guy behind for the first time.

But... we have full confidence in Grandma Tee-Tee and Grandpa Dick to take care of him and though he'll be missed, cell phones are a great invention and we'll be making a call everyday! We love you Corbin!

A Valentine for our Readers

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!
We know it's a little early but we wanted to show our "love" to all of you, our faithful blog readers in the blogworld. Jeff & I will be out of town this week and unable to wish our greetings on the real day so we thought we'd leave a little cyber-treat here for each of you. Too bad you can't really taste them because these are the traditional Moss Valentine cookies with cream cheese frosting and a special secret ingredient and they are delectable. There are still some on the counter as we speak, so if you feel so inclined stop by and Jeff's mom, who's watching Corbin all week will be here and glad to share. That is if she and Corbin don't enjoy them all first!

New Prophet & First Presidency Announced

About 48 minutes ago President Thomas S. Monson was announced in a news conference at Church Headquarters in Salt Lake as our new prophet, the 16th president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who succeeds President Gordon B. Hinckley. The full story is here.His First Counselor is Henry B. Eyring. His Second Counselor is Dieter F. Uchtdorf.
I have complete and full confidence in these men and their testimonies and abilities of being earthly representatives of Jesus Christ to all the world. It is so intriguing to see how the Lord prepares his servants. The vacancy left in the Quorum of the 12 will be filled and announced at a later date.

Poem for our Prophet

I received this poem in an email from a family member and thought it was perfect, so I'm posting it here. President Hinckley's funeral services yesterday were the closure I needed from his bittersweet passing. I think the overwhelming reaction of most who knew him in any way, Latter-day Saint or not, was first- saddness that he is gone from us for a time, and second- joy. Joy because he has rejoined those who have already passed and joy because of the legacy, teaching, and example he left us, and joy because we know the work will roll on and a new prophet will be called soon because we belong to a church lead by the Lord himself through Continued Revelation.

Prophetic Passing
I imagine he's running to Marjorie now,
Yes, running, not waving his cane.
I see him embracing his father and mother
While they keep repeating his name.

I see him now meeting his forebears,
Brother Brigham and Joseph are there.
Sweet reunion of prophets, united by service
That only such noble men share.

I see him embraced by the Savior
While Father says, 'Good and well done.
So faithful in stalwart endurance, I welcome
My noble, most excellent son.'

I then hear the ripples of laughter
As he says the reception's just fine,
But he hopes that he'll get an assignment or two
Since there's no need to waste any time.

I can hear his clear voice in the stillness
At the close of this sweet Sabbath day,
Have faith and move forward — there's work to be done.
President Hinckley would want it that way.

Anna M. Molgard
January 27, 2008

Autism Awareness Cont'd

This is an inspiring video about Autism set to Five For Fighting's song What Kind of World Would This Be. The band will donate $.40 to the Autism Speaks organization for EACH TIME the video is viewed on that site so please take a moment to watch the video and then pass the word along to your friends and family. Five For Fighting is aiming for 10,000 hits but hopefully with more awareness we can surpass that goal. Also, these are some great pictures of the Candlelight Vigil mentioned in my prior post. (Just scroll down to the January 29, 2008 post). Thanks for your time!