View from the 18th floor

We are staying at a hotel in Waikiki while we are searching for a home.  We are up on the 18th floor!  The elevator only goes up to the 17th floor, and then we have to use the fire escape stairs to get up to the 18th floor.  The above picture is the view from our lanai (deck, patio...lanai)

We have been to look at about five houses so far...none of which have felt like we were home.  I was looking through my notes (I take very intricate notes so I can remember which home had which features) and had to laugh.  This is from a house we looked at yesterday, "rat poison ?? on the floor."  "Family room used to be a lanai, now it is enclosed and there is an empty fish pond (complete with bridge) behind the couch."  "My feet felt offended walking without shoes on".  "Isaiah just told the realtor that someone REALLY needed to clean the toilet".  From another house we viewed on Thursday, "Washer and dryer are outside on the side of the house...there is no door to them".  "Brooklin just asked me where the master bedroom was...the three bedrooms couldn't have been more than 8x8 each!!"  And from another house, "small. broken down.  darwin kept saying the entry/living room was a bedroom, because it wasn't big enough to be the living room"

So, things are not moving as quickly as I would like them too, but God put us here for something, so he must know what's going to happen and when.

We went to church today at the Honolulu Stake Tabernacle.  It is a beautiful building.  Not like any other church building you could ever imagine.  It is huge and has a huge mosaic of Christ on the front of it and a reflecting pool.  The chapel is very large, the benches are all wooden, the choir loft is gigantic, they have a real pipe organ, and the seating goes in two different directions.  The ward we attended was the Makiki ward.  Their boundaries include mostly condos and apartments, so the primary and ym/yw was very small.  Brooklin said that there were only two young women, and one of them wasn't there this week, so it was just her and one other girl!

We are going to take a drive up to the North Shore this afternoon and visit the temple grounds.  The temple is closed right now for renovations, and from what we've heard, they will be having an open house this fall before they rededicate the building!

Please pray that we will be able to find our home this week!  We are leaving on Friday for Idaho/Wyoming/Utah for three weeks and then three days after we get home, Darwin is leaving for three weeks for a school.  I don't want to live in a hotel for very much longer (the parking garages in the hotels have RIDICULOUSLY small spaces and it takes me 45 minutes to calm my nerves after trying to park in them) and its just no fun unless you are on vacation.

Soaking and nearly Freezing

Saturday afternoon, we drove up to the glacier to take our pictures for our Christmas cards. I didn't want everyone wearing coats in the picture, and it was mostly sunny and still warm enough to take off the jackets for a few pictures. After getting some good pictures, it started to sprinkle, so I put the camera away, and Darwin decided that we should go on a hike. He promised he would buy bear spray and bear bells for me...but he hadn't gotten around to it yet. So here we go on a hike at the glacier with no bear spray, no gun, no dog, blah blah blah, and it is raining. Then it starts raining harder....then then even harder. It is pretty much pouring now, and I am about as uncomfortable as I've been in 3 years...no bears in Hawaii... I really am terrified of seeing a bear while hiking. I didn't think we were making enough noise, so I scuffed my feet the whole way. Darwin thought this was humorus, so then I got mad. I was also complaining a lot. He kept telling me to just go back to the car, but there was no way that I was going to go hiking by myself back to the car! I finally whined enough that he consigned to turn around and go back to the car with us. The rain had soaked through all our coats, and we were really wet. We went straight to Western Auto, and bought me some bear spray and bear bells...laugh all you want...they tell my brain that I am ok, so I won't whine as much. And did you all know that bear spray is $50 to $90!! Anyway....

Here is a picture of us after the hike. I am happy to be within sight of our van (it is the green one) and Darwin is like, "So what's everyone's problem...it's just water...I'm just glad my wife isn't complaining anymore."

This morning (Wed). it was the coldest it has been so far. I took a picture of my computer screen...hehehe. I went to get in the car, and my van doors were frozen shut! The kids were chanting "Snow, Snow, Snow!" and running around like crazy people this morning. They can't hardly wait for it to snow, since they haven't played in any for three years. I can wait...it is only Sept! =)

Hot Tub Baby

Our house came with a hot tub. While the movers were here, and I was at orientation, Darwin let the kids play in it. They had a blast. Two nights ago, while I was getting ready for bed, Darwin went out by himself because he thought I was going to take a shower and take forever, so he went out without me. Last night, I finally got to try it out.

I am a baby.

I could barely get up enough nerves to walk the 15 feet from the back door to the hot tub. It was in the 40's and I couldn't make myself step out the back door wearing only a swimming suit. I put on a sweatshirt and wrapped up in a towel. I walked out to it, and then couldn't make myself take off the warm clothes (right now, there isn't any place to hang a towel or anything) so I went back in the house and found a little rolling wire shelf thing (it doesn't have a place right now) and brought it out with me. I was able to get the towel off, and then froze my legs trying to get in without touching the sides of the hot tub. After getting my legs in, I took off my sweatshirt. My jaw went nuts chattering, and didn't stop for a few minutes after getting in. Then I complained...a lot. I was cold, the water wasn't hot enough, I didn't like the smell of the chemical mist... Luckily, my husband knows that I have a hard time with new things in the water...have you read about my first time snorkeling?? Anyway, I was finally able to relax, and next time I will have more fun and not whine so much. It was a little fun, but I am too cautious for my own good sometimes.