We are four women - very individual, yet closely connected. We are scattered throughout a decade and yet measure within an inch...if we stand up straight. We have many similarities, but also many differences.
We each have thoughts and opinions, from our heads and from our hearts. We'd like to share some of those here.
We are sisters. Four of us.
Welcome to our blog.
Let's build a well! Would you like to help bring clean and safe drinking water to people in developing nations? If 500 people gave 10 dollars or 250 gave 20, a well can be built that gives fresh, clean water to 250 people for life.
And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold... water only in the name of a disciple, verily I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward." Matthew 10:42
One of the most amazing blessings in this world is to enjoy a cup of cold, clear, clean water...Will you help us give others this experience?
Toward the end of our trip we decided to be adventurous...
and travel dangerous roads.
It read "top" so we kept going...
and we're so glad we did.
This is one of my favorite hikes ever! Doesn't this path just make you want to follow it forever?
Tera and me
Tera and I just had to make a snowman.
We're convinced...it's a bear track -definitely.
Sarah and Tera
"My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will lookup." ~Psalms 5:3
Whose track is whose? Or who wears hiking boots and who wears tennis shoes? :)
The first sign of civilization...
My favorite cabin in the whole world! :D
This place is awesome! It makes me smile. It makes me happy. It makes me feel closer to God. It's amazing!!! I can't explain it. It was also our destination. We had a wonderful lunch and I chopped firewood with an ax, which was so fun and finally warmed me up. That concludes our girls trip... These photos where taken on the way home...
Okay, this is rather jumpy, but here's the rest of our Colorado trip. This post will be mostly pictures, but I wanted to share one of my favorite places in Colorado with you.
the incredible view on the way too...
I adore this place! :D
the art work...
the tea...
the quotes...
the vibrant colors...
the Sleeptime bear... isn't he adorable?
and did I mention the colors...so cool!
what can I say...brill! :P
Then there's the town of Boulder and it's farmers market. You can't find more beautiful produce or flowers anywhere.
We got behind on our blog, but we wanted to share some of the last pictures from Hawaii with you...
This is our hotel...great location!
the lobby
Cute shot before I joined them in the elevator
In the corridor to our rooms...always picturesque every time we passed by
Looking down from our balcony
Across the street from our hotel....you could rent "toys" from him....snorkels, boards, etc.
Diamondhead ~ this was the view from our front door
Trying for a group shot in the sunset....some of them turned out, others not so good.....
We can't even remember what was going on for this shot....it was taken soon after we saw a gang of young locals fighting....seriously fighting, punching, pulling hair....it was awful!
Submarine on the left
I loved seeing this boat out there....and the color of the water!
Yes, I got a little carried away with the sunset pictures, but I couldn't help myself. It was a beautiful evening and I wanted to somehow capture it for myself and to share with others.
Coconut tree...this is becoming a regular signature shot for me. When I look at a tree I just have to put the camera on the trunk and click.
Every single day was perfect for the week that we spent in Hawaii. We loved visiting old places that brought back forgotten whispers of thirty years ago. We enjoyed experiencing an island culture very different from our landlocked lives. But most of all, we appreciated connecting with our grandfather, and hearing stories of his life as he became a precious part of ours. We miss you, Grandpa Phil. Thank you for everything!!! We love you. Aloha~ Sage and Tera
Here's some underwater video footage that we were able to capture while we were snorkeling at Hunauma Bay. Thanks to Caleb and John for the use of their camera, and Danielle for editing it for us. Love the music you used, Danielle! Good job!!!
Friday we went to Hanauma Bay to do some snorkeling. We followed the wise advise we were given, and headed over to the park early. Definitely a good idea. What an amazing time we had!!! So many fish...so many colors!!! The four of us had a wonderful time, even though Tera and I were really clumsy getting used to our gear. Here's some samples of the different kinds of fish we saw:
Don't look too hard...no fish in this picture. It was just a cool shot of the bottom of the sea.
Sea Urchins hiding out in the rocks
Tera and I felt like such MAINLANDERS after we'd been in the water for an hour and then suddenly started feeling sea sick. Can you believe it??? We had to get out for a while. But it was totally worth it! We got out and found a surprise right next to our stuff...mongooses!!! They were so cute...but destructive too. And they ran away with some of our neighbors goodies. I wondered if the locals felt the same way about our excitement over the mongoose as we do when people come to our house and think it's neat to see a squirrel...those pesky little varmints!!!
Mongoose hiding out under the tree
That evening we had such a great time visiting with some cousins we hadn't seen in years. Adam picked us up at our hotel and then took us to where Dawn was waiting with leis for each of us and lots of yummy food. Our cousin Kelly changed his plans so that he could be there, and we enjoyed meeting him and some of their friends. Fun night!!! Thank you, Dawn and Adam and Kelly!!!
When we were young and living on Oahu, Mom would take us down to a beach not far from our house called Kualoa Park. Chinaman's Hat is a little island about 500 yards off the shore in Kaneohe Bay. I loved that little island, and remember wanting so badly to go out to it and explore. But for some reason I could never understand, Mom never would let me...I was 6 years old, after all, and that was almost grown-up! So of course one of the things on my "to see" list while in Hawaii was that beach and my beloved Chinaman's Hat. Only this time...I wasn't going to be satisfied with just looking at it from the beach.
Checking out our destination.
We walked most of the way out on top of the reefs. Thanks to Caleb and John for letting us take their camera with the underwater housing - we were able to take pictures.
Heading out...with the mountains behind us.
Almost there...
These flowered paths were lovely to walk through on the way up, in spite of the thorns that wanted to grab us.
The rock cliffs were a bit more difficult. But do-able. And soon - we reached the top!!!
The geological survey marker on top of the island.
Suze enjoying the view from the top.
It was amazing to be on the top. I've lived a dream now, and enjoyed every moment of it.
Getting up to the top required some scrambling and scratches. Of course it was worth it, but we knew getting down would be more difficult.
Dad was trying to find an easier route to the bottom, but when he got this far, it was sheer drop.
Mom's dad, Grandpa Bob, died before I was born in a diving accident. His ashes were spread on Kaneohe Bay, so Tera and I dropped some flowers from the island into the water in rememberance of him. We both wish we could have met him. He sounds like a wonderful man.
After the Chinaman's Hat Adventure we went to have dinner with the Armsbys and Crislers. Very fun to reconnect with neighbors from 30 years ago. Kari was Tera's best friend when they were three and four years old and they've infrequently stayed in touch after all these years. She has married a great guy and they have two adorable little girls and we had a delightful evening. Thank you so much for your hospitality and friendship. It's rare in our lives to have people that remember us from way back when. What a treat!!!
