The "S" Squad Chronicles

Bittersweet News...Good Bye, Hawaii?

Today we found out Todd is making Warrant!  YIPPEEE!!!  The bad news now is we'll probably be out of Hawaii next summer! NOOOOO!!!  I LOVE it here and now we're going to have to leave.  :(  I'm glad he made rank, it's what he wanted but I feel like it's been such a  short time here. 

This weekend is my coronation, so I'm sure we'll be adding this promotion on as well as a celebratory event.  Steve is also making Warrant so we'll throw that in the mix too.  Oh, I have such mixed emotions right now!  I still wanted to visit Japan, Tahiti, and Australia!  Plus the other islands!  Guess I better get on it soon.  Well, if any of you planned on visiting us while we're in Hawaii, make it soon....we won't be here for long!

Busy week!

Aloha all!  Sorry it's been so long since my last post, but things have been going non stop over here!  First off, Mother's Day was great!  Little Todd made me some breakfast that was even better than last years "Fluffy Love"  You all remember that don't you!?!?  Sadly, the Todd's didn't take any pictures!  :( BOOOOO!!  He made some "melt in your mouth" banana pancakes with chocolate syrup, maple syrup, and whipped cream.  Big Todd made me an egg white omelet filled with red and green bell peppers and cheese.  Plus they had a little plate of fresh fruit and some POG (pineapple, orange, guava) juice.  It was a great breakfast. 

Then on May 12th, my friend Alexis and her boyfriend, RJ, came out to visit.  We did some of the touristy stuff (though not as much as with Mom and Jessica) from Duke's to North Shore to Bellows.  Check out the fun pictures here (I included some from Alexis's camera as well).  Alexis and RJ did the Diamond Head hike, Arizona Memorial and Hanama Bay without us.  We just had so much going on with lacrosse, that I couldn't fit all that in.  So you'll see some of her pictures in there.  They were here for a week, leaving this morning (on her birthday too).  HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ALEXIS!  It was great having you out here!  Miss you and see you in the future!

On to lacrosse.  Little Todd is done with his lacrosse season, Sunday being the final game.  They won 4-2, Todd making one of those scores!  We had a potluck at the end of the game where all the parents brought something.  We had a big variety and believe or not, very little left overs!  I got some lei's and a gift card to Bath & Body Works (yeah, I know there ISN'T one here on the island!).  Looks like I'll have to order online and get it shipped here....hmmmm....or maybe I'll head back to CA soon and get the stuff there.....anyways, here's some pictures from Todd's lacrosse game and potluck.  They played at the University of Hawaii on the practice football field, which was astroturf.  That was way different for the kids.  They played awesome though!

Lastly, this weekend we spent Friday to Sunday camping out at Bellows.  Alexis and RJ camped out with us, renting a tent and setting up next to us.  Everyone was there (Tori, Colleen, Dori, Larry, Jen, Steve, etc, etc.)  There were a bunch of us.  Dori and Larry got a cabin but Tori and family and us camped out.  It was fun!  Colleen did end up getting a  written "warning" from the MP's for having the fire pit filled with burning wood (no open fires at Bellows), plus they said we were loud...yeah whatever.  So far Dori, Colleen and I all have had MP's on us at one time or another (memorable moments were our first barbeque, Dori's 4th of July extravaganza, and now Colleen's camping expedition).  Like I've said before, it's not a party until the MP's come! I sadly didn't take any pictures even though I brought the camera to Bellows! :(  Sorry guys!

Then yesterday and Tuesday we helped Dori and Larry FINALLY move into new housing!!!  Thier new house is like ours, but better in some ways.  They have a 2 car garage and black appliances (instead of white)! :)  I do have to say I am happy with my house though.  I am happy that they got the new house they have been waiting forever to get.  As soon as they have their first house warming party, I'll be sure to take pictures!

Anyways, in a nutshell that has been our last week and a half.  It's been crazy, but fun.  Tonight I'll finally have time to wind down a little, just to start back up tomorrow.  I finally get my hair cut tomorrow!  YEAH!  Then I need to bake and make some CGSA Hospitality Aloha baskets for Thursday.  We have a new Chief coming in the District and we are meeting him and his wife at the airport.  Friday will start the beginning of our Memorial Day weekend and of course, my CORONATION!  Sunday I'll be turning 33.  We'll be having a little get together, hopefully MP free!  I'll take some pictures of the Coronation of the Queen and be sure to post them soon!  In the meantime, have a great week!

Happy Mother's Day!

To all my Mom, Mother in Law, and all the Mothers in the world...

Happy Mother's Day!

 M - O - T - H - E - R

"M" is for the million things she gave me,
"O" means only that she's growing old,
"T" is for the tears she shed to save me,
"H" is for her heart of purest gold;
"E" is for her eyes, with love-light shining,
"R" means right, and right she'll always be,

Put them all together, they spell 

"MOTHER,"

A word that means the world to me.

Howard Johnson (c. 1915)

Did you know?????


Did you know that the celebration of motherhood dates back to the ancient Greeks? Rhea, the mother of all Greek goddesses, was honored annually at a springtime feast. In ancient Rome, a raucous spring festival was held in honor of the Roman mother goddess, Cybele, while the Celtic Pagans linked their celebration of the mother goddess Brigid to the coming of spring and the first milking of the ewes.

Did you know that every September, Americans honor military mothers who have lost a son or daughter during active duty? Known as Gold Star Mother's Day, the holiday has been set by Presidential proclamation since 1936 for the last Sunday in September. Gold Star Mothers is the name of a bereavement support group started by Grace Darling Seibold, whose son was killed in combat over France during World War I.

Did you know that in the United States, 56% of all women between the ages of 15 and 44 are mothers? The percentage spikes to 82% for women between the ages of 40 and 44.

Did you know that the average age at which a woman becomes a mom for the first time is 25.1 years? That's up from 21 years of age in 1970. Every year, about 4.3 million American women give birth to a new baby.

Did you know that modern moms have an average family size of two children, while mothers in the 1950s had an average of 3.5 kids? In the 1700s, women gave birth to seven to ten children each.

Want more information on Mother's Day?  Check it out here:

Internet Mother's Day

Seal on Waikiki!

Today during our run around Kapiolani Park we came across the coolest thing ever!  A seal "sun tanning" on the beach!  He was taking a nap.  The city put up caution tape around him to stop people from touching him or bothering him.  Check out the pictures that I took.  It's kind of hard to tell because I don't have a zoom on the camera phone, but it's still cool!  Enjoy!

Ride or Die!

Saturday afternoon Tori, Colleen, Todd and I rode the motorcycles up to the North Shore for some yummy, world famous Matsumoto Shaved Ice!  It's so good!  The weather was awesome!  I forgot the camera, but I did have my phone so I got a couple quick pics in.  It was definitely a fun, relaxing day.  Then we came home and had surf and turf.  Homemade shrimp enchiladas, guacamole, stuffed flounder, and grilled steak.  Yum-O!  Can't wait until the next ride!