Life is one long weekend

It is easy to lose track of time here. The constant sunshine and feeling of permanent vacation just gets you in that mindset. Our job makes it even easier to do so. With our schedule, we have a week on and then a week off. Which essentially means we have a Hawaiian vacation every other week. Not a bad gig.

During our weeks off we have been living the ultimate Hawaiian fantasy. Secluded beaches, surfing, cliff-jumping, endless amounts of fresh fish. Life is good here.

Our most recent find is this place called "The end of the world". It's about a 10 minute drive from our house and is a cliff-jumpers fantasy. Huge rocks to climb only to jump in to the most crystal clear water you could imagine. It takes some guts at first, (it took me a few hours to get the courage), but once you jump...woo! what a feeling.

Another wonderful feeling is standing up on a surfboard. Now, I am not quite a pro at this one yet. I am much better at falling and crashing in to the reef and being terrified of eels, sharks and any other animal with teeth biting my toes off. However, Tommy is hooked. Paddling out, watching the swells and then using every muscle and ounce of energy in your body to catch a wave and ride it...it's invigorating.

Me, I'm more of a stand up paddle board kinda gal. It's the new craze apparently. Longer, thicker surfboards with a paddle that enable you to catch every wave and just cruise the water. I love it!

When we're not surfing, cliff-jumping or riding waves, we're usually paddling. We've joined a Polynesian canoe club that goes out Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturday mornings. An Outrigger canoe is essentially a longer canoe that typically holds a team of 6 people. There is a small

ama attached to the side which helps keep it balanced. The paddling part is nothing like canoeing or rafting as you have to press down on the water instead of pulling back. But once the boat gets moving...you can really haul! It's even better to go out in the mornings and watch the sunrise over the mountain as dolphins swim right next to the boat. It truly is paradise.

We miss you all like crazy and hope that you are able to come visit and experience these things with us. We can promise a fantastic time! Hope to see you soon. Aloha.

Halloweenie

In the beginning, we were a little hesitant to celebrate Halloween on the Big Island. We had heard endless stories of how lame the Big Island is in regards to parties and that Honolulu was the place to be. Unfortunately, with the hospital ordeal and our tiny bank accounts-Honolulu was out of the question so we risked it in Hawaii.

And boy are we glad we did. We spent that night at our friends house called "The Dirty Shack". It's basically just a huge plot of land with "shacks" on the property that overlook the gorgeous Kealakekua Bay. Well, the dirty shack certainly knows how to throw a party with dj's, fire twirlers, and tons of fun.

We started off the night as Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton but ended it looking more like trashy rednecks. (not far off).

A few work friends joined us and we had a fabulous time. Whoever said that the Big Island does not know how to celebrate Halloween has clearly never been to the Dirty Shack.