A new year is upon us and here we are sorting through heaps of pictures. Wanting to share but at the same time not overwhelm. So here is the abridged version of our fall, the Holidays and a few visits.
Mid October brought a visit from the Borella's for 2 weeks of touring the island. It was perfect timing as it was right before Pres returned to school and Karl started back to work. Poor Regan had to work but he was able to partake in weekend fun. Safe to say we saw most of the island save the northwest shore. There will be plenty of future visits to make sure they see it all. Great to have them around and test out the guest accommodations. We had thought that all the busy was causing Karl to be exhausted and all the driving was making her continuously car sick. So naive...the same day the parents flew out a pregnancy test revealed the reason for the odd symptoms. Baby #2 arrives in June!
We rounded out the rest of October with Halloween celebrations, celebrated Regs birthday at a great Italian restaurant and keeping up with the rest of our routine. The weather does not change with the seasons so it takes regular calendar checks to figure out what to plan for next. Gone are the days that cooler temps or even snow would trigger the need to prep for the holiday season. Heck, this was the first time Pres has trick or treated without his costume being bulked up for weather. So odd to be wearing shorts and slippers (not called flip flops here) during the months we are traditionally prepping for cabin fever. No need for the snow shovel this year, Yippee!!
In November, Pres returned back to school. He is in his last year of preschool and we were pleased to get him into a good class. He transitioned well and enjoys his new school. His facility is located along the water in Pearl Harbor. Daily, the kiddos see the comings and goings of the big ships. This ended a 3 month stint home with Karl, easily the hardest job she has ever had. Keeping up with Pres, entertaining him, trying to educate him when he requested learning and keeping on top of house work was no small task. If she would have had a performance review her supervisor would have suggested she pursue a different avenue. Thankfully for all those affected, Karl started her job with the Honolulu Transit Authority working on the new rail system. A very controversial project that has a lot of potential to help a severe traffic problem here on the island. So far the challenge and change of pace has been enjoyable, will be very rewarding once construction begins!
Just in time for Thanksgiving, Sean, Sarah, Ethan, Rileigh & Keelie arrived to ensure we didn't have to be on our own. We had a full house that Pres still misses. The kids had such a great time playing together. Unfortunate, that we were just starting into new positions which made time off hard to come by. Additionally, we hadn't broken the baby news so Karl was a bit of a downer with early bedtimes and constant nausea. Sorry Guys!! The SSHalsteds seemed to take it in stride and entertained themselves with regular visits to the beach and pool. They wrapped up their Hawaiian vacay with a hotel stay in Waikiki that was just perfect for accessibility to beach and pools. Always great to have family around.
December arrived and we began looking toward our Christmas trip to the mainland. Preston's elf arrived on his shelf and we checked in with Mall Santa. We also had to get winter clothes for our Cali trip...sounds backwards, right? Since arriving in Hawaii Pres had worn shorts everyday. None of his pants or jeans fit him plus he needed socks! Poor kid was confused about the need for socks again...slippers and Crocs are easy to get used to. From there it was a whirlwind of shopping, greeting cards, packing and jumping on a plane.
Christmas in California was a nice break. Reg was so glad to have crisp air, Karl & Pres just shivered in response to his glee. The fam spoiled us with delicious food, tons of loot and a great time. We were able to meet up with the Hornes, Clines, Dorios and Tischlers which made the trip near perfect. Too short as usual but just enough time for Pres to pick up some kind of belly bug. Just not a trip unless Pres throws up.
Back on island for the New Year and we kept it a private affair which allowed for recovery from the previous weekends trip. Nice to lay low and catch up on this blog ;)
Take care all, Happy New Year!
