I tend to be a positive person, but last week I took a few days to sit on the pity pot. Several things happened to make me think Andy was getting worse. I also had several conversations with 2 people close to us who thought the same thing. On top of that a number of other things happened to discourage me and cause me to forget how good I really have it.
Let me be honest, though, my positive attitude is not to my credit. Long ago I was impressed with 1 Corinthians 4:7: "For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?" So since receiving the diagnosis of Andy's Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, I've blogged about how blessed we are and how God is meeting our needs. All this is true, but I let a couple of disappointments creep into my thinking and get me down.
God is good, though. He didn't let me stay there but sent along people to encourage me. On Wednesday evening, 2 men from our church board came over to meet with Andy and me and try to understand our financial situation now that Andy is receiving disability. They were so kind and caring and expressed a desire to help us as much as they could.
Thursday was my birthday and I got a lot of attention on facebook, as well as cards in the mail and calls from my friends and family members. I met with another friend for an hour to talk and connect. Another friend took me out for coffee on Saturday. That was a sweet time, as well.
Andy and I had talked about our upstairs rentors and felt like we needed to raise the rent because our utilities and water bills were really high this winter. When they moved in, we charged them a very minimal rate because they were a young family with lots of bills. I talked to them on Saturday afternoon and told them we felt like we had to raise the rent. They didn't say anything then, but that evening they came down to tell us they found another apartment and would be moving out March 1. They had already found the apartment before I told them about the raised rent, so I was very relieved that they didn't move out because we wanted more money. We've been very happy to have them here, they have blessed us in many ways, most of all by shoveling our driveway whenever it snows. (And it has snowed a lot this winter!)
So we were going to lose some income, but the Lord reminded me that about a month ago, L had asked me if our apartment was available for someone who needed a place to stay. Of course, at that time, it wasn't. I texted L on Sunday morning to ask if this person still needed an apartment, and what do you know! She did. She came over to look at it and to meet us and was happy to pay the price we asked (which was $150 more than what we had been getting)! So even when I get discouraged, God is still there, loving me and showing me he is well aware of what is going on. He is constantly working things out, even before we know we'll need Him to.
God uses people, but He also uses His Word to minister to me. How precious it is. This morning I was reading a chapter in A Godward Life: Savoring the Supremacy of God by John Piper. I wish I could include the entire chapter here but it's very long and I don't think I want to type the whole thing. Essentially, though, John Piper used John 12:24-25 as his meditation: "Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal."
Basically, he said: "It doesn't matter what happens to me." These verses are a call to die. If we are to bear fruit for God, we must die. When I am dead, I don't care what happens. It will make no difference to me, I will be home with Jesus. And that's the way it is now, too, if I have died already with Christ, which all Christians have. "Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires." (Galatians 5:24). Crucified means dead. So in a profound sense I am dead on the earth. "[My life] is hidden with Christ in God." (Colossians 3:3). So it just doesn't matter what happens to me here on earth. It doesn't matter if I am getting older. It doesn't matter if my husband is losing his memory. It doesn't matter if our finances are less than what I've been used to. If I am dead, these things just don't matter much.
Piper goes on to ask: "What's the point of all this? Is it aimless masochism? No. It is the path of true love, true life and true worship. Our aim in dying is fruit: 'but if it dies, it bears much fruit'." (John 12:24). Our aim in dying is to exalt the worth of Christ. "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things" (Philippians 3:8).
So I need to continually remind myself that this life is only a stepping stone to eternity. Along with Paul, I want to "testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God." (Acts 20:24) In essence, Paul is saying, "It doesn't matter what happens to me if I can just live to the glory of His grace." God's grace is all around, everywhere and in rich abundance. He has showered me in His grace, in fact, I'm drowning in it!
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
She's Here
It wasn't necessarily an easy delivery, but she's here: Grandbaby #10. And there was a discussion on the spelling of the name, but I think the end result is Kasey Ann Sherf. She weighed in at 7 lbs. 10 oz. and was 21 inches long.
We had big sister Kira all day Saturday while Dawn was recovering from the c-section. We read lots of books, saw lots of movies, played with PopPop and ate dinner at Chick-Fil-A.
We even managed to fit in a trip to the hospital to see Kasey and Dawn.
Dawn came home from the hospital today so we had Kira again while Dawn settled in at home with Kasey. She was able to get in a nap before we took Kira back home.
We're thankful things turned out as well as they did. Every time I've seen Kasey, she's been asleep. She seems like a contented baby.
We had big sister Kira all day Saturday while Dawn was recovering from the c-section. We read lots of books, saw lots of movies, played with PopPop and ate dinner at Chick-Fil-A.
We even managed to fit in a trip to the hospital to see Kasey and Dawn.
Dawn came home from the hospital today so we had Kira again while Dawn settled in at home with Kasey. She was able to get in a nap before we took Kira back home.
We're thankful things turned out as well as they did. Every time I've seen Kasey, she's been asleep. She seems like a contented baby.
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
From Suffering to Glory
I was reading Comforts from the Cross by Elyse Fitzpatrick on her thoughts on Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. She tackled that difficult question: "If God loves us, and we believe that he does, then why doesn't he use his power to prevent suffering?"
Take as an example Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Mary & Martha sent Jesus a message that Lazarus was ill. The passage says that Jesus loved Lazarus but he stayed 2 more days before setting out for the home of his friends. It's easy to think that we know what would best bring glory to God. "When it's my pain or loss, I think that God's glory would be seen most clearly in my immediate deliverance...but Jesus is more interested in our eternal cure than he is in our temporal relief."
The author goes on to say that "Jesus is not a genie in a bottle nor is he a heartless despot. He is [my] compassionate Savior." Jesus knew he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, but still he wept. He is not indifferent to our pain. And he told Mary & Martha that "if [they] believed, [they] would see the glory of God."
So in our trial, how do we see the glory of God? We have the promise of eternal glory where we will be free from all pain and illness and everything bad. But even here and now, we experience a taste of glory by his comfort, grace, strength that he freely pours out on us.
I saw this in a wonderful way on Sunday. While we were in Hawaii, a man in our church was discovered to have a brain tumor. We knew there was that possibility before we left, but while we were gone, we heard that he became very ill very quickly and died. We spoke to his widow on Sunday and were blessed by her conversation with us. She had tears as she spoke, but at the same time she was radiant as she talked about how God was comforting her and meeting her needs.
And we experience the same thing. God does indeed give grace to help in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). I am continually amazed at how much joy I feel and the hope I have in spite of our difficult situation.
It seems that Andy has stabilized. He seems to have more physical stamina and is also feeling better emotionally. His doctors have advised him to try to be diligent with exercise, rest and a minimum of stress. And that advice seems to be working. He is still forgetful and easily confused, but feels better. His tremors are less pronounced when he is exercising regularly. These are encouraging signs.
These last few days have been busy with family. Asher's 6th birthday was last Friday. Earlier that week, we thought Dawn might be having her baby, so I told her I'd pick Kira up on Friday after work and take her with us to celebrate Asher's birthday. The baby was not born when we thought (and still has not made her entrance into the world), but we still took Kira with us so she could have a little time with her cousins and Dawn could have a break. We had a good time with the family. Christy is such a good cook and made pizza, plus a New York style cheesecake with strawberries and blueberries for the topping. We had so much fun being there, but when I told Kira it was time to go, she was very unhappy.
Even though Kira was unhappy, she has a sensitive conscience. On the way home, she told us she was sorry. I probed and asked what she was sorry for, and she said "for not wanting to go home." I again played "devil's advocate" by saying, "well, Kira, I really didn't want to leave either." But she persisted in following through with her confession, saying, "But Grammy, please forgive me. I'm sorry." Andy and I were very touched and thrilled to experience her sensitivity to her sin.
Amy & Ricky came down on Sunday with their kids to attend church with us. Then they came home and had lunch with us, too. Amy brought a big pot of soup with some rolls. Dawn, Tommy & Kira came over to spend some time together, as well. The kids have such a good time playing together.
Monday was Dawn's birthday and she had contractions in the morning, which made her think she was going to have the baby that day. That would have been exciting because it was her birthday, as well as her due date. She had told me that only 5% of babies are born on their due date. She probably would have upped that percentage if this baby had been born on Monday because Kira was actually born on her due date. But it was not to be.
Dawn still hasn't had her baby, so I invited her over for dinner on Tuesday. Tommy was working late and unable to join us. I made her favorite dinner that I only make once a year - just for her. So that cheered her up.
As much as the family has been together in the last couple of days, I have no pictures to prove it. I just didn't think of taking pictures until everyone was gone. Well, the memories live on in our hearts.
Take as an example Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. Mary & Martha sent Jesus a message that Lazarus was ill. The passage says that Jesus loved Lazarus but he stayed 2 more days before setting out for the home of his friends. It's easy to think that we know what would best bring glory to God. "When it's my pain or loss, I think that God's glory would be seen most clearly in my immediate deliverance...but Jesus is more interested in our eternal cure than he is in our temporal relief."
The author goes on to say that "Jesus is not a genie in a bottle nor is he a heartless despot. He is [my] compassionate Savior." Jesus knew he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, but still he wept. He is not indifferent to our pain. And he told Mary & Martha that "if [they] believed, [they] would see the glory of God."
So in our trial, how do we see the glory of God? We have the promise of eternal glory where we will be free from all pain and illness and everything bad. But even here and now, we experience a taste of glory by his comfort, grace, strength that he freely pours out on us.
I saw this in a wonderful way on Sunday. While we were in Hawaii, a man in our church was discovered to have a brain tumor. We knew there was that possibility before we left, but while we were gone, we heard that he became very ill very quickly and died. We spoke to his widow on Sunday and were blessed by her conversation with us. She had tears as she spoke, but at the same time she was radiant as she talked about how God was comforting her and meeting her needs.
And we experience the same thing. God does indeed give grace to help in our time of need (Hebrews 4:16). I am continually amazed at how much joy I feel and the hope I have in spite of our difficult situation.
It seems that Andy has stabilized. He seems to have more physical stamina and is also feeling better emotionally. His doctors have advised him to try to be diligent with exercise, rest and a minimum of stress. And that advice seems to be working. He is still forgetful and easily confused, but feels better. His tremors are less pronounced when he is exercising regularly. These are encouraging signs.
These last few days have been busy with family. Asher's 6th birthday was last Friday. Earlier that week, we thought Dawn might be having her baby, so I told her I'd pick Kira up on Friday after work and take her with us to celebrate Asher's birthday. The baby was not born when we thought (and still has not made her entrance into the world), but we still took Kira with us so she could have a little time with her cousins and Dawn could have a break. We had a good time with the family. Christy is such a good cook and made pizza, plus a New York style cheesecake with strawberries and blueberries for the topping. We had so much fun being there, but when I told Kira it was time to go, she was very unhappy.
Even though Kira was unhappy, she has a sensitive conscience. On the way home, she told us she was sorry. I probed and asked what she was sorry for, and she said "for not wanting to go home." I again played "devil's advocate" by saying, "well, Kira, I really didn't want to leave either." But she persisted in following through with her confession, saying, "But Grammy, please forgive me. I'm sorry." Andy and I were very touched and thrilled to experience her sensitivity to her sin.
Amy & Ricky came down on Sunday with their kids to attend church with us. Then they came home and had lunch with us, too. Amy brought a big pot of soup with some rolls. Dawn, Tommy & Kira came over to spend some time together, as well. The kids have such a good time playing together.
Monday was Dawn's birthday and she had contractions in the morning, which made her think she was going to have the baby that day. That would have been exciting because it was her birthday, as well as her due date. She had told me that only 5% of babies are born on their due date. She probably would have upped that percentage if this baby had been born on Monday because Kira was actually born on her due date. But it was not to be.
Dawn still hasn't had her baby, so I invited her over for dinner on Tuesday. Tommy was working late and unable to join us. I made her favorite dinner that I only make once a year - just for her. So that cheered her up.
As much as the family has been together in the last couple of days, I have no pictures to prove it. I just didn't think of taking pictures until everyone was gone. Well, the memories live on in our hearts.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Aloha
We just got back from Hawaii and it really is as beautiful as everyone says it is. Now we know because we have experienced it ourselves. We have made a lot of wonderful trips and this one was one of the best.
Here is a recap for anyone who's interested.
January 10
We made it to California, a long flight. Our plane was delayed out of Philadelphia because it had to be de-iced. I was worried they would cancel the flight because of the freezing rain, but we finally were cleared to take off. We only had 30 minutes to change planes in Denver and because we were late, I thought we might have to stay there overnight, but the connection flight waited for us. Thankfully.
January 11
Arrived in Hilo on the "big island" of Hawaii around 2:00 pm, picked up our rental car and took off toward the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
It was overcast with intermittent sprinkles, but we saw the volcano. It was pretty awesome driving by steam vents and walking through lava tubes and seeing huge lava fields. We hiked along a lush rain forest trail up on a cliff above the lava fields.
The rest of the afternoon was spent driving to Kailua-Kona where we ate dinner and spent the night.
Andy was definitely not as he used to be. He's easily confused and asks me numerous times what we're doing. I am doing all the driving and planning, as well as trying to figure out where we need to go at the airports, etc. This is such a change from former trips when I just followed his lead. But we still enjoyed being away and together.
January 12
Spent this day exploring Hawaii. First stop: Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park. There was a great hike to the beach. It's a volcanic island and there were fields and fields of rocks. We were amazed, though, at the tenacity of life, ferns and plants growing out of the lava.
Next stop was Kehaha Kai State Park. We started driving in, but the road was in terrible condition. Andy was worried about damaging the car so we turned around and left. The whole drive up the west coast was scenic with occasional views of the ocean. Another stop we made was the Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area. Because it was Sunday, there were a lot of people there. It was a beautiful beach. We sat for a while on the sand soaking in some sun and the beauty of the spot. Andy waded in the water.
We had been told to check out the Waipi'o Valley Lookout, so we drove up there - worth it - wow! We could see across to huge cliffs coming down to the beach.
Then another stop was the Akaka Falls State Park. It looked like rain so we carried our umbrellas with us. It was a beautiful hike through lush jungle. It started to rain. Up went the umbrellas. It rained buckets and our feet and legs got soaked! We saw a beautiful waterfall, kept walking, and saw another waterfall. What an adventure.
January 13
Left the hotel at 5:45 am, dropped off the rental car, then waited to board the plane to Maui. Kerby & Judy picked us up and we stopped for breakfast on the way to their house. What a beautiful lovely place they have. They have 2 acres of property with all kinds of beautiful trees and bushes. Their house is built in such a way that every room opens out onto the patio surrounding the pool. The trees on their property include lemons, tangelos, avocados, papayas, starfruit, plumeria trees (for making leis), fig trees, African tulip trees, flumago, hibiscus, red ginger, white ginger, all kinds of varieties of palms, bottlebrush trees, bougainvillea, etc.
It was a very nice restful and relaxing day, sat by the pool for a while, then up on the deck to watch the sunset, which we missed because clouds rolled in. What a view from the house. They're situated up on a hill with a view of the ocean.
January 14
We attempted to go to Iao Needle, but it was in the rain forest of Maui and when we got there, surprise! It was raining! So we didn't stay. Then we drove down to the beach at Maalaea
Bay. There was a boardwalk about .6 miles long that we walked along: the Kealia Coastal Boardwalk. We saw several ae'o (Hawaiian stilts). The only place in the world they exist is on the island of Maui.
January 15
More showers put a damper on our plans, but it was nice to just relax. In the afternoon we went out whale watching. That was a success, saw quite a few.
Also got caught in a shower, which fortunately didn't last long, then saw a beautiful double rainbow.
Kerby and Judy took us out to eat at a restaurant called Monkey Pod Kitchen. Our waitress was from Haddonfield, NJ!
January 16
Drove up the Haleakala National Park. When we started, it was nice and clear, but driving up, the clouds rolled in and we though we wouldn't be able to see anything when we got to the top, which is a little over 10,000 feet. But when we got there, there was enough of a breeze to blow the clouds away. We were able to see down the slopes of the volcano, cone after cone.
It's pretty barren up there, but there were these very interesting plants, called "silver swords." This is the only place in the world that they are found.
January 17
Drove around Maui, starting out on the Hana Highway. This is a 68 mile stretch of road along the eastern and southern shores of Maui. That 68 miles, though, is very twisty, with hairpin curves, up and down, one lane bridges, all through very interesting terrain, like bamboo forests, rainbow eucalyptus trees, etc. Of course, it was fun doing it with Kerby and Judy, with Kerby keeping us entertained with interesting stories and tidbits along the way.
January 18
Got up early this morning and went to the Maui Swap Market. Found some fun things for the grandkids before heading back to Judy and Kerby's to pack up and head off to Kaua'i.
January 19
We are fumbling along on our own after being spoiled by Kerby and Judy taking care of us. I was feeling overwhelmed and inadequate this morning. When we arrived last night, it was raining and dark and we were driving around not knowing where to go. I woke up an hour before Andy so had time to pray and be ministered to by the Lord. Jesus' command to Joshua came to my mind, where Joshua is told to "be strong, be courageous, because I will be with you." Granted, I am not fighting the battles that Joshua would encounter, but I'm dealing with battles, nonetheless. So when Andy woke up, we planned our day. As we opened up our hotel door to step outside, we were greeted by sunshine and blue skies! Yeah! Thank you, Jesus.
We ate a hearty breakfast at a nearby cafe, then started our drive to Waimea Canyon - the grand canyon of the Pacific. It was certainly grand and thoroughly enjoyable.
After that, we drove around, made a few more stops at interesting spots before having lunch. All the restaurants have open windows and lots of beautiful landscaping and potted plants. It truly is a paradise.
January 20
Drove on the east side of Kaua'i to Wailua River to take the Smith Family River Boat tour. That was fun with Hawaiian entertainment on the way to the Fern Grotto where ferns grow upside down out of the rocky cliff.
It was a beautiful day with blue skies and no rain. That is pretty amazing considering we were near the rainiest spot in the world. The interior of the island gets 400-600 inches of rain a year! We were told that in 1996, during a severe hurricane, it rained non-stop for 42 days straight and that year the average rainfall was 700 inches.
The rest of the day we continued driving along the eastern, then northern shorelines, stopping at beaches along the way. The sea is so blue/green and clear. You can see the bottom with lots of white crashing waves. We stopped at places like: Anahola, Kilauea, Hanalei, Anini Beach, Ha'ena State Park on the Na Pali coast. We went to the end of the road.
January 21
Left early this morning for Honolulu on Oahu. This island is very different from what we've seen so far. It's the most inhabited island, with lots of people, very urban, lots of high rises and congestion. Our first stop was to Pearl Harbor where we visited the USS Missouri Memorial. This memorial was built right over the sunken ship. We're glad we saw and experienced that.
When we left the memorial, we wanted to see Waikiki Beach. Traffic downtown was horrendous. We drove in circles for a while before finding a parking spot. Saw the beach - it is beautiful but there were lots of people.
Ate some lunch outdoors, holding onto our stuff because there was a stiff breeze. Then we drove to Diamond Head.
There were lots of surfers there, but we felt out of our element, very tired and had a headache, so decided to find the hotel and call it a day.
January 22
Got several texts that there was a big snow storm at home. ha, ha - we missed it! We were enjoying warm sun and cool breezes, wearing shorts and sandals.
Today was fun. We found a nice little cafe for breakfast before heading out to explore Oahu. We drove south from Honolulu, then east and north, traveling around the edge of the island, stopping at beach parks along the way: Kuli'ou'ou, saw the blow hole,
Makapu'u Beach Park, Wainanalo, Kailua (best beach),
saw the Byodo-in-temple,
Kahana Bay Beach Park, Hau'ula Beach Park, stopped at the Polynesian Cultural Center (but didn't want to pay admission because we couldn't stay long), La'ie Point, Kahuku, Kawela Bay, Sunset Beach, Waimea and Waimea Falls.
Traffic on the north shore coastal road was horrendous, bumper to bumper for many miles. The surf was especially fierce today, much higher than usual and EVERYONE was out to see it. The coastal road is only 2 lanes and it was stop and go the whole way. We estimated that the lines of traffic stretched for 30 miles at least. I think everyone on the island decided to take the day off to see those gigantic waves. And they were something to see. The wind was so strong all day, it was blowing mist from the waves high into the air and across the road. Cars and people were everywhere. It took 15 minutes to drive 1-1/2 miles. We saw all kinds of photographers and news vans. Supposedly, this was touted as the waves of the decade, estimated at 40-50 feet high. No one was surfing in it - it was way too dangerous.
When we got back, we decided to go to the Cheesecake Factory to eat. My iphone got us there, but there was no where to park. I stopped and asked a policeman what to do. He directed us to go around the block and park in a parking garage. So we did. Then we had to walk to the restaurant several blocks, walking through a shopping mall on the way. I kept trying to remember landmarks along the way, hoping we could find our way back to the parking garage. I had to ask several people how to get to the Cheesecake Factory and we finally got there. After all that effort, we were told it would be a 50 minute wait and it was already 6:00 pm. So we left and ate pizza at the food court in the mall. We did end up finding the parking garage, had to pay $4, and were also able to find the car. It all ended ok!
January 23-24
Flew to California on Thursday, then to Philadelphia on Friday. It's good to be home again, sleeping in our own bed and being surrounded by the familiar.
But it was a good time away. We saw many beautiful sights. Hawaii is truly lovely. It was somewhat stressful at times with Andy not himself. He was easily confused and not very helpful. I felt out of my element at times and unsure of myself. Overall, though, it went well. My plans were well laid and things went as smoothly as they could, I think.
Here is a recap for anyone who's interested.
January 10
We made it to California, a long flight. Our plane was delayed out of Philadelphia because it had to be de-iced. I was worried they would cancel the flight because of the freezing rain, but we finally were cleared to take off. We only had 30 minutes to change planes in Denver and because we were late, I thought we might have to stay there overnight, but the connection flight waited for us. Thankfully.
January 11
Arrived in Hilo on the "big island" of Hawaii around 2:00 pm, picked up our rental car and took off toward the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.
It was overcast with intermittent sprinkles, but we saw the volcano. It was pretty awesome driving by steam vents and walking through lava tubes and seeing huge lava fields. We hiked along a lush rain forest trail up on a cliff above the lava fields.
The rest of the afternoon was spent driving to Kailua-Kona where we ate dinner and spent the night.
Andy was definitely not as he used to be. He's easily confused and asks me numerous times what we're doing. I am doing all the driving and planning, as well as trying to figure out where we need to go at the airports, etc. This is such a change from former trips when I just followed his lead. But we still enjoyed being away and together.
January 12
Spent this day exploring Hawaii. First stop: Kaloko-Honokohau National Historical Park. There was a great hike to the beach. It's a volcanic island and there were fields and fields of rocks. We were amazed, though, at the tenacity of life, ferns and plants growing out of the lava.
Next stop was Kehaha Kai State Park. We started driving in, but the road was in terrible condition. Andy was worried about damaging the car so we turned around and left. The whole drive up the west coast was scenic with occasional views of the ocean. Another stop we made was the Hapuna Beach State Recreation Area. Because it was Sunday, there were a lot of people there. It was a beautiful beach. We sat for a while on the sand soaking in some sun and the beauty of the spot. Andy waded in the water.
We had been told to check out the Waipi'o Valley Lookout, so we drove up there - worth it - wow! We could see across to huge cliffs coming down to the beach.
Then another stop was the Akaka Falls State Park. It looked like rain so we carried our umbrellas with us. It was a beautiful hike through lush jungle. It started to rain. Up went the umbrellas. It rained buckets and our feet and legs got soaked! We saw a beautiful waterfall, kept walking, and saw another waterfall. What an adventure.
January 13
Left the hotel at 5:45 am, dropped off the rental car, then waited to board the plane to Maui. Kerby & Judy picked us up and we stopped for breakfast on the way to their house. What a beautiful lovely place they have. They have 2 acres of property with all kinds of beautiful trees and bushes. Their house is built in such a way that every room opens out onto the patio surrounding the pool. The trees on their property include lemons, tangelos, avocados, papayas, starfruit, plumeria trees (for making leis), fig trees, African tulip trees, flumago, hibiscus, red ginger, white ginger, all kinds of varieties of palms, bottlebrush trees, bougainvillea, etc.
It was a very nice restful and relaxing day, sat by the pool for a while, then up on the deck to watch the sunset, which we missed because clouds rolled in. What a view from the house. They're situated up on a hill with a view of the ocean.
January 14
We attempted to go to Iao Needle, but it was in the rain forest of Maui and when we got there, surprise! It was raining! So we didn't stay. Then we drove down to the beach at Maalaea
Bay. There was a boardwalk about .6 miles long that we walked along: the Kealia Coastal Boardwalk. We saw several ae'o (Hawaiian stilts). The only place in the world they exist is on the island of Maui.
January 15
More showers put a damper on our plans, but it was nice to just relax. In the afternoon we went out whale watching. That was a success, saw quite a few.
Also got caught in a shower, which fortunately didn't last long, then saw a beautiful double rainbow.
Kerby and Judy took us out to eat at a restaurant called Monkey Pod Kitchen. Our waitress was from Haddonfield, NJ!
January 16
Drove up the Haleakala National Park. When we started, it was nice and clear, but driving up, the clouds rolled in and we though we wouldn't be able to see anything when we got to the top, which is a little over 10,000 feet. But when we got there, there was enough of a breeze to blow the clouds away. We were able to see down the slopes of the volcano, cone after cone.
It's pretty barren up there, but there were these very interesting plants, called "silver swords." This is the only place in the world that they are found.
January 17
Drove around Maui, starting out on the Hana Highway. This is a 68 mile stretch of road along the eastern and southern shores of Maui. That 68 miles, though, is very twisty, with hairpin curves, up and down, one lane bridges, all through very interesting terrain, like bamboo forests, rainbow eucalyptus trees, etc. Of course, it was fun doing it with Kerby and Judy, with Kerby keeping us entertained with interesting stories and tidbits along the way.
January 18
Got up early this morning and went to the Maui Swap Market. Found some fun things for the grandkids before heading back to Judy and Kerby's to pack up and head off to Kaua'i.
January 19
We are fumbling along on our own after being spoiled by Kerby and Judy taking care of us. I was feeling overwhelmed and inadequate this morning. When we arrived last night, it was raining and dark and we were driving around not knowing where to go. I woke up an hour before Andy so had time to pray and be ministered to by the Lord. Jesus' command to Joshua came to my mind, where Joshua is told to "be strong, be courageous, because I will be with you." Granted, I am not fighting the battles that Joshua would encounter, but I'm dealing with battles, nonetheless. So when Andy woke up, we planned our day. As we opened up our hotel door to step outside, we were greeted by sunshine and blue skies! Yeah! Thank you, Jesus.
We ate a hearty breakfast at a nearby cafe, then started our drive to Waimea Canyon - the grand canyon of the Pacific. It was certainly grand and thoroughly enjoyable.
After that, we drove around, made a few more stops at interesting spots before having lunch. All the restaurants have open windows and lots of beautiful landscaping and potted plants. It truly is a paradise.
January 20
Drove on the east side of Kaua'i to Wailua River to take the Smith Family River Boat tour. That was fun with Hawaiian entertainment on the way to the Fern Grotto where ferns grow upside down out of the rocky cliff.
It was a beautiful day with blue skies and no rain. That is pretty amazing considering we were near the rainiest spot in the world. The interior of the island gets 400-600 inches of rain a year! We were told that in 1996, during a severe hurricane, it rained non-stop for 42 days straight and that year the average rainfall was 700 inches.
The rest of the day we continued driving along the eastern, then northern shorelines, stopping at beaches along the way. The sea is so blue/green and clear. You can see the bottom with lots of white crashing waves. We stopped at places like: Anahola, Kilauea, Hanalei, Anini Beach, Ha'ena State Park on the Na Pali coast. We went to the end of the road.
January 21
Left early this morning for Honolulu on Oahu. This island is very different from what we've seen so far. It's the most inhabited island, with lots of people, very urban, lots of high rises and congestion. Our first stop was to Pearl Harbor where we visited the USS Missouri Memorial. This memorial was built right over the sunken ship. We're glad we saw and experienced that.
When we left the memorial, we wanted to see Waikiki Beach. Traffic downtown was horrendous. We drove in circles for a while before finding a parking spot. Saw the beach - it is beautiful but there were lots of people.
Ate some lunch outdoors, holding onto our stuff because there was a stiff breeze. Then we drove to Diamond Head.
January 22
Got several texts that there was a big snow storm at home. ha, ha - we missed it! We were enjoying warm sun and cool breezes, wearing shorts and sandals.
Today was fun. We found a nice little cafe for breakfast before heading out to explore Oahu. We drove south from Honolulu, then east and north, traveling around the edge of the island, stopping at beach parks along the way: Kuli'ou'ou, saw the blow hole,
Makapu'u Beach Park, Wainanalo, Kailua (best beach),
Kahana Bay Beach Park, Hau'ula Beach Park, stopped at the Polynesian Cultural Center (but didn't want to pay admission because we couldn't stay long), La'ie Point, Kahuku, Kawela Bay, Sunset Beach, Waimea and Waimea Falls.
Traffic on the north shore coastal road was horrendous, bumper to bumper for many miles. The surf was especially fierce today, much higher than usual and EVERYONE was out to see it. The coastal road is only 2 lanes and it was stop and go the whole way. We estimated that the lines of traffic stretched for 30 miles at least. I think everyone on the island decided to take the day off to see those gigantic waves. And they were something to see. The wind was so strong all day, it was blowing mist from the waves high into the air and across the road. Cars and people were everywhere. It took 15 minutes to drive 1-1/2 miles. We saw all kinds of photographers and news vans. Supposedly, this was touted as the waves of the decade, estimated at 40-50 feet high. No one was surfing in it - it was way too dangerous.
When we got back, we decided to go to the Cheesecake Factory to eat. My iphone got us there, but there was no where to park. I stopped and asked a policeman what to do. He directed us to go around the block and park in a parking garage. So we did. Then we had to walk to the restaurant several blocks, walking through a shopping mall on the way. I kept trying to remember landmarks along the way, hoping we could find our way back to the parking garage. I had to ask several people how to get to the Cheesecake Factory and we finally got there. After all that effort, we were told it would be a 50 minute wait and it was already 6:00 pm. So we left and ate pizza at the food court in the mall. We did end up finding the parking garage, had to pay $4, and were also able to find the car. It all ended ok!
January 23-24
Flew to California on Thursday, then to Philadelphia on Friday. It's good to be home again, sleeping in our own bed and being surrounded by the familiar.
But it was a good time away. We saw many beautiful sights. Hawaii is truly lovely. It was somewhat stressful at times with Andy not himself. He was easily confused and not very helpful. I felt out of my element at times and unsure of myself. Overall, though, it went well. My plans were well laid and things went as smoothly as they could, I think.
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