Lovin' Lenka

I can't stop thinking about this singer and the cute video I saw last week on someone's blog. She's adorable and has a sweet voice, uplifting songs...Without trying to sound too old, not like a lot you find today. Many times I'll find a song I like and the rest of the CD has stuff on it I wouldn't want my kids listening to.

I just bought the album and even Sabrina is drawn to it. It makes me smile when I hear it.
Lenka
The Show

Wings over the Pacific

This past weekend we had a chance to visit the Wings over the Pacific air show here at Hickam AFB. This is the third time I've seen the Thunderbirds in action, and it never disappoints. I was a little worried whether the traffic and all would be worth it, but it definitely was. Here's a little video taste...

And some thrills for the crowd...

My favorite maneuver is the starburst where they all split off in opposite directions, but I didn't get a good picture because they did it in a big fluffy cloud. By the end of the day, someone was tuckered out...

Hayden's class was escorted by a Thunderbird pilot on a field trip to the flight line the Friday before the air show. Dennis was an escort also. They had classes from all over the island bus in for it, so most were not military. Dennis said he got some funny kids. He was asked if he had a Top Secret security clearance. He said he did, and the child then said, "then could you tell me if you killed someone?" Dennis told him it depended on the mission, but rest assured, he hadn't.

Another child asked him if the C-17 turned into a Decepticon. When he said no, she asked if it turned into any transformer. Thank you, Hollywood.

Terry Tidbits...

This week's update shares some things we've experienced during our short time here in Hawaii:

* I have fresh Maui Gold pineapple sitting on my kitchen counter.

* I saw an overly tan, bejeweled old couple in Wal-Mart pushing an umbrella stroller with a dog, yes, I said dog, on a pillow in the seat.

* There are only 13 letters in the Hawaiian alphabet.

* I let someone in front of me in traffic and recieved the Hawaiian expression of thanks in traffic...the hand shot out the window in the "Hang loose" or shaka sign.

* Hayden and Sabrina participated in a mock deployment day for the kids where they recieved orders, "deployed" on a real C-17 airplane, practiced drill marching and had a "homecoming".

* The state fish has an incomprehensible long name with 21 letters, and I just realized it's the fish that Sharpay sings about in her skit with Troy in High School Musical 2.

* Dennis had a work function at the Sand Bar. Yes...a beach party during work hours.

* I have seen more Hawaiian print material and patterns than I ever thought possible. I'm even more amazed that it's not just a touristy thing...everyone wears them. Hawaiian shirts at work along with dresses (yes even mu’umu’u's) and beautiful printed sarongs at church. And, they are sold everywhere; in the BX, Wal-Mart, K-Mart, Target, the mall.

* The kids and I have gone to the beach twice during the past two weeks as an after school activity.

* McKenna loves to run through the sprinkler after dinner. It's after 10:30pm now, and it's still 80 degrees.

* The Navy exchange has 10 aisles of flip flops in their shoe department.

* Dennis and I spent our anniversary on a sunset cruise of Waikiki.

* Our Relief Society has a surfing enrichment group.

* We're learning words like keiki (kids), saimin (top ramen-like soup), mahalo (thank you), pu-pu (appetizers), and kama'aina (a local). And, everything is "ohana" this, and "ohana" that...which I remembered from Lilo & Stitch means "family". (yay for Disney!)

* I have yet to see it rain hard, but at least a few times a week we experience a rain that feels so soft and gentle, like kisses on your skin.

* I'm in love with DVR on our cable.

* And, as in my earlier post...SPAM on the menu and in the stores...quite prevalent.

And probably the most shocking to me of all,

* I have become a gardner...picking plants for our front porch, weeding the landscape trim, reveling in the lush and color of it all...the serenity of sitting in the sun, close to the earth. Our entire time in Germany, I only had fake plants, and prior to that....well, lets just say our plants usually died when Dennis was TDY or deployed. No more...look how pretty!

Well, that's our recent notables. I will be back with more news from the islands and how the Terry's are adjusting.