Exploring the beach

On the 26^th my friend Stephanie and her husband Patrick arrived in Hawaii.  I met Steph in Virginia, while our husbands attended TBS.  They also got stationed in Hawaii and I couldn’t be happier! It is wonderful to see a familiar face.  We picked them up from the airport and dropped them off at the lodge (our old home for 60 days) to get settled.

Since Kyle and I were on base we decided to go to one of the beaches we had yet to visit.  Fort Hase Beach does not have much of a “beach”, but it has beautiful water, a magnificent view, and fascinating rocks.  I had my camera and I took initiative to have a photo-op…needless to say Kyle wasn’t too excited. ;)  We had a great time just walking around, talking, and taking in the scenery.  Here are a few of my favorite pictures:

Beautiful sand, rocks and ocean.

Okay. I love this picture! :) Kyle was very reluctant to do a picture like this, but I convinced him and glad I did! :)

Wearing my new shirt from Darcy and Josh...love it! 

We love how the trees look like they're blowing in the wind at all times.

A sneaker wave came up and soaked Kyle! It hit that rock in front of him and shot straight up his leg. 

Portugese Man-of-War! This was about as a big one!

:)

Happy New Years Eve! Hope you have had a fabulous year and if not, I hope 2012 is much more joyous! :)

Kyle goes to surgery.

This is going to be a long entry…sorry in advance! It is a health update for Kyle.

Earlier this month Kyle was diagnosed with WPW (Wolff-Parkinsons-White) Syndrome.  For the last couple years Kyle has been having a racing heart rate at very random times.  He could be sitting on the couch watching TV and his heart rate increase like he just ran a 100 meter dash.  We tried to figure out correlations between when it happens to what he was doing, but it was very random.  He would have gone to the doctor sooner, but he was nervous it could possibly discharge him from the Marine Corps.  As a Marine, he did not want to do anything that would get him medically discharged, but his family I wanted him to get it checked out.

This last month his heart was acting up more often than ever before, so we decided he should go to the doctor.  First he met with a Navy Corpsman, next he was sent to the surgeon for the company, then he was sent to Tripler (Army Hospital in Honolulu) to meet with a specialty doctor, and he was finally sent to an electro-cardiologist, Dr. Shen.    

Abnormal pathways between the atria and the ventricles cause WPW.  When signals travel through the abnormal pathway it stimulates the ventricles and causes the rapid heart rate.  To cure WPW, Kyle needed to have surgery.  The surgery itself was non-invasive thank goodness.  Dr. Shen put a catheter through both femoral veins in the groin.  He worked the catheters up to the heart and then mapped out the heart.  This is done so they know exactly where the pathways are and they can make sure they are in a safe spot to ablate them.  Then they start the ablation. 

We showed up at Queens Medical Center at noon on the 22^nd to prep for Kyle’s surgery at 2pm.  They prepped him before 1pm, but luckily we had a TV and Scrubs and Everybody Loves Raymond to keep us busy until 2:45pm when they finally wheeled him into surgery. Usually the surgery takes about 2 hours to complete.  I went to the cafeteria to get dinner, talked to family on the phone, and tried to stay busy on my computer.  Around 7pm Dr. Shen stopped by the room very quickly and quickly told me that it was a tough surgery and they found two pathways, not just one.  He believes they got one completely, but the other one may come back.  Then I briefly caught something about afib and then he hurried away.  Might I add that he is Chinese and is difficult to understand…most of the time.  So I didn’t really think much of it.

Smiles BEFORE surgery

Watching "Scrubs". We thought it'd be suiting.

Kyle's IV.  He did not enjoy this :( He had to keep it in through the night. 

Around 7:20pm Kyle was wheeled backed to the room.  Since they did not sedate him completely, he was awake and pretty coherent, but he still was a little out of it because of the medicine they gave him.  Kyle then proceeds to tell me, “They had to shock me five times!”  Um…excuse me?!  A nurse came back out and told us that he went into atrial fibrillation five times throughout the surgery and they needed to shock him to bring his heart back to a normal rhythm.  They ended up keeping Kyle overnight, but we got a private room, which was nice.  We watched some Law & Order: SVU until they brought Kyle dinner and then we “slept”.  Kyle was hooked up to the heart rate monitor all night so they could keep an eye on his heart rate.  Every time his beats per minute went under 60 the machine would beep obnoxiously.  It happened VERY frequently through the night. I slept on a chair that folded flat, but glad I was able to stay with Kyle. 

Kyle's lovely hospital outfit. :)

All hooked up to monitor for the night. 

In the morning after very little sleep.  I think Kyle looks better than me and I didn't even go through surgery! ;)

We were released around 9am the next morning and headed home to try and sleep since we didn’t sleep well the night before.  Around 10:20am Kyle put his right hand on his heart like he always had previously when is heart rate would sky rocket.  I looked at him and knew.  It was happening again.  We immediately called the Dr because after surgery it should not have happened again.  We got an appointment at 1pm and it had happened another three times.  That’s more than it has ever happened in a day.  Dr. Shen informed us that he believes Kyle has atrial fibrillation and that is why he went into it so many times during surgery.  He had a predisposition to it. 

We were fortunate enough to rush this surgery in time for Kyle to go to AAV School in California on January 7^th.  After surgery he was supposed to be good to go. Now, with his heart still acting up we aren’t sure if he will be able to go.  He had a follow up appointment with the Doctor at Tripler and the doctor wanted him to wear an event monitor (tracks his heart rate) for two weeks and then check in with him.  Two weeks is the 11^th.  That is four days after he is supposed to report.  I am sitting in the room looking at Kyle just knowing he was screaming inside.  We arrived in Hawaii October 1^st and since then Kyle has not been able to be in charge of a platoon since he has not gone to school.  If he can’t go to school in January, the next one isn’t until June.  He desperately wants to go to school to learn and then come back and lead.  Now back to the doctor’s office, I decided to speak up because I didn’t know if Kyle would.  I asked the doctor if we could try one week on the monitor and if his heart is good he can go to school, but if not, then he will stay.  The doctor agreed! We have an appointment on the 5^th and are praying this week Kyle’s heart stays normal and doesn’t act up.  Please pray the same thing! :) 

Thank you family and friends who have been praying for Kyle, his heart, the doctors, and myself! We love you!

Mele Kalikimaka!

Well, our Christmas wasn’t ideal this year.  We didn’t have any family with us and we still don’t have a house or our belongings.  According to Kyle, “There was no Christmas 2011”.  He’s being a tad overdramatic, but I have to agree it was a Christmas unlike any other. 

On Christmas Eve we went to the Sheratan Hawaii Bowl at Aloha Stadium in Honolulu.  Southern Mississippi vs University of Nevada…not really the best Bowl game or teams for that matter, but the tickets were free and it was something to keep us busy. 

Aloha Stadium...very empty!

We started in the shade, but moved to the section that was facing the sun.  I can't believe I'm saying this, but it got a little chilly!

Beautiful rainbow when we were leaving the stadium!

Since we’ve been married less than 2 years we are still trying to merge our family traditions together and even create some of our own.  Kyle said they would always be able to open up a gift on Christmas Eve, so I decided we could do that…at least for now. :)  Kyle gave me a bigger gift and was very anxious for me to open it.  He has a tough time keeping secrets, so that’s what I thought he was so giddy for.  I ripped off the wrapping paper, and it was an Amazon box, so I continued to open the top and what was inside? Well…it was two smaller gifts that were wrapped!  Kyle starts laughing and proceeds to tell me that was the one gift I could open. Ha ha, very funny (if there was a sarcasm font, I would use it here).  We decided we would pick the gift we wanted the other person to open.  I think that may be a tradition we’ll keep…I know I would have loved that as a kid!

After opening our gifts, we drove to Hope Chapel for Christmas Eve service.  This is the church we have been going to the last couple of weeks.  We were invited by the McDaniel’s (friends of ours from Oregon) to go on Friday nights.  They have been attending on Friday evenings, so they can have their Sunday’s free.  Kyle has enjoyed the Friday service, but I think we may switch to Sunday mornings because it’s what we’re used to and I’ve heard there are a lot more couples around our age.  Anyway, Christmas Eve service was wonderful.  I always enjoy church around Christmas.  And I love, Love, LOVE the worship band!  The lead singer has been blessed with a beautiful voice.  And they sang one of my favorite Christmas songs, Oh Holy Night. Here are some of the beautiful lyrics:

“Oh holy night!

The stars are brightly shining

It is the night of our dear Savior’s birth!

Long lay the world in sin and error pining

Till he appear’d and the soul felt its worth.

A thrill of hope the weary world rejoices

For yonder breaks a new and glorious morn!”

By 5:00am Christmas morning I was awaken by screams from the two little girls who live next to us.  Our studio is attached to the family’s house we are renting from.  At first, I admit I was a bit of a Grinch and all I wanted to do was go back to sleep.  But then I was thinking about those girls and listening to their excitement of Santa Clause and it made me think about our future kids.  I bet being a parent and seeing the magic and excitement of Christmas come alive through your kids will be a joyous time. :) 

Then around 5:30am I became a Grinch once again when my child, I mean husband, woke up and started tapping me and telling me to wake up so we can open presents.  All I wanted to do was sleep!  I asked Kyle to wait till at least 8am and he was sweet enough to wait for me.  Since it was just us, we got our stockings and opened them together and followed stockings by taking turns opening our presents from each other and family that was kind enough to ship all the way to Hawaii!  We were very blessed this year! Thank you family!

Best wrapping paper ever! Our stockings combined. Kyle's treat for Santa. Watching "A Christmas Story" (tradition in my family).

One of my favorite TV shows! Kyle with all his amazing gifts! Kyle with his all-time favorite board game, The Settlers of Catan. All my goodies!

Since we’re in Hawaii we HAD to go the beach on Christmas. So that’s exactly what we did. :)  We went to my favorite beach to relax.  Lanikai Beach has beautiful, calm water with the softest sand AND it’s only 5 minutes from where we live!  We spent an hour relaxing on the beach and taking in the sun, but then we had to get back home to start cooking Christmas dinner.

Kyle in the beautiful water on Christmas day. How weird!

In my new cover up dress to wear to the beach, thanks to my in-laws! :)

We were meeting up with a family who is from Oregon.  Kyle used to work with C.J. in high school and he is stationed out here as well.  He has his wife Sarah and their little 5 year old son Clayton.  They have been so kind to invite us over while we were at the lodge and even now when we don’t have much space.  For dinner, Kyle made a 7-layer salad that he LOVES and it was a big hit!  Good job, Kyle!  We also made my mother-in-law’s yam recipe for the first time and it turned out AH-MAZING!  I think we’ll have to make it for more dinners than just holiday meals. 

We had a delicious dinner! They made the ham and mashed potatoes and had rolls to round out our meal.  It was a great Christmas dinner for being the first one without our families.  Hopefully next year we’ll be able to host some of our family in our house…if we ever get one! :) We ended our night by played a board game the McDaniel’s got us for Christmas called “The Logo Game”.  Basically, you need to watch a lot of TV, surf the Internet a ton, or just have an immense amount of knowledge about “things”.  You have to ask questions about logos or companies.  Needless to say, I think Kyle and I watch too much TV. ;)  I also believe my Dad would ROCK at this game with all of his trivia knowledge!

Kyle, Clayton, and CJ

It was nice to get a picture with a full size tree!

Christmas day we talked to our families a couple times throughout the day thanking them for our gifts and seeing how they liked our gifts and in general, just trying to make Christmas feel like we are still “with” each other even though we aren’t.  I am glad the holiday season is over because it really didn’t feel like it this year and I’m already anxious for next year when we will have our belongings and a house and I am going to decorate like a Crazy-Christmas Woman! :)

One blessing about this year is that I have been able to focus more on why we celebrate Christmas…and that is God sending his son to Earth to be born, live without sin, and ultimately dying for our sins.  Not that family takes away from me focusing on Jesus and all He has done for us, but I have had more time to think, praise and thank God for all He’s done.  Luckily, we have found a church that we enjoy…just in time for Christmas! Praise the Lord!  I am ultimately thankful I am free to celebrate the greatest gift we have all been given…Jesus Christ!

Going for a hike

Since we have been in Hawaii we have tried to be adventurous and partake in things we haven't done while being "tourists" here.  Along with being adventurous, we want a good workout too! And boy have we found a good workout hike. Here are a few pictures from three different hikes we've done...so far. :)

Our first hike we took was in Lanikai. It is about 10 minutes from base.  I had done this hike with a woman I met here, Della (who is from Oregon!).  I had been wanting to take Kyle for awhile and the perfect day was on Thanksgiving.  It was our first Thanksgiving away from family and not having access to a stove or oven.  So we went to a sports pub on base at the golf course and they had a delicious Thanksgiving turkey dinner with dessert for only $9.95! What a deal! After our scrumptious meal we decided to take in the sights.

 Kyle halfway up our little hike in Lanikai

Beautiful view. The water always amazes me! 

We saw many people on the hike with dogs and we were excited just thinking about when we get to finally get our German Shepherd...once Kyle gets back from school in March. (For those of you who don't know...we really, Really, REALLY want a German Shepherd!)

Kyle heading down into the old WWII bunker that was at the top of our hike

I will never get tired of the mountains here.

The next hike we went on was Maunawili Falls.  I have no idea why my family has never done this hike before! It's a pretty simple 1 1/2 mile hike, through the jungle and mountains, and the destination in the end was worth it all!

One of the many awesomely, huge trees!

On the trail

One of the open views. Mostly, your just walking through the jungle.

Our destination :) Many people were jumping in, but we didn't bring our suits because we didn't know you can! But next time we will! Family: We will take you to this whenever you come!!! :)

Koko Head Crater Hike was the last one we've done.  Koko Crater is a cinder cone remaining from the last active volcano that occurred on Oahu approximately 10,000 years ago. It reaches 1,207 feet and there are over 1000 steps! The trail was originally used in WWII to transport supplies up the mountain using a cable car.  Now, all that is left is the old railroad track and some bunkers at the top with parts of the machinery that used to pull the cars.  Those of you who know Dog The Bounty Hunter, well his wife walked up and down this to lose her weight! And I can see how it helped! My only suggestion...don't eat at a shrimp shack prior to this hike.

There it awaits...

The beginning.

Almost. There.

View from the top.  Looking out towards Sandy Beach.

Part of the machinery

Hanama Bay

View of Hawaii Kai

Three hikes down...a lot more to go! Hopefully we will be able to take family on some of these once they come visit. We'll post about all our hikes and you can choose which one you want to do. :)

Aloha!

Aloha!  We have been “living” in Hawaii for 10 weeks now and I can’t believe I have not posted a single thing!  I will try to make my next few posts short and sweet, but enough to fill you in on our life in paradise. 

When we first arrived on the island on October 1^st, we were able to relax a bit.  Kyle had 10 days of leave that gave us an opportunity to look for housing, but since we are waiting for on-base housing, we didn’t have anything to do.  So we went to the beach every single day. :)  We went to my family’s (Adams’) favorite beach, Waimanalo Beach Park, which is only 20 minutes from the Marine Corps Base.  The water was beautiful and calm! I loved it, but Kyle wished the waves were bigger.

Waimanalo Beach

Our 2nd day, so a little white still ;)

We also really enjoy Pyramid Rock, which is the beach on base.  It is a beautiful, big beach with big enough waves to boogie board and surf.  Kyle bought a long board to try surfing, but the waves were a bit too big for a beginner, so we need to find a better beach for him (and maybe me) to try surfing. 

Pyramid Rock.  It is right near the air strip, so there are always planes taking off and landing. See the plane in the top left?!

 Boogie boarding stud ;)

As I mentioned, we are WAITING for a house to open up on base.  While we were waiting, we had 60 days to stay in the lodge on base.  It was a motel room with 2 queen size beds, a bathroom, and a mini kitchen with a sink, refrigerator, and microwave.  Near the end of our stay there we were definitely getting a little tired of microwavable food and eating out.  We couldn’t complain much since the Marines pay for our stay in the lodge and they also provide us with money each day for food.  But we were definitely ready for a home-cooked meal.

Kyle and I have been trying to get to know people…especially couples we can become friends with.  I was never the “new kid” growing up, since I went to Colton my whole life, but I am sure this is how they felt.  It is very different moving somewhere and not knowing anyone.  But I do feel that this is the perfect community for doing so.  People are so welcoming and kind, because they are all new at some point.

One of Kyle’s friends/co-workers from when he was in high school is actually stationed out here! CJ, his wife, Sarah, and their son, Clayton have been so kind to us since we arrived.  They have invited us over for a home-cooked meal and it has been great to hang out with fellow Oregonians. 

Since we arrived, I have been attending a Bible Study on base, and the very first day I met a woman named, Della.  We started chatting and both thought we looked familiar and low and behold she went to Western Oregon University with me! What a small world! We have had a chance to get to know each other, which has been a blessing.

Also since we’ve been here we have done a few hiking trails (I’ll post about those soon), experienced our first Thanksgiving without family, moved into a tiny little studio (I’ll post about this later too), went to Kyle’s Regiment’s Christmas party, been preparing for Christmas and Kyle’s surgery (explanation to come).  It is very interesting actually living here and not just vacationing…it hasn’t been ideal since we do not have a home yet, but we are trying to get by..

I’ll leave you with a couple pictures!

Kyle's regiment Christmas party.  They brought a truck load of snow for the kids! Snow in Hawaii...wow! 

Sunset leaving the base. I don't think I'll ever get tired of this view.

Our last week in Virginia...

Boy, did we have a hectic last week in Virginia! My parents flew in on the 23rd and Kyle and I picked them up from the airport at 9pm in DC and drove straight on to Philadelphia. It was a 3 hour drive, but it was nice to catch up with my parents on the car ride north. We spent Saturday and Sunday in Philly and we had a great time seeing historic Philadelphia. Here are some pictures from our trip:

Mom & Dad in Independence Hall in the room the Declaration was signed!

The Liberty Bell

Rocky Statue! 

The Birthplace of the Marine Corps

We went to Hershey, PA! The Hershey Factory was fun and had some tasty treats. :)

Kyle thought this was pretty funny. ;) Lancaster County is home to the Amish community.

Horse and Buggy!

On our way back to VA we decided to do a DC night trip! :)

Beautiful picture of the Lincoln Memorial

One of my favorite pictures! Standing in the Lincoln, looking at the Washington Monument.

D.C. at night is amazing!

The 3 of us went to DC the next day (Monday) to visit museums. :) Here we are in front of the Capitol.

Also on Monday, Kyle's parents, Larry and Rhonda, made it to VA! :) Monday was the last night we would have any pots, pans, dishes, silverware, etc since there would be movers coming on Tuesday to get our "express" shipment (things we would need first thing) off to Hawaii. And when I say express I mean a 45 day shipment! So to be a Suzy Homemaker I wanted to make something for our parents. I decided to make my chicken fajitas, which are delicious and Kyle's favorite! Here is the recipe if you'd like it:

(Not my picture, but looks very similar!)

Ingredients

•  2 teaspoon chile powder
• 2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon onion powder
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
•  ½ cup water
• 6 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 whole skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into ½ inch strips
• 2 green bell pepper-cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 1 red bell pepper-cored, seeded and cut into thin strips
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced
• 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 8-10 corn tortillas, warmed in microwave
• Salsa, sour cream, shredded cheese, shredded lettuce, for serving

Directions

• In a resealable plastic bag, combine chile powder, salt, onion powder, garlic powder, water and 4 tablespoons olive oil. Seal bag and shake until it is completely mixed.
• Add chicken, bell pepper and onion. Seal and knead gently to coat all contents. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet until shimmering. Empty the contents of the bag into the skillet and cook over high heat, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are crisp-tender and the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes.
• Remove from the heat and stir in the limejuice.
• Serve in warmed tortillas and add desired extras (salsa, sour cream, etc.)

Tuesday the movers came to get our express shipment and were in and out in 30 minutes! It was quick, but it was only our kitchen things plus sleeping bags, snorkel gear, and some other necessities. :) Then we spent the day with family.

Wednesday was a LONG day. We had to be on base at 0700 for Warrior Day. At the end of TBS (The Basic School), they have Warrior Day, which is for family and friends. We were greeted by the Major of TBS and we watched a slide show of Charlie Company's time at TBS (I wish I had it to post on here). Then we went outside and they had all different vehicles lined up that the men used throughout TBS, along with weapons. They also had an AAV ride! This is the vehicle Kyle is going to be working with. It was a very bumpy ride and a little bit scary! But it was fun to experience it knowing that is what Kyle is working with. We also were able to shoot some of the guns the men used during training, which we all had a blast doing! Here are a few pictures of our day:

 The whole gang in a 7 ton!

In front of an AAV!

With Rhonda & Larry with our flak jackets and kevlars on ready for our AAV ride!

Here I am shooting an M16

Dad in the prone position shooting the SAW. He had fun. :)

After Warrior Day, we headed back to our apartment to get all done up for the graduation ceremony.   Kyle was definitely ready for this day! It couldn't have come soon enough for him. We both couldn't believe how quickly 6 months had passed. Graduation was a great way to celebrate Kyle's big accomplishment. I know he doesn't think it's a huge accomplishment, but I know the time he had to put in, whether that was in the field, at home working on an order, doing reading, or studying for tests. We're all proud of you Kyle! :)

 My handsome Marine.

With our parents.

Kyle walking across stage

Mandee and her kiddos Marcella and Maddox!

Not the best picture of everyone, but these are 3 other couples in Kyle's platoon who we enjoyed hanging out with.

After graduation, while everyone was outside taking pictures and celebrating, I realized, "Oh my gosh. This is probably the last time I will see some of these wives!" So, I hurried around and tried to find as many of the wives as I could to say goodbye. Luckily, we had a Recipe Party 2 weeks before that for a final farewell. It was fantastic! We made recipe books with each of our favorite recipes. When the books were made we had a party and brought a sample of our food. It was a wonderful idea! It was such a weird feeling knowing that these ladies I've spent so much time with and have become so close with in the last 6 months are going to be stationed around the globe. I am sure going to miss them! And I am so thankful for Facebook and Skype!

We were successful in taking a self-timed picture! Here are the majority of the wives and their kiddos from Charlie Company. 

The day after graduation (Thursday 30th) the movers came. They needed 2 days to pack up our things. The first day there were these 4 ladies who packed all of our items up and Friday there were 3 men who loaded all our items into the moving truck. Those were two long days and Friday was pretty rough...I had to say goodbye to my great friend Mandee and her kids, Marcella and Maddox. We were saying our "goodbyes" and it was such a weird feeling...not knowing if we would even see each other again! At the time, they didn't know where their permanent duty station would be. After about 5 hugs and lots of tears we said goodbye. And now for the amazing news...Mandee's family is coming to Hawaii!!!! :) :) :) I could not believe it when she called me and told me! Her husband, Stu, is deploying in April, so she isn't coming to Hawaii till October when he returns, but I will still have her and her kids with me for 2 years! :)

After packing up our stuff on Friday we said goodbye to Stafford, VA.  Both our families went into historic Alexandria and spent our last evening together walking around and enjoying each others company. The next day, Kyle and I were up bright and early, ready for our long flight/move from D.C. to Chicago and Chicago to Honolulu...where we now call home. Aloha!