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!

Catching Up...

Wow! Life has been crazy this last month! Obviously, since I haven't posted anything since then!!! So sorry guys! I will try to catch you up on what we have been doing :)

Life in the past month summed up in bullets:

• Kyle and I enjoyed our first couples massage *sigh* I bought the massages for half off on Groupon (an amazing website you should all check out!)
• My car was backed into by an old man in the parking lot on base :( He was inching back, but there was still some paint damage. It was fixed pretty quickly though and not too much of a hassle with insurance thank goodness!
• The stock market dropped...A LOT. No fun for our money :(
• Kyle took me to the Marine Corps Museum which is right near the base. It was a huge museum full of USMC history and had a TON to look at and read!

In front of the Marine Corps Museum

Inside the Museum

• We found out we will be living in Paradise, aka Hawaii, for the next 3 years! Yippee! I know our family and friends are already looking forward to visiting :) And you are ALL welcome because we also purchased a queen mattress for our guest room!
• Kyle and I experienced our biggest earthquake EVER (5.8)! Kyle was sitting in the barracks and I was sitting on the couch watching Kathy Lee and Hoda. I never expected to feel that on the East Coast! And boy have we had our share of natural disasters over here! When we first moved out here there was a tornado and then we had hurricane Irene come through a couple weeks ago too!
• We made a trip to Great Falls Park where there were beautiful hiking trails and falls cascading over high rocks. 

In front of the Falls

Pretty.

• We are know called Uncle Kyle and Auntie Brittney :) My little brother, Tyler, and his girlfriend, Katrina, welcomed their baby girl Macie into this world on September 7th at 9:08am. Unfortunately, that day Kyle went out into the field to start his 8 day "WAR" (make-believe war where the company is split in half and they fight each other). A couple hours after her birth, while talking to my sister, Megan, I started crying. I was sad that being away makes me miss moments like that. I would have been better if Kyle could have been there to comfort me, but he didn't even get out of the field for 8 more days! So...I pulled at my parents heart strings and they flew me out to Oregon 1 day later! :) I was home for 6 days to be able to spend with my niece and family. Kyle had no idea I was gone until he got home! I knew he was going to be bummed that I wouldn't be there to welcome him home, but I couldn't resist going to meet my niece because I have no idea when I'll see her next. :( Kyle understood. :)

My first time holding Macie!

So adorable!

The parents.

The family minus Kyle and Greg

Love her!

• The War. I knew the war was going to take a toll on Kyle and all the guys because the weather was ridiculous! It rained non-stop for the first 3 days. Kyle said it's the most rain he has ever seen come down in that amount of time. Then the rest of the time it was hot and VERY humid. Kyle held a position during the war where he was platoon commander. He was in charge of his platoon during the offense. He had to come up with a plan to defeat the defense. Kyle led his Marines to a victory, but he lost 3 men, including himself :( But...his commander told him if it were real life he would have earned a silver star so he was proud of himself ;) Here is an article that was in the Quantico Sentry (a newspaper on base) that was written about Kyle and what happened while he was in command: http://www.quantico.usmc.mil/Sentry/storyview.aspx?SID=5523
• I have been spending almost every day with my good friend Mandee and her two little kiddos, Marcella (2) and Maddox (8 months). Unfortunately, Mandee and I just met back in July, so we haven't had too much time together. Her husband is in Kyle's company. They still don't know where they will be stationed, but her and I are hoping for Hawaii. :)

The Gliwa's and me!

It's a little dark, but a few wives out for Mandee's Birthday while the guys are gone for the war.

• PCS (Permanent Change of Station). We are PCSing for the first time and it is ridiculous! I have power of attorney, so I have to make all the phone calls, fill out paperwork, and pretty much plan our move by myself. I had to plan a lot of it while Kyle was at the war, so I had to make a lot of decisions without him. There were definitely tears, but I believe we are set to move our household goods, ship both our cars, our flight out to Hawaii on the 1st, and our lodging in Hawaii until we get on-base housing. I don't understand how people do this every 3 years! I'm sure after a couple moves, they get it down though. :) 
• Jacob is in Kyle's platoon and his fiance Kayla I have hung out with a couple times (she lives in Maryland). They got married this past weekend and Kyle and I were able to share in their special day. They had a "Marine Corps Wedding" with the sword arch and all! I was completely jealous! Kyle wasn't commissioned by our wedding, so he could not wear his uniform. :( Their wedding was beautiful and it was fun to be able to spend time with some other Marine couples.  

The Sword Arch

The reception was at a beautiful manor in Maryland

The groom, Jacob, is to the right of Kyle.

A few wives with the new wife, Kayla.

• Yesterday, I met Kyle on base to go to a PCS Mixer. There were Officers who were there to talk to people about being stationed at different places. We were able to talk with a Major who has been stationed in Hawaii for 3 times. Basically, he told us we are going to have a BLAST! :) When we were leaving the base, Kyle spotted some AAV's, so we went to have a look. It was a neat thing to be able to go inside and sit where Kyle will be sitting when he is navigating one of them. 

My handsome tracker in front of an AAV

Sitting where Kyle's feet would go. He would stand up there ready with guns in hand.