The Post with Lots of "Quotation" Marks

This is another "small stuff" post.  I missed opportunities to write about a few "big" things; they seem kind of "old-newsish" now, despite the impact they continue to have on our little family.  I thought I'd wait for the next big thing before posting again, but I think this really is a "little moments" kind of a blog, and those moments are happening as I write, so let's begin:

Kale's Gone:

Not to be dramatic or anything, but...Kale has abandoned this Pacific northwest ship, in favor of a canoe.  (That's my very indirect, don't-really-want-to-think-about-it kind of way of saying Kale has returned home to the Big Island.)  He, too, is a half-and-half boy: love Hawaii, love Washington, happy to be here, while wishing to be there, yada yada.  But, as most grown-ups know, he needs to go where the work is, and right now, the work is in a warm and sunny tropical paradise, near 2 of 5 of the most precious girls in the world (love you, Cali and Benz <3). I can hardly hold it against him, eh? ;-D


Mission: Accomplished:

Kohala wrapped up its very first tour of the Pacific Northwest last week; thanks so much to all who came out to see them!  "Dad" has finally arrived, and we are glad to help him settle in as he revels in the post-tour afterglow. :)  The band was thrilled with both the turnout and response, which went far beyond expectation (thanks to all, again and again! :D).   They have already secured performance dates for June, with more to be added soon; I'll keep ya posted. ;-) 

(For some great pictures of the Bainbridge concert, take a look at Bethany's post.)


Goodnight, Moon:

On our way home tonight, we spotted the moon: a tiny sliver, hanging low in the sky, surrounded by glittering stars.  It seems that we go months around here without seeing stars, and I had to wonder: is it because we always have a good little cloud-cover, or is it because I just forget to look up and enjoy?  A little bit of both, I think.  My thoughts turned toward one of our recent trips home, and driving up the mountain to watch the moon rise on Mauna Kea; just the memory of it still takes my breath away.  Brandon shared at Olympia this past year about how God didn't just make this earth habitable for us, but he went so far as to make it beautiful, a place we could enjoy; it is so true, and I don't appreciate this enough.  It was amazing, being up on that mountain in the cool, crisp air (cold enough that Malia thought we'd been magically transported back to Washington! :D), the moon looking close enough to reach out and touch, and getting a very clear picture of the tinyness of humanity.  We have so much to be thankful for. 

20 Years:

Today marks either the passing of or funeral day of my grandmother 20 years ago; I'm embarrassed that I don't remember exactly. I also can't believe it's been 20 years. I'm grateful for time spent and memories made with her, and love seeing the best of her live on in my dad and his siblings. Love you, Grandma.

(Here's a funny little aside:  While trying to figure out how long it's been since Grandma's passing, I discovered I'm actually a year older than I keep claiming to be.  Simple math, DoRe'--simple math. :D)


Wow...that took up more brain power than it should have; can I blame it on the fact that it's bedtime?  I was hoping if I dragged out the writing, my computer would start cooperating and let me upload some pics, but no dice.  Oh, well.  Time to ho'i i ka hiamoe. :)  Good night!

{ Happy Saturday! }