Recap of the big move

We packed up all of our worldly belongings in this container. We could not have done it without tremedous help from friends and family. When our house was empty, we camped out with the kids for a few nights before they came to tent for termites. Michael left early for Hawaii so he was already enjoying the sun and surf. Delton, Harrison, Marissa, and myself slept on the floor.

The kids did really well. Harrison was happy as long as he had his cars and us. Marissa hadn't a clue since she was only 5 weeks old at that point. So we left our first home together in search of a new adventure. We went to the river for a few days before coming back to Orange County to fly out here. We stayed with Rody and Sharon for 2 nights and visited our families to say 'Goodbye'. We shipped the dogs: Bayley, Moxey, Stanley and our cat Ziggy out the night before our departure. On Wednesday October 4th, my parents drove us to the airport and put the four of us on the plane. Harrison was excited to see all the planes, of course, and I was working hard to keep the floodgates closed. It was difficult to leave family (Delton's and mine) and the only home we had ever known. We briefly second-guessed our decision on the plane ride but knew we made the right choice. It has made us a stronger team and brought us closer to a whole other side of the family. We still miss everyone in California but look forward to many visitors! We are still unpacking/remodeling/repairing/adjusting and trying to breathe in between. Harrison and Marissa really warmed up to new family and friends. They like riding in the back of the Jeep like in this picture.

Michael made an easy adjustment back to his school. He has been a huge help around the house. He is growing so tall and reminds me of his dad with his enthusiasm for projects. Here is a picture of Michael and Harrison in our driveway with a load of our belongings.

During our first month here, we celebrated Harrison's 2nd birthday with a big party at Mahina Pizza (my cousin's restaurant). Harrison loved his helium turtle balloon.

We also had Marissa's 1st Halloween and Harrison's first time trick-or-treating. Harrison walked all by himself and held his pumpkin out for candy. He also helped pass out candy at auntie Faye's house (one for you, two for me).

All in all, our time here has passed quickly and we are looking forward to making many future memories in our new home. Life is good!

Marissa (3 months old) on November 22, 2006

Settling in

We have semi-settled in here. Delton is busy working on the job and around the house. He has many, many projects to fill his time. Michael is busy with school, work, surfing, and the pursuit of girls. He passed his driver's permit test and is working on his motorcycle permit. Harrison is busy toddling around. He has a new bruise/cut/scrape almost daily. He is mastering his skills of running/falling, climbing/falling, jumping/falling...you get the idea. He is learning new words and phrases almost daily. His latest ones are: grandma (much to my mom's delight), thank you, please, I love you, what?, and the ever-popular 'Nope' to which he responds to most questions. Marissa smiles a lot and follows us around the room with her eyes. She is mesmerized by Harrison, who of course, would prefer to have nothing to do with her. She is a happy baby who enjoys mostly hanging with mom. I am busy just trying to keep up: running carpool for Michael, grocery shopping, cleaning, paying bills, the usual...except I get to do it all in paradise. We go to the beach often and I take the kids for a 2-mile walk every morning with ocean views and wild chickens (which enthralls and delights Harrison). Life is good! Aloha to you all!