Selah's Baby Shower

January 10th held my bestie-turned-cousin's baby shower, and boy, was it lovely!! There were so many hands that put work into it, and it was so much fun!

Rachel Dunn managed the whole shebang and I was quite impressed with all the work she, Selah's family and all my cousins did... Aren't the decorations wonderful?!

Cake, Cake Pops, Fruit Salad, Fruit Salad in Waffle Cones, Chocolate Nuts

Crepe and Mini Pancake Bar with Fruit, Sauces, and Mini Cinnamon Rolls

Shrimp and Veggie Table, Little Quiches, and Virgin Marmosas

Beautiful decorations and Chocolate-Covered Oreos as favors.

We had a hair bow and onesie decorating table, which was a big hit.

Aren't these awesome and amazing?? Katie (who married my other cousin) is due in April!!

Besties!!! <3 Love this amazing woman!!

"Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth. Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate."

~ Psalms 127:3-5 ~

Love you Selah and I'm so looking forward to watching you and Luke raise Esme-Aurra Selah into a woman of God!!

New Opportunities

Monday, I officially started work at Pinkerton Retirement Specialists -- my father's financial advisory firm. A position opened up for me to work part-time there, as a Record Security Retention Officer (RSRO..or "Security Officer" for short) ;). My job is specialized to helping bring our administrative systems up-to-date with current organizational software technology...which involves paperwork, which I love. :)

My cousin Luke (who just recently married my bestie-Selah) is training me, and since we have similar personalities, I think we will be a productive and {potentially dangerously?} dynamic team. :)

This job opportunity has been a while in coming, as I was asked to consider the position back in November, but didn't have the time to think about it yet with Belize, the Cantata play, Christmas, Luke and Selah's wedding, and then the Retreat... Even when I did, I didn't think much on the 'how long' aspect...so when faced with the question during my interview of if I was willing to commit for a year, I had to think on it....
Am I willing? That means I'd be "stuck" in Idaho until February 10th, 2015! No big mission trips or longer-term ministry opportunities out-of-state... Nothing like I've been doing for the past 4 years....
Yes, I'm willing--I've prayed deeply about this, and I really feel that this is where God wants me right now--filling this need and deepening the relationships with those I work with.

Honestly, I have no clue where I will be in a year--I'm almost 21, and a lot can change...so what a more opportune time to serve at my father's real business (as I've worked for him on the ranch for 9 years), than right now?!

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest."

~ Ecclesiastes 9:10 ~

What are you living for? What are you doing today and tomorrow that will count for eternity?

Are you living purposefully for Jesus?

Selah and Luke's Wedding

Yesterday, my dear friend since early childhood - Selah, married my amazing cousin - Luke. What a thrill it was to not only watch and encourage them both during their friendship turned relationship, but also to watch them draw closer to God as they drew closer together, and then finally witness and support their matrimony.
Since I was so busy helping her prepare for the wedding, I didn't get many photos myself, but here are a few - giving a glimpse of it... If I get time, once I get the real photos, I might try to post some more...

Had to throw this one in there....I was asked to make their slideshow, and started multi-tasking while Oma finished altering the hem of my dress.

Love the memories of just the 4 of us here, early Saturday morning.... Talk about triple prepping!!
Not only did Selah get pampered, but she made sure to pamper us--doing makeup AND even some of our hair!!
She was the perfect example of self-sacrificial, even though this was HER big day!! I love you Sis!!

I felt honored to be able to be there for Luke and Selah's first look in Ramsey Park...
What a beautiful bride!!

Sorry, the photo was a little blurry... Shortly after their First Look...

Baby, it was cold outside!! I can't believe I didn't bring a coat....
What a gentleman!

This was adorable...I love Luke's face....

Proverbs 30:18 & 19d - There be 3 things which are too wonderful for me, yea,  4 which I know not:
.....the way of a man with a maid.

What a wonderful wedding party we had!! The biggest unique thing with Luke and Selah's wedding was that  of the 14 bridal attendants,  only 3 of us were truly single, everyone else was married (except 2 who were dating each other, and another who was engaged)!!

A fun photo of a bunch of my friends and I at the photo booth....

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife:

and they shall be one flesh."

~ Genesis 2:24 ~

There is so much more I could say, but, as the best man started his toast: "In conclusion..... ;)", though I 'lost my childhood "best friend"', I'm just so blessed to have gained another cousin, and be encouraged by another couple who is striving to serve God!!!

Praise you Jesus, and may their marriage be a glory to You!!!

Day 6: Hawaii-Snorkeling!!

We agreed unanimously that today was the most fun of all of the days....snorkeling...

Got up at 6am, & arrived at the Snorkel place a little after 8am. Got all our gear fitted properly, & got in the mini-yacht--all 18 of us, plus 6 crew members. Every single one of us went snorkeling, some for shorter, but most of us for longer. Those of us that were nervous about it (not me), got over our fears, & had a lot of fun.

Our first stop, was one of the dolphin's favorite swimming spots. The water was a clear blue, & if you looked hard, you could see the ocean floor way below you. The dolphins were so much fun, they'd pop up all of a sudden---at least a few dozen of them, including moms & babies--& jump up & down...it was SO precious!!!

Our second stop was at a coral reef. There wasn't much activity in the water, but we did get to take turns holding a live Sea Urchin (after it gets settled on your hand, it'll start moving around...kinda tickles!!). I saw some eels (which I stayed away from), & Jeff (the owner) gave me some Sea Urchin skeletons he found at the bottom.

I actually remember thinking "maybe I should quit midwifery, & take up marine biology"!!! So I suppose that joins my 'dream list' that includes becoming a pilot, an EMS, a policeman, a soldier, etc. LOL (I know, you're probably thinking "Sarah!! You, a policeman????") Oh well, what can I say!!!

Who knows, maybe I'll be able to get my EMT & Pilot's license...you know that being a Pilot runs in my blood!!! My grampaw was a pilot in AK for ages, & my uncles got their licenses. My dad helped fly too....If only it wasn't for my ears...but who knows! LOL

Unfortunately, we didn't snap hardly any pictures, but I'll share a couple good ones. The Crew did take a video of the whole event, which we ordered...that has some fantastic footage....

Day 5: Hawaii-Swam & Burned

Today, we swam & burned...lots of fun actually!!!
Lindsey, Rachel, & I had a bunch of fun goofing off in the pool, trying not to get our hair wet, but of course, that didn't go very far.... :D

Tonight, was the 'big' LPL function.  (In my opinion, it was not as well done as in past years, but then the economy has been sluggish...) They brought in 'Chris Isaac's' live, which is not the kind of music we listen to, & unfortunately, it was RIGHT outside our window!!

Overall, today was a good day, & relaxing for the most part.... No more crias yet!

Here are some pictures, I thought you'd enjoy: David & Daniel took them over the past few days:

One of the boys' favorite things to do, is to go gecko hunting. One time, they were gecko hunting, & the gecko crawled up on Daniel's Canon, so David grabbed his Canon, & snapped a photo of him!! Dy'a see his tongue sticking out??

Giant Sea Turtles napping on the beach

Day 4: Hawaii-Shopping & Golf

Today was the second & last day of the mens' sessions. Us older ones joined in for one of their sessions--absolutely inspirational!!! (Thus an inspirational speaker). ;D The speaker was Simon Sinek, author of 'Start with Why'.
Basically, he spoke about why leaders should start with why, instead of how or what, for their businesses, when they give speeches, etc. Did you know that the 'why' part of our brains (the innermost part) isn't the part with language (the how & what do have it), therefore, that is why when you ask someone 'why questions' (ie. Why do you love your wife/husband? Why do you do what you do? etc.) they won't be able to give you some specific answer instantly.

Take our first example "Why do you love your wife/husband?", they'll probably say something like: "Because they are smart, pretty, kind, loving, I need them, they complete me, etc." Isn't that interesting?

I'm not sure what his religious views are, & so (as with everything), please take his books with a grain of salt, & the Bible.

Papa & Daniel on the Golf Course

The older men went golfing (Uncle Ron, Nichol, Papa, & Daniel) with LPL, while all the rest of us went into Kona & had fun shopping at the outdoor mall. If any of you ever come to Kona, you NEED to shop there!!!! The prices are good, the shopping is fantastic, & well, you just have to go!!! LOL

This concludes Day 4.

Day 3: Hawaii-Relaxation & Excitement

Today was the beginning of the Financial Sessions, so our men were absent for part of the day. Us ladies pretty much hung out, & relaxed for most of the day. I blogged, caught up on some ranch stuff, & did cross stitch.

Big news for today.....KayCee had her cria around 6pm tonight!!!! We sold her 2 weeks ago, so they aren't actually ours, but who cares!!!! LOL

Grampaw & Oma (Papa's parents)

My Oma is my hero.....all day she kept going up to the barn, & checking on the expecting moms. She thought KayCee was acting kinda weird, & sure enough, after their dinner, they found an adorable, little fawn baby boy!!! Even Grampaw pitched in to help take care of him (I'm SO proud of him!)--getting dry, putting on his coat, weighing him, etc.

Tonight, we went to the 'Meeting of the Chiefs' Luau...basically a historical play-up on the known history of  Polynesia: Samoa, Hawaii, Tahiti, & New Zealand. We had a blast, & had pictures taken as well....didn't they turn out splendid????

Back Row: Luke (17), Daniel (20), Benjamin (20), Papa, U. Ron, Nichol (23), David (14)
Middle Row: Samuel (13), Sarah (17), Rachel (16), Mama, A. Trish,
Lindsey (17-Luke's twin), Britney (23-married to Nichol), Esther (10), Rebekah (11)
Front Row: Josiah (8), James (6)

Back Row: Daniel, Papa, David, Samuel
Front Row: Josiah, Rebekah, Rachel, Mama, James, Sarah & Esther

Mama & Papa

Day 2: Hawaii-Just Relaxing

Rachel woke up around 4 (7am PST), & got ready for the day... Overall, we had a wonderful & blissful night's sleep; getting up around 6am.

Photographing something interesting...
Samuel, David, Rachel, Esther, Rebekah, & Josiah

After Family Worship & Breakfast, we walked farther along the beach than we did yesterday, off the Hotel's property. We stayed out in the sun until past 12pm: some of the kids snorkeling, other playing in the ocean, pool, hot pool, etc.

Aren't they adorable??? (James' pose was an instant put-on, so cute!)

By 12pm, most of us were red...others (like me & Rebekah) were burnt to a crisp, & still others (like Josiah & Mama) had hardly been touched because of their marvelous tanning skin.... If I haven't told you this before, I tell you now: Aloe Vera Gel is one of my best friends...it turns red into brown, just like that!!!

Papa's Buddy

Rebekah (age 11)

Our natural photographer-David (14)

Pointing out Maui (a dark outline on the Horizon)

After relaxing in the room for a while, we went back out, & checked out the tennis courts. They're well-maintained, & we can't wait to try them out.

Relaxing at the Tennis Shop-watching National Geographic

At 5:15pm, we all headed down to the opening dinner/get together, in the main yard. It was low key, & the food was good: Chicken Caesar Salad, assortments of fish, veggies, & rice, & fried banana wraps/pastries for dessert. For music, they had some Hawaiian dancers--really fun...most of them were at least in their 20's, but there was this one kid (probably 14), that was doing it too....pretty cute...--& a soloist.

At 6, we changed into our tennis gear, & went down to the courts, where the guys played tennis, while us ladies sat on the sidelines & talked, & the kids played.....
Aloha!!

Day 1: Hawaii-Travel

I got 2 hours of sleep (woohoo!) last night, & then we got up at 2:30 am. That, is what I call the perfect setup. I do it every time we go to Hawaii, etc. That way, I sleep on the plane!!

Our plane left at 6:04 am. It was a mini 80 seater, that we had to load onto outside (not what I typically think of when we're flying to Seattle!!!) LOL

We then had an 1.5 hr. layover, with bagels/sandwiches serving as breakfast. After loading on the plane (a Boeing 737), they told us that there was a problem with some of the communication equipment (i.e. radios), & so there would be a delay. It turned out to be 1.5 hours. (though it seemed to whiz by), of which Daniel & I played Battleship (& I actually whipped him!!! Unheard of!!) :D

On a more personal note, thus far, my ears have been perfect. I used Affron (nasal spray) an hour before takeoff, & used some special ear seals that on a scale of 1-30 decibels, it cuts out 27 of them!! I got them specifically for swimming, but since they can be used for planes too, I thought I'd try them out!

On the flight to Seattle, I didn't feel any pressure change: none whatsoever. On the flight to Hawaii, I didn't really feel anything as well, though I did feel a difference when I thought I'd trying not having them in mid-flight. Once we landed in Kona, I had to be careful in taking them out, because they were sealed so good.

David took this video on his new hi-tech Canon Camera. It shows the last 3 minute descent into Kona: beautiful footage, & a glimpse into our flight. Unfortunately, he was situated behind the wing, so it cuts into it a little bit.

The Desert of Kona

Beautiful Shores!

Kona Out Door Airport!

Our Boeing 737 at Kona

Combined Pinkerton/Glendening Luggage (Daniel & Lindsey) 

Beautiful Japanese....um...Hawaiian Tree

Limo Ride! L-R: Luke, Rachel, Lindsey, Rebekah, Sarah, Josiah, Samuel,
Nichol, Britney, Esther, Papa, & James (the rest were shopping)

At the Fairmont Orchid Hotel
LtoR: David, Sarah, Papa, Josiah, Lindsey, Rachel,
Samuel, Rebekah, James,  Luke, Nichol,  Britney, & Esther

Looking out of the Boy's Room at the Mauna Lani North Golf Course

As you can see, Kona is desert & beauty, combined in one...

Tonight, we went onto the beach, & swam/waded in the ocean. They have a cove, that is so smooth, it feels like you're in a pool!

They also have a beautiful hot tub, made out of the rock, with a sand base in part of it, & a stone base in the rest....I totally thought of my Grampaw...he would of loved it...though it may have needed a little more heat in the evenings... :D

The wind got really bad, but it was wonderful, compared to the Idaho winds!! This wind is warm!! LOL
So far so good!! I love Hawaii!!