arrived

Well, we are officially into the new house, still unpacking of course. It's the biggest house we've had to date. The living room almost needs more furniture or something. But, I'm not gonna go out and buy it! I'm gonna post some pictures just of us moving and stuff, but I don't want to put specific pictures of the house, because it's not finished yet. I haven't decorated at all really, and there are still boxes...it just wouldn't be very rewarding to me. Once we're really really settled in I'll post appropriate updates. The house is a duplex style, but instead of the houses being side by side, it's front and back. So, we're in the front, which is the bigger one and better really. Cause we're cool like that. We have three 3 front door. One goes to the master bedroom, one to the office, and one to the living room. I assume the living room is the one we'll deem the main entrance for company. The living room is huge.Our sectional couch looks spectacular in it. Finally, we get to put it back together again. We have an actual whole room dedicated to the computer and our guitars. The musical office. We have an actual kitchen. For once it's not just an extension of the living room. IT is it's own room, with space for a table, and even extra shelving, since apparently Hawaii doesn't believe in Hall closets. I don't know what Hawaiians do with all their stuff, really. Garages are pretty rare, no basements, and none of the houses I've been in have hall closets or coat closets or any closets other than bedroom. Anyway, I'm hoping that having an actual full size kitchen will inspire me to cook actual full size meals. ;) I'm not counting anything yet, because when you're still not fully unpacked, of course you don't cook real meals, right? Anyway, we'll see.
The bedrooms are pretty average if not a little small, but that's OK with me. That just means the common areas are bigger. So, all in all, the house is lovely. It's just been mostly all redone. The cabinets in the kitchen are the only thing that aren't new and pretty. The flooring has just been redone, and it's bamboo. All the walls are freshly painted...no smoke here thank you. It's just a very nice blessing from God, because I was prepared to live in whatever ugly cheap house we could find, and just be done with it. Just not care about how things look. But, God led us to this house at the last minute. And it was just the right timing. The house was gonna be ready right when we needed it. Now, if anyone ever actually comes for a visit, we'll have more room for them to stay with us. But, I just don't know if I believe any of you when you say you're gonna come. You only have a year and a half left!

This is our back yard. This is pretty big for Hawaii. Most places don't really have yard at all. Your neighbor's house is where your yard should be. So, it's nice to have. Closer to the house, where you can see pavement, there's a covered patio. That's where the washer and dryer are, and some clothes lines. I've never used clothes lines before. It's so cute. I used them today for our comforter because it's too big for the dryer. It was like living in the olden days. ;)
Oh, and that's Pippin's new outside pin. We can't really just leave him loose in the yard, because the people in the backside of the duplex enter through the back yard. So, that would be rude. Pippin would rush them and jump all over them every time they came home.

This is the first day we were just moving stuff from one house to the other. Levi was playing a game with Papa and the Vacuum. He would dash in front of the carpet and Nathan would lunge at him with the vacuum. The usual.

Levi helping us move things to the appropriate room.

Levi and I were helping Papa put together the crib. Levi always does that now. If I'm standing up against something or leaning or squatting, he'll come line himself up with me and mimic the stance. It's cute. Flattery is the greatest form of a compliment.

The usual packing piles.

This is how we ate many moving meals in the new house.

Like I said, I'll post more pictures of the new house as it seems picture worthy. We're gonna have a house warming/Nathan's birthday party on the 20Th, so I'll have it up and perfected by then.

Here are pictures from New Years eve. We went over to Bryan and Jenene's for their yearly bash. Apparently New Years eve is one of the biggest holidays here. People go nuts with fireworks and the whole Island is just a smoke fest. We had fun. Fireworks are Nathan's favorite pass time I think. and hasn't gotten to set them off for a long time. So, he was pretty jovial that night.

Here he is being adventurous and trying clams, I guess. We're badgered for our simple Midwest food choices. So, he caved that night under the pressure. I did not. Bryan told him he would wake up in the morning with more hair on his chest.

They had a wire strung out across the street where they attached strands of fireworks. They didn't really set off the pretty up in the air ones. Just the loud smokey but apparently fun to light ones. Boys.

Levi watching all the action. He wasn't scared at all. When they would set off a really loud lone one, he would ask me to pick him up. But, he didn't cry or whine. He just watched. I had to stop him from running into the street to set them off himself many-a-time.

Sparklers are the only ones he got to handle, of course. And he liked it. I didn't like being the one to supervise it though. It made me nervous, cause he kept just flinging it around, not understanding the whole sparks flying concept. But, he enjoyed it.

As always, Levi found his real friend and watched the show with him for a while. The dog actually preferred Levi to be on his back, cause he was scared of all the noise. I think it made him feel more secure to have Levi climbing all over him and giving him hugs all night.

This was the big fireworks finale that they set off at midnight. I don't know what they were called, but they just lit a bunch of the firecrackers that are in a pack that just keep going on forever. And as you can see, they lit allot of them. They had that whole line covered with them, and more hanging from that tree. It was the loudest thing ever! And it went on for a good five minutes. Nonstop popping and billows of smoke. It was crazy.

This is what it became. Bryan had his hose out just in case, apparently. At one point it was so smokey I literally could not see the popping anymore. Just smoke. But, they all seemed to enjoy being in the middle of it setting them off. It was like there was a war going on in the street. If it had not been New Years Eve, it would have been quite frightening.

This is how some of the onlookers watched.

After all the hoopla there was allot of posing and set up shots going on. This is one of the best ones, I think. We did all the girls together, all the boys together, friends, couples. That's what happens when half the people are photographers; and the other half do as they're told.

Now this is New Year's Day. Again, we went to Bryan and Jenene's house that evening, because there was a UH game on TV; the Sugar Bowel. We didn't feel like going to any of the big get togethers for the game, because we were too tired from the midnight celebration. And since we didn't have our cable hooked up yet, Bryan stabled his rabbit ears to the ceiling in order to get good enough reception on his TV to watch the game in peace. We all set on the couches barely awake, as the 5 kids ran around with too much energy.

Levi's last minute, home made supportive UH t-shirt.

Levi is the little brother none of these girls have. And they're the cousins he's missing. It's a pretty good set up, really.

Bryje might be his favorite. She helps him do everything, and holds him and lets him jump all over her. She's a big sister of 3, so she's got it down.

Bryje and Jacey were wrestling and the three little ones were spectators cheering. It was a funny little set up.

When we got home Papa let Levi have some Sparkling Cider for the New Year. He enjoyed it, naturally.

Well, I think that's quite enough updating for now. Geesh, can I ever post an update without 77 pictures?