Moore, OK

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My heart sank earlier today when news spread about the devastation in Oklahoma. It seems that we are barely able to breathe a sigh of relief before another tragedy strikes, leaving pain and loss behind. My heart breaks for our friends in TX and now OK, who are directly affected and have lost their loved ones, their homes or are struggling to find their footing.

At times like these, I know that so many of us have the best of intentions when we say things like "Pray for Boston/Texas/Oklahoma"; I believe that these words are spoken not by obligation but because they are how we genuinely feel. When tragedy strikes and the reality is at the forefront of our minds, it is almost instinctual that we express our condolences and love through prayer, but in the wake of Newtown, Boston, Granbury and now Moore, I'm seeing so much ugliness, bitterness and judgement online, and it is just heartbreaking.

We are so much better than that.

I don't claim to have answers as to why tragedies or natural disasters exist, but to fire off accusations that our prayers are reserved only for Americans is not only incredibly offensive, but ludicrous as well. I'm not naive enough to believe that loss, pain and suffering does not exist beyond American borders (hello, Syria, Palestine, Libya...) but should there be any confusion, I pray for those precious people, too.

Do I question why these things happen? Of course I do. And while it may not make sense to me at the moment, instead of standing idly by, I pray that God opens my eyes and my heart to the needs of others, here and abroad. I pray that we as a community, are moved enough to do what we can with the resources that we are given. I pray that we come together not in judgement or political disgruntlement, but in LOVE for our brothers and sisters who are suffering and in need.

Sending love to Oklahoma, tonight.

* * *

Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.
- Galatians 6:2

Tell Me Your Three Favorites!

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Some of my favorite blogs to read were discovered purely by accident; I was either lured in by a clever title or I clicked on a random link in a sidebar blog roll. Others were discovered because some of you commented on my blog and left links so that I could visit your blog in return (thank you!). I love a good blog recommendation as much as I love a good book recommendation, so the purpose of today's post is to solicit your feedback.

What are three of your favorite blogs to read? Please share the links so I can check them out!

Back On The Food Train

Back on May 1st, Phil and I went on another juice cleanse. I'd been feeling unhealthy and really unhappy with my appearance, so I got Phil to join me in another "detox" and kicked things into gear. For some reason, this round of juicing was especially difficult for me; I had constant food cravings and was incredibly moody from the onset (a sure sign that my body was having serious sugar and carb withdrawals). I've detoxed enough to know that the first 72 hours are the most challenging, so by the fourth day, it was a relief to wake up and feel clear-headed, energized and good.

With the cleanse now behind me, I am back on the Food Train once again. And oh, how happy this makes me. My first "real" meal made me delirious with pleasure (not kidding). Phil and I went to lunch at a new (to us) restaurant down in Wailea; it's a cute little place we've driven by hundreds of times but never stopped to check out until last weekend. The verdict? WE HAVE BEEN MISSING OUT.

We sat outside, looked over the menus, sipped on our water (and a beer for Phil - his first in a while):

Although my instincts were to order an offensive amount of pita and hummus, I exercised restraint and we decided to go with an appetizer of Ahi and Hebi sashimi. It was light, clean and definitely the right choice:

We cleaned that plate of sashimi like it was our job and then waited for our lunches. I ordered an American Greek salad with grilled chicken that was cooked and seasoned to absolute perfection, I swore I heard angels singing:

I was quite proud of myself; I'm really trying to limit my intake of simple carbs, so I ate only two of those four little pieces of pita. I could have eaten a whole plate of them, they were that good (I am still learning the meaning of "moderation").

Phil was equally happy with his lunch; a Greek burger (lamb and beef) with roasted red potatoes (it's all so pretty, isn't it?):

I'm feeling really good these days that I've decided to extend some aspects of the cleanse; I'm still off sugar and alcohol (I do miss my wine!) and am doing really well with sticking to a (mostly) raw food diet. I feel like I am finding my rhythm again. I am beginning to understand that eating healthy doesn't mean deprivation; it just means making better choices. It may cost a little more in time and money, but the health benefits more than make up for it.

I ate well that afternoon and am looking forward to our next visit.

The One With Old Friends

One of the added perks about living on Maui is that it is a destination everyone wants to visit. So when friends of mine excitedly call to tell me they've booked tickets for their vacation and ask if there is any chance we can meet up, by this time I am already shouting "YES!" into the phone.

Not too long ago, one of my oldest and dearest friends from the mainland flew in with her husband for a quick, weekend getaway. On what is normally considered a romantic getaway when you are able to fly to Maui without your children, I was overjoyed that she wanted to give up some of her vacation time to see me. Getaways with your husband are important, yes, but you will never hear me turning down an opportunity to spend time with girlfriends I love and adore. Selfish? Maybe just a little bit.

{my 7th birthday party. I am the girl with the pigtails and the rabbit teeth. God Bless my orthodontist.}

My friend Marina (front and center, in the green and white dress) is my sister from another mother; we were born five days apart, met on the first day of kindergarten and became childhood best friends. Sadly, she and her family moved right before we entered middle school and we lost touch for many years. We were reunited a few weeks into our first semester of college when we literally bumped into one another in our rush to get to class. I will never forget the happiness of that day---the squealing and laughing and hugging and transparent JOY in finding one another again. That same night, we met up for coffee, talked well past midnight and became joined at the hip for the next three years. We studied together, worked together, had weekly sleepovers, went out for breakfast, lunch and dinner and saw one another through crushes, boyfriends and break-ups.

Marina is now a beautiful Mama of three and during her weekend trip with her husband to celebrate their anniversary, we met up for a quick dinner. Although it had been many years since we last saw one another, we picked up right where we had left off - all without missing a beat. It is a good thing our husbands get along, because we had a lot of catching up to do in such short time.

{I love her.}

When I think back to my childhood and adolescence, my friendship with Marina played such a huge part of it. I hope that every woman has the opportunity to experience a friendship like this in their lifetime; one that is able to withstand growth, time, distance, fights (with subsequent silent-treatments that hurt just as bad as the ugliest break-up)...and life in general.

That we are still friends today truly is a gift. (Love you, Marina...I look forward to many more years of friendship!)

Mama's Day

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Wanted to wrap up this weekend and wish all my beautiful Mama-friends a happy Mother's Day.  I hope your day was relaxing and that you felt celebrated, loved and appreciated for all that you do!

Phil and I were missing our own Mommas today, but still feeling so grateful to be able to call them up and hear the happiness and excitement in their voices over the goodies we had sent to them.

'Love them so.

Ten Words (according to Phil)

The prompt for Day 11 of The Challenge: Sell yourself in ten words or less.

I am terrible at this game (one can only surmise what my interviewing skills are like), so I totally cheated and asked Phil to play along.

Me: "Describe me in ten words."

Phil: Isn't the point of this to sell yourself?"

Me: "Aaaaannnnnddddd....GO."

Loving

Compassionate

Emotional

Silly

Juicy *

Breathtaking

Delicious-Smelling *

Understanding

Nurturing

...

It was nice to hear what he came up with...I mean, who doesn't like to hear nice things about themselves, especially coming from someone you love? Although I had to laugh at a couple of his answers, I have to give him credit for playing along.

(* = his words, not mine!)

Predator and Prey

My cousin shared this video with me and I've lost count how many times I've watched it. Not only does it beautifully capture the delicate balance between predator and prey, but it reminds me that we are all part of this same, shared ecosystem---existing, living, being.

There is something so organic and authentic about this video that begs appreciation for the simple and basic necessities of this lifetime. There is so much wonder, joy and fulfillment to be drawn from nature: the beauty and awe of the great outdoors and the mystery hidden in the big, deep blue. When I think of life in these terms, I realize that it is entirely possible to live a fruitful, abundant and rewarding life without the chaos and noise of superfluous "stuff".

Deep thoughts. Another post for another day.

Happy Weekend-ing.

Breathing Easy

I missed posting yesterday because words were few; I've been holding my breath just a little bit over the last couple of days because my precious Momma was scheduled for surgery this morning. We've known about this surgery for over a month and I've been praying over her (and her Doctor) for a successful outcome.

I set my alarm for 3:00 am Hawaii time so that I could call her right before she checked into the hospital and then waited for hours until I could no longer stand it and had to text my stepdad for an update. The surgery took longer than we expected and made the waiting a little nerve-wracking, but Lord knows you can't rush something as delicate as surgery.

The procedure was a success! Although her Doctor anticipated she would need to stay in the hospital overnight, she did so well that they were able to discharge her early. She is now at home resting and focusing on healing.

I have so much to be thankful for; thankful for the routine appointment that led to early detection, thankful for her competent Doctor, thankful for modern medicine and the means to have the surgery...so, so much. Thank you, Jesus!

* * *

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,
will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
-Philippians 4:6-7

The One With the Anniversary

{May, 2006}

Recently, Phil and I celebrated another anniversary. Not a wedding anniversary, mind you (that's coming up in less than a month), but our MAUI-versary. Seven years ago, we landed here on Maui with fear, hope, a backpack and one piece of luggage each. Seven years is not a terribly long stretch of time in the grand scheme of things, but it feels like ages ago. And when I looked through pictures on my old blog documenting our move, I felt a little nostalgic for that exciting moment in our lives. The adjustment was not without its struggle, but when I think of then and now, I am able to see just how far we've come (as an aside, I am so grateful I was writing back then; it has been such a gift to go back through old archives and relive memories in great detail).

The first two years here on Maui were probably two of the most difficult years of my life (it is another story for another day, but the abbreviated version is that the adjustment was hard and I lost nearly two years of my life to depression). If I had to do it all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. I learned so much about myself and our marriage in the process and I realized that yes, I am strong and I can stand on my own, but there is nothing wrong with learning how to let go, ask for help and allow my husband to carry the weight of us as a team (Thank you, Phil...I love you).

* * *

We arrived just before noon on Wednesday, May 3rd, 2006 and my first photo as a resident on Maui was this:

Although we had originally intended to live upcountry from the get-go, it did not work out that way and knowing that it would only be temporary, we settled on a condo on the South Shore. It was tiny, but it wasn't such a bad set up, because we were right across the street from the beach. We were on the second floor and quickly learned that in order to keep the place cool, our AC had to be running twenty-four hours a day (CHA-CHING).

We had shipped both of our vehicles and a 20-foot container of our belongings prior to our move, so for the first two weeks of our move, everything in our possession fit into our one backpack and roller-bag a piece, which we loaded up into our rental car. We needed furniture, so we bought the bare necessities to make our tiny condo feel more like a home:

I look back at our painfully tiny kitchen and remember complaining about trying to prepare food in such a small space (ha...our first Thanksgiving was fun); I now know that it was a blessing we even had a kitchen at all. It didn't matter where we prepared our food, what mattered was that we had food to prepare:

Subtlety has never been my strong suit, so I often left Phil little love notes after finding the refrigerator door open overnight, spoiling food in the process. It worked.

If I had to pick one favorite thing about living on the South Side, it would be that you could walk across the street and have your toes in the sand. Having the beach right outside our front door was not something we ever considered a possibility, so it was an added bonus; there were countless nights where Phil and I would pack a cooler and have dinner and drinks right there on the sand:

Early in the morning, you could walk out to the beach and watch paddlers from the nearby Canoe club, paddling their hearts out against a backdrop of pure paradise:

I am in such a different place these days; in the beginning, the distance was hard and I thought a lot about how much I wanted us to pack up and move back to the CA. It took me a little longer than it did Phil, but now I cannot imagine living anywhere else; I love this little island and our beautiful life together.

* * *

Unrelated, I could not resist adding these last few photos from a blog post I'd written back in June, 2006. We had only been here a month and were still discovering new restaurants. Phil had taken me to Roy's, where we enjoyed this fancy spread:

Appetizers: Crisped Lobster Potstickers

His: Leg of Lamb and Sweet Bread

Hers: Machiko Crusted White Prawns with Veggie Spring Rolls and a Thai Dipping Sauce

Dessert: Mango Creme Brulee

I laughed when I saw these photos, because apparently, I was taking photos of our food way back then, too. Some things never change. Thanks for taking a trip down memory lane with us.

* * *

I Want.

I am a glutton for punishment. We are in no position to have a dog at the moment, but sometimes I like to torture myself and watch videos of cute puppies and then email them to Phil in rapid succession, in hopes that I can wear him down. Sometimes it works, but most of the time it doesn't. Truthfully, we are both in agreement about holding off on another pet at the moment for legitimate reasons (the first being that a four-legged Queen currently rules this house), but I still like to share videos like this with him because they are just too cute not to.

(drag video to 0:30)

I look forward to the day that we can expand our family and open our home to another pet; we've agreed that we will more than likely adopt an older dog simply because they are the most overlooked. All we really want is to provide a warm, safe and loving home and give them the best last years of their life.