Halloween Eve 2008

These are from last night in Kapalua - Kumalani Church puts on a Fall/ Halloween Fair every year. It was fun and seemed the whole town was there. It was pretty cool, such a small town feel where you know everyone. We had a blast despite the rain and a scary bounce house incident (Auntie Sarah had to go in and save Cam's friend from the bigger kids in a wet bounce house)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN everyone!!!

(my camera is a little messed up, but you get the idea ;))

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

My little wahine is a star!

http://blog.tinyprints.com/general-information/adorable-baby-pics-leah-marley/#comment-1182

What a difference a day makes

We headed up to upcountry to go for a ride on Monday. Greg was sick, not feeling well so he was home but wanted to get out of the house. He actually came and found me on my walk, picked up me and the kids and off for a drive we went. KInda random, but I think it was meant to happen.

We headed up to the house we were looking to rent. While there we stopped by a restaurant that I was hoping I could perhaps get a job at, since I'd have to quit my current job on the West side. The restaurant was dead. Maybe 10 people were present. My stomach sorta dropped right about then.

All of a sudden I thought to myself...are we doing the right thing? Cam is in a great school, loves it. I love my job and it should be getting busy with the holidays coming - it's the number one restaurant on the island...I'm lucky to have it, do I want to quit? NO! Greg would have to commute and I think that would get old - now he can come home for lunch, just to stop by to say hi, it's great.

So, I sorta freaked out the next day thinking about it all. I was having anxiety and decided to tell Greg that I do not want to move. This is nuts, if you know me and know how much I hate my house - my fixer upper of a house. But now we are fixing it up. It's getting nicer, it has our touch on it. Now we do have friends in the area, we are getting to know people. I have a good friend here now, Paula and I'd hate to lose touch with her. I am not ready to start over again. Not now.

I still think of upcountry as a goal but I believe that for now, it's just that and we will revisit in in the future. For now, my grass is still green on this side! Phew, I feel better!

Our 6th Year Wedding Anniversary

We celebrated our 6th year wedding anniversary yesterday!  Look at us...six years ago...awe, sooooo in love and ready to take on the world together.

We took advantage of Nana and Papa taking the kids for us, to work on our house.  Greg worked with John from his work on making the front of our house have better curb appeal while I worked on the inside giving it a fresh coat of paint.  We topped it off with a nice dinner of pupus at The Oyster Bar in town on the roof top overlooking a cruise ship that's visiting.  It's great to see the cruise ships in =$$ :)

We came back, changed out of our nicer clothes and got to work painting again. Things are looking good.

Back to our anniversary...
As time are tough right now all round the U.S. and as our family grows and Greg's business is trying to get off the ground, times are a bit sketchy, unknown, exciting, stressful, promising, full of hope (and sometimes despair), so I thought I'd use this post to sorta list why I should be happy.  To look at what Greg and I have accomplished since marrying 6 years ago...

1.  We have made is 6 years!!  This is huge.  marriage is hard, it takes work, and we are working it.  Yay!

2.  We have two WONDERFUL children...they are our true blessings and I think we are doing a pretty good job.

3.  We bought a house and are paying our mortgage (yay for that, huh?!)

4.  We made the HUGE move to another city, state, culture  - this was a huge dream for us...I need to remember that I am actually living my dream (the good and the bad, we are doing it!)

5.  I am about to be a landlord. Who wulda thunk it.  (wish us luck!)

6.  We are looking to move to a great big house with bi-coastal views of all of West Maui, on two acres where the kids can explore, catch bugs, take nature walks, and then get cozy at night...all in HAWAII!  wow!

7. We are blessed that we are able to help my parents as they face a new challenge.  This will be an experience...I want to take it as that, as time we will never get back, as times where Cam and Leah can really get to know their Papa and Nana.  I want this to help my parents get good jobs, make money, save up and let them get in a good place to feel good again.

Six years...and while life gets more and more complicated, thankfully the simple love that Greg and I have for each other runs deeper than ever.

It Usually Gets Worse Before It Gets Better, Right?

End of Sunday, "List" and kick off day.  House is a mess. But I do see a light  (or rainbow?) at the end of this tornado tunnel that we are in.  Made progress on the cabinets and kitchen walls.  Woo!

I really need to get my camera fixed so that I can chronicle this.  We keep saying Kula Kula Kula when we want to rest.  Kula Kula Kula...gotta run :)

The List of All Lists

Prompted by another visit to the house in Kula yesterday, today we made the list of all lists.  This mother of a list is all the stuff we need to get done to our house in order to rent it out and get what we want for it.

The biggest item to top off this list is a new roof.  This will be the biggest ticket item.  Hoping some favors will equal a deep discount for us.  Some other things we need to do (I won't list them all, that would take up a lot of space) are tiling the kitchen backsplash and stripping the cabinets to show the beautiful Koa wood underneath, painting, putting a new toilet seat in (ours is wobbly...our poor tushies have had to live with that for who know how long), putting grass down in the front yard, removing the broken door that keeps our linen storage under wraps, and a slew of other stuff.

Well, right after we did a walk through and made "the list," we got to work.  We now have...a new toilet seat, the door for the linen storage is down and a tension rod is in it's place all ready for a nice curtain to keep things private.  The old orange tiles are completely off the kitchen walls and new stone in up behind the stove.  The cabinets have all been removed and are being stripped as I type.  Ahhh, already making progress.  Yeehaw!  (why we didn't do this sooner than, now, I have no idea...but I do know having that goal of the house in Kula definitely helps!)

I called in the troops and on Wednesday I am hosting a paint party with my parents.  I bring food, drinks and the paint, they bring their taping off skills and patience..hopefully! :)

Anyhow, it's a beginning!  Praying it all works out.  Oh and we've gotten a lot of interest in renting our house.  I think I have found someone - she and her fiance are actually from Orange County...small world and meant to be, I'd say!  

More updates to follow...until then, keep your fingers crossed for the Burns Ohana!

Aloha! Sarah

LittleMiss is ONE!

Sooooo Fun!

My silly kid..

Cam the Ham