December 2, 2013
Wow, I can't believe it's December.  It was a busy last week of November.  Thanksgiving was a good no stress day for me.  First time I can remember that I didn't cook something.  I needed pies to take to the dinner, and Ron wanted me to buy the $5.99 pumpkin pies at Costco.  I did, and life was easy! We went to Tita's for Thanksgiving Dinner along with 50 other missionaries and the homeless.  The dinner was very good.  The turkey was cooked in an Imu and was very tender and moist.  The meat was so tender it practically looked shredded.  No cutting involved, it fell off the bone.  The dinner started at noon, and we were finished with dinner, dessert, music and dancing by 2:00 pm.

Band and Missionaries

Center Pieces

Girls using banana leaves to keep the flies away!

Yum….great dinner

Elder and Sister Pollack

Elder and Sister Nielsen

It was such a beautiful day we decided to go to the beach.   We went home packed up snacks, chairs and suntan lotion and went to Secret Beach.  It was near Turtle Bay.  It was beautiful but we decided it wouldn't be a good place for kids to have fun in the water.  There were rocks and coral with no beach for playing or body surfing.  We stayed until sunset and then went to see the house we have rented for your stay in Hawaii.  Watched the pink sunset and the waves.  It has a spectacular view.

Friday was a bonus P-day.  Our Ward had a breakfast of ham, scrambled egg, hash browns and cinnamon rolls at the Bishop's house.  Many of the students went to the Temple first to perform baptisms and some did an Endowment session.  We probably had around 75 members come for the breakfast, good turnout.  The Bishop's wife and some of the Relief Society sisters prepared all of the food.  The food was very good and being with the students was very uplifting.   We helped in the kitchen washing and drying pans, it was good to be there helping.

After breakfast we went with a group of missionaries to Waimea Falls.   It's like a rain forest with trees, flowers, ponds and waterfall.  People were swimming under the waterfall.  We watched and wish we were 40 years younger!  Oh, to be young again and want the action.   These are pictures of the rain forest and gardens.

This leaf was as big as Elle and Sarah.

A tulip bush.

My favorite tree and I can't remember it's name!  Age related!!!

??? Pretty

Rainbow Tree Trunk

Cannonball Tree

On the drive home the North Shore had huge waves.  Bigger this time, and a competition was going on.  The surfers were taken out on wave runners with their boards pulled behind.  This way they still have energy for the big surf.  If you go to google and pull up "Vans Surfing North Shore Hawaii", you can have a daily update, how high the waves are that day and also see the highlights of previous days. The big wave is called the "pipeline".  There is a surfing competition in December and January.

We had rain on Saturday and Sunday.  Buckets of rain.  It just poured.  It actually sounded like someone had poured a bucket of water 20 feet above you and dumped it.  It was loud and wet. Umbrellas were a waste of effort.  We broke two.   Everything is damp and wet today.  It has been humid too.

We had meetings all day Sunday.  We attended a married student ward to be at the Baby Blessing of Wade and Sarah's baby boy.  They named him Tyler along with his Chinese name.  He is already 13 lbs.   Wade's mother is still with them, but they had no other family there.  The Ward had 25 babies under 18 months.  I've never seen so many little babies and toddlers together in church.

Sarah and Tyler, Wade is in back of picture.

It was fun to see all these new inexperienced parents trying to take care of the babies.  The students are short money and big on love and happiness.  They expressed their gratitude for the gospel and their husbands, wives and children.

We are thankful to be here among such kind loving people.  This will be a Thanksgiving we will remember.  When we count our blessings you are all at the top of our list.  We love and miss you.

I hope your leg is healing Anna.  Sam and Elle's soccer games sounded exciting.  We don't get to watch much soccer here.  Miss it.  Thanks for the notes and letters.  We appreciate them.   Thanks Sarah for your letters, I hope you have a good week at school.  Maddie maybe you could take some pictures with your expertise and send us pictures of home and family.  Sounds like you have a eye for photography.  What you up to Jake?   Hope your eating lots.  Amanda and Matt we haven't heard from you.  Did you have a good Thanksgiving Holiday.  Papa has letter for Erik, but waiting for the correct address, could you send that to us Becky.   Tell Derik and Emily we love and miss them.
It's late and I need to get to bed.  Have a good week.