Thank You 2010

New Year's Day is on it's way and I'm super excited! January 1ST is my favorite day of the year. I love a fresh start and a whole new year. 2010 was very good to me. I was greatly blessed this year.

 My dad moved back to Chicago for the spring and summer :) He had his very important cancer scans and tests and there were no signs of anything:) He is currently celebrating his great health in Mexico for the winter. We are hoping that he will come back this spring. We are also excited to go visit him in the near future.

 In May Patrick proposed while we were down south visiting a winery. We were so excited to get married, and really wanted an outdoor fall wedding. So we set the date for September 24TH and spent a short 4 months planning our wedding day. Now I'm Mrs. Capuano and I couldn't be happier! 

Over the 4TH of July weekend, we adopted our puppy Ellie-Mae. She has brought so much joy into our lives, and also kept us super busy! 

We honeymooned in late September and early October on the Big Island of Hawaii and had the best time ever. I can't wait to go on another journey like that with my husband.

On December 17Th I turned 30. After many years of dreading 30, I am actually really excited for my 30's.

These are just a few of many, many wonderful blessing 2010 has brought. We have big hopes and dreams for 2011.

 Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

Oh Holy Night Religious Christmas Card

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Mahalo Hawaii

Mahalo Hawaii... Thanks for the memories.   


Hawaiian Oasis

 

                                      Kona Area

South Point

Volcano Village

Hilo

Laupahoehoe

Waipi'o Valley

Hawaii Part 12 - Waimea

We have come to our final full day on The Big Island. We fly out this evening at 8:30 pm. We woke up early and had the last of our farm fresh fruit for breakfast. We packed up the car and took a final shower in the amazing outdoor shower. We are really looking forward to this last leg of our trip to see what the final stretch of the island has to offer. We are an hour and a half from the airport. We are heading back to Kona town where our adventures began. We are giving ourselves 8 hours to explore before we have to check in at the airport. 


On our way back towards Kona, we stopped in a super cute town called Waimea. Waimea is located at 2,600 feet. The air here is cool and crisp. Big clouds move across the sky between Mauna Loa and Kohala. The Mauna Loa volcano is where you will find snow caps on the island. In the winter season you can ski down this breathtaking volcano. Waimea is also where you will find Hawaiian cowboys. There are not beaches or surfing on this side of the island. In fact there are large evergreen trees and cactus on this land. This is really an incredible sight to see. This town is really a town of it's own, with a very unique look and feel to it.  If I were to pick a town to move to on The Big Island, this would be the town. 

Hawaii Part 11

Waipi'o Valley

Waipi'o Valley is by far one of the most beautiful and fascinating places that I have ever been. WV is a world of its own. There is only one very very steep one-lane road that can get you down into the valley. A standard car is not going to get you down there though. In fact, a few people have tried and not survived. One man actually jumped from his car and managed to survive, but his car did not. The road is a 900-foot vertical drop. Some 4WD trucks can make it, but your best bet is to hike it, which is super difficult. The valley was wiped out by the great tsunami of 1946. The valley was deserted up until the 1960's when a few interesting characters who wanted to remove themselves from society headed down into the valley in seclusion. Currently there are around 50 people who populate the valley. Most of the men who live in the valley go by the name of Dave. There are a lot of angry people down in the valley who have turned their back on traditional society. Police do not head down into the valley, and there are many arguments that the residents handle on their own in very violent manners. There is not any water, sewage or standard electricity. The valley is a breathtakingly beautiful place. Many people head down to take in a piece of its beauty and tranquility. It is a shame that the locals down in the valley scare most visitors away. There is a beautiful mile long black sand beach at the bottom of the valley. This land takes your breath away and truly makes you appreciate the world around you. 

Hawaii Part 10

                                  

                               Laupahoehoe Point

Today we drove to the bottom of the cliff that our house is on, to go to a very beautiful, sacred and tragic point on The Big Island ~ Laupahoehoe Point. On April fools day 1946, a tsunami swept away a school taking the lives of 21 children and 3 adults. There is a memorial at the bottom of the cliff to all those who lost their lives. It is truly heartbreaking to see the pictures of these very young children and teachers who did not survive. The stories of the heroic teachers who lost their lives saving many children from the ocean are told at the memorial site. We took a moment to "just be" at this point and to appreciate the oceans power and the spirit of those lost that live on in this beautiful location. 

Hawaii Part 9

 I wish that we could see the world like this everyday. Today we are spending the day hiking and exploring the bamboo forest, cascading flowers and waterfalls along many hiking trails and off the beaten path. This is one of the most beautiful hikes that I have ever been on. 


It is a beautiful morning. The sound of waterfalls in the distance fills the air. We are so excited to get to the falls, but there is so much to see along the way. 

I'm not sure what these are but I love them. They remind me of Rastafarians.