If not the leaves...

If not the leaves, at least the price of gas is falling! $1.68 a gallon was what we saw on the road yesterday! How exciting! Especially now that we have a teenage driver in the house!

We took two cars to our Thanksgiving lunch appointment yesterday and it was Arnold that was selected to drive over with Lisa at the wheel. Here she is parked at the Target lot waiting for the missionaries so they could follow us over to the Nik's house for lunch. For a brief second it looked like she might look over for a better picture but she was too busy texting her friends. Arnold was no help either. I think he was doing the same thing...

Deep fried turkey and football...

Happy Turkey day! This year we were invited over to Peggy Nikolakis' home for Thanksgiving! While there we got to see JT who now lives across the bay! A few inches taller but still the same lovable boy we knew from before! We sure miss JT!

Here Meg Nikolakis (Both Kenny and Jessica's 2nd grade teacher) helped serve up Elder Russon and Elder Wright the best southern food around! Oyster stuffing, green beans, deep fried turkey, the works...

While at the Nik's home we played a little football! We met some wonderful new friends! And learned that Lisa, Kenny, and Jessica are pretty good players! Please don't ask me who won. As you see from the picture...there's still a controversy over the score!

As with every year we try to cook as many turkeys as possible and share the wonderful world of deep frying! It doesn't take much convincing. Just one bite. And as long as we are able we are determined to 'convert' everyone we know to the DEEP FRYING technique! Last night we hosted the missionaries from our area at our house for their final meal of the day! I can only imagine how stuffed the missionaries must've been by the time we all gathered at our house that night, but one sampling of our deep fried turkey was all it took!

I am most grateful for a house full of love, for elders who serve in our area, for friends who offer to come spend their special day with us, for a beautiful life, for a beautiful family, for being able to watch Lisa Nicole flirt and do it really well, for seeing Jessica come alive when she's around other people, for Kenny's quiet and sincere helping hand, and for Arnold who loves me and takes care of me and lets me have huge parties with lots and lots of people even on Thanksgiving day!

Visiting the Polynesian Cultural Center...

Canoe Ride through the villages at the PCC!

Jessica making music with a bamboo stick in the Fijian village!

Jessica and I braving the rain at PCC!

Jessica and Bro. Tovo in the Tongan village! Bro. Tovo stayed with us in October when he and his wife came to pick up their son from his mission here in our Ward! It was fun to surprise him at work in the village!

Jessica wearing her woven hat from the Tongan Village!

Being a tourist is so much fun!

Jessica at the Hard Rock Cafe in Waikiki!

Jessica standing in front of the famour koi fish fountain in Waikiki!

Jessica ringing the entrance bell to the buddhist Byodo temple at Valley of the Temples!

Jessica at the beach!

Jessica holding Sky and Ty in Waikiki!

Pearl Harbor USS Arizona Memorial tour...

Jessica and I visited the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. We took a tour and visited the museum which also showed a movie about the bombing of Pearl Harbor. The docent working during our visit was a Hawaiian man who was only 6 years old when Pearl Harbor was bombed. He told Jessica of how he remembered a plane crashing down behind his house and how he saw people running everywhere. It really made Jessica think about the days events and how everyone was effected that day by the tragedy.

This is Jessica in front of the wall memoralizing all the soliders who died on the USS Arizona after it was bombed.

This is a picture of the Memorial as we approached it from the shuttle boat that takes us from the museum out to the sunken ship.

Jessica got a very special treat when the boat's captain took her up to the front and talked to her one on one about the significance of the USS Arizona. She was a little shy at first, but then realized how special our day at Pearl Harbor really was!

This is Jessica posing with the boat's captain before we left for the day!

Celebrating Appa's 70th birthday....

Mibi picked up a cake from Ted's Bakery in Sunset Beach. It was Dad's favorite: Carrot Cake. Melt in your mouth delicious!!!!

This is the cutest picture of Dad EVER!!!!

Jessica enjoying some of Dad's favorite Ice cream and Sweet Red Bean combo!

Enjoying Dad's Birthday dinner at Mom's favorite restaurant on McCully street in Honolulu: Camillia's Yakiniku

Posing for a family picture: Lisa, Scott, Dad - Back Jonny, Mom and Mibi - Front

Hawaiian Swap Meet (Flea Market) ...

There's no other shopping center like the Hawaiian Swap Meet! Jessica is here picking out wooden surfboard bookmarks for her and her best friend in Mobile.

It wasn't quite Matsumoto's Shave ice, but the Shave Ice at the Swap meet really hit the spot!

There was a booth of Polynesian hand carved artifacts. Jessica and I enjoyed watching the carver for a bit and then we giggled when we saw him later buying shave ice after his shift was over!

One of the things we HAD to do while we were at the Swap meet was buy a fresh coconut, drink the juice out of it, and then have it cut open so we could eat the coconut meat inside! Its the best way to eat coconut!!!

Jessica and her fresh coconut!

Seeing old friends and making some new ones...

While staying at Ko'olina Elder Reis (Zach) came by to visit with Jessica and I! He brought his younger brother Kekoa and cousin Pita to swim with Jessica at the pool! It was so fun to see Elder Reis again who served in our Ward as a missionary. He went home in June 2008.

Having fun at the pool with Elder Reis, Kekoa, and Pita.

After watching the Horizons Night Show at the Polynesian Cultural Center, Elder Tovo gave Jessica and I a backstage tour! This is a picture of him, Jessica and his older sister's daughter. Elder Tovo served in our Ward in Alabama. I grew up with his older sister and knew his father from PCC many years ago while growing up in Laie!

Bro. Fasi Tovo and Jessica at the Tongan Village at the Polynesian Cultural Center. We surprised him there and had a fun reunion! Fasi and Sis. Tovo came to stay with us in Alabama when they flew in to pick up their son from his mission in October. Fasi took some time to show Jessica how to weave two fish out of some banana leaves.

Jessica dropping Uncle Jonny off at the airport with Uncle Scott!

While swimming one day at Ko'olina Jessica met a friend named Kelly. It seemed wherever we went Jessica was able to make a new friend!

Even at the Hawaii Flea Market (Swap Meet) we ran into people we knew! Here we are posing for a picture with Chad Lewis. Former BYU football player, NFL Philladelphia Eagles player and St. Louis Rams Super Bowl champ player 1999. He and his mother were staying out at the Turtle Bay resort and he participated in a stake fireside Jessica and I were able to attend in Laie the first Sunday we were there. Chad, Ty Detmer (Heisman trophy winner) and Vai Sikahema (Football player, Boxer, Sportscaster) were also on the program. But my favorite part was seeing my old high school friend Keala Heder Sikahema!

Jessica attened what she called "hawaiian" primary while we were visiting Laie. She made lots of new friends and loved how they sang the Hello song to her during opening exercises and gave her a lei! It made her feel so welcomed!

Jessica made a very special new friend from Primary! They exchanged phone numbers and addresses too! I hope they'll be able to keep in touch! What a fun part of the trip for Jessica. Somebody please tell me again why I'm NOT raising my kids in Hawaii??????

Nuuanu Pali State Park...

Jessica and I at the Pali lookout.

The view from the lookout is breathtaking! I always loved this point of the mountain even as a child. It as fun to visit the park again with Jessica.

The wind blows strong at the Pali lookout. Its hard to keep your eyes open..even for pictures!

Here's Jessica trying NOT to get blown away!

Throughout the entire trip Jessica was drawn to every single animal we encountered. Thank goodness they were all pretty tame. I don't know what I would've done otherwise. Who knew Hawaiian chickens could be so interesting?

Can you stand to see more?

Jessica at the Ko'olina Condo where we stayed during our family meetings. The landscaping was so beautiful wherever we went. I forgot how lush and tropical Hawaii is!

Oma and I stopped into a Ross Dress for Less to try and find an outfit for Oma to where to church on sunday. When we came out we couldn't find Jessica or Appa. Then from around the corner they came each holding a Basking Robbins Ice Cream Sundae! They were so totally busted! But what a fun treat for Jessica to spend a private moment with her Appa!

Oma and Jessica at Windward Mall. We had to stop in at the food court and pick up Patty's Chinese Kitchen pastries and sushi bentos.

Uncle Jonny and Jessica swimming in the pool at Ko'olina.

Jessica helping Auntie Mibi with pricing inventory in the "shop".