Hilo Hawaii State Zoo

Well, we decided to get some excitement in our lives, since it has been a bit sad around here lately. We took a little day trip over to Hilo (the "BIG" city on the east side of our Island) In Hawaii you can never predict weather because when it is raining in one place that doesn't mean anything even 2 blocks away. That being said we headed out for Hilo. We went through Waimea and traveled on the Hamakua Coast (think Lost or Jurassic Park) it reminded us how beautiful Hawaii is and that we are lucky in so many ways, anyway back to the point. As we headed over we drove right into a torrential down pour, flood warnings, crazy, crazy rain. We decided to call the zoo and ask, they said it was raining, but we kind of thought we were half way there and really by the time we got there it could be perfect, so we forged on. Well, I don't know which God was unhappy with us, but it was still pouring when we got to the zoo. The lady thought we were crazy, but we got some ponchos borrowed two big umbrellas and headed out. I mean why drive all that way for nothing. Lydia had a great time actually we all did rain and all. Non of the animals came out besides a few monkeys, non talking birds, and the Bengal Tiger. Which by the way looked very p***** off, but that did not matter to our sweet munchkin, she was happy to see all of the great new surroundings. So we enjoyed our quick trip and loaded back into the car. Dave and I were soaked, but sweet Lydia was as dry as she could be! Here are a few pictures. The bright side came five minutes after we got into the car. Sunny skies and a warm breeze. Go figure I guess dancing in the rain with our baby pleased somebody!

On another note, Dave and I may have either lost our minds or set ourselves up to be rich and famous! We signed a lease on a restaurant space right on Alii Drive. We will open the second week of February. We have decided to go Mexican this time. The name will be "Las Olas" which means "the waves" in Spanish. Wish us luck and patience we will need it. The restaurant space is kind of a wreck, we have a big challenge in front of us. One funny thing though is that the person looking to lease the office space below us is a funny celebrity type which I cannot name now, but I can say it should be interesting. Stay tuned as our world turns!

Love and Aloha to all

Oliver

We have had a very sad week. We had to put our sweet Oliver down today. Long of a short he had some sort of tumor pressing against his spine which basically paralyzed his legs. Looking back the signs have been there for a few months but we did not realize which is usual in these cases. He had a very rapid decline. He could not stand or walk and was in great discomfort. We were very heartbroken to have to make the decision, as he was only 5 years old, but we had no choice and hope the decision has left him in a place that he can roam free and feel no pain! We love our pets so much they are part of our family, which some understand and some do not. The vet came this morning and the dogs were able to say their good byes to each other and we were able to help him drift to sleep in the comfort of our arms with all of the family present. We will miss you Oliver!

Our Little Pumpkin

Aloha,
I have posted some photos of Lydia on Halloween in her music class.... Dave's Parents have been here for the last three weeks and we have had a great time...In just the last two weeks, Lydia has started to play peek-a-boo with her blanket, patti cake, clap, stand on her own (sorta)and yes we have made the move to the crib (however the crib is in our room). I amazes me how fast she is growing. She can point to the baby in pictures and loves to yammer away. Dave's dad helped Dave get our landscaping in along with many other things and they rented a Bob cat for a few days, so we couldn't resist getting Lydia's picture in it!. Hope this finds you all well!