Grandsons new Game

I have been lucky to get to watch my cute grandsons on Monday and it has been the highlight of the week for us. When they came last week they created a new game of opening the little bench that steps up into the steam/shower and taking out all of the boxes of soap. They would then built things with the boxes and then put them all back. They thought that this was so entertaining and of course we thought it was just darn cute. This week when they arrived they headed right up the stairs to get the soap out again. I wonder if they will have any memory of this cute little form of entertainment. I decided to take some pictures in case they don't. Maybe they will keep it up for years--I hope so :)

Buckwheat

I wanted to post a little post about one of our Ukrainian kids favorite foods... Buckwheat. This is a picture of some buckwheat. The darker grain is some we brought home from Ukraine and the lighter grain is some we bought in the states. I am not sure why they are different but the kids love both kinds. Tyler told us about eating this while on his mission to Russia. Sure enough when we got to Ukraine the boys also were very accustomed to eating Buckwheat. They call it something that sounds like this "Grretchka." You cook it in water like rice and it puffs up and is like boiled wheat. They like to eat if for breakfast with milk and sugar or as a side dish with ketchup. It has a stronger taste than rice or wheat. The other day I saved some leftover cooked buckwheat and added it into some hamburger for Taco Salad and no one could tell that it was in there. It may be a nice way to stretch your ground beef and lower cholesterol at the same time :)

I bought a 50 lb bag of this Buckwheat from Honeyville grain company and would be happy to share some with anyone who wants to try it.

Happy Veteran's Day

Today I have been choking back tears all day as I attended the Veteran's Day assemblies that our children were singing in. First I went to Spencer and Scott's school and heard them sing some great songs about America and then went to the High School and heard Devin and Daniel sing. I arrived late since the assemblies overlapped and had to move toward the end of the assembly when I realized that the 21 gun salute that they did had the guns all pointed right at me on the balcony. Of course they were shooting blanks but it did make me nervous to have all those rifles shot by gray-haired men pointed in my direction. :) These events gave me a greater appreciation for those who gave their futures so that we could have the present that we enjoy.

All the veterens that I know are peace-loving and family oriented people who fought for the safety and freedom of those they loved and didn't just fight for the sake of being tough. I am not a war loving person and I hope that someday we really do have a world that is free from war and hatred and that peace is the name of the game. Here is a little song I wrote a couple of years ago. I want to find an older country singer-guy to sing it someday. This is as close as I get to a war protest song :)

There's Gotta Be a Better Way

With all of our technology
And prizes we have for peace
Why can't we seem to find a way
to make these battles cease
If we can put a man on the moon
Why can't we bring our boys home soon
Why does it always come to war
And what are we fighting for?

CHORUS
There's gotta be a better way
I'm watching for a brighter day
I'm hoping someone smart
Can fix this world's heart
There's gotta be a better way
I'm watching for a brighter day
Why can't the people in the war-torn zones
Put down their sticks and stones
And find a better way.

I've seen so much progress
Since I was a little boy
But I'm not proud of the many ways
We've learned to mass destroy
Why can't we talk and talk some more
Isn't every nation truly for
A world where everyone feels safe
With no more hurt and no more hate.

CHORUS

I'd rather be remembered for our ability to heal
Than feared by other nations, for our ability to kill

CHORUS

last day in Hawaii

It was a little sad to leave paradise and get on a red eye flight home. We bid goodbye to Kona and did a little beach hopping and drove to Wiamea. We took the short flight to Oahu and bought some leis to bring home in Chinatown and got a last molasada at Leanord's. We drove to Ko Olina Resort and saw the sunset and then had a delightful reunion with our favorite Hawaiians, Robert and Melinda Crowell before we caught our 11:30 flight. Robert was our EQ president at BYU and he introduced us to Hawaii on our first trip and we have loved it ever since. He said that he was proud of us that we have a real shave ice machine (we bought one like they have at Matsomoto's on the North shore a few years ago.) Hawaii is a great place and we have been blessed in our adventures there and it will always be a warm place in our hearts. Here are a few more pictures.

Day 2 in Kona

Today we ventured out on the beach and had a fun walk up the coast. We saw huge sea turtles and crabs and luckily avoided the shark that was sighted in our bay. We then went to town (Kailua-Kona) this afternoon and had lunch and then traveled south to look at a house that we were interested in maybe buying but we decided that it was not a good idea. It is a cute house on over 3 acres in a real jungle in case anyone else is interested. This is a beautiful island and we are having a blast.

Kona

I am already glad that we decided to visit the big Island last on this trip because it is SOOOOOOOOOO relaxing. Waikiki is fun and exciting but the resort here in Kona is very peaceful and we are going to really get some rest here. One thing that is cool about this island is that it is mostly volcanic (on the leeward side especially) and people write things with white rocks along the side of the road like graffiti but all made of nature. We got a picture of one that said Devin. The resorts are about 30 minutes North of Kona and nice and isolated with plenty of peace and Quiet.

Temple Open House

We attended the Laie temple open house yesterday and it was a beautiful renovation. It was great to learn about the history of the original temple and to see the Aloha spirit alive as we saw friends reunite with hugs and kisses. The people here are so loving and that is one reason that we love Hawaii.