Fall 2014

I've had a hard time enjoying Autumn this year. I know winter is coming and I am a little scared of that. But when you smell the crunchy leaves, taste fresh apple cider and see pumpkins growing on a tree you can't help but get into this whole cooler weather thing.

We still haven't carved our Halloween pumpkins. There just hasn't been time or energy. I can't complain really, we've been burning both ends of the candle with a lot of great things lately. It's actually the relative calm before the storm.

The holidays are looking like they will be completely insane this year- Thanksgiving in NYC, the in-laws will be here in Boston for a few days, my old mission companion is visiting from Australia for a week, my office is being renovated, I am in charge of my work and ward Christmas parties. Whew, I need a nap already!

Oahu {USS Arizona}

Last time Thomas and I were in Oahu we got to the USS Arizona memorial just a few minutes before it closed. We didn't get to take the tour of the actual monument and had to quickly race through the museum. This time we planned ahead a little more, reserved tickets and actually arrived early. We're making progress.

The stories of sunken submarines during WWII were probably my favorite part of our visit. There were a lot of tragic stories but seeing the names of each of those men who fought valiantly at sea for our country was touching.

After a short movie about the events leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor we took a boat ride to the monument built over the USS Arizona. There's not much to say about the monument really, you can see the sunken ship just below the water. There are little droplets of oil that continue leaking from the hull of the ship. There are still hundreds of men trapped in the ship and others who survived the attack but have since been buried with their comrades. It's quiet and calm there, reverent.

Oahu {Waimea & Papa Ole's}

From Maui we flew to Oahu to visit some old friends of ours. Marisa was my first roommate when I moved to Santa Barbara and a good friend of Thomas. She's married to a guy named Rich who used to be Thomas' roommate. They have a little baby who is quite possibly the most adorable thing I've ever seen. He likes to growl and is just learning to walk. He eats with all his might and loves his mama.

We had a short list of things we wanted to do on Oahu- go to Waimea and eat at Papa Ole's. I'm telling you, all we did this whole trip was beach and eat. 

On our way to Waimea we stopped at the Dole Pineapple Plantation for some Dole whip ice cream. That stuff is a must-have if you're ever on the island. We ended up going on the pineapple express train around the plantation too. It was so beautiful in those red fields full of sugar cane, banana trees and pineapple plants. 

From Dole we drove down to Haleiwa to the famous Matsumoto's Shave Ice shack.

When in Haleiwa...

We got lilikoi and guava with ice cream in the bottom. Heaven!

We finally made it to Waimea about two hours later than intended. The sand was soft, the waves were massive and the sun was out. Thomas was really excited to swim in the ocean here. My cousin Irene took us to a beach a few miles away from here when we visited a few years ago. Thomas always talks about how much he loved swimming in the water there so he was looking forward to this beach for the whole trip.

At one point the waves came up so high on the beach that we had to grab our things and run for it. Our towel got totally soaked! Luckily we had our books in hand so they didn't get swept out to sea.

Gray clouds moved in and we decided that it was about time for lunch. We headed for Papa Ole's in Hauula- another must-visit if you're ever in Oahu. When we got there the heavens opened and it began to pour rain. We're talking buckets and buckets of rain! We sat under the awning in front of the restaurant and enjoyed the sound of it. Until we had to run to the car. We were totally soaked in about 2 seconds. We drove, slightly damp, back to the other side for dinner with Marisa, Rich and Jakeroo.

Would you get a look at these mountains! They look all magical in the mist and fog. We even saw Chinaman's Hat for a few seconds through the rain.

Turtle, Turtle!

When I came across the pattern for this baby turtle shell I could hardly wait to get my hands on a pattern, dig through my yarn stash and get going. I found a pattern on Etsy and dove into the project as soon as I got home from work. By bedtime I had finished the shell. I could not put this one down!

You make six pieces and then stitch them together to make the shell. The pattern is fairly simple, it's the same principle as making a granny square- you start in the middle and build layers for each tile. The hat is made with double strands of yarn so it comes together in no time too. I think it took me about 7-8 hours from start to finish (that includes time spent watching Dancing with the Stars which is always distracting).

I added a dainty purple pom pom at the last minute since this was for a little girl. I think it makes the whole thing look like something from a Dr. Seuss book. The shell turned out almost like a bowl, it's very rounded. I have seen other patterns where it turns out more flat, I'm not sure that there's a clear advantage to either style. I just know that this will look so cute draped over a baby all curled up and snoozing.

I was so sad to pack this thing up and let it go, I might have to make another one to put in my stash for future kids.

Turtle Shell Stats

Yarn Used: Lion Brand Pound of Love in light green (mint), Red Heart Soft in Deep Sea and White
Hook: J (6 mm) for shell, I (5.5 mm) for hat
Pattern: Here on Etsy