Memories Of Japan

Last weekend John and I visited the Byodo-In Japanese Temple on the windward side of the island. 

The temples site was situated at the back a cemetery just below one of the mountain ranges. Everything was so beautiful and lush.

 

Being there made so many good memories from my time in Japan come rushing back. I'm so thankful for the opportunity I had to travel during college. Had I not had that experience, I'm not sure if I would have mentally been able to up and move half way across the world. Yes we are still "In America" but the culture is so varied here that, at times, it feels like we live in another country. 

 

The entire grounds the temples was on were beautiful. John and I enjoyed exploring the different areas- he spent some time sketching inside and I just walked the paths near the pond. I love that there was a somberness both in and out of the temple. There's something to be said for architecture that can set the mood for the activities within it. Such a great place for reflection.

Tortilla Mystery Soup

Have you ever thrown a bunch of ingredients together praying it turns out edible only to find that you've made the most unbelievably delicious meal that you'll never in your life be able to recreate? Well it happened to me last night. Mr. Whitaker went out for a drink with a friend and I decided to throw some things in a pot and call it soup, I thought if I was lucky I might even convince him to eat some of it. I remember roasting some roma tomatoes and sweet corn (still on the cob) in the oven with a little olive oil and then I added every other vegetable and seasoning that I could find. It turned out with just a little kick and a sweet bite from the corn.

 Looking forward to a relaxing weekend with a few overdue projects. Hope to update you all soon! Happy Friday!

Luau

In the last three months we've been to three luau's. (Two of which were only 2 weeks apart) We definitely didn't mind though, you just can't beat the kalua pork, mai-tais and pina coladas! 

If you're planning a trip to Hawaii or know someone who is we'd be happy to give suggestions on which luau would be better! 

Most recently we took my family to paradise cove. They had a lot of great events throughout the day that we knew Dany would enjoy.

She looked like such a little island princess that night!

The clouds were threatening to ruin the evening but (thankfully) they held off until we were headed home. They definitely made a beautiful backdrop for the evening though!

Two of my favorite people in the world, So glad we got to experience all of these firsts with Dany.

Just can't seem to get enough of these.

Sweet Summertime

During my families' visit I took one day off to enjoy the island with them. After spending the morning at Pearl Harbor and the Dole Pineapple Plantation we headed to the beach. John met up with us after work and we spent the evening playing in the waves and had a little cook out.

Dad was probably back hiding in the cave at this point. He's such a little wanderer.

Our chef for the night :)

You can see dad creeping in the cave in this one.

Hope you all had a great weekend! I know we did