Utah

So, I've decided that Utah isn't too bad. I actually like cold weather a lot, so it works out. :) The thing I DON'T like is the 100+ degree weather during the summer.

I've been trying to decide on what I want to give people for Christmas. I usually like to do little sentimentally funny things that people can look at and smile about. However, this year my SUPER AWESOME friend Susi is giving me an awesome gift that I'll be able to share with everyone. So looks like it'll be that... well, at least for family and a select few friends. Everyone else will have to be content with the AMAZING Christmas cards I got in Hawaii. :)

Overall, I feel like it's still too early for Christmas. This year has gone by so quickly. It seems like summer was just yesterday! :S Where has all the time gone? Did you know next year I'll be 25?! That's a quarter of a century people! Isn't that weird to think about? I don't feel like I'm almost 25... I sort of feel like I'm 20-ish.

So, for Christmas this year I want to just chill out and relax. Even though this year has gone by SUPER fast, it was really busy. I'm glad it's coming to an end. I feel bad for Susi because she'll be working through the break. That's what you get for being an over achiever (that's right Sus! I said it!) lol... oh... just fyi, I am NOT getting married, but I found the most AMAZING wedding dress. I totally LOVE the style...

I also found this dress... doesn't the model look like Tia or Tamera Mowry?



Lol... anyways, hope all is well with all of you!

Post Hawaii aka Hawaii pt. 3 (Twilight, Quantum of Solace, and Puka Dogs?)

HELLO FROM UTAH!!!

It's horrendously cold, but I'll survive. It's right back into the groove as well... You know what they say, there's no rest for the wicked...

However, I didn't get a chance to blog about the other adventures I got to experience in Hawaii, so this is like the post Hawaii wrap up.

First of all, I have a new nephew!!! He's so cute! Born on Thankgiving day... he was 9 lbs. 2.3 oz. and 21 1/4" long! His name is Peter Ioane (ee-oh-ah-nay) Keanaaina. Ioane means John, which is my paternal grandfathers name, and Ioane is my brother's (his father) middle name. Here's a pic of him and his parents... he's only an hour or so old in this pic:


So, My brother Adam and his family came over from Big Island for Thanksgiving. I was glad that they did. I haven't seen my nephews in a year, and so It was nice to see them. :) Here's a picture of them.


Something completely awesome... They wanted to show me their 'ninja moves'... so I took a video of them. I would post it, but I don't want to get booked for child abuse like this guy. I didn't egg them on, and if I do allow you to watch the video, you can see that they are laughing the whole time. :)

Anyways, so I went to a heavenly place while in Hawaii called PUKA DOG. :) Seriously the most amazing hot dog I've EVER had. They start out with the bun. It's open on one side and closed on the other, making the 'puka' or hole for the puka dog. They give you a choice of what you want on it (and trust me, it looks weird, and gross, but it is SO delicious!) Then from there, you insert your choice of veggie of polish dog and EAT! Seriously so good... I'm hungry just thinking about it!!!


Then we went to Twilight. I have to say that I was pleasantly surprised. They did an ok job. I wasn't super impressed with certain character castings... Esme, Carlisle, and Jasper... but overall, it was alright. The make-up was sort of lame... the cinematography was AMAZING! I guess I would recommend it to someone that hasn't read the books, or doesn't have any expectations for the movie at all... but it was pretty good.

Twilight was nothing compared to Quantum of Solace!!! Holy cow... Such a great movie. Action, action, action... The storyline was a little weak, but it was super good regardless. GO WATCH IT!!!

Overall, Hawaii was a great trip. I'm sad that I had to leave, but I'm glad to be back. I got a lot of cool stuff, and I have a lot of good memories. It's cold like a monkey over here, but what else can you expect of Utah in the winter? lol! Anyways, have a good one! Alohas!

Hawaii pt. 2

okay. So i'm in hawaii... as most of you know already.

Two things... well, two for now that will most likely morph into much more.

#1. I LOVE MY FAMILY!!! Particularly my niece. she is so sassy and cute. I took these pictures of her today. the first one is her being 'angry' and the second is her impression of falling asleep at the wheel. No worries, as a responsible aunty, i told her not to do it in real life. :) 

#2. I've been sleeping on a futon, and needless to say, I am SO grateful for my bed!!! I've been in back ache city for the past week. I love being here, but my back hurts like a monkey.

overall, i'm  really happy to be here, but rest assured, I'll be glad to go back to utah (i know, right? I even surprised myself!) 

In Hawaii

So, I am currently in Hawai'i Nei... It is SUPER nice to be able to be near family... and to see my brothers and parents again. :) I guess you don't really know how much you miss home until you've been away, and get to see it again! :)

Even though my whole family is now majorly located on O'ahu... (I am originally from Big Island) I think it's mostly just the general 'feel' of the Islands that makes me feel at home. If I went back to Big Island, I think it would have been a more emotional homecoming for me, but being here is surreal. I never feel fully 'in reality' when I'm on any of the other islands. Is that weird?

So, my friend Susi FINALLY has begun a blog. She really is a great writer, so go read it! :) (susibell.blogspot.com) 

Tonight we're going to Twilight. I hope it's good. I REALLY disliked the 4th book. Which made me never want to read them again. SOOOO, we'll see how I like it. I have no preconcieved notions, so it won't be a disappointment like Eragon. Seriously, Chris... you should have been more aware of the movie and it's progression. :S

Okay, I have to go make dinner... I'll blog more later! ALOHAS!

8 and Great

Okay, I know its another Tag, but I really liked this one... And, I think you can leanr a lot from people from reading this kind of stuff.

8 TV shows I love to watch:
1. Bones
2. Pushing Dasies
3. House
4. How I Met Your Mother
5. Project Runway
6. That 70's Show
7. Arrested Development
8. Jon & Kate Plus 8

8 favorite restaurants:
1. Hayashi's "You Make the Roll"
2. Hawaiian Style Cafe
3. Don's Kitchen
4. Mitsuba's/Mitsu Ken's
5. Player's Sports Grill
6. Makino Chaya
7. Benja Thai & Sushi
8. Gun Barrel (Velvet Elk...)

8 things that happened yesterday:
1. Church
2. Tithing Settlement
3. Cleaned most of my bathroom
4. Finished 2 books
5. Ate dinner with my uncle, aunty, and (best) friend Susi!
6. Watched the Blue Collar Comedy Group for the first time
7. Got complimented by 3 people
8. I woke up late

8 things I'm looking forward to:
1. Going to Hawaii
2. Getting old. Like 80 and still kickin type of old
3. Getting married. I decided that while I'm not really ready for it now, that It will be totally rad.
4. Buying another vehicle. It's in the cards...
5. Sleeping... I am SUPER tired right now
6. Watching Twilight (I know, I know... but it looks really interesting. I hated how the books ended, but I think I'll like the movie. Weird, huh?)
7. Thanksgiving! It's only the best holiday ever
8. Visiting my grandma when I get back from Hawaii

8 things on my wish list:
1. To be debt free
2. To have a new(er) truck in REALLY good shape
3. A Mac Pro
4. A new awesome uke
5. Brisingr
6. A Dyson Vacuum
7. Beretta Model 87 Target
8. A new iPod

Funk

So, I've been in a funk. I don't know why or how to snap out of it... but, there you go.

Writing this blog today, I find myself thinking about Hawaii and feeling homesick. I MISS HAWAII... so much. I miss the ocean, the mountains, the beach, the plants, a cool ocean breeze... and the people. I miss fresh fish and rice at every meal. I miss taking walks along the ocean front and being able to go to the beach whenever i want to. i miss feeling a connection with the land around me, and feeling the aloha that seeps out of the people. i miss the music... and the feeling of belonging. I'm going home in 6 days and I can't wait. I want to see my mom and dad. I want to see my brothers and their families. I want to see my little bro Sean, who gets home from his mission in Japan tomorrow. I CANT WAIT TO GO HOME!!!

Some people may see this and wonder: Why dont you just move back to Hawaii? (Then you wouldn't miss it! DUH!)

A simple question with a complicated answer. St. George is a protection for me... a way to not only keep out of trouble, but to stay away from the people who I allow to continually hurt me and be-little me. Hawaii is beautiful, but rest assured that there are bad people there. Just because its paradise doesn't mean that there isnt DRAMA... boy is there drama. I know there is drama... if i moved back today it would be counter productive to me 'getting over' a lot of the crap that happened before i left. so, a visit is good enough.

My dad (who is AMAZING) keeps pressuring me to move home, but i don't think he KNOWS how bad things were for me before we moved. I just handle going back for good right now. Eventually i WOULD like to go back and live there, but until i feel ready, i'll be in the mainland. (aka the continental united states...)

Anyways. can't wait to go home. :)

could i POST more tags???

Wow!!! Lol... I noticed that the last 3 posts I've done have been tags. ;) Lol. I guess I should give you a little more than that. So, life lately. It’s been... like ketchup in a bottle... coming in dollops. At first it seems slow, but then a whole bunch of time passes in what seems like the blink of an eye. I've recently tried to be more social... stepping outside the realm of my one 'best' friend Susi (with whom I spend most of my time...) and testing the friendship waters around me. I’ve found something strange about the people here in St. George... even though I am Karyn... I’m seen here as Susi's friend. I’m not upset or surprised by this... Susi is a very popular person here for good reason, but I feel like the friendships I have tried to formulate here are basically built upon the fact that they know Susi and are therefore humoring me with friendship. Maybe that’s just the paranoid, untrusting, skeptical side of me coming out, but a lot of the time it DOES feel like that.

I have, however, found a little pod of friends with whom I’ve attached myself to. The only problem is that they are all leaving in 4 days to go on missions. BTW, if any of you read this, I’m going to miss you like crazy!!!

So now the question: what will I decide to do with my life? Friendwise, I know that spending all my time with Susi and her family is a no. Not only do they need their privacy, Susi and I are are COMPLETELY opposite in basically everything.

I guess I’m just tired of being an afterthought for people. I want to be like the Karyn most of you know and love. :)

ps- I had the funnest time last night at a spooky movie marathon I went to last night. We watched Poltergeist, I Am Legend, and 1408... I’ve decided that scary movies, while disturbing, are overrated... we also got to have a jam session. It was rad, and my friend Wyatt graced me with his impressive musical 'skillz'. His music is awesome. I told him he needs to get a cd out. I could totally be his pr manager. ;)

Hmm... maybe that’s what I should be shooting for... pr or something similar. I think I could be good in a job like that. Hmm... maybe life will steer me in that direction.