Beach Time

With school starting we haven't made it to the beach like we use to. It had been over a month! We have spent almost everyday at the pool but it's just not the same. We took yesterday afternoon and headed down to Hapuna Beach to enjoy some sunshine and great waves. It was a perfect day for it and when I took the camera out to take some pictures, the batteries died! Aurgh. We've decided to make it a goal to make it to the beach at least once a week. It's too easy to let time go by but there is nothing like swimming in the ocean and relaxing on the beach.

Friday night we went to an outdoor movie at a shopping area near us. They will start having it every week. It's free, they sell cheap popcorn and it's always a family movie. This week was Nim's Island...great movie if you haven't seen it. It was great to sit under the hawaii night sky on our blanket. Dawson fell asleep but the others really enjoyed the movie.

Saturday I attended a sealing of an adopted baby to her parents. It has been an open adoption and the birth mother flew over for the week. They have adopted 2 babies from the same mother and so this is the 2nd sealing she has come to. Seeing her in the waiting room of the temple helping to get the little girl ready brought a flood of tears for me. What an amazing gift she has given those children...an eternal family. Giving a baby up for adoption is such a selfless act and takes such courage! I admire her.

It's been a really wonderful weekend and the great thing is that it's not over! No school tomorrow!! Hurray! More beaching fun coming our way tomorrow.

" Slightly Mental"

We will be the first to admit that we are "a little mental". Matt and I were talking tonight (as it seems we do every night) of our interesting situation we've gotten ourselves into...still basically unemployed in paradise with a house on the mainland and expensive rent here. Matt in all seriousness says "you know, we must be slightly mental" I immediately laughed but he was being serious. I am sure it is what all of our family and friends have thought for a long time and there is probably some truth to it. What made us think we could quit a good paying job (AmeriTel in Boise) become self employed in the real estate arena and when the market crashed we up and move to Hawaii to find work....where the economy has tanked even harder! I assured him that we're not totally mental because in the past everything has always fallen into place quickly and jobs came easily...we assumed the same would happen..we've also sold 10 homes in the past 7 years and our average time on the market has been about 2 weeks. My how times have changed! In a normal economy we could have showed up in paradise and found plenty of random jobs to keep us busy. It is crazy how many jobs Matt has applied for and nothing (actually supposedly he got a job last month with Alamo but it has been a month long process to even get him started they have been dragging their feet and he still hasn't started....) Welcome to the "real world" Matt & Keri and say goodbye to the easy times. The Japanese teaching position has been great for Matt....if only it weren't so part-time. So yes we are mental. Our lease is up here in a month and we are reluctant to sign another one without the house selling and without good work... (maybe we're getting smarter). We really hope we are able to stay (the thought of moving back to Utah with Winter brewing is really icky). The good news is that the kids are happy here and really doing well. We are hoping for a house sell in the next couple of weeks and some evening employment workout for Matt...cross your fingers for us (say a prayer) The great thing is that through all of this, our faith has only grown and our relationship with Heavenly Father has deepened. We will come out of these experiences stronger and better because of them and hopefully it won't mean moving back to cold Utah ...brrrr.

Blackburn Sensei

Matt is officially Blackburn Sensei. He started teaching this week at Hawaiian Preparatory Academy (HPA). He found out on Monday that he got the job and Tuesday was the first day of class. He has been very busy getting everything together and he is really enjoying being back in the classroom. It is very part-time...just one Japanese class. They have a full-time Japanese teacher at the High School and one for the middle school. We are really hoping that with this "foot in the door" maybe he can work into more full-time/long term at HPA. It is one of the best private schools in the area with a very strong reputation. They are considering adding an Asian Studies course sometime and that would be perfect for Matt since his B.A. is in Asian Studies. He has class 3 days a week and so he hopes to substitute the other 2 days here at the kids school. He is finishing up the substitute teacher course tonight... he has been very busy this week.

I was recently called to be the Primary President in our ward....YIKES! we have a great group of kids so it will be a fun adventure. I know I will learn a lot and am very overwhelmed with it all. Here's a picture of the kids. We took these pictures last week to frame as a thank you for the outgoing presidency.
These kids are the best primary singers I've ever heard. We have a great primary chorister who really gets them excited to sing!

Tree Climbers

When we were leaving to come to Hawaii Grandma Blackburn told Isaac he needed to learn how to climb palm trees. He took the assignment very seriously and tried a few different trees when we first arrived. He didn't have much luck. Well today we went to Kona and Matt & I took turns doing a temple session. When I was in my session, Matt and the kids hung out outside at the stake center next to the temple and the kids all did some "tree climbing" Isaac was especially excited. The trees there were more slanted and easier to get up. I'm sure it won't be long before they are going even higher.

When Matt was in the session the kids and I hit the Kona city pool. We hadn't ever been there and Isaac and Adam loved the diving board (our pool doesn't have a diving board). Adam had never been on a diving board and Isaac only a few times in Boise. Both Isaac and Adam hopped in the lap swim only lanes and swam a few laps too. With the Olympics going on Isaac took his swimming very serious.



We met Matt once his session was over and had a picnic and the kids decided they hadn't had enough of the pool so we headed back to the pool with Matt. Olivia and Dawson have become quite the fish too.

Mitch & Jesse

Matt flew home to Oregon last weekend for Mitch and Jesse's wedding. The kids and I survived without him and he had a great time with his family. Here's the happy couple! Aren't they great? Mitch did good finding Jesse! She is beautiful & fun and we all adore her.
She looked like a princess in her wedding dress. Melissa (sister in law) is a dress designer. Jesse went out to Utah for a week last month for Melissa to whip this amazing thing up!

Mitch is the youngest of 8 kids...7 brothers and 1 sister (Hayley). Look at all these brothers together. I didn't realize how much they all look alike until I saw this picture of them all dressed the same. Can you guess which one is Matt?
Even Isley has a hard time telling which one is her "papa". . She thinks she has "2 papas". Matt and Monte are twins so you can't blame her for thinking they look alike. Matt loves that she likes him and I'm pretty sure she knows who her real papa is. She does it to be silly and cute!

The kids and I missed out on a big party! We are so happy for Mitch and Jesse and wish them all the happiness in the world. We tried to tell them that a Hawaii honeymoon would be fun but they didn't want to hang out with us on their honeymoon...go figure!

First week of School

We survived the first week of school with great success. Each of the kids had a really great week and can hardly wait for Monday. I started my job as a teacher aide in the special ed preschool. It's a lot of work but a lot of fun and I feel so lucky to be at the kids' school. I get to see each of them throughout the day around campus. It's nice to be able to sneak a hug or a wave. It's crazy that Dawson is already in school all day but he is ready for it. He only had one full day last week, they ease the kindergarten into it. Monday he starts full speed.


Isaac keeps reminding us he's "Not a kid anymore". He is ready for more responsibility and this week he cooked dinner by himself. Matt game him a little guidance and oversite but he made pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon and orange juice. It all tasted really good, the scrambled eggs were some of the best I've had. I also need to record in history Livi's funny comment at the dinner table that night. She had just gotten out of the bath and as we were eating she announced "I tooted in the bath, on accident". She was so serious and almost proud. We had a good laugh.
The next night Adam cooked our dinner. He too is a big kid and did a great job. Matt has more patience than I and he is the official dinner cook helper. He is good to let them do it all. Adam made hotdogs (toasted the buns too), corn and chips. I guess the patience will pay off and maybe someday they will actually cook dinner with no assistance and I can sit around and eat bon bons...ha ha. Again, it was one of the best hot dogs I've ever had. yum yum.


Today Isaac and Adam had a 3 mile hike with their cub scout group. They had to pack and carry their own backpacks. We dropped them off at the church and they did a 3 mile loop from the church through town some and to a state park with a trail.

Adam has enjoyed being in cub scouts with Isaac!