Hanapepe Mustangs Division

I couldn't be prouder of my little girl. She's not so little anymore...but compared to the west side boys...she's a little on the smaller side. Alyson ...for years...has wanted to play t-ball. We waited a bit too long and although she is too old (bah!) for t-ball, we did sign her up for baseball. Her team is called the Hanapepe Mustangs...she's the token haole (white person) on the team and the only girl. The first practice....I was so nervous!! What would she do? How would she feel? Not only was she the only girl, but the only white girl. And therefore, the only team player to have a pink glove and pink cleats. I had to laugh...but.... oh...my...goodness...what a trooper!! After first practice, I asked her how she felt. She responded nonchalantly, "I don't care!" If only we could be like children...like her; so oblivious to the differences in life that could consume and overwhelm us. She wanted to play ball and nothing would stop her. I AM SO *choke* PROUD.

The other day (after several practices...which are every day for 2 hours M-Th...a little extreme for 10 year olds i think), she said to me, "Mom, do you really think I should play baseball?" Why do you ask honey? Are you having second thoughts?" "Well," she said, "sometimes when the sun is shining and we run alot...I sweat." I had to stop from laughing. "Sweating is okay honey!"

Anne and Iain Prance

We met this wonderful couple after a recent invitation to join them for lunch at their "place" in the Allerton Gardens. I had heard of them from a friend and that they attended our church in Kalaheo when they were in town....perhaps once a year. Their real home is in the South of England. Iain and Anne are a wonderfully committed Christian couple and have embraced us into their family when on island. They are truly remarkable and I am blessed everytime we meet. Their passion for Christ is evident as is their love of mentoring others in the faith.

Iain and Anne work at different Botanical Institutions around the world...in their "retired" or rather exhausted estate. Poor things! They are as active as ever and are really overworked. Iain (and Anne) are constantly travelling, consulting, lecturing, collecting and studying. Their knowledge and experience is highly sought after. Iain...Sir Iain (as he is known...has been knighted by Queen Elizabeth in 1995) is a prominent botanist and ecologist.

We'll be thinking of Anne as she heads home and visits with the Mellow Birds....and Iain as he heads off to San Diego and then New York.

Yakudoshi Celebration

So the other day, we were at home minding our own business and we received this beautiful invitation to a Yakudoshi Celebration in honor of Tsuji, our neighbour across the street.

So what exactly is a Yakudoshi Celebration? I'm glad you asked...

Bad luck ages are referred to as yakudoshi, with yaku meaning “calamity” or “calamitous” and doshi signifying “year(s).” These years are considered critical or dangerous because they are believed to bring bad luck or disaster.For men, the ages 24 and 41 (or 25 and 42 in Japan) are deemed critical years, with 41 being especially critical. It is customary in these unlucky years to visit temples and shrines to provide divine protection from harm. In Hawai‘i, it has become a widespread tradition among men of Japanese ancestry to celebrate the 41st birthday with a festive yakudoshi party or gathering to ward off the bad luck or disaster that may strike. The birthday person should wear red to bring good health, vitality and long life.

The equivalent yakudoshi ages for women are 18 and 32 (19 and 33 in Japan), with 32 thought to be a particularly hard, terrible or disastrous year. Like the age 41 for men, precautions are taken to ward off bad luck, and some women in Hawai‘i celebrate their 32nd birthday with a special yakudoshi party. The 41 year-old birthday boy with his party hat and wearing red and black

His cake...

Our neighbours Tsuji and Jeannine

Swimmy the Fish

After a colossal death toll from the dreaded sea monkey birthday gift..."Swimmy the Goldfish" entered our lives and became the second pet in the Buller family. Swimmy was aptly named by Alyson and has affectionately stuck as his legal name. Welcome Swimmy!

Swimmy the Betta Siamese Fighting Fish...

Long Awaited Grass Pictures

Many of you have been waiting for updated pictures of our lawn...the result of the creative plugging process that took months to complete. Well wait no more.. this...

has turned into this....

El Toro Zoysia grass knitting itself together.

Lemons on our tiny lemon tree...can't wait to make lemonade!

Red and Pink Ginger, Heliconia and pretty red Ti

Fragrant Stephanotis on the back fence

Egrets in the front yard...

God's promises multiplied in the back yard

We love and miss you all!

Mele Kalikimaka

Well, the Christmas clock is counting down and there are only 12 days left 'til Christmas. As I write this note, the backyard is flooding due to 2 days of non-stop rain storms. Thunder and lighting were a welcome surprise as these weather disturbances are a rarity here. The state has issued a flash flood warning for the island of Kauai. The kids are hunkered down, wrapped in their blankies spending a cozy inside day. The temperature.....a chilly 23 degrees. At least the kids think it's chilly. Mind you some of our Christmas party guests last night were also rubbing their arms to stimulate the blood flow and bring a glow of warmth to their bodies. Okay, so I know my Canadian friends will gag and guffaw at this...and a right they have too! Not so distant memories of -40 temps with the wind chill, plague me still. The icicles now just beginning to thaw out my nasal hairs. Sends shivers down my spine just thinking about it. Why do Canadians put up with such nonsense! Brrr!

Christmas island shopping is an interesting past-time. The trees arrive at the end of November (this year quite brown I heard and some with the extra gift of slugs)...they must have been cut at least 2 months ago. They are gone in 2 days. Thank goodness for our artificial beauty from Costco...she takes the guess work out of the timing of purchase and extra Christmas "visitors".

Christmas starts early here...like I said, end of November. The trees are pitched out the door on Boxing Day. No lingering Christmas carols or soft, glowing lights from the tree into the New Year. It starts early....it ends early. Christmas shopping too...boy, do you have to be on the ball...you see it, you buy it. No price checking unless you can do it quickly. It will be gone when you return to make your purchase. They only get 1 or 2 containers full of Christmas stuff and when it's gone...it's gone. No bringing in from other stores or rainchecks. Buy early, buy quickly. Buy online.

The Christmas break is here in a week and the kids are looking forward to their 3 week Christmas holiday. Unfortunately, the Bullers are staying put for the season. Ed, being a pastor and all. We will have to apologize for missing out on the delicious family gatherings this Christmas season.

The new year brings a incredible opportunity for Ed to travel for 2 weeks to Southern Thailand to Phang Nga. Our church here in Kauai is partnering with and helping promote the vision of the Phang Nga church in rebuilding Muslim communities. The church also supports a family-based Christian orphanage...Baan Santisuk... started by church members (Nakatsukasas) shortly after the Asian tsunami in Dec. 2004. http://www.ywamthai.org/phangnga/ Ed will travel together with a team to Phang Nga to minister in several areas including construction and ESL. My island mom, a gifted artist http://www.evelynritter.com/ (Mama Evie and Papa Harry Ritter recently adopted us) will accompany the team on her second visit to Thailand to paint murals in the guest houses and coffee shop. I am jealous. It has been my dream for several years to accompany the team to Thailand. I can only wait on God's perfect timing for me to go along. They will travel via Honolulu to Taipei, Bangkok and then Phuket.


As for the grass, it is coming in...I did take a picture but unfortunately I must have deleted it. It is too wet and rainy to quickly snap a new one. I did however find this little cattle egret in our front yard one day.

A final note as I end this update....if you haven't yet read "The Shack"....you should. It is a brilliant story of one man's tragedy bringing him into the literal presence of God. He meets the Trinity personified, in an unusual experience. The author breaks down our North American stereotypes of God. It is the best book I have read this year!

Enjoy the holiday season but remember...

IT'S ALL ABOUT JESUS!!!!

Mele Kalikimaka from the Bullers

Alyson's Baptism

After a lengthy discussion with her mom and dad, and with a determined resolve to make God super dee-dooper happy, Aly made the decision to get baptized. Her mother didn't feel ready...but was that just her conservative MB roots talking? The Bible says "believe and be baptized". It does NOT say, "believe, take a 6 week baptism and membership course and then be baptized". So...affirming our daughter's desires, we made the decision to go ahead and baptize her. I panicked...we didn't have a gift, flowers, and I couldn't find the memory card for the digital camera. One of the most important days in my daughter's life...and I wasn't ready. I told Aly to wait because I wanted to be ready...I was surprised by her mature response...."Mom," she said, "It's not about the presents, the most important thing is that you are there." I sent Ed out to the late night Wal-Mart to pick up a lei and an extra memory card. When he returned, I could finally relax and join in on the excitement. Sunday, October 19, 2008 12 noon......

Baptismal candidates, Aly and Maya

Aly with Pastor Daddy and Greg..Missions Chair

Aly and Auntie Eileen, Sunday School Teacher

Aly and Uncle Mamo, Elder

Happy Day!!

Aly with flower lei and tropical bunch following baptism

Fall Break

While you Canadians are just getting into the swing of the school year, the Hawaiians over here are already enjoying their fall break. It started yesterday and goes until the 13th of October at which point the stores will be inundated with not only Thanksgiving sales but Christmas as well. Costco already has the Christmas cookies and wrapping paper out. It's only October 7th people!! I guess they didn't want it to miss the boat.

Anyways, during this spring break...when all the rich-er people are heading off to the mainland to enjoy Disneyworld and family get-togethers, we're stuck here dreaming of travel and family. I know you won't feel sorry for me, "being stuck on Kauai" but we feel like we missing out on family and other stuff especially since we don't have the money to fly anywhere exciting. So instead, this week the kids will continue their swimming lessons at the YMCA in Lihue. At first there was crying and gnashing of teeth and wails of "BUT MOM....we wanted to relax during the break". 45 mins a day for 5 days is gonna "cut into" their break! Give ME a break! Alyson, however, has had a change of heart and is thanking me for the swim lessons. She really is enjoying them and her teacher. Here she is...her first time going off the diving board...

Canonball........

Oh hey, there's Billy upside down in the air. He is the YMCA swimming coordinator here.

Ants and Plants

Oh my goodness, has it really been 2 months since I posted!! Well I guess you are due for an update then!

These last few months in our new home has made me somewhat reflective of high school literature. Thoughts of Mrs. Danchura's class and an epic tale of Leiningen vs. the Ants. A classic short story, Nature vs. Man type...a man warning a plantation owner of the impending doom headed his way....10 miles length by 2 miles width....fire ants. "They could eat a buffalo clean through the bones before you could spit 3 times". Okay, so i'm not dealing with fire ants here, and not one of my children or neighbours (not even the dog) have been skeletonized... but there remains here a constant battle against one of nature's strongest and most diligent bugs. I honestly believe they built our home on a giant ant hill. See for yourself... my kitchen sink window sill.

Ay! This is not like Winnipeg; where you only see ants indoors after a kool-aid, orange juice type spill that you've neglected to spot clean off the kitchen floor. Or after the kids have left their sticky popsicle stick collection piling up in the corner of their bedroom. I speak from experience. The tell-tale trail of ants just gets my blood boiling. It's a trumpet call to war...and the fight is on!

This is a corner of my kitchen above the counter. That small triangular piece at the bottom is part of my kitchen counter. I woke up one morning to this infestation...this violation....this vandalism. Screams could be heard that day and the rest of the week as I struggled to maintain control of these puny pests. I spray the exterior of the house over and over and leave out little Terro traps which includes a nectar that the ants devour and return to the nest. It's supposed to kill the nest including the Queen. I lay the ant traps and in true "Bug's Life" form I chant...."They come, they eat, they leave. They come they eat they leave". Over and over....my mantra for the battle. When will the madness end? As you can tell, I found more ants in the kitchen today!! Arghhhhhh!!!

Some of you have been requesting updates on the yard. Well, patience my dears. The grass does not grow as fast as some of you would hope. Including myself. Here's the visual update....

As you can tell, the grass slowly sends out shoots and ultimately grows together in the bumper crop of a luscious, green carpet. This photo is of the very first pieces of sod that I planted. The rest of the yard is going sooooooo slooooooooowwwww. But I do have faith that the action is happening beneath the surface of the soil. Give it a year or two and I'll finally be able to enjoy the back yard.

So here's another shot of my slo-mo grass taken this morning. At least the tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers are doing better! I've already got baby cukes and tomatoes on the vine!

Here's one corner of the backyard with impatiens, young plumbago (blue flowering shrub upper left), bromeliads, iris and lily plant and a moses-in-a-boat plant. Fitting...i thought for a pastor.

The other corner...my rock garden... is also still under construction with a variety of bromeliads, gerbera daisies, lilies, aloe, irises, anthurium, orchids and begonia. The grass you can see is growing taller faster than it is growing wider.

So this is the front...we've got our little palm tree and behind that are 3 croton bushes that are supposed to have green, yellow and red leaves. They are predominantly all green or -ish. I've also planted some more bromeliads (i have an over abundance of those), an Ixora which is a orange shrub that flowers all year round...its in the left corner of the house but is obviously not cooperating or else you would see the blooms. Also I planted a Carissa plant which has beautiful white flowers and is similar to mistletoe. Also not cooperating. My shrubs are still deciding whether or not they will take. They have been in for about 2 months already though. Last but not least are my little potted vincas who dislike the Port Allen soil. I planted 6 in the backyard and lost them all. Potted the rest will be!! I also have Calla Lilies...but they too will get back to me on their decision of survival. They can't seem to make up their minds. I had to dig them up from the soil and pot them as well. Finicky things. Just take already!

Dad Would Be Proud

Dad would be proud. I can see him grinning right now through the clouds cupping his spectacular view from Heaven.

It might not be even too far fetched to say but I think I might be enjoying this. Well, that might be pushing it. If I don't get this done though....I doubt it will happen anytime soon.

I have never done so much outdoor physical labour since living on the farm. Can you guess what I might be doing? Along with some very helpful friends/Japanese 'gardeners'....we are turning this:

into this:







Sodding! We Canadians don't even know the half of it. Laying sheets of sod on the ground is peanuts...I tell you...its for wimps! Check out the piece of sod above....think of it like a huge slab of Costco cake... cut it up into 1" squares, dig yer hole and plop 'er in. That's how the Hawaiians do it. It's like playing while squatting on a yard-size checker board. It took me 6 hours to do almost 1 piece of sod alone. I was covered in red dirt from head to foot and exhausted by the end of the day. I could barely move the next day. FYI... it is funner and faster to do this with a friend or 3. And that's how the rest of the yard is being managed. Our friends Ray and Syl have come to the rescue! Let me tell you, Ray puts Tim the tool man to shame. This Japanese version of Tim Taylor has all the gadgets and all the know-how! He is a wealth of information coupled with humility and and a servant heart. He is amazing (so is the woman that walks beside him)!! And they are both committed, dedicated followers of Jesus Christ and that makes it all the more wonderful!

So we are working our little bunnies off in the backyard...landscaping, planting the seedlings I've been collecting, fertilizing, mowing, yada, yada yada....all that home ownership stuff. But I'm confident that soon we'll garnish results in the backyard. The red dirt will be masked by healthy green grass and hopefully it will stay out of the house and out of my carpets and white furniture. I can't wait!!

My soon to be rock/orchid garden!

My happy potted gerberas

And....as we speak Uncle Sonny, Ed and John are working hard at putting up a chain link fence so the "wee-er" members of the family don't catapult themselves the 100' ft cliff that we find ourselves living on.

Aah...and so it begins....home ownership!

RIMPAC

Amphibious Assault Vehicles

The Pacific Missile Range Facility Commanding Officer was there, Kauai Civil Defense, a representative from the U.S. Senator's office and the Governor's office, the mayor elect was there and so were the Bullers....all four of us. Guests of the Commanding Officer. I kid you not.....we got special seats under the striped V.I.P.

tent.

Yesterday, we were blessed enough to be invited to attend a "RIMPAC" operative. RIMPAC stands for the 2008 Rim of the Pacific and is a term used by the military to describe the largest worldwide training operations anywhere. It involves the comaraderie of 10 nations (including Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, Netherlands, Peru, Korea Singapore, the UK and the US) and 20,000 soldiers who have banned together to fight against the war on terror. A RIMPAC occurs once every 2 years and we were lucky enough to attend a partial operative....the amphibious assault vehicle landing exercise.

Meeting of the Minds

Truth be told, we expected a "bit" more action...you know a storming of the beach with soldiers firing rounds and everything, but what we saw was a very controlled operation. Taking off from a point farther down the beach, two tank-like amphibious vehicles puffing diesel fuel plowed through the ocean and rolled their way onto the beach...Major's Bay to be precise, and what a beautiful beach that is. "If you love close confines, the smell of diesel and the sea waves, you'd love a ride in these things," said the Captain.

Unfortunately, it wasn't the storming of the beach at Normandy demonstration. Oh well... but once they stopped, we were given the A-OK to get up close and personal. These babies are HUGE!! The kids (and Mom and Dad) wasted no time in jumping inside and heading up to the cockpit turret to get a birdseye view of what it would look like to be commandeering an assault. Ben thought it was tres cool. So did we.

Sentries guarding the beach (real guns)

It would be too hard to describe our investigation of the AAV's as the correct terminology is foreign to me and I would prefer to refrain from offending any local military personnel. Below are some cool shots.

We felt like gophers popping up out of our holes....tight space. Only for the skinny marine!

What an amazing opportunity for our family! We would have never experienced something like this in Canada!

See also http://www.transformerben.blogspot.com/

Our Exciting News......

Welcome to our new home...117 Okupu Street. After much frustration and grief, so much so that I actually gave up the hunt, knowing it was near impossible to buy a home on Kauai, this home literally fell into our laps. A brand spanking new ocean/harbour side in the new "affordable" housing development of Keala'ula. A half million dollar home, 3br, 2 bath with a backyard view overlooking the Hanapepe Valley. We get the keys Thursday. We come to Canada on Monday. Things are getting a little crazy.........

cozy @ 12oo sq ft

front view from the street (double car port)

rear view...backyard (we need to landscape)
(...for a 1/2 million they don't do that ya' know!)

View from the front window...brand new development

Backyard View...Hanapepe Valley...the black portion is an orchid farm
(...there are mountains in the background but they are shrouded in vog here)

A very short walk to the small boat harbour/pier and beach.