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Aloha!
We have been busy the past few weeks experiencing the festivals/events Honolulu has to offer! Two weeks ago we attended Sunset on the beach which featured the Season 5 premiere of Hawaii 5-0. It was shown on the beach on a giant screen on Waikiki beach to fans two weeks before it's TV premiere. Since parking is nearly impossible on a normal Saturday night, we parked quite far away and arrived to the back side of the red carpet at 5:45pm-ish which was just when most of the stars were expected to arrive. Somehow we got really lucky and had a great spot and saw almost every main cast member arrive. There were three high school girls in front of us who screamed as loud as possible at the top of their lungs (does that make me sound old, lol) which got the attention of some of the cast so they came right to us to sign autographs and take selfies with fans! Considering we got there at the last possible second and we were that lucky to be so close we feel lucky! We even were in a selfie with Alex O'Loughlin! Mark was extra excited to see Daniel Dae Kim and Jorge Garcia as they are not only in Hawaii 5-0 but Lost which he just finished on Netflix! The stars arrived for about an hour then 7ish the show started! There was a gigantic screen and stage nestled on the beach, feet from the ocean, and thousands of people surrounding it waiting for the show to start. Prior to the season premiere episode being shown, there was a hula show and a welcoming for kama'ina (locals) and Ma li hini (visitors/tourists) from the mayor. A few of the main cast of the show spoke and showed their love and gratitude for Oahu and Hawaii. I love in almost every kind of celebration in Hawaii there is an appreciation shown for the land and the rituals of Hawaii. Likewise there is a strong sense to preserve the culture and Hawaii's past. Any event in Hawaii wouldn't be the same without at least one shave ice truck or plate lunch stand serving the hungry crowds.

We just started watching Hawaii 5-0 on Netflix a couple months ago when we arrived and are currently on season 3 so we didn't stay to watch more than the first five minutes of the premiere because we didn't want to ruin the surprise when we get to it. It will be special for us when we start season five knowing that a majority of it was shot within fifteen minutes of our house all while we were on the island. There have been numerous times we have been walking and street blocks have been closed due to filming and crews working on scenes, as well as at my hotel...so when we do finally watch season five it'll be all the more exciting!

There we are in the back! 

Last weekend we attended Waikiki's Ho'olaule'a which was basically a huge block party on Saturday night. Around fourteen blocks were closed along Kalakaua Avenue (one of the main roads going through Waikiki) for food, music, shopping, and more! We were able to walk to the festival right from our house which was amazing not having to fight the traffic. There were three main stages that housed hula dancers, live music and demonstrations. One of the stages was a Christian music stage that played inspirational music and another of the stages we were able to hear music we like from a singer on the radio; Mailani. There was a ton of awesome food; waffles with li hing pineapple, fresh lemonade, shrimp, and plate lunches! We opted for a pulled pork sandwich which was sooo ono! Around the start of the festival King Kamehameha and his entourage made a grand entrance to the festival dressed very impressive! The overall experience of the festival was so exciting because being on one of the busiest streets in the world with zero traffic. At night it reminded us a touch of being in Las Vegas at night with the live music, people and lights. It was so fun seeing Waikiki in a different light during the fest!

^YUM! Li hing pineapple waffle!

As fall is here we are definitely starting to love this Hawaii weather. September in general though has been record setting hot here with a number of consecutive days of ninety degrees or warmer. I guess there's not to much to complain about there as that doesn't seem so bad compared in retrospect with winters we've endured in Wisconsin. It stays warm during the day and now there is a cool fall breeze that comes as the sun goes down. I'm one of those people that is starting to complain at night that I'm chilly when it's mid seventies without the sun. Clearly I am a horrible Wisconsinite, haha. We are super excited to start experiencing some of Hawaii's fall fun; pumpkins, caramel apples, and fall festivities (all while wearing shorts and tank tops)!

My "Office"

If you look very carefully you can see a half rainbow in the clouds. Not a bad work view!

Cleo's first time in the ocean! She's a pro by now! But it was fun watching her out of her element trying to figure out what was going on as the waves crashed up to her.

By far the best pizza we have found on Oahu, Bostons pizza, SO tasty! Note the size of the standard pizza (That is a normal sized plate)!

Fresh lei for our babies!

Not a bad view walking back from dinner.

Mark's new favorite beer!


We will have lots to talk about by the next blog... like moving into our new apartment and a much needed vacation!! Whoohoo! 

Shoots!

XOXO,

Jen & Mark

"There's no place I'd rather be then on my surfboard out at sea"

Howzit everyone! So, So much to catch up on, so sorry in advance for the randomness of this blog post! We want to keep you updated as much as possible with our last few weeks so here it goes! ...

One of our favorite things since arriving to Oahu was hiking Manoa Falls. It is such a fun/easy hike minus the slippery/muddy ground. After walking for about five minutes you come to a breathtaking valley which surrounds you in all directions. Being able to experience an actual rainforest only fifteen minutes from the city is one of the many reasons we love Oahu. Smelling the fresh rain, hearing the crickets and birds sing loudly, and being surrounded by lush plants, flowers and dozens of species of trees quickly helps you forget you are even around civilization. A little further up the hike you come to a bamboo forest. Lines of bamboo seem to grow in perfect unison for as far as you are about to see. We fought through the mosquitoes (the only place thus far we have encountered mosquitoes, it is a rainforest after all...) and eventually arrived at the waterfall! It was so beautiful and was much taller than we expected it to be! At the base of it was a little pool that some people decided to take a dip in. The only downfall of this hike; muddy shoes... so I guess not to bad considering! We choose to park about ten minutes outside of the park entrance to avoid the parking fee.

On July 20th we experienced the annual ukulele festival at Kapi'olani park. Mark was so excited to see Jake Shimabukuro! The festival had a bunch of different live music including a keiki band of 100+ performers! The festival consisted of lots of music, information about ukulele culture and a ton of different food including; shave ice, teriyaki chicken and steak, and a Leonards malasada food truck! We have definitely been missing the Milwaukee ethnic festivals this summer as well as warped tour and Summerfest, but this one sure helped to shake the sadness. It's so fun being able to enjoy the different festivals like we would at home but being able to learn so much from them and the culture... plus the food is soooo good!

Two weeks ago we celebrated our ONE year wedding anniversary/8 year anniversary AND Mark's 28 birthday! It was his second birthday getting to spend in this beautiful state! On our anniversary we spent the afternoon at Aulani the Disney resort on Oahu's Leeward side. We had such a wonderful staycation sipping Mai Tai's and indulging in wonderful resort cuisine! We spent the day on the beach, by the water and exploring the area. It was such a great day ... Mark also bought me a Tiffany's necklace... what a sweet surprise :)! It was such meaningful day not only being able to share our first year together in Hawaii, but being able to follow our dreams and have a wonderful marriage at the same time. That night we watched our wedding video and shed a few tears reminiscing, which made us miss our friends and family so much! Note to self: Don't watch your wedding DVD at any point if you are homesick, because seeing all those people you love on the dance floor at your wedding will make you miss them more! :)

Our "wedding cake", haha! So good none the less.

Gift I made for Mark... Each picture was a map of where we were born, where we met, and other significant places in our relationship!

A few days later for Mark's birthday we started the day with a fresh acai bowl (YUM!) Then

we spent the day exploring the beaches of the North Shore. We both love it up there because it's such a relaxed country feel and really calms you being out of the city! We threw around the football, relaxed in the afternoon with a few cocktails at Turtle Bay and watched the sunset that night!

Two weeks ago we also had a lot of excitement preparing for Tropical storm Iselle and Julio! Since this was the first storm that actually hit the Hawaiian Islands in 22 years it was pure chaos the days leading up to it. We went to Target four days before it was suppose to hit thinking nothing of the storm and lucky for us got one of the last cases of water as it was sold out everywhere throughout the island as the days leading up to the storm went on. We actually witnessed someone pay $15 for a 24 pack of water at 7-11... crazy! But the storm came and went and thankfully around us and on our island we didn't receive anything more than a few rain drops and a few gusts of strong winds! The Big Island wasn't so lucky unfortunately, but we feel blessed that minimal damage was done on Oahu. The day the storm hit I (Jennie) didn't have to go to work (obviously since I work outside) so we spent the day having movie marathons and being lazy inside, not so bad if I say so myself! But it was so amazing seeing the sky and the ocean leading up to the storm and after. You could really feel the strength of the ocean which was amazing.

Isn't it insane to think summer of 2014 is coming to a close?! I remember Mark and I being in the car about this time last summer at Lake Michigan watching one of the most beautiful sunsets thinking that there was no way any summer could top last. Well in a way I think this one did..! We allow one another to grow, change and become better people... Pretty cool to have such a beautiful marriage, and on top of that the most amazing family and friends (new and old)!!

This little buddy hangs around our apartment window sill all the time!

 

We will be posting another entry very soon! <3

XOXO, Jen & Mark