Birthday Trip to Los Angels

Since football season started, we thought it would be fun to attend an NFL game together. We decided on the Chargers game on Gavin's birthday at Sofi Stadium. Our trip began with a red-eye flight from Lihue to LA, where Mya picked us up and drove us straight to Universal Studios. We were fresh off the plane with no sleep, but excited to have something to keep us busy.

It had been years since any of us had been to Universal. I want to say I was in third grade the last time I visited, and Gavin thinks he might have been younger. So, this was basically a first-time experience for all of us. We opted for the early access pass so we could hit all the major attractions. Little did we know, Universal Studios wasn’t that busy, and a regular pass would have sufficed. We were all given "First Visit" pins that we wore proudly on our chests throughout the day. Mya made sure to puff her shoulder out that was displaing her pin when she saw workers to see if the pin came with any extra special privileges. No luck!  

We started with the Mario Kart ride, which was fun, but honestly, a bit overrated. We were also pretty disappointed that the Jurassic Park ride was closed, as that was the one we were most excited about. On the bright side, we loved the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! We indulged in Butterbeer and rode Hagrid’s coaster over and over, trying to time exactly how long the ride was but the ride kept stopping. I think our final time was a 27-second ride! We also went on the castle ride several times, though by the end, I was getting a bit sick from the constant motion.

Most of the rides were 3D or 4D experiences, requiring glasses and involving lots of screens. After a while, they started to blend together. I think I prefer a good old-fashioned roller coaster instead.

The day ended with the WaterWorld show, which was actually my favorite part of the park! It was pretty chilly by the time the show started, so we made sure to sit in a non-wet zone. We couldn’t help but laugh at the Mario mushroom hats everyone was wearing. They were so dorky—and almost everyone had one. They cost around $40 each, and we couldn’t figure out when someone would ever wear that again! We couldn’t stop talking about it. The WaterWorld show was full of epic stunts, and the crew members had no mercy on the people sitting in the wet zone. They were literally dumping buckets of water on them! I was glad we lined up early to avoid that. Afterward, we had a delicious dinner at Olive Garden, enjoying the endless soup, salad, and breadsticks.

The next day started early because we were heading to Disneyland! Gavin and I decided to take public transportation to save some money, so we had to wake up super early to catch the 5:30 AM metro. It was totally worth it because we got to relax and bypass traffic—though it took about the same amount of time as driving would have.

We met Dart and Acacia at California Adventure. It had been a long time since we’d been to this park as well, so there was a lot to explore. The Guardians of the Galaxy ride was a hit, but we couldn’t stop talking about the Spider-Man ride. It was an interactive experience where you used your arms to sling webs at spiders. The ride is on a metal track, and the whole time, your stats are being tracked to make sure you’re keeping up. My arms were literally shaking after every ride, but it was totally worth it—I beat Gavin every single time!

We snacked on churros, popcorn, garlic cheese bread, beignts and other park food, and had an absolute blast, staying in the park until midnight—16 hours in total! Thanks to Mya’s Disney skills and her friend, we were able to skip several lines and go on everything we wanted. We also loved seeing Ari run around Disney. He was so mesmerized by the lights and music.

That night, we stayed at a hotel right near Disney, which was such a good call since we were all exhausted. The lady at the check-in desk must have recognized us as employees, because she upgraded us to a suite and gave us free parking, so Mya could join us. It was the perfect end to an amazing day. Or as I usually say BEST DAY!

The next day, we did a little shopping and relaxed before Gavin and I started our two-hour public transport journey to the Dolby Theater to see Avatar: The Last Airbender in concert. We arrived with plenty of time before the show, and I thought maybe we’d be the only ones there. We enjoyed some ice cream and wacky street performers before heading into the theater. It was fun to see some guests dressed as characters from the show, though we couldn’t imagine spending $75 on a long-sleeve T-shirt just to wear it for one event.

The concert itself was honestly incredible. The live music was beautiful, especially the soprano singer who was absolutely killing it. I wanted to put my fist in the air every time she sang. I was worried by the size of the orchestra because of its small size, but I was totally wrong.. The music filled the entire space, and as we listened, they played scenes from the show on the big screen. The audience was so into it—cheering, booing, and even crying during the emotional scenes. It by far exceeded my expectations, and I’m so glad we went!

The next day, we headed to San Diego with Loana, Bob, Mya, and Gus. We spent some time with family at the park, Gavin went golfing, and I wandered around some thrift stores with Loana. We also got to see Wicked, which was amazing. I was worried the music wouldn’t be as good as the CD I’ve fallen in love with, but it was even better live. Gavin, on the other hand, slept through most of it!

For Gavin’s actual 28th birthday, we started the day at Denny’s. Dart even ordered a full meal for himself and baby Ari—though I’m pretty sure he just wanted the second meal for himself! When we arrived at Sofi Stadium, thousands of fans who had been tailgating all day were already buzzing with excitement and bad energy. We watched a man calling himself “Joe Dreams” sing into a microphone, serenading random passersby with lines like, “Hey, you with the purse, are you living Joe dreams?” He was so sincere it was almost hilarious.

Sofi Stadium was, without a doubt, the best stadium I’ve ever been to. The place is enormous, and the screens that wrap around the top are insane. Our seats were pretty high up, but honestly, there’s not a bad view in the whole stadium. I kept picturing what it must have been like when Taylor Swift performed there!

The game started off great. We were all cheering, enjoying the atmosphere, but by the second half, things took a turn. Sadly, the Chargers lost. But hey, that’s how it goes as a fan—you never know what’s going to happen. Despite the loss, we had an amazing time. The crowd, the concessions (which I thought were very reasonably priced compared to Hawaii!), the cheering, the players, the halftime show (actually we thought Mexican music was horrible)—it was all part of the experience. No regrets! Happy 28th birthday Gavin! I love that Gavin is authentically himself everywhere he goes. He has the biggest heart and is always going with the flow. He makes the world a better place by just being it. 

The Best of Fall

October kicked off with me feeling a little ambitious about making Halloween costumes for Gavin and myself. Originally, we weren't planning on dressing up, but then Gavin ended up with three different events this fall that required a Halloween costume. Since fabric can get pretty expensive, I grabbed some inexpensive three-yard sections from Walmart. We decided to dress up as water benders from Avatar: The Last Airbender because we had just finished rewatching the series for the third time. I have to admit, I’m pretty proud of how they turned out!

I kept it simple—basically just cut fabric to fit Gavin and sewed the sides together. Very basic, but they worked! For the white stripes, we just used hot glue. So yes, the costumes were very homemade. At the parties we attended, only a handful of people recognized what we were. We got guesses like "Greek gods," "blue people," and “What are you supposed to be?” We proudly declared, “Water benders!” And honestly, it didn’t matter that only the true fans recognized us.

I didn’t manage to get a photo of the outside of our house this year, but our landlord’s son’s girlfriend went all out decorating the place with cobwebs and skeletons. Unfortunately, on Halloween night, every light was off, and she wasn’t handing out candy. So much for spooky vibes!

I also participated in a pumpkin carving contest at work with my coworker Faye. She had the brilliant idea to carve a turtle, and we created a beautiful backdrop for it, complete with actual sand from the beach. The guests staying at the hotel were the judges. Honestly, I thought our pumpkin was the best one. The next day at the hotel meeting, they announced that the Front Office team had won—and they showed a picture of my pumpkin! So, after all that work, the Front Office got all the glory. And of course, Gavin is part of that team, but he didn’t even help with his own pumpkin! No one bothered to correct the announcer, either. It was a bit of a letdown since we didn’t even get a prize or recognition for winning—or for just entering!

On a whim, we decided to sneak in one last tour of the Na Pali Coast before the weather turned. The ride was absolutely stunning! I don’t know why, but I felt so seasick that day, which hasn’t happened to me in years. I’m not sure if it was the motion of the sea or the fact that I hadn’t eaten anything all day. Either way, I was nauseous for a while. Still, I managed to smile for the photos. Honestly, if getting seasick is the worst thing that happens to me, I’ll take it. Life is good!

We also had a fantastic time at a murder mystery party hosted by David and Kassidy in one of their beautiful homes. We were all asked to stay in character all night, which made it hilarious. I was the peppy librarian who wanted to know everything about the mysterious island we were trapped on, while Gavin spent the night reminiscing with his old high school friend David. The final reveal? It was Gavin! We both laughed because, every time we do a murder mystery, Gavin turns out to be the murderer. Is there something I should be concerned about?

We had some gorgeous beach days at Hanalei and on the south side of the island. Kauai's beauty continues to amaze me. I thank God every day that I get to live here and experience this little piece of His creation.

In October, we also celebrated Gavin’s new role at the hotel at Rum Fire. He’s now a Food and Beverage Manager at the Sheraton, rather than working in Front Office. His new position came with a pay raise and better hours, and we couldn’t be happier about it. The transition went pretty smoothly, since he had worked in food and beverage a few months years ago as a voyager. The Front Office team says they miss him, which is surprising because they were pretty rude to him during the two years he worked there.

For the past several months, I’ve been working on organizing a Book of Mormon read-a-thon with the young women in our church. This was my first big event since being called to serve, and I felt so driven to make it work. I spent months dividing the Book of Mormon into sections and planning each activity. I had so many nightmares leading up to the event. In one, the bishop showed up with all the rambunctious young men. In another, the power went out, and we had no lights, audio, or video. In yet another, all my supplies were stolen. You get the picture—nightmares.

Thankfully, Emily stepped up and took charge of decorating the YW room, transforming it into a beautiful Jerusalem setting with draped sheets, pillows, and blankets. It was perfect! We had so much fun going through the Book of Mormon. I planned to switch activities every 15-20 minutes, so we did individual readings, watched videos, had guest presenters, played games, took breaks, sang musical numbers, made crafts, did group work, and had object lessons. It was a packed, fun-filled 24 hours.

Since we weren’t allowed to sleep at the church, we went to another leader’s house to rest. Some of the girls partied like there was no tomorrow, but I told them if they wanted to stay up all night, that was up to them. However, we were getting up at 5:15 AM to finish the reading at the church. I don’t think the girls fell asleep until after 2 AM, but they were up and ready to go by 5 AM!

The event went so well. We got closer as a group, and I know the girls felt the Spirit. It was amazing to hear their questions and comments about their favorite parts of the Book of Mormon. It truly was one of the best weekends. All the work was worth it! I crashed the next day and didn’t wake up until noon. I know the girls had a great time because I received some sweet texts from their moms. I couldn’t have pulled it off without Emily, who was a total go-getter and did exactly what I asked her to do. Everything worked out perfectly, and none of my nightmares came true. I hope the young women enjoyed the read-a-thon as much as I did!