Tidbits

So this post is going to be a giant mind dump, in no particular order, of what has been going on here.  Warning: lots of pictures.

It seems as though the past few weeks have flown by but I can't really recall anything significant that we seem to have accomplished.  We are getting a little more comfortable here and starting to finally put our house together.  We are also finally starting to establish a daily routine which is good because I am completely lost without some sort of structure in the day.

If you have ever been to Maui you know that shopping is limited, especially in the home goods department.  You have every store under the sun that end in "mart"and Pier 1.  Everyone told me to scour Craigslist because of the high turn over on the island.  I check CL regularly but let me tell you...people want two arms and a leg for JUNK.  Stuff that would be on the Spokane CL for $10 pr less, people here want $50++++!!  It is absolutely crazy.  Needless to say I haven't found much of anything on CL.  I guess I will wait for Pier 1 to have their after Thanksgiving and Christmas sales and pick up the remaining items we need.

Found this cool Fox Tail Fern at Home Depot.

Franklin re-injured his the repaired leg about ten days ago.  His leg was HUGE and the swelling lasted for about five days.  We had our first trip to the vet since being here.  I was really hoping to skip the vet for at least a year given all the vet trips we made leading up to the move.  The outcome of his eight gazillion dollar trip was that he essentially suffered a partial tear of his hamstring and basically needed a lot of drugs and to lay low.  So, that is what we are doing.  

Not a good photo but his leg was about three times the size of the of the "good" leg.

Injured dogs only get to hang out at the beach.  No play for the big guy.

The rest of the gang is doing great with the exception of Cooper who seemes to have woken up with hot spots.  There are a enough home remedies I can try so I think we will be able to avoid a trip to the vet with him.  Ellee Mae is still lazy and Paisley is still wild.  Not much has changed with those ladies.  And for those of you wondering about the cats, well, they love the warm, sunny weather and sleeping on the tile floor in front of the sliders.  Milo and Jimmy rarely venture away and always seem to be around.  Lilly comes home about once a week to visit us and the rest of the time she spies on us from a secret hiding spot that we have yet to discover.  

Her Granny sent her a new toy.  She was pretty thrilled about it because it had a squeeker.

Keeper of the ball.

Dog of shame.  She rolls in the sand every.single.time. she gets in the water.

Jimmy has settled in nicely.  Typical day in this cats life.

I have been slow to getting back into cooking and baking.  It seems like more of a hassel here.  For one everything is so expensive.  Flour is around $6 a pound and eggs are about $5.50 a dozen.  Butter runs about the same, so you get the idea.  The other hassel is that you have to seal everything up right away or else the bugs come.  Perhaps I am just lazy but it takes as much time to drag everything out as it does to make and bake the items.  I did make snickerdoodles the other day for my dad and realized that I did not have any mixing bowls and that hand mixers are hunks of junk.  Oh, I also made Ron banana bread but had to make it in a pie pan because I realized that I didn't have a bread pan.  He doesn't know the difference.

Banana Bread.

Most of the weekends are spent at the beach.  We go to the "white people's" beach where all the tourists are at.  It feels more like home than the local areas.  In the more local areas, we tend to be the only white folks and often get mistaken for lost tourists.  That is generally not a good scenario to have happen.

Saw this little guy right at the shoreline last weekend in Napili.  He was SO cute.  Spent at least 3 hours watching him.

In other interesting news, a paddle boarder was bitten by a tiger shark over the weekend at the beach closest to our house.  He didn't die but was injured badly.  Don't worry we don't swim in that water anyway---it extremely deep right off the shore with lots of rocks.  

Oh and if you want a simple, light dinner or lunch, try this recipe.  I make it in large quantities once a week for Ron to nibble on for lunch.  He gives it five stars.  Luckily for me it is super easy.

via

There you have it.  Have a great rest of the week!

Courtney

We Made It

So it's been a while since I posted anything on there and I am contemplating continuing on but I think this is the best place to keep record of our adventures in Maui...the next phase of our life and for our friends and family to keep in touch.  For now, this is where I will make a better attempt to post the happenings.

This is going to be a long post with a few pictures so I can catch up to where we are at today in a few posts.  Just a heads up ;)

We obviously made it through the scary move.  The dogs passed all of their various tests and inspections and received their glorious blue papers from the State of Hawaii which allowed them entrance into the State.  It was a lot of work but turned out to be much easier than all the mumbo jumbo on the quarantine's website made it out to be.  Just follow the directions and you will have no problems getting your pet to Hawaii.  Just start saving now...

Ron and I flew over on September 5 with Franklin and the three cats.  We drove to Seattle and flew direct from Seattle to Maui.  We took a week and got the basics picked up, dog beds, food, furniture, etc.  I flew back to Spokane on September 12 to pick up my Mom and the other 3 dogs.  We drove to Seattle on September 16 and flew to Maui on September 17.  We rented a mini-van to get from Spokane to Seattle.  I can promise you that I will not ever own a min-van.

I am not sure Cooper packed enough tennis balls for the trip.
Paisley was a bit too excited for the car ride.

A few tips for any of you considering moving to Maui or any of the Hawaiian islands:

1) work on crate training so they don't panic when you lock them up at the airport;
2) bring treats on the day of your flight, their water bowl, and carry ALL your paperwork on you;
3) exercise the hell of out of them the day before and the day of their flight;
4) it is far more nerve racking for the parents than it is for the animals;
5) fly Alaska Airlines;
6) enlist the Maui Humane Society to handle the direct release your pet(s);
7) start a Pet Quarantine savings account---it worked out to be about $1k per pet when all was said and done.  Yowza!

Adjusting to life in Maui has definitely been a change.  Not sure what I was expecting but real life followed us here, damn-it!  Such a bummer.  The upside is that it is beautiful here and the view from our office is amazing, so it makes working a little less painful.  Our house doesn't have AC so we depend on the trade winds to keep us cool.  The last few days there has been no wind so it has been a wee bit toasty.  Most houses don't have AC because the cost of electricity is out of sight.  Probably another savings account I needed to start before moving!

We generally spend most of our "free" time at the beach either sitting in our beach chairs catching some rays or playing in the surf with the dogs.  The dogs now go to the beach instead of the park to play, which is kind of cool.  They loooove the water.  It is much different than going to the lake since the waves are much bigger and the water tastes salty.  Paisley is still trying to catch onto the whole salty water thing.  They get in a good workout and everyone returns home tuckered out--win, win for us all.

  That is all for now.  I will return with a second part shortly.  Aloha!

and then we lost our minds

Recently we were presented with a fantastic opportunity to live in Maui for a few years and for my husband to be able to keep his job.  Of course we are thrilled, I mean, who wouldn't be.  After the excitement settled in, I started doing a little bit of research and planning which turned into the whole, what are we getting ourselves into panic.

Don't get me wrong, we are still over the moon about the opportunity but now that the dust has begun to settle, I am working out the logistics that are required for such a large move.  The first hurdle is "shipping" seven animals, ensuring no one dies and successfully making it through the handbook of quarantine requirements.  I'm pretty sure we both had sticker shock after we added up all of the various "shipping" and quarantine expenses.  Hell, we have $500 worth of dog kennels sitting in our bedroom right now that they won't even enter!  Then comes the question of what to do with our house--hold onto it or sell it, the living situation in Maui, our family and aging grandparents, and well the list goes on and on.  Some days I am totally on the fence about it but fear that I would regret not jumping on it (which I think would end being the case), while other days I am inspired and ready for the challenge.  I suppose these are the realities of someone consumed by wanderlust.

This past week/end we began the first step of the rabies quarantine process (Hawaii is a rabies free state which is why you have go to through this rigamarole).  We took the seven animals to the vet in two trips and everyone got their rabies shots.  I am pretty sure the vet staff thinks we are nuts.  I was only able to snap the few pictures below because the dogs were out.of.control. and they required the use of two hands at all times.

...and we're off...screaming and growling!

Husband providing moral support (I don't "do" shots).

This is seconds before he chomped down on my finger while trying to escape.

Our target move date is September and there is so much to get done between now and then---all very exciting and scary!  I'll share details as things move along.

a week in review

The past week has been somewhat of a whirlwind, in a good way of course.  I am not on Instagram yet (plan on remedying that today) but I do have an extensive iPhone photo log going.

Here is our week in review.

New surprise kicks from the husband--only been to the gym once since I received them. Wa, wa, wa.

Typical look I get all.day.long = total guilt.

My helper, Milo.  Keeps the desk warm.

New design, crap picture.  Will be on Etsy soon.  It is lovely on (see below).

Date night--V-day surprise to the Brad Paisley Concert! See the necklace?

Brad Paisley--one of the best shows I have been to.  Highly recommend.

Vet trip for Ellee Mae (affectionately know as Moo Moo).  She had an ear infection and a UTI.  Poor girl.

Shopped around for four of these for our upcoming move to Maui.

Husband demonstrating to the dogs how the kennels work.  They weren't having it.

And there you have it.  Have a great Thursday, everyone!

cucumber salad + cute pictures

One of my favorite things about Pinterest is the food section.  I pin throughout the week and then on Sunday I go back through my pins and create a menu for the week.  It is so fun and gets me out of the rut of the same meals week in and week out.  If I were left to my own devices I would eat the same thing every night and be perfectly content.

I made this salad as a side dish last night.  It was SO easy and carried a nice light flavor that didn't overpower the rest of the meal.  I tweaked the recipe just a bit---I substituted the tomatoes (ick) for red peppers and only added a dash of crumbled feta (I don't eat cheese).

[source]

What You Need 3 cucumbers
4 Roma tomatoes (or 2 large tomatoes)
1 medium red onion
Handful fresh oregano
1 lemon
~1 cup Kalamata olives
~8 ounces feta cheese
3 tablespoons olive oil
White wine vinegar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon salt
Fresh ground pepper

What To Do

1  Peel the cucumbers. Cut them in half and use a spoon to scoop out the seeds, then chop them into bite-sized chunks. Coarsely chop the tomatoes, dice the red onion, and chop the oregano.

2  In a large bowl, mix the cucumbers, tomatoes, onion and oregano along with the Kalamata olives. Mix in the 3 tablespoons olive oil, juice of 1 lemon, fresh ground pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add a splash or two of white wine vinegar. Taste, and add more salt or pepper if desired.

3  If possible, let stand at room temperature for about 1 hour to allow flavors to meld. Before serving, crumble or cut the feta cheese into chunks, and add it to the salad.

I am pretty excited that there are leftovers because that is my lunch for today!

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And because it has been a few days since I last shared some pictures of my kiddos, here are a few of them playing in the snow.  It was the first time Paisley had played in the snow and she LOVED it.  She thought it was some neat stuff.

Paisley

Cooper + Ellee Mae

Cooper-you know it's been a good day when you have snowballs on your fur!

tug-o-war

Enjoy your Tuesday, everyone!

weekend + a tasty soup

Sticking to my goals for 2012, I dusted off the camera and packed it around in my bag this weekend.  Friday, I spent part of the day reviewing this tutorial on the basics of understanding your DSLR camera.  Amanda, of Kevin & Amanda has put together an easy to use, simple, informative tutorial to help you understand the basics of your camera.  I found it incredibly helpful which got me back into the shooting of things!   It's not that I don't know how to use the camera, I just needed a quick refresher on what the heck all the buttons do!  I can take pretty darn good photos in natural light, but indoors and at night is another story.  Every. Single. Photo is blurry.

As usual, I followed the dogs....and cats around the house, the park and outside taking hundreds of photos.  I am pretty sure they were annoyed.  So, I'll spare you the hundreds of photos and show you just a handful.

Jimmy

Paisley

Milo

Ellee Mae

Franklin

Franklin + Ellee Mae

So that was that.  Yes, I am missing a photos of one dog and one cat.  The one cat, I am pretty sure has never been on this little blog because she is frightened of her own shadow.  The one dog, Cooper, well, he was way, way too busy playing with his ball to hold still and be photographed.

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Moving right along to this recipe.  This is the second time I have made this Ravioli and Vegetable Soup and the husband LOVES it.  I made it again last night at his request and apparently while I was sleeping he was up snacking on it at midnight.

I should mention that it is incredibly easy to make and can be made ahead of time and it only uses one pot!  It has great flavor with a bit of heat from the tomatoes and crushed red peppers.  It doesn't take too tomato-y either (I don't like tomatoes, but I like this soup).  If you're making for the kiddos, I would leave out the peppers and use regular tomatoes because I think it is really spicy (in a good way).

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups frozen bell pepper and onion mix, thawed and diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, or to taste (optional)
• 1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, preferably fire-roasted
• 1 15-ounce can vegetable broth or reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1 1/2 cups hot water
• 1 teaspoon dried basil or marjoram
• 1 6- to 9-ounce package fresh or frozen cheese (or meat) ravioli, preferably whole-wheat
• 2 cups diced zucchini, (about 2 medium)
• Freshly ground pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add pepper-onion mix, garlic and crushed red pepper (if using) and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add tomatoes, broth, water and basil (or marjoram); bring to a rolling boil over high heat. Add ravioli and cook for 3 minutes less than the package directions. Add zucchini; return to a boil. Cook until the zucchini is crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Season with pepper.

That's all.  Happy Martin Luther King day!

festive salad and a cute puppy

Hello Monday.  Hope everyone's weekend was fantastic!

This weekend we attended a party  that was potluck style.   We agreed to bring a salad and I must admit that after all the holiday hoopla and cooking I really, really wanted to go the local deli and buy a salad and throw it in a pretty bowl.  But....I didn't.  Mostly because my biggest pet peeve with potlucks is when people just buy junk and even bring it in the store container!  I so wasn't going to be THAT person.

I made this festive broccoli, grape pasta salad that I had bookmarked a few months ago.  Although it is not the healthiest of dishes, it was outstanding.  It is a bit time consuming but was worth it in the end--a huge hit at the party.

[source]

I doubled the recipe below to make enough for a big group.  It filled a large bowl nicely.  

Ingredients

• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1/2 (16-oz.) package farfalle (bow-tie) pasta
• 1 pound fresh broccoli
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup diced red onion (*I used one medium onion)
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups seedless red grapes, halved (*I used probably 3-3.5 cups grapes)
• 8 cooked bacon slices, crumbled

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Bake pecans in a single layer in a shallow pan 5 to 7 minutes or until lightly toasted and fragrant, stirring halfway through.

2. Prepare pasta according to package directions.

3. Meanwhile, cut broccoli florets from stems, and separate florets into small pieces using tip of a paring knife. Peel away tough outer layer of stems, and finely chop stems.

4. Whisk together mayonnaise and next 4 ingredients in a large bowl; add broccoli, hot cooked pasta, and grapes, and stir to coat. Cover and chill 3 hours. Stir bacon and pecans into salad just before serving.

And because she is so darn cute and I am absolutely smitten about her is a current picture of Miss Paisley Mae.  She is almost seven months.  She is the sweetest little thing on the planet if I do say so myself.

puppy cuteness

I simply can't resist Paisley's cute little face.  I chase her around non-stop with the camera.  Every time she gets in the perfect pose, I whip out the camera and off she goes!  On a few occasions I have been quick enough to get a shot of her face.

(she has a mild obsession with Cooper's tail)

paisley

We had a very exciting weekend, if I do say so myself.  We added our fourth and final dog to our family on Saturday.  Her name is Paisley and she is a seven week old yellow lab.  She is absolutely adorable and smart as a whip.  I'm completely smitten.

Paisley made her first trip to the lake yesterday and thought that was pretty exciting.  She explored and sniffed and ran with the big dogs.  The world is so big and so interesting to her right now.

Hope everyone had a wonderful and restful weekend.  Happy Monday!

i'm back, the 4th of july, the dogs

Hello!  I'm back...from a very long absence.  I had an insane three weeks full of travel, court appointed clients, large mounds of work and rapidly approaching deadlines.  I'm happy to report that I am home this entire month and plan to work sparingly and enjoy some of the summer sunshine.

Normally this time of year we are planted on the beach in Kihei soaking up the rays, riding bikes, eating good food and hanging out with friends.  This year we decided to stay behind and spend some time at the lake, which was amazingly relaxing.  Here is the evidence.

putting the dock in the water

the ladies are sunbathing while supervising the dock project

Jake trying to get on the dock before it put together

Cooper is really hoping someone throws the ball

Cooper quietly trying to sneak in the house while soaking wet

Ellee Mae giving Meiko a lecture

sunset at the head of the lake

Cooper and his granny

Ellee and Meiko playing

the humans relaxing

Ron playing soccer in the front yard

Ron and Ryan (cousin) "posing" for the camera

Harley and Meiko (brothers)

That was our fun mini-getaway.  No pictures of fireworks because most of the doggies were scared to death and we decided to drive home that evening.  I wish I would have taken a picture of the seven dogs together, but I totally spaced it.  It was an afterthought this morning!  

Hope you all had a restful and peaceful 4th.  I will see you all more regularly now...yay!