Imiloa

The Great Titanium Cones of Hawaii

The kids were at the Imiloa today.

This Summer

Photo by Isaiah Berg

I went to the beach
got lots of sand in the truck
laughed
worked
walked
got discouraged
was encouraged
had fun with family
sat by the pool
my heart broke in half
had dinner with friends, an artist,a famous author, and a Noble Prize winner
ate cake
played drums
passed the Hunter's Ed class
walked on the beach
was amazed by my kids
got 2 tickets
cried
went to Coconut Island
took pictures
saw some shooting stars
got a sunburn in a hurricane
picked lichees
went to the farmer's market
ate pineapple that tasted like candy
smiled
shoveled manure
mowed the lawn
wrote these words

Shoe Boxes!

We hope you you can join us as we get ready to send shoe boxes filled with love to children in need around the world!
We are thrilled to have, Matt Foster, Operation Christmas Child Regional Director of South and East Asia as our Guest Speaker.
Matt works with the National Leader Volunteers and oversees the distribution of gifts through the local churches in countries including: China, India, Pakistan, Nepal and the Philippines. He has lived in China and Thailand and speaks Mandarin Chinese.
You will hear how God uses our simple gifts to change the life of a child, a family, even an entire village.
Learn how a shoe box allows the gospel to be proclaimed in the most unreached, unrecognized segments of society in Asia.
Operation Christmas Child promtional materials that will help you to achieve and exceed your shoe box goals in 2009 will be available.
Leave inspired,challenged and equipped!
Please extend this invitation to your church, group, family and friends. We hope to see you there!
This exciting event will be Monday August 17th 6:30 pm Hilo Missionary Church.
For more information or to help, contact: Heather at 969-1953 or heybooboopeace@aol.com
OCC National Collection Week Nov. 16 - 23, 2009

Bishop St.

Bishop St.,Honolulu
by Bob Riley

Best Wedding EVER!

I smiled and laughed for 5 min. and 9 seconds, you can too:-)

Hilo Bay from above the Scenic Point

Hilo Bay 2009

I took this picture from a home I showed. I took the kids with me when I went, and they were trying to talk ME into buying the home while we were there!
It is a renovated Hilo home, in a quiet neighborhood, and as you can see, it has awesome views of the bay.

Masonry Oven

Before picture of Masonry Oven June 2009

Here is the almost finished base of the masonry oven my wonderful son is building for me(with help).
The rocks are from our land, and the fire bricks are used and were a trade from a friend. One of the men helping my son build it was able to get really good information, and left over fire bricks from a guy who has been researching masonry ovens. When this is built, I hope to bake bread,crackers, and many pizzas here.
The beauty of this oven is I will be able to cut down my gas bill, and burn "scrub" trees that are unwanted anyway.
After photos to come, hopefully before Summer is over, and there will be a pizza party.

2009 photos

Mauna Kea Beach 2009

This is my favorite picture so far, this year.

Moons and Jupiter

Please take a look at this beautiful photo. otherwise the sky might just come crashing to the ground. The photo is that good.
Ok, actually it is a toss up between yesterdays Astronomy Picture Of The Day, and this one, but maybe you could just look at them both, and comment below about which is your favorite?

Thankful

I am thankful for the country I live in. I don't believe America is perfect, but I believe it is amazing.
I am thankful for my family members living, and dead who gave to help keep us free. I am thankful for the brave men, and women so long ago, who knew we needed independence from the British, and fought to make that happen. Work, blood, sweat, and tears are what were sacrificed so that we would not be cruelly taxed, and unfairly monitored by a unjust governing power.

I am thankful that I live in the U.S.A.

Do you sit in your larger than average house, in your name brand T-shirt, crapping on a shiny white toilet, sipping a cold drink, while surfing the web? Do you have a car to drive to your local coffee shop so you can drink your favorite, flavored,whipped,latteed, coffee drink? Do you have the freedom to travel in expensive jet airplanes, to exotic places, then come back to your sweet smelling town, and sleep in your cozy comfortable bed again?Do you have the luxury to worship how you want to worship? Can you stand up and protest something without fear of death? Do you shop at giant super stores to buy your soft absorbent toilet paper, expensive iphones, ipods, bottles of ultra purified crystal clear water,and choose from 30 kinds of deodorant? Can you get married, and be blessed to have 4 children instead of just one with out fear that you will be forced to have an abortion? Can you read the Bible on a park bench without fear? How many Bibles do you own? Three? Or do you only own a shred of a Bible that you read over and over again because that is all you have?

If you think there is something wrong with America, then stand up(or kneel down), and do something about it, don't tear it down, and the people who serve this country with their lives. The very fact that you can complain without fear is reason to be thankful. I thank God for my country, and the millions who have been blessed because of it.

2 Chronicles 7:14
"if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land."

Isaiah

Isaiah's 13th birthday 2009
Photos by dee photography

We ate fresh Waimea strawberries, thanks to Nancy, fresh salad from the Ko's farm, pizza(Isaiah's favorite)tender rotisserie chicken, from Noelle, potato salad, and two kinds of cheese cake, New York style which took 7 hours, and a lovely little cheese cake that took 10 min. to make, then 3 hours in the fridge haha!
Oh, and adult guests enjoyed two kinds of home made wine from the famous Claudia Riley.

Isaiah got to show off the potato cannon he built himself. The cannon works well, especially if you like your potatoes to be flaming, and loud. He also let off a few fireworks. The young guests swam till late at night, and then had a sleepover.

Ke Ola Farm

The Ko Family at the Farmer's Market June 2009 taken with my BlackBerry

I love the Kos. I admire the way they work together, and though life is not perfect,and there are hardships, they continue on, and persevere courageously. They are pioneers in aquaponic farming.

The Ko family farm is now up,running, and open for business!
They are Ke Ola Farm.
They grow exotic lettuce, herbs, green beans, squash, and the best cucumbers I ever ate in my life! They are still expanding, so there will be much more to come.

Onomea Bay

Onomea Bay 2009 taken with my BlackBerry

I took my cousins who were visiting from Kentucky on a tour of the island, and stopped here briefly.
My Sony cyber-shot is acting up(like sometimes it will take pictures, and sometimes it decides to go on vacation) so I have more fun just using my BlackBerry. I have had the BlackBerry for about three months now. It is so useful for real estate, and also has all the fun stuff. I don't play games on it, but it has the entire Bible in, I think, 14 English versions, plus the daily reading, plus 22 other languages, AND a concordance!(You Version)
I know the iphone is so popular right now, but I tried typing on it, and it was just too weird. I kept pushing the wrong keys. The BlackBerry key pad is way better in my humble opinion.

Honolii Beach

First waves for Isaiah 2009

forgive
seventy times seven
more than the pebbles at Honolii
more than I can on my own
I could,maybe once
then I give up
My Higher Power must take over
it is a miracle to wake up
to open my eyes
it is a miracle just to be alive
to get up
to breathe