30 July 2015

Makapu'u Tide Pools



I need to start this off by saying I love Hawaii. Honestly, I really do.

On the halfway day of deployment ladies from the wardroom decided to go on a trek to the Makapu'u tide pools.  Take a trail off of the Makapu'u Lighthouse Trail, go down a cliff and find the most amazing tide pools you've ever seen. You're going to have a wonderful day ahead of you.

It's extremely easy to spend the entire day down there so be sure to pack some snacks and a lot of water. Also check the tides before you go! While we have had a blast going, and have had some hysterical experiences the ocean is an unpredictable thing. Never get too comfortable and always use your head. . Now that that's out of the way, back to the tide pools. . There's a blowhole here nicknamed the dragons nostril. Pretty self explanatory on why, and it's amazing to watch.


We all fell in love with the area and I recently went back with a friend and her brother. He found another tide pool a little further away but being height challenged there was no way Katie and I were making it down there. If anyone wants to carry a ladder down the trail I'll carry some POG and rum down for you, a sandwich and make sure you have sunscreen. Even trade?

The most amazing part of both of these trips is that there are some rather large waves that can come into the tide pool. The mothers of our wardroom made sure everyone was well warned and being careful. Our second time a rouge wave turned my Herbal Essence commercial attempt turned into a Kam going under water and Katie snapping probably the most hysterical picture of my time here so far. I'm obviously ok, but it was also the only damn time "rouge wave" wasn't yelled. A picture is worth a thousand words?  It's been a weird 48 hours around here and I can't help but giggle at this picture whenever I catch myself taking things too seriously.


20 July 2015

Banana Coconut Popsicles

I absolutely love sweet snacks. Froyo, popsicles, gelato, ice cream. . I could eat it all and be a happy camper.  That being said, sweet treats can not only get a bit expensive, but I also am starting to care more about what's actually in my food products.  I've been having more allergy problems in the past few months so making things at home and controlling everything is becoming more important. Not to mention these were super easy to make.

I had a few bananas with freckles that I had planned on using to make banana bread with, but after perusing pinterest I decided to combine and few different recipes and try out my Zoku popsicle molds. The recipe is super simple:

3 ripe bananas
1 can of coconut milk
3 tbs maple syrup
3 tbs cinnamon

Using your blender, combine all ingredients and pour into your popsicle molds! Super simple!

I actually had a quarter cup left so I would suggest either cutting the ingredients a bit or just saving it in a container in the fridge. Wait at least 8 hours to pull the mold from the freezer, run under water for about a minute and you'll have a wonderful summer treat. Enjoy!


19 July 2015

Caversham Wildlife Sanctuary

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The only thing we truly wanted to experience on my trip was to be able to pet a kangaroo and koala (realistically it was to also hold a koala). We found a wildlife reserve not too far from Perth that allows you to hold a koala, but getting to it without a car just proved a bit to difficult. Enter Cavershams Wildlife Park. I have to say, we couldn't have spent our last day together in a better place.

I have a love hate relationship with zoos. I love animals. If I could do anything I would work with animals but that job and this crazy Navy lifestyle just isn't too realistic. That being said going to a zoo truly lets you see all of the flora and fauna of the area you may be visiting without chancing it to Mother Nature being on your side. On the other end of that, I hate how small the enclosures are. I understand the space, but gosh does it make me sad.  Cavershams wasn't too bad. I didn't have my typical zoo breakdown for the animals, so that was a good sign.

Australia is full of many different wonderful creatures. We took our time walking around the park and were there for a few hours. I learned while black swans are beautiful creatures, they're also feisty devils as one nearly took my camera out. They're not on the top of my favorite list.

Caversham has hours during the day when you're able to meet the koalas. While you can't hold them you are still able to get up close and personal and pet them on their back while they slumber the days away. We were able to pet Brody who was a little cutie pie.

While adorable, I must say I was slightly disappointed in their fur! Unlike the kangaroos which were silky soft the koala was a coarser type of fluff. Nic and I had the conversation and if we could take one animal home I would want a kangaroo because of its fur, but practicality and the sweet sleepy cuddles make the koala win.

Thanks to Nic's sharp eye we were even able to see a little joey hand coming out of one of the koalas in a smaller enclosure.

We were also able to see an Australian possum (which is adorable especially compared to ours), beautiful owls, and get a picture with a wombat who is apparently quite ticklish.  If you're ever in the Fremantle/Perth area, it's worth the day trip. 




11 July 2015

A Port Call

As soon as we found out Nic would be a SWO we started discussing the possibility of a port call as soon as the big "D" word came around.

I've been told countless times how you must go on a port call if you're able to. The stories that people tell, and the happiness and passion behind those stories, are enough to push you to save up as much money as you can to make it a reality.

We were lucky enough to have Australia on our port list and I am lucky enough to be part of an active wardroom with other wives were also planning on visiting at some point. A few months after they left and we were on our way to Western Australia. Four of us on the same flight meant no sitting by strangers, being able to split taxis and hotel rooms, and having someone to commiserate with once they left again.

This Navy life is crazy, and sometimes a bit depressing, but for all of those depressing times there are adventures awaiting. And wine.  If you would have told me upon Nic's commissioning that I would have been able to visit him in Australia with good friends, I would have laughed at you. Even if you told me a year ago I would have laughed at you.  But here I am, writing about a wonderful trip.


05 July 2015

Hibiscus Half Marathon

A few months ago we had this crazy idea to sign up for a half marathon. I had only ran one 5k (and it was a color run, and we didn't run the entire thing) and couldn't even run a full mile straight. Well, a 10k and a few months later and I finished my first half marathon with an amazing friend. 

Even better? It was on the day that I was celebrating two months down of this deployment. Way to celebrate in a proactive manner!

But even better than that? We ran the entire thing. 13.1 miles, hill and all.  To say I'm proud and want to pat both of us on the back is an understatement! I don't think I'll be signing up for another half any time soon, but we still beat the average time for women in our age group and that's all I dreamed of doing!









Independence Day

The Fourth of July is one of my favorite days. I absolutely love our country. This year I was able to watch the fireworks from over Pearl Harbor while sitting in front of the USS Arizona memorial. Words truly cannot describe how I felt while sitting there. It was so awe inspiring.

Military life can be hard at times, and sitting there in that magical moment all I wanted was my husband there by my side. God Bless the USA.