Our first week in Paradise!

Aloha!
We have officially lived our first week in Paradise! Seven days of swaying palm trees, blue skies, warm temperatures, bike rides, the beach...I don't think I could ever get tired of this. There's a neighbor who plays the piano every night, and it flows into our house. It's the sweetest time of night. When we go to sleep, we can hear waves crashing in the distance. However, the best time of day is the morning. All kinds of birds sing us awake, and the perfect breeze comes through the windows. Maybe it's jet lag or maybe our lifestyles are changing, but we're becoming early risers! It's just so good to be up in the morning. The temperature is perfect and the house is quiet. It is the best way to wake up and the most relaxing morning anyone could ever imagine. We're on the windward side of the island, and we get to see sunrises. The sun sets on the leeward side, which is where Honolulu is, so we see brilliant colors coming over the Koolaus mountains. The mountain ranges here are phenomenal! The Koolaus (Koh-oh-louz) are so steep and majestic. Oahu has some of the greatest landscapes I've seen, and it's all on an island that's 20 miles by 30 miles.

To better explore the island, we decided to get a car. Initially, we had planned to take busses, but after a few days of that, we changed our minds pretty quickly! It's a long drawn out story- how we got our car- but we saw the hand of God the whole way through! We started out paying $900 for a Honda Civic, but that car broke right before we took it home. (Thank goodness it didn't happen after we left.) The dealer offered us a better car at the same price- a Subaru station wagon. He must not have known that station wagons are our least favorite kind of car! Nevertheless, we test-drove it, talked about it, and felt it was a good decision to go ahead and buy it- and try to sell it soon in order to get a car we really want. It is a great beach car, has tons of room, and it will more than work for the time being.

Also, we have been so blessed to find employers. Within the first six days, we were both offered jobs. Pete is working at the swap meet (a market) in Honolulu, as a representative for a traveling club. Basically, he gives tourists discounted tours. And who doesn't want a discounted tour? After three interviews in two days, I was offered a job as a server at the new & upcoming California Pizza Kitchen in downtown Kailua (also known as Kailuatown). It's going to be awesome being a part of the team that sets up a brand new restaurant, and getting to be a server in that brand new restaurant. I told myself I was finished being a server, but this experience seems different. I think I could learn a lot and maybe move up in the company to a job I enjoy even more, somewhere in management. I want to learn everything I can about leading others and teaching others because ultimately, I'll need to know the basics for our Ranch someday. The Ultimate Dream of our Lifetime! :)

The cost of living is much higher here. We're learning to cut back in new places and save, save, save. (That's so hard with Jamba Juice and Yogurt Momma's on every block!) It has been such a blessing to be offered free housing for as long as we want with our Auntie Terri and Uncle Darwin. We are thinking of staying here about a month, but that one month is going to save us about a thousand dollars. We love this time we've been given with family. It's a full house! Auntie, Uncle, Uncle Barry, Grandma and Grandpa, Jessica, Pua (the dog!), me and Pete, and for this weekend, Russ. We absolutely love it and have been soaking up every moment of it.

We love going everywhere by bike. Even though we got a car, we're only going to use it for longer trips, and for Pete's ride to work in Honolulu. I'll ride my bike to work at CPK and anywhere else in Kailua. We are a 4 minute walk to the "best beach in Hawaii" which is AMAZING! As a matter of fact, me, Russ, Pete, and Jessica are getting up tomorrow morning to watch the sun rise over the beach. It's mornings like tomorrow that makes me wish I had all my friends and family here to share in the experience. We may have a few more joining the party...Ashley and Adam, two of our best friends from Springfield, are thinking of moving here in August with their dog Rambo!! That is just the most exciting news we could imagine! We are really trying to convince them to come and they are trying really hard to be convinced!

We have already met some great people through Jerome and Rebecca (who have been so AWESOME to hang out with!) and can't wait to spend more time with them. We've started attending a newlweds bible study and I hope to get to know everyone better with time.
Our first week in Kailua has brought us so much joy. I have much more to write- and some not so fun things to write about- but I'll save those for a later time. Even though this week has been amazing for Pete and myself, there are families that have fallen apart in the same week, thousands of people in Haiti have been killed by an indiscriminate earthquake, and hearts have been broken by thoughts of divorce. All in the matter of a week. All I can think to say is- Jesus could have divorced us when we wronged him in all ways possible, but instead, he gave His LIFE for us.

And I'm so grateful for that.