Gavin has recently been learning how to use our digital camera. He has become quite fond of aiming and shooting. I am not quite sure if he has the hang of it or not, but he seems to know what he is doing, which is a scary thought, because that would mean that he is heading for fine art. Find some of his pictures below.

Ahhhh. It has begun. Our tree is up and covered in shiny goodness. There is chocolate-a-plenty. Presents are being purchased and wrapped to be placed under the tree. Around town, companies and homes alike have put up beautiful lights and decorations that light up and make for beautiful scenery as you ride around on your motorcycle. I love the Holidays. Holly has half of the month of December completely off. No school, no work, no job, nothing. And same for Mary. We will use this time to be together and do things like eat Thai food and go see the Nutcracker and drink hot cocoa and eat peppermint bark and watch Narnia. I so look forward to this Holiday season. We have so much to look forward too. I am so happy. I love everyone.

I last posted just after Holly’s 26th birthday. On that day we celebrated and discussed all the things she accomplished that year. Now, just a few days later she is starting her list for her 27th birthday. After many resumes, phone calls and interviews, Holly got offered her first job at a place here in Hawaii. This was such a relief. She will definitely have a job. Things will be easier. We were very excited. Of course, as excited as I was, I was half hoping she would have got an out-of-state job. Ironically, while she was at her interview, she received a phone call from a place in Washington looking for another interview with her. This caused quite a stir. She now has a second interview with Washington. The problem here is this. Holly would have to make a decision (if offered both jobs) to either make me happy, or to make her mom happy. Do we move to Washington (me happy) or stay here (her mom happy)? I am quite ready to move out of Hawaii. I am quite ready to have our own life. To buy our own house. To have another baby. To have steady jobs. To move on. And I just don’t see any of that happening while we stay in Hawaii. But of course leaving Hawaii means leaving Mary all alone. She has not finished her degree yet, and it will be another year or two until she does. It also would mean separating Gavin and Granny. So it’s a dilemma. One which was solved over night. We reviewed the contract that Holly received and decided that it was not a wonderful proposal. Not bad mind you, but there are a few aspects we could certainly imagine being better. Now the decision was a little bit harder for Holly because the job here in Hawaii might not actually be the best one. Anyway, to make this a bit shorter, she contacted the Washington people and they told her that if she does well during her next interview, what will happen is that they will put her in their job pool. When this happens, she has basically been offered a job. Then she would have to fly to Washington to meet them and all kinds of stuff. Once she has done that (which could take months), then she can work there. So the decision was this (which makes everyone happy). She will take the job in Honolulu. She will continue on pursuing the job in Washington. If all goes well and she is entered into the pool, she will follow through to go to Washington and meet the people and see the town and take whatever tests or exams or whatever they require of her until she is eligible to start work there. We are told this process can take months. Which is fine because at this point we won’t be ready to move until summer. So as of now, Holly will work in Honolulu until the Washington job comes through. Then she will quit her job here (she is allowed according to the contract) and take the Washington job. And that is where we stand now. Of course none of this will happen if they don’t put her in the pool, but I am confident. And optimistic.

Oh yesterday was a blissful day. I spent the whole day with Holly from beginning to end for the first time in a very long time. I tried my best to spoil her rotten. I took her out to the “Koa House” for breakfast. They have only the best pancakes ever. But Holly got her favorite breakfast, like I knew she would, which was Eggs Benedict Florentine. Then afterwards I took her shopping at Ala Moana Mall to spend the Gift Card that her mother bought her for her birthday. She bought a lovely pair of interview pants and some shirts. Then I bought her a pair of kick-ass boots so she can ride the motorcycle with style. They are also nice because they can be worn with her interview clothes if she so desires. For lunch we had some Thai food in the food court. So delicious. Back and forth from store to store. We enjoyed it very much. Eventually we headed back home with a sleeping baby around 2pm or so. We then spent the mid afternoon sucking down some of the leftover Thanksgiving liquor. What? Doesn’t everyone have leftover Thanksgiving liquor? Anyway. After getting reasonably tipsy, we hiked up to the store to buy some peppermint sticks to garnish Holly’s birthday cake with. After licking the frosting bowl clean, I made Holly open her 3rd birthday present (Present 1 was a leather jacket and present 2 was a pair of boots). Present #3 was Bridget Jones’ Diaries, the first and second one. Inside one of the covers was yet another gift card for her to spend on clothes. The next few hours were spent on mindless television that Holly picked out. Later in the evening we grabbed the cake, liquor and our dance shoes and headed out to an RSCDS party. For the most part it was a good party. And why wouldn’t it be? We brought liquor. At the party everyone toasted Holly and her 26th birthday along with her list of accomplishment’s. After the party we carried our exhausted bodies home and plopped them in bed only to awake to a normal day of work and chores. Ahhh. Life is good.

Thanksgiving was a success. Our guests all seemed happy. The food was awesome. Gavin had a blast. Liquor was consumed. The house was clean and filled with the wonderful smell of turkey and stuffing and pies and all kinds of wonderful food.

Tomorrow is Holly’s birthday. We both managed to get the whole day off. We will probably spend much of it shopping for boots and interview outfits. At 7 we are going to an RSCDS party in which we will also celebrate Holly’s birthday.

I am very excited about all things coming up this month. Of course we had Thanksgiving and tomorrow is Holly’s birthday. Then is Gavin’s birthday. There is also Christmas and Holly’s graduation. Then there is going to be a celebration when Holly gets a job, which ought to be within the next few weeks. It is just exciting. Lots of food, drinks, presents, surprises and beginnings. What is next for us?