Jesse and Christy

Kealakekua - Kay - AH - la - kay - KU - ah.  One of those tough Hawaiian words that you feel so proud when you can say it!  Famous in the song from the 40's ("I'm gonna go back to my little grass shack in Kealakekua Hawaii").  And more famous still as the location of the bay where Captain James Cook both discovered the Hawaiian Islands for the western world, and where he later saw his demise.  In fact, there's a little piece of Britain on the shores of the bay where there's a monument to his death.

And it's recently been made famous as the location of the wedding for Jesse and Christy!  Just a short hillside away from that famous bay, their closest family and friends flew in to celebrate this happy time together!

Been around the world......

On my website, there's a "bio" page that says that "I travel....a lot!".  A more true statement could not be made.  A couple of days ago, I counted up the number of nights I've been away from home this year to date, and it came to 137!  My "normal" is living out of a suitcase.  I think the longest transit from one destination to another is 66 hours (!), and anything under 24 hours is a short trip.  How about that?

Right now, I'm in my hotel room in Singapore, having just arrived from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.  Already away from home almost 2 weeks, another 4 to go.  Usually, I'm not on a photo assignment, but as a traveling partner with my husband.  It is an indescribable experience to share lives with people all over the world, and to encourage them in what they're doing.

You'd think I'd have my camera around my neck all the time, but I find it often stays in my hotel room instead!  But here's a couple from this month.

We started the month in Uyo, Nigeria and closing it out in South East Asia.  And in between those, I had two photo jobs in Kona!  Just last night in Kuala Lumpur, we visited the Petronas Towers, among the tallest buildings in the world.  Both of these, taken with my iPhone (merging 3 photos in the second one)....

Uyo, Nigeria

Petronas Towers, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

The Salansky Family

Creating memories of good times together is one of the best things to keeps a family close.

We played a game with the kids (and still do when we get together) called "I Remember".  Here's how to play - one person thinks of something we all did together and gives an obscure clue - 'I remember a dusty road'.    Each of us starts drawing in our minds all the times we might have been on a dusty road together.  That's lots of times! If no one guesses correctly, another clue - 'I remember going fast', 'I remember scary', 'I remember mountains', 'I remember laughing', 'I remember being on top'.  And for sure, by that time, someone would have honed in on the memory of that time on vacation in the Canadian Rockies when the kids laid on top of our rented mini van and held on tight while Bob drove down a windy dirt road.  Yes, we really did that! And yes, we laughed our heads off!  These are the things that let us re-live the wonderful times we've had together.

And the Salansky family will surely have lots of those times to remember and enjoy for many years to come!  I love being part of the memories that families create when they visit our beautiful islands.

Morning photos at Anaeho'omalu Bay in the Waikoloa Resort.

Mike and Annie's New Home!

You know the feeling when someone you love is getting absolutely blown away blessed?  Well, that's the feeling I've got for Mike and Annie.  They had a dream to build their own home.  Mike's an amazing builder, and Annie's creativity in design is amazing!  And they are also by brother- and sister-in-law.

On Saturday, the foundation was poured, and together with little Lucas, they put the prints into the wet cement.  This house is flying up!!  The dream is coming true - so exciting!

Scott and Kelly at the Four Seasons

The best part of what I get to do is meeting people from all walks of life and in so many situations.  Often, our paths intersect at a very important time in their lives, and it's my privilege to record something that will be passed on from generation to generation. A moment in time slips by before you even know it's happened, and making it "stop" through a photograph is priceless.

Recently, some of the nicest people came to the beautiful Four Seasons Hualalai Resort to celebrate with Scott and Kelly as they committed their lives to one another. Kelly's son, Christopher, was right in the middle of all the excitement with the wonderful anticipation of his new family. It was a gorgeous and relaxing time of enjoying our beautiful island and each other's company.

Kelly was an incredible designer of the events around the wedding, and it was a dream to photograph!  So many wonderful details, and so much happiness!

The rehearsal dinner was right at water's edge, beautifully set with spectacular florals, driftwood and shells.  The sunset was spectacular and the Four Seasons produced a wonderful buffet for all.

The Wedding Day was bright, clear and breezy!  All details and finishing touches in place, it was off to the ocean front lawn with swaying coconut palms and bright white parasols for the wedding ceremony followed by a reception in the luau grounds.  

Beautiful West Virginia

About a month ago, Bob and I had our first visit to West Virginia.  Like everyone else, we were ready for the "Country Roads", and wondered if its beauty had been over-stated.  Well, to our eyes, it was all that beautiful and more!  Magical really.  We were there for a weekend to support a new endeavor in Lewisburg that is bringing new life to the community, and we had a wonderful time making some fantastic new friends!

We stayed in a log cabin WAY out in the middle of what seemed like nowhere. Built in the 1800s.  Forty-five minutes from town.  Nothing can quite describe the quiet, and the fireflies and the full moon.  Overwhelming.

And so much history too!  Visited the Organ Cave which not only has amazing stalagmites and stalactites, but was part of a secret mining operation in the Civil War for the Confederate States' gunpowder.  Lots of the mining equipment is still in its original place.

 

The warm air meeting us coming out of the cavern immediately fogged the camera, adding a special something to how beautiful it was.

The rolling hills fold one over the other as far as the eye can see.  Can't wait to go back again!

And the WhiteWater Rafting is the best!!  That's me, oar poised to dig.  Photo © Class IV Adventures

Thanks to Doug and Laura for a wonderful weekend!

Mark, Diane, Madison and McKenna in Hawaii!

The magic of air travel is that you can start out in the everyday, of say, Missouri, and when the doors open to a paradise like Hawaii, you just have to nearly pinch yourself to believe you're really there!  Mark and Diane came with their daughters to celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary and asked me to take photos to help them remember what a special time they had together on this beautiful island.  

The setting is Anaeho'omalu Bay on the Kohala Coast.