Maui 2026 Part One

Our travel journal begins early on Thursday October 1st as we picked up our Colville family for our ride together to the Spokane Airport at 6am. The ride to the airport is about 2 hours from our homes. Our son dropped us off at the Alaska terminal with all our luggage that he tetrised into the back of our vehicle masterfully. I should have taken a photo!

We established our base camp and waited for the first leg of our flight to Maui which included a change of airplanes in Seattle.

Our kids from the Seattle side of the state were on a flight from Seattle earlier than our flight would be.

They arrived at our resort before us and paved the way for our easy entry.

We had the last two rows on the short ride from Spokane to Seattle. The flight attendants gave us some good laughs before we took off.

Mount Rainier was visible on our flight into Seattle.

The Puget Sound on our descent. We had enough time at Seatac airport for a quick bite before we boarded our next flight that would be approximately five and a half hours to Maui.

All aboard and ready to go on our final leg to Maui.

We saw a lot of the Pacific ocean before we finally saw land!

What a welcomed sight!

I took this photo above from the airport in Maui. Our Seattle crew of four secured two vehicles for our time in Maui. Our vehicle was waiting for us in the parking lot just across from our terminal exit. Another tetris job by our son and we had luggage for 8 and seating for 8 all set and ready for our hour+ trip to our resort.

Our daughter and daughter-in-law met us as we drove up to the resort with our room codes and to show us the lay of the land. Our first glimpse of our view from the condo was jaw dropping. The twelve of us enjoyed two condos side by side for the duration of our stay.

After we settled into our rooms, a walk down to the beach was on the agenda.

Looking back at our lodgings, Honua Kai Resort and Spa.

Looking north.

Looking South…

 

One of our side by side decks with some of our crew.

Our Seattle crew of four had already made the trip to Costco to stock up on water, snacks, breakfast and lunch items for the week. Our dinners would be eaten out at restaurants or the nearby food truck court.

Thursday was done and we were all looking forward to a relaxing Friday with nothing on the agenda.

Mahalo for stopping by today. More adventures coming tomorrow.

Happy Columbus Day here in the U.S.A. and a very Happy Thanksgiving Day to our friends in Canada! 

Read to Me the Blessed Bible ~ Hymn

Read to Me the Blessed Bible

Read to me the blessèd Bible,
On its sacred pages shine
Grace and truth and tender mercy,
And a Savior’s love divine.

Refrain

Read the Bible,
Now the lamp of life burns low,
These will cheer me,
When the agèd feet move slow.

’Tis a fount of living water,
Where the soul its thirst may slake,
Bread of life it freely offers,
Unto all who will partake.

Refrain

Read to me the blessèd Bible,
Read it carefully and slow,
’Tis a refuge and a shelter,
From the stormy winds that blow.

Refrain

It is comfort for the troubled,
To the lonely ’tis a guest,
For the penitent, ’tis pardon,
To the weary it is rest.

Refrain

When you read about the City,
Whose fair day ne’er ends with night,
Death is not the king of terrors,
But a messenger of light.

Refrain

Words: Mary I. McClean, 1894

Tropical Escape

This has been our view from our home away from home for the last 8 days. Our travels home started on Maui time Friday October 9th and we arrived in the wee hours of Saturday October 10th. I’ll be recuperating before I flood my blog with our Maui adventures. Aloha and Mahalo for stopping by today.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

Ellen B. is still away from her computer until next week but wanted to leave you with this recipe since we have entered pumpkin season.

My family has a favorite easy Spice Cake that I’ve made over the years and I decided to switch it up a bit for pumpkin season. Instead of using applesauce that the original recipe called for I used 100% pure canned pumpkin and pumpkin spice instead of nutmeg.

Pumpkin Spice Cake

Ingredients:

  • 1 pkg. yellow cake mix
  • 1 pkg. 4 serving size Jello instant vanilla pudding (3.4oz.)
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup pure pumpkin filling (not sweetened)
  • 1/2 C. water
  • 1/4 C. oil
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. pumpkin spice

Method:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  2. Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl of electric mixer and blend then beat at medium for 4 minutes.
  3. Pour into well greased and floured 10 inch tube or fluted tube pan or angel food pan.
  4. Bake at 350 degrees for 50-55 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean.
  5. DO NOT UNDER BAKE.
  6. Cool in pan for 15 minutes then remove and cool on rack.
  7. When the cake has cooled and before serving give it a dusting of powdered sugar.
  8. It’s good by itself or served with vanilla ice cream.

Blessed Bible ~ Hymn

Blessed Bible

Blessèd Bi­ble, Book of Gold,
Precious truths thy pag­es hold,
Truths to lead me day by day
All along my pil­grim way.

Refrain

Blessèd Bi­ble, pure and true,
Guide me all my jour­ney through;
Heav’nly light with­in me shine,
Help me make thy pre­cepts mine!

Lamp of faith, my feet to lead,
Bread of Heav’n, my soul to feed;
Living wa­ters pure and free,
Book of books thou art to me.

Refrain

Word of God, thy love im­part,
Fire my zeal, and cleanse my heart;
Keep me ear­nest, keep me true,
Ev’ry day my strength re­new.

Refrain

Words: Fanny Crosby, 1898.

Lost and Found July 2007

In July of 2007 my brother and his wife who live in Texas came for a visit to Seattle. They had been married for almost 1 year. We had fun doing all the touristy things we love to do with visitors, Pike place market, the troll, Kerry Park, Whidbey Island, etc.

One of the evenings they were in town our friends who live on the Sound in Edmonds invited our clan over for the evening. The post about this event has disappeared from my blog and I’m reinstating here. The photos aren’t the best but the memories are.

Our dear friend Jody was the hostess with the mostest and knew how to feed a crowd.

We enjoyed a fire pit in Jody’s beautiful English garden. Jody is married to Dave who was our doctor for years! He’s the fire starter in the orange shirt.

I did mention that they live on the Sound.

Mandy would have been meeting Dave and Jody for the first time. Our brother Leonard knew our friends well.

I wonder who is in the Dunn Lumber sweatshirt behind Josh and Laura?

Leonard, Mandy, Greg, Lana, Josh, Laura and I think the profile is Bridget, another one of Dave and Jody’s daughters.

Me and my sister, Lana, who happens to be Leonard’s twin. I see Jan in the background.

One of Dave and Jody’s daughters.

Another missing piece of Leonard and Mandy’s visit for our dinner gathering in Kirkland on the waterfront.

There will be a few more Old Lost and Found posts appearing fresh on my blog in the coming year.

The Age-Long Minute

The Age-Long Minute
by
Amy Carmichael
~
Thou art the Lord who slept upon the pillow,
Thou art the Lord who soothed the furious sea,
What matter beating wind and tossing billow
If only we are in the boat with Thee.
Hold us in quiet through the age-long minute
While Thou art silent, and the wind is shrill:
Can the boat sink while Thou, dear Lord, art in it?
Can the heart faint that waiteth on Thy will?

A Little Blog Break

I’ll be back before you have time to miss me, Lord willing.

In the meantime my Sunday Hymn and a few other posts will pop up but I will be away from my regular postings and I won’t be visiting blogs.

I’m just about done with the huge project of cleaning up my blog from 2007-2013. Here are some images from posts that disappeared from 2007.

Katie was in her friend Heidi’s wedding in May of 2007. This is Katie and me at that wedding. This wedding was in Washington State. Greg was working in California during this time and he and I were living in Camarillo.

Community volunteering project with our church in Thousand Oaks in May of 2007

Josh and Laura at Laura’s brother’s wedding in September of 2007 in Washington State.

Me with my kids at the same wedding. Greg was in California. Ha! I’m wearing the same dress as I wore for Heidi’s wedding earlier in the year, oops. 🙂 Come to find out that dress showed up in one more wedding in 2007 in California. Photos don’t lie or that was the case before AI.

This wedding was in October of 2007. That dress really made the rounds. Makes me chuckle.

Happy last day of September!

Scary Angels

 

Broadway Day 7 044Uncle Joshie had a conversation with JJ that was too good not to document for the sake of my failing memory skills and for the joy it brought. Here is how it came over the family group text:

Josh: Fun JJ story from today. I was chatting with Daniel and JJ on the phone. 

JJ: I learned about what the Bible says angels looks like and it’s actually pretty scary sounding.

Josh: I agree. Do you remember what every angel says when a person encounters them in the Bible?

JJ: yes, “Do not be afraid”.

Josh: That’s right, so it makes sense they’re probably pretty scary looking. It’s funny how cute and cuddly most cherubs look in paintings.

JJ: well, if a little cute cherub appeared out of nowhere, I think it would probably still be a little scary. 

We all were sending back the laugh till we cry emojis. Love the thoughts our 7 year old grandson shares! Also pleased that Uncle Joshie makes the effort to have intelligent conversations with his nephews and niece.

California in September Finale

On Sunday morning 12 of us gathered in Pasadena at a restaurant on E. Colorado Blvd. for brunch. The name of the restaurant is Old Town Caffe and don’t let looks deceive you, it was a fabulous establishment serving great food and specialty coffees. The service was top notch, too.

It was a fun and laid back morning and good for some recovery time after all the labor of putting on the Bridal Tea. Even though Vera’s car got locked in the wrong parking structure and she had to call attendants to let her out, all worked out in the end and we made it back home for a little rest time before we dropped off Katie at the airport for her trip home.

Later on Sunday evening…

…five of us gathered at Mario’s Mexican Restaurant for dinner. Lenny, Vera’s son-in-law, thought it would be fun to say it was Vera’s birthday. She was treated to a birthday balloon crown for this fictitious day.

Monday last before I flew home on Tuesday, I met my dear recently widowed friend at a restaurant in Tustin. We spent 3 solid hours at our table in conversation good for both our souls. We didn’t think to take a photo of the two of us.

My trip to California was filled with people time. No beach time even though I was staying in Huntington beach with my sister.

And now it’s time to enjoy Autumn!