Chapter 120: Housework

We did quite a bit of shopping on Monday. We bought a few things at Bed, Bath & Beyond and Target. We bought a closet organizer at Lowe's - Joe also got excited and bought a grill. Our last stop was Giant Eagle where we stocked up on the basic groceries we need. The backseat and trunk of the car was packed by the time we headed home.

We then went back to Joe's house in New Castle so that he could pick up some of his things. We ate dinner with his parents and then watched the Steelers game. I visited Dorann and her family - which is always an enjoyable time! This morning Joe finished packing his clothes and in the meantime I made an exciting discovery. I had been waiting in anticipation for the wedding pictures to be ready and while browsing the brand studio site today...I found the pictures! (password is : anson) Mrs. Patrick, Joe and I looked at all 660 of them.

Joe and I then drove back to Pittsburgh and continued our organization and cleaning of the house. Also, I thought it would be nice to show why Joe gets to watch football all Sunday - the following pictures should explain it:

Chapter 119: Back to the Real World

After many hours of traveling, we have finally made it home to Pittsburgh. Our house isn't quite a home yet...there is still a lot we need to move in and organize (which I'm very excited for).

It's the start of the "real world" now. I got a bit a taste of how every Sunday will be this fall. The following pictures should fully describe it:I'm kidding...I hope! :) Joe helped to put the first load of laundry in and he set up the router for the internet. We plan to get a lot of things put in to place tomorrow.

Chapter 118: Last Day

After yesterday’s breakfast, Joe and I got a couple’s massage in the Lomi room – it was open air and had a waterfall. It was very relaxing. In the afternoon, we revisited the turtles on the beach and we even got to see one struggle against the under current as it climbed out of the ocean.

A little before 5 o’clock, we headed over to the luau that was on the other side of the resort. We got front row seats – literally, we had to watch that our heads weren’t hit by props during the hula and fire dancing. We liked this luau better than the last. They showed us the ceremony of removing the Kalua pig from the imu (the underground oven the Hawaiian use to cook). We enjoyed the large buffet of food as the dancing began. It was a very nice way to finish the trip.

Now, we are going to enjoy the rest of our day on the Big Island by touring some coffee plantations and visiting the Kailua-Kona area. Our flight is at 10:45 tonight and we won’t be back in Pittsburgh until tomorrow afternoon around 4. It’s going to be a long night…and day.

Chapter 117: Sunset Cruise

After our big adventurous day, we needed a day of rest and relaxation. We slowly enjoyed our breakfast while reading the paper. Then we walked around for a bit – I bought some rare white honey that is only produced on the Big Island. I’ve had it for breakfast a few times and liked it a lot! We read on our hale porch and enjoyed the warm weather.
The buffet lunch was as tasty as ever. Joe met a guy from Philadelphia along the buffet line and he gave us each a Sam Adams to enjoy with our meal. We lazed around more after lunch until our sunset cruise.
The cruise left around 5:45 and took us along the coast. The guide pointed out Michael Dell’s house and other beaches and bays along the way. As the sun descended, we drifted in the undulating waves and watched it peek in and out of the clouds and then finally disappear below the horizon. On the way back, the guide kicked it up a notch as we flew over the water. We had to hold on tight; it was similar to a roller coaster!We had dinner al fresco and luckily we had an umbrella over our table because it started to drizzle big rain drops. We enjoyed 3 courses, ending with a chocolate toffee dessert that left us immobile. After our food comatose wore off, we headed towards the black rocks near the shallow bay. Kona Village shines a bright light into the water where many small fish swim at night. The real attraction is the manta ray with 6 foot wingspan that comes in the shallow waters to eat the small fish. After about 5 minutes of waiting we were treated with this large, open-mouthed creature flapping its wings and swooping for dinner.Sorry it's a dark picture. If you look closely you can see the outline of the huge manta ray!

Chapter 116: Big Island Exploring

Since we wanted to see the volcano at dusk, we had quite a few hours to kill. Along our drive, we knew of a few lookouts and attractions to entertain ourselves. Our first stop was at Pololu Valley Lookout, which is an end-of-the-road scenic lookout that has appeared on many travel posters. Joe and I both recognized the picturesque view. We then meandered our way to a second vista point called Waipio Valley Lookout. We could see deep into the lush, green valley as well as a spectacular coastline view.
We continued to follow Highway 19 which took us around the northern part of the island and then headed along the east coast towards Hilo. Before reaching Hilo, we stopped at Akaka Falls to take a look at the 442-foot tumbling waterfall.
After stopping at Jamba Juice, our new favorite spot, we took an impromptu turn down Macadamia Road. There we visited Mauna Loa, a large producer of macadamia nuts. We took the self-guided tour and then sampled some of the goods in the visitor center/gift shop. These are my new favorite nut.
By this time it was nearing 5 o’clock so we decided to head to the lava flow. We took some very rocky and narrow roads but finally reached the parking lot for the viewing area. We grabbed our water bottles and our flashlight and trekked across old, hardened lava rock to the viewing spot. It took about 15-20 minutes to walk there and just as we arrived, it started to rain…we had left our umbrella in the car. We considered going back for it but instead we decided to tough it out. There were already people there securing their spots for a front row viewing, so we settled up next to them.
We were initially disappointed and discouraged because in the light of day, all we could see was the billowing smoke caused from the lava hitting the water. We were hundreds of yards away and we couldn’t see any red-hot lava! We stuck this out as well and our patience paid off. As the sun set, we started seeing some splashes of orange and red. As time passed and it got darker, we saw sparks and the colors darkened even more. Unfortunately, because of the distance and darkness, we were unable to capture any good lava pictures. However, it was quite an experience and it ended up being worth the wait in the rain!

Chapter 115: Sea Turtles

We ended up postponing our sunset sail until Thursday so that we could enjoy the Paniolo Night. A Paniolo is a Hawaiian Cowboy. Tonight they were having a special BBQ dinner on the terrace with live music and we didn’t want to miss it. We had to wait a while before we could be seated so we went to the black sand beach where the turtle rest in the afternoon. There we saw two sea turtles basking in the last rays of the evening sun. They didn’t move at all really so we decided to seek better entertainment at the Bora Bora Bar.

At the bar, we watched the sunset as we sipped our cocktails. The meal we were served at the Paniolo was very large and we left very full. Then we prepared our things for today’s big event…we are leaving the village! Our plan is to take the northern highway that will loop us to Volcano National Park. We hope to see some sites along the way and ultimately, some red slow-flowing lava…

Chapter 114: Paradise

After a good night’s sleep, we woke to the sound of the waves and the wind whistling through the palm trees, as well as the cacophonous sound emanating from the grouse playing in our front yard. Breakfast was served in our hale – Joe was ecstatic when he received a full pot of hot chocolate.
We settled onto our chaise lounge chairs where we hardly strayed from for the rest of the day. We relaxed in our hot tub, on our hammock and enjoyed sipping our complimentary bottle of champagne while discussing our excitement for settling into our house.Again this morning, we enjoyed breakfast while overlooking the ocean. This time we geared up for some beach activities. We first borrowed a kayak from the beach shack and took it out to a far buoy and back. Then we got some snorkel gear and flippered into the water. We swam with sea turtles and saw schools of yellow fish, large rainbow-colored fish, and long needle nosed fish. This snorkeling experience was better than our last!We then relaxed by the beach and took a stroll along the shore where we saw more turtles drifting along the shallow water. We are in awe of the turtles but it seems that everyone else is accustomed to having them around. We enjoyed our buffet lunch and now plan to do nothing until our sunset cruise this evening. Ahhh paradise…

Chapter 113: The Big Island

After a 29 minute flight to Honolulu and then a 43 minute flight to Kona, we arrived on The Big Island! Even though it was drizzling we excitedly jumped in our Ford Edge and headed to Kona Village. We checked-in and were escorted on a golf cart to our hale (hut!). On our way there, our driver, who doubled as a tour guide, stopped to show us sea turtle that were lazing on the black sand beaches nearby.
We settled in and enjoyed a view of the black lava rock and the vast ocean before we headed to the center of the village for dinner. All of our meals are included in our stay at Kona Village. We get breakfast in our hale and can have lunch and dinner at Hale Moana or they will pack up a picnic meal for us to enjoy elsewhere.
We are excited about the water activities, most of which are included. We can snorkel, kayak and pretty much any other non-motorized beach activity, for free. It's a very nice area, and besides a few excursions, we plan to take advantage of all there is to offer!So far, The Big Island is very different from "The Garden Isle" of Kauai. As we flew in, and as you can see in the pictures, The Big Island is covered in black, crusty, lava rock. There is sparse greenery struggling to grow on this rough terrain. I suppose that is expected when you are on an active volcano...

Chapter 112: Na Pali Coast

We headed out at 5:20 AM this morning with a 15 lb. pack filled with 6 water bottles, 6 PB&J's, and 2 granola bars. As we drove the hour and a half to the north part of the island, we had the sun rising over our backs. The sun was fully risen when we arrived at Ke'e beach - the starting point of the Kalalua trail. The trail goes 11 miles along the Na Pali coast. The path we took, followed the Kalalua coast trail for 2 miles (huge cliffs but breathtaking vistas) and then we turned inland and headed to the Hanakapi'ai Falls.

The first 2 miles along the coast is well maintained since many people make the trek to the Hanakapi'ai Beach. There we took a short rest to watch the thunderous waves pound the shore. You can't swim at this beach - there is a killer undertoe (literally, it has killed 87 people over the years). After that, the path inland becomes more narrow but is relatively easy until the last mile. The last mile has rocky undulations, slippery river crossing, and even a few rock climbing type of obstacles. Not to mention it became harder to identify the trail.

Despite the arduous terrain, we made it! And we were rewarded with a 300-foot ribbon of water delicately cascading down a rugged volcanic wall and tumbling into a tranquil pool. We sat down and enjoyed a gourmet PB&J while enjoying the mist of the waterfall on our faces. After 20 minutes of taking in the scenery, we headed back into the jungle. This was worst since we no longer had the waterfall to look forward to.

On the hike back, the sun rose high enough over the mountains and the trail started to get hot! We were glad we started early and felt bad for the numerous hikers that we passed. Overall, we finished the 8-mile trek in about 5 hours (before noon!).

Unfortunately, my camera battery died on the hike back and I didn't bring my charger (the reason there aren't more pictures posted). I, who is usually over prepared in most situations, forgot my computer charger, phone charger and now, camera charger. Way to go me!

Chapter 111: Kauai ATV

Today we went on an ATV tour of the island. It was 4 hours long and took us on a dirty and muddy trek to a nearby mountain. Joe and I were in a mud bug which fits two people - this way we were able to stay together the whole time! We drove through a dark, cool tunnel through a mountain, stopped at a waterfall (got to jump in) for lunch, walked through a bamboo forest, and accelerated into huge puddles of mud! It was dirty but a lot of fun. I think we will be finding dirt in ears and underneath nails for the next few days. We won't miss the taste of the dirt though.

Tomorrow, we are getting up early to hike along the Na Pali coast. We are very excited! More later from the adventures of Joe and Lauren...

Chapter 110: Luau

Last night, Joe and I went to our first luau. We received a necklace of shells and a mai tai at the door and got pretty much first row seats for the stage. We enjoyed the buffet of food as well as the music and Polynesian dancing. There were about 500 people there and it was a very commercialized production. It was still a lot of fun but we wish we could have experienced a smaller more authentic luau.

Chapter 109: More Pictures!

After looking at the wedding pictures this morning, Joe and I headed out to explore the west side of the island. We headed to the Polihale State Park where we had to bounce along a dirt road for about 15 minutes before we reached a rather secluded and pretty beach. There were a couple of surfers but otherwise we were able to sit there in the shade and watch them "catch a few waves." It was very relaxing.Afterwards we went to the historic town of Hanapepe where we were serenaded as we enjoyed sandwiches in an old cafe. Then we headed to the Waimea Canyon (the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific") There was a long windy road that took us about 4000 ft. above sea level that over looks the canyon.Overall, we have done a lot of driving around the island of Kauai - in fact, we have gone as far as we can around the island in both directions. The only place you can't drive around the island is the Na Pali coast and we plan to hike some of it on Saturday. We're headed to a luau in just a bit - I'm sure we'll have some more good pictures from that!

Chapter 108: PICTURES!

Yay! There are some more pictures posted at [the brand studio]. I was so excited to see the slideshow and I am really happy with how they have turned out so far! Joe and I will definitely need to have some printed to hang on our walls at home!

Here are some of our pictures from Hawaii - we wish Sean and John could have come and taken some professional ones as they would have looked much better!

Chapter 107: Preview

I was very excited to see a small preview of some of the pictures that Sean and John took at the wedding! There are only 4 and I cannot wait to see more! [The Brand Studio]

Otherwise, Joe and I are continuing to have a great time on Kauai! Today we worked out for a bit in the morning and then made some peanut butter & jelly sandwiches (we "stole" the ingredients from the continental breakfast). We headed north to Ke'e Beach which is about an hour and a half drive. It is the last beach and last part of the road before the Na Pali coast where you can only travel by foot or by boat. There was some great snorkeling - we were so close to colorful, striped fish. Schools of them! We spent quite a bit of time in the sun and are now tired. We are going to have tapas at Bar Acuda (baracuda...get it?) and then watch the sun set on the Na Pali coast before heading back.

Chapter 106: Aloha from Kauai

After the wind blew out the power on Sunday night, Joe and I accepted that we wouldn't spend our first night in the house and that it would be better for us to stay at the airport hotel. This way we were able to shower and we were conveniently close for our early morning flight on Monday.

Eleven hours of flying later we had arrived at the island of Kauai! We scooped up our luggage and rented a car (Ford Escape). We were ecstatic (or at least I was) to receive a lei when we arrived at the Hyatt. Due to our hunger, we quickly dropped our things off in the room and headed to the terrace restaurant. We enjoyed a smattering of appetizers and had our first fruity drink - a mai tai! When we were done it was close to 7:00 PM, making it 1:00 AM back home (there is a 6 hour difference!). We were exhausted but decided we needed to stay up a bit later so we would adjust. We walked along the beach a bit but didn't make it long - we were fast asleep by 9:00.

Needless to say, we woke up at 5:00 AM this morning. However, we were excited because our early rising allowed us to see the sun rise over the ocean and the many palm trees. We had booked a helicopter ride for 8:45 AM which showed us all of Kauai! We had some great views and saw some locales we are going to make sure to see! After that we drove around and explored a bit and then headed back to lounge by the pool. We enjoyed a delicious dinner not too long ago and now it's almost 9:00 - bedtime.

Chapter 105: Introducing Mr. & Mrs. Patrick!

It came and went so fast - but the wedding day was absolutely amazing! I had been very nervous on Thursday and Friday leading up to the wedding, but on Saturday I felt very calm and relaxed! In the morning I went for a jog with Suzi and Katie then we showered and got ready to go to Sognatore (the salon) at 11:30. We had a great time at the salon. Everyone we worked with was very nice and did a great job! My mom set up a nice spread of bagels, fruit, veggies and mimosas! Afterwards, we rushed back to the hotel to get ready so we could leave for Phipps at 5:00. The bridesmaids got dressed and then helped me get into my gown. We started down to the limo shortly after that. When I got to the limo with my sisters - my three other bridesmaids were not in sight! After a couple minutes I started to get anxious and slightly freak out. I sent Katie to go find the missing bridesmaids. We were supposed to leave at 5:00 so that Joe could take the limo at 5:15 and then the limo could be back at the hotel to take guests at 5:30. It was 5:15 and I was pretty upset. I found out later that they had been decorating our room and in the end it all worked out fine.
Throughout the day the weather had been very on and off. It was sunny and then it would be overcast and rainy. I had accepted and we had rehearsed our Plan B option on Friday since we expected it to rain. However, the glimpses of good weather got my hopes up! At 4:30, our floor manager for the event called us to say she thought the radar looked good and we could hold the ceremony in our original spot! We were elated!However, shortly after arriving at Phipps and getting situated in the windowless bridal room, we were informed that there was a downpour going on outside. I took the news well and wasn't at all upset. We were planning to have people stand in the tropical forest for the ceremony (not at all ideal) when someone said they spoke to someone on the otherside of Pittsburgh who said the storm passed through quickly and it was dry. We had hope! Luckily, the rain stopped and just to top it off, as the bridesmaids began the processional, the sun peaked through the clouds!
Everything fell into place and was perfect! The ceremony and the reception were great - we had a wonderful time and it was so nice to spend it with our friends and family! WE ARE...MARRIED!

Pictures provided by Suzi Siwinski - the link to [the brand studio] should have pictures posted sometime next week or so!

Chapter 104: So close...!

The wedding is so close now! After all that my mom and I have done for the wedding, I am just looking forward to the day coming so I can "get it over with." I'm just waiting now since everything is packed and prepared - I'm anxious!

My Uncle Dave, who is the minister, flew in from Montana yesterday! Joe came up to meet him today and to take some of the boxes of wedding stuff. We did some Hawaii planning as well and we are looking forward to our honeymoon even more after seeing some of the things we have planned!

Tomorrow, Suzi and I are getting our nails done at 9 AM and then we will head to Pittsburgh. We need to drop her car of at the airport (so her friend can drive to the hotel when he gets in). Then we will head to the hotel to get ready for the rehearsal at 4:00.

Lastly, it looks like rain is inevitable on Saturday. We will just hope it is scattered and that it might allow us to have our Plan A ceremony rather than our Plan B.

Chapter 103: Our Home

With most of the wedding planned and packed for Pittsburgh, I thought it might be nice to do a small house update. Progress has been slow but things are wrapping up on Mount Washington. One of the last things to be done is the spiral staircase which was just finished today. We had an unfortunate set back with the master shower. When the glass for the shower finally arrived and was ready to be installed, the installer discovered that none of the pieces were cut correctly. So, now we have to wait for the glass to be re-ordered. They say that will be done while we are on our honeymoon so we will look forward to seeing that finished when we come back. Otherwise, Joe and I are going to spend our first night in the house on Sunday. It will be a short stay since we will be leaving very early Monday morning for Hawaii!

Joe was at the house today to receive our kitchen table. Here are a couple pictures he took: