ALOHA!...Welcome Back

HEY EVERYONE!! Yeah, I know it has been forever since I've posted anything...but I've been busy, busy, busy. :) So I guess it's time to start catching up. Cory and I just arrived home from a long (and much deserved) trip to Kauai Hawaii! It was absolutely incredible! Cory gave me a digital camera for Christmas and I managed to take over 400 pictures and a bunch of movies of our trip...so expect the blog to be filled with the photos of our journeys. Kauai is one of the least developed islands which made it perfect for me. It had miles of beaches that we only had to share with 2 or 3 people at a time...except for the popular tourist beach called Poipu which had a fair amount of visitors including a cute monk seal that I laid out next to. We got to kayak and hike...and go swimming in the middle of a rain forest in the pool underneath a ginormous waterfall. Except for the painfully long flight there and back, we both loved it and are already talking about planning another trip back to see Oahu and the Big Island. As you will see in the pictures that I'll post we also enjoyed a luau during our stay. A Hawaiian in a loin cloth chose me to hula dance with him on stage...NICE!...I can't say I actually "hula-ed"...but I did get my groove on with a pretty hot native. :) So good time had by all!

This weekend Cory turns 30!! YIKES!!! So we will be celebrating on Friday and Saturday and then on Sunday we will celebrate Easter with his family in North Wilkesboro. It should be a great weekend, however, there still is a somber mood in Wilkesboro after the death of his cousin Benny earlier this year. Benny's wife has decided to proceed with the construction of the winery that will be a part of Cory's family's land. I know everyone up in Wilkesboro is excited to see Benny's dream come to life so that they can honor his memory in their own special way. If you'd like to check out the progress then you can go to the Rendezvous Ridge Winery website...and maybe before too long you'll be able to order a bottle or two.

On a similar somber note, please continue to pray for Cory's friend Mike. He was in remission from colon cancer for only few short months before they detected a spot on his liver during a checkup last week. He will be traveling to Duke for surgery and treatment over the next few weeks and he will need all the prayers he can get.

This past weekend I got to go back to Chesapeake, VA to see my family. My mom kept the kitties while we were in Hawaii, so I went to pick them up. However, I think my mom wanted me to leave them longer...but the house was just too quiet without them. I didn't get to see my sister-in-law though because she was busy organizing the 1st annual Isle of Wight County Civil War Re-enactment. I can't wait to here her talk about it...according to my brother there were LOTS of interesting people and stories. I'm thinking about getting some period dress and joining the fun next year. :) Well...we are entering our "traveling season" once again. The weekend after Easter we are headed to a friend's beach house in Beauford, NC...a very beautiful place! And then sometime later that month we will be heading back down to Isle of Palms and Charleston, SC for our yearly visit. We are hoping to make it to Philly to see Ginger and then to Nashville to see Amy. In May I'll be heading to San Francisco for a week for the American Thoracic Society Conference. We are also planning a trip to New York City sometime this summer...I've never been and Cory has a friend who lives near the city so we'll have a place to crash. I'm looking forward to it...although I imagine is will be quite the opposite experience of going to Hawaii.

Love you all!!! and miss you bunches!!!! Drop me a line when you can!