Breaking News: Cooper is taking big steps!

This happened this weekend... 

Convention: Diocese of Hi!

The view from our suite. Sweet.

What comes before Part B?

PAR-TAY!  The good folks at All Saints' threw her one heck of a birthday party the Sunday after the big day.  Not only did we have ono luau food, but we also had dogs in leis, a pinata, and more good friends than you could shake a stick at.    We are so grateful for the parish ohana (family) that made us feel extra special on Cooper's special day! 

1)Cooper workin' the room... 

2)CAKE!!!!

3)Coop and Daddy scope the scene...

 

4)Cooper, Gigi, Linda and Mrs. Sloggett get together for some church gossip...  

5)The men of All Saints' enjoying the party!  

Cooper & GiGi

Cooper is lovin' the Gigi attention! Not even painful new teeth can
keep this girl down!
You should see these two yukking it up... Classic.

Hangin' at the Beach!

Cooper is a trooper!

Not much to say here, other than this is my sweet baby girl mere
minutes after getting THREE shots from the doctor's office. I know we
all think our kid is the greatest, but c'mon that's impressive.

P.S. For all you cubs fans out there... Cooper loves to wear her
momma's cubbies gear. Especially when she's crabby.

Birthday Cake!!!!

Cooper gets AMA approval.

Well, not exactly. Cooper passed her one year physical with flying
colors. Here she is with her Mama after her shots enjoying a cold
beverage.

My, how they've grown...

As a father, I am deeply concerned about our children growing up in an unsteady and confusing world.  One year after the biggest change of my life, I'm looking a little bundle of wiggle-ness that suddenly has several teeth and the slightest growth of blonde hair around her precious little head.  Yesterday we celebrated Cooper's birthday with some cupcakes at the beach, but we also had some time to reflect on how fast they change.

These pictures were taken a few days ago, when the Moms' club gathered across the street from our house at "baby beach."  Apparently, my daughter decided to get fresh with one of the other children at the beach.  Sweet?  Maybe...  Growing up to fast?  Maybe...  Worrying a father to death about the teenage years?  Absolutely.  In any case, yesterday was a great day to remember how special my life is thanks to Cooper and Linda and all the family in my life.  I'm grateful that we have some great people in our life who love us and support us, even if my daughter is already running wild on the beaches of Hawaii.

As for the birthday party... don't worry, we've got video.  This Sunday we are having a big luau for Coop-Coop and I'm sure we'll have some pictures from that little shin-dig.  For now, just know that we are grateful for such a sweet one year old and thankful for friends and family who keep up with the Blog!  

The Lincoln Continental of Longboarding

Well, as most of you know, I am quite a bit larger than the average surfer.  Therefore, when shopping for a surfboard, I wanted to make sure that I got something that could handle my larger than usual frame and my incredible what-a-malan-ness.  So, after a four month search of the garden isle, I finally found my perfect match for cruising the swells all year long.  Ladies and Gentlemen... I give you "The Kalapaki Cruiser."  I call it that now, but it's only a temporary name based on my local surf break (a really basic harbor with nice easy waves).

This incredible piece of fiberglass is a real work of art that can actually get me up and going in all kinds of surf.  It's twelve feet long with a "glassed-in" fin and a fabric pattern on the nose.  I think it's gorgeous, but I'm biased.  Every time I go out, I learn a little bit more about surfing, and I gotta say...  I love taking this crazy thing out.  What a sport!

Now, since it is kind of like a boat (most of the "real" surfers around here would certainly say so) it's up to my family and friends to come up with a suitable name for this lady voyager.  So... in the spirit of friendly competition, I'm asking all the blog-o-rama readers to put on their thinking caps for a naming contest.  Post your comments on the blog and for our next post... the winner will be announced!

The Cruiser- pictured on top of the element...  Two fine beach-going vessels.