Mama Made it Home

This Island is magical.  It is powerful.  It is constantly changing.  It can be dangerous.  It is remote.  It is home.  Big Island is our home not matter how much lava is flowing or how much ash is falling or how stinky (seriously, like a nasty septic tank) the air is when the winds blow.  Big Island, our home.  No Keia La, No Keia Po, A Mau Loa – From this day, from this night, forever more. Honomalino Bay Living in paradise isn't a 24/7 vacation.  This aina - land - can be a tough place to carve out a life but persistence is key.  So many amazing things have happened in our lives since coming to our Island. Discovering new things! The bond between brothers growing ikaika - strong. Dreams do come true. And of course, we have had some pretty crappy things happen.  It wouldn't be life if we didn't.  The truck died and had to be pulled into the driveway. Jason's recent 4-wheeler accident left him with this shark bite looking wound.  Th

What a crazy, amazing life we live.  Life in general is chaotic.  It gets hairy and we question what we are doing or where we are going in life or if we are even in the right place.  There hasn't been a single question or doubt about moving to Big Island.  It was the right thing to do, we are where we are supposed to be. On March 9th we welcomed baby Harvey into the world.  The first generation of Waitleys to be born on the Big Island of Hawaii.  Talk about a crazy, magical thought.  Harvey will grow up knowing the life that the ocean brings.  He will never miss out on appreciating the beauty and power of the Island.  He will always have an appreciation for the culture and life that this Island resonates and creates in people.  He is...a braddah. Shaka Power!  We brought 9 (now 10) lives to this Island but the Island has brought so much more to us.  We are all constantly in awe of the beauty surrounding us.  Even Omi, at 3, recognizes how crazy, beautiful this place is.  You

Well...it's been 2 weeks since we stepped foot on the Big Island and let me tell you, it has been a crazy two weeks!  From the beginning... Hostel in Mt. View We had no place to stay when we arrived on Big Island.  Ever tried renting an Air BnB for 9 that isn't over $1000 a night?  Good luck with that no matter where you are trying to rent.  So we ended up in a hostel.  Not just any hostel though.  A hostel in which we made friends, no we added to our ohana, we made new family members.  We were there a week.  I haven't slept in a bunk bed in I really can't tell you how long but we bunked it for a week.  All 9 of us, in 2 rooms, in 5 sets of bunk beds...that is some serious bonding.  We made it to the concert I moved the house closing up for.  It was rainy.  Very cold.  And SO amazing! Mike Love concert! A week after landing on the Island, we signed the lease on our house.  The former tenant...she didn't clean.  Ever.  Never ever.  We spent da

We are no longer residents of Idaho. Well, emotionally and mentally anyway. Our driver's licenses still say we are and the United States Post Office still thinks we are.  But...we know where home is and we will step on the Island tomorrow in about 24 hours, give or take a few.  Our caravan rolled out of Idaho on Monday. Pit stop in Reno to just chill for a bit. We were exhausted.  The itty bit was seriously impressed by all the lights in Reno.  The caravan rolled out of Reno and headed to Oakland.  Oakland...the Imperial Inn...only half sketchy...great pizza from Pizza Guys.  Oh...I found gluten free licorice in Oakland.  I haven't had licorice in 3 years.  OMG it was good!  My only complaint about the journey thus far...well nothing actually. The adventure continues today. Off to the Port of Oakland to drop off vehicles and then onto San Fran. Flying out of San Fran got us a direct flight, saved 60 bucks a ticket and got us out of Oakland for another night. It's w

We are sitting on the wire at this point.  Juggling last minute things.  Packing the last of the stuff that goes with us.  Having move dates...moved up.  We are about to bounce...right off the wire and onto a plane.  Talk about a crazy, exciting process.  Just when we thought it couldn't get even more exciting, we got news today that we may be leaving a day or two sooner.  I can already feel my toes in the sand. This journey has been blessed from the beginning.  There hasn't been a single moment when God's hand has not been moving.  Today, that was shown in so many ways...including in a simple fire pit. Jason threw a few old pieces of wood in the fire pit.  Walked away to do other things.  Walked back by the pit and saw this out of the corner of his eye.  It wasn't intentional but it wasn't coincidental.  My faith in the Creator tells me something else.  Truly blessed throughout this whole process.  We will never question if moving to Big Island was our des

We are coming down to the wire on this whole move thing.  Really...we are so crazy excited that I think I have said "we are moving next week" at least 30 times today.  Guess what??  We are moving next week! Last night we hung out with our friends and family.  We laughed, we told stories, we said goodbye to people we have spent many nights, days and years with.  There were tears of sadness, tears of joy and lots of well wishes.  It was a good night.  A night that will always be remembered. Today, we watched Grandpapa and Nana set off on a journey as they begin a new chapter in their lives together.  We hugged, we cried.  The reality of not having Pops around everyday has started to sink in.  I can't say I like the feeling but I can say...we are so happy for them.  Truly, truly happy.  (wiping away tears and gotta move on so I don't keep tearing up) (clearing throat)  So here's the timeline: Move out of the house on the 6th and hang out in a motel for the n

In less than 48 hours after our house went on the market, we received 8 offers.  Can we say.... The big question that everyone is asking, SOOOOOO, when do you actually move??  So here's the skinny.  We close on the 7th of February (fingers cross all goes well!) and as long as we don't have to be here for the closing, we may fly out a day or two before.  We have a concert/festival to go to on the 9th on Big Island, the Mauli Ola Festival.  Seriously...I asked them to move the close date to the 7th so we could be at a concert on the 9th.  I wanna go that bad.  Mike Love...how could I not.  He sings my mantra/theme song. Let the Healing Begin..... The healing has already begun.  Seriously.  We have purged an enormous amount of stuff out of our house.  I'm loving the bare look.  Really, I actually am.  We will never go back to having massive amounts of things lying around or stuffed in boxes collecting dust or just taking up space with no purpose.  This entire process has