Big Island Trip

We had a fabulous time on the Big Island last week. Our friends from West Virginia, Brad and JoLynn Mitchell along with our friend Caleb, from Georgia all got to go with us. We stayed at Kilauea Military Camp which is only about a mile from the active volcano! We were very safe though, even if it blew---we were really hoping it would! Above is only one picture from our trip; I have put lots more on my Face Book account. Feel free to pop over there to view them all. Find me as Melanie Brantly Smith.

Dallas!!

Since my ticker says "6 days SINCE the TX GeTOGether, I guess I better get some news out about it, huh? I LOVED meeting all these wonderful ladies last weekend. I will post pictures and more thoughts soon, but would love it if you would hop over HERE to read what Pam has posted on her blog about the weekend. I don't think I can sum it up better than she has. I am so grateful that it was in God's plan for me to go and meet all my wonderful friends.

Our BEST FRIENDS....

...came for a visit! It was totally incredible and amazingly a GOD THING. They flew Military Space A and got on the first flight out of Maryland they tried for (a direct flight to Hawaii, by the way!) Going back was smooth as well as they got out on the first flight to Travis in California and then the next flight to Maryland. They are home, safe and sound now and catching up on their lives, I am sure. We sure did enjoy our time with them, almost a whole 2 weeks! I'll share some pictures soon, but will post this one now that we took when most of us (including Sadie) went to the Arizona Memorial. Missing are Kat and Harry who were both working that day.

We had a visitor!!

We had our FIRST visitor! Kristen, Kathryn's friend from West Virginia, came to see us and stayed for two whole weeks. Having her visit cave us a chance to do lots of stuff. On Kristen's birthday, we went to one of our favorite restaurants and then walked the streets of Waikiki. Kristen, Kathryn and Austin took an oportunity to pose with this statue while we were there. The picture of Kristen and Kat is when we were on the North Shore watching the sunset and the turtles.