Hawaii Five O

When I found out that Hawaii Five O was going to be remade I wasn't sure that I was happy about it, I do like the show though. Since we are spending so much time in Honolulu I have been wondering if we would ever see them shooting somewhere on the island. Today after I met Kerry for lunch we were heading up to his office on Bishop Square and directly across the street the "silver camero" was parked with cones all around it.

Then we saw the crew and all of the equipment lined up and down the street. They were inside filming in the UPS store. We watched for awhile and then went in his building and watched from above. People were standing everywhere it was kind of fun.

Because it was during the busiest time on a downtown street we wondered if it would be hard. The crew were really great to work with people when they were ready for "Danno" to come running out on his phone to his car they simply stopped people between takes.

After three takes they were done. Scott Caan stopped and took a few pictures with people along the way to the van where he climbed in and they drove off. Super smooth and it seemed super friendly unlike another report I have read about the filming and it's crew. I went up to Kerry's office for a minute and when I came back down the vans with the "stars" and the camero were gone and most of the equipment had been loaded up on a truck. It was still fun to watch for just a few minutes, I am always looking for familiar places on the show, now I will look for this scene.

New Year:

I have so much to be thankful for, 2011 was quite a year for our family. I can't believe how quickly the time has gone this year. I am finding it hard to believe that the little ones will start turning one soon. I am grateful that we were able to be together with family in various ways and numbers throughout the year.

Not everything always goes smoothly but I have found that we take care of one another when it doesn't go as planned. It is comforting to me that I hear the girls back one another up and prepare to do anything they can for one another. When they were young I wondered if that would be the case at times. As they have married I have wondered because bringing in-laws into the picture can complicate things as well. The girls who live close have begun doing a "girls night" with me occasionally, it has been fun and I think is helping to keep the lines of communication open. We just hope that when Ken is done with school that they are closer and that Cydney can be a part of girls night as well.

I am amazed by the women my girls have become. They have a great deal in common and they have amazing talents that are their very own. They are such great examples to me. I have often said that they were sent to teach me rather than the other way around they each have strengths and testimonies that leave me in awe.
I have an amazing, wonderful, husband. He has gone through an awful lot this year with his surgeries. I hope that he is through the worst of his pain and can do the things he enjoys the most. Having him home full time is a new experience again and now he will travel a lot as he is over the restrictions. I know I over protected him from lifting and so forth and I am sure that I drove him crazy. I have never known anyone who is as smart as this man is, I turn to him for answers all of the time. I just wish I could share his love and enthusiasm for diving but I am glad it makes him so happy.
One of my new years resolutions for last year was to serve others better. I think I did ok. One of the things that I should have also resolved to do was to serve myself a little better. I have slowly gained a little of the weight that I lost, not much but enough to get me discouraged. I am still wearing two sizes smaller than I was three years ago and should be happy...not being able to walk with my hip and knee has been a thorn in my side and my emotions . I have found myself being more critical of myself and others as a result of the discouragement. I also find that I feel I can never help or make anyone happy, that nothing I do is good enough and that I am always disappointing others. Frankly the aging process stinks and looking in the mirror to see the deep circles under my eyes makes me feel I am at least a hundred years old.

While I know it is a noble goal to serve others I have to remember that I need to take care of myself as well. The word worry is a word that I grew to hate as I was a young woman and a young mother. I know I spent time "wringing" my hands last year and I will step away from that. While I truly mourn that my family is raised and gone a lot of the time I can only do so much to help them and can't put pressures on myself to protect them from pain or sorrow, it isn't my place any longer. While I remain concerned and I still love them dearly I have to step aside.

Kerry has been traveling for over the last twelve years of our marriage, it has been a trial but he is employed and for the most part he loves his job. We have been together more as I have traveled with him lately but there are still times when it is hard having him gone so much. I just have to make the best of the time that he is gone, be productive, take care of myself and complain less. I also have to quit making myself feel so guilty that I don't enjoy the diving and hobbies that he has come to love so much, it just isn't going to happen.

2012

I hate new years resolutions but I am going to make some anyway but they are really just goals I should be working on anyway.

1. Get back to walking-despite the knee and hip pain.

2. Take off the 10 lbs and more. get rid of the soda AGAIN!

3. Be ok with me-DON'T let anyone make me feel less of a person than I am. My feelings are important no matter how much I tend to keep them inside.

4. Beef up the spiritual side. Be better at the things I know I should.

(i.e. visiting teaching, temple attendance, attitude in general of where I live and worship.)

5. Be less judgemental or critical. (On the plane here there were several little crying children my first response was to hope they weren't anywhere near me, they weren't very close. As I found myself trying to empathize with the mothers who were trying to keep them quiet and not disturb the old farts who were complaining I felt myself soften towards them and the crying, now I just need to soften to the old farts! I really have tried to see more of the positive as I have been on the bus or in public situations and it has been good.)

6. COMPLAIN LESS I am afraid that I complain way too much about not feeling well, my head, hip, or knee, or ears.....I will try harder to not the pain let be known, no one likes a complainer.

I guess I see a theme here I just want to be a more positive person this year, I have to so much to be positive about, husband, children, grandchildren are only a beginning. I have life and I need to appreciate it and love it more than I already do. If I appreciate things more I won't be hurt as easily because I won't be thinking of myself.

Happy New Year.

Pearl Harbor 2011

This man is one of my greatest hero's and while he was not part of Pearl Harbor 70 years ago today, he was certainly impacted by it. He like so many became a part of the forces to join and battle for our freedom. This isn't his Marine uniform of which he looked so handsome in but a time period photo. He spoke very little of his experiences in the war but I do know that he fought two times in the Pacific the last being on Okinawa.

My experiences here on Oahu have taught me a great deal about WWII and I am so grateful for that. I have learned to love to go to Pearl Harbor and show my respect, the movie never fails to teach me something or leave me in awe of that day. Today's 70th Memorial Anniversary is attended by 13 surviving Arizona members and they will dis ban the Society to keep them a survivors group because they are so old and feeble. Now they ask "Never forget", I will never forget them or any other troops who fight for our nation.
USS Arizona under attack

USS Arizona's fall into the harbor.

The newspapers headlines from that time.

Today's Star Advertiser. " Never Forget!"

The USS Arizona Memorial

My hero, my friend, my dad, Milton Ralph Smith.

(I had hoped to go to the ceremony this morning but because tickets were so limited and I would have to be there by 4:00 am to have a "chance" for public seating. I have been able to watch it live, I am glad that there are so many in attendance and can at least see the ceremony.)

Disbelief

While at dinner last night with Kerry these two young girls were talking very loudly and one of them said "it isn't 1945 anymore, the war is over why don't people just get over it." I never wanted to get up and shake someone so badly. Since it is the anniversary of Pearl Harbor there have been many articles in the paper about the few veterans of WWII that survive and how they worry that they will be a forgotten generation...I give thanks for them and all veterans since who sacrifice for us. Hopefully we won't just get over it! (This was a post on Facebook earlier today. Following are some of the responses. They touched me.)


Gayle Rogers Lewis Thank you Lauri, I feel that our very young adults don't get it. They have had it pretty easy. No WWII, No Korea, No Vietnam and their understanding of Iraq doesn't exist because it doesn't affect them directly. I worry about their reaction to many things.
8 hours ago · LikeUnlike


Janine Hiatt Mashburn Wow...I have no words...
8 hours ago · LikeUnlike


Kerry Stevenson The two great wars were globally tragic, but they created several generations of men and women for whom sacrifice was/is sacred. That is what is missing. A sense of purpose and shared sacrifice that makes service a sacred duty!
7 hours ago · LikeUnlike · 1


Sharon Rogers Rankin This makes me so sad. Just another example of how some of the young people in this country think it's all about them. I know I won't forget all of those that sacrificed for us and I have done as much as I can to make sure my girls won't forget. My husband always says, "Not that I want another war, but it is the best thing that could happen to this country to make us come together and care about our country and our flag again." There is so little patriotism anymore.
6 hours ago · LikeUnlike


Anne Tyson Gessel That makes me so angry! They need to talk to someone who lived through it! I know I didn't but my grandpa was a POW during that war and I will forever be grateful and never forget the past, present and future military servicemen and women! Let us please remember what happened on that horrible day and hope that history doesn't repeat itself.
3 hours ago · UnlikeLike · 1


Ken Jensen Its pretty sad. I can't say that I understand war any better than they do, but I do value life and value all the freedoms that I enjoy. Moreover I understand that the freedoms I enjoy were purchased with blood. I hope that I never under value that sacrifice. God Bless America and every soldier who has fought for it!
2 hours ago · UnlikeLike · 1


Brian Boyd Maybe they can go Occupy something.
about an hour ago · LikeUnlike


Kerry Stevenson I can think of several things they could go Occupy.
about an hour ago · LikeUnlike


Rachel Lunt That is horrible. Around 6% of the world population lost their lives in WWII. My kids had to write about what they value to graduate from nova (dare). One read his paper today and said he values and is thankful for those that serve their countr.
37 minutes ago · LikeUnlike


Rachel Lunt Country and have given their lives. He got very emotional and is so proud of his country. This from an 11 year old. I only hope it lasts. We should have that pride for our country and reverence for those that serve or served it!
36 minutes ago · UnlikeLike · 1

Compassion

We have officially been on the Island of Oahu again for a week. It has been a very different trip for obvious reasons. We finally made it over to the beach to see the sunset on Sunday afternoon and I took this picture of him. He told me to quit taking pictures of him that he would hate but I told him I was just documenting things. After my last trip here in July I knew things would be and feel different and it truly has.

One thing, however, that has been really sweet this time is the compassion that people have shown for Kerry. Everywhere he goes complete strangers ask if he is ok, and the voices are so tender. It is pretty amazing. Compared to home where people just look at him and look away. Not that he wants or needs the attention it is just sweet to see.

Loyal, Strong and True, wear the white and blue!

Anyone who really knows me knows that I am an avid BYU fan. ALWAYS, I am NOT a fair weather fan. BYU is more than athletics for me, it represents who I am, my values, my standards, my religion. BYU has taken some pretty nasty hits over the years and yet it still hangs in there.

During our travels to Honolulu over the last four years we have heard a lot of trash talk about BYU despite the LDS population on the island. When BYU was in the WAC years ago they played UH on a regular basis and in most cases BYU won easily. When you hear past players or coaches talk about BYU it is usually pretty nasty. We have heard a lot of it lately. We arrived here a week ago and the trash talk has been really bad. One particular show talked about the past rivalry and how big this game was for Hawaii.This game also determined if UH would go to a bowl game and possibly the current coach being let go. Naturally they talked about how they would beat BYU and relived the last victory etc. They talked about the big games were always against BYU...kind of reminds me of the U of U and all of their trash talk.


As soon it was announced that BYU here this year I told Kerry I really wanted to attend the game. It was great fun. We were sitting up really high, the sound system was horrid but the fans around us were a lot of fun. I worried about how we would be greeted after the way Rebecca and I were treated in Las Vegas last spring for the MWC tournament but that was in vain the UH fans were warm and gracious just like the Oregon State fans were. Maybe the Independence isn't so bad afterall.


The view from our seats, pregame.






The native Hawaiians did the Haka (sp) inside the circle of players, I was sad the entire team didn't do it but as the BYU players went inside just before the start the entire UH team faced them and did it to them.
The first half was ok but BYU came out in the second half after making some changes and quickly wrapped up the game. It was a lot of fun to be there. Attendance to the UH games have been down and there were a few more there because of the hype but there were almost as many there for the Cougars. We had a lot up in the area we were in and we all made a lot of noise and had fun.







Kerry and I were anxious to see the newspaper the following day after all of the negative stuff the previous week. It was great I couldn't resist putting it on here.

What a catch Hoffman made, especially when it looked like Riley Nelson was going to be sacked on this play!!!

The Stake that we attend here in Honolulu is led by President Uale so we have watched his son play with great interest. Sad he is a senior though.

The front of the sports section in the Advertiser.

Last best of all the headline.

GO COUGARS!!!

Kerry is here on the Island working again after his recent surgeries. I haven't been here since July and so I am here with him for two reasons

1. Because I can be with him and make sure he is being good and not lifting things he shouldn't.
2. Because I can and want to be with him.

One benefit to being here this time is because of the BYU/Hawaii football game. To say that the Hawaii team and fans are taking it seriously is a major understatement!!! The above picture seen in the paper at least twice this week might be an indicator. All I can say is BYU better be reacy and play a good game. I am not one of those fans who are fair weather, I am a cougar fan through and through, even if it has been an up and down season all I can say is GO COUGARS.

Another benefit is to be on the Island for the 70th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor. I don't know the plans yet but to be here for a part of history is kind of special to me. My time on Oahu has been a major educational experience for me as I have learned more and more about World War II.