Sunrise

I love sunrise, and as I am an Otjens, I am usually awake to see it! I am in the process of establishing a new garden, and these plumerias seem to like their new home. You just can't get better lighting than natural morning light.

Nieces and Turtles

I finally have my camera back, so the blog is happening once again!! The turtles Anthony and I had been fostering were getting too big for our tank, so they have been adopted out. We then got 4 new turtle babies. My nieces, Tara and Maya, came over and held the turtles for the first time.

I am certified!!

The National quarterly magazine for Interpreters arrived two days ago, and I am in it! I am on the short list of people who passed the test at Master level. Here is the cover...


Here is the page that has my name on it!! YAY ME!

Anthony is honored

Anthony became a Den Chief for the Cub Scouts, the younger group of boys aspiring to become Boy Scouts. This was an awards night in which he was honored. We are very proud of him!!

Flowers from Hawaii

Two years ago, I bought Hawaiian flower bulbs from the Del Mar Fair. It has taken a lot of work, and they have finally bloomed!! This first one is a Starfire Lily. I now have two plants of these!


This one is a Gloriosa Lily. It is the only lily on a vine. It seems every time I even look at it, the plant would die. I am so happy it survived this year! Now I only wish I had MY camera back from the shop to be able to take good pictures of it...

Mournng Doves

Anthony noticed a nest in our lime tree. Once the babies were born, we snuck up to take a picture of the new babies. They were very quiet for about two weeks, then they flew away. Anthony would go outside and check on them every morning and every night.

Anthony's Tai Kwon Do Promotion

Anthony has been in Tai Kwon Do for over a year now, and he just got his orange belt. He seems to enjoy the friends he has made, and he has more confidence. This is a little video of his promotion.

Anthony's awards

I know this isn't the best picture, but I wanted to mention Anthony's end of the year awards. He is on the principal's honor roll for having a 3.67 GPA for the school year! This was his first year in middle school, and he did very well. We are very proud of him!

Antioquia and Nathan

My cousin, Nathan, came to town with a band, Antioquia, to do live painting. He did an amazing job! Here are a few pictures to show the progress. This painting took about two hours to finish. We were all trying to come up with the best reason why we should get to keep the painting. :)





The band stayed at my house, and they arrived in this little yellow bus! It was funny having it here in my quiet cul-de-sac.

Sarah graduated!

Sarah graduated! We went up to Pasadena to cheer her on as she became Dr. Sarah Marie Ortega. My mom and Danny performed the hooding ceremony during the graduation. A lot of family and friends came to support her. Then they went off to Rome!

Day 9 in Hawaii

Our final day in Kauai...we woke up and packed up our camp. The we went to find the last of our buried treasure. We went to Spouting Horn, where water is pushed through lava tubes by the tide. We also saw a few turtles here. Nowell and Elena hid this treassure well!!

After much digging, it was all worth it! We found our treasures...

We had an amazing time with Sarah and Danny, and we can't wait to be back on Kauai soon.

Day 8 in Hawaii

Our friend, Jerry, lost his mom a few months ago, and he asked us to leave a rosary for her in Kauai. Dano and I stopped at a cemetery overlooking the ocean and said a prayer for her.We then drove to the West side of the island and visited Waimea Canyon.

I couldn't exactly drive and take pictures, so we just stopped in the middle of the road. :)

This is what red dirt shirts are made of!!

We planned to camp a night on the beach at Salt Ponds Beach Park. We set up camp right on the edge of the sand.

We had fun taking photos of the moon setting.

Day 7 in Hawaii

This is not the sunset, it's the moonset! We had to get up at 4:30am to get to our boat tour on the other side of the island. Before we left I was able to get this shot of the moon setting over Hanalei Bay.


We took a boat up the Napali Coast, and then to the island of Ni'ihau. It was a beautiful day for a trip!

This is a boobie, a very popular bird in Kauai. They would fly very close to the water in pairs.

We were lucky enough to see a mom and baby Humpback Whale breaching. Of course, We were all told to leave our cameras inside on our quick trip up the coastline, and we would take pictures on the way back because of the seaspray. When we spotted the whales, I ran in for my camera, but had the short lens on. I decided it was more important for me to see the whales myself than to run back for my other lens.

The Napali Coast is always a beautiful sight.

When we returned, we wanted to spend one last sunset at our resort in Hanalei before heading South the next morning. Dano took this photo of Sarah and I.

Day 6 in Hawaii

The next day, we all went to Hideaways Beach on the North Shore. You have to take this broken down staircase halfway down the cliffside, then use a rope for balance the rest of the way. It was well worth it! These are some of the best reefs to snorkel...Whenever I am stressed, I think of this moment sitting at Hideaways....

When we went back to the resort, we played in the hot waterfalls leading into the jacuzzi.

Day 5 in Hawaii

After our dinner the night before, Danny was sick and stayed at the hotel. Sarah, Dano, and I went to 'Anini Beach. As you can see, we were the only people around, and had a great snorkeling experience.



After the beach, we headed to the Farmer's Market in Kapa'a. We bought many treasures, including a Conch shell Dano learned to play. This little Hawaiian girl was fascinated with him!

Day 4 in Hawaii

Sarah and I did an amazing hike in the mountains near Hanalei. It was a 2 mile hike on the Okolehao Trail, with a 1300 foot change in elevation. From the top, you can see 1/5 of the island of Kauai. We tried to take this picture to show how steep the trail was, but it doesn't do it justice!


When we reached the top, we realized because of the Vog- volcanic ash being blown over from the big island- the view wasn't as great as we hoped. In this photo you can see Hanalei Bay behind us.

The ecosystems change drastically as the elevation changes. This was some moss covering a log...

After our long hike, we met up with Dano and Danny for a night out, which really means finding a restaurant open after 7pm!

Day 3 in Hawaii

We had little red Brazilian Cardinals that would come up to our balcony and eat out of our hands.

Jumping off of Hanalei Pier.Of course, there are always roosters on the beach in Kauai.

We swam into the waterfall at our swimming pool for a drink. Sarah was with us, but the cave wasn't big enough for a wide shot. :)

What's Kauai without shave ice?

This was the sunset from our room. I always think of this moment when I have had a long day...