Pinterest meets Aloha...

It doesn't happen very often that I'm truly THIS excited about an idea that I helped with....

Our group at work one an award and since we have so many employees (over 800) the recognition was a luncheon vs. giving everybody cash and a plaque.  We do lots of lunches at work, but my boss wanted it a little extra special.   So I met with our Executive Chef and one of the chefs under him that happens to be Hawaiian.   I gave them my budget, told them what we kinda wanted to do (sans the actual pig on a platter) and they put together a yummy meal, ALL Hawaiian!!! 

The ONLY thing I really wanted was the decorations stepped up a notch and a pineapple tree! 

I've discovered Pinterest about 1.5 years ago and when I saw the pineapple tree, I KNEW that someday we'd have to do something with it in Aloha (where I work).  YESTERDAY was that day!   When Victor texted me from the cafe saying that "your trees look great"...I was like "TREES" plural?   I couldn't get the grin off my face yesterday....so fun!!!

Dessert table

Close-up of the one of the pineapple trees

One of the serving lines

All three pineapple trees....Bon Appetit setting up!

Sole Support for Parkinson's Disease - 9.23.12...

Linda's Crew...

Nicki, Mom and the kiddos

Dean and the kiddos before the walk

Mom, Dad and kiddos after the walk.

Quite the crowd...over 1,200 registered walkers this year!

Dad and the kiddos

Dean, Nicki and the kiddos

Rachel, Dad and Mom on the home stretch

Mom walked almost the entire 1K....

Mom debating whether or not to go swimming??

Statistics....mom was in her 60's when she was diagnosed.

Almost there...

We love you mom!

Ten on Tuesday...

1.  Crazy/busy start of this school year! 

2.  Dad turned sixty-eight on Sept. 16th...

3.  Kiddos having fun in the sun!

4.  15-minute table runner!

5.  Picture day!

6.  Dean, Chris & Victor after the charity golf tournament.

7.  Charlie at the zoo.

8.  Gabe standing in the middle of one of  "the best" welcome back from sabbatical decorating jobs!

9. I'm selling Thirty-One bags now...Love the large utility bag!

10.   More turtles in the making...

September 11th...eleven years later...

I've been lucky enough to visit NYC three times (so far) in my lifetime...My mama and I were able to visit the Twin Towers in Oct '99...It's hard to believe it's 11 years tomorrow...I remember hearing the news on my drive to work, my dad calling me at work to say "stay put" and talking to my friend Bev on the phone as she sobbed watching the first tower come down....I remember listening to Lee Greenwood's "Proud To Be An American" and crying all the way home.

I continue to pray for those we lost and their family/friends...for all those who worked relentlessly to help and how we came together as a country that day! The worst of times does bring out the best in people! THANK YOU to all those who have and continue to fight for our freedom both here and overseas! GOD bless this country I'm proud to be a part of! We will NEVER FORGET!!!

Sam and Logan got married 9.8.12...

My friend Leann's daughter Sam and her fiance Logan got married on Saturday! It was a wonderful celebration of two young people joining together in marriage! I've known Sam for 6+ years and remember her as a senior in high school, not just donating her hair for a wig, but also SHAVING her head in support of a dear friend going thru chemo/radiation!

It was a fairly quick, but special ceremony and then we pretty much were ushered out (I think the chapel must have had another wedding soon after)....

Too many funnies to list them all...the biggest one was once we got to the community center where the reception was being held, Leann got all us Relay-girls and said "all hands on deck in the kitchen"...I've done something I've NEVER done before...I helped make kabobs (veggie & meat) for 2+ hours...it was a hoot seeing all of us in dresses (or at least Cheryl and I who don't normally wear dresses) in the back with latex gloves on putting fruit/meat on a stick...it was FUN!!!

Great reception and a fun way for Sam and Logan to start their lives and husband and wife together!  Charlie had a BLAST and ended up in way too many photos and she wasn't part of the wedding party....

Very grateful to have the Komm and now Cook family in our lives!

Leaving the chapel.

LOVE that Sam had yellow Converse shoes on the ENTIRE time!!!!

Great photo book that served as their "guest book"...I took the photo of them on the right...

Logan was having FUN with the hot car!

Pretty cake....sunflowers were the flower of the day...

Sam and Daddy Dan in their daughter/father dance.

Sam helped Charlie put the flower in her hair (THANKS Cheryl for the awesome photo).

Charlie and Jill having some "mustache" fun...

Libby got a good one of Victor and I.

Dan, Leann, Sam and Logan

The girls...

Having way too much fun!  Libby, MJ, Cheryl, Pam, Jill, myself and Charlie in the front row.

Possible Christmas photo??

Yes, I'm in a dress and Cheryl and I are making the BEST kabobs ever!!

Candy and CAKE POP table...Yummo Cake Pops - MJ makes the best!!!

More fun dressing up!

Guests as they leave the chapel to the car...

She's a 'grader', first grader now...

Charlie holding up her "Kinder" first day photo....I'm gonna do this every first day of school.

Her back-pack is a little heavy with supplies (ream of paper) today...

She picked out a turtle to give to her teacher Mrs. O'Brien

Kinda corny, but it's the best I could come-up with...