One interesting adventure that happened on our trip to Hawaii was our accommodations. We had wanted to stay at the Silver Oaks Ranch on the Big Island for about 5 years (ever since we discovered them and the fact that they have Nigerian Dwarf goats) when we visited the island last, right after our wedding. We had emailed them off and on over the years when flights looked like they might work out. With our recent trip, we were excited since flights looked good and it looked like a go. Martin emailed the ranch and we were told that they had availability and would love to have us with the exception that they needed about 1 1/2 days notice to get the cottage we wanted clean. They even offered us the portable crib for Henry. We arrived in Hawaii with the intention of staying in Hilo for one -two nights and we called the ranch where we were told that we could not stay with them after all. It seems they had been having trouble with housekeeping services and hadn't cleaned the cottage in a week. They also told us they were sick and didn't feel like cleaning the cottage themselves. So, after only a 9 hour flight, with a baby, we were basically left with no place to stay. I'm not sure what to think, especially after they told us they had availability and they were running a three night stay special and then abruptly changed their minds about wanting us to stay with them. We did eventually find other accommodations, but we were disappointed to say the least. We had wanted to stay there for 5 years and if we had been paying for plane tickets, maybe it would have been different. But if this was a once in a lifetime vacation, as it is for most people, I would have been extremely upset over the way this was handled. On the other hand, if this was a once in a lifetime event maybe we wouldn't have waited until a week beforehand to find someplace to stay. Needless to say, this place is pretty much off our radio for any future visits to the Big Island I'm sad to say.

Wow! How quickly two months pass!
Henry is now a big bouncy 6 month old and crawling around. He started day care two weeks ago and we seem to be getting him into a pattern. He is getting his two bottomw front teeth and eating lots of mushy foods. He even tried animal crackers and enjoyed them a lot!
Quick recap of what has happened in the last two months:
*Thanksgiving in NJ
*visited South Florida family and friends
*Henry flew on his first prop plane
*to the Bahamas
*met an attack dog named Stan
*ate the most expensive steak dinner ever at the Atlantis in the Bahamas
*watched Jai-alai in Dania Beach
*dinner at the Mai Kai Restaurant in FLL- Henry loooved the Polynesian Review!
*met our friends with the twins for dinner
*parents visited us in the snows of Decemeber - dad even shoveled!
*bought Henry a high chair
*bought Henry and exersaucer thing
*flew to Hawaii (the Big Island)
*walked on a black sand beach
*Introduced Henry to the Baby Bjorn and the ocean
*bought banana bread and a Hawaiian quilt in Hilo
*ate lots of plate lunches
*drove the Saddle Road between Mauna Loa and Mauna Kea
*ate shave ice as big as our heads
*realized Henry's head resembles a macadamia nut
*Martin got a blister on his foot
*I started back to work
*Chinese New Year Party!
*looked at more real estate
*Martin got a cold

That almost sums up everything we've been up to. I hate summarizing like that, but it can be fun as a memory exercise. I'll try to update more often. Especially since so many people read this!