Apartments and Dogs

"YOU HAVE 2 DOGS IN A TINY APARTMENT?"

I often get this phrase along with/or a judgmental glare when I tell people I own 2 dogs (1 large, 1 medium-sized) in a one bedroom apartment. I usually nod and will rattle off some sarcastic comment, but today I decided to write what I REALLY want to say during these conversations (and sometimes do if time permits). So, here it is!

You have to look at both sides here. Look at people that own houses with dogs. Think about it, your dog isn't going to run laps around the yard constantly, getting all the exercise they need. Here's what usually happens. They are going to go out, pee for a full minute, walk around a little, sniff some flowers, maybe bark at the neighbor's dog through the fence, then come back to the back door and whine until you let them in. Or if weather is actually nice, they may stay out there for the majority of the day (laying in a spot of shade!). My point? Your dog isn't going to exercise itself just because you own a house. They get little to no more exercise than any other dog if you don't initiate it!

I'm not saying I won't ever get a house. I would have one now if I could! But financially, it will have to wait. And there are lots of good dog owners that live in houses and actually take their dogs on walks, play sports with them, take them places, etc. So I totally don't judge people with houses, just don't judge me when in reality, my dogs get more exercise than over half of homeowners with dogs.

And that brings me to my next item of interest. How you CAN have dogs in apartments. My dogs walk and average of 2 miles a day. Sometimes more. Why? I am FORCED to take them out. I have no backyard to just open the door to let them do their business within a fenced area. I make sure that within my schedule, I can take them out multiple times a day. My dogs go to the park, they go hiking, jogging, biking, walking, on fun outings with us, to dog classes/events, do therapy work, agility, and I am even in the process of teaching my youngest dock diving! (Which is a REALLY good form of exercise for high energy dogs!)

My point isn't to brag. And in actuality these activities don't cost like anything, so I don't do it all because I have the money. And quite frankly, not ALL apartment owners will take upon the initiative to do all those activities. But I do! My message I want to get across is, my dogs are living a GREAT life here in our apartment. They become more and more social because I take them places (I have to!). They are fit and healthy!

So while you're on your high horse thinking you're better than everyone because your dog has a little backyard to play in while you sit on your couch and watch TV, I am out on a long walk with my 2 dogs, exposing them to nature and a bunch of new smells wherever we go. And when we come back home they pass out tired and happy. So if you're WILLING to put forth a lot of TIME into making sure your dogs have a quality life, then go for it! But it is not an option for the LAZY.

Thank for reading!

 

Being a Veterinary Technician

"Oh, I would LOVE to have your job!"

"You get to play with puppies and kittens all day right?"

"So, you want to be a Vet then?"

These are three of the most common answers I get when I tell someone my career; a Veterinary Technician (aka Vet Tech).

Let me make it really simple for you. A vet tech is basically an animal nurse. That's what I tell little kids and people who are asking just for a short answer. Now, let me elaborate for anyone who REALLY wants to know what we do.

First of all, let's get one thing straight. I do NOT want to be a vet. Don't worry, I don't get offended if people ask me this. And believe me, it's all the time. Most people tend to think it's a stepping stone to becoming a vet. But here's some food for thought. Do all nurses want to be doctors? Nope. That's the career choice for many people in the world. As is mine. I just do animals instead of people. Granted, there are technicians out there who do that first before vet school. Cool, good for them! But not for me. Why? Let me list my reasons.

Ever since I was 16, I have always had a job that's animal-related. Whether it was working in a dog kennel, grooming salon, dog walking, or in a vet clinic. Mostly vet clinics. I have worked with multiple vets. I see how hard it is to have their job. Not that I wouldn't be "up for the challenge", but the problems they face are simply ones I would dread all the time. Here they are:

1) Paperwork. Lots and lots of paperwork. Every single patient they see requires a written/typed up summary of their visit/diagnosis, etc. It adds up quick, and needs to be as detailed as possible. They are legal documents.
2) Liability. Now, techs are held liable for their actions, but vets are liable for even more in my opinion. Especially if they manage their own clinic. People do sue vets sometimes, their staff/scheduling can be challenging, if they misdiagnose or make a mistake; it's all them.
3) VET SCHOOL. The main reason I refuse to become a vet. Up to 8 years of expensive, hard work in order to be pushed out into the world and start paying...STUDENT LOAN DEBT. Which is another lifetime to pay off. Ouch, and no thanks.  

Don't get me wrong, I totally respect Vets and I love who I work with. But I have no desire to do that. I tell people, I get to do the fun stuff! (Mostly). Vet Techs actually do basically anything Vets can do EXCEPT:
-Surgery
-Diagnose
-or Prescribe medication

Everything else that your pet needs at a vet clinic, is usually done by a technician. This includes:
-Assisting in surgery (while we do not perform the actually surgery, technicians can definitely scrub in and assist in whatever the vet needs during the procedure)
-Perform anesthesia (Yes, we are doggy/kitty anesthetists. We can knock out, keep under, and wake up any patient that needs it. Various states will not let techs actually "induce" though, just FYI).
-Perform dentals. We are dental hygienists too!One of my favorite hobbies!
-Nursing Care. While your pet is at the clinic, or admitted in hospital, we are in charge of your animal's well being. Taking vitals, running tests, IV fluids, feeding, walking, cleaning, administering medications, injections etc. The list goes on.
-IV catheters and venipuncture. Taking blood, running tests on it (or other bodily fluids haha), and placing catheters in various veins are just another small task vet techs do. By themselves.
-Taking radiographs (x-rays). Dog broke a leg? Cat ate something weird? Leave it to vet techs to suit up and take the necessary pictures in order for the vet to make a diagnosis.
-Giving vaccinations and injections. While a lot of vets will come give your dog/puppy vaccinations after a routine vaccination (similar to your human doctor), technicians are totally capable of doing so.
-We are the go-to between the doctor and the client. We obviously need to talk to all pet's owners before doing anything to the animal, so communication is a very important factor. So if you think to yourself, "I don't like people, so I will be a vet tech so I don't have to work with them". NOPE! Wrong, we still work with people all day every day. And sometimes they aren't always sane. We also are the ones that you get on the phone if you have a question about your animal's health. If there is a question or comment we can't answer, we will go ask a vet, or someone else who knows. But the majority is us you are talking to when "Max" gets into a box of chocolates and you don't know what to do.
-Cytology. We look at various specimens under the microscope. Fecals (yes, poop), urine, blood, skin scrapings, etc. Some enjoy this, I particularly am not a fan, but of course will still do it.
-And ANY other procedure that is required to either get a diagnoses or treat your pet. Whether is giving messy, black toxiban to a dog, putting a splint on a broken limb, wrapping a wound, shaving pet hair, restraining for other vets or techs, doing reception work...blah blah blah...I could go on for ages!!

So, when you take a step back and look at all of our duties, maybe 1% of that is playing with puppies and kittens. And while all of these tasks are interesting and partially rewarding, we also have grim duties.

For example, Euthanasia. A word no one likes to hear. A hard decision for owners and vets alike. When it comes the time to let the suffering end for your pet, it's not easy. Most vets are the ones to actually give the injection when the time is needed, but if a technician is "Euthanasia-certified", they can be the ones performing the grave task. This is a reason a lot of people end up not going into veterinary medicine. Some cannot handle the grief. People ask me, "How do you deal with that all the time?" I kind of shrug. Everyone has a part of their job they dislike. This is mine, I guess. It's still sad, and painful at times. But dealing with it frequently honestly gets you a little desensitized to it. You just do it, and try not to get emotionally involved. It is extremely difficult when it is a patient you have dealt with for a long period of time, or you know very well.

One last thing about techs. It is a messy, dirty, (and dangerous) job. I have been bled on, pooped on, vomited on, peed on, bitten, and scratched way too many times to count. I have cleaned up thousands of diarrhea episodes, held dogs while they puke their guts out, changed and washed bedding multiple times a day, been kicked and thrown over the fence by cattle, and have scars from all those cats that want nothing more than to rip your face to shreds.

So why do I keep doing this job? Well, it is for the smile a little girl gives me when I bring her now-healthy kitty up to the front to go home. It is for the dog that you swear won't make it through the night, and it makes a major turn for the better. It is for the feeling you get you you place a tough catheter. It is for the patient that sleeps in your lap all night, knowing you won't leave them, and that you will take care of them. It is for the feeling of helping bring a pet back to life. It is for the hug I get from an owner after a long procedure that turned out okay. And it is for the look I get when I start discussing abscesses at the dinner table, thinking it is a proper topic for conversation.

Haha, had to add that in! Anyways, being a technician can be hard work, but it is rewarding. Yes, I am certified, and I love what I do.

   

Shark Cage!

VIDEO HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mhw6ZQEEi5E
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SHARK CAGE! An experience of a lifetime; bragging rights; and a unique adrenalin rush!!

It all started at 3:30am when we had to wake up. Our cousins Jack and Shane were here with us, and this was their last activity before heading back to Utah. We needed to get to North Shore from Waikiki by like 5:30am. So waking up...add on walking to where our rental car was (car share program), driving all the way to North Shore, then waiting to get on the boat. Jack and Shane slept in the car while I drove, and we finally were all woken up by the time the boat was in motion!

Apparently we went on a really good day. It had been raining all week (ruining half of my cousins' vacation), but it finally was sunny and the ocean was calm. Well, calmer than what it had been. When the boat stopped about 10 minutes out into the ocean, it rocked back and forth to where many people got seasick.

We had split up into 3 groups, and we were part of the 2nd group to go. The minute the boat had anchored, sharks already were appearing. Years and years ago the tradition of shrimp boats coming out to where these Galapagos Sharks are stuck, and now every time a boat comes out there, Sharks flock to it; thinking we are shrimp fishers. It was so cool seeing them come to the surface!

FINALLY we get in the cage! It was already lowered into the water, so all we had to do was climb in with our snorkel gear on, and look down. It was SUCH a cool feeling!! The sharks were so close! Many times it was possible you could reach out and touch them, but probably not a good idea. It was a little rocky, and it was difficult to shove yourself down to the bottom of the cage, but we managed to do so and have a great time!! The water wasn't even cold! These majestic sharks swam past us and we just awed in disbelief. We got a ton of cool footage which you can see in our video.

There were also teeny tiny jellyfish things, that looked like little clear ribbons floating everywhere. I got "stung" twice, it just feels like a little pinch or shock and lasts for maybe 10 minutes. I think we got around 20 minutes cage time, then it was the last groups' turn. I wasn't ready to get out. We were having so much fun!! But everything has an end.

Once we got out, THAT'S when the seasickness hit me. Shane puked overboard...but i just sat in misery until we drove back to shore. I never vomited, but I sure felt like it!

But seasickness aside, Shark Cage was AMAZING!!! Only in Hawaii man! We toured with North Shore Shark Adventures-they are super easy to look up online. It can get pricey; luckily one of my military friends got us discounted tickets. Woo! I was so glad we did this!

It was also our last major activity in Hawaii as well. We moved back to Idaho the next week; so we went out with a BANG I guess.

For anyone keeping up with these blogs, it is very difficult for me to write all the time. I know, once a week shouldn't be that bad...but it adds up after a while. SO, as for as our IDAHO Adventures go, we are just going to stick with Youtube Videos for now. Maybe I will blog occasionally. But I do have a full time job, Brad is back in school, and because of our schedules, we hardly ever see each other and are able to do fun activities. Small things here and there, but not too often.

Thanks for keeping up with these blogs! My plan is to right occasionally about random fun things we do and even things I have on my mind and just want to write about whether it's my job as a vet tech, a churchy topic, our lives, etc.

SUBSCRIBE to our Youtube channel to see upcoming adventures and watch our Shark Cage video below!

Aloha!

VIDEO HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mhw6ZQEEi5E

Sisters Hawaii Vacation

VIDEO PART 1 HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4hNhpch6Ko
PART 2 HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89ag45mA7zg
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Aloha all!! I'm going to just jump right into this blog cuz we got all kinds of good stuff to cover!!

FIRST OF ALL, this trip was actually a surprise for Mary (My sister of 2 kids). She had really wanted to come visit us when she found out we were moving to Hawaii, but she spent the money she had saved on her daughter's therapy (for Apraxia). SO, ever since May (4 months ago), we bought her plane ticket and spartan race ticket for her to come to Hawaii for her birthday, as well as my other sister Brittany. We of course didn't know that Brittany would be pregnant during the trip. (No one did! haha), so Brittany didn't get to do a lot of activities, but it was still AWESOME seeing both of my sisters for whole week in Hawaii! Here is a little bit of what we did!

DAY 1-Brittany and Mary actually ended up on the same flight out of SLC (where Mary started, and Brittany transferred in), and this was NOT part of the plan lol! (Flight cancellations, etc). So Brittany surprises Mary in the airport! (After Mary was surprised about the trip a couple days prior!)

They were 2 happy sisters on their way to Hawaii! Once they got here, we found out the airline lost Mary's luggage with all her clothes. Oops. But that didn't change Mary's attitude! She stayed happy and we got the luggage the next day anyways! I met them at the airport with leis and a happy face! (Even though I had gotten major motion sickness from the bus ride there). I opted for a taxi ride home.

DAY 2-The next day we woke up bright and early and jumped right into things! Drove to north shore to have an EPIC day! We get to Waimea Bay beach (my fav beach!) and go crazy! There's the famous "Jump Rock" there, where you HAVE to jump off of if you go. (Brittany is the exception because she was pregnant). Mary and I went up at first, and I jumped off. Mary was a little skeptical. She wanted to try a smaller part of the rock before the high jump.

We go to the back of the rock, and guess what we see? A honu (green sea turtle), in the crystal blue water just munchin on breakfast! He was beautiful!! I dash back to the beach, grab my snorkel mask, and go back so Mary and I could have the opportunity to jump in and take a look at him! He was AMAZING! We got some really good GoPro footage of him!

After we swam back to beach, I noticed something on the other side of the beach. A monk seal that had come up to rest! I had never seen one before, so I call Mary and Brittany over (being sure not to get ALL the tourists), and they were amazed as well! They got pictures with him (not getting close at all though), and I snuck in the water keeping my distance, as he swam back out to sea.

If that wasn't enough for a cool beach trip, we explored the cool cave nearby, then Mary went back up Jump Rock! After about 10 minutes of anticipation and a random guy coaching her up top, she made the leap!!! Once you make the initial step and let gravity do the rest, you hit the water and are SO proud! Mary was ecstatic!!

We walk back to the car (stopping on the way to take pics on a swinging rope), and go to get snorkel gear, because turtle beach is next! It started to rain a little bit at that point, but that was okay with us! We stopped for lunch, then as the sun came out, we parked on the road near turtle beach. Brittany, being in her first trimester, was already exhausted, so she slept in the car while Mary and I went to snorkel turtle beach!

And oh my gosh we had the greatest time ever! TONS of turtles! We snorkeled with these majestic creatures and just marveled at them! Mary said at one point she saw 6 at once! After about 30 minutes, we ran back to the car, grabbed Brittany from her nap, and had her come too. She had fun for the most part and saw a couple turtles, but she had ditched her flippers and cut her foot on a rock. So we went and got her first aid stuff at the nearest grocery store.

We only had time left to stop at the Dole Pineapple Plantation for a little bit before my rental car ran out of time. We walked around the garden, fed some fat fish, and took pics. A relaxing end to an awesome day!

DAY 3-Polynesian Cultural Center Day! Always a must for visitors! All 3 of us took the long bus ride there! We went to the island of Hawaii first, got to try mashed taro, and learned a little culture before seeing the hawaiian dancers. After Hawaii, we headed to Fiji where we got to try the stick...dancing...thing. Where you hit your pole on the ground in synchronization with everyone else to make music! It was a lot of fun! Brittany was hungry at that point so while she and Mary went to get her food, I got a coconut for us to share! So they got to try a real coconut! They both said the same thing as they tried it, "That was not what I expected". Haha!!

We go to the island of Samoa next, where hilarious samoans do fire dancing, talk about their lifestyle, and climb a coconut tree! They made a basket out of leaves and asked, "Who wants it?" Mary jumps up and says, "Me!" So they gave it to her, and said, "If you want something in life, go get it".

I got the coconut salesman to cut our coconut so we could eat the meat inside, which is really good in my opinion! Then we saw the famous canoe pageant! I thought it was funny we were th emost enthusiastic ones there. As the different canoes passed us, we would YELL their island name, and it made them really happy! (Most tourists just stare and clap lightly).

We went to Tonga next, which is always the funniest show! Big tongan guy gets up and asks for 3 volunteers whom he dresses up and has them play drums. It may sound weird, but it is HILARIOUS! Especially when he got a clueless Korean guy lol.

Tahiti wedding ceremony was next, and we also danced at that show as well! Then we went to learn about the famous Iosepa boat (which they still take out every couple years!) That was fun and informative. And we ended with Aotearoa, seeing the haka dance and cool ball dancing they do. We saw all the islands! But the fun didn't stop there; we had our own canoe ride, had dinner at the buffet, saw the IMAX movie (where Brittany could sit and chill for a bit, she was exhausted but of course there's no where to just go...take a nap). THEN ended with the BEST part of the day...the HA Breath of Life Show! BEST SHOW EVER! Hula Dancers, a great story, and amazing fire dancers!

DAY 4-Well the PCC had taken all day the day before, and the bus ride home made it so we got home close to midnight. So pregnant Brittany was completely beat and opted out of the next day's morning activity...Snorkeling with Dolphins! We had to be up by 5am in order to get to the shuttle stop. We got picked up and drove to the Leeward side of the island.

Snorkeling was amazing! I have done this tour once before and LOVED it. This time we actually got to see a honu closer! The tour guide dropped us off at a practice spot where we were gazing around for anything cool to see. Just as the guide called us back to the boat, I spot something in the distance coming towards me. I thought it was a turtle, but as I got closer, I realize it's a sting ray!! I yell to Mary to come see, but the rest of the snorkelers were too far away. So just mary and I got to see him, I found out later he's a spotted eagle ray!

We also drop off at a spot by the reef where there are tons of tropical fish! Lots of good GoPro video/pics there. The tour guide also let me try and catch a needle fish with his fishing pole, but he got away.

THEN, it took us a while, but we finally got to see dolphins! Lots of them, with their babies! They don't get too close, but just close enough for us to see! Ahh they are just amazing! I love marine life! After a while of snorkeling around them we headed back, ate the free lunch, and got dropped back off in Waikiki.

Brittany was up and refreshed at that point, so we decided to go hike Maunawili falls! An epic place to hike! We got there late afternoon, so not too late, but not in the middle of the hot day. It was VERY muddy since it had rained before, so no one could avoid the sloppy mud. You just had to embrace it. Brittany had a bit of a hard time at first dealing with that and the hike itself, but we found her a hiking stick and that seemed to help a lot. Kodiak came with us as well!

Maunawili is in a gorgeous jungle, has breath taking views, and ends at the Maunawili Falls, where you can jump off a short rock. Mary and I did that for a while, and Brittany had brought her lei to leave as a token. We left just in time to get to the car before it got dark and drove home.

DAY 5-Surfing! Gotta have surfing! We walked the 5 minutes from my apartment to Waikiki Beach and Mary took surfing lessons! Brittany got a chair on the beach, and had fun relaxing and watching people wipe out in the water. I took my long board out with them and filmed Mary surfing. She was a natural! I wiped out my first time way more than she did! She got up like a pro and had so much fun! The instructor was amazed at all her energy and when he asked her what she did for a living, she exclaimed, "I'M A MOM!"

DAY 6-Spartan Race! I wrote a different blog about this, so go read it! It was AWESOME!

DAY 7-Sunday...we went to church...we chilled at home...walked on the beach...relaxed.

DAY 8-Ziplining!! I wrote a different blog about this too, so again...go read that one!

After ziplining we drove home and then went to Fort DeRussy beach; all 3 of us! (and Kodiak) It was an awesome way to end Sisters week! We rented an "air bed"-basically a giant floaty mat that you take into the ocean. All 3 of us, plus the dog fit on it! We had a blast just floating out there and talking. Kodiak was hilarious, he would jump off only if all 3 of us started to swim away from it. And when we did that he got scared, and tried to climb on top of me, thus trying to drown me haha. We also saw a rainbow, and took pictures back on the beach, and played fetch with Kodiak. Such a fun time!

DAY 9-Brittany and Mary left :( Took  a cab to the airport and flew home. It was GREAT seeing my sisters! I knew we would never have a chance like that again, and I am so glad we did it!

Here are some pictures, as well as Videos 1 & 2 of our vacation!!

VIDEO PART 1 HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4hNhpch6Ko
PART 2 HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89ag45mA7zg
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Ziplining in Hawaii!

VIDEO HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf4xZCD3vl0
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Aloha! My bad for late posts...just been super busy!!

ZIPLINING IN HAWAII! Absolutely amazing! Now, I know in a lot of my posts I'm like, "This is AMAZING!" like, all the time, but I am the type of person that highlights the best in what we do rather than complain about one little thing that goes wrong. But believe me, not every weekend went perfectly in Hawaii for us. We had rainy days, days where our plans got canceled, days when a swell came to the island the night before and we couldn't do what we planned, etc. But we tried to make the most of our time here. 

If there's one person that makes the absolute MOST of any sort of activity, it's my sister Mary! She's what I call a "Professional Mommy", she has a husband and 2 kids at home and really makes the most out of any situation! When she came here to Hawaii (as a surprise, you can read about that in the Sisters Vacation Blog), she had SO much energy! So when she found out we were also going ziplining as her birthday present, she was ecstatic! My other sister Brittany was pregnant so she could not go with us; she stayed home and took a nap. 

We got up WAY early in the morning in order to make the drive to North Shore. We get there and had time to check in, look around, see their cool dog (that has been ziplining), etc. It happens to be such a small world-we ran into an old church leader Sister Dille, and her husband! They were in our same tour group! And they had done the Spartan race that weekend like we did too! So cool! They are in the video as well as about 8 other random people. 

The tour starts out with a brief safety lecture and a practice line. It was way fun for us, but we also had no idea that the lines that would come later were 10 times better! After the practice line they take you on an awesome ATV ride through the farmland/forest area to the 1st official zipline. The views are incredible! (remember to bring a gopro!) The ATV drive is so you go to the back of the property, then are able to zipline back to the building area. 

The tour guides are very safe, fun, and informative! They make it so your experience is the best! The moment you step off you let gravity take you up to 60mph through this amazing terrain! They have 10 different ziplines and they will tell you which one is the racing line, or the highest line, or the longest, or the one to go backwards...and SPOILER...the last one you go backwards! There were all ages from 8 to 60 and it's fun for everyone! 

Not only do they have ziplines, but they have little ropes course activities (not intense, don't worry!), water stations, and cool bridges! They do take pictures along the way so if you don't have a camera, you have the option of buying those at the end of the tour. 

We went on the earliest (8am) tour and that's what we hear is the best! It's beautiful, the island is just waking up, and it's gorgeous! 

This is the place we toured with http://www.climbworks.com/keana_farms/zipline
They are the BEST on the island! Pricey yes, but worth it!!  

Pictures are below, as well as the Youtube Video that goes along with it! Aloha!

VIDEO HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gf4xZCD3vl0
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Spartan Race 2015

VIDEO HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=haHG71URsxM

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Aloha!! This past weekend I checked something off my bucket list!! Yep, running my 1st Spartan Race!! WOOoooOOooo! I mean, Aroo! Aroo! Aroo!

I have been looking forward to this (and not doing nearly enough training), for months! We signed up way back in April! (Cheaper tickets)

Anyways the day finally came! We had our own little group with myself, Brad, my sister Mary (who only knew she was coming to Hawaii a couple days before), and Ashlee Kerhel (she's stationed here in the Army with her wife). And man, we were pumped! We rented a car and drove to the location: Kualoa Ranch. An awesome ranch place next to the mountains and ocean; they actually filmed some Jurassic Park scenes there! They offer ATV tours, horseback riding, and other fun stuff for tourists too

We walked about a mile to get to the location, get checked in, get our stuff, etc. Boring part.

THEN, THE RACE!! There's a lot of people that start at once. They give you a little thingy you clip on you shoelaces that tracks your time as you stop and finish. It's all crowded at first because everyone is starting. But once you get past obstacles and get further into the race, it gets more spread out.

We first get into the river! We were up to our armpits in dirty river water...but hey it felt so good! I don't know if anyone has told you...but Hawaii is hot!

Then we get to our real first obstacle...the mini walls. Walls about 4 ft high I would say. You get a running start and lift yourself over them. Then you go through another wall with giant windows in it. These were easy!

After that you start running up a hill at a pretty steep incline. This is where I wished I had eaten something for breakfast. I immediately started to feel my energy going down; I had nothing in my stomach. I had eaten 1 pop tart and a couple gatorade chewies. Not a good idea. Woops.

But once we got to the top we did a fun rope ladder then made our way down, so I felt a lot better. The view was just breathtaking. Such a cool terrain to run on, and in our first spartan! Brad wore the GoPro on his chest to get everything on film, which you can see in our video!

Then came the MUD PIT! The funnest part of the race probably. 2 giant mud pits that you either jump or fall into; SO MUCH FUN!

Then we got to the REAL WALL! I couldn't tell you how many feet up it was, but it was high enough to need someone to help hoist you up. Some guys were nice enough to help boost people up. Brad did it on his own like a boss but Mary and I needed a push.

We run through Jurassic Park (yes, where they filmed it!), and get to the tire pull which was not as much fun as it looks. It's ehh...you pull a tire from one point to another, then roll it back for the next person. I don't have a ton of upper body strength so I was a little slower than Mary and Brad. As for where Ashlee was at this point, I have no idea. She passed us up at the beginning and never looked back haha.

We got to the horizontal wall which was fun. Just like rock climbing sideways. Easy peesy.

Then we had to carry 40# bags up and down a large hill...THAT was kind of difficult! Mary laughed and said she has to carry one 30# kid on each hip so that was EASY for her! Professional Mommy right there.

Next was the rope climb! I took one try and knew I wouldn't get all the way up. Brad said that the Montana Spartan race he did had a rope with knots in it so I wasn't too worried...but this one didn't have knots! I was like wahhhhh no. Mary, Ashlee and I couldn't do it. But Brad got up there and rang the bell! He did it like a boss!! I am so proud of him!

Let's see...after that we got to the Javelin/Spear throw. I got really close! But none of us could do it. 30 burpees for each of us!

Then we did the monkey bars which was really fun!! There was a point I almost fell but I hung on and told myself I would look like an idiot if I fell...and I made it across! Hahaha

After the monkey bars you come to an upside down V shaped wall to climb over. I tripped coming down it was kind of hilarious. I jump up all like, "I'M OKAY!"

Then Brad wow'd everyone by doing a front flip over the last obstacle...the fire pit! He got that on the video if you go see it! Mary did a front flip as well just before the finish line too. AND WE WERE DONE, just like that!

They gave us coconut water and a banana at the end as well as our MEDALS AND T SHIRTS! THE BEST PART! But really, this was so much fun and we are definitely addicted!! We would totally do another one in the future!! It tests you physically and mentally, and keeps you healthy!! I would recommend anyone do this to test themselves. No one cares about your time (except you), they just care about you finishing! So get out there and be a SPARTAN!

Aroo! Aroo! Aroo!

Watch the video here of our Spartan Race Adventure: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=haHG71URsxM

And see our pictures!

The Cline's Hawaii Vacation

VIDEO HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mpv7fcQTzvY

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Ahhhh!!! I am sooo sorry!! It has been WEEKS since my last entry and I feel awful! My excuse is, I have been having way too much fun with family coming and we have done SO much lately, that I have been too exhausted to write! I have 3 more entries to write about so HERE we go, bare with me!

SO, the Clines! Who are the Clines? Well, before I got married and became an awesome Parsons, I was a Cline! Yes, it's my maiden name. I have 2 older sisters who are married-the oldest is pregnant with her first baby (YAY!), and the next oldest has 2 kids. (I will write about their vacation here in a later blog). But the Clines that visited me a couple weeks ago are my parents and my youngest brother, Danny! (My other brother is serving an LDS mission in Las Vegas, Nevada).

DAY 1

Their vacation started by me picking them up from the Honolulu International Airport! I rode the bus there (and got bad motion sickness-almost puked in my water bottle haha), but that ended once I got to the airport. I picked up some Hawaiian leis for them and was there as they arrived! It was SO nice seeing them; I have missed them so much!

They got a rental car for the week and a hotel as well, so we drove to their hotel in Waikiki (which happens to be only a couple blocks away from my apartment!) Once they got settled in and Brad arrived (Friday yay!), we went to Tiki's for dinner! Really good food!! (My favorite is their chocolate banana shake yumm!) But since they were still on Houston time (5 hours late), they were exhausted and went straight to sleep after that!

DAY 2

The next day we all got up and got together to go to Waikiki beach! SUPER popular beach; always entertaining! Mom made extra sure everyone wore sunscreen because it was a hot hot day! We rented a couple beach chairs, then got Danny and Dad surfing lessons!! First, I will tell you about Dad's experience. He got out there like a champ and did his best! But laying on the board got really painful for him. He did catch a wave on his knees!! He wanted to make sure all of his co workers knew he tried!! But he had to paddle back in after a short while because of the pain, then chilled on the beach and he was fine.

Danny did AWESOME! Got up on his first wave and like, every one after that!! I couldn't count how many waves he rode; he was a natural!! There was one point he rode a wave all the way to shore and ran into some girl chilling in her tube haha. But OH MAN he had fun!

After surfing we chilled on the beach for a bit, then went to my favorite Hawaii burger joint-Teddy's Burgers! It's right across the street from the Honolulu Zoo (and a part of the Waikiki Grand Hotel), bu they have amazing burgers and shakes! Then we all went home to chill for a bit, then went out later to hike Manoa Falls!!

Manoa Falls was filmed in Jurassic Park, and is a short but fun tourist hike! I actually have taken Kodiak multiple times before on this one. But it was fun taking my family and Brad for their first time! Kodiak had fun as always. You can read details about the hike in one of my previous blogs here (and see the video!): http://sarahbradparsons.blogspot.com/2015/06/manoa-falls-hike.html

Mom accidentally got sunscreen in her eye and Dad fell once coming down but other than that we had a great time! We sang camp songs on the way down and Danny showed off his cool hand clapping skills! It was great weather; nice and shady/cloudy. Perfect afternoon hike!

DAY 3

Sunday came around the next day. We woke up for 9am church and had a wonderful service! My ward here in Waikiki always has lots of visitors, so they make any visitor feel welcome. In relief society, they give you hand knitted leis! The church is beautiful with a Christ mosaic, a fountain in front, and a Kapok tree next to it that makes for fun vine swinging! Of course everyone tried that and had a great time!

After church we had lunch then drove to Kailua Beach to take in the scenery and take cool beach pictures. My mom really enjoyed taking sunset pictures, and it's such a pretty beach, who could blame her? We got really nice photos of our little "family" (Me, Brad, and Kodiak), like this one!

DAY 4

POLYNESIAN CULTURAL CENTER DAY! 

The PCC (for short), opens at 12pm, so we still had the morning to do stuff. I woke up early and took my dad walking in Waikiki, where we got to stop by the bird guy on the pier-a local who feeds the birds and tons of birds will flock to him and anyone he gives the bread he has to. Dad thought that was cool. We walked back to the hotel then all drove to North Shore. We got our tickets around 11am, but still had an hour to get lunch, so we then drove to North Shore Tacos-about 5 minutes away, and ate lunch. BEST TACOS EVER! They're famous for their fish tacos, but I really like their sweet pork ones. Also, ask for samples of the drinks if you're visiting. I like the pineapple tiki drink that they give in a pineapple for you. A little pricier but in my opinion, SO worth it! 

We drove back to the PCC and went in! We got to see the islands of Samoa, Aotearoa, and Tonga. (In my opinion-the best ones...plus Hawaii). Tonga and Samoa are my favorites by far though. Mom got a free head band at Samoa. In the summer like when we went, it was really hot. Bring an umbrella & sunscreen especially if you are a whitey like my family and burn easily. Also, we got to see the canoe pageant, the family got a free ukelele lesson (which Danny LOVED-he was hooked!), and we took the tram tour through BYU-Hawaii and to the Laie LDS Temple! 

Since we are Mormons, we loved going to see this temple and visitors center. I thought it was awesome that the LDS missionaries ran the tram tour. What better people to do it eh?? So 2 missionary girls were the hosts and they did such a great job. What a cool mission! Be nice to them because they don't get paid anything! Strictly volunteer work for the church! Another cool fact is that 70% of the employees at the PCC go to BYU-Hawaii, and your tickets help pay for their tuition!

We got to go to the actual Luau at the PCC which was really fun. They had good food, a show, and had volunteers get up (newlyweds, anniversaries, etc), and I got to go up and dance! But HONESTLY here's what I thought afterwards. I liked going to the simple buffet over the luau because it's less expensive, the same food, you see the same dancing in the night show afterwards, AND at the buffet you eat then leave while everyone else is still at the luaus, so you basically have the whole park to yourself! Take that time to see the cool IMAX movie, or go to the shops or just take in the scenery! The luau line was long, and the show was long. But still fun for my family! My Mom loves the taro bread (purple bread).  

Of course then you have the night show: HA-Breath of Life. SO AMAZING! You're time at the PCC isn't worth it if you don't see the show. It's NECESSARY if you come here. It gets out at 9pm, so everyone is exhausted by that time, and it's a long 1.5 hour drive home. But we made it safely. 

You can read my blog about my first time at the PCC here (and see the video!): http://sarahbradparsons.blogspot.com/2015/05/laie-temple-mormons-and-polynesian.html

DAY 4

NORTH SHORE DAY

This is always my favorite thing to do. Visit North Shore. There is so much to do and see! We were going to stop off on the way at the Dole Pineapple Plantation, but Mom suddenly didn't want to because she doesn't like pineapples. Haha, but for all it's worth, I have been there before and it's really cool! But we drove straight to North Shore and stopped in Haleiwa for some lunch at Breaker's (good food!) Danny had Loco Moco, and the rest of us shared some seafood-crab cakes and coconut shrimp! Mmmm! 

We walked around the shops, and also drove to an ukulele shop where Danny got his souvenir-a nice ukulele. He couldn't put it down the whole rest of the day! 

After that we drove to Shark's Cove to rent snorkel gear, THEN drove to turtle beach (Laniakea Beach). This is where I like to snorkel because of all the turtles! (Hence the name!) Mom stayed on the beach first to watch our stuff while I went out with Dad and Danny to snorkel! We saw lots of tropical fish, but we were lacking in turtles. Luckily, Dad spotted one close to the beach, and they were able to swim with him!! I even took a selfie with him (being careful not to touch him-illegal)

Mom finally got out there and stayed in the shallow area. She was able to also see the turtle! So everyone spotted one and got some cool, refreshing snorkeling in! It wasn't even hot so no one got sunburned! 

After snorkeling we drove back to Haleiwa to get some of the famous Matsumoto's Shaved Ice! Mom had mentioned she wanted real Hawaiian shaved ice, and this was the perfect place for it! There's a reason it's famous and usually always has a long line! It was SOOO YUMMY! You have to either get ice cream or condesned milk with it-sooo good!!! Luckily we got there in time before they closed. So happy we stopped! And that ended our day at North Shore!

DAY 5

KAYAKING

Another early morning started with driving to Kailua Beach and renting 2 double kayaks! We kayaked out to a little flat island in front of Kailua Beach that has a seabird nature preserve on it. We got to see the cool seabirds as well as some fish and an awesome eel in the ocean! We walked around the island for a while then kayaked back to shore. We still had a bit of time so we kayaked down the canal, which was really fun!

Here is Brad and I's adventure going kayaking to a different, further island in a previous blog/video: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKlIISTZ-Tk 

We took our kayaks back to the rental place then stopped and ate at Bob's Pizzeria. Pizza tastes so good after an arm workout while kayaking in the ocean! Danny also had fun with the water guns they supply you during lunch to squirt annoying pigeons away from the outdoor eating area. 

That evening I took Danny back out to Waikiki with a rental surfboard (and my long board), and we swam at sunset! We both really enjoyed it! While we did that, Mom and Dad attended a session at the Laie LDS temple; they said they loved it! 

After we all met back up we had hula dogs for dinner-a genius invention I say. Hot dogs that are only open at the top so that the sauces don't squeeze out the sides. And rich flavor! SO good! 

DAY 6

Last official day! So, while Danny was adventurous and wanted to go parasailing, Mom really wanted to go to the Botanical gardens. So, we split up! Danny and I took the bus to Kewalo Basin and went parasailing!! We took a boat out with about 10 people and got going! Danny and I were the last ones to go, and by that time, the winds were picking up, so the crew was like, "uhh we need more weight, so you get to go with a 3rd person". We were okay with that! Danny was a little nervous at first, but once we got up he was all happy and had a blast! They dunked us in the water multiple times which is always my favorite part! And reeled us back in after an 8 minute ride. 

Back to my parents, they visited the Foster Botanical Gardens and they said it was very nice! I have never been, but my mom loves the nature here in Hawaii and she wanted to take photos and learn the names of all the trees, plants, and flowers. Not my cup of tea, but for anyone into that, they highly recommended it.

That night we actually went to the restaurant located inside my parent's hotel (Waikiki Hilton) called the MAC restaurant. They are famous for their giant pancakes-which my mom got and loved! The rest of us got other food; still really delicious! 

After that we walked around Waikiki and got souvenirs. It was awesome having my family here in Hawaii to visit! It was a once in a lifetime experience! We said our goodbyes and they left the next morning. It was a lot of vacation, but there are no regrets! We will be able to look back and remember all the fun times together! 

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Again, here is the video that goes along with this blog: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mpv7fcQTzvY

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