So, we are still alive, although you'd never know it

Due to laziness difficulties I won't be able to lavishly engross you on many details surrounding the Christmas season and the results thereof, but I will tell you that we had a full house and loved every minute. The fireworks tents (yes that's a plural) was a complete success, we made more money in one tent on the 31st than we had during the entire week in UT. These Hawaiians are CRAZY when it comes to flammables. There was guy down the street that put on a show with commercial tubes and electronics ignitions, ON HIS FRONT LAWN, that rivals any show I've ever seen in UT. We will be doing these tents again next year and are taking applications (from teenage and older family members) as we are going to need help. It is a week from Hell but it pays well and is a great way to cover the cost of your plane ticket, the rest of the time you stay here is just free vacation!! There are a good deal of pictures from Christmas and such, but since it is now February, I'll only post a few. Here's the news from our volcanic speck: We are expecting a new arrival!!!! Yep you heard it, well read it correct, in a few months we'll have another mouth to feed. We are looking forward to this bundle of joy, we've made preparations for HER, that's right another girl, made up a room and arrangements to keep the costs down. Now its just a matter of time till she gets here, we sure are looking forward to having MOM come!! HAHAHAH suckers, you fell for it!!! You rumorsome lot! Just to make sure everyone knows, I was talking about Mirjam not a baby. 'T'aint gonna be no mo' kids in this house!!Seriously though we are looking forward to having Mom come, Hannah asks everyday when Gramma Barker is coming. Also, speaking of mad cows, April and I are on an assisted diet. We have been since the end of January. I have lost 15 lbs so far and April has lost 9. April didn't want me to tell anyone, but I figured since Mom knows, you all know by now. What does 'assisted' mean, well if you call my biological Mother, she can tell you all about it. Jarrod, you can't call, the only way you're losing weight is if you lop off an appendage. Lets see, what else, April was called to the Relief Society Board, I am still the scoutmaster. I have a cousin coming to visit in a week. Jaren will be here till March 10, then the Myers are having family visit, followed by Mom's visit, so the calendar is filling up fast, if you all want to come out you'd better call soon and book your week(s). Uncle Don still needs his roof done, he tells me about it at random times. Speaking of Uncle Don, he and Brenda took us to the China Town New Years shebang, I've got lots of pictures of Hannah feeding the dragons and such, it was fun to see...once. The girls are growing up very fast, Abbi is in the stage where she will try to mimic words, its pretty funny. She does this very funny little question skit, when you ask where her nose is, she puts her finger on it, then you ask where her ears are and she points, then you ask where her mouth, eyes and hair are and she'll point them all out one at a time, but her favorite is her belly button, she lifts her shirt up and pokes her belly out and points and laughs and laughs. Usually its followed by a zubert, hence the voracious child laughter. I will try to get a video of it, someday. Well that's about all I can think of that would be of much interest to the lot of you. Feel free to call or post comments, that's how I know you haven't abandoned me due to my neglect of you.

Mele kalikimaka and ono hapuna..oh forget it.

As most of you know we are fast approaching Christmas time. So for those of you who don't...Danny, you need to get something for Cyd....fast.... Its almost Christmas time. I had a, well, hard isn't the word for it, maybe an apprehensive time getting into the spirit this year. There was no snow, nor cold of any sort, although there was a whole bunch of rain, it just seemed like mid September in Ut and the season snuck up on me. Well about a week ago we put up the tree. I've spent days now searching for a tree topper we had back in Ogden and no one is claiming to know its whereabouts. Apparently the Politically Correct police have struck Hawaii and no one puts anything Christian related on the tree anymore. So finding a star to represent the marker of our Savior's birth has been unfruitful to say the least. Nevertheless, I toil forward hoping that someone somewhere knows what happened to our Christmas stuff. Meanwhile back at the bat cave, Hannah and Abbi helped us put up the tree and I got a couple of photos that I wanted to share. Hannah showing Abbi how to hang ornaments. Its been harder on me than I thought it would be to be away from family. Even the In-laws...yeah I suppose all you weirdos have grown on me....like a cancer....that you can't escape because there is another one wherever you go....
Most know that my Parents and two brothers are coming just in time for Christmas and New years and Scuba-day, ok I made the last one up but we are having a scuba day nonetheless. Also my older brother Aaron and his wife are coming in January for a couple of days to help us celebrate Scubaday. Some of you are scratching your heads, 'Aaron, who the heck is Aaron?' He's an emotionally adopted (not legally) brother of my family. His parents Jay and Janet are coming at the same time. Full house eh? I can't wait, really!
Also in recent happenings, I was called to be the Scout Master in the ward. This calling doubles as a Deacons' quorum advisor. That part I can handle but I haven't got the foggiest clue how to be a Master at anything, including a scout. This means I have to lose 75 pounds to fit in my scout uniform again. The boys in the ward are typical rambunctious youth, there aren't that many of them, and I look forward to the challenges of directing these young minds to greatness. Pyrotechnics comes to mind, and a lot of toilet papering the bishopric too. Yeah scouts is great!
I am continuing my adventure in electronics. I am making a sizable amount of money doing so. Uncle Don thinks I should start a business with it, but then I'd have to pay taxes on it and other such drab consequences. We'll see. Well, that's all the ramblings for tonight. I will try to post again before the 25th but in case I don't. Please be aware that April and I are missing our close family, individually and as a whole, during this season. Our love and thoughts are with you.

The zoo and its patrons

I realize that most animals in zoos are born in captivity and are ignorant to the real conditions of their living state, after all, don't we all qualify for that statement? But I can't help but wonder if the animals are as intrigued by their visitors as we are of them? Imagine yourself for a moment, as an attraction at a local state fair. Justin, you can be the bearded lady, Jarrod you can be the jolly red giant. Who would it be more fun for, the people looking at you, or you looking at the loathsome miserable slobbering masses that point fingers and laugh when if they only used toothpaste and deodorant would be separated from the beasts whom they choose to mock?
Well here's another adventure. The Foley's go to the Zoo!
I am sorry that the last slide show was so fast. I couldn't figure out if there was a way to slow it down once posted. I hope this one will be better.
The Honolulu Zoo is actually in Waikiki near the aquarium. The zoo is very near the beach and the main walk of Waikiki. A few weeks prior, while having dinner with the De Rykes, Aunt Brenda asked us if we would be interested in going to the zoo with them. At the very mention of the word 'zoo' Hannah perked up and lept to her feet yelling 'zoo zoo zoo!' April looked at me with the look of 'if I could only raise an eyebrow...' and the vote was cast with one over zealous 4 year old in near panic on her chair. Hannah has been to the Hogle Zoo before and there had communed with kindred (poo throwing) spirits, hence the excitement. We set a date and made the necessary arrangements. A day or two prior, the Myers's decided to accompany us but due to time constraints, felt it best to break off from the main group and rush through the attractions, so they won't be in any of my pictures. Jenny and Ethan were still with us that day so you will be graced with their presences. A courtesy we no longer have, since they have moved back to Utah to sort out their situation. We set out one bright Hawaiian Saturday morning. Don insisted on taking us out to breakfast first. No complaints from me, eh! They took us to a beach side hotel and we entered a very lavish buffet. The restaurant was on the bottom floor adjacent to the beach. It was an open ended room with no walls separating you from the vistas. One side was buffet, the other, the ocean. Within steps of our table was the beautiful Waikiki beach park, crashing blue waves and scores of tropical plants and birds. The buffet was equally glorious, tropical fruits, pastries, sausages, breads, potatoes, eggs, juices, the works. A glorious breakfast spread! I ate myself sick. Yeeeah baby, sick! Hannah gorged on the sausage and pineapple and Abbi was quite happy with chunks of pastries and guava juice. mmmmmm...just the thought of steaming coconut pound cakes and Portuguese sausage slices on top of scrambled pepper eggs and fried hash browns all garnished with fresh pineapple and mango slices, well, are you salivating too? Wait what was I taking about? Oh yeah, the zoo....ahem..... so after breakfast the wagon train headed over to the zoo, not far from the restaurant. There is a large grassy park picnic area in front of the main entrance. Being that it was a Saturday the park was full of people. Some with families and strollers, preparing to enter the zoo, others with torn shopping bags and grungy beards, just waking up on the wrong side of the park bench. And every sort of person in between. Parking was a bit of a fiasco, but we managed a spot or two and the group headed up the walk to the gates. The park is surrounded by a 15+ foot fence. It spans the length of one large city block. The gates were typical of the tourist traps in the area and had gift shops on either side. The admission was surprisingly very low for locals, only $4! The zoo itself is spread out in a near diamond shape with the gates at the bottom point. Overall the amount of planning and organization of the Honolulu Zoo is dwarfed by Hogle but is was a great day nonetheless. We took lots of pictures of our own animals instead of those as permanent residences because everyone has seen a zebra, but not everyone has seen Hannah petting a goat. Aside from the very nice exhibits, there was a petting zoo for the kids. The best part was the scruffy pigs and the playful goats. The goats were kept in an area with climbing posts and a cargo net for the children to climb on. All of the goats were very tame and would lick the faces of unsuspecting kids and the parents (me) holding them. Yah, I got slobbered on by a Capra Hircus. There was also a large fish tank with plexiglass tunnel going through it. The kids could climb in and be totally engulfed in Koi and other big shiny fish. The llamas weren't so friendly. In fact, I dare say that sucka wanted a piece of me. Maybe it was just that particular one, but she had a disposition that would make a grown man cry.....almost.... We spent the better part of the day at the zoo and after three large sno-cone with ice cream in the bottom, and a bowl of dip'n'dots, we headed home with two exhausted kids. It was a grand adventure that we owe, again, to Don and Brenda. They truly are wonderful family members and friends.