PCC

On Monday after Matsumoto we went to the temple and then on to the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC).  We got there right as they opened so we could see as much as we could.  We went to most villages and participated in dancing, music, some ceremonies, and taste testing. There was so much to learn that we hope to get back on Wednesday so Iris can take some Hukelali lessons. The night show was great as well.

Music lessons in Fiji

Poi ball dancing lessons in New Zealand. It was so fun even though I hit myself right on the head with them. Iris was quite good.

Poi tasting in the village of Hawaii

Coconut shucking and milk extraction in the village of Samoa.  He also did the fire dance in the night show.

Zaida, Iris and I next to a replica of the statues at Easter Island

Hawaii - Arizona Memorial, Dole Plantation, North Shore

So we are finally in Hawaii.  It took about 6hrs to get there from Utah.  It went pretty fast granted that I'm reading "Twilight".  The following day we went to Pearl Harbor and Dole Plantation.  The Arizona Memorial was moving, about 2000 people lost their lives that day. I got a bit teary-eyed at a few portions of the tour. They needed to be giving out tissues.  We then headed of to the Dole Plantation to find out all about the Ananas Comusus, better known as the pineapple. We rode a train, had a pineapple demo, shopped, planted a pineapple, ate some pineapple and had a great time.

The next day we headed to the North Shore to get the famous Matsumoto Shave Ice.  It was good and my mom even tried it with Azuki beans (Japanese Sweet Beans) I was proud of her.

Inside the Memorial

Arizona Memorial - Pearl Harbor

Dole Plantation, we had just finished planting some pineapples. They say one person could plant as many as 10,000/day.  That seems pretty incredulous to me.

At Matsumoto Shave Ice on the North Shore

Laie Temple

Dan's a Maniac

This summer has been the the summer of triathlons and biking events for Dan.  He's completed 4 triathlons and a century ride (100 miles).  He's been training hard for them and has done very well for being the first summer that he has done them. He has not done it alone, Chad and Craig, Dan's brothers have joined as well.

Tour de Park City Century Ride

Open water swim in St. George.  It end it up being cancelled because it was deemed unsafe. Triathletes that swam in the prior heat had to be rescued by boat because it was so choppy.

Transition area

Telos Tri 

Up, what I think is a killer hill

Dan "Michael Phelps" Colyar doing the swim at the Pleasant Grove Tri

Aloha

It's one week till I leave for Hawaii.  I will be going with Iris, my sister, and my Mom, Zaida.  This was all Dan's idea. Dan thought it be great to take my Mom to Hawaii after I finish school and the time that I started work at General Mills.  Mom has been wanting to go to Hawaii as long as I can remember and I've always wanted to take her because she's been such a great mom.  Iris and I were racking our brain how to tell her.  I wanted to be creative.  We decided to make a movie and posted on You Tube. Check it out below.  Iris and I aren't exactly thespians but my mom was so surprised.  We have scheduled some adventures and I am looking forward to our trip and of course blogging about it. 

I think I can...I think I can

So I'm getting closer and closer to meeting all the requirements necessary to graduate on time. Along with writing my thesis there are so many signatures that I have to collect from the dean, my professors (3), the graduate chair, and my committee professor. Making sure that my professors are there to get all the paper work signed, make sure their respective secretaries are there so they can input what the professors, graduate coordinator, dean and chair just signed is a full time job.

 After I got my thesis back from the dean (shown below) I had to go make 4 copies of it.  I thought, "Making copies, that shouldn't be hard". Boy was I wrong.  I tried and tried and couldn't make it happen. It's not like I don't have any experience. I did work in the Tanner building copy center for 2 semesters about 8 years ago.  Ok ok maybe I'm rusty collating, stappling, and printing a 1 sided to 2 sided on bond paper.  But what I was doing was not rocket science.  I finally gave up and took it to Cougar Creations.  It was done in a jiffy.  Tomorrow I will be taking my copies to the library and then bringing the final paper work to the Graduate Studies office.

Dr. Brown, the Life Sciences Dean, handing me my thesis after approving it.  (Do you see how thick that puppy is!!)

The Olympics Live!!!

It's Olympic time.  I must say that I am an absolute fanatic when it comes to the Olympics.  I guess I'm a sentimental about the whole world getting together in competition and hearing the stories of the athletes around the world, their struggle and their triumph.  I get teary-eyed about it.  

NBC has so much Olympic coverage that I have hardly moved from the couch in fear that I would miss something.  Since the opening ceremonies that started on Friday night I have seen the following events: tennis (men and women singles), beach volleyball (men and women doubles), badminton (singles) , indoor volleyball (men and women), basketball (men), fencing (women's sabre), swimming (different events), gymnastics (men), road race (men and women), boxing, handball (women), rowing (skull, 2, 4, men and women), weightlifting (women), Judo (men), and soccer (men and women). Believe it or not I have missed some competitions including water polo, shooting, and field hockey.  There's only so much time you know ;). 

Like I mentioned before this is only possible because of online coverage.  Online I'm able to see 4 events at a time plus the 5 channels that are covering it. It's a good thing that the summer Olympics are only every 4 years. (Just saw some water polo) 

Dan understands my obsession and has been supporting me by bringing our desktop from the back to the front so it can get internet. He's also let me monopolize the laptop so I can keep up with news, results, programming, and athlete profiles (He's so great). I wished school was over so I could devote more time but I do have to go to school this week, finish my thesis and hand it in by Friday. 

Camping with Alexandra and Garrett

In mid July the extended Colyar Clan got together for some camping fun in the Uinta's.  Dan and I took the opportunity to take our niece and nephew, Alexandra and Garrett, ATV'ing and camping we all had a blast.

Alex and Garrett loved the four wheeler.  They wanted to ride it all the time. 

One of the days we headed up to Provo River Falls.  It was so beautiful.

Garrett and Alexandra with Uncle Dan

Alexandra and Garrett at Mirror Lake.  Amazingly enough there was still snow up there and we had an impromptu snowball fight.

After 2 days the kids were very tired and so was Dan and I.