1st daY of scHool

Wednesday was Khloe's first day of school. She wore her brand new sweater and a Clifford backpack filled with treats. I'm totally kidding!


Erik and I were very excited to take Khloe to school. After all, she is our little baby. There were seven other dogs in the beginning class and Khloe was definitely one of the best. She paid attention and obeyed almost every command.

We practiced sit, lay and heel.

I couldn't resist taking pictures of some of her classmates. Khloe was by far the cutest one there. :)

We are very proud "parents" and are looking forward to all the new things Khloe will learn at school in the coming months.

BitterswEet

My parents are moving to Bermuda! They received their official mission call yesterday and will be serving 18 months in the New York New York South Mission located in the city of Hamilton, Bermuda.

About two weeks ago, my Dad received a phone call from his high school friend, President Bennion, who is currently the mission president in Bermuda. He unofficially asked them to come take over once the current couple returned home. Everything happened very quickly. Sadly, they will be leaving in only 11 days (May 5th).

It's a bittersweet day for me. I knew they would most likely be leaving, yet deep down I was hoping it wouldn't happen. This must be where Heavenly Father wants them at this point in time. My parents are dedicated servants of the Lord and I hope the members and non-members in Bermuda appreciate their hard work. We are all going to miss them greatly and will be counting down the days to their return.

Love you Mom and Dad!

Go Utes!

Being the Ute football fan Erik is, he couldn't resist buying Khloe her very own sweater.


She looks so cute that even I am excited for her to wear it on game days (and any other day she needs a little warmth).

To Spay Or Not To Spay?

Last Wednesday, we took Khloe to get spayed. During the surgery, she also had a hernia removed. Poor little thing.

Erik picked her up from the doctor that afternoon and took her home to rest. When I got home after work, she was laying in her bed and wouldn't even pick her head up. I could tell she was in a lot of pain. She slept most of the evening and constantly whimpered and cried. Thankfully, Erik went to the vet and picked up a few more pain pills to make her feel better. It was so sad! We felt like parents; wishing we could take the pain away.


Thursday, she acted the same, moping around the few times she got off of her bed, but by Friday she seemed to be a lot better. On Saturday, she slept all day and night and even cuddled on our stomach's before we put her to sleep, which she never does.

Erik and I started to second guess ourselves. Should we have not had her spayed? We never even considered it. Thankfully, we found out that spaying:

1. Lowers the incidence of contracting contagious diseases
2. Decreases the incidence of breast cancer
3. Eliminates the chance of developing a serious and potentially fatal infection of the uterus
4. Helps the dog to no longer feel the need to roam
5. Eliminates the heat cycle and associated mood swings


All of these things made us feel better; like we did the right thing. This experience gave me a little glimpse into what it's going to be like when we have a child. I can't even imagine the feelings a parent has when your child is sick and in pain. For all of you mothers out there - I don't know how you do it!

AloHa blOg - laSt daY

Sadly, day eight was our last in Kauai. There was one last thing we wanted to do; hike the Napali coast. The Kalalau Trail runs a total of 22 miles there and back. We decided to hike the first 2 miles, then go 2 more miles inland to Hanakiai Falls for a total of 8 miles.

The hike was not easy. It's incredibly narrow, muddy and uneven. You have to constantly watch where you step.

On our way to the falls, we crossed a few rivers,

(Nice action shot Eddie!)

walked through a bamboo forest and even came across wild boar skeletons!

A few hours later, we reached the falls. It was beautiful and well worth the exercise.
The hike took us about 6 hours total. I don't think there could be another hike more scenic. When we were finally done, we had to drive straight to the airport. I felt bad for the people sitting next to our stinky bodies on the plane.We were all sad to leave Kauai, but also somewhat ready to get home. After all, Erik and I could no stop thinking about our puppy Khloe. Our family vacation was full of adventures and new experiences. Thank you Mom and Dad for such a wonderful trip. We had a blast!

AloHa blOg – daY 7

Because of day six’s unfortunate weather, we gave snorkeling a try on the south side of the island in Poipu. Thank goodness it was a beautiful, warm, sunny day.

Up until a few months ago, I have had tubes in my ears to help with symptoms from a Eustachian tube deformity so it’s been almost two years since my head has been under water. I was very excited to get out there and see some beautiful fish. Throughout the day, we saw four giant sea turtles. They came right up to the shore. I had never seen them so close before. A little kid on the beach got yelled at by the lifeguard for touching it.
It was a little strange not ever having any nieces around during the vacation since everytime the adults are together, they are as well. I decided that in memory of them, I would build a sandcastle. However, I got a little bored after a while so this is as good as it got.
Overall, it was a very relaxing day. We needed it because the next morning we were going on an 8-mile hike along the Napali coast before flying home. It was quite an adventure.

AloHa blOg - daY 6

Oddly enough, day six was our FIRST beach day. We scoped out the best snorkeling places in our travel book and decided to stay on the north side of the island in Hanalei. Unfortunately, this was not a good idea as it rained off and on the whole day. We didn’t have time to drive to the south side where it is almost always sunny because Trent and Erika were going home that evening. Even though it rained at times, we stuck it out and roamed the beach for a few hours. They had a red flag up due to hazardous current, so we didn’t venture out too far...we did what the Johansen’s do best; took pictures.

As the day went on, we came across “Aqua Man”. He got out of the water in a full body suit with fish hanging from his waist and a spear in one hand. One of the fish had a huge bite taken out of it from a shark that was chasing him. Let’s just say we didn’t go back in the water after that.

On our way back to our hotel, we stopped at legendary Bubba’s Burgers. Their logo says they “cheat tourists, drunks and attorneys” and boy was that true. We had to wait an hour for our order and their customer service was horrible. This is what happened when I asked for a chocolate shake:

“We don’t have shakes.” (Cashier)
“Well it says you do on your menu.” (Tanya)
“No it doesn’t.” (Cashier)
“Yes it does. It says it right here.” (Tanya)
“That isn’t our menu. You must have gotten that somewhere else.” (Cashier)
“Whatever.” (Tanya)

Even though their customer service was dreadful, their food was delicious! Everyone loved their burgers and fries. If we ever make it back, at least we know what to expect.

Later that evening, we had a kid’s night out. The parents stayed home while we drove the Taylor’s to the airport, but not before we did some shopping and ate dinner. Of course, we couldn’t resist the perfect backdrop so while we waited for our food, we took turns taking pictures. The background looks black, but in person it was beautiful. By this time, Erik was done posing for pictures, so this is what I got. (I did force him to stand there for one more where he had a normal smile. What a good sport.)
Tomorrow – Day 7 – Finally, a real beach day!

AloHa blOg - daY 5

Day five consisted of a four hour ATV tour at Kipu Ranch. Many movies filmed throughout the ranch, including Indiana Jones - Raiders of the Lost Ark, Outbreak, and Jurassic Park.

One of our first stops was at a rope swing seen in Raiders of the Lost Ark. In the movie, Harrison Ford swings into the river to get away from Indians and then takes off on a sea plane. All the boys had a blast doing various tricks into the river. Mom was the only brave girl willing to give it a try.

Throughout the day, we went to a few waterfalls and even stopped to feed some boars. They tried to catch one of the little babies, but were unsuccessful.

After the tour concluded, we decided to find a nearby “hidden gem” as our travel book called it. Kipu Falls is a favorite for the locals and daring tourists. To the side of the waterfall is a rope swing high up in the trees. It was a lot of fun watching the boys swing off the rope and fall 35 feet into the water below.

(Video Below)

Why would someone wait an HOUR at a fast food restaurant for a burger? Stay tuned for day six to find out.

CongRatulations!

Another congratulations is in order. This time, it's for my sister, Erika. She is pregnant with her third child and found out yesterday that it will be her first BOY! We are all so excited for her and Trent as boys in the Johansen family are rare to come by. Congratulations you two!

AloHa blOg – daY 4

Following a busy first three days, day four was filled with a little relaxation. The morning began at a local LDS branch where their attendance must have tripled due to tourists.

The meetings concluded and we hurried home to get Erik and Trent over to the number one golf course in Hawaii (according to Golf Digest), the Prince Golf Course located in Princeville.

I’ve learned over the years that the one thing Erik can never be late for is golf.

While the two boys were off having fun, the rest of us took it easy by the pool for the remainder of the afternoon.

Gearing up for day five, the ATV tour at Kipu Ranch was essential.

MileY ManIA

Being that I am in my mid-20's, Miley Cyrus (aka Hannah Montana) isn't a celebrity I am currently infatuated with, however my nieces in Arizona along with every other child in America between 5 and 15 sure are.

I got my first true glimpse of this obession Friday afternoon when I got online to purchase Stadium of Fire tickets for myself and my two nieces, Lindsay and Kayla, who will be visiting during the 4th of July. (Miley Cyrus is headlining the event in case you've been living in a cave this past week and haven't heard.)

Erik and I were planning on buying a large number of tickets because we knew selling them on ebay would be easy money. Both of us got online 15 minutes prior to sale time and were immediately "put in queue". When it turned 5 o'clock, I thought there is no way we are going to be able to get tickets. To my surprise, Erik got through. He tried to purchase 8 tickets but it kicked him off prior to confirming the final step. Finally, after a couple more tries, he was able to purchase 3 tickets.

Shortly after I confirmed with Erik multiple times that we had really gotten tickets, I went on ebay to see if any tickets had been added. To my surprise, 3 tickets in a section very close to ours were currently bidding for $450! My stomach dropped. I kind of wished I would have never told my nieces about the tickets and then we could have secretly made a few hundred dollars off of crazy parents, although guilt would have filled my heart forever.

I am so excited to experience "Miley Mania" with my nieces. I can't wait to see their faces when they finally see her on stage. We're missing out on a few hundred dollars and many hours spent driving, sitting in traffic and walking to our seats, but it will all be worth it to me. Thanks again honey! You're making their dreams come true.

AloHa blOg – daY 3

My two favorite activities in Kauai were the helicopter and catamaran tours. I love being out in the water; even though I’m not an expert swimmer and am deathly afraid of drowning. Erik often laughs at me because I like to stand in swimming pools and just relax. Adventurous is not an adjective I would use to describe myself.

With all of these points taken into consideration, boat rides seem to be the perfect water activity. I get to be out on the water, I don’t have to get wet, it’s relaxing, I can sunbathe without getting too hot, and the times you get to view marine life in their natural habitat are the best.

Views from our 4 hour catamaran tour were extraordinary. The weather cooperated (rain in Kauai is inevitable), though the water was a little choppy and inhibited our snorkeling time. Oh darn.
The highlight of my day was when we saw Hawaiian Spinner Dolphins. They can leap into the air and make as many as 7 complete spins before diving back into the ocean! For some reason, the more noise you make, the longer they swim in front of the boat. Seeing them so close was quite entertaining.

(View dolphin video below.)

We also saw a number of Humpback Whales and Sea Turtles. I wonder if a random tourist has ever gotten a picture of a whale mid-breach. It seems like they all end up like this: The tour guide told my brother-in-law, Eddie, who is extremely afraid of sharks, that it is not uncommon to see them where we were snorkeling. He became a little nervous for a moment, but I know he had a blast. We all did!

AloHa Blog – daY 2 conTinueD

After the helicopter ride, we made our way to Poipu to get “Puka Dogs” (Hawaiian hot dogs). I don’t really care for hot dogs that aren't 100% fat free because it grosses me out thinking about what’s inside of them, but these were absolutely delicious! The hot dog is placed directly into a hole inside the bun. Of course, Erik and I being such picky eaters didn’t try the Hawaiian sauces, but the rest of the family raved about them.

While we waited for our Puka dogs, Liisa was busy trying to get a picture with a rooster, which she did, almost everyday during the vacation. The rooster had enough of Liisa chasing it and started to fly away, but was stopped when it collided with a nearby glass window. Poor thing…who knew roosters could fly that high anyway.
Later that night, it was time for the Smith family luau. Before the festivities started, we toured the Smith property, which had many types of trees, flowers, and birds. It was beautiful!
Between the Johansen’s not one, not two, but five cameras, it seemed like we posed by every tree and flower on the property. I even brought a miniature tripod so we could take a family portrait on the lawn. Let’s just say there were a lot of pictures to go through at the end.
After our family portrait session, we stuffed our mouths with delicious food and then relaxed while watching the dancers shake their booties.
What an eventful day!

AloHa Blog - daY 2

The much anticipated helicopter ride finally arrived on day two! Our 60 minute tour flew over the entire island of Kauai.

We saw it all! The beautiful Na Pali sea cliffs ---

Manawaiopuna Falls (seen in Jurassic Park) ---

Waimea Canyon (the Grand Canyon of the Pacific) ---

and Mt. Waialeale, the rainiest place on earth (receives an average of 450 inches of rain a year). I have never seen a more beautiful land than that of Kauai.

(Drag the little arrow on the volume control, which is next to the Blogger icon below, all the way to the left so you don't have to listen to the loud helicopter noise during the video.)