ON THE ROAD

Day 26b : On the Road Again. Destination: San Francisco!

2010-07-14T23:58:00.000-07:00

And we're off! This time we gained two more drivers - Jason and Allan - which means I'm off the hook. I'm kinda bummed about that because, over the last 3+ weeks, I've grown to love our motorhome. We developed this understanding, you know, and she's never been unkind to me. Oh well. I suppose it's time for the boys to take over from here on out.

Here is Allan in the cockpit... doesn't it fit him?

Kale'a got a hold of mom's camera and decided to be the photographer for the hour. Here are some of his shots:

Maile wanted to join in on the fun so she took the camera and off she went. Christine and Brandon's children are photographers-in-the-making!

There isn't much left to see on Day 26b. Allan will probably drive down the I-5 until we hit San Francisco... Pacifica, to be exact. We're going to pull into yet another RV camp, ring Raenelle to tell her where we are, and call it a day because tomorrow is a big day. We're gonna be hanging out in one of my Top 5 Favorite US Cities. Can I get a woot woot?!

Day 26a : Farewell, Oliverios, Until Next Year!

2010-07-14T23:36:00.001-07:00

Today is pack up day. The day we say goodbye until next year. The day we take our annual family photo on top of the tables. The day we promise each other that we'll be back again. During my childhood years saying goodbye to Sean and Brandon was hard... very, very hard. We only got to see each other a handful of times during the year *at best* and Oliverio Family Camp was a sure thing that we'd see each other again. Now - as I'm in my adulthood - I still get a bit weepy when saying goodbye. With life moving at such a rapid pace you never know when you'll see each other again, which makes the present very poignant. And special.

Looking back - almost a year later - I realize just how special 2009 Oliverio Family Camp was to my family and me. This was the last camp dad attended. God blessed him with good health and allowed him one more camp, one more chance to reunite with his brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, children and grandchildren. What a special, special time it was. Indeed.

My favorite family photo of them all!

After the family group shots, The BPs gathered together for one last hurrah. Since we formed our group over twenty years ago we've invested in a little ritual to open and close camp. The six of us would gather in a circle and Sean, our leader, would place his hand in the center. We would all take one hand and pile them on top of each other. Then we would chant, "We're Brave. Right. And True. We're Brave. Right. And True." Sean would ask, "Who are we?" And we would reply, "We're the Brat Patrol!" Cheesy? Yes. Enduring? Of course! Are we still doing it? We'll never stop. That's just how we roll.

Until next year, family!

Day 25 : A River Runs Through It

2010-07-14T22:53:00.001-07:00

It's been a year since we embarked on our road trip across America and a lot has happened since we made our epic journey. God - in His mercy - allowed dad to finally rest from his battle with cancer. Christine and Brandon welcomed their third baby into the Moningka clan. Allan and I became pregnant for the second time. Mom and Atelei are in the process of moving to Arkansas. So much as happened to our family... a little sorrow sandwiched between boatloads of joy. We have been blessed.

I haven't blogged on this site for a long time because I am a procrastinator at heart. True Story. Over the last eleven months Atelei and Christine have *gently* reminded me that this blog is left unfinished and I've decided that I will complete our blog this summer. I mean, I'm already on Day 25 and only have a handful days left. Seriously, Jen, why are you so lazy?!

Okay... so where were we?

That's right; Day 24 was gloomy and cold, a complete departure from last year's camp, which was miserably hot. Today, on the other hand, was a lovely Oregon summer day, perfect for our annual river rafting down the river! This year the BRAT PATROL's boat got a little bit bigger with Allan, Jason, and Kale'a joining our crew. Gian and Maile stayed at camp with grandma and grandpa.

This was written on the roof of one of the vans years ago!

Here we go!

We stopped at our usual station for lunch

The Awesome Cousins, before we destroyed them!

Look at those mighty rapids!

And now it's time for group shots:

After river rafting we went back to camp and proceeded to head to our favorite rock to cliff jump into the frigid lake water.

So what did the keikis do all day while their mommies and daddies went to play in the water? Take a look below:

Gian played with Grandpa:

Then Gian found Maile:

... and together they found Auntie Elme and Auntie Ellen who entertained them with water!

Then it was time for lunch...

... before they played some more!

What a great Sabbath for the entire Oliverio family, one that we won't forget for a long, long time!

Day 24 : Waitin' for the Sun

2009-11-01T10:46:00.000-08:00

This morning the sun decided to play hide-and-seek so instead of river rafting the family opted to hang out at camp. The aunties had the bright idea of playing double-dutch and Celeste was able to capture the day's events with her photographic eye.

The keikis spent the day hunting for critters, eating yummy snacks and playing with Auntie Chelsey, their many grandmas and grandpas, aunties and uncles. I'm so glad Celeste was - yet again - able to capture these precious moments.

Some cousins bore the cold and went jumping off our favorite rock and into the frigid Oregon waters. Others opted to stay warm by the fire.

Since Auntie Evan and Uncle Dennis live in Hawaii she wanted to bring home momentos of camp so she instructed us BRATs to pose for a photoshoot. Crazy times, I must admit, especially with Christine seven months pregnant and jumping like she's ten!

The ACs { aka Awesome Cousins } ventured away from camp, found a beautiful yellow field full of steriod-size dandelions and prompted to one-up the BRATs with their photoshoot. Hey, we don't mind!

All in all, it was a good day. What's on tomorrow's agenda? RIVER RAFTING, come rain or come shine!

And Baby Makes Five

2009-10-08T22:34:00.001-07:00

BABY MALACHI MEETING DADDY AND MAMA FOR THE FIRST TIME

Happy Birthday Baby Moningka!

2009-10-08T22:33:00.000-07:00

MALACHI KAIPO MONINGKA
08 October 2009 @ around 1530

6 pounds, 5 ounces

{ mama & baby are doing well }

MOVIN' ON OUT

2009-09-30T21:29:00.000-07:00

I'm back! No, not to post the remaining days of our Oliverio Road Trip Across America ( which, by the way, I will once someone coerces me by taking me out to lunch, including a Shirley Temple and dessert! ); rather, I'm posting to keep you, dear family, informed to the happenings of your brother/uncle/cousin, Edgar, and his family's upcoming move to the country side. Yes, you heard it right, we're gonna be country folks, y'all!

Okay, Atelei may have emailed you our testimony but in case you didn't receive it and/or didn't read it, I'm reposting it here. If, once you're done reading this rather long but seriously interesting narrative, you feel so inspired to let God lead you, please please please get down on your knees and pray. God is listening. He wants to direct your paths. Just let Him in!

All right, here we go!

question: WHERE are we moving?

answer: where GOD Himself has lead us! =)

now the details:

hi again everyone!

i pray that this letter finds you all under the good care of our Lord and Savior. and i pray that God may speak to you individually and lead you all to a close and awesome walk with Him! as i shared in the earlier email of WHY we are moving to the country...it is all in obedience to God. He said to flee to the mountains. and this email is a testimony of HOW God truly can and will lead us in following Him! He is amazing! and sooo good!

after accepting the message of moving out of the cities, jason and i began to share with our friends and families this message. of course, there is a lot of resistance when you start shaking the boat and moving people out of their comfort zone...but God has called us to be a peculiar people! to be salt and light in the world, right? i praise the Lord for His working in our families' hearts who (through prayer and their own walk with God) are also poised to leave by next year. God is so good! as i said earlier...we really didn't have any direction as to where to move to. Every time someone asked me where we were going...i said, "i don't know...but God does!" the Bible is clear as to moving to a wilderness (low population) and mountains. jason and i have been at odds as to the definition of mountains. in fact, our whole family has been in discord as to where we should move to.

my sister jennifer wanted montana or idaho. mom wanted washington or oregon or maybe even idaho. i wanted a place with at least a 4000 feet of elevation. jason wanted arkansas. christine was for the northwest or tennessee, i think! (she's very easy-going and not picky! praise the Lord!) so...we were not in agreement at all. jason and i were suppose to leave on wednesday (9/16/09) to start looking at all these states to find the land God has prepared for us! well...that was a lot of travel. i didn't even know where to start. my plan was for us to start in oregon, then washington, idaho, montana, dip down to arkansas, and then tennessee. meanwhile, jason kept saying that elijah fled to the wilderness. and hid in caves. he kept telling our family of how arkansas is full of caves and rivers and has no restriction on what you can do on your property! you can build whatever you want. no permits needed! but i've been to arkansas...and there are no super high mountains there! just a lot of rolling, green hills.

all this time i knew we were about to move to the country...but i honestly had no idea how to live in the country. in august, my mom came up to me and showed me an ad in the loma linda trading post about a country-living seminar up in redding at the beginning of september! jason suggested that we should all go and bring a representative from each family so that we can learn how to live in the country: grow our own food and live off the grid! during the trip to redding, a realtor brought the group around northern California to look at potential lands to buy...we specifically asked him about the zoning. ideally, we would like to have property with lots of acreage to build as many little cabins as we can so that we can accommodate anyone who needs a place when the time comes (God willing). the realtor said the only state who has free zoning like that was arkansas. and of course, jason was happy about that and again proceeded to tell us how great arkansas was with all its rivers and caves and free zoning. agh! but i just kept remembering mountains, mountains, mountains. "...he who is in judea, flee into the mountains." what about mountains? arkansas was pretty...but just green hills. hills! not mountains (although, i was willing to look at it because they do have the ozark mountains...but it is no where as tall as the northwest mountains of montana, washington, oregon, etc!)

jennifer (my middle sister) saw us in our typical "discussion" during the country-living seminar. jennifer prayed and God lead her in His Word to lead our family to pray and fast over this issue of where we should move. we decided to pray and fast as a family the Sabbath before jason and i were to start looking for property. this was on september 12, 2009; 4 days before jason and i were to move. so, we met friday night to have worship and ask God's blessing on our fasting. on Sabbath those who were able fasted and prayed from sunrise to sundown. and we met up again Sabbath evening for worship and prayer and sharing of what God had told each of us. and here is what happened that day. God is good. He is sooooooo good!!! and He is faithful. to Him be all the glory for what He has done for us and what He will do for you if we are willing to give it all to Jesus...nothing is impossible for Him! =)

==================================================================

(this is the order in which we shared what God's leading was: christine, mom, jenn, me, jason. but i'm going to put my testimony first to lead up to the other testimonies...just remember, my testimony was after christine, mom, and jenn's...)

Fasting and praying: September 12, 2009/Sabbath (sunrise to sundown)
Where to move?

Leilani (me):
Jason and I had been at odds with each other over where we should go. I’ve been trying to go with what the Bible says…mountains. Fasted in the morning and did my regular readings. Go to church and then spend the afternoon reading country living and reading the Word and singing hymns and praying. Meanwhile Jason is still talking about Arkansas. I’m at odds because what about the mountains??!

I’ve been praying and fasting and asking God to please help me with my definition of mountains. If it’s wrong…please correct me and give me Your definition and Your guidance.

I went outside to ask God to speak to me. Trying to listen. All I hear is “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1). Cannot really concentrate because jenn is yelling for me to place my order for our dinner at maria’s. and I can hear dad yelling out for his grandson gian! just so much noise!! So I go back inside. Jason asks me what God told me. I said God hasn’t spoken to me. It’s just random thoughts. I was frustrated.

No one is here yet…so I spend more time outside alone with God. I ask God to speak to me. “Please speak to me God. I’m listening.” I’m trying to listen. So many thoughts in my head, trying to stay quiet and listen; “LORD, please speak to me. Your servant is listening.” Trying so hard to listen. So many thoughts, but I hear that verse again…

No one is here yet…so I spend more time outside alone with God. I ask God to speak to me. “Please speak to me God. I’m listening.” I’m trying to listen. So many thoughts in my head, trying to stay quiet and listen; “LORD, please speak to me. Your servant is listening.” Trying so hard to listen. So many thoughts, but I hear that verse again…

GOD: “I will lift up my eyes to the hills—from whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” (Psalm 121:1)

I look to the hills and mountains. The lights on the mountains start flickering and I think to myself hills? Arkansas?? NO! hills? Is that Arkansas? NO! this is just because Jason has been talking about Arkansas so much! is it Arkansas? It cannot be?! is it? If it is huntsville, arkansas someone else besides Jason has to say it tonight. Someone has to say the place. but it doesn’t seem to fit the criteria. Can it be? it doesn’t seem right?

I hear, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways…for My thoughts are higher than your thoughts. And My ways are higher than your ways…” (Isaiah 55:8)

I think to myself: “but is that safe? Is that mountain enough? “

I hear again: “my help comes from the Lord, Maker of heaven and earth.” (psalm 121:1). And: “my God shall supply all your needs” (philippians 4:19)

I think to myself maybe this is all in my head because Jason has been talking about Arkansas so much. I go back inside not really sure if I had made up my own conversation…

(after i came back inside the house...everyone was there...so we had our sundown worship. prayed and sang some hymns...and then proceeded to share what had happened that day. when asked to share, christine was the first one to volunteer what happened to her that Sabbath)

Christine (youngest of the 3 oliverio sisters, who is 8 months pregnant):
The message of moving to the mountains is spreading rapidly throughout the Loma Linda Indonesian Church. So far three families have been impressed to sell their comfortable homes for a more simple life. Yesterday, after church potluck, Brandon and his dad were sitting and talking about those particular families. I just so happened to sit down at the tail end of the story, missing out in most of the details. Of course, being my nosy self, I ask, “What happened?” and Brandon’s dad starts this amazing story all over again…

Leo, a nurse, has been living a luxurious life. He has a “mansion” in Highland, drives a BMW, and lives quite lavishly. Recently, he’s been moved by the Holy Spirit to give up his worldly possessions in lieu of a simple life. Problem is, he’s racked up a whole lot of debt, so much debt that it totaled 1.3 million dollars. With his small claims court case soon approaching, Leo doesn’t know what he can do to get out of this mess. But instead of running away from his debt collectors, he decides to face his fate in court.

It’s the day of his court case. Leo’s very nervous. As he waits in the courtroom, he notices that no one on the opposing side is there to meet him. Five minutes, ten minutes. No one shows up. As a result, the judge throws out his case. He no longer owes a majority of the 1.3 million dollars. What a miracle!

Now he’s planning to join the rest of the Indonesian families that have moved east. Guess where they’re all at – Arkansas!

(after she said arkansas i started freaking out, laughing, and i just couldn't believe my ears! jason was asking me what was wrong with me?! but then mom went next and shared her experience that day)

Mom:
Friday evening, 9/11/09 our family had worship. We also discussed about fasting and praying to ask God’s guidance and direction to what State God will lead us for country living. We decided to start sunrise to sunset. Then on Saturday evening at 8pm, we will share our testimony during worship.

I read my Bible and prayed to God to give Lei and Jason direction on what state they are going to look for properties so that they can save time and money.

9/12/09, during second service, the whole family attended second service at Indonesian Church as Brandon was the second service speaker for the youth. After the service, Edgar was talking to Martin. Then Edgar left and I talked to Martin. Martin mentioned to me that Edgar told him that I was retiring. I said yes I am retiring and my last day of work is Oct 30 and we are going to look for a property in the country. I asked Martin whether Brandon shared with him my testimony. He said no, so I told him I will let him know next time we see because I thought he was in a hurry and Edgar was waiting for me at the parking lot. However he lingered and he walked with me to the parking lot. So I asked God, “do I have to tell my testimony now?” So I shared my testimony; how God used Matt 24, a co-worker, Mark 13 and the internet to let me know that it is time to move to the country. Then he shared some information that there are three families in his church that wanted to move to the country, in fact 2 already purchased properties and moved to Arkansas. After I said my good-bye to Martin, I asked GOD, do you want us to move to Arkansas? Is it Arkansas Lord? Then I know that God has sent Martin, a godly man to tell me that the state we are going is Arkansas. I really don’t want to go to Arkansas, I prefer Oregon, Washington, or Idaho. I felt that Arkansas is too far from Calif. but Arkansas? God is good.

(i couldn't believe it! wow! this was amazing! praise the LORD. i was just speechless…no one understood why i was practically freaking out on the couch next to jason. even jason was wondering what was wrong with me! all I can say is God is so good. He was the One talking with me! wow! and then jennifer went next…by this time i was really excited to hear what God had told her…)

Jenn (middle girl of the 3 oliverio sisters):
Allan let me sit inside the LLFC gym so I could study my Bible and pray while he took little G to Sabbath School. Before I began reading I asked God what He wanted me to do and He said, "Just read your Amazing Facts Bible Reading Plan. I have it all planned out." So I began reading. I opened my Bible and discovered that I was to read the story of Elijah found in I Kings 17-19 and I knew that it wasn't coincidence { refer to the story of the three Elijahs }. As I read, the following verses stood out: I Ki 17.2 { move eastward to wilderness with a brook/river}; I Ki 18.1 { hiding from the world for 3.5 years }; I Ki 18.4 { hiding in a cave }; and I Ki 19.9 { other prophets of God hiding in caves }. Three points were important to note the location of our exodus: eastward, brook/river and caves. I knew God wants us to move to a place that encompasses all three. And according to Jason, Arkansas has all three components.

As I continued reading into the NT, the Gospel reading plan led me to Luke 4. And what did I find? In Luke 4.25-26 Jesus relates the story of Elijah hiding in the wilderness and the miracle of the meal and oil. Coincidence? No. At that moment, God solidified my belief that He wants our family to move to Arkansas and prepare for the last days.

Praise God from whom ALL blessings flow. He is good and faithful and He will see us to the end. He that has begun a good work in you, shall perform it EVEN to the day of Christ Jesus. Ph 1.6

(by this time i was fully convinced of WHERE God was leading us...it was unanimous! and only God and God alone could do that! praise the LORD).

Leilani (me…oldest of the 3 oliverio sisters): (see above...1st testimony)

Jason:
(Jason still has to write his testimony…but basically, he has always been talking about how Arkansas fits the bill because their property (his sister moved from hawaii to arkansas in 2007 by the Lord's leading) has a river, caves, hills…and population is low. And you can do whatever you want on your property. plus during that day the Lord had still been impressing upon him how arkansas was the place to go. in fact, i can remember before we fasted...jason had said he already knows where we are going to end up! boy! did that make me upset! but i guess jason was right! hehe!).

so as you can see...God is good! He lead us all to a specific state. and God can do that for anyone who is willing to heed His warnings. not only will He do that…but He will also make your path smooth and straight. i had bought a condo in Hawaii in 2005. The market has been crashing over there too. And after realizing I wasn’t going back to Hawaii…I went ahead and put it on the market a couple months ago. Within a week, it sold! Praise the LORD! satan never likes it when we start moving in the direction God wants us to…so…of course I had a major roadblock 10 days before closing the condo. it got appraised super low. The buyer couldn’t cover the contracted price. So I had to come up with 11k! I didn’t think i had that kind of cash…but after rearranging my money around…there it was! God knew I would need that amount! It was hard to part with it…but hey! God WILL provide for all my needs! I think I was going to use that money to survive for the next few months while we were looking for a place to buy for my family. But…God has already seen this from beginning to end. He must have a job waiting for me around the corner! Or money from somewhere else! Whatever is His plan…this is what I know: my God shall supply all my needs! My faith and trust is in Him!

may God continue to bless us all as we seek out His will for our lives...and thru His strength and power, obey Him and His guidance. it is humbling to say that we are moving to arkansas. and the more i think of it...the more scary it feels. but...God knows something we don't know. and He is the one who picked that state for us. that is my assurance. anywhere with Jesus i can safely go...even arkansas! =) God bless and may you all continue your daily walk with the Lord...reading His word, the Bread of life, daily. and praying without ceasing! =) He is coming soon! you are more than welcome to join us in arkansas if you have no place to go...we will keep you posted!

"knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days walking according to their own lusts, saying, 'where is the promise of His coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all this continue as they were from the beginning of creation.' for this they willfully forget: that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of water and in the water, by which the world that then existed perished, being flooded with water. but the heavens and the earth which now exist are kept in store by the same word, reserved for fire until the day of judgment and perdition (destruction) of ungodly men. but, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. the Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance." 2 peter 3:3-9

God is in the business of saving souls. He has given us all the inheritance of being sons and daughters of God. it is the devil who has deceived so many to sell back that inheritance for the passing pleasures of sin. just like jacob with esau. using our appetites and immediate gratification to lure us to a deceitful trade of gaining the whole world, and yet losing our own soul...eternal life is our rightful inheritance. God paid the price. keep up a daily walk with God through reading His Word daily. and praying daily. draw near to God and He WILL draw near to you. get to know who God really is...personally. not what so-and-so says, or the pastor says, but who God really is. all His beautiful characteristics! taste and see that the Lord is good!!! may God continue to help us all to see the unseen. to see Him. to know Him. and to know how much He loves us! God gave us His one and only Son. that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. that life is yours and mine. we must wait just a little longer. here is the patience of the saints. but He who promised is faithful. "and behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with me to give to every one according to his work." (revelation 22:12)

God bless always...
love,
jason and leilani

Isn't God amazing? I've read miraculous stories in the Bible but never experienced the greatness of God until now. And you know what's the best part of this whole experience? God wants to create miracles in your life too! It is His desire to awaken us from our slumber and prepare for His second coming. We're getting ready... how about you?

Not Finished Yet!

2009-09-24T10:41:00.000-07:00

So sorry, dear family. I've been meaning to post the last leg of our Oliverio Adventureland but I got lazy. Then life took off and our family is now preparing for our biggest { permanent! } trip to date. Don't worry, I'll fill you all in with all the details soon. And I will post the remaining days of the trip as soon as I can.

Until then, please wait.

♥,
The Oliverio Family

Day 24 : Oliverio Campout, Day Two

2009-08-22T00:34:00.001-07:00

{ Friday, 07 August 2009 }

{ NOTE: This post still-in-progress }

We woke up Friday morning to the same weather: cold, gray and cloudy. We always go river rafting down the Rogue River on Friday but since the temperature stayed at sixty four degrees we abandoned the idea and spent the day hanging out in and around camp. Some of the cousins ventured down the hill and into the lake, which - from what I heard - was colder than the air. During the morning Allan took Gian for a bike ride, the kids hung out with grandma and we all just lazed around.

GRAY CLOUDS GO AWAY

LOOK CLOSELY; WHERE'S GIAN?

LOOK AT GIAN'S SMILE
{ while i was hyperventilating through the view finder }

MAILE ON CRUISE CONTROL

GIAN, WRONG TRICYCLE

HA, GRANDPA MATCHES THE HAMMOCK

Okay, I must clarify these next few frames. Auntie Evan went camera crazy and made all the cousins pose for her so she could take momentos back with her to the Big Island. We BPs had the bright idea of staging our photo shoot. Auntie Evan was supposed to capture us in mid-air but when I looked through the film I discovered that when she pressed the silver button she was always two seconds too late. No offense, Auntie Evan, we love what you took! Good thing Celeste was there to capture it. { NOTE: I still have to upload her photos. }

THIS SET : SEAN

THIS SET : STILL SEAN

THIS SET : TIE BETWEEN SEAN AND DEUCE

THIS SET : BRANDON

THIS SET : FIVE WAY TIE BETWEEN SEAN, DEUCE, CHRIS, BRANDON AND ATELEI

THIS SET : SEAN

THIS SET : DEUCE AND ATELEI

Let's tally up the score : Sean, 5; Deuce, 3; Atelei and Brandon, 2; Chris, I; Jenn, 0. I know, I cannot pose save for my signature pose.

Day 23 : Oliverio Campout, First Day

2009-08-22T00:12:00.000-07:00

{ Thursday, 06 August 2009 }

I could honestly admit that last year's Oliverio campout was the Worst.Campout.Of.My.Life. Gian, age one at the time, never stopped crying. He refused to be held by anyone save for grandpa Edgar and me; he didn't like the cold lake water; he abhorred bathing in the shower. It didn't help that Medford was having a nasty heat stroke that week and we all were sweating bullets. Those three days - to date - were the longest days of my life as a mother. Every night after I put Gian to bed, I would crawl onto my mattress and cry. I never made it to the nightly s'mores, the cousin conversations, the late night runs to Medford. All my thoughts were centered around one sentence, "When will this end?". It was awful.

You can say I was a bit trepidacious about camping this year because I hadn't still gotten over the fiasco of the year before. Granted, Allan would be joining us on this end of the trip so I wouldn't be completely alone. But still... our little boy can be clingy. Praise the Good Lord that Gian was a complete angel! He laughed, played with his aunties and uncles, went "swimming" and charmed the hearts of his grandmas and grandpas. It was a complete 180 from last year and I can honestly say that Oliverio Campout of 2009 is my favorite campout so far.

DRIVING TO MEDFORD

THE GRAY, ANGRY SKIES GREETED US ALL DAY THURSDAY

THE AC { AWESOME COUSINS } TRYING TO STAY WARM

LET'S GO FOR A WALK, GIRLS!

IT WAS SO COLD THAT ALL WE COULD DO IS SIT AROUND THE FIRE

NO CAL AND PORTLAND TRANSPLANTS

REASON #274 WHY I LOVE CAMPING

EVENING WORSHIP
{ sean is trying to read something for the crowd }

Despite the frigid air, the occasional drizzle and Mr. Sun hiding behind the clouds we managed to have fun reconnecting with everyone. It's been over six years since the BPs were complete so this year's campout is especially special. Stay tuned for classic Brat Patrolesque poses, river rafting and good ol' fashion fun.

Day 22 : P-Town!

2009-08-21T23:36:00.000-07:00

{ Wednesday, 05 August 2009 }

{ My sisters gave me a deadline to finish the last six days of our RV trip so I'm buckling down and plowing through it. Cafe Latte, please! }

Jessica, Atelei's good friend from LLA, visited us this morning and spent the day as our resident tour guide through this beautiful, green city. Did I mention she graced us with Krispy Kreme donuts? Yum yum. Our theme for visiting the major US cities is: Public Transportation is our Friend. Portland was no exception.

WHERE ARE YOU, LITTLE GIAN?

YAY, ANOTHER TRAIN!

WHY ARE THE BFFs ON THE PHONE?

KALE'A IS MORE INTERESTED IN THE CHANGING VIEWS

THE MONINGKA GIRLS

The train dropped us off at City Center, which - as the name suggests - is Portland's center of town. We heard about the food carts stationed through out the city, so in keeping with our food tour, Jessica led us to them.

ANTHROPOLOGIE ALWAYS HAS SUCH LOVELY WINDOW DISPLAYS

WE ALL MATCH TODAY

IT'S LIKE LITTLE NEW YORK

YAY, WE FOUND IT!

While Brandon, mom, Jessica and I bought Korean food, Atelei and Christine ran across the street for some crepes. The keikis always love eating al fresco so when the food arrived they chowed down to the point that Brandon had to buy another Bulgoki.

ONE OF ATELEI'S SIGNATURE POSES

TIME TO EAT! { maile is our foodie; she'll try anything }

HONESTLY, THIS KOREAN BBQ TASTED BETTER THAN SOME OF THE ENTREES I ATE IN DC!

After lunch we walked back to City Center. While en route I was hungry for dessert - ice cream, to be exact - and low and behold! Ben and Jerry's was only a hop, skip and jump away. Yay!

YOU SCREAM, I SCREAM, WE ALL SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM!
{ but auntie jenn screams the loudest }

We boarded the train and Uncle Greg picked us up from the station near his house for dinner. I wish we had taken photos of the keikis running buck wild through their ranch style house, practicing their free throws and cooing at the fishes but alas, we were too thrilled to finally have dinner in a relaxed manner surrounded by loving family. Uncle Greg and Auntie Esther, we appreciate your hospitality and love. After twenty two days on the road it was so nice to kick back, eat a hearty meal and talk stories with you.

At around nine in the evening Atelei, Jessica and Jason walked through the doors. Maile was so excited to see Uncle Jason that she twirled around the kitchen, lifted her shirt and beamed at him. We left the Nakashimas house late with our bellies full and our hearts overflowing. It's nice to know that in less than twenty-four hours we will reunite with the Oliverio family at our annual campout. Exciting times are ahead!

Day 21 : The Oregon Trail

2009-08-17T23:35:00.001-07:00

{ Tuesday, 04 August 2009 }

No, we didn't actually take the original Oregon Trail, but we did see a lot of Oregon while driving along the 84 towards Portland. But first, let's talk about Idaho. Now, my memory is dimming faster than you can say blog me so forgive me if I am mixing events. Most likely Christine or Atelei will inform me of my error; I'll edit it then. We left our RV park in eastern Idaho around 1100 and started heading west. At first the landscape was beautiful: lots of green, rolling hills; the Snake River meandering its way along the banks of forests and farm lands; and beautiful mountain ranges. Then, as we hit the central valley, Idaho began looking a lot like Southern California: dry, dry, and more dry. Not exactly my cup of tea.

ENJOYING THE VIEW

WE LIKE IDAHO!

HAHA, TOO CUTE!

HEADING TOWARDS CENTRAL IDAHO
{ still listening to taylor swift }

STILL PRETTY ALBEIT A BIT FLAT

While driving, Kale'a took hold of the camera { again! } and took lots of adorable pictures.

SELF-PORTRAIT #1

SELF-PORTRAIT #2

SELF-PORTRAIT #3

WHAT A CUTIE PIE

Somewhere past Boise we stopped to get gas. Brandon saw the signs for "El Taco Loco" and suggested we eat there. It had been almost three weeks since any of us had eaten authentic Mexican food { come on, Taco Bell does not count! } and so we chanced it. Wow, was it good! And their homemade salsa added that something something.

CHOOSING OUR DINNER
{ the keikis made a new friend, the owner's little boy, who rode kale'a's razor and conversed with us in his broken english }

After a yummy dinner I took the wheel and we began driving again. And I think it was on this drive where a tornado hit us! No, it wasn't a Wizard of Oz tornado; it was a baby tornado, about 25 feet tall, but since I had never driven through a tornado before, I was a bit scared.

"Should I drive fast or slow?"
"I don't know. Slow," Atelei suggested.
I slow down and we edge towards the tornado. Suddenly, an 18-wheeler blasted to the left of me, leaving a wake of rain while its gust of wind nearly knocked our RV off the road. I grip tight around the steering wheel and we plow through the funnel.
"Oops," I say, "I guess I was supposed to drive fast."

Who knew?

Later in the evening, Brandon took over and powered through five more hours of driving, safely parking us in our Portland RV park. When we awoke, the cold, gray Portland skies greeted us. Yay, we made it back to the grand Pacific!

Gian and grandma, sleeping soundly through the tornado.

Jessica, Atelei's high school and college friend, will be meeting us today to show us the sights and sounds of P-Town. We cannot wait!

Day 20 : Bears, and Bison and Mountains, Oh My!

2009-08-13T01:56:00.001-07:00

{ Monday, 04 August 2009 }

This particular Koa Kampground was pretty deluxe. They hosted breakfast specials for those who don't want to cook; a fancy store complete with fresh, homemade fudge; and a playground that blows all the other playgrounds to shreds! Our kids woke up early to play.

GIAN IS MORE INTERESTED IN PUSHING BALL THROUGH THE TUNNEL

ADJUSTING HIS STROKE

LOOK, HOLE IN ONE!

LET'S DO IT AGAIN

DADDY TAUGHT ME ALL I KNOW

AND MAILE? WELL, SHE DOES WHAT SHE LIKES BEST...

AND THAT'S SWINGING WITH MAMA!

After a morning filled with miniature golf, pancakes and eggs we packed the RV yet again and left the campsite for the great sights Yellowstone has to offer. And WOW! Yellowstone offers a lot for everyone: bears, bison, geysers and soothing green foliage. So to start this part of my post, let me introduce you to Mr. Bison:

BYE, MR. BISON

We kept driving until mom and dad saw a pretty view and wanted to stop so we could take their photo:

Then it's off to the most famous attraction in the park: Old Faithful.

HERE SHE IS, WAITING TO ERUPT

MOM AND DAD, FRONT AND CENTER

HUNDREDS OF THESE PEOPLE HAVE BEEN WAITING FOR OVER AN HOUR

STILL WAITING

IS IT MY IMAGINATION OR IS SHE ALMOST READY?

HERE WE GO!

YAY!

THAR SHE BLOWS

ONLY THE BEST VIEW FOR MY MAMA AND SISTER

CHECK OUT THE LENS ON THE LADY SITTING NEXT TO MY DAD

A HAPPY MAMA

THE EARLY BID CATCHES THE WORM

Dad, Mom and Atelei came back inside the motorhome to find us waking up from our naps and informed us that we must visit Old Faithful. Like, now. For those who know me { husband! } you know that I am a bad waker-uper. I didn't feel like visiting the geyser and the Moningka family didn't seem too keen on it too. As Brandon drove past it we saw that another huge crows was forming, anticipating to see her do her thing. Yes, the energy was there but with three children under the age of four, if Old Faithful won't spew within the next ten minutes it's not worth watching. But she did look cool from our vantage point.

Next stop: The Color Pools { I think that's the name; if not, Atelei, please correct me. } We parked and walked the few hundred feet to the boardwalk and viewed pretty waters and mini Old Faithfuls. It was like viewing the real deal!

WALKING TO THE POOLS

ATELEI IS OUR RESIDENT PHOTOGRAPHER FOR TODAY

"PRETTY WATER," GIAN SAYS

TOO BAD IT'S OVER 150 DEGREES; WE WOULD'VE JUMPED IN!

STRIKE A POSE, G

WALKING TO A GEYSER

STAY ON THE BOARDWALK BOYS

LOOK AT THAT STEAM!

NOTICE THE BEAUTIFUL SKY?

IT MAY BE BEAUTIFUL BUT SHE STANK LIKE ROTTEN EGGS

BUT WE COULDN'T GET ENOUGH OF HER LOVELY ODOR

UH OH, LOOKS LIKE RAIN

TIME TO GO

BUT FIRST, ONE LAST SHOT

THE RESULT OF FIRES

DAD, GUARDING OUR HOUSE

REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD

It was late afternoon when we finally emerged out of Yellowstone. I honestly didn't think that there could be even lovelier vistas than the Colorado Rockies, but oh goodness me, the Grand Tetons can really compete!

THE DRIVE THROUGH YELLOWSTONE IS THIS PRETTY
{ but we don't like the crazy traffic due to road conditions }

DEER!

KALE'A LEADS OUT IN THEIR NEW FAVORITE SONG: INTSY WINCY SPIDER

We saw a gorgeous waterfall and stopped by the side of the road to pose near it. If you look closely, you can see the falls behind and to the left of Atelei

IS THAT ALL YOU GOT, GIAN?

SOOO PRETTY...

... THAT IT NEEDS ANOTHER ANGLE

GRANDMA AND HER LITTLE APU

WHAT A LITTLE POSER!

YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT, BOY

DON'T BE SAD, GIAN

MAMA'S KISSES HEAL ALL WOUNDS

UH OH, MAILE'S TURN

FALSE ALARM EVERYBODY!

REALLY FALSE ALARM!

FINALLY, THE GRAND TETONS

These photos just don't do the Grand Tetons { or any of the national parks } justice. I wish I was a professional photographer or at least have an eye to capture the images we saw. God really blessed us with eyes that can adjust to the varying shades of light and colors. We found a picturesque place to have dinner and the kids had fun walking through the wildflowers to the lake where they skipped stones and got a little wet. And Atelei went photo crazy!

YUM, DINNER

IT IS TOO PRETTY TO PASS UP A POSE

EVEN BETTER THAN TV

MAILE

GIAN

MY TACTILE EATER

HI DADDY!

AWWW

OUR MOVABLE HOME

Like always, after dinner we showered the kids and got them ready for bed. Then came family worship, but you can see that tonight everyone was tired.

DON'T LET SATAN BLOW IT OUT

BEST FRIENDS FOREVER!

Then it's off for more driving, this time through Wyoming and into Idaho. While driving we saw a herd of bison and deer and elk heading home after a long day of grazing. Despite the chill and rain we stopped to photo them.

THE GRAND TETONS ARE TOO BEAUTIFUL

OUR NEXT DESTINATION

Do I have a story for you to end this day! In order to get to our next RV park in Idaho, we had to ascend and descend the Grand Teton range. After passing Jackson Hole { and wanting to stop because it looked mighty nice but quite pricey } I saw a sign that read, "Watch Out for Deer." Well, I've seen that sign many times on our trek across the US so I didn't take much notice of it. With the blackness enveloping us like a hug, everyone sound asleep in their beds and my trusty navigator sitting passenger seat, I felt confident. I winded up and towards the mountain when all of a sudden - SCREECH! a huge deer, which seemed to stretch over six feet in width, ran in front of me. I slammed on my brakes, but mind you, our RV is well over two tons strong. The deer, frightened by the gleaming headlights, faltered, unsure whether to run across or run back. He chose to scurry past me and I barely passed him by a foot. I hit the brakes with such force that I was sure Brandon and his kids in the bedroom at the back of the RV had flown off the bed and had hit the wall. Christine went back to make sure all were safe. Praise God no one was hurt!

But there's more! I only had a few minutes of relief when I saw the sign, "10% grade. Use lower gear. Windy road." Oh goodness me. I set the gear to second and slowly inched my way up the Tetons. With the first twist Atelei yelled, "Slow down! You're driving too fast!" To which I yelled back, "I know what I'm doing!" But I slowed down considerably. For the next six miles our little cockpit was still save for me playing with the gears and turning the wheel. Even Christine, sitting at the dining table, was mute.

When we got to the peak I breathed a sigh of relief. Phew, out of the danger zone, I mused. Then I saw it: "Steep decline. 10% grade. Use Lower Gears. Windy Road." If I thought driving up the mountain was stressful, driving down almost gave me a heart attack. The next six miles driving down the mountain caused all three girls to remain silent save for the pounding of my heart and my breathless prayers. With each turn I thought the RV's brakes would give way, plummeting us over the ridge and down the steep cliff to our deaths. I didn't even bother to use the turning lanes for the hundred or so cars inching behind me. Fifteen minutes later we reached the bottom and my sisters and I breathed a sigh of relief.

"I was praying the whole time," Atelei said.

"Me too," I replied, still shaken from the ordeal.

Christine's reply, however, was money. "I could cut the tension up there where you were with a knife," she exclaimed.

Seriously.

Praise the Good Lord that He brought us up and down that crazy Teton mountain range safely with a petite Filipina behind the wheel, an even more petite girl as navigator, and a very pregnant sister as support. Pulling into our RV park never felt better.

Day 19 : Frigid Waters, Stunning Views and a Certain Swift

2009-08-13T01:54:00.000-07:00

{ Sunday, 03 August 2009 }

So it was another late night driving from South Dakota into Wyoming. Despite the late hour I was able to drive a few hours before stopping to sleep. {NOTE: It's been over ten days since these events occurred so my memory is a bit dimmed. Family, let me know if I'm missing something important and I'll be sure to include them. } I awoke five hours later and continued driving, I think. We reached Wyoming, stopped at Kmart to buy Taylor Swift's sophomore album because those radio stations just didn't play her enough, and Vons to buy more fruit. Goodness, those babies eat fruit like candy.

As we followed the signs to Yellowstone we drove up the mountain and viewed the pretty river following us. We passed by picturesque forests, lovely log cabins and the occasional animal. It wasn't until we broke through the mountain peak did we discover just how gorgeous Wyoming is... and its gorgeousness is attributed to Buffalo Bill's lake. While driving past the lovely opal green waters everyone commented on how the waters are beckoning them. So I pulled a U-turn in that honking motorhome and we paid the six dollar fee to spend an hour swimming. The water was frigid but the smiles on our children's faces and the relaxed expressions on the adults made the pit stop well worth it.

THE FIRST TIME THESE INNER TUBES SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY

HULA HOOP TIME!

I'M READY, DAD

GETTING READY TO HIKE DOWN TO THE LAKE

LOOKS ARE DECEIVING; THE WATER IS COOOOOLD!

YOU CAN'T SEE IT BUT MAILE AND GIAN ARE REALLY HAVING FUN

ARE YOU READY, KALE'A?

THIS IS FUN DAD

... DITTO!

WHERE'S MAMA?

LET'S GO, AUNTIE LEI

MAILE, DON'T BE SCARED...

... DADDY'S NEAR BY

... AND SO IS AUNTIE JENN

WARMING UP ON THE HOT ROCKS

MAMA CHRISTINE, JOIN IN ON THE FUN

We saw a little inlet across our little bay so Atelei decided to swim to it. She reached it so we thought to document her feat:

THAT'S QUITE A SWIM, SISTER

Then, because she made it look like fun, Brandon, Kale'a and I decided to join her. Goodness, my leg almost cramped on the way there but we all succeeded.

READY

SET

SWIM!

AND HERE IS WHAT PRETTY MAILE DID WHILE WE WERE ONE OUR LITTLE EXPEDITION

BRANDON HAD TO ONE-UP US

10.0

NO, I TAKE IT BACK: ATELEI TOTALLY ONE-UPED US ALL

Now I wish we had taken more photos of our drive through Yellowstone. We knew we'd be going back the next day so instead of staying stuck behind the lens, all of us just decided to enjoy the view and snap photos in our mind. We passed the huge lake and the rain drops made the waters glisten. The forest fire damage could still be seen but below the charred trunks and leafless trees you could see moss and wildflowers and grass peeking above the ground. And then, to our utter amazement, we saw this:

A real life bison! It was incredibly cool to see him walking down the road. He didn't even bother to look over at us; he seemed oblivious that he was the center of attention for the dozen or so vehicles stopped to snap his photo.

Then Kale'a got hold of the camera and went photo crazy. Here's two of his best photos:

Cute, no? We arrived safely at the Koa Kampground just outside Yellowstone on the Montana side. And because we actually arrived at a decent hour - 6:30 PM - we were able to cook beefsteak and rice and slice fruit and actually eat outside under the crisp mountain air. It was quite lovely. After dinner the keikis went to bed, Brandon went off to do more laundry, mom and dad went to sleep and Atelei and I decided to jump into the spa. But upon arriving we saw that it was occupied by four men and a few ladies. Too bad; we opted to shower and sleep. Besides, tomorrow will be another busy day of sightseeing.

Day 18 : South Dakota Sights

2009-08-13T01:04:00.003-07:00

{ Sabbath, 01 August 2009 }

Happy Sabbath, y'all! We're here in yet another Koa Kampground, this time inside the Badlands National Park in South Dakota. We're sharing space with the thousands of Sturgis motorcyclists who are banning together this week for their annual Sturgis Fest. Seriously, we've passed over a million Harley-Davidsons within the last two days. Seriously.

After jet setting back from the east coast for what seems like an endless time of highways, rest areas and McDonalds, it is really nice to actually spend a Sabbath staying still and just enjoying God's nature. No driving, no agenda, no drama. Just beautiful blue skies, blue waters and beautiful family. There's nothing better than that!

This morning the keikis awoke and discovered their favorite playground since beginning this road trip. They spent over three hours there, climbing and playing and laughing.

THEIR FAVORITE PLAYGROUND IS RAINBOW FUN

SLIDING DOWN

TRYING TO STOP GRAVITY

JUST ENJOY THE RIDE

MAILE'S TURN

KALE'A AND HIS DAD RACED INSTEAD

GET READY

GET SET

GO!

TETHER BALL SOLO STYLE

WHEEE!

OOH, OUCH!

The next three photos show just how happy our keikis are when they are free to play:

Maile then saw her mama sitting on the swings and - being the mama's girl she is - toddled over to her and said, "swing, mama." She then proceeded to push Christine.

I cooked a spaghetti lunch and we enjoyed our picnic right outside our RV. Dear reader(s), you must - if you have yet to embark on one - rent an RV and drive somewhere, stopping at a Koa Kampground or other RV parks and camp. It's so much fun!

GIAN GREW A GOATEE IN LESS THAN TEN MINUTES

THIS IS HOW EVERY SABBATH SHOULD BE!

After lunch we took the kids to the swimming pool and spent the afternoon relaxing in the kiddie and deeper pools. The sun was hot so it was nice cooling off.

"I NEED IT JUST RIGHT," SAYS MAILE

"AHH, NOW I CAN RELAX!"

"DO YOU WANT TO PLAY MAILE?"

GRANDMA HAS THE RIGHT TOUCH WITH THE PRINCESS

GIAN, YOU BETTER NOT BE DRINKING THE WATER

WHERE YAH SWIMMING TO, MAILE?

OH COURSE! TO YOUR MAMA.

JUMP, G!

After the refreshing dip into the pools we packed up camp and drove to the Badlands. Kale'a is in his climbing phase and climbed the nearest "mountain." We all joined in on the fun.

THE BEAUTIFUL BADLANDS {the native americans called this place the badlands due to its climate }

MAILE, ALL PRETTIED UP FOR THE MOUNTAINS

WALKING TO MEET KALE'A AND GIAN

COME JOIN US UP HERE!

GIAN, YOU DID IT!

GIAN, YOU JUST TOOK A SHOWER!

MOUNTAINEERS KALE'A AND AUNTIE LEI

YAY FOR US!

WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN

SEE? THE BOYS FIGURED OUT A BETTER WAY DOWN THE MOUNTAIN

NOW TURN AROUND, G

FOLLOWING HER BROTHERS

THE GIRLS

HAPAI CHRISTINE

MAMA SANDWICH

After the Badlands we headed to Mt. Rushmore. En route Kale'a discovered his grandma's camera and took these next photos. He's a budding photographer, I tell you!

KALE'A REALLY CAPTURED GRANDPA PERFECTLY!

IMITATING PRINCESS MAILE

SELF-PORTRAIT

We got to Mt. Rushmore just before sunset and everyone { save Gian and me } scurried out of the motorhome to see this iconic mountain. While I deliberated whether or not to awaken Gian from his deep sleep mom came by and insisted I wake him up so we can both see the mountain. I'm so glad she did.

SO THIS IS WHERE THE STURGIS PEOPLE MEET

IF KALE'A HAD HIS WAY, HE'D BIKE EVERYWHERE

LOOK HOW HAPPY OUR PARENTS ARE!

DAD AND HIS ELDEST CHILD AND GRANDCHILD

SO KALE'A

HOLA MR. PRESIDENTS

ANOTHER VIEW WITH THE SETTING SUN

REALLY, IT'S QUITE ODD YET BEAUTIFUL

WAITING FOR THE LIGHTING SERVICE TO BEGIN

After the lighting service we boarded the motorhome, fed the keikis, put them to bed and searched for the nearest Starbucks for yet another caffeine fix. After that, it's on to our next stop: Yellowstone National Park!

Home Sweet Home

2009-08-12T17:08:00.000-07:00

The Oliverio RV Trip officially ended at 1503 when we took our final photo. I'm now at home, refolding all the clothes, tidying up the house and spending QT with my boys. But after Gian goes down for the night I'm pulling all the stops and will finish posting the rest of our incredible journey across America. Yes, you heard me right; and if you happen to wake up at 0300, just type in our address and bam! your eyes will feast on new images.

And if I fail to do this, comment on this post and I will buy you a Stell's latte.

Still Alive!

2009-08-10T11:27:00.000-07:00

Hello, dear readers, we're still here on the road. This time we've added two members to our trip: Allan and Jason. Good thing they've joined for the last few days because our RV is thiscrowded now! Seriously, it's a feat trying to find a comfortable place to sleep.

I haven't blogged due to our Oliverio camping 2009 at Stewart Park { they didn't have WiFi }. I'll most likely post tonight, but if I don't, please come back every day. I promise I'll have everything posted by Friday. Promise.

We have lots of photos to show you so stay tuned.

Day 17 : Driving, Driving and More Driving

2009-08-05T13:25:00.001-07:00

{ Friday, 31 July 2009 }

Driving these long distances really disorients me. I'm trying to remember what we did today. I remember driving out of Hinsdale at around 2300 and wishing the Starbucks we passed was still open. I remember driving through many toll booths and wondering why New York, Indiana and Illinois need them when their roads are so bad anyway. I remember trying to act all machissito { that's my feminine version of machismo, but way better } and attempting to drive all night long but my droopy eyelids prevented me so I pulled off into a rest stop to sleep. I remember waking up at 0530 and brushing my teeth before getting into the driver's seat. I remember thinking how beautiful Wisconsin looked in the near dawn of the morning. And when we passed into Minnesota and saw the state's vistas coupled with the mighty Mississippi winding its way north, leaving its banks a verdant green I remember feeling overwhelmed at God's beauty. I guess I remember more than I thought.

MORNING TIME IN WISCONSIN

BREAKFAST AL FRESCO = DELICIOUSNESS

WHY ARE YOU SO FAR AWAY MAILE?

ATELEI'S PERMANENT POSE

YET ANOTHER PLAYGROUND

WHATCHA DOIN' PRETTY GIRL?

OH DEAR

STILL IN THEIR PJS

THEY FOUND A NEW TOY

DON'T FALL, GIAN!

THEIR FIRST TIME ON A TIRE SWING

WELCOMING THE SABBATH WITH WORSHIP

MAILE WANTS TO SING HE'S ABLE

BRANDON ENJOYING OUR VIEW OF THE MISSOURI RIVER

THE FILIPINO VERSION OF HEMINGWAY

DAD, SMILING AT ONE OF HIS GRANDCHILDREN

We welcomed our third Sabbath on the road at a park by the Missouri River. Mom and I cooked a much-needed Filipino meal, we bathed the keikis and had family worship with the setting sun behind us. After driving all day it was a welcome respite to stop, breathe, and remember the reason why we are here. Happy Sabbath!

Day 18 : South Dakota Sights

2009-08-05T10:08:00.000-07:00

{ Sabbath, 01 August 2009 }

THEIR FAVORITE PLAYGROUND IS RAINBOW FUN

SLIDING DOWN

TRYING TO STOP GRAVITY

JUST ENJOY THE RIDE

MAILE'S TURN

KALE'A AND HIS DAD RACED INSTEAD

GET READY

GET SET

GO!

TETHER BALL SOLO STYLE

WHEEE!

OOH, OUCH!

The next three photos show just how happy our keikis are when they are free to play:

Maile then saw her mama sitting on the swings and - being the mama's girl she is - toddled over to her and said, "swing, mama." She then proceeded to push Christine.

GIAN GREW A GOATEE IN LESS THAN TEN MINUTES

THIS IS HOW EVERY SABBATH SHOULD BE!

After lunch we took the kids to the swimming pool and spent the afternoon relaxing in the kiddie and deeper pools. The sun was hot so it was nice cooling off.

"I NEED IT JUST RIGHT," SAYS MAILE

"AHH, NOW I CAN RELAX!"

"DO YOU WANT TO PLAY MAILE?"

GRANDMA HAS THE RIGHT TOUCH WITH THE PRINCESS

GIAN, YOU BETTER NOT BE DRINKING THE WATER

WHERE YAH SWIMMING TO, MAILE?

OH COURSE! TO YOUR MAMA.

JUMP, G!

After the refreshing dip into the pools we packed up camp and drove to the Badlands. Kale'a is in his climbing phase and climbed the nearest "mountain." We all joined in on the fun.

THE BEAUTIFUL BADLANDS {the native americans called this place the badlands due to its climate }

MAILE, ALL PRETTIED UP FOR THE MOUNTAINS

WALKING TO MEET KALE'A AND GIAN

COME JOIN US UP HERE!

GIAN, YOU DID IT!

GIAN, YOU JUST TOOK A SHOWER!

MOUNTAINEERS KALE'A AND AUNTIE LEI

YAY FOR US!

WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN

SEE? THE BOYS FIGURED OUT A BETTER WAY DOWN THE MOUNTAIN

NOW TURN AROUND, G

FOLLOWING HER BROTHERS

THE GIRLS

HAPAI CHRISTINE

MAMA SANDWICH

After the Badlands we headed to Mt. Rushmore. En route Kale'a discovered his grandma's camera and took these next photos. He's a budding photographer, I tell you!

KALE'A REALLY CAPTURED GRANDPA PERFECTLY!

IMITATING PRINCESS MAILE

SELF-PORTRAIT

SO THIS IS WHERE THE STURGIS PEOPLE MEET

IF KALE'A HAD HIS WAY, HE'D BIKE EVERYWHERE

LOOK HOW HAPPY OUR PARENTS ARE!

DAD AND HIS ELDEST CHILD AND GRANDCHILD

SO KALE'A

HOLA MR. PRESIDENTS

ANOTHER VIEW WITH THE SETTING SUN

REALLY, IT'S QUITE ODD YET BEAUTIFUL

WAITING FOR THE LIGHTING SERVICE TO BEGIN

Day 16 : Andrews University and Chi Town

2009-08-05T09:20:00.001-07:00

{ Thursday, 30 July 2009 }

We wake up this morning in South Bend, Indiana. Atelei checks the map and determines that we are only twenty miles away from Andrews University, Jason's alma mater. "Let's go," she says. Brandon quickly concurs. Who wouldn't want to visit this beautiful campus?

YAY, ANDREWS!

SO TYPICAL, ATELEI

CLIMBING TO THE TOP

MAILE, WE'RE NOT IN NEW YORK ANYMORE

THE FUTURE PASTOR G. PENAFLORIDA

ONWARD CHRISTIAN SOLDIERS

THE FUTURE PASTOR AND MRS. BRANDON MONINGKA AND FAMILY
{ plus gian }

GIAN, PAYING HIS WAY THROUGH AU AS A GROUNDS WORKER

WE LOVE AU!

Andrews University is so pretty, at least in the summer time. We drive through the campus, looking for the seminary building until we see it and naturally we stop to take photos in front of Brandon's future school { God-willing }. The keikis ham it up again and soon after we are heading to Chicago.

MAILE'S READY

LEAVING HAA

THE CROSS STREET

WHAT A PRETTY WALK THROUGH HINSDALE

MAILE, POSING YET AGAIN

CHRISTINE'S GROWING BELLY

MAILE TOOK HER DADDY'S HAND

TIME TO FIX YOUR OUTFIT, PRETTY GIRL

WE MADE IT
{ what a pretty town; it's like a prettier, cleaner, wealthier redlands }

TOO BAD OUR PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ISN'T LIKE THIS

SORRY, G, IT'S NOT OUR TRAIN

DAD, YOU'RE NOT ON OAHU

WALKING TO THE TRAIN STOP IN HINSDALE

WAITING

We got to Hinsdale and find out that the train wouldn't arrive for another 45 minutes. Christine wants to study so we sat inside Cosi, the train station's cafe. {Cosi seems like the east coast's Panera } The keikis had so much fun drinking apple juice and watching the trains go by. Goodness, the children are having the most fun out of all of us!

OUR BEAUTIFUL MAMA

CHRISTINE, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?

STUDY, STUDY

CUTE CITY OUTFIT, CHRIS

THE KEIKI'S VIEW

WHAT DO WE DO AT THE COFFEE SHOP? WE DRINK APPLE JUICE!

CHEERS TO OUR HAPPY LIVES!

"I'M SO GLAD YOU'RE MY BFFs," MAILE EXCLAIMS

THANK YOU, GIAN, FOR SHARING YOUR JUICE

HANDSOME KALE'A, ENJOYING HIS APPLE JUICE

ON THE TRAIN
{ this is gian's favorite activity. he calls his daddy and says, "daddy, i go ride the train!" }

MOM LOOKS ETERNALLY YOUNG! WHAT GREAT GENES!

YUP, I MOST CERTAINLY WILL POST IT

IT'S A DOUBLE-DECKER TRAIN!

TOGETHER AGAIN
{ atelei initially held maile but when she discovered that her family was on the opposite side of the train maile cried until her parents rescued her }

UNION STATION

DOWN TOWN CHICAGO

WHERE ARE WE GOING TO EAT?

PASSING BY WILLIS TOWER, FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE SEARS TOWER

While we had dinner at the pizzeria my good friend Cindy recommended, Atelei stayed behind with Christine at The W while she took her final exam. Quiz time: which pizza is better? New York style or Chicago deep dish?

ISN'T MAILE ADORABLE?

LITTLE GRANDMA DARLENE

KALE'A LOVED THE PIZZA
{ we all did; seriously, the dough is simply DIVINE! }

AND SO DOES MAILE

After dinner we head back to Union Station and play around by the water while waiting for our train to arrive. Apparently the train to Hinsdale only comes every hour and being that the next train boards at 2140 { it was 2130 } mom suggests that she and I take the keikis and head back to the RV. Brandon agrees so - while holding Maile and Gian - mom and I embark onto the train. Five minutes later we see Christine, Atelei, Brandon and Kale'a running outside the train. They made it! Christine later said that she didn't want to wait another hour so they booked it from the hotel to the station in record time. Baby M must have been bouncing around in mama's belly!

MOM WANTS A PHOTO IN FRONT OF THE SEARS TOWER

CHICAGO AT NIGHT
{ photo by brandon }

TIRED BOY

Internet Issues

2009-08-03T10:21:00.000-07:00

I've been meaning to post, really. It's just that uploading photos onto my Flickr account takes for.ev.er. For just twenty photos it took me half the night because the rest of the campers are also on the web. Egad.

I will post soon, but for those of you who are wondering what we've been up to, here's the breakdown of what we did since Wednesday:

THURSDAY, 30 JULY 2009: visited Andrews University, the future home of the Moningka family; parked our RV at Hinsdale Adventist Academy because Shiloh Adventist Academy was a bit too much in the ghetto { long story; I'll tell you later }; took the train into Chicago and visited Willis Tower, formerly known as the Sears Tower while Christine took her final exam; headed back to Hinsdale and began our long trek to the Badlands.

FRIDAY, 31 JULY 2009: long day drive from Chicago to South Dakota. LONG DRIVE!

SABBATH, 01 AUGUST 2009: spent a lovely Sabbath at Koa Kampground; visited Badlands and Mt. Rushmore.

SUNDAY, 02 AUGUST 2009: drove from South Dakota into Wyoming and into Yellowstone National Park. But first we went swimming at Buffalo Bill's lake. We also saw bison and bears and deer while trekking through Yellowstone.

MONDAY, 03 AUGUST 2009: today we're driving through Yellowstone and stopping to swim, take photos and enjoy God's nature; then we're heading to Grand Tetons.

Day 15 : Niagara Falls and Lots of Driving

2009-08-01T07:19:00.000-07:00

{ Wednesday, 29 July 2009 }

Atelei calls today The Day We Stopped Everywhere. Brandon made it to Buffalo and parked in front of IHOP in the WalMart center so that when we awoke we would open the windows, see its blue neon sign and determine to eat there. It worked. They had corned beef hash and eggs too! After breakfast we shopped at WalMart, our favorite on the road store. Seriously, it has everything in there.

Our server at IHOP said that we were only ten minutes away from the falls and that we should buy plastic ponchos at the Dollar Store because we'll get wet. We took her advice but it turned out that the day was perfect so we didn't have need for the ponchos. Good thing it only cost $1.

Niagara Falls. Very pretty. And the cool air felt so good after almost a week of humidity. The keikis had so much fun here because wide open spaces beckons them.

THE PARKING LOT AT THE NIAGARA PARK TRANSFORMED INTO KALE'A'S PLAYGROUND

I WANT MY BICYCLE TOO MAMA

BUT FIRST IT'S TIME TO FEED THE BIRDS

THESE BIRDS ARE FRIENDLY

MY, WHAT A SERIOUS FACE GIAN

NOW THE WHOLE FAMILY GETS INVOLVED

I'M HAPPY YOU TWO CAN SHARE

Gian saw Kale'a biking and Brandon took his out. Gian's feet actually reach the pedals but the syncronization has yet to be mastered so Gian figured out his own way to pedal.

GO, GO, GO!

YOU'RE HILARIOUS, G

While walking to the falls Kale'a caught sight of something unusual: black squirrels. Our squirrels are a light auburn so naturally the keikis had to chase them up the tree.

Finally, we're on our way to the falls!

STROLLING DOWN TO GET A BETTER VIEW

DON'T DO IT, DAD!

WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

YOU CRAZY!

Christine explained that because of the water's energy the electricity is so strong that your hair stands up. She's right!

HERE'S CHIRSTINE'S HAIR...

... AND HERE'S MINE

GIAN AND MAMA

THE OLIVERIO SISTERS

SUCH A HAPPY SISTER

These next series of shots taken by Atelei exemplify why we are on this road trip across America. They fill our days with laughter, frustration and intense joy. We can see them getting closer and closer { and they were already close prior to this trip! } and their love for one another is simply beautiful.

PLAYING YET AGAIN

SHE'S SUCH A LITTLE POSER... I LOVE IT!

ISN'T MAILE TOO CUTE?!

IF THIS DOESN'T MELT YOUR HEART I DON'T KNOW WHAT WILL

BRANDON JR.

MY FAVORITE
{ and the photo that encapsulates their close friendship }

OKAY, BACK TO THE FALLS

THE AMERICAN FALLS

MOM AT THE FALLS

Mom paid for our trolley ride through the park so we spent an hour looking at the different sites Niagara Falls has to offer, and after we boarded our RV and headed towards Chicago dad exclaimed, "I've always wanted to go to Niagara Falls. I'm so glad we stopped here."

Me too, dad.

While driving through Cleveland, Ohio, I found a White Castle and had to stop to check them out. The sauteed onions were yummy. Brandon took over driving from that point and we arrived at the Koa Kampground in South Bend, Indiana, twenty miles from Andrews. On tomorrow's agenda: Andrews University and Chicago.

Day 14 : Early Bird Special, Central Park and a Fabulous Last Meal

2009-08-01T00:10:00.000-07:00

{ Tuesday, 28 July 2009 }

Remember Belle from "Beauty and the Beast"? Remember the opening scene where she lights up the early rising town with her effervescent personality? Well, that's Gian in the mornings. As soon as he hears another person stirring he sits up, smiles and says, "hello [ insert here: grandma | grandpa | mama | auntie lei ]. I awake. I go down now. I eat brefast." It's too cute.

This morning he, again, wakes up early and joins in on his grandparents early morning fun. Instead of walking to Central Park, they did mom's favorite activity: shopping. They hit up Westside Markets as well as a specialty market and brought back tasty baked goods, fruit and freshly squeezed juices.

WAITING FOR GRANDMA

I'M HUNGRY, GRANDPA

Meanwhile, the girls headed to a sidewalk cafe for coffee, baked goods and eggs. We met at the hotel an hour later to pack, check out and see the city sites before leaving this fabulous city. We walked the few blocks to Central Park, found a quiet spot and left the kids to explore the surroundings. Too bad mom's camera ran out of juice because the keikis had more fun in the park than in the city { duh! }.

VIEW FROM THE UWS

MOM AND DAD HAVE ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE THE PARK

Kale'a found granite rocks and proceeded to climb onto its peak then sliding down onto the floor just like a slide. It looked like so much fun that Gian participated. With Brandon's help he made it to the top and went down just like his big cousin. After the keikis had their fill of fun we took to the strollers again and walked to Lincoln Center. We had a bit of a kunumdrum finding a place to eat so Brandon ran a block ahead to see what was there; he returned and mentioned Le Pain Quotidien. My ears perked; I had wanted to eat there since my last visit. So we walked the block to the French/Belgian restaurant and feasted on tartins, sugar waffles { I so need to find this recipe } and bread. Yummy!

OUR LAST MEAL IN NEW YORK AT LA PAIN

The town cars picked us up at Lincoln Center and within an hour we were safely back at Park&Go. We loaded, I ran across the street to grab an iced coffee at McDonalds { SIDE NOTE: you're right, babe, it's good AND affordable. I've since been getting my caffeine fix there. } and then we were off to Niagara Falls.

The long drive to the falls had us pass through parts of Pennsylvania and upstate New York. Because of commuter traffic and an accident we moved at a snail's pace and finally stopped for dinner somewhere in New York. After resting for an hour I commenced driving and we passed Syracuse, drove over quite a few bridges, took a cat nap at a truck stop so Brandon could get some rest before taking over, and finally made it to Buffalo in the wee hours of the morning { Day 15 }. Since we didn't document this leg of the trip, let me leave you - dear reader - with a few photos taken of Gian, Kale'a and Maile while in New York.

ALLAN JR.

I HEART MY BELLY

STOP THE PAPARAZZI!

DADDY, WHERE ARE YOU?

KALE'A'S PREFERRED MODE OF TRANSPORTATION IN A BIG CITY

BYE BYE, NEW YORK! WE'LL DEFINITELY BE BACK!

Day 13 : A New York State of Mind

2009-07-31T23:08:00.000-07:00

{ Monday, 27 July 2009 }

We ♥ NY. And to think we almost bypassed this awesome city. Kudos to you, Chris, for putting your pregnant foot down and insisting upon us venturing into the Big Apple because, well, it was 500% worth the hassle.

Staying in Hotel Belleclaire on the Upper West Side is a treat because our block never sleeps! At around four in the morning dad went out to grab coffee and hung outside the Westside Markets, watching the semis bring in the produce and chit chatting with the workers. He later came back to the room and said, "the people here in New York aren't very friendly." That's okay, dad. You are!

Okay, on to the good stuff. Here's a play-by-play of all we did today { and it was jammed pack with lots of goodies!}

WALKING THREE BLOCKS FROM BELLECLAIRE AND INTO CENTRAL PARK

WHO ARE WE AWAITING?! IT'S THE...

... MONINGKAS!

HUNTING FOR BREAKFAST, NEW YORK STYLE

PSST, ALLAN, GUESS WHERE WE STUMBLED UPON?

THAT'S RIGHT, THE DAKOTA!

BREAKFAST TIME
{ and oh boy was the food delicious! and perfectly seasoned. and fresh. goodness, i could go on and on and... }

I GUESS MAILE'S THE ONLY ONE HAPPY TO EAT

BRIGHT-EYED GIAN

After a delicious breakfast { I had baked eggs for the first time; Brandon's steak was seasoned just right; the pancakes and french toast were made from scratch; we even had freshly squeezed orange juice! } we boarded the train into Rockefeller Center.

NOW KALE'A IS EXCITED

HEADING TO THE CENTER

TIME TO POSE. AGAIN.

TURN AROUND, GIAN!

DAD'S ALWAYS KEEPING AN EYE OUT FOR US

After Rockefeller we consulted our trusty map and determined that *egads* Times Square was only a few short blocks away. Dad and mom really wanted to see it so we headed there, but first we had to make a quick pit stop at...

MAGNOLIA BAKERY
{ and yes, it's waaaaaay better than georgetown cupcake }

WALKED BY RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL...

... AND GOT DIZZY LOOKING UP

"ARE WE THERE YET?" ASKS KALE'A

YES, KALE'A, WE'RE HERE

TIMES SQUARE
{ dirty, smelly and reeks of tourists. but hey, mom was able to buy 5 i ♥ ny t-shirts for $10! }

MOM WANTED A PHOTO OF THE BALL

Walking to Times Square made us hungry so after dropping by the biggest Toys-R-Us in the US we headed for the nearest Gray's Papaya to see if Bourdain's claims are correct.

It took us a while to find Gray's because the GPS on Brandon's phone thought we were driving in a car. I even called Allan to help us out but he said the nearest GP was forty minutes away. I finally called 411 and they came through.

MAILE DIDN'T MAKE IT
{ see her purse? she held onto it for the entire day!

GRAY'S PAPAYA!
{ they only provide four types of condiments but that's all you need. oh, and their freshly made juices are refreshing. }

GRAY'S PAPAYA, I COULD HAVE EATEN 12

Yes, GP is the best hot dog. Period. End of discussion. And if you don't believe me, fly/drive/boat to NYC and head to the nearest GP and try it for yourself. That Bourdain, you can trust his pallette.

After walking around the city all morning we, meaning Christine, needed a break so we walked to the nearest train to head south to the Staten Island ferry. On the way to the subway we saw two iconic landmarks:

MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

THE EMPIRE STATE BUILDING

ON THE TRAIN
{ this is, by far, gian's favorite thing to do in the city }

We got to the station, waited a few minutes and boarded the John F. Kennedy ferry to Staten Island. Brandon took some pretty stellar shots that I must post:

THE BROOKLYN BRIDGE

AND THE BRIDGE AT ANOTHER ANGLE

BYE NEW YORK!
{ we brought the southern rains with us to NYC. seriously, where ever we go the rain seems to follow }

LADY LIBERTY

GIAN LOVES WATCHING THE BOATS ON THE WATER

"WHAT'S THAT STATUE?" ASKS KALE'A

ONE OF MOM'S TOP FIVE FAVORITE MOMENTS

SAME WITH DAD

FULL OF PEOPLE
{ hey, it's a free ride! }

QUITE POSSIBLY MY FAVORITE SHOT OF KALE'A THIS YEAR

NEW AMSTERDAM

DA BOAT, AS GIAN CALLS IT

After the round trip ferry ride we took the train back to the hotel, grabbed Chinese/Cuban fushion food for the keikis and grandparents { which was also delicious } and put the babies to bed. we forgot to bring the camera with us on our evening excursions so I don't have photos to post but I do need to share with you what we did.

New York is a foodie city so naturally we dined out for dinner tonight. Christine and Brandon's date night brought them to the financial district where they feasted on french food from the famed Las Halles, Bourdain's former employer. My date night with Atelei took us to Season 1 Top Chef winner's restaurant, Perilla. It's Restaurant Week so we opted for Chef Harold's prix fixe dinner and he really came through with his vegetarian options. Atelei's entree tasted better than mine! After dinner the Moningkas headed to Greenwich Village to listen to jazz while we headed uptown to meet Ceyli at Serendipity. We got their famous frozen hot chocolate and honestly, this little store is all hype. I've had better iced chocolate drinks, but the location and decor was cute. After dessert Seyli invited us to see her UES apartment, and since we were in the area we went to see it. Goodness, she has a HUGE apartment for New York standards.

At around 1:30 in the morning we left Seyli's and headed back to Belleclaire. And you know what greeted us? My adorable sleeping beauty:

MONKEY TOES

ALL THAT WALKING POOPED HIM OUT

Good night, New York. We'll see you again tomorrow.

Day 12: New York, New York

2009-07-30T07:51:00.000-07:00

{ Sunday, 26 July 2009 }

This morning we awoke in Hershey's campground and the keikis immediately ran to the nearby creek to play in the water. Good thing grandma had them wear their Crocks!

LOOKING FOR STONES

MOM SAYS THEY ARE ONLY INTERESTED IN FINDING THE BIG STONES

GIAN, ROLL UP YOUR PANT LEGS!

"I FOUND A BIG ONE," YELLS GIAN

"OOH, PRETTY WATER!"

ON THE HUNT FOR BUGS

At DC Christine opined that she wanted to visit NYC. "We're already here," she explained. After a brief family meeting we decided that yes, since we're only three hours away from the city we should head there for one night. Atelei found one two double bed room in Hotel Belleclaire on the Upper West Side for cheap so it was set. New York City, I hope you're ready for us!

First stop, Jersey City to view Lady Liberty. Too bad it rained.

POSE FOR MAMA, GIAN

THE MONINGKAS

THE PROUD IMMIGRANTS TO AMERICA

AS CLOSE AS WE CAN GET TO LADY LIBERTY

HAPAI CHRISTINE WITH NYC SKYLINE IN THE BACKGROUND
{ photo by brandon }

"OH SAY CAN YOU SEE..."
{ photo by brandon }

THE CITY

HUDDLING FILIPINO-STYLE TO AVOID THE TORRENTIAL RAINS

LADY LIBERTY

Dad suggested we leave the open air and head back to the comforts of the RV. We did and with Brandon driving and Atelei as navigator, we made it to Park&Go, an RV/18-wheelers/car airport parking. Atelei said that since we'd only be staying one night we should only bring one small carrying bag. We listened and soon after the driver picked us up in his 15-passenger van and we headed to Newark Airport. We got to Newark and Atelei and I immediately set forth to find affordable transportation to the city.

CALLING FOR A CAR TO NYC

After booking two Lincoln Continentals we waited for five minutes before the cars arrived. The Moningkas and mom went into one car while dad, Atelei, Gian and I went into the other. Mind you, we left Newark at around 7:45pm. Apparently the former car's driver knew what he was doing and despite horrendous traffic in Lincoln and Holland Tunnels, he was able to get them from Jersey and into NYC and onto the UWS within thirty minutes. Our car's driver, however, took over an hour to get to our destination. Mom had Gian's pillow in her bag so Gian had to ride the entire trip without his night-night. Praise God he was a good boy and didn't complain too much.

When we finally arrived at Hotel Belleclaire we were pleasently surprised to see how clean, modern and elegant the hotel looked. Emery Roth designed the hotel in 1901 and they are currently renovating its exterior so it looks similar to its original design. They upgraded our one bedroom room into a two-bedroom suite. Mind you, New York dwellings are tiny. However, our rooms were quite comfortable { and with AC! }. Even the bathroom, despite being snug, was clean, had a window, and new.

We are now settled and resting { actually, dad's outside exploring our neighborhood } for our big day tomorrow. Gray's Papaya, Central Park, and all things touristy... here we come!

BROOKLYN BRIDGE AT NIGHT
{ photo by brandon }

Downloading

2009-07-30T06:14:00.001-07:00

Mom has graciously taken the keikis to the Koa Kampground park so Christine can study for her final exam { which is tonight so please pray for her }, Brandon can do laundry and I can blog about these past several days, as well as cook a light brunch { spam and potatoes... ahh, the joys of living out of canned goods }.

Visit us again and you should see new posts by this evening.

About Us

2009-07-29T13:50:00.000-07:00

Our RV family with our rescuers!

We're Still Alive!

2009-07-29T13:07:00.000-07:00

Hello, dear readers. Don't fret; we're still here... we just had terrible WiFi connection in NYC. But when I do have a good signal and time to upload the photos I'll be back to blog about our two-day adventure in the city that never sleeps. And indeed it doesn't.

After viewing Niagara Falls this morning we got back on the road and are currently on the 90 west heading towards Chi town. Pray that God continues keeping us safe.

Day 11.5 : Cha-Koh-Let!

2009-07-25T22:49:00.000-07:00

{ Sabbath, 25 July 2009 }

It's unanimous: we love the countryside. Oh, DC was fun with its vibrant energy and yummy restaurants and historical sites; however, we are country folks. When we got back to our trusty RV every single one of us had a smile on our face { the keikis were beaming }. What can I say? We Oliverios love to be thisclose to each other.

Per Christine's suggestion, we headed towards Pennsylvania to visit to a certain chocolate factory. And what is marking true in the east coast, the drive was again picturesque and green, green, green. I know that the browns of Southern California merits its own beauty, but something about the lush greens calms the eyes and drives its quietness straight into one's heart. { I'm going to really miss this part of the country } Somewhere near Lancaster, PA Brandon found a beautiful creek/park and we celebrated Sabbath afternoon there. With its lush, verdant landscape, pretty green water and cool climate spending time with God in His beautiful nature felt so right after the hustle and bustle of busy DC.

DAD

WALKING TO THE CREEK

THROWING STICKS

YOU CAN'T SEE IT BUT THERE'S A FROG LIVING UNDERNEATH THE WATER

THE GREEN WATER
{ the water hides underneath the green foliage }

SO GREEN

SMILE KEIKIS!

CLOSE...

CLOSER...

CLOSER STILL...

SUPER CLOSE...

SUPER, SUPER CLOSE...

... AS CLOSE AS YOU CAN GET

MAILE DOESN'T WALK; SHE STRUTS

OUR SABBATH AFTERNOON SPOT OF WORSHIP

PRAISE TIME

SINGING HE'S ABLE

JESUS LOVES ME, THIS I KNOW / FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO

YES, JESUS LOVES ME!

DON'T LET SATAN BLOW IT OUT / I'M GONNA LET IT SHINE

After closing the Sabbath hours with worship we entered the RV and headed twenty miles or so to Hershey, PA where we ate a homestyle KFC dinner, found our RV camp, parked and immediately boarded the shuttle that took us to the park. The park didn't close until 2300 so we had about one hour and a half to tour its grounds. Only when we began walking around the grounds did we realize we forgot two important kiddie items : baby wipes and strollers. Oops. Oh, and did I mention that this all occurred at 10:30? In the evening? Chocolate + late night = crazy photo ops!

SAY "CHOCOLATE!"

ON THE HERSHEY RIDE

GIAN KEPT SAYING, "HELLO COWS"

INSIDE THE ROASTER

TIME TO MIX THE MILK AND CHOCOLATE LIQUER

SO MUCH TO SEE, RIGHT KALE'A?

THIS IS KALE'A'S FAVORITE RIDE EVER

CHOCOLATE!

YELL IF YOU LOVE CHOCOLATE

AFTER THE HERSHEY RIDE AN ATTENDANT GIVES YOU ONE MINI HERSHEY BAR

THE KISS FACTORY

ID CARDS

KALE'A'S ID SHOT

SORRY, BABE, BUT THIS IS GIAN'S BEST ID SHOT

YOU DON'T HAVE TO HIGH FIVE HIM IF YOU DON'T WANT TO

TIME TO PACKAGE THE KISSES!

KALE'A IS A SERIOUS CHOCOLATE WORKER

GIAN IS MORE INTERESTED IN CHECKING HIMSELF OUT

... WHILE MAILE IS MORE INTERESTED IN FIXING HER HAT

SHAKE, SHAKE, SHAKE

THE NEWLY CERTIFIED, BONAFIDE CHOCOLATE WORKERS

THE PRETTIEST CHOCOLATE FACTORY WORKER

BACK ON THE HERSHEY RIDE
{ this time dad joined us }

HOW MANY KISSES DID YOU COUNT?

WHAT'S COMING UP NEXT, KALE'A?

KALE'A, WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING AT?

OH, I SEE. ASK YOUR MAMA OR DAD IF THEY CAN BUY YOU SOMETHING

LOOKIN'GOOD, SISTER

GRANDPA WITH ALL FOUR OF HIS APUS

GRANDMA AND GRANDPA ALSO LOVE HERSHEY

SMILE, KIDS; DON'T JUST FOCUS ON YOUR TREAT

LET'S TRY THIS ONE MORE TIME

CAN YOU SHARE, MAILE GIRL?

PRETTY MAILE

AN EVEN PRETTIER MAILE!

Tomorrow we're leaving for my favorite city: NYC. This will be Christine and mom's first time to the Big Apple and Christine's especially excited to view this famous city, see its city lights and walk around the boroughs { I especially like Greenwich Village and UWS }. I must say I'm pretty thrilled too. And as long as we keep our purses under close inspection we should be okay.

TOO CUTE

2009-07-25T22:42:00.000-07:00

MAILE'S MUG SHOT

Boys Will be Boys

2009-07-25T22:32:00.000-07:00

Remember this photo?

RACING TO THE TOP

Here's the after shots of Kale'a and Gian:

OH, GIAN...

NOT TOO BAD, KALE'A

DIRT MAGNET

THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN GRANDPA'S ON WATCH

I'M NOT PHOTO-READY YET!

DAY 11.0 : MIRACLE ON 11TH AND H STREET

2009-07-25T21:05:00.000-07:00

{ Sabbath, 25 July 2009 }

Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow;
Praise Him, all creatures here below;
Praise Him above, ye heavenly host;
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

A miracle happened again today. We opted for a late check out because it's a huge endeavor packing for three keikis and six adults. At around 1245 the keikis finished bathing and were dressed and ready to go; mom and dad completed their to-do list; and the rest of us were just lounging around when Atelei's cell phone rang.

"Hello?"
"Hi. May I speak to Leilani?"
"This is she."
"My name is Officer Smith* and I want to let you know that we found your wallet."
Atelei gasped. "Really?! Where did you find it?"
"Maria*, the cleaning lady, found it inside the trash here at the Marriott Metro. Are you still around to pick it up?"
"Yes! Let me just gather my things and I'll be there in five minutes. Thank you so much!"
"You're welcome. See you soon."

We all couldn't believe it because a) DC is crime capitol of the nation; b) thefts usually throw the wallets inside those blue mailboxes; and c) it's rare to recover a lost/stolen wallet. But when God's in control anything is possible. The fact that God allowed this miracle to happen only fifteen minutes prior to us leaving the Grand Hyatt is a miracle itself. It took us two metros and one bus to get us back to Cherry Hill RV Park in Maryland. If God waited twenty more minutes Atelei would have had a difficult time getting back to DC.

And the wallet? The theft(s) left everything save the $40 cash and her credit cards. Atelei's DL, SS card { yes, she actually carried it! } and CRNA cards were still in its place, alongside priceless photos of Jason. To say Atelei was happy is a grave understatement.

A hearty thank you to all who prayed for her because God certainly listened and came through in such a beautiful way. And on the Sabbath... how perfect is that?

LETTER TO DADDY

2009-07-24T20:12:00.000-07:00

Dear Daddy,

Thank you for letting mama and me go on this road trip with my cousins, grandparents and auntie. I'm having so much fun that I'm not even missing home yet. And although I don't have time to talk to you longer than 30 seconds because my BFFs keep grabbing for my attention, know that I miss you. Like today. I woke up, asked mama to pick me up from my crib and walked over to the phone. I then picked it up, placed the phone to my ear and said, "hello daddy. I lub you." And right before I sleep I pray and say, "Dear Jesus, I lub you. I lub mama and daddy and grandpa and grandma and auntie lei and uncle brandon and kale'a and maile. Amen." See, daddy? I'm thinking about you.

Pretty soon I'll see you at camp and then I'll get to tell you all the adventures I've had with Kale'a and Maile, aka my BFFs. I lub you, daddy, very much.

Gianpaolo

DAY 10 : TOURISM 101

2009-07-24T19:26:00.000-07:00

{ FRIDAY, 24 JULY 2009 }

We started off today all excited because mom bought tickets for us to see DC via the red double decker tour buses. Mom even donned her "I love Washington DC" cap. Unfortunately, a setback occurred. This morning while paying for the keikis and dad's drinks at the Starbucks located in our hotel, her wallet disappeared. She isn't sure if someone stole it, if she misplaced it or if it sprouted legs and walked away. All she knows is that it was in her purse and now it isn't and the last place she remembers seeing it was when she paid for those drinks. So please, family and dear readers, pray for my sister and that God will give her peace and that no matter what happens all will be done to His glory. Thanks.

While waiting for Atelei to call the banks and cancel everything the keikis had fun playing in the lobby { they always find something fun with which to play }.

MAILE, SUNBATHING UNDERNEATH THE NEON LIGHTS

HELLO DADDY!

KALE'A MOVED TOO FAST

KALE'A AND HIS LITTLE SHADOW

KALE'A'S IN THE LEAD...

... WITH GIAN CLOSE BEHIND

OUR BABY SISTER WITH HER BABIES

Atelei finished a few of her calls and decided that we should enjoy the rest of the day so off we went in search of the big red bus!

FINALLY ON THE WAY!
{ gian, watch where you're going! }

WAITING FOR THE BIG RED BUS

YAY... BUBBLES!

After waiting for a bit the bus arrived we were able to find seats on the second floor. Despite the hot and humid weather the keikis were good and the adults had fun viewing all the historical building unobstructed by windows and other vehicles.

ON THE BUS

THE HOUSE WHERE LINCOLN DIED

LOOK CLOSELY INSIDE THE "A"

ATELEI, LOOK UP!

YES, IT WAS THAT HOT

GIAN, RIGHT BEFORE HE CRASHES OUT

HE ALWAYS MISSES THE GOOD STUFF

YESTERDAY WE SAW THE FRONT; TODAY WE SEE THE BACK

NATIONAL CATHEDRAL
{ photo by brandon }

GATE TO VICE-PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN'S HOME
{ a lot prettier of a home than the white house }

THE EMBASSY OF THE PHILIPPINES
{ mom was disappointed that you could barely see the flag }

THE SMALLEST HOUSE IN DC
{ the blue house with purple shutters; it's only nine feet wide }

OUR FAVORITE MONUMENT: THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL
{ photo by atelei }

THANK GOODNESS FOR THE BREEZE
{ on our way to arlington national cemetery }

THE JEFFERSON MEMORIAL
{ and one of my favorite presidents }

After viewing Arlington National Cemetery the bus dropped us off by the pier so we could have a yummy seafood lunch. The kids had the most fun here because we got to eat outside, feed the birds and drink iced cold freshly squeezed lemonade.

LUNCH AT THE FISHERMAN'S WHARF
{ yes, the keikis are eating cake first }

OUR NATION'S CAPITOL

THE OBELISK

THE BUS TOOK US ALL THE WAY TO PHILADELPHIA TO SEE THE LIBERTY BELL!
{ we wish. this is a replica in front of union station }

After three hours of sightseeing we finally deboarded the big red bus and headed back to our hotel. Brandon, his children, mom, Gian and I headed off to the pool for some down time and had fun cooling off underneath the cool waters. A warm bath, leftover dinner and more BFF fun made the children very happy. What a wonderful way to begin the Sabbath!

THE KEIKI'S PICNIC DINNER

DAY 9 : OUR NATION'S CAPITOL

2009-07-23T20:42:00.000-07:00

{ THURSDAY, 23 JULY 2009 }

We had some problems pulling into our parking spot inside Cherry Hill Park. Well, I had problems. Brandon was resting in the bedroom because he drove the evening leg so I had to attempt to park. It was tight. And scary. So dad took over and was able to park our 31' RV rock-star style. It was awesome.

Mom craved eggs and hot dogs so she cooked a mad feast while I called for hotels. We found one: the Grand Hyatt Hotel. One problem: how to get there. Because we couldn't park our humongous RV inside the DC area { unless we wanted to pay some huge parking fee } Atelei chose Cherry Hill to store our RV for the next three days. The problem was solved when Atelei purchased Metro tickets to our destination. Mom was excited because it was her first time on a subway.

But first let me show you what the boys decided to do while their parents were packing:

KALE'A AND GIAN, RACING TO THE TOP

GUESS WHO WON?

KALE'A WON BUT GIAN WOULDN'T GIVE UP

GIAN EVENTUALLY MADE IT TO THE TOP

Okay, on to our Metro/subway adventure!

WAITING FOR THE BUS

LOOK HOW EXCITED GIAN LOOKS.
{ He really wanted to ride the bus! }

MAILE AND GRANDMA
{ see maile's lip? this morning she accidentally fell off the RV and busted her lip. she's a trooper, though, and didn't cry too much. she did, however, milk the attention for the rest of the day. }

YEAH, BUSES ARE AWESOME!
{ taken right before gian passes out. he woke up at 0630... way too early! }

THE OLIVERIO SISTERS

WALKING TO THE SUBWAY

ON THE SUBWAY

KALE'A LOVES THE SUBWAY BECAUSE CAILLOU WENT ON ONE

HEADING TO THE HOTEL

DADDY, PLEASE TEACH ME HOW TO PLAY. I'M READY!

After settling our things inside the hotel Brandon informed us that the White House was only a few blocks away. So we decided to brave the heat, humidity and potential rain to see where the Obama family lives. Dad was pretty excited.

LEAVING THE HOTEL
{ i went too far down so we had to turn around. in the heat. christine felt like she was going to give birth at the white house. }

WE FOUND IT!

... BUT THE BABIES DIDN'T.

MINI BRANDON AND OUR HANDSOME DAD

WHAT A SWEET MOMENT

THE OLIVERIOS GO TO WASHINGTON

IT WAS A HUMID AND HOT AFTERNOON SO WE TOOK A BREAK AT THE PARK

SEE YOU TOMORROW, MR. PRESIDENT

DAY 8 : MOUNTAINS, MOUNTAINS AND MORE MOUNTAINS

2009-07-23T20:08:00.000-07:00

{ WEDNESDAY, 22 JULY 2009 }

We left at 0530 PST from Eureka, Tennessee because we had a long 17-hour drive up to our nation's capital. We waved at Nashville when we drove past it and I was a bit sad that we didn't get to spend a little time there in the music capital. Oh well; next trip right, Allan?

We decided yesterday to head a little south because we've heard such wonderful things about the Smoky and Appalachian mountains and we're so glad we detoured a bit. Driving through these mountains reminded me of the drives we would take up to Kokee in Kauai. Lush, verdant landscapes, rolling hills and green canopies of trees made the drive really picturesque. I love Colorado because of its majestic mountains and pristine cleanliness but I must admit that I love Tennessee and North Carolina too. All three states is perfect for country living. Oh Lord, where will you lead our family?

We stopped to make lunch somewhere inside the mountains and the keikis had fun throwing sticks and skipping stones on the brook. Dad had fun acting like a kid again. After lunch we kept driving and driving and driving. It was long but at least the views were stunning.

READING TIME

MOM AND GIAN

WHATCHA THROWING, KALE'A?

DAD'S STILL GOT IT!

SKIPPING STONES

COME ON, MAILE, LET ME SHOW YOU HOW TO SKIP STONES

QT WITH GRANDPA

ROCKY MOUNTAINS!

AREN'T THE KEIKIS HILARIOUS?

GRANDPA HAD TO JOIN IN ON THE FUN

DRIVER AND NAVIGATOR

DON'T FALL, GIAN

WE OBVIOUSLY CAN'T COORDINATE OUR JUMPS, BUT ISN'T THE VIEW BEAUTIFUL?

WE HEART THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS

We made it to Maryland around 0300 PST and camped out in the parking lot of Cherry Hill Park. At 0630 EST the park manager rapped on our window and told the only awake occupant { dad } that we had to move. So we jetted to Starbucks just down the street and waited until they opened. Ha!

3700 MILES!

2009-07-23T05:32:00.000-07:00

Early this morning we arrived in Washington DC. It only took us a little over a week to make it coast to coast and we are thrilled to be here!

Mom threw out her back from picking up Maile and Gian { more Maile because she's a solid girl! } so, dear readers, please pray that our mom gets well very soon. She was so excited to enter DC and now with her thrown back she's in misery.

Since we're waiting at the local Starbucks to register at the RV campground I've decided to feverishly post as much as possible. Stay tuned for posts on yesterday and today's oh-so-exciting activities!

SIBLING LOVE

2009-07-23T05:21:00.001-07:00

HOW ADORABLE

... AND BABY M MAKES FIVE

DAY 7 : ST. LOUIS ARCH AND THE CAPITAL OF COUNTRY MUSIC

2009-07-23T05:18:00.001-07:00

{ Tuesday, 21 July 2009 }

Last night when we passed through St. Louis and saw the Arch all lit up dad asked if visiting it was on the agenda. It really wasn't but dad kept talking about it so we included it... and we are so glad we did! St. Louis, established in 1746, is an old port city. They created the Arch as a testament to President Thomas Jefferson, an architect himself whose visions of expanding westward allowed the US to grow exponentially with the Louisana Purchase. Eero Saarinen, who designed the winning monument, desired to create one that would encapsulate Jefferson's forward-thinking and his creation did just that. The Arch is truly a beautiful monument that aptly depicts the idea of it being "The Gateway to the West." But before I post about the Arch, dear readers, you need to view these next shots of the keikis having fun on the Koa Kampground we stayed last night in Eureka, Missouri. It was lovely.

GRANDMA'S LITTLE HELPERS

ONLY THE KIDS WOULD FIND THIS SO FASCINATING

GUESS WHERE WE ARE?!

WE'RE ON ANOTHER TRAIN... CHOO CHOO!

IS HE HANDSOME OR WHAT?

JUST ONE REASON WHY I LOVE MY LITTLE HAM

THIS IS WHAT WE DO ALL DAY: PLAY!

TIME TO EAT. AGAIN.

Despite the rain and gray weather all the tourists in the museum underneath the Arch were happy. Gian and Maile were bit trepidacious with the 630 feet elevator/tram ride to the top but Kale'a loved it. When the elevator doors opened and we entered into the small atrium the keikis oohed and aahed when they peered through the windows and discovered the boats and barges coming and going on the grand Mississippi River. Although the north side windows displayed the historic courthouse and city views, the kiddies were more impressed with the rushing river.

THE ARCH
{ photo by brandon }

WE MADE IT!

YOU'VE NOW ENTERED THE TWILIGHT ZONE

THEY THOUGHT OF THE CHILDREN WHEN THEY BUILT THE VIEW STATION

THE VIEW OF JEFFERSON'S COURTHOUSE

THE MIGHTY MISSISSIPPI

After heading back down the Arch and into the open air dad asked if we were happy to have stopped here. "Yes," we unanimously agreed.

THE ELEVATOR/TRAM IS INTERESTING

Getting back into the RV Brandon drove from Missouri and into Kentucky. Despite the continual rain we saw such beautiful country with green grass and even greener trees, so different from the browns we see in Southern California. When we stop for gas the people are so friendly that I can see how the term "southern hospitality" came to be. I took over driving in the late afternoon and we entered Tennessee soon after. And goodness, what great music this state has. Atelei and I blasted the radio so loud that Kale'a had to *politely* ask us to turn the music down because he couldn't hear WordWorld. We listened to country ballads, country gospel, country-you-name-it { though we prefer the ballads and I especially enjoyed the jazz } until we reached our destination. Too bad we can't visit the Grand Ole Opry, especially since Carrie Underwood will be performing this weekend. Oh well, next time, no?

Tomorrow is a long traveling day as we gear up to head through the Smoky and Appalachian Mountains and into our country's capital city. Everyone is excited to see those national landmarks and the men with whom God used to form our nation.

DJ G

SIX YEARS TODAY

2009-07-23T04:48:00.001-07:00

{ Tuesday, 21 July 2009 }

HAPPY SIX YEARS OF MARRIAGE BLISS, BRANDON AND CHRISTINE!

MAY THE GOOD LORD BLESS YOU TWO WITH MANY MORE HAPPY YEARS OF LOVE, FRIENDSHIP AND TOGETHERNESS

DAY 6 : WE'RE NOT IN KANSAS ANYMORE... OH, AND ANOTHER ARCH

2009-07-23T04:45:00.001-07:00

{ Monday, 20 July 2009 }

So it's official: we're not big fans of Kansas. Not that there's anything wrong with this city, mind you. It's just not our kind of place. We took the 50/400E { commonly known as a trucker's short cut } last night and early this morning and when we passed through the little towns I felt weird. Granted, it was two o'clock in the morning; however, every single town felt like a ghost town. And sometimes they didn't even have a gas station! But we made it and are now resting in an RV park somewhere in Wichita. Not much to look at here, folks. It's stormy and rainy and the campground isn't that delightful but it has electrical hookups and water and septic drains so we're happy. Next stop, St. Louis's Arch { this time it's man made! }.

The keikis loved the RV park where we stayed in last night. And guess what? The family who runs the place is from the Big Island. They came out to meet us with lots of aloha spirit today; it was nice to get to know such friendly people! While the adults got the RV ready for the long drive to St. Louis the keikis swam in the pool, hung out by some huge tires and just had fun being kids.

THE KEIKIS LOVE SWIMMING POOLS

MAILE PREFERS TO LOUNGE

MOM ASKED FOR THIS SHOT

We stopped for dinner somewhere in Missouri and had dinner at Olive Garden where we *finally!* plotted the rest of our RV trip. Atelei feels very much relieved that we are now on board and in sync with each other. Please pray that our auntie will be able to help us get hotel rooms for DC and Chicago... it would be easier to stay in hotels in the big cities so that we can take public transits to see the sites.

FINALLY, A NICE DINNER THAT WE DIDN'T HAVE TO CLEAN AFTERWARDS!

OUR TRAVELING PLAN'S COMPLETED!

EVENING WORSHIP

GIAN'S TURN TO SAY PRAYERS

WE DID IT!

2009-07-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

Last night over a delicious pasta dinner at Olive Garden { courtesy of mom } we finally mapped out the rest of our RV trip. We're set to see the Appalachian and Smokey Mountains, Washington DC, Niagara Falls, the Hershey { yes, the chocolate factory... it's gonna be a Willy Wonka feast! } plant, Chicago, Mt. Rushmore, the Grand Tetons and Yellowstone, Idaho and Washington, Medford { Oliverio family, we'll be there. And Ate Mina and Mike, we expect to see you there too! } and finally, the coast of California. We even took a photo of the map, which I will include later.

Keep praying for us, family, and we'll keep you updated on our thrilling adventure.

FUNNY LITTLE GIAN

2009-07-21T01:13:00.000-07:00

HE'S SUCH A HAM... I LUB IT!

DAY 5 : MAJESTIC MOUNTAINS, COUNTRY VILLAGES AND THOMAS THE TRAIN

2009-07-20T11:17:00.001-07:00

I can say with 100% confidence that today has been Gian's favorite day since commencing on our RV trip. But I'll get back to that at the end.

Atelei didn't think we'd make it through the first half of our RV trip solely because Jason and Allan, two potential drivers, wouldn't make it until the end of June. With Brandon as the main driver, she knew that he would be too exhausted to drive the 3700 miles to Washington DC on his own. Praise the Lord that He's helped me share the bulk of the driving; together, Brandon and I are covering solid ground and we should make it to DC on time.

This morning Brandon took the first shift as we headed out of the Grand Lake area and up the Rocky Mountains to Cripple Creek, a former mining town situated high above the Rockies, a couple hours drive from Colorado Springs. The drive was windy but it gave us time to view the majestic Colorado mountains that the flood created. We passed quite a few ski resorts that boast an awesome haven for mountain bikers during the summer months. During the hours we spent in the RV heading towards our next destination we marveled at how picturesque Colorado is, and we are actually considering looking into potential land to purchase { God willing } when it's time to move from the city and into the country. With the soaring mountains, pristine air and open space, the Colorado Rockies may be where God wants us to settle. Then again, it's up to Him, not us.

THIS IS WHAT THE KEIKIS DO WHEN WE'RE ON THE ROAD

... AND THIS IS WHAT DAD DOES

THEIR DRINK OF CHOICE

THE ROCKIES VIA OUR TRUSTY RV

Okay, on to Gian's favorite part of today. The reason we headed to Cripple Creek is because of a certain train. No, it isn't an original Thomas the Tank Engine; rather, the train is an old mining coal train used to transport the miners, their gear and the gold during the Gold Rush. The owners painted the steam engines Thomas's signature blue and black, probably to attract little visitors like Gian. And it worked. The entire ride up the mountain Gian refused to sleep and he continually pestered me by saying, "mama, train. Let's go. Choo choo." When we finally arrived at the train station Gian literally bounced off the bed and headed straight for the door. Atelei had to hold him down long enough to change him, but since we are a slow bunch of Filipinos, we missed the first train call. Gian was sad but his tears changed to happiness when he saw Thomas waiting for us.

IT'S THOMAS!

A PATIENT GIAN

STILL WAITING

THE CAR

CRIPPLE CREEK TOWN

THIS PHOTO DOESN'T DO THE VIEW JUSTICE

WHAT CUTIES

ADDING MORE FUEL

MAILE IS MORE INTERESTED IN POSING

MEET US IN DC, BABE!

Mom bought a cool wooden train whistle and the keikis had fun sharing it while we waited for the train to fill up. The ride was beautiful; we saw old mining buildings, learned about the history of Cripple Creek and admired the stunning vistas that this little town hidden high above the Rockies affords. And Gian? Well, he was a serious little rider, focusing on the engineer filing the furnace with coal to create the steam that propelled us on our journey. When we arrived back at the station, the engineer humored the boys and with Brandon's help, they tooted the horn. When we walked back to our RV, Gian lingered behind, stealing glances at the train he loves so much. "Bye, Thomas," he said.

Seven hours later, 0356 { Kansas time }, we are still on the road heading to Wichita, Kansas. I finally get to rest since Brandon has taken over this next shift, and as I finish this post for Day 5 I am happy to report that our family, despite being in such close quarters, is doing so well together. Thank you for your continual prayers; we know we are getting along better than expected because of those prayers.

Stay tuned for more stories of our adventures on the road. Good night!

PATIENCE PLEASE

2009-07-18T23:45:00.000-07:00

As much as I do enjoy posting our adventures on our road trip please keep in mind that WiFi availability is limited. Keep checking daily and I'll post every time we camp or stay in a location that has WiFi. Thanks!

DAY 4 : SABBATH REST IN GOD'S GREEN NATURE

2009-07-18T23:27:00.001-07:00

We spent the Sabbath hanging out by Grand Lake in Colorado. Apparently Gian had been begging to go swimming since the morning so when Christine changed the kids into their board shorts and bathing suits, they went wild. Thanks, family, for taking care of Gian while I slept.

Funny story: this morning Brandon and Atelei hopped on bikes to head down the hill and into town to get more water for our RV. They didn't take into consideration the fact that our campsite is situated on a hill overlooking the lake. So when they had loaded their backpacks with two one-gallon water jugs and one two-gallon water jug and began the trip back home they realized that they might not make it. They stopped once to readjust their heavy packs and catch their breath because of the high altitude before trying once again to bike home. They made it, by the way.

This mountain lakeside village is full to capacity this weekend for a Colorado holiday so we had a bit of trouble finding a quiet spot for the kids to swim and for us to relax. But Atelei and Brandon persevered and we found an idyllic spot after a bit of lakeside hunting. SIDENOTE: we got a lot of interesting looks from people because we're traveling in an RV. Most RVers tow a car so that when they head to town they can take the smaller vehicle. Oops. Next year we'll be more prepared!

THE PATH LEADING TO OUR LAKESIDE HAVEN

WHEN GIAN SAW THE WATER HE SAID, "BIG SWIMMING POOL!"

WAITING FOR THE PERFECT WAVE

I PREFER THE SHADE
{ i'm already too much of a brown beauty }

THE MONINGKA FAMILY

PRETTY MAILE

OH, MOM, YOU'RE ALWAYS PREPARED

YOU CAN TAKE THE BOY OUT OF KAUAI BUT YOU CAN'T...

BFFS

TAKE ONE...

TAKE TWO...

TAKE... OH, JUST FORGET IT!

WHAT'S MISSING HERE? ANSWER: JASON.

DAY 3.5 : HIKING, SABBATH AND ANSWERED PRAYERS

2009-07-18T22:50:00.001-07:00

Kale'a, Gian and Maile's favorite activity is to cause lots of ruckus while on the road. They love throwing their toys on the ground and play monster trucks; climbing onto the loft and peer outside the windows; and reading their picture books to each other. It was always our dream for our children to be close and praise God it's come true.

Maile reads the Bible while singing "He's Able"

THE LOFT AKA THE KEIKI'S PLAYGROUND

We arrived at Arches National Park around sunset and Brandon quickly drove us to Double Arches where we proceeded to hike into the canyon to stand underneath it. The children had fun yelling and listening for their echos bounce against the rocks. Atelei and I quickly cooked our supper of saimin and peanut butter/jelly sandwiches while Brandon and dad set up the chairs and mom watched the keikis play in the parking lot. While eating dinner a park ranger came by to remind us that we're not allowed to set up camp. After a quick bath, the children said a prayer and went to bed and I began the long evening leg of our trip into Colorado.

JUST ONE OF OVER 200 NATURAL ARCHES

SUNSET

THE DOUBLE ARCHES AT SUNDOWN

HIKING TO THE ARCHES

ANSWERED PRAYERS

While the rest of the family slumbers in their beds, Atelei and dad keep me company as I drive up the I-70 after leaving Arches. At around 0300 dad, reminiscing about his days logging hours on the road, wants to take over and drive the last leg. I am tired so I agree. We stop at a rest stop in Vail, Colorado and dad takes over. Atelei sits shot gun while I nestle on the sofa, a blanket keeping me warm. He maneuvers the RV onto the on ramp and we glide onto the highway. Because we are at the top of the mountain the highway begins descending and I soon notice that we are going fast. I read the speedometer: dad is driving the 31' RV down the mountain highway at 75 mph. And he is hugging both lanes.

"Slow down, dad!" I yell, my voice waking up mom.

"Dear, slow down!"

"I can't see the white line," dad says, trying to adjust his eyes while breaking to no avail. "I can't read the speedometer."

We are still hogging both lanes.

"Dad, slow down!" This time Atelei and I are yelling.

Dad attempts to slow. "I can't see the road clearly."

"Pull over, dad," I say. "I'll drive."

"I'll get off on the next exit."

Meanwhile, we are still plummeting down the mountain at 70 mph.

"Just pull over, dad." I'm beginning to panic.

Dad pulls over to the side of the highway and puts the RV in park. He looks at us and shrugs. "Sorry girls, I guess I just don't have it in me anymore."

I smile. "You did good, dad."

"Yeah, you tried." Atelei chimes.

Dad heads to the sofa and sits down. "My mind thinks I can do it but I can't. I guess I'm not the same since the surgery."He smiles.

Atelei and I smile back, thankful that our angels kept the road clear from semis and other vehicles while dad was behind the wheel.

DAY 3 : OPEN CANYONS, ARCHES AND THE ROCKIES

2009-07-18T22:12:00.001-07:00

At 0530 dad woke up and proceeded to awaken all the occupants in the front part of the RV. Gian, excited to be in a new location, quickly asked Grandpa to pick him up while I, who happened to fall asleep at 0200, turned over and went back to sleep. Mom, Dad, Atelei and Gian left to see the Grand Canyon soon after, leaving the Moningkas and me fast asleep. It's a shame I didn't get up with them because I missed some cute Gianesque moments. Apparently he kept saying over and over, "it's beautiful!" when they were on the tram heading to the canyon; when they walked to the ridge; when they peered over the ridge; and when they took photos! Too cute.

WAITING FOR THE TRAM

YAY, WE'RE HERE!

"IT'S BEAUTIFUL, AUNTIE LEI!"

HI, HANDSOME!

LET ME HELP YOU, GIAN

GOOD JOB!

SNACK TIME

TIME TO HEAD BACK TO CAMP

When they arrived back at camp we had breakfast, cleaned up and the entire caravan headed to see the canyon. I've been here before but not at this exact location so I was amazed, yet again, to see how deep and vast and colorful it is. WIth the layering of rocks and sediments juxtaposed with such blue sky, no one can argue that there is a Creator.

BREAKFAST TIME

MAILE'S SIGNATURE SMILE

TAKE ONE

TAKE TWO

THE KEIKIS WERE MORE IMPRESSED WITH THE MINERAL ROCKS

Now that I'm a bonafide 31' driver I headed back to the cockpit and took the first shift on our very loooooong day on the open road. We were going to pass Four Corners { the location where four states meet } but dad convinced us that it's a pretty boring place so we are taking the 163N to the 70E. We'll be stopping at Arches National Park soon { my personal favorite! } then will head east to the incredible Rocky Mountains of Colorado. Save for dad and me, this is new territory. We usually drive up the I-5 to Oregon or Washington so heading east is quite new. And scenic. And pretty.

THIS IS HOW I ROLL
{ just kidding, allan }

THE MONINGKA FAMILY STICKS THISCLOSE TO EACH OTHER
{ when brandon's driving, christine sits shot gun with maile and kale'a on her lap }

For those of you who are curious, no... we haven't fought yet! The kiddos have been so cooperative, happy and excited and the grandparents and aunties all share in taking care of the children. It has only been three days but still... it's nice to see our family getting along. I love it!

DAY 2 : BRIDGES, WATER AND A CANYON

2009-07-18T21:35:00.001-07:00

Auntie Darlene, Darcie and her lovely BFF stopped by Ate Mina's house for breakfast. It was fun sharing a meal together because Brandon's mom is H-I-L-A-R-O-U-S! Ate Mina and Mike live in a gated community and their security guards take their jobs very seriously. Mike forgot to leave a message at the front desk that Auntie Darlene would be coming so when she arrived at the gates, the security officer refused to let her car through. Without skipping a beat, Auntie Darlene morphed into classic diva.

With her coifed hair and ruby red lips pursed, Auntie Darlene spoke. "My son and his family is staying at 1234 blah blah blah. Mike Cross knows I'm coming. Call him."

The guard did as she was told and after a brief conversation with Mike she hung up. "Okay, you can come through."

"Thank you." The gates opened and Auntie Darlene drove through. Crisis averted.

Ate Mina and Mike's house looks even better during the daytime. After an exhausting evening fixing the flat tire it was nice for Brandon and Atelei to sleep in while the kids played with Bella and Zeek. Here's some photos of their lovely home:

HAVING FUN, CHRIS?

WE'RE SO HAPPY TO BE IN AN A/C HOUSE

COME ON, MAILE, YOU CAN DO IT

YOU DID IT, MAILE GIRL!
{ look closely at her left foot }

3500 SF OF PURE LOVELINESS

THE ROTUNDA FOYER

THIS IS WHAT KALE'A DID ALL MORNING

ATELEI OBVIOUSLY SLEPT WELL

AREN'T WE SUPPOSED TO BE ON HOLIDAY?

GOOD BYE VEGAS

DESTINATION 02 : HOOVER DAM AND THE GRAND CANYON

Guess who drove today? I did! At first I was very nervous, but after saying a quick prayer and with dadio riding shot gun and giving me helpful pointers, I finally relaxed five miles away from Hoover Dam and enjoyed the drive. They are currently building a beautiful suspension bridge over the dam and it's quite a site.

TWO YEARS IN THE MAKING AND IT'S STILL NOT COMPLETED

THE SUSPENSION BRIDGE HOVERS 1000 FEET OVER THE COLORADO RIVER, I THINK

FDR'S PET PROJECT

THE KIDS ARE READY TO SWIM AT THE HOOVER DAM

After stopping to take a few photos of the dam we began driving through northern Arizona. The vistas are beautiful; the desert can be such a serene place. With rolling hills juxtaposed with ragged mountains off in the distance I savored the wide open road. Listening to Nat King Cole and Heritage Singers helped with the long drive and by 2130 we arrived safely at Trailer Village inside the Grand Canyon.

We set up camp, hooked the RV and began cooking dinner. A quick walk around the campsite admiring the Milky Way { yes, we can see a zillion stars and galaxies here. It's breathtaking and I wish I had the proper lens to capture the night sky } allowed the children down time before we showered and dressed them for the night. After evening worship the kids headed to bed around midnight. Goodness, my little guy is going to lose a lot of sleep on this trip!

I am now relaxing on my bed { the dining table converts to a bigger-than-a-twin bed } typing this post and feeling quite thrilled that God helped me drive this monster of an RV with no harm. He is good, no? { Husband, I miss you terribly. I wish you were here to see the sights, smell the summer breeze and laugh with me when Gian goes bezerk because he can't have another yogurt cup. After the Grand Canyon we are heading up to Arches National Park and then north to the Rockies, new sites for me that I wish I could share with you. Road trips just aren't the same without my better half. Hurry up and join us. }

DAY 1 : DESERT LANDSCAPES, CITY LIGHTS AND A FLAT TIRE

2009-07-18T21:09:00.001-07:00

We left four hours later than anticipated with three overly excited children, two happy grandparents, one smiling auntie and another teary-eyed one, and an uncle behind the wheel with his pregnant wife sitting shot gun. Waving good bye to Allan and Jason our family headed onto the 215N bound for the city of lights.

GOOD BYE CALIFORNIA!

DESTINATION 01: LAS VEGAS.

With Brandon behind the wheel we cruised up the Cajon Pass, waving to Hesperia High School, my former employer, and because we are living it up in a 35' motor home we didn't have to stop twenty times for bathroom breaks and snack time. Mamas Christine and I were quite thrilled about that! A few hours into the drive Kale'a, Gian and Maile ran out of gas and finally fell asleep on the couch giving their mamas much needed quiet time.

We arrived in Las Vegas around 1830 and headed to Makino's All-You-Can-Eat Japanese restaurant off Decatur and Flamingo. Gian decided he wanted to gorge on chocolate ice cream { I wasn't too pleased } but after a bit of disciplining from his mama he actually ate two pieces of tempura and three bites of his noodle soup. After filling our bellies we headed outside and began walking to the RV when Atelei gasped and pointed to our parking spot.

"Is that a flat tire?"

Mom strained her eyes. "Oh my goodness, yes."

We rush to the RV and sure enough, the tire on the passenger side was indeed flat. Mind you, it was still 96 degrees. We entered into the RV, stripped the keikis down to their tighty whities and proceeded to call AAA and Ate Mina for help. Praise the Lord that He came through in a timely manner because Ate Mina and Mike arrived on scene only thirty minutes later; God directed both Atelei and Mike to Mobile Tire Repair where Rick gave us a good deal and prompt on-the-spot service; and we were able to drive safely to our lovely hostess's sprawling 3500 SF home.

Family, if you're ever in Vegas, you must stop at Ate Mina and Mike's place. Not only is the house spacious, its smart floor plan allows for sleepy guests to retire into their quiet wing while the night owls can eat, watch TV and hang out in the open concept family room and kitchen. While waiting for Brandon and Atelei to get back with the fixed RV, Ate Mina and I caught up on our lives while I grilled Mike with questions about his back ground, education, family, you name it. { Thanks, Mike, for humoring me. }

At 0100 Atelei and Brandon finally make it to the house and our little family is reunited after a looong day on the road. We are very thankful to God that in His mercy He allowed for the flat tire to occur in Vegas so that we wouldn't be stranded in the middle of nowhere with little options for aid. This flat brought to our awareness that we need to upgrade our AAA to include RV coverage as well as the discovery that we weren't carrying a spare tire. Thanks, Lord, for your tenderhearted mercy.Ate lei and Brandon even had a scintellating conversation about God with Rick, the tire guy. God is so good.

Now it's late and I need to head off to bed because I am driving tomorrow. Egads! Please continue praying for our safety as we begin to really travel into the United States.

Here's some photos of day one. Enjoy!

DADDY, COME WITH US

READING PASSES THE TIME AWAY

CAJON PASS
{ with gian's trademark fingerprints }

UH OH

ATE MINA AND MIKE TO THE RESCUE!

UPDATE II

2009-07-14T20:18:00.000-07:00

Didn't anticipate how extensive planning a cross-country trip would be for a family of eleven. We still have to run to Stater and Trader Joe's; Jenn still has two more loads of laundry to wash and fold; everyone needs to pack and stow their belongings in the nooks and crannies; babies need a good night sleep { and the hapai mama too }. It's already 2020 PST so it'll be another late night for the us. Hey family: whoever takes first shift tomorrow better get some shut eyes tonight { yes, dadio, that's you! }.

Atelei bought the CD of the artist that dad would make us listen to over and over and over again during those summer months heading up the I-5 and into Oregon. Nope, it's not MJ. It's the other crooner, the artist whose voice sounds like melted chocolate. Who is it, you may ask? Yes, it's the one and only Nat King Cole. So for your listening pleasure, check out the song that encapsulates our summer road trips from those golden years of the 80's and 90's. Love yah, dad!

FIRST DONATION

2009-07-14T08:59:00.001-07:00

Thank you, Auntie Ellen+Uncle Jeff+Kevin+Kara, for your generosity. We were honestly not expecting much, or any for that matter, from anyone and so the contents in the little pink envelope made us stop with surprise, gratitude and prayerful thanksgiving.

We love you.

UPDATE

2009-07-14T08:53:00.000-07:00

Motor home: picking it up today. Inspection and tutorial on how to use septic tank, generator, plug-ins at RV camps.

Packing: Moningka's are probably all packed and ready to go. Mom too. Penafloridas? - still doing laundry.

Food: shopping at Staters, Wal Mart and *please, please, please* Fresh and Easy this afternoon to stock up our pantry.

Logistics: getting there. So far we'll be hitting Vegas to spend the night in Ate Mina's house; driving over the Hoover Dam on our way to the Grand Canyon. From there we'll head into New Mexico to check out the Carlsbad Caverns. After that maybe straight shot to Tennessee. Maybe Colorado. It just depends on the navigator's { aka Allan } decisions.

ROAD BLOCKS

2009-07-06T17:13:00.000-07:00

The Lord has been closing doors to our summer road trip these past two weeks and my sisters and I have been feverishly searching for alternative plans. We were supposed to rent a Class A { yes, the really huge motor homes that look like tour buses } and had one lined up but when the rental found out we have eleven people going on board they said we were over the limit of occupancy. Great. Instead of lying about the amount of people Atelei took to the internet once again and found another rental agency. They offered us a Class C, which is five feet shorter and much more maneuverable. Allan, who wasn't comfortable with the knowledge that I will be doing a lot of the driving, was thrilled when I told him that we are forgoing the Class A for the Class C. "Much safer," he commented.

Well, Plan B fell through when three families booked the three remaining motor homes. Frustrated, Atelei prayed even more fervently for direction. We assumed that maybe this was God's way of telling us we shouldn't go on this trip and planned on canceling the entire venture.

With less than eight days left Atelei received a phone call from our second rental company. Jeff announced that he may have another newer Class C motor home available for the same price. As soon as he checks it out he'll give her a call. Atelei hung up ecstatic. No less than five minutes later, the original rental company from which we had first begun our motor home adventure called and informed her that they proceeded to inform her that they will allow our family to rent the Class A.

Doesn't God work so wonderfully? He always provides when the plan fits according to what He desires. And it's always better to follow Him than follow our own plans. Who knows? Perhaps the first two motor homes are defective. Perhaps God allowed for these road blocks to teach us patience? Perhaps this is God's way of telling us to trust in Him. In everything. All day long.

With our 2008 Class C Jamboree motor home ready to be picked up our family is back on track, planning for our month-long adventure. And with God leading the way, I know we are in for the most memorable ride yet.

UPDATE: OKAY TO GO.

2009-07-01T18:04:00.000-07:00

So we finally found it. She's a 2006 Winnebago Class C motorhome, complete with tiny kitchen and even tinier bathroom. Christine's stoked.

Family, check your snail mail within the next three to five days. There should be something awesome awaiting you. Trust me, you'll love it!

AND WE'RE OFF!

2009-06-29T10:51:00.000-07:00

No, we're not yet on the road, but my family is stealing Gian's BFF {otherwise known as Maile Moningka} and taking the kiddos to see the following images. Can you guess where we're headed?

OH THE POSSIBILITIES!

2009-06-26T13:18:00.001-07:00

Final head count: 9 1/2 {Allan and Jason will meet us en-route}. Motorhome of choice: the Winnebago {dibs on the top bunk}. Destinations: TBD.

That's where we are at right now. I want to go here; Christine and Brandon want to go here; Atelei wants to go here; dad wants to go here; and mom just wants us to have a safe trip {aww, mom, you're such a m-o-m! xoxo}. We're currently in the planning process, figuring out the logistics and dealing with the time management of trekking across the United States with three small children, one not-so-big motorhome and a very pregnant sister. Trust me, it's fun.

GIAN.

2009-06-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

Gian is one good lookin' Filipino.

Kale'a and Maile.

2009-06-24T18:00:00.000-07:00

Aren't they adorable? Yes, they are.