Red Raider Nation!

Last night, the famous Kahuku Red Raiders battled the Punahou Buffandblues at the Aloha Stadium and after an on-the-edge-of-your-seat, nail biting war...they conquered. It was such an awesome experience to be a part of! The game was intense, the fans were out of control with pride and spirit for Kahuku...It was truly an experience I will never forget!! Our side of the stadium was a sea of loud, rowdy, red wearing fans...full of cheers, chants, chops, and even a mass flash mob. The win was just the tip of the ice berg in a all night series of rallies, parties, and celebrations. After the traditional school songs and Haka, fans and players alike made the long and noisy trek back up to the north shore. We got to Kahuku around 1am and was greeted with a sea of red...in the streets, on the sidewalks, on rooftops, on hoods of cars, backs of trucks, tops of fences...the road was inhabited with people rather than cars...and happiness, joy, and celebration were in the air! Horns were honking, music blaring, bells ringing, fire engine sirens blowing, fireworks flying...it was truly a spectacle to behold!! I am so lucky to be a part of this amazing North Shore Ohana!! I realize I am just another white girl implant from the mainland but these locals have welcomed me up here with open arms and especially on that night...we were all Red Raiders!! These people celebrate, mourn, rejoice, love, cry, and laugh together as a community. They are all they have on this small little island and I am so grateful to be a part of that love!!!

The honking has subsided, less are wearing red shirts today...but that excitement and sense of pride and accomplishment is still in the air! Go Kahuku...RR4L!!!

Happy giving-of-thanks day!

"This time last year, everything was do different..."

And I wouldn't change it for the world. This Thanksgiving (and every day of my life) I am so eternally grateful for the seemingly ENDLESS amounts of blessings and love that are poured out from the Lord in my behalf. I have an amazing family, incredible friends, this beautiful island, happiness, joy, and love in my life and I couldn't be more grateful. No, life isn't perfect. There have been ups and downs, bumps and bruises, but without all that, I wouldn't be able to live in the sunshine and peace of today. I love my life, I am grateful for all that has been and all that is to come. HAPPY THANKSGIVING!

♥Remember to hug the ones you love!

I wish it were't true...

...but it is. It so so so so so so so is true.

...so so so so so so so so so so...

Purrrrdy nails!

OKAY...I am obsessed with the website www.pinterest.com and don't act like you aren't either. (if you haven't heard of it...GO...well, only go if you have time to waste and you like pretty things). I don't have time to waste but I somehow find it :) But that is besides the point...

OKAY, so pinterest.

Pinterest has brought to me a world of ideas and crafty things I want to try but there are a few problems involved with that:

1. There just simply aren't the resources up here on the North Shore (i.e. craft stores, sewing space, etc.) for me to accomplish such tasks.

2. I just don't have the time!

Therefor, I do what I can...which is...paint my fingernails. Ok, that's not all I do but it's all I have taken a picture of. Please disregard my A. chubby fingers/hands, B. poorly manicured fingernails, C. not pretty nail beds/cuticles, and D. poorly painted lines. I never said I was a professional...only that it is fun!!!

What does Pinterest have to do with my nail polish? Well of course I got the idea from that perfectly wonderful website and I tried it out...I don't think I did too bad considering I am not a nail enthusiast, I have a shaky hand, and I tend to veer away from all things "girly"....

SO here is the photo that I saw online:

AND here is what I did for myself:

Not to bad for a little island girl like myself! ;)

(an honorable mention: colors thanks to Zoe Pappas and sparkles thanks to Victoria Mueller. Much Mahalos!)

Meleana Lynn Sheffet.

THIS posting is over due. WELL over due. But technically...it's not. Because she was well under due. Let's start at the beginning... I found myself under a tent of one of the many t-shirt stands at the Swap Meet. I feel my phone buzz in my pocket and pull it out only to read a text saying "Emily is in the hospital. Things are good. Say a prayer for her and Meleana." To try and describe the size of the lump that immediately welled up in my throat would be pointless because I am not sure I can accurately describe it. I found tears running down my cheeks and I knew instantly the only thing I could do, being that I was so far away, was plead to my Heavenly Father that my friend Emily and her unborn baby would be ok. So I did just that. I am sure many swapping onlookers probably thought I was crazy. The next minutes seemed like hours until I received the next text saying, "Emily is going into have a c-section and baby is coming now!" As it turned out, after hours of concern, days spent in the NICU, several post birth trips to the emergency room, blood clots, breathing problems, etc., etc., I have a very healthy friend who now has a very healthy little baby girl. I couldn't be more happy for Emily and Seni!! I am only sad that I am not there to be a part of such an amazing time in my friends life. I want nothing more than to hold that little critter and make sure she knows that Auntie Erika loves her the most :) SO until that day comes when I can squeeze her and hold her and love all over her, I will just have to pacify my needs and wants with cute adorable pictures of her on my phone, on Facebook, and during our Skype sessions :)

So here she is, my little niece, Meleana Lynn Sheffet, born October 12, 2011 at 6:30pm (6 weeks early!), 3 lbs 13 oz, 17 inches long:

If she only knew how much I love her already!!!!

I'm in love...with Hawaii.

Have I mentioned lately how much I love this place? Well I do. I take pictures constantly. I would post them 24/7 but I really don't want to deal with the hater comments by people who aren't as fortunate as me to live in paradise...you know, in places like Iowa or something :) (just kidding Mrs. Swenson). All jokes aside, I love this place. I think it's one of the most beautiful places on earth. And I should probably specify that I mean evening except Waikiki. The mumbo jumbo going on in that area of the island is not what I consider beautiful or peaceful or heavenly. I am talking about my life up on the north shore, my time in Kailua, Lanikai, etc. I just love it. I am sorry (no I'm not) but I just feel so lucky to be surround by some of the most breath taking scenery I have personally every witnessed. SO I'll share some of my favorite pictures of the island thus far....

Here are a few pieces of my little aloha heart:

11-11-11 11:11

OH the superstitious day of 11's. While I am one of little superstitions, we did have a small gathering of souls, ate yummy treats, played some fun games, and then sat ourselves on the beach until the strike of 11:11pm, at which point we through rocks into the ocean after we had first wrote our most absolute wishes upon them. Apparently it's bad luck to say exactly what your wishes are but I will say...one of mine wishes involved Ryan Reynolds.

Here is Mari and I at the strike of 11:11...

The girls of 11/11/11/ 11:11

The many ways of showing 11's...better than Brett's

original hand gestures...

Straight Ill.

I've been struck with the disease. Not sure what disease exactly...but I'm ill!!! But hopefully on the mend... It all started last week with strep just as Vicky was headed home. Then, the following night I got blasted with one of the worst colds I've ever experienced. It wiped me out!! I was coughing, snotting, wheezing, panting, sweating...and I have never been so exhausted from it all!! I could have swore it was some sort of mono...BUT the doctor told me last night it was just a serious bug going around and I caught the worst of it. So he gave me a round of drugs to take for the next week which should get me right back into the ball game. I am glad because as much as I love my bed, I have spent too much time in it over the last week!

They weren't to exciting about my cough and hack in the lobby so they made me sit out there with this lovely mask on. I was scaring the kids who were coming in and out! It was pretty entertaining. After two days on the antibiotics, I am slowly but surely feeling better...Thank you drugs!!

Moral of the story: Don't get sick.

Funny...but true!

-Sincerely,

Erika Weik, 27, single, loving her life, living in Hawaii.

....Did I mention I'm 27?

While Vicky was here, I turned the big 2-7. That's right...I have officially moved out of my mid-twenties and late twenties now I sit!!!!! It was a splendid day, filled with beautiful skies, beaches, friends, and food. I couldn't have asked for a better day :)

We got up at 4am to drive down to my old stomping grounds to

watch the sunrise at Lanikai.

My birthday wouldn't be complete without a jumping

picture, right?! Right.

The Lanikai beach gang...Jonas, Maryjane, Zoe, Donna,

Vicky, and Mari. Of course this picture was immediately

followed by a birthday monkey bowl at Lanikai Juice!

Then after church we snuck away and caught the sunset at

Sunset Beach...with Vicky, Katie, Sarah, Irene, Mari, and Syd.

AND to top off the evening, delicious pie from Ted's Bakery!

Candle courtesy of the lovely Sydney :)

It was a lovely day, it's been a lovely year, and I really feel like this next one is going to be just as, if not more, exceptional than the last!

Who's excited?! I am! :)

Aloha oe Vicky!

My lady girl has left the island and life is back to it's usual busy schedule...accompanied by a sickly me. Cough, hack, wheeze, sniffle...You name it! I did have such a splendid time with Victoria, though! I am happy to share this lovely place I call home :) I felt bad for her because I had school and work while she was here but she made the best of her alone time by occupying her spot on the beach...Somehow I don't think she minded TOO much! :)

She left more tan than she came with, got to see many beautiful brown men, touched her toes in the sand every day she was here, and got to cruise the island in a mustang convertible. What more could a mainland girl ask for, right?! :)

I hope she enjoyed her week here as much as I enjoyed having her!