Catch up time....sorry it's been so long my friends

Ok, so I now know I'm terrible at updating this thing. Bad Laura! So much has gone on since July. We've been back to the Big Island for a canoe race and to see the volcano again, I went to Chicago in October for a class reunion and to visit family, and here I sit updating my blogspot sitting in Chicagoland once again.

Here is James finishing the Queen Liliuokalani Canoe Race in Kona, HI. It is the largest canoe race in the world.





My oldest brother, Steve, has Parkinsons. Steve found out that he was a good candidate for this Deep Brain Stimulation procedure. The surgery, that he was AWAKE for, lasted between 8 and 9 hours. The doctors insersted two electronic leads (wires), one on each side of his brain. To get these leads in the correct (sweet) spot, they would ask Steve to do stuff (i.e. touch his fingers to his thumb, talk, etc). He obviously went into surgery totally off his Parkinsons medication so when they asked him to talk, they would be able to see what difference the leads really made.

The doctor talked to my sister in law, Jean-Marie and I afterwards, and was very pleased. They said that when they tested the leads that Steve went from not being able to talk at all, to being able to speak fluently! he also mentioned how well his movements were. This is all such great news! Needless to say, my brother has been smiling a lot since the day after his surgery.



I arrived on November 11th and will be looking forward to the day before Thanksgiving when James finally arrives here in Chicago. We will be together here in Illinois for a week together before we both return to the island on December 3rd. Thanksgiving will be spent at my brother Steve's house. Our brother Brian and our sister in law, Joyce will be joining us. It has been quite awhile since we have spent a holiday together, so this Thanksgiving, we will all have plenty to be thankful for.

Here is the lava flow on the big island. What a fantastic sight to see. It just blows my mind away. There are then a few candid photos of James and I. Scenery, golfing, or for those who know me well, you know there has to be a "Coke on Tour" photo at some point.











Thank you for putting up with my long post that is a little out of order, but I'm still working out the kinks on this blog. James and I hope everyone has a happy Thanksgiving, full of family, food and fun.