a few areas of expertise

Li asked me the other day what I like to do for fun. Seems like he should have known the answer to that question BEFORE we got married, right? But I didn't even know how to answer it. Since then I have been trying to figure it out. I've tried painting....
Yes, I know it is just a white pot. But I have spent at least an hour putting at least 6 coats of white on this pot and one day real soon inspiration is going to hit me and then you'll see.

But today my friend's boss asked our husbands to help her move to a new house. It was only supposed to be for a few hours and she was going to pay them. I didn't want to be home alone so I tagged along. As the day wore on into the afternoon and early evening we realized it wasn't a quick project, and that they weren't going to be making very good money. But I realized that I didn't care! I just like to be with people that I like doing anything.

When we got home Li fell asleep and I surfed the internet for awhile. But I don't like to sit still, so I grabbed my ipod and my longboard and decided to go for a skate with Yael Naim.

This picture probably just looks like a road to you. It is. But I have tried many times to skate down this road and always failed. I'm a sissy-pants.

Today I made it and I actually threw my fist up in celebration when I got down. Only to turn around and see some lady in a car who was all annoyed that she had to go slow behind me. So much for my fans cheering me on in my moment of glory. Sorry lady.

Hawaiian mornings and Indian nights

Li and I camped on the beach the other day and this is what we saw when we woke up.It was a pretty long and cold night ( I know, I know we are in Hawaii, but it really was cold. And plus in the middle of the night a big group of people ran down the beach jumping up and down and yelling in Hindi - I don't have a clue how Li knows they were speaking Hindi, but he swears that's what it was.) Anyway after a long night I think we deserved a good sunrise.

Li would like me to add that he knows how to say the following things in Hindi: you're crazy (for men and women), you're a monkey, you're beautiful, and hello. I'm glad he's got the basics covered in case we ever find ourselves lost in India.

I'm not gonna lie

Li and I spend a lot of time together watching videos on YouTube. If you haven't seen this one yet you need to.

Transportation on the island

Li and I have one bike, (My favorite bike that I have ever owned.)
one skateboard,


and one bus pass.


This is the way we go almost everywhere.

Even to church.

I'm going to miss this place when we have to leave.

A new way to look at money

Li had an idea the other day that I thought was so brilliant and so funny I just had to share. He decided that instead of discussing our finances and budgeting our money at home we should get dressed up in business clothes and reserve a study room at the library so that we could have a business meeting. He walked around campus in his suit all day and no one believed that was all we were doing. Everyone thought we were up to something (this is Hawaii after all, most people don't even change out of their beach clothes to go to class.)

We recommend the business meeting to everyone, it makes finances a lot of more fun. Contact Jen or Li if you'd like more information on how to turn your money discussions into a experience you won't forget.

We are silly. And I think I had too many hi-chews today.

Leprechauns in Laie

There were rumors of leprechauns running around Laie on St. Patrick's Day and we were lucky enough to get some rare footage.





We managed to get a movie too, but I've yet to figure out how to make it post. Maybe Li can figure it out. Check back soon! Oh and has anyone seen Darby O'Gill and the Little People?

Catch a wave and yur sittin on top of the world.

There are a couple of longboards living at my house right now and I am really stoked about it. I haven't really been surfing in about 3 or 4 years and I was really scared to go out. Li and I planned to go early the other morning and I purposely didn't wake him up because I was too afraid. Yesterday we took the boards out just to play. As soon as I jumped in the water with my board a huge grin of sheer joy appeared on my face. I love surfing!


We just paddled around at the beach across the street from our house. There was very little chance of actually catching a wave. But what a blast we had pretending!! I love the feel of the water and the board underneath me. I love to sit on it in the middle of the ocean. I love to lay on it and feel the sun on my back. I love paddling and splashing in the water. I love trying to catch waves. And if you get one.....WOW!! But if you don't. I still love surfing. And I love Li who got me out and cleaned off our boards when we were done. Not to mention the fact that he carried most of the weight on the way to the beach. Longboards are heavy!!

I want to share some things I love.

And of course, I love my husband. Except I think he is going to eat me. We always joke that he is fattening me up so that I can be his next meal, but I'm starting to think it might not be a joke. The other day he met me at the door when I came home from work. He asked me how I was and I said tired. So he picked me up and carried me to bed and told me to take a nap for 20 minutes. I asked why only 20 minutes and he said dinner would be ready then.

He makes the best chicken I have ever eaten, added some potatoes cooked to perfection in butter (he is from Idaho, he does potatoes well) and handed me the biggest strawberry milkshake I have ever had in my life to wash it down.

Don't worry, I shared with him. I can't be eaten right now, I haven't learned to be still yet.

Fight Homelessness

Hi from Jen and Li…we're building and you can help!

From Jen…

When I moved to Hawaii I did not have a place to stay for two or three nights. It was a terrible feeling to spend all day long trying to figure out where to sleep at night. One night I nearly had to sleep in a car!

I was fortunate to have good friends who always helped me find a place to stay. Still, it was terrible. It was unnerving to shower at a different place every day and not have a place to keep my clothes and other belongings. Lucky for me, this was not an issue of not having money. I simply needed to find an available place. And even luckier, I only experienced this "homelessness" for a couple of days. Many people in the world are not so fortunate.

Homelessness is an important and compelling issue to me and this summer my husband and I have decided to do something about it. Starting in May, Li and I will take a term off of school and join a team of volunteers from Habitat for Humanity. We are going to the Dominican Republic to build houses. I am excited to start our work!

From Li…

Like Jen said, many people in the world do not have a place to call home. We are very grateful for the blessings that the Lord has given us, and we can't wait to go down to the Dominican Republic and help build houses for families in need. I personally can't wait to return to the people and the place that I made home when I served there as a missionary. I am truly grateful to be able to go back. I am excited to introduce Jen to the wonderful people in the DR, and even more excited to work with her to build houses and help the families there build a foundation for their future.

Many people in the Dominican Republic live in houses made of wood, palm trees or discarded materials, which are roofed with rusty corrugated tin sheets. In many cases, there are two families living in one small house, and it is not uncommon to find grandparents, parents and children living in the same room and sharing beds.

From Jen and Li…

Habitat for Humanity is funded by the volunteer builders and other donors, and they have asked us to raise $3,000 (which includes our airfare) by March 19 to join this build season. We are working hard to put aside money for this trip, but we need your help. If you would like to "build with us" by contributing to our goal, please mail a check today to: Jennifer & Li Kane, 55-672 Naniloa Loop, Laie, HI 96762.

Your donation will help end homelessness by allowing us this opportunity to build a home for a very deserving family. Let's build!

Jennifer and Li Kane

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For more information about Habitat for Humanity you can visit their website at http://www.habitat.org/gv/default.aspx

These things come in 3's, right?!

I pulled out one of my favorite pair of heels to wear to the temple this morning and the buckle broke. I was sad. Then I remembered that my favorite earring broke last month. And the biggest trauma of all, our hard drive broke.

Actually, I don't know if broken is the proper terminology to use for a hard drive. All I know is that we had to get a new one and that we no longer have any of the pictures, movies, papers or other things that we had stored on our computer. This includes all the pictures from our honeymoon, and tons of movies we made during family home evenings. The moral of this story is.......BACK UP EVERYTHING. I'm serious. And don't say I didn't warn you if you don't.

The good part about this story is that Li said he'd help me pick out some new earrings, we are going to try to recreate some of the pictures we lost, and maybe we will even get another honeymoon out of the deal!!

Book of Mormon: Faith vs Science

Well it's almost March again and that means YOU are invited to read The Book of Mormon this month. Every March I read the whole thing in one month and challenge everyone around me to do the same. This probably seems like a daunting task, especially if you always quit around 1st or 2nd Nephi. But I promise you that reading the whole book in a month is an experience unlike any other. And I promise that YOU can do it. It is just 17 pages a day and you can even listen to it on your ipod. It always makes me REALLY happy just in time for General Conference.

Happy Reading!

Devin Thomas

The other day I was on the phone with my little brother Devin. (Who is really not that little, but he's still my little brother!) I asked him if he had seen a movie that we had gone to over the weekend. His reply... "We walked out."

Boy did I feel silly; rebuked by my little brother.

Later I was thinking about it and decided that my little brother is a lot like Nephi, living righteously and setting a good example for his family.

So here's to my "little" brother Devin. Taller than I am, and a spiritual giant too. Love ya dude!

and I think to myself

Everyone wants details..... I've just been OVERLY emotional lately. (And no I'm not pregnant.) Let's just say that Li had to listen to me cry more than once yesterday and he is a really good sport about it and insists that I don't belong in a mental hospital.


Anyway, I'm over that today. Have you guys seen this world that we live in? The sky is blue and there are flowers and butterflies and ipods and this really great song called New Soul that I have listened to at least 6 times today.....make that 7.

So he married an axe murderer

Sometimes I think my husband married a psychopath. And yet he just sits there strummin' his uke and taking it all it stride. I want to be like Li when I grow up.

Breakfast Bowls

I got home late last night and Li got home even later. I woke up when he came in and the next thing I knew I heard the sound of dishes being washed. I protested and he said, "I'm just washing a bowl for your breakfast." I mumbled an, "okay," and fell back asleep. Sure enough when I woke up this morning I found a bowl, a spoon and a cup ready and waiting for me to eat breakfast with. Sweet.

Rewarding!!

This is an article that a friend of ours wrote for the school newspaper awhile back. I think they should do an update!

Negotiating with the enemy

Who knew my husband was so good at international relations? Interspecies relations even. Today Li was on his way back to school after lunch. Somehow in the process of leaving a giant wasp/hornet thing flew in. Li told me to hurry and hide in the bathroom and I smiled thinking what a great protector I married. A few minutes later I was singing a different tune. I was still in the bathroom and my brave husband was half-heartedly waving a flyswatter at the bug. After awhile he seemed to give up and remarked, "Well, I'm glad I'm not going to be in the house for awhile." I couldn't believe he would just leave me, but at the same time thought it couldn't really be that hard to get him. Fed up, I jumped out of the bathroom and said, "Let me do it." I took the swatter and one look at his big sharp stinger and snuck quietly back into the bathroom. At which point Li exclaimed, "I have an idea." He kept looking from me to the bug and then suddenly said, "Let me in there." This was his big idea?!

Once he was safely inside the bathroom he opened the door a crack and, I am not kidding, started negotiating with the little monster.... "Listen hornet, there has been a misunderstanding. We just want you to leave our house so we can live in peace. I'm not sure how you got in here, but you weren't supposed to come in. I need to go back to school and my beautiful wife needs her house back....." On and on he went. I was laughing so hard that I had to muffle the sound with a bath towel. (I didn't want to shoot down his hopes and dreams of future negotiations.)

I'm sure you'll all be surprised to hear that the negotiations failed. (I don't think Li speaks hornet, because he didn't even budge.) Eventually Li got up enough courage to put his arm out far enough to get a broom which he sort of flung at the hornet from the crack in the door. When we opened the door he was no where to be seen. We crept out cautiously fly-swatter and bath towel in hand. We couldn't find him anywhere. Maybe it took a minute to translate from human to bee. Or maybe the broom handle flying at him was a more international communication!

If I had to pick I'd go with the husband who makes me laugh over the one who saves me from a bee sting. But I'm so lucky I got a two-for-one! And as an extra bonus he even bought me a giant snicker bar tonight, claiming that I earned it with all my hard work at yoga. He's a keeper.

We Are Married.

Yup. It's official. We got married on December 29, 2007 in the St. George temple. It was a beautiful day and our reception and everything was PERFECT. Thanks so much to everyone who went out of their way to help make it that way. Mostly, thanks for being there. I've been a slacker blogger and a slacker most-everything-elser. But hey I'm a newlywed, that's allowed, right?!

Li is amazing. So patient with me and so considerate, so loving and so optimistic. (So a lot of other things too, but I'll stop there for today.) I love being married and I'm grateful to so many people who helped me to make that decision. Especially my little Likeke!

Happy Soup

Things I'm really happy about right now.....

• I'm not at work on this beautiful sunny day. (Although it would have been nice to find out about not having to go to work without the 3 hour bus ride!)
• The fact that the bus exists and I don't have to drive my daily commute, also the fact that I get to travel through some of the most amazing scenery in the world every day
• My mom hired a "wedding woman" to make sure that my wedding is wonderful.
• I got really confused about which job I was supposed to do for cleaning checks because Mana secretly cleaned the bathroom for me.
• Our delicious Sunday Dinner last night,
• and the fact that I fell asleep after it and when I woke up the dishes were all done, the kitchen was clean and my lunch was packed
• My dad going to work all day, doing a night of tithing settlement and then driving to Vegas to pick me up at 11:30pm
• The big bag of Chex Mix from the Clarks sitting by my side
• Getting a refund from my car insurance and not stressing about having a car anymore
• I have a ticket to Forgotten Carols on Wednesday and it's on the mainland, so I get to see all my family.
• My family meeting Li's family in a couple of weeks
• Finding a place to keep my stuff over the break
• I'm still pretty stoked about my not-so-new laptop.
• Going to the beach with Li as soon as he finishes his test
• Jack Johnson
  
• . . . . .
  
  

I love my roommates with every fiber of my being.

A few of my current house mates. Everyone is Asian in our house but me.

I will miss them!!

House party at Haleiwa Eats (with a few adopted roommates)

My new roommate cooking me dinner one night;
we have a lot of fun in the kitchen!

I was thinking about how after Li and I get married I won't have any more roommates. I started thinking back about all the roommates I've had over the years. To the best of my recollection I've had 39 roommates (well, really, house mates) since I moved out of my parent's house. And I can add 8 mission companions to that list. I have been so blessed to live with so many motivated, inspiring, spiritual, fun, AMAZING women. All of them have influenced me in profound ways and I'm really grateful for them all.

Having said that I am excited for my new roommate! I'll just leave you with one example of why I think he'll be a good one......The other day he took the sponge out of my hand and started scrubbing my greasy dishes from making my dinner (he didn't even get to eat any of the food) and said, "Get out of my kitchen, you're the breadwinner in this house."

Which came first: gratitude or the blog?

Well, I am pretty sure that people were giving thanks long before the advent of the blog but it is a question I have pondered the last little while. I read the blogs of all my friends (and I must confess, all of their friends. Hey, I've been unemployed and bored for a long time!) and I find myself getting jealous of all the wonderful things that happen in their lives. Everyone seems to lead these amazingly exciting lives. They all seem happy and deeply grateful for everything that happens around them. I wonder.....are there lives better than mine? Or are they just more grateful than I? My life is actually pretty good, so my guess is the second. Which then brings me back to my first question....do people create blogs to express gratitude or does gratitude increase as we blog? Either way, I give in to the peer pressure - I want a blog of my own!!