Our Aloha Adventures!

As most of you know Shawn won the Psi Chi (the International Honors Society in Psychology) Florence L. Denmark Faculty Advisor Award.  The award is given yearly to recognize the top Psi Chi faculty advisor for outstanding service to their chapter and to Psi Chi overall. In our family’s opinion, Shawn definitely deserved the award!  Also, the University of Central Arkansas chapter of Psi Chi was recognized with the Ruth Hubbard Cousins Annual Chapter Award.  It is very rare that these two awards are given to the same chapter in one year.  One of the perks of the awards is that Shawn received an all expense paid trip to Hawaii to receive the award at the annual meeting of the American Psychological Association.  I didn’t want him to be bored (or to be without a chaperone), so I sacrificed and went along with him!  Laura’s husband Matt felt the same way.  Laura also received an all expense paid trip as UCA’s President of Psi Chi for the chapter award. 

We stayed in the DoubleTree by Hilton Alana Waikiki Hotel.  It was a great location.  We were close to Waikiki beach and to the Cheesecake Factory…what more could you want?  Here are some highlights from our trip…

Day 1:  Exploring

We decided not to schedule anything our first day in Hawaii as you never know what adventures you are going to encounter during your flight.  Our travel ended up going very smoothly.  The first part of the day we spent at the APA/Psi Chi conference where I visited with several publishers and Shawn attended a couple of talks.  The afternoon we spent time walking in the International Market place followed by a walk along the Waikiki beach.  The ocean is so blue…..pictures just don’t do it justice.  I braved putting my feet in and, before I knew it, a wave snuck up and soaked me!  We had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory with Laura & Matt.  Our dinner was good …… but the S’mores cheesecake was superb!  (Shawn still holds that the Mango Key Lime pie is better, but he is wrong!).

Day 2:  Pearl Harbor
We woke up bright and early and did a Pearl Harbor Tour.  We first visited the USS Missouri, aka “The Mighty ‘Mo”.  The Mighty Mo was the last battleship ever constructed by the United States. It is also the only ship in the naval fleet to have fired her guns in World War II, the Korean War, and the Persian Gulf Wars. Most significantly, however, was her role in bringing the Second World War to its conclusion; the Empire of Japan formally surrendered to the United States on her decks on September 2, 1945
Our tour guide was a recently retired Navy man named Ernie.  I wish everyone had the opportunity to have him as their tour guide; he definitely made the experience very powerful with the passion he felt and the reverence he had for the history.  

Next we visited the USS Arizona Memorial.  This memorial is built over the sunken wreckage of the USS Arizona, the final resting place for the 1,177 crewmen killed on December 7, 1941 when Japanese Naval Forces bombed Pearl Harbor. The memorial is part of World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument.  Visiting the memorial is a very sobering experience.

Shawn said it best with his facebook status after our visit.  “Pearl Harbor is such a great reminder of the atrocities of war and the valor of the human spirit. Thanks to all the service men and women who have served our country.”  The tour was a truly humbling experience that left all of our hearts filled with gratitude. 

That evening we attended the PSI Chi Awards.  Psi Chi put on a great reception.  Afterwards we found some ice cream and listened to music at the Hilton Hawaii Village.

Day 3:  Polynesian Cultural Center Day Tour

The day started with a scenic tour of Oahu. We were able to enjoy Diamond Head, Hanauma Bay, the Pali Lookout, Dole Plantation, a drive along the North Shore beaches, a quick view of the LDS Temple in Laie, and ended at the Polynesian Cultural Center.  One of my highlights was the Dole Plantation….they had the best pineapple ice cream….mouth watering. 

Once we got to the Polynesian Cultural Center we were able to explore the various cultures celebrated in the various villages.  We attended the Luau.  Shawn was very excited to see the pig ceremony.  Their was an evening show, “Ha:  Breath of Life” which is a symbolic story of Mana and his beloved Lani, punctuated by Polynesian dance, music, & fire dances.  It is so fascinating to see these different cultures!

 Day 4:  Temple and North Shore

We decided to live it up a little so we rented a black convertible for the day.  We drove up to North Shore.  We dropped Matt & Laura off at a beach for some snorkeling and sun.  Shawn & I drove up to Laie and attended a session in the Laie temple.  As much as we enjoyed our vacation it was nice to take time out and feel the peace of the temple.  The temple was very beautiful both inside and out.  We met back up with Matt & Laura and beach hopped while Shawn & Matt snorkeled around the various bays.  They claim that they swam with a “huge” sea turtle, but neither Laura nor I can confirm this so we are assuming it was like when we say that we saw a “huge” spider in the bathroom.  Laura and I enjoyed relaxing and chatting on the beach.  We ended the night with a little more s’mores cheesecake (Shawn did the red velvet cheesecake and, again, erroneously believed that he made the better choice). 

Day 5:  Snorkeling and dolphin watching.

Our next adventure was a catamaran dolphin and snorkeling adventure.  The captain only had to go about 10 minutes from the harbor to find a playful pod of spinner dolphins.  It was so much fun watching the dolphins swim and play.  We even saw a couple of baby dolphins and one giant sea turtle. 

The snorkeling was not my favorite part of the day.  I did get out of the boat (into about 30 feet of water!) and spent about 40 minutes watching the fish swim below me.  Shawn was more adventurous and snorkeled around the reef and away from the boat.  He claims that I was able to see all the same fish that he saw out on the reef, but I have a feeling he is just trying to encourage me so that I will go snorkeling with him again on our next trip.

The end of the day we enjoyed watching the sunset on the beach…and a little more cheesecake (chocolate chip cookie dough).  After this we enjoyed a firework show and then listened to music at the Hilton Hawaiian Village.

Day 6:  Aquarium

Our last day we braved a 2 mile walk to Leonard’s bakery.  Throughout our visit we saw their pink little boxes and heard people rave about their Malasadas.  These are Portuguese doughnuts without a hole.  They were absolutely delicious!  We also enjoyed a nice visit to the Waikiki aquarium. My favorite part was the Hawaiian Monk Seal.  There were 2 of them on exhibit.  One sunbathed but the second one was in the water spinning in a circle over and over.  Shawn enjoyed the jellyfish exhibits.  Finally, we enjoyed our last walk along the beach and a final frantic search for the last couple of souvenirs.  Our flight left at 8 PM that night. 

Day 7:  Reunited with our Trio

Our vacation to Hawaii was truly fabulous.  We made many wonderful memories.  However, I was SOOO ready to be reunited with my trio!  No matter how much fun we have away from them, we have so much more fun with them.  Special thanks to Nana, Papa, Aunt Heather, Aunt Becca, Uncle Cade, and Aunt Andi for taking such good care of them.  And they absolutely loved the time spent with their cousins!

(Found this when I got home.  We let some a young couple from our church stay in our home & she left this for them.  She is so funny!)

Wizard of Oz

Ashlin & Jeron had their last performance of the Wizard of Oz last night.  It was bittersweet…….we will enjoy having a little more free time but also a little sad they will not longer be performing.  This was a great learning experience for them and I feel very blessed for the opportunity they had to participate in the Wizard of Oz.  I am incredibly proud how hard they worked and the effort they put into to doing their very best.  Ashlin came home last night and despite being exhausted wanted to write in her journal.  The entry brought tears to my eyes.  Another glimpse of her sweet spirit through her writing. 

"Dear Journal,
Yesterday my journey to the emerald city has ended. I wish it was longer! Here are some journeys I've gone on along the way. I found courage in myself to stand up to an audience no matter how big or small. I've learned to follow the path to your destination and make the best of friends along the way. Last, I've learned to think about others and help out. Yesterday I met my goals and got to the Emerald City. This goes to my amazing director Kristen Sherman And all the cast and crew. Mrs. Kristen is the scarecrow who makes all the wise choices. Mr. Johnny is the Tin Man who cares from the bottom of his heart that we make the best of  our ability and shine like a star. Last, but not least there is Mrs. Amber who has courage in us kids.  Most of all I think this has brought me and my brother (Jeron) closer together.
                                
Sincerely,
Ashlin"

I hope they call me a nerd!

This past Thursday was the Psi Chi Induction & end of the year banquet.  Shawn did a fabulous job organizing the event.  It was truly a nice evening to celebrate the hard work and outstanding productivity the department and students have had this year. 

My dear friend, Amy graciously watched the trio for the evening.  She even volunteered to bring them back to our house at bedtime (a huge blessing….we were exhausted).  On their drive back to our house Amy looked back and noticed Jaxon did not have his hearing aids on.  She got a little nervous that he had left them at her house and he said, “No we left them at our house for the evening.”

Then Ashlin mentioned that sometimes the kids would make fun of him at school because he wore hearing aids.  Amy asked Jaxon if this was true and he said, “someone called me a nerd once.”  Amy being the great friend she is told Jaxon being a nerd isn’t bad at all.  Nerds are very smart and make lots of money.  Ashlin joined in and said, “Nerds definitely make lots of money.  The person who designed the Kindle is a nerd but he is rich now.  At this point Jeron speaks up and says, “I hope someone calls me a nerd.”  

Never a dull moment with my trio!  I love the moments I get to see their unique perspective on life!

 

5 Years of Hard Work Paid Off

Shawn has put much time and effort into building a great PSI CHI chapter since we have arrived in Conway.  This semester the chapter won a very prestigious award in large part due to these efforts and the mentorship he has provided students that shared his PSI CHI vision.  

Our family is so proud of him and the many accomplishments he has earned during his UCA career. 

PSI CHI CHAPTER WINS CHAPTER AWARD 

 The UCA Chapter of Psi Chi, the International Honor Society in Psychology, is the 2012-2013 winner of the Ruth Hubbard Cousins Chapter Award. The award will be presented at the Psi Chi/American Psychological Association National Convention in Honolulu, Hawaii in August. This award is given annually to the one chapter that best accomplishes Psi Chi's mission. The award recognizes the chapter's accomplishments over the past five years which include: five consecutive Model Chapter Awards, a Regional Chapter award, a Regional Advisor Award, and over $30,000 in grants, fellowships, and awards to undergraduate and graduate members. The chapter will be awarded $3,500 and a plaque with the chapter's name, advisor's name, and chapter president's name as well as travel expenses for one chapter officer to attend the convention to receive the award. "We are extremely proud of the hard work and dedication from our faculty advisors and student leaders. We are honored to be the recipient of the 2012-13 Ruth Hubbard Cousins Chapter Award," said Laura B. Horton, UCA Psi Chi chapter president. "Over the years, our chapter has experienced a steady increase in membership, and our faculty and students have received numerous national grants and awards." The UCA Psi Chi Chapter was notified in March about the award. The email from the Psi Chi central office in Chattanooga, Tenn., read, "The Psi Chi Board of Directors takes pleasure in informing you and the University of Central Arkansas Psi Chi Chapter that it is the winner of the 2012-13 Ruth Hubbard Cousins Chapter Award. We congratulate you on the outstanding accomplishments which brought this honor to your Psi Chi Chapter. You will stand as a role model to which our other chapters can aspire." The UCA Psi Chi chapter was founded in 1970 and has inducted 773 members. Minimum qualifications for membership include completion of at least three psychology courses and a cumulative and psychology GPA of at least 3.00 and a GPA in the top 35% of the candidate's class. "This award is a well-deserved acknowledgment of the hard work and dedication of UCA Psi Chi members. I especially thank Psi Chi Advisor, Dr. Charlton, President Laura Horton, and Vice-President Paula Simon, for making Psi Chi such a strong organization," said J. Arthur Gillaspy, chairperson of the Department of Psychology and Counseling. 

 Psi Chi, The International Honor Society in Psychology, was founded on September 4, 1929, during the Ninth International Congress of Psychology held at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. The Society's purpose is to encourage, stimulate, and maintain excellence in scholarship, and to advance the science of psychology. Psi Chi is one of the largest honor societies in the world. Since 1929, Psi Chi has installed more than 1,090 chapters and inducted more than 500,000 members at colleges and universities in the United States and Canada. These chapters not only recognize academic achievement by granting membership in the Society, but also sponsor programs that augment the regular curriculum, offer service to the campus and the community at large, develop leadership skills, and provide fellowship through affiliation with the chapter. 

A glimpse into Ashlin's journal....

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Today for Jaxon's birthday we took the trio and some of their friends to see Wreck-It-Ralph. It was a very cute movie with a great message. We were so busy we didn't get a chance to talk to the trio much about the movie. But, nothing gets past Ashlin. She sat down this evening and wrote in her journal. Afterwards, she shared it with me. "Wreck-It-Ralph reminds me of sin. You are Wreck-It-Ralph and Fix-It-Felix is God. You might make a mistake and break something but when you repent God is there to fix it." Ashlin is wise beyond her years. She has such a sweet testimony and teaches me more than I could ever begin to teach her.

Jaxon's 7th Birthday!

Today is Jaxon's 7th birthday! I can't believe how time flies! It seems like just yesterday the doctor was handing this precious bundle of joy into my arms. Jaxon adds so much personality to our family. My heart is full of gratitude to my Heavenly Father for allowing me to be his mother. Here are a few of my favorite Jaxon snapshots!