over the moon: our honeymoon in hawaii (part one)

day one on molokai...

we were literally the only people on this two-mile beach

on the far west end of molokai
breathtaking

a little windblown, but loving it

tim thinks this looks like a verizon ad

can you see the little yellow + black striped fish?

they were everywhere in the tide pools

super old, gnarled trees in the park

that bordered the two-mile-long beach

the halawa valley river ends in the ocean here

on the extreme east end of molokai

this is looking out toward the ocean

halawa valley -- looking up toward the mountains

my husband, flaunting his pectorals

at the halawa inlet

it's so green + gorgeous there

the view from our condo's balcony

the kalaupapa peninsula

the amazingly weird + ancient-feeling forest
up near the kalaupapa overlook

you can't even tell where the ocean ends + the sky begins

looking down a sheer cliff to the black sand beach

on the mountain top

kalaupapa overlook

we went out to the overlook twice in one week
and must've taken about three thousand pictures there

sitting on the wall at the overlook

the phallic rock

yes, we were there.

we went ocean kayaking + snorkeling

this is lisa about to disappear into a mangrove tunnel

the mangrove tunnel -- it was spooky + totally amazing

resting in the shade of the ancient fish pond

we happened to be there for the annual

women's outrigger race from molokai to oahu

women come from all over the world

to row 40 miles of the most treacherous spans of open ocean on the planet

we got up way early to drive to the far side of the island

to see the start of the race

this is taken at the harbor where the race started

a panoramic view of the harbor

it was way fun climbing around on all the lava rocks,

exploring the tide pools,

searching for sea glass... we could have stayed all day!

being married

yeah... it pretty much rocks. i was emailing with my sister, melody, the other day. she asked me how it was being a newlywed. this was my response:

newlywed-dom is heaven, mel. i just teared up. gosh... so sappy!

but good Lord, i did not know it could be like this. i'm so grateful. so amazed. so breath-taken with God's kindness. so in love. so loved. i can hardly believe this is ME. this is MY LIFE.

last night, we stayed home + did laundry + worked on putting things away + watched episodes of lost intermittently. we laughed + talked + laughed some more. we fell asleep in each others' arms. i am SO happy.

we went to saturday night service at the church we've been visiting. it was a decent service... but the thing that blew me away was how close i felt to God + tim at the same time. it was so intense that i'm not even sure i can describe it. it was like i could feel God loving me + tim loving me + God loving me through tim. it was almost overwhelming. but so whole + peaceful too. at one point during the music/worship time, tim took my hand + looked down at me. and the look he gave me said, "i know what you're feeling. i'm feeling it too." and we just started crying.

i know it probably sounds really overly-emotional + dumb. but it was real. and i'm still sort of shaking my head over the whole thing. becoming one with Christ and with one another is so incredible + terrifying + so deeply, deeply good.

yes. i am in heaven on earth. which isn't to say that everything is perfect... it's not. we're not. but He is. and somehow, in His grace, that's enough.




also, i just wanted to say that we got the best photographers in the whole. wide. world.

cory + tamrah were nothing short of amazing from beginning to end.

i was going to try to post some of their work on the blog, but i couldn't get the images to translate to blogger... i'm far from savvy when it comes to these things. ANYhow... check out their blog site:

http://ctryan.com/blog/2009/10/02/lisa-and-tim-wedding/

and even if you don't want to look at pictures of us... visit their blog. they are SO talented. we will be using them to photograph every special occasion until they decide to retire. we are HUGE fans.

also...

as of last night, tim + i are the proud owners of two tickets to paradise. tim did all the research + planning (that's my boy!). as of 9:30-ish on the morning of 9/21/09, we will be on our way to molokai!

also, i have to say that i did not expect to enjoy planning a wedding as much as i have (and am!). working on a tight budget only makes it more fun... because it means being even more imaginative.

i've had much help + support so far. BIG HUGE THANKS goes to janell roth. she is a genius + has helped me flesh out my ideas. she's also been fantastically tactful when i've suggested something completely ridiculous or tacky. i am so blessed by her friendship + willingness to share her ideas + time.

more BIG HUGE THANKS goes to tim for being so long-suffering + chill as i have changed ideas about thirty thousand times. this is the difference between introverts + extraverts: if tim were planning the wedding, he would gather + sort ideas quietly, in his own head for weeks + weeks + weeks. then when he finally had everything settled, budgeted, + arranged, he would talk about carrying out said plans. i, on the other hand, feel the need to discuss every. single. idea. ever. possible. as it occurs to me. out loud. but tim has been a major trooper, + therefore, deserves major props. i give them willingly. you rock, baby!

yet more BIG HUGE THANKS goes to my honor corps of wedding engineers: bridgitte, melody + kimberly, who act excited about everything (even if they couldn't care less), who are supportive beyond reckoning of my flights of whimsy + imagination, who are amazing friends + sisters, all. i love you, ladies!