Aloha!!! We eloped to Hawaii!

It's Valentine's Day and we flew our over-worked butts across the Pacific to the paradise isles for some much needed sunshine, sushi and relaxation.

And . . . oh, yeah . . . and we got married, too!

Konichiwa Sushi lovers

It's bachelorette night and we all went out to Honolulu's premier sushi restaurant where all the Japanee eat. Gohan tabemasu?

The other special aspect of the evening was the full-service women's toilet with multiple water features. You have to sit on it to believe it cause this suckah had buttons for front, back, warm, hot and extra vibrate.

Dawn on Lanikai Beach

Dawn on one the most beautiful beaches in the world. It's Valentine's Day, a gorgeous morning and we couldn't dream of a nicer setting to get married.

I do, I do, We do, cause that's how we do

The ceremony was a melange of our favorite cultural wedding traditions. First, we received a Hawaiian blessing from Father Lane of Molokai. Then our Kahuna Kurt led us through our Buddist vows under a Chupah (jewish tradition), followed by the 7-steps blessing (Hindu), complemented by the Christian ring exchange. Of course, we modified the 7-step blessing a bit by toasting with champagne after each of the seven steps (stumbles). The ceremony climaxed with the breaking of the champagne flute. Cause that's how we do!

Friends on the beach

We want to thank some very special people for making our wedding on Lanikai Beach the best wedding ever in the entire universe. Although we eloped, some people felt the need to invite themselves to our top-secret commando ceremony and for that we are especially grateful. Special thanks to Roger, Belinda, Andrea, Shelly, Mark and Bruddah Skinney for making the journey to be with us. Super-special thanks to Renee for bringing us together time and time again through our breakups, hardships and tough times. And extra-super-special thanks to our friend and kahuna Kurt who made the spiritual journey to enlightenment in order to marry us.

Legal Loco Mocos

After the wedding, we took everyone out for hawaiian breakfast. That's Loco Moco, spam, rice eggs, portagee sausage and mimosas. Then it's off to Honolulu to file the papers and make it all legal. Hoooooo, you know dat!

More delicious wedding photos

Ebony and Ivory!
Awwwwwwww!
Couple in paradise
Lanikai, Kailua

Happy Birthday Mau-mau

We took a birthday expedition up to Everett, WA to visit Neal, Carolyn, Malia and Makena. We took the snowmobiles up into the mountains on a search for Yeti. We found beer and chicken, no Yeti. Maureen got so drunk she flipped the snowmobile. Fortunately we had three nurse practitioners to save the day, although one was buried under the snow most of the afternoon.

Getting "busy"

While we were out of the country it seems as though, some of you were keeping it real and getting "busy" last year. Welcomes going out to Rowan, Johnson, Cassandra and Aiden. God bless the religion of all those mother's wombs!

Winter Fun on the Hood

For Christmas, Santa got us snow shoes so we've been up in the snow whenever we get the chance. It's so purty here! It's a winter wonderland! It's so amazing to live somewhere that has all four seasons! These lovely photos of Mt Hood were taken buy the Portland Pigeon, (aka K-Dawg)

Autumn on Cannon Beach, OR

Yes, that is the world famous haystack in the background.

And yes, it is much more impressive in person.

And yes, we are talking about the landscape in the background and not Don's head.

Morocco Peace Corps Reunion

The west coast contingent of Peace Corp Maghreb arrived in PDX for the world famous Portland Marathon. Mau and Mike had great times and even qualified for Boston . . . not! It was great getting some of the gang together.

Boys of Bumbershoot, Labor Day '06

Hawaii Kai's finest skank their way through Seattle's finest music line-up. The boys were flying high until a rent-a-cop made them pour out the beers they smuggled.

Grrrrrrrr, just like in high-school.

Wedding in Buffalo, Summer '06

Congratulations to Colleen and Bob! We traveled all the way to Buffalo, NY for the festivities with the McHale Family! Colleen was a beautiful bride and the wedding and reception was fantastic! Hmmmm Buffalo wings and Canadian beer, eh?

We hear there is a little one along the way soon too!

Home sweet home

Hmmm, ah ah ah

So, we are offically residents of Oregon driver's licenses and nursing licenses and all! Soon we'll even be employed! After a year of tiny hotels and guesthouses we landed in a ginormous yuppie condo situated on the banks of the Willamette River, next to the world famous Broadway Bridge and minutes from Sasquatch's section-8 condo across the street. We even have wild geese and ducks pooping on our sidewalks that we wander down to the music and beer festivals that happen every week here.

Summer '06 announcements:

Happy birthdays going out to Don, Kurt, Chris, Lia, Gail, Easy, Dad, Anna Eileen, Todd, Mom

Congratulations to James and Anna on their recent pregnancy!

Congratulations Colleen and Bob see you at the Wedding!

Congratulations Barry & Mary on your new baby bundle of joy!

Congratulations Kurt (aka Sasquatch) on your first US art exhibit Rake Gallery, Portland!

Congratulations Alicia and Evan on your engagement!

Road Trip

Since we've been home in the States we've spent our time finding a place to live, job hunting, discovering Portland and hanging with friends and family. Mau even made a trip down to New Mexico to visit her Dad and sister Eileen's family. Eileen and Mau then drove a moving van from New Mexico through Colorado, Utah and Idaho to Oregon. Here's a pic of Thelma and Louise in Utah.

Dante's house of Spanking

The next stop of the birthday party train was Dante's to watch our best friend and life partner Storm Large perform with her band The Balls. Storm invited Lil Donnie up on stage for some birthday (41) spankings. It was quite the spectacle. A month later and Don was still bruised. Yum.

Trash Can Joe's

Despite the earlier tragedy of the day we managed to celebrate Don's 41st birthday with lots of fun and ethanol. We started the evening at the Sixpence Pub listening to Lia's friends, Trashcan Joe's, a band that plays 1920s to '40s music on instruments constructed with trashcans. Quirky huh?

Gen got 86'ed from the Sixpence early in the evening for being young and rowdy. This second pic includes Kurt, his best friend and life partner Craig, Mau and the birthday boy Don.

Latourell Falls on Don's Birthday

We started Don's birthday off by visiting some of the local natural beauty of our new home town. Don, Gen and Maureen drove out to the Historical Highway to visit all the picturesque waterfalls. Here's Don and Gen at Latourell Falls, the first of 6 waterfalls. Latourell Falls is 249 feet, ain't no Iguazu but pretty nonetheless.

We didn't get any further than this waterfall because upon return to the car we found broken glass and discovered we were robbed. Mau's purse was stolen with her wallet, IDs, credit cards, phone, checkbook, journal from the trip, fingernail clippers and chapstick. After traveling around the world for a year and only having tiny combo locks protecting all our belongings it was ironic to return to the US and have a purse stolen from a locked car armed with an alarm. Isn't it ironic . . . don't ya think?

It was the beginning of a lovely birthday.

Welcome home!

Welcome home!
Originally uploaded by maujb.

We made it home May 3rd and we were warmly welcomed by the Upton-Fiser Clan. It was quite a three week celebration while we stayed at the Fiser estate. It's great to have an entire year's worth of family time after being away for so long.

This great photo was taken by the young master Kai (7 1/2 years old). Photography is in the blood.