Pearl Harbor Museum and USS Arizona

About a month or so ago Alex and I decided to head down to Pearl Harbor to see the museum and the memorial. When we got down to base we found out that the Pearl Harbor museum and the USS Arizona memorial tours are free, so we will most likely go back. We started out by going through the Pearl Harbor museum. Now you can get the audio tour for I believe $5.00 but we decided to walk through on our own.

Walking through the museum reading all the displays really opened my eyes to what really happened that tragic day of December 7th, 1941.

As we walked through the museum I learned so much more about what led up to the attack on the island of Oahu. I learned about Japan's expansion into Asia and the Pacific.

We were able to read about how Admiral Yamamoto planed his attack on the USA to take out America's battleship row and severely damage the Pacific fleet.

The next part of the museum was the saddest, it depicted and explained the damage that was inflicted on Oahu.

The Japanese were able to cause so much damage because of a couple different reasons.The two that I remember the most are that nobody knew that they were coming. Their planes were detected by US forces but they thought the inbound planes were US planes returning to Pearl Harbor so no preparations were made for the incoming attack. Second, the Japanese had aerial torpedoes. 

We next went to the USS Arizona tour. The tour started off with a 30 minute movie telling the sad story of that tragic day. It took all my strength to not cry my eyes out. I will never be able to forget the pictures and the videos that were in that movie. After the movie was over we took a boat over to the USS Arizona memorial. 

When you first get to the memorial you walk into a flag room.

One side of the room has flags representing the ships that were bombed. 

The other side of the room has flags for the branches for service, the American flag, and the Hawaiian flag. As  you walk to the middle of the memorial it opens up on each side so you can look down into the water and see the USS Arizona...

The last room is called the Shrine Room. In this room, inscribed on the walls, are the names of everyone killed on the USS Arizona. A total of 1,177 marines and sailors died on the USS Arizona and only 105 bodies were removed, the rest will forever call the USS Arizona home.

I lost it in this room. I couldn't stop crying. It was such a humbling experience to read all the names of those who lost their lives. I will NEVER forget how I felt reading those names and standing in that room.

In the water were memorials for other ships that went down. There were more memorials for other ships that were hit that day but we were unable to see them. We finished up our trip that day with a walk through the reflection garden and a trip to the book store for some reading material. 

I just want to say that I am proud to be an American and extremely proud to be married to such an amazing marine. And I also want to say that those men who died that day are missed and they will never be forgotten.

Zoo fun!

This past Sunday Alex and I went to the Honolulu Zoo with some great friends Danita and Jesse and their little girl Evy! It was the perfect day to go to the zoo, it was supper sunny and warm. Saturday night it was pouring down rain and the power kept going out so were were surprised to see the sun when we woke up. So after packing on the sunscreen it was off to the Bennett's house then off to the zoo!

When we first got there we had to do some aggressive parking spot hunting but after ten minutes of driving around Jesse was able to get us a great spot. When we walked in we were greeted by a little garden filled with pink flamingos, ducks, two black swans, and what we called hunched back birds.

Next we were off to look at some exotic birds. My favorite had to be the Kookaburra!

The next exhibit was for Alex...the komodo dragon! This was one big lizard!

Next we got to look at some big kitties! They tigers were just beautiful! They were just walking right up by the fence for some great pictures!

Alex's favorite part was the giant Galapagos tortoise. They are like walking boulders! Its hard to believe that these big guys can live to be over 100 years old! I wonder how old these guys are...

Just down the path we saw some adorable lemurs and other primates. The lemurs are just too cute!

Up next were some gentle giants. There were two elephants in the elephant exhibit but they will be moving soon to their brand new exhibit in a different part of the zoo (it is still under construction though).

Now the last thing that I was able to get a picture of before my camera died was the spur-thighed tortoise. These love birds have been at the Honolulu zoo sense the year Alex and I were born (and had over 200 babies!).

There were quite a few more adorable critters there but I was unable to snap a photo due to a dead camera. But we plan to go back again and I'll make sure I charge my camera!

Its days like these that make me smile and think about how happy I am with my life and how lucky I am. I have a wonderful husband who will walk around the zoo with me and watch me go nuts over the cute critters with a smile on his face. I have good friends who are a joy to go out with and are such sweet people. Thank you Alex, Danita, Jesse, and Miss Evy for a wonderful Sunday!

The Lord's plan...

I have always heard the saying that the Lord works in mysterious ways and this weekend was a testament to that. This past Saturday I lost our baby. I had just found out a week earlier that I was pregnant and Alex and I couldn't have been happier but our happiness was short lived.

On Saturday morning I woke up at 0800 with some slight bleeding. I got all worried but decided to not go to the ER if it stopped and it did till about 1030 and that's when the cramping started. So it was off to the ER. When we got there we got all checked in and they did blood work and an examination. They told me to come back on Tuesday when the lab was open and get more blood work done and get another examination. Just as my amazing nurse, Mona, was coming back to take out my IV I started to have excruciating stomach pain to the point I was in tears and couldn't stop crying. They pumped me full of liquid morphine and did another exam. I had a miscarriage right there. After monitoring me to make sure the pain meds worked (and oh did they work!) I was sent home with more pain meds and told to come back on Tuesday for the blood work and exam.

At Tuesday's trip back to the hospital we learned it was in fact a miscarriage.

Through all of the pain, both physical and emotional, Alex has been wonderful. I could not ask for a better husband and best friend. He has been my rock in all this mess and I can't thank him enough for being so perfect. Thank you Boo!

I am sad that I lost my first little angel. And at times all I can think is "I want my baby back" but I know in my heart that the Lord has my baby now for a good reason. I don't know what that reason is and I sure wish I did but I know the Lord would not have taken my baby if it wasn't necessary. And with the Lord's help I know Alex and I will get pregnant again when the time is right.
This is a verse my Grandma Heitkamp showed me a long time ago that really helped us through this tough time and many more and I hope it can help you too, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" Philippians 4:13.