Hawaii and Kiva

Well, we just returned from Hawaii again! It is rough having to go to this beautiful state two times a year for work. I flew out early and went to college fairs and school visits on Oahu. Then Chris and I met up in Maui. We ate lots of great food - mainly fish. On the first full day there I visited three schools while Chris golfed. Then we had a great experience there - we took a drive on the north end of the island where rental cars are not recommended to drive. It was a windy road hanging over cliffs and at times was only dirt and one lane. It provided some great views of the ocean, mountains, and even some giant waterfalls that we could only barely get a look at. The drive was so wonderful and the best hidden find that we had. The next couple of days were mostly relaxing at the beach and aside from a few bumps in the road it was a great trip. Although we enjoy traveling, it has been fantastic to be home.

On a completely different note we wanted to mention that we are often looking for ways to help those in need. There are many charitable organizations out there, but sometimes it is hard to determine the best programs to give to. In addition, we find it more difficult to give when there really isn't an opportunity to be involved. A friend of ours recommended this amazing website - www.kiva.org. The organization is essentially operating micro finance loans over the internet. You get to look at the business plans and profiles of entrepreneurs and then choose which ones and how much you would like to loan. You can even view our profile to see what we decided to lend to - http://www.kiva.org/lender/christopher3595. We highly recommend Kiva! If you have any questions about how to get involved, just let us know.