12 Jan 2011 EllaVision: Ella and the Alphabet
Ella continues to make amazing progress each day.
She especially likes to practice speaking in front of the Web Cam.
The Web Cam allows her to see her mouth and tongue as she speaks.
Click play to see EllaVision.
04 Nov 2010 DragonVision: Olivia's T-Bone
Olivia is a shy and reserved little girl.
Some day she will make a wonderful wife for some lucky man.
We plan to show this video at the rehersal dinner for their wedding.
Click play to see DragonVision.
20 Aug 2010 Lucy Summits Olomana!
In just over 2 hours, Lucy climbed to the 1600 ft summit of Mt. Olomana.
It was quite an accomplishment, as there are numerous steep rock faces to be scaled.
Lucy remained cool and calm as she mastered each challenge along the way.
Accompanying Lucy was her Sherpa guide, Papa.
20 Jun 2010 Father's Day is Ella's Day!
A bouncy slip n slide is the best way to celebrate the day before Ella's birthday.
Every one had loads of fun... even Mama went for a few slides.
Shy at first, Ella was a wee terror before long.
Click the play to see the unsinkable Ella Bella on the waterslide.
20 Jun 2010 Slide'n with AlohaGentry
Click the image to the left to go Slide'n with the AlohaGentry Girls.
19 Jun 2010 Olivia's Rock Chair
The Gentry Ohana spent this morning at our "secret spot" beach.
One of our favorites... so secluded and the beach is just right for the girls.
Olivia - the master of all things dangerous - managed to find an adventure.
Click the play to see the master at work.
08 Jun 2010 Olomana Hike
Lucy and Papa went on a little hike yesterday, on the local peak called Olamana.
They climed about 2/3's of the way up the 1600' peak - just past a landmark they call "Lone Rock."
Lucy did a great job and led much of the hike.
More photos to follow soon.
28 May 2010 Papa turns Fifty!
Papa turned 50 years old today!
To kick off his mid-life crisis, Papa attempted to recapture his youth by climbing Olamana - the 1600 foot peak
in Kailua. Since he survived, Mama and the girls decided to show their love for Papa by transforming his workbench into
"Papa's Ono Shave Ice stand."
It's an AWESOME present. Thanks so much girls.
Click on the photo to the left to see the addional images.
17 May 2010; 06:20 Honolulu Standard Time
Lisa and Lucy are headed home from Seattle. They had a wonderful time at Cousin Kelly's
wedding and truly enjoyed getting to see friends and family again. A special thanks to Miss Debbie for her kind
hospitality - Your the BEST!. Follow their flight, Hawaiian 21,
by clicking on the image to the left.
16 May 2010 Mass at St. Philomena
Lucy and Mum attended mass and received communion at Saint Philomena
parish in Des Moines. "St. Phil's" is the Catholic grade school Papa attended when he was Lucy's age and the church where Papa received his
first communion. Olivia, Ella, and Papa are all excited for Lucy and Mum to fly home tomorrow.
16 May 2010 Flightline Fashion
Ella and Olivia headed out to the Kbay flightline to see if they could spot
Lucy and Mum's flight returning from Seattle. Other than some really cool radio controlled models, no planes were sighted.
Probably, because we were about 24-hours early. Lunch at McDonald's made up for the disappointment.
15 May 2010 Space Needle
Lucy and Lisa managed to take in the sights of Seattle this morning from
someplace other than Nordstroms (prayer of thanks from Papa).
The views from the Space Needle's observation deck were SPECTACULAR!
14 May 2010 New Slippahs
Lucy kick'n back at Miss Debbie's house in her new slippahs from
Nordy's. You Go Girl!
14 May 2010 Lunch at Nordy's
Having had a good night's sleep at Miss Debbie's,
Lisa and Lucy headed straight off to Seattle's well known shopping Mecca - Nordstrom's.
Since it's important to keep your strength up while shopping... lunch at Nordy's is a MUST!
Tah tah!
13 May 2010; 14:00 Honolulu Standard Time
Lisa and Lucy are "chocks away and feet wet" en route Seattle. The highlight of their stay in the Emerald city will be
attending Cousin Kelly's wedding on Saturday. Follow their flight, Hawaiian Airlines 22,
by clicking on the image to the left.
25 Apr 2010 First Communion
Click the image to the left to see the still
images from Lucy's First Communion.
25 Apr 2010 First Communion
Lucy received her First Communion today at St Anthony's in Kailua.
Mama, Papa, Ella, Olivia, Joy, & Hannah were all there to witness the glorious event.
We are so proud.
Click on the image to the left to view the video.
04 Apr 2010 Ella is the Paddleball Master!
Paddleball: the children's game we've all attempted. At first glance it appears relatively easy. However, it is a challenging test of one's hand-eye coordination, rhythm, and timing. Gabriella's a natural since she first tried it last year.
Click the play to see the master at work.
04 Apr 2010 The AlohaGentry RunAround!
Considering parenthood? We now understand the high pitched noise coming from Olivia is her normal natural tone. That said, both dogs and dolphin show up whenever she sounds off! Click play to see and hear "The AlohaGentry RunAround".
28 Mar 2010 Swing'n with AlohaGentry
One of the best parts about being a child is the huge amount of fun you can have with a very simple toy and your sister. Gabriella and Olivia are taking full advantage of their newly acquired mastery of the rope swing. Both girls are nearly fearless on the swing. Click the image to the left to go Swing'n with the AlohaGentry Girls.
20 Mar 2010 AlohaGentry on LOST Beach
If you've never watched the TV show LOST,
these photos will mean very little to you. However, for the rest of you...
The AlohaGentry Ohana found the LOST beach camp this weekend!
Click the image to the left to get LOST! Can you spot Hurley?
17 Mar 2010 Ella n Hannah
Hannah is one of Ella's Guardian Angels.
Jan 2010 AlohaGentry Images
January was a busy month for our Ohana.
Back to school and work after a GREAT Christmas holiday. Then there was the Carnival at
St Anthony's - it was a BLAST! And don't forget about the beach.
09 Jan 2010
Everyone has thier own style...
The video clip to the left captures
Olivia's style these days.
28 Nov 2009
Here is Olivia,
being...
Olivia!
Did we mention she is the third child?
We love you Olivia,
Papa, Mama, Lucy, and Ella
27 Nov 2009 While Mum was out taking advantage of the "After Thanksgivings Day Sales," Papa, Lucy, and Olivia went on a bike riding adventure. We rode from our home to the fire station, past Kalapawai Market, through Kailau Beach Park, and around Lanikai Loop. This was Lucy's first "long ride" - she did a great in all areas. Pictured right are Lucy and Olivia at the top of "Mount Lanikai," the highest point on our ride. Fore to aft in the background a kite surfer, Flat Island, and the Ulupau Crater on KBay Marine Corps Base.
15 Nov 2009 Joy, our "Ever So Resourceful" Mother's helper REALLY surprised us with a new "Tot Tag-Along" for her bike. It was an immediate hit with Ella, Olivia, and Mum! Big sister Lucy flew alongside as Joy's wingman throughout the evolution. Great Fun was had by ALL! Thanks Joy!
11 Sep 2009
Happy 50th Anniversary Russ and Sylvia
Russ and Sylvia celebrating their 50th Anniversary at The Halekulani on Waikiki beach with Nicola, Lisa, and Matt. It was a lovely evening and a good time was had by all.
04 Oct 1995 - 02 Sep 2009
Suzie
Today is a sad day for us.
Our beloved Suzie is now with God.
She was a devoted friend and companion.
Suzie, we love and miss you.
JFK Class of 79
presents
The Tom Miller Band
Some things never change!
JFK 79 Rocks!
15 Aug 2009
14 Aug 2009 - JFK Class of 79 Reunion
After nearly three decades Papa returned to Seattle and reunited with his classmates from John F. Kennedy High School. It was an amazingly fun weekend that went by too quickly. Click left to see the photos of the JFK Class of 79 Reunion
05 July 2009 Joy and the Jets
Mother's helper Joy, transformed her convertible into a stage for the hotest new group in Kailua,
Joy and the Jets.
21 Jun 2009 - Happy Birthday Ella
Hooray! Ella is FIVE today.
It is hard to believe the years could pass so quickly. We are truly blessed - she is happy, healthy, full of love, and a wee bit of mischief. Click left to see the photos of Ella's 5th Birthday party
22 May 2009 Ahhhhh...to be young and in Hawaii - what more could a girl want? Winter rains and blustery winds have finally given way to warm trade winds and sunny skies. Here Ella celebrates the return with an early morning walk on Kailua beach - before the heat of the day. Early in the day the waves are small enough for Ella to go wading - she LOVES IT!
Mother's Day 2009 Lucy's Mother's Day Note to Mama.
18 Apr 2009 Last evening Papa had the privilege of escorting Lucy to her first Father Daughter Dance. The dance was held at the The Officers Club aboard Kaneohe Bay Marine Corps Base Hawaii. Lucy wore a beautiful yellow dress, yellow hair band and white shoes that she and Mama had found for the occasion. After dinner and a few twirls on the dance floor, Lucy told Papa: "I miss my family." Once reunited, dancing resumed - this time in pajamas.
16 Apr 2009 Life in Kailua continues to be busy. Papa is still working long hours. Meanwhile, Mama and her crew manage to keep things ship shape and Bristol fashion. While most of the crew are happy enough, it seems there is always one who thinks SHE should be in charge. Pictured left is the famous mutineer, Olivia, a.k.a. Black Smoke.
05 Apr 2009 Yes, Ella and company are alive and well on Oahu. However, the lack of updates over the past two weeks is because the family webmaster has been putting in some serious overtime at work. Spring break is behind us and Lucy is back at school - her 3rd quarter report card was OUTSTANDING Well Done, Lucy! Ella is vocalizing more each day - often without the Passy-Muir or even covering her trach tube. As always, she is amazing. Olivia's personality continues to blossom. Having mastered cute, she has moved on to coy - Papa is virtually defenseless. Pictured left are Ella and Lucy dancing on the lanai at Camp Smith's Pau Hana.
22 Mar 2009 Running Jumping Laughing
Last week Ella received a Passy-Muir valve. Her bright purple Passy-Muir valve is a one-way valve that fits over her trach tube. It enables Ella to force air through her vocal cords and out her nose and mouth. She only uses it for short periods, as she is still getting used to breathing out according to God's original design.
21 Mar 2009 It's the weekend again... what happened to the week? Like military boot camp...the days are long but the weeks fly by! Lucy is enjoying the first days of her spring break. "Ella the Discoverer" figures out how to make a new sound almost every day. Her joy for life keeps us smiling. Olivia reveals a bit more of her outgoing personality each day - she is a real firecracker. God's blessings are all around us. Thank you for your prayers.
16 Mar 2009
Life on the driveway.
14 Mar 2009
What better to do on another rainy Saturday than pull your teeth out? Lucy is officially a "double-gapper" now that her other front is gone. In other news, Ella continues to do well and is vocalizing even without covering her trach tube. Olivia, our third ray of sunshine, is really getting the hang of signing - she now knows: More, Milk, and Bath.
13 Mar 2009
Today is Auntie Shelley's Birthday and we all wish we could be with her in Seattle to celebrate. Always one for a party, Ella offers her traditional birthday toast "may you have many more scoops this year" with her favorite - Breyer's Natural Vanilla. CHEERS!
08 Mar 2009
After surviving the gray rain of Saturday, Mum and Lucy managed to bag some fun in the sun on Sunday. Lucy had her heart set on kayaking across the lagoon with Mum, as well as doing some snorkeling. Papa, Ella, and Olivia have been busy with all sorts of fun activities. Olivia's favorite activities are climbing and disassembling everything. Ella continues to vocalize at every opportunity!
07 Mar 2009
Olivia's first sign is "more".
Somehow... I am not surprised.
Click on the image to the left to see the video.
07 Mar 2009
The weekend is here again and Mum and Lucy are off on a special Mother and Daughter adventure. Their adventure began yesterday afternoon when they headed off to the J.W. Marriott Ihilani at Ko Olina.. The photo to the left is Lucy (less one front tooth) in front of the baby hammerhead shark pond. Have fun girls!
06 Mar 2009
This morning Lucy said, "Papa, my front tooth came off of one of it's hooks!" Shortly thereafter, she managed to get it off of the other hook.
Lucy, we LOVE your winning smile!
06 Mar 2009
Ella is continuing to make more and more sounds each day.
The Doctors are pleased with Ella's vocalizing and have cleared her to continue
Thank you for your prayers. Click on the image to the left to see the February 2009 imagery library.
03 Mar 2009
Ella discovered how to say her first words.
Thank you for your prayers.
Click on the image to the left to see the video.
02 Mar 2009
After Sunday brunch at the J.W. Marriott Ihilani at Ko Olina, Ella and Auntie Wendy found this lovely fish pond full of Koi just off the lobby. Ella is wearing the new top that Auntie Wendy bought for her in the hotel gift shop. Thanks for the "blingy" top and the great brunch!
01 Mar 2009
Here's Ella, enjoying a wee lounge on the lanai lounger, after not so wee, Sunday brunch at the J.W. Marriott Ihilani at Ko Olina.
28 Feb 2009 When Mum is away, Papa lets his girls be a bit more adventurous. Mum is having a well deserved over-night break with Auntie Sally at the J.W. Marriott Ihilani at Ko Olina. As an extra special treat, Mum and Sally will be enjoying the Ihilani Spa - a proper "Spa Saturday" for all of Mum's hard work! While Mum and Sally are away, Papa is trying to keep things "shipshape and Bristol fashion." Thus far, the greatest challenge is trying to convince Lucy not to remove her loose front tooth til Mum comes home later today.
26 Feb 2009 God has blessed us greatly! It is great to have our family together again. The unique personality of each of our girls always brings us many smiles and much joy. Watching how they interact with each other is better than any TV show - especially since a new and interesting facet of Olivia's personality now seems to appear with each sunrise. Like each of her older sisters, she is a "happy riser" who greets each day with great enthusiasm and big smiles.
22 Feb 2009 Home at Last!
22 Feb 2009; 16:00 Honolulu Standard Time
Mum, Ella, and "Nurse Sally" arrived safely in Honolulu. Photos to follow. You can see the details of their flight, United 43 from Denver to Honolulu, by clicking on the image to the left.
21 Feb 2009 Mum and Ella departed Cincinnati today for Oahu. However, a mechanical problem on the aircraft prevented the landing gear from retracting to the "stowed" position inside the fuselage. When 90 minutes of in-flight troubleshooting (over Cincinnati) failed to resolve the problem, the pilot landed safely back at Cincinnati. Mum, Ella, and their traveling companion, "Nurse Sally" will reattempt to "fly the mission" tomorrow. For those interested in following the progress of their flight - click on the following links. They will be flying on UAL 5315 from CVG to DEN and UAL 43 from DEN to HNL. Any and all friends and Ohana are welcome to join us at 16:00 for their arrival.
17 Feb 2009 Ella's brief visit to surgery today yielded a wee bit of good news. For the first time, in a very long time, Ella's airway appears to be healing properly - normal mucosa growth and no "over-scaring". This improvement means the doctors will not be replacing the stent they removed from Ella's airway on the 11 February. While we are still a long way from saying good-bye to Ella's trach tube, these developments are most welcome progress. The image to the left is Ella caring for one of her favorite recovery-room nurses, Sandra. Sandra has survived multiple recovery-room encounters with Ella and is used to Ella's occasionally gruff bedside manner.
16 Feb 2009 The long week-end of waiting for the next hospital visit is almost over. Mum and Ella are keeping busy by taking many trips to the park - and a few shopping excursions. The big excitement during today's park trip was the appearance of a flurry of snowflakes - seriously exciting stuff for our little island-born menehune. Back on Oahu, Lucy and Olivia are keeping Papa on his toes. Click on the image to the left to see images from January 2009.
12 Feb 2009 Sometimes it is hard to understand why everyone gets so concerned when I go to the hospital. After all, I am almost five years old. I am a big girl and I can take good care of myself. Just look at me. I have my scarf and boots and warm clothes - Bear Grylls could learn a thing or two from me. I am the epitome of the modern young-woman in the big city. Nevertheless, thank you for your concern and many prayers. And please don't forget to leave me a message on the "Comments" page.
11 Feb 2009 Ella came through today's surgical procedure to remove the "stent" from her airway with flying colors. Mum was prepared for every contingency and did a great job at every turn. In fact, Lisa's attention to detail was so keen that she quickly realized the doctor's had mistakenly replaced Ella's 36mm trach tube with an over-sized one that was 44mm in length. Cool and calm under serious pressure, Mum, prevented further injury to Ella's airway by replacing the over-sized trach with a 36mm trach tube which she had in her emergency medical kit. Shortly thereafter, Ella's doctor admitted their mistake and praised all aspects of Lisa's actions. Well done Mum. Way to Fly the Mission!
04 Feb 2009 Ella has discovered how to walk on the tips of her toes. While this may seem a small feat to some, for those of us who remember what a "flopsy bunny" she was 4 years ago - It is truly amazing. We are so grateful to Ella's first Physical Therapist, Lilly, and to all the others who have helped along the way. Mahalo from the top of our head to the tips of Ella's toes!
31 Jan 2009 You will notice a change on the monthly imagery pages. The new format has full size images and navigation thumbnails on the same page. Adobe Flash Playeris required for the new format. Please let us know on the comments page if you like the new format.
30 Jan 2009 Gran and Grandpa arrived safely in Aberdare, Wales earlier this week. Initial reports from them indicate Great Granny Vi is doing "ok" but she is still in a fair bit of pain. Further tests and evaluations are ongoing to ensure she receives the proper care. Here in Hawaii we are getting ready to make another trip to Cincinnati with Ella. The doctors are scheduled to remove the stent from Ella's airway on 11th February.
22 Jan 2009 Gran and Grandpa arrived on Friday the 16th and were just getting settled in for well deserved vacation when word arrived from Wales that Great Grannie Violet needed their help after taking a fall. Although we don't think Great Grannie "Vi" suffered any serious injuries, at 96 years of age - recovering from even a small fall requires a little extra TLC. Gran and Grandpa are now back in Halifax and preparing to travel to Aberdare, Wales this weekend. Please keep Great Grannie Violet and her rescuers in your prayers. We love and miss you all.
20 Jan 2009 Gran, Grandpa, and crew visited the
Byodo-In Temple yesterday. The temple is a replica of a 900-year-old Buddhist place of worship in Japan. It is one of our favorite places to take our guests, as it is both unique and serene.
The majestic Ko'olau Mountain Range stands guard behind the temple.
19 Jan 2009 Four years ago today, the doctors performed a tracheostomy on Ella. They told us she would probably only need it for 6 to 8 weeks. They were wrong. Despite the challenges, discomfort, and serious pain that she routinely endures - Ella excels. Her zest for life and love of others is truly remarkable. She inspires both young and old to do more and complain less. Ella is the best person I know.
We love you and ask God to keep you safe.
