Kaua'i Hawaii

This August Josh and I were lucky enough to join Josh's family in Hawaii! We stayed at a wonderful time share Marroitt suits on the Poipu Beach.  It was gorgeous with 3 pools and you could walk right out onto the beach from the pool back to the beach and end in the hot tub!

We had so many adventure on the trip we were able to go visit all the best beaches on the Island, some incredible views, swim under a waterfall, hike to "secret local spots', snorkel, boogie board,  and even go on Zip-line tour.   

 Our First beach visit

 They call this the Mini Grand Canyon

During the Trip we attempted to get a Family photo ha ha lets just say by the end we were really restless!

We went on a Zip-line tour, It was so cool! It was at the location where Jurassic Park was filmed! It was gorgeous!

 The last zip-line was a jump into a waterhole so much fun!

This is the hours sign at Jo Jo's snocones

                                     

So its not a real trip unless someone gets hurt, since I sprained my ankle on the cruise, it was Josh's turn. The second day we were out on Poipu Beach, right before we were all going to go change for dinner. Josh decided he would fit in one last Boogie Board run. Josh is a bit of a daredevil, he will go out farther to than the average "fish" to catch a big wave.

Unfortunately, Josh was slammed down with a wave, He landed on some coral. He felt a pain go up on his left big toe. But didn't think much of it, he spent a few more minutes in the ocean and then decided maybe he should head back. We see Josh walking up the beach with a little limp.

He shows us his foot and we see a Black rock thing on his toe, It looked pretty painful. Josh didn't want to ruin the fun so joined the "pool party" for a half hour until we all were ready to go upstairs.

I have a theory since Josh has grown up with his Dad being a Dr, he has been a little less worried about injuries. For example he has had stitches over 13 times, Which I have been all fixed up by his Dad.

So we go up to the hotel room and really take a good look at his foot. Brain says he thinks it was a Sea urchin. He notices Josh has multiple pieces in his toes. The one in his Big toe was the worst one, we thought it was a little pebble, but as Brain used his tweezers to remove it out of Josh's toe, he just kept pulling it out.  It ended up being a Half an Inch!! Poor Josh he had to re-bandage it everyday, and since we were in Hawaii, those band-aides got pretty sandy, It was pretty funny!

Josh was a good sport and did well with his many band-aides at the Beach 

This is a normal occurring for the Bradshaw Boys, They all took turns posing at the Pool.

This was a "secret spot" that locals go to, we technically trespassed :) There was a really fun HIGH rope swing that we used to jump down into the river.  

That tree behind me was so rad and jungley 

We visited a naturally heated hot spring on the rocky ledge of the shore line. Its called queens bath and was so beautiful! and fun, the waves would randomly rush in over the rock and bring in some cold ocean water.

Josh enjoyed risking his chance of jumping to a rocky landing. Thankfully there was one little spot where there was deep water. 

DO YOU SEE THE ROCKS?? Oh and look oh Blue it is :)

Snorkeling!!!! At the Place where that famous surfer got her arm bit off... were we worried? Naahhhh

 We were lucky enough to see tons of sea turtles! We were able to follow them around , they were so nice and majestic! There is nothing like swimming behind a sea turtle and seeing the world from their point of view!

This is the most amazing view I have EVER seen in my life. The picture doesn't even do the view justice. You may not realize it, with us sitting there, but right by the edge is over a 1,000 ft cliff. Kristine and I were getting nervous when the boys kept leaning over the edge for a "better look".

SO sad when we had to leave :( One last Hawaii Sunset. Not only did we have to say goodbye to Hawaii But also we had to leave our family until December :( We were so grateful that Josh's family let us tag along, we will forever be thankful for that wonderful fun family memory :)

Our Moving IN Experience

                                                              

So after we had two days of apartment searching we settled in on an apartment at Legacy at Mayland. It is very nice. We were very excited to find the apartment and get our furniture quickly moved in before we left for Hawaii... DUN DUN DUN the moving company fell through- like we could of never expected.

They told us while we were booking the move that they would store our stuff in Richmond, so that once we found our place we could call them and it would just take a few days notice to get our stuff to our new home. Well, Josh calls them and they inform him that it will be about 7 days. Which would still give us about 6 days to unpack before the trip...The whole time that this is happening all we have is two camping chairs and an air mattress, we went to the movies once just so we could sit in a chair with real support.

6 days pass and we call them again, "OOps" they said looks like your stuff didn't make it on the truck. Josh asks them What truck?? They inform him that not only did they not store our stuff near Richmond they stored it in CALIFORNIA of all the places??? Isn't that back tracking??!! Anyway they said they will try their best to get the stuff there before we leave.

NOPE we call them a few days later and are informed that they still haven't even moved it from California and we were leaving in 2 days.  So we have to ask a Sweet girl from our new ward to unlock our house, while were gone. We felt so bad asking someone else to do it. Thankfully they were really nice to her and they moved everything in quickly.

So now we fast-forward to us getting home from Hawaii, Our Airplane took off at 9pm on Saturday night and landed in VA at 5pm on Sunday- YES we were tired! This is what we came home to. YAY- One last unpack before we are done.

First thing we do set up the bed, we had not slept on our own  soft wonderful bed for over a month and a half! It took Josh only 7 min flat to set up the bed. Can you tell we have moved 7 times? that means we has setup/taken down that bed 14 times in the past 2 years!

We had some funny things happen while unpacking. While having some friends over for dinner, when all of the sudden we hear a huge CRASH!! Early that day I had gotten our entire closet unpacked I ran to the back room and this is what I had found!

The first thing I said was  "Ooo we need to take a picture!" Everyone in the other room laughed. It only took a day for the management to come in and fix it, thank goodness.

 

Another sad accident happened during the move, one of the few pieces of furniture that I brought that was really special was this little granite table, that was my mothers... We had VERY CAREFULLY Packed it up. We unwrapped it and found this-

 I couldn't help but tear up for a few seconds but then Josh reminded me that it was just a thing and that what is more important is my memory of my mom. He always knows how to cheer me up I smiled and said  "how can you break granite?"  We laughed because we both knew that our exerience with these movers was so annoying that we weren't surprised. It was just disappointing, why couldn't they have broken my cheap $30 mirror instead?

So after a couple of weeks here is the final product-

Living Room

"dining area"

Josh's study/ prison- No really he said he really likes his new desk and he can study there for hours at a time- and I mean HOURS!!!

THE EARTHQUAKE

You would think that after living in Utah my whole life I couldn't say "I have been in an earthquake" Until Yesterday! I was sitting in my living room looking for jobs online when all of the sudden I thought there is something wrong with the plumbing pipes? then the rumbling got louder and I started to feel  the whole house shake and the ceiling fan was swaying around.

I started to FREAK OUT! I first thought go to a doorway! And thought I wonder if it's just my house shaking I look outside people are running out of their homes and the branches on the trees were shaking. I then rode the rest of it out on my balcony which Josh told me later was probably the most dangerous place I could of been OOOPS!

After it stopped I immediately called Josh I couldn't get through to him at first he called me a little later and told me that he was fine. His version of the earthquake is even funnier. He was walking outside from one building on campus to another, while walking across a bridge he thought hmm this bridge is really shaken and her recalled later feeling a little nauseous. Josh been the logical man he is justified the shakiness on the bridge was due to all the cars driving across it. Me on the other hand jumping to the worst case scenario was like EARTHQUAKE!!! Usually Josh is correct when it comes to these things but for once my "over reactiveness" was right.

Turns out we were apart of the strongest Earthquake on the East coast since 1897.... It was a 5.9, which is strong enough to rattle you and do some minor damage. See how close Richmond is to mineral YAY us! About 50 miles away from the center.

 I read on KSL, a few piece fell of the DC temple :(  Anyway if you wanna read more about it here is the link. It was definitely a fun adventure- oh and there is a Hurricane warning this weekend. The Bradshaw curse is following us! http://www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-08-23/Rare-earthquake-shakes-and-shocks-Eastern-Seaboard/50114870/1

Moving to Virginia

We are happy to report we officially reached Virginia. Since then we have found our apartment! It only took us two days to find the right one. We got a great deal on it.


So for our road trip we wanted to keep things interesting we kept a travel log of all the random and boring moments of our trip. Warning its really long don't feel like you have to read it all, but we did have some funny moments, enjoy. :)

Travel Log- road trip to Virginia

Friday departure- orem: 12:43 pm -

1:01pm We're missing the mountains already, deer creek is the highest we've ever seen it. And our plant is already dying. We teared up when we said good bye to grandma and grandpa and Liz. It was hard to say goodby to our parents and siblings last night. We're curious how long this travel log will last.

2:06 pm  stopped for lunch, at Evanston, WY, Josh wanted wendy's surprised? Me neither . Julie went to subway. Got gas

2:40 pm- on the road again, 2:42- stupid construction down to one lane, more trucks then cars ughhhh. 2:54 pm out of construction

3:07 pm-windmills! Tons of them. ... Another subway they are everywhere! There are More of them than McDonalds

4:03 pm- getting tired of little America hotel billboards! ...17...18...19 they seem to be the only ones out here.

4:23 pm- officially finished paying old  apartments utilities, canceled all billing services, man we're feeling productive this road trip. officially disconnected from owing Utah money!  Oh and the clouds look like the Toy Story movie wall paper.

4:30pm-Julie keeps thinking the clouds far ahead in the horizon are mountains... Wishful thinking, oh no little America Hotel sign # 20!

5:12 pm- stop at rawlins WY Josh and I gotta go... We gas up too.

6:25 pm- Little Am 24..25... And Josh has to go again!? We're not stopping yet though.

6:40 pm- Laramie WY, gas up... Too many stops it WY , saw some army dudes and trucks, fort collins may be the reason. Our poor plant is already dying just 6 hours in the car :(

7:30 pm 34, 35, 36, 37, finally passed the little America hotel, that was anticlimactic., oh 38  ughhh...

8:00 pm- entered Nebraska planning on 8 hours of corn fields!

8:57 pm Sidney Nebraska, we had originally planned on spending the night here but about an hour ago we decided to press on. We stopped for KFC dinner.  We tried to charge the iPad for the whole five min we were in KFC picking up our food... Didn't make a difference.

9:25 just passed an exit Sign that read Julesberg , and Oshkosh... Get it Julie and Josh ?

                                    Aonther sign we saw YA Bradshaw!

10:00pm- by the way bugs, humidity and windshield wipers do not mix... we can't see anything and have to pull over!

10:45 pm North Platte. just arrived in North Platte, NE.  Julie is definitely ready for bed. After checking a few hotels, decided to stay at motel 6 for 60 bucks, but they only had a smoking room available. Thank goodness for febreeze!

11:43 pm now switching to Nebraska time... 12:43 am!  Goodnight

Saturday departure- North platte, NE 10:30am

10:30 am- after walmart, and McDonalds we're finally on our way. We bought a 'solar charged' battery for the iPad. We're going to have a science experiment!

10:48 am.  lesson learned 90mph in a 75 mph will get you a ticket in NE :( $123.00 down the drain....

12:32 pm Yup there's still corn here. Jamming to Eltton John, Josh has a really good falsetto voice :)

1:25 pm Lincoln NE, Finally leaving I-80! Josh has started to shout out random phrases to the other cars... I think it's Julie's turn to drive.

1:54 pm- we both gotta go, but we still have a half tank of gas, we're determined not stop until we need to fill up. We'll see who gives in first, winner gets a back rub!

2:30 pm I -29 in missouri / Nebraska is closed!? Can we say a  52 mile detour? On the bright side, missouri river is should be should be beautiful.

2:40 pm our detour is also closed! Have to go on a detour from our detour.

2:51 pm our detour to our detour is also closed, how many roads can they close at once!? Our guesses:
       1. the Missouri river is over flowing
       2. Missouri is under government lockdown or
       3. The states construction workers are intentionally sabotaging our trip
                                                   the bridge that finally got us across the Missouri river

3:10 pm - Still not back on our planned route. Were enjoying the back road. There are random street signs that say 'pass with care' Josh has taken this literally and waves and smiles warmly at everyone we pass.

3:15 pm  We reach falls city. OH NO the detour to the detour to the detour is closed!!! But thankfully there is a gas station, where we get directions... hopefully the directions they gave us do not include a closed bridge or something... side note: the 'gotta go' contest ended with a tie.

3:29 pm- we enter Kansas

3:43 pm- Hiawatha, Kansas.  Stop at McDonalds for lunch.

4:25 pm- Julie takes over the drive.

4:37 pm- we enter Missouri

4:43 pm- finally... Back on track. Found the I-29.

5:23 pm- Stopped at the future Kansas City, Missouri Temple. It's right next to the freeway and we both saw it from about a mile away.

6:29 pm- Josh made several appointments to look at new apartments on Monday.. Didn't we just do this a few months ago? Most of the apartments we found online belong to the same company - UDR.  Good or bad?

6:50 pm- We have definitely been in the car too long.  Julie is reading every sign we pass.

7:12 pm- Just passed a Chevy's.  Josh can still taste it.

7:16 pm- Josh is signing out to try to take a nap.

8:49 pm Julie sees a chick-fila, she exits the freeway immediately,
 Guess it's time for dinner.

9:23 pm Josh takes the wheel.

9:30 We pass the St. Louis temple! The moon is blood red weird, oh and we just saw a sign that said the freeway we're driving on closes up ahead. Looks like we're going to have another detour adventure. Maybe Utah's construction wasn't all that bad, at least they never closed an entire highway.... sorry bad picture we were driving way fast.

                                          
 

9:40 pm st louis -We are forced off the highway and roam around st louis. josh loved it because  it reminded him of 'Joberg', on the other hand I was not as thrilled. We pull up to a sketchy looking gas station, Josh goes in to ask how far the constructions lasts on the highway. I lock the car door and pray for my life. Josh has little success getting any information from the cashier, she was to busy flirting with the guy behind him.  all she could say to him was "i dunno", while pulling out of the gas station a couple of girls that looked like hookers got out of the car next to us.

9:50 pm hooray google maps and josh's map skills we have found a way back to the highway let's hope that section is open!

10:00 pm on the bright side of things we saw the famous arch! And enter Illinois.

10:07 pm I never thought I would be so happy to get back on I-64! Almost to our hotel in Mt Vernon, IL 55 miles until sleep :)

11:04 pm Arrive at Mt Vernon, IL- time to sleep at the Americas best value inn, $51.00 including breakfast not bad. Hopefully we make good time tomorrow and get all the way to Richmond!

Sunday 8:08 am- depart from Mt Vernon, IL

8;23pm Josh just informed me that he saw our first cockroach this morning in the bath tube. Yuck, and so it begins the bugs of the east. I guess it's time for me to get over my fears of bugs, maybe that's why we're supposed to move to virginia.  We saw on the news while eating our breakfast that there was flood warnings for the Missouri river, that's why we had so many detours.

8:36 am- The scenery here sure beats Nebraska and Kansas.

9:00 am enter Indiana

9:10 am- Julie takes over the drive so Josh can take a nap

10:14 am- We realize that the sacrament meeting we were hoping to attend in Louisville is already happening because halfway through Kentucky, the time zone changes.  Ugh.  So we are now officially on Eastern Time:  11:14

11:19 am- still looking for another ward that meets at 1:00.  There is a YSA ward... ?  Maybe we could pose as a soon to be married couple traveling across the country together and staying in the same hotel room... innocent enough?

11:26 am- more road construction.  At least the freeway is still open.

11:34 am- I'm making note that Julie has told me 7 times that we need to go to a waffle house.  Guess what we are doing for our first breakfast in Richmond?

11:44 am- Just crossed the Ohio (maybe) river and entered Kentucky

12:00 pm- Josh takes the wheel

12:37 pm- After much struggle and effort to try and get to a ward we came to the realization that we would not make it to church :(

1:00 pm- We are still not even close to Lexington where the ward is, and there is an awful storm so bad that we actually had to stop because we could not see. I hope we don't crash!

1:27 pm- Lexington, kentucky. Stopped for gas and Fazoli's we were sick of fried food.
1:45 pm- The storm returns, Josh has to pull off to the to the side again, he used that opportunity to quickly finish his lunch.


2:24 pm Josh "have we updated the thing lately?" Julie " what is there to say?"

3:15 pm- Entered West Virginia, it's becoming prettier every mile we get closer to Virginia we hope it stays that way. There are rolling hills with nothing but GREEN. We just booked our hotel in Richmond on hotwire, it was only $44.00 a night for a awesome 3 star hotel! Beats the 1 star hotels we being staying at the past few nights and we paid more!? What's up with that we love you hotwire dude on the phone.

4:51 pm 100....

5:20 pm- Julie takes the wheel

6:02 pm- JUST ENTERED VIRGINIA!!!

6:30 pm- Julie seems pleased enough with Virginia.  She noticed that their construction cones were shinier and newer than all the cones we saw along the way.

7:15 pm- caught in stop and go traffic. Eish

8:15 pm- still caught in stop and go traffic. We have only moved 5 miles.

8:40 pm- out of traffic!!! Finally!!! There was a bad accident. There was even a hazardous materials response team... So we lost about an hour and a half there. Dang. Oh well.  Richmond, here we come.

8:46pm-Quick pit stop, Josh takes the wheel.

10:30- hooray Richmond! The hotel is really nice looking!


We had a lot of fun. We are planning on starting to move in our things on Thursday. We are really excited and we hope we can move are things in quickly and get settled before we leave for Hawaii!