The Hawaiian word of the day is
Ho'omana'o.
It is anniversary.
Today I celebrate SOS Aloha's third anniversary. Achieving this milestone would not be possible without:
- Mary Gramlich (at this link) for encouraging me to make the leap into Bloggerland;
- Terry (at this link) for teaching me how to post pictures and hyperlinks;
- Rhonda Penders from The Wild Rose Press (at this link) for donating 200 books in October 2010. Her generous gift took my six-month-old blog to a new level.
I also appreciate the readers, authors, publishers, and publicists who gave me the opportunity to share my voice in Romanceland.
This anniversary brings me to a crossroad. As my blog grew, so did my inbox. Keeping up with my inbox has been a challenge while my husband has been away in Korea. And the biggest challenge is yet to come in July - we are moving to Baltimore for my husband's next assignment. I am sad to leave Hawaii but look forward to the new opportunities on the East Coast. To facilitate the move, I am taking a six month break from SOS Aloha. My last post will be April 1.
Of course I want to keep my big toe in Romanceland, so I will be a guest blogger with Mary Gramlich at marygramlich.blogspot.com. This gives me more time to review books while herding my kids to our new home. I will still post pictures on ALOHA ON MY MIND (at this link) even after I move as I plan to take the Aloha Spirit with me.
In honor of my third anniversary, I am giving away a book choice from my convention stash. To enter the giveaway,
1. Would you like to live in another city?
2. This giveaway is open to all readers.
3. Comments are open through Saturday, March 9, 10 pm in Hawaii. I'll post the winner on Sunday, March 10.
Mahalo,
Kim in Hawaii
That's a big move! I wish you luck and keep you and your family in my prayers!! Happy 3rd Blogoversary!!
ReplyDeleteI've already lived in other cities and I think I'd rather stay here, my hometown, than move anywhere else.
Happy 3rd anniversary.
ReplyDeleteIf you asked me that question 2 1/2 years ago I would have immediately said yes, because I didn't feel comfortable where I lived. But nowadays I live in a rural area and love it, although I still want to live in the US.
Happy Anniversary!!! I'll miss your daily blog but I totally understand that family always comes first.
ReplyDeleteMy dream is to move to Jacksonville, FL when we retired to be closer to my sister and also warmer weather.
Happy Anniversary!
ReplyDeleteI've only lived in one place and I like it here. This is where my family is. I wouldn't want to move.
I'm glad we will still be able to visit with you on Mary's blog!
Happy Anniversary. We will miss you! Good luck on the big move. Will look forward to you posting again!!! I've always wanted to live on the east coast. Somewhere maybe Maine. Thanks for sharing with us!!!!!
ReplyDeleteHappy Third Anniversary. Moving is a challenge and I wish you the best of luck. I would like to live in the foothills of the mountains in any of the east coast southern states.
ReplyDeleteHappy anniversary! Such big news. Will miss you! Glad that we'll still see you on Mary's blog. :)
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted to live in Paris... Now if only my French is better. :)
Happy Third Anniversary to you Kim. I'm really going to miss your blogs, but I wish you and your family all the very best. I hope that you will like living in Baltimore.
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to live in a little English village in a rose covered cottage, overlooking fields, meadows and gently rolling hills.
Happy Blogoversary! Best of luck for the future and for your move! I'm glad that you're doing what you need to do to facilitate your move. Put you and your family first... We'll still be here when you get back :) I will definitely miss all of the great posts you create but I look forward to your triumphant return!
ReplyDeleteI've always wanted to live in a big city on either coast where you could walk every where and didn't need to drive.
Congratulations, Kim! And Happy Anniversary! The work you do for SOS America is so greatly appreciated. We'll miss you.
ReplyDeleteMoving is never easy, but I wish you all the best. Never been to Baltimore myself, but I've never heard anything bad about it, either. It'll be nice to be on the same continent with your hubby again. Take care!
Happy blogversary, I am happy & sad for you Happy its a new Adventure Sad you will be leaving a wonderful warm heavenly place, & then there is Our Alex & Scot, Daniel Grace, Masi & Taylor Sigh.....
ReplyDeleteNo Really Congrates on the Move having Your Darling Husband back where he belongs Beside you,
Have a good one Kim..
PS I did email you a few weeks ago thanking you for my Gift I love it, almost had it ripped out of my hand the other day at work .. one of the girls spotted it wanted to know where i got it.
She had a collection of compacts some form places she has visited others people has picked up for her as gifts.
Its Mine.
Ann/alba.
Happy 3rd Anniversary Kim. I'll miss you while you are taking your break, but will be happy to see you on Mary's blog, and I'll keep watch for the Aloha photos. You'll have so many new experiences in Baltimore. I was hoping that he would be assigned to San Diego, and we could hang out. Maybe the next one after Baltimore. I wish you all the best for your future, and the move. As for living in another city, I've lived in San Diego county my whole life, but living in Hawaii sounds nice to me. :)
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary Kim. I've loved your blog. I've seen Hawaii through your pictures.And I thank you. You'll definitely be missed but we'll still see you over at Mary's blog. :) Thanks for all the wonderful posts and books Kim.
ReplyDeleteCarol L
Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com
congrats on the anniv! :) I moved here after college thinking after a couple yrs or so I'd move back toward home. I've now been here longer than I lived back home & long enough to be considered practically native ;) can't see myself moving away from here anytime soon if ever. advance good luck on the move, I'm sure you'll enjoy being in the Baltimore-DC area (once you get use to the traffic craziness) as there's lots of great things about it. Of course, if next winter isn't as mild as the last couple have been, you could get blamed for it ;)
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogoversary to you. Wishing you many more.
ReplyDeleteTo answer your question, I have lived in a different city, different province for that matter, and still five years later found my way back home. They say home is where the heart is, and my heart belongs in Hamilton. I doubt I will leave again. :-)
Happy anniversary, Kim. SOS Aloha is one of my favorite blogs. I'll be sad to see it go dark for a few months, but family comes first.
ReplyDeleteI've lived in a few different cities and right now we maintain homes in two different states. So, yes, I could get used to a move. And good luck with yours!
Happy 3rd Anniversary to you, Kim!!!
ReplyDeleteGood luck on your move! Hopefully it won't be too cold for you. I am from the Northeast, so I know how cold it can get.
I now live in SW Florida, so I would not choose to live in another city. I love it here!
Thank you for sharing! :)
Hi Kim!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your 3rd Anniversary!
I'm so glad that you're moving to Baltimore with your husband's next assignment and I'll finally have the opportunity to meet you some day!
Whenever my husband and I travel from Rhode Island to South Carolina to visit our son and his family we always drive right through Baltimore! They have a wonderful aquarium tree that your boys will love! With Washington DC a short drive away you'll never lack for something fun to do!
Hopefully by the fall we'll be moving as well and hope to get our house on the market this Spring. The warm weather of South Carolina (and seeing our grandchildren more often) plus being 4 days without heat during the last blizzard made the decision easy to make!
At least since you're making a military move they'll pack everything up for you! I've already started trying to find "free" boxes for when we eventually make ours!
PS: Hope you're "convention stash" is getting whittled down or the movers are going to be in for a big "surprise" when they show up! Hope their brawny and strong!
Congratulations on your 3rd Anniversary! Kim, I have enjoyed this blog so very much and will really miss you for the next 6 months, but completely understand the need. I just wish you were moving closer to Texas. Good luck with all the planning, packing, and moving. Would I like to live in another city? Yes, I would. I miss being able to be outside and do more. God bless.
ReplyDeleteI'll miss your blog and meeting you at Nationals. But, there is always next year. Have a wonderful PCS. If I get up to Annapolis for the boat show, I'll give you a call.
ReplyDeleteHappy Blogoversary, Kim. Good luck with the move. I can see myself living in San Francisco or Hawaii.
ReplyDeleteKim, no one has a bigger heart who is so loyal to romance authors and readers. It was great meeting you in February in Hawaii and having dinner with you and your children. I know you love Hawaii and it loves you. The nice thing is, you can go back for visits from time to time :-). Thank YOU for all you do for us authors. I salute you. And welcome you back to the Mainland! If there's ever anything I can do for you, let me know. Warmly, Lindsay McKenna
ReplyDeleteHappy anniversary, Kim! Congratulations on being with your hubby during and after your move to Baltimore! It will be wonderful for you and the kids to have him home with you. I will miss SOS Aloha when you take your 6 month break. I will check you out at Mary Gramlich's blog though.
ReplyDeleteI have lived in KC all my life (61 years). There have been times when I have wanted to leave Kansas and move to the country somewhere. Maybe someday I will, but I doubt it.
Happy Anniversary Kim! Good luck with your move. I would love to live in another city as long as it has good weather. I enjoy finding new places to explore and new restaurants to eat at, lol.
ReplyDeleteHappy anniversary! Your blogs have provided so much enjoyment, and your kindness encouraged me to comment.
ReplyDeleteThe thought of new places is exciting. The reality of packing, daunting. Will be cheering you on during the ensuing months and looking forward to your being relatively close.
Happy Anniversary Kim! That's cool that you are keeping the name of your blog, because it is so cool. I hope you have a safe move. Wow, that's such a big move. Being military spouse, I just kind of go with the flow. However, I would love to move where there is more to do. I'm hoping in about 5years we will be able to go to Florida or back to Louisiana. I actually felt at home in Louisiana. However, I need to keep an open mind on whatever comes our way.
ReplyDeleteHappy anniversary! Good luck with the move! I'd like to live in another city.
ReplyDeleteHappy Anniversary. We'll miss you while you're away, and good luck on your move.
ReplyDeleteActually, I would like to live in another city. I already tried it once, moving from Garden Grove (Orange County), California to Orlando, Florida. While I like Orlando, I miss the west coast and would like to be closer to my friends and family. Eventually I will move back, but probably to the Portland/Salem, Oregon area.
Oh Kim I hope it all works well for you. You're amazing. We will miss your beautiful pictures of Hawaii. Growing up we moved a lot. That made moving with the military easier. When we went to Germany we stopped in Florida to see some friends we used to live next door to here in Killeen. I cried so hard when we said goodbye and headed for Charleston, SC. I never saw them again. We kept in touch via letters and things but lost track after we returned. Today is easier with Facebook, blogs, twitter and all the other things. It wil be a nicer move in the summer than in the winter. We retutned to Texas in November lol. I didn't think I would ever be warm again. I cried when I left Hawaii even being from Texas and technically going home.
ReplyDeleteWe'll miss you while you're gone. Hope the move goes well and that you like your new home.
ReplyDeleteI'm happy where I live, and my mother, children and grandchildren are here, so I wouldn't choose to live anywhere else.
Kim I am so happy for you that you will be moving soon and be together again as a family! What a blessing to be able to meet so many friends in Hawaii (there or online). I hope your move goes smoothly and that you adjust to the east coast. I will be looking for you on your return!
ReplyDeleteAre you going to keep the blog name? SOS Aloha?
Happy Anniversary!
ReplyDeleteWe'll miss you!
I'd like to move.
Happy Anniversary but I'm really going to miss you. If I was with the people I cared about most, I could probably live anywhere but I'm happy where I am. I would be sorry to leave Hawaii but your new place will have your family together again and that's what's important. And think of all the new places you'll get to explore! Looking forward to you still being here for the next few weeks and then whenever you can at Mary's!
ReplyDeleteHappy blogging anniversary! I would love to live someplace else (someplace warm would be great!) but I would have to have my family with me :)
ReplyDeleteWe will miss you during your blogging break but hope that moving and getting settled in goes easy.
Happy any to u, great blog, and pic, good luck
ReplyDeleteKimh
Happy anniversary & we'll miss you when you take your well deserved break.
ReplyDeleteI'm quite happy where I am & I don't like change much.
Happy Anniversary, Kim! :)
ReplyDeletePlease don't enter me as I've won several from you recently, I just wanted to pop in and wish you and your family well with this move. I imagine you will miss Hawaii and it's beautiful land and people but I'm also sure you will be happy in Baltimore too. I have loved following you here and will miss your posts but will be here waiting when you find you can return. :)
(I've been to Baltimore once.... I didn't visit anywhere but the airport and remember well how I felt as I watched Sean walk away to that plane taking him to Germany. I know you understand that feeling.)
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!
ReplyDeleteI would actually love to live along the coast.
Moving can be exciting. I always enjoy it.
Just wanted to drop by and say how much I appreciate all you've done for my books, my career, and for all writers you've featured on this marvelous blog. Kim and crew, you make a huge difference to us. Best of luck with the move. Hugs! Kathryn Johnson, aka Mary Hart Perry
ReplyDeleteThree years!! Congrats!! and moving to Baltimore !! I'm glad to know that you'll continue to post lovely Hawaii!! But oh, the opportunity of history via Baltimore!! You'll continue to have wonderful seafood options!!!
ReplyDeleteHowever. there was the time my sister & BIL were all set to move to Germany from Japan...and got the word as departing for leave.. oh yes, your orders have been changed to England...three years of very strange looks with that new car without the right-hand drive...
Happy blogverary!
ReplyDeleteKim - you are an amazing lady! I've always been amazed at how you can keep up with all the blogging and reading...even after I've watched you in action! Bummed that I didn't get to HI in time for us to hang out, but it's a small world and I know I'll see you again. :) Mahalo for sharing your Hawaiian experiences with us - I've enjoyed them all. All the best as you and your family transition to your next new adventure on the East Coast. I know we'll stay in touch... Jo
ReplyDeleteAt this time of year I am very tired of the cold and gray winter, so I wouldn't mind living somewhere without snow (tho I might miss how pretty it can be).
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your 3rd anniversary. I recently discovered your blog and I love it. I have never been to Hawaii and I get to see so much through your blog, thank you. I live in California, but maybe Hawaii would be a nice place to live. I do have some distant family there.
ReplyDeleteHappy 3rd Anniversary.
ReplyDeleteI now lived in another city, don't mind at all
Happy 3rd blogoversary! Congrats on the move. I will be anxiously awaiting your blog to start back up, I love it. In the meantime, I signed up for Mary's blog. Good luck. I would love to live in another city, but my husband would never move from here!!
ReplyDeleteBest of luck to you and yours.
ReplyDeleteI will miss your Hawaiian lessons and postings. But you will likely find a way to make Maryland seem exotic and interesting too. Good luck with it all.
Happy 3rd Anniversary! Your blog is always a pleasure to visit. Good luck with your next move. I think it would be exciting to move to a new place but that is not something that we will be doing any time soon.
ReplyDeleteMy goodness! I want to say congratulations on three years. I want to say have a happy move, Baltimore is a big, fun place. I want to say I'll miss the blog for the next six months, but completely understand. I want to say, *BIG HUGS!*
ReplyDeleteHau`oli la Ho'omana'o! To many more years of amazing blogging and book sharing. Maholo for your awesome blog the last 3 years!
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