Greg and Michelle...

Advertizing on the internet was still quite new, so part of my job was to find out how guests heard about Hale 'Aha. The Bockelmans generally advertized in B&B directories, Home and Garden type magazines, Christian magazines like Christianity Today and Moody Monthly.

So, when Greg and Michelle arrived on their Honeymoon from Florida, it was a novelty to discover they'd found us on the net. Greg works full time with computers, so it shouldn't have been a surprise.

But the surprise was when everybody gathered for breakfast, and Bob asked if it would be all right if he asked the Lord's blessing on our food. Greg's mouth dropped open! "You mean this is a Christian Bed and Breakfast?" He couldn't believe it. Then he told us of their wedding, and how when they arrived at their hotel that night, their reservation had been cancelled! But the manager "bumped them up" to a first class honeymoon suite, with a jacuzzi tub in the middle of the room, and baskets of fresh flowers everywhere, and wedding decorations to add to their celebration. He knew that God was doing something special for them. Finding out that this B&B was owned by Christians was like icing on the wedding cake.

The following morning Herb fixed breakfast. He asks guests to guess what the surprise ingredient was in his special dish. It's a wonderful concoction of leftover bread, eggs, cheese, milk and cinnamon, but the unusual taste comes from some orange juice. I took a picture of him serving it to Greg and Michelle at the "honeymooner's table," a little table for two that we use when there's more than 8 people to serve.

A day later, Herb and Ruth left for California for their vacation. I didn't realize it until putting their photos in my album, that Greg and Michelle were the last guests Herb served at Hale'Aha. He died suddenly from a heart attack, after a wonderful Thanksgiving reunion with their family of 8 kids and 20 grandchildren.

Greg and Michelle have kept in touch with us, via email and Christmas cards. When Greg had business in the Bay Area one time, Bob arranged for us to meet them at a cute hotel in Sausalito for breakfast. Michelle was feeling queezy and hoped it was because she was pregnant. And not too many months later their son Gabriel was born. Another time, Greg visited in our home in Sunnyvale and our daughter Joanne and Scott were here from Colorado. Nice to have some of our family meet friends we made on Kauai.
Then, one more time, he and Lee, an associate, met us in Sausalito for breakfast. Our son David was visiting us from San Diego that time, and it was fun to hear the guys all talking computers, and about their faith in the Lord.

Afterwards Greg had to shop for some little gifts to bring home to Gabriel and new little sister, Victoria Rose. And a cute sweatshirt for Michelle. I saw one I should have bought for Bob. The sign on it said, "Now don't make me have to stop this car and come back there!" When I showed it to Bob and David, they howled with laughter. That was a rather common phrase when our kids were growing up.