On March 28, we celebrated our 41 years on Maui.

We were young kids with a one-year-old baby, eager to fit in and raise a family. The only friends we knew were Tony Montez and Ronnie Miranda, who came here for surf. And, as luck would have it, Ronnie picked us up next to the Charley’s Juice Stand on Front Street and took us for a ride to Honolua Bay. The waves were cranking and wow! What an awesome sight – mother nature in full glory.

We got the opportunity to buy our first home in 1976, when Maui Land and Pineapple developed Napilihau. They relocated their employees from Honolua Camp and had extra inventory. We got the call and were so scared and yet excited. We picked our lot, they built the home, we moved in and joined the community.

We found that with hard work, determination, a steady job and the discipline to save money, we could plant roots in Paradise. Thank you, Maui, for embracing us into your ‘ohana.