It has been almost a year since my last post. Between work, kids, school, and life in general I don't seem to have the time to write anymore. The one thing I enjoy doing more than anything else and I can't find the time to do it. Classic!
We just returned from a wonderful week in Hawaii with the kids. It was so relaxing and wonderful to have eight days away from work and the everyday demands of cooking, cleaning, laundry, homework, and bills. Of course the bills never seem to go away, but it was nice to not have to think about any of that for a just a few days. The weather was wonderful. We had only a couple of days that were overcast and a bit windy and few bursts of rain but nothing major that would keep us inside for any length of time. Our condo this year was upgraded to a three bedroom three bath on the top floor of the building we were in. The elevator number was PH for penthouse....I've always wanted a penthouse suite! That was fun. Cris and I made a conscious effort to climb the 8 flights of stairs multiple times each day for the entire 8 days that were there. By the time we got to the top of the stairs each time, we both had to stop and catch our breath before we could even open the front door. It was hilarious but also exhilarating. My butt cheeks are now much more firm now than when we left...LOL!
Now that Nathan and Gillian are older they managed to occupy themselves with games and the pool and sand and mom and dad were just plain in the way most of the time. The flights to and from Hawaii were on time and we didn't experience any major travel issues. Everything just seemed to flow smoothly which made for an even more relaxing stay. I of course managed to burn even with sun screen. Now that I'm home, I'm peeling everywhere, but at least I've had a nice one week tan. Good to get the base in place then later as the summer progresses hopefully I'll have some kind of glow.
On the trip we went to a magic show, horseback riding, a snorkel and whale watching cruise, kayaking, and a luau. Every event was really fun. The whale watching and snorkel cruise was to the island of Lanai, however the wind was so bad that day that most of the people on board the boat were feeling pretty sea sick even with medication. Cris got the worst of it and I managed to keep my lunch and get a little snorkeling in too. The kids had fun swimming but didn't snorkel. Erin learned to snorkel with our kayaking guide later in the week. He was the same guide we have had for the past three years on our trips. Erin was so excited because she was finally able to see the sea turtles and multi-colored fish under the sea. Grif our guide said he was so proud of her. She basically held on to Grif's kayak and he paddled it around the coral reefs so that Erin didn't have to worry about swimming and remembering to breathe through the snorkel. That's going to take some time to practice but now that she has the hang of it she will be a pro by next year.
We had dinner one night at the Maui Brewing Company which was great. The food was good but the beer was even better! I cooked most nights just to save money. Food is usually our biggest expense, so we try to eat most meals at the condo. The kids get tired of kiddie menus that only offers chicken nuggets, cheese pizza, and hamburgers. There is a huge Costco right near the airport so we stopped there and bought the bulk items that we would need for the week for breakfast, lunches, snacks, and a few dinners. The fruit in Hawaii especially the pineapple, mango, and papaya, and banana is wonderful. Thankfully the our family loves fresh fruit with every meal so keeping people satisfied was very easy.
We packed light with just a carry on item each and a back pack each. The condo had a washer and dryer in the unit, so we were able to do laundry if we needed to. The good part is that we spend most of our time in swim suits, so clothing was not an issue really. Also packing light made for going through airport security a breeze. We also were smart to check in online and print our boarding passes before ever getting to the airport. This saved a ton of time and no long lines. The only line we had to wait in each time was for the actual security check which moved quickly since we didn't have a lot of bags. I think each year that we have traveled to Hawaii we've learned a trick or two that helps things go more smoothly. Maybe that's why this year's trip felt so easy.
I've posted a couple of photos on Facebook already and will work to get the rest up shortly. I think most of the family and friends who read this are also connected to us via Facebook so I'm only going to post them in one place. I also use Kodakgallery.com so that I can order the prints I like and have them sent to me. I'll post a link for that site as well once I get all the photos uploaded.
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