A Week in Paradise

Aloha again!  I'm getting off my feet for a bit, with my Hawaii coffee mug of hot cocoa, to document our trip.  I am getting so close to being caught up... phew!  So, if you would like to escape the cold and come away with me to warm, wonderful Hawaii, here are pictures from our trip to Hawaii for a week!  This post is lengthy (as in lots of pictures), but it was a monumental trip for us, so feel free to look at our 'scrapbook' of pictures, if you'd like!

The trip held a lot of firsts for us.

First airplane ride

First morning- waking up in Hawaii

First time in a swimsuit

First time seeing whales!  Two of them jumped out of the water when we were on the beach, and I was shocked by their enormity, even from a distance.  We saw whales on several occasions, and learned it is a really good time for seeing them.  They come up from Alaska to give birth.

We drove 40 miles to visit Parker Ranch, only to discover it has been closed for a year!  Apparently, there hasn't been enough interest. 

Daniel and Liza rented a car with us and we took turns cramming in the back.  We decided to forgo naps on the trip, so the little keikis caught an occasional nap in the car or just screamed (Paytay and Jules).  So sorry, Daniel and Liza! :)

We savored daily walks,

incredible beauty,

reading at the condo,

and family devotions on the lanai.

This little girl grew a ton on the trip and soaked up all the new surroundings.

We also hiked, snorkeled, kayaked, surfed, played paddle ball, and built sand castles. 

It is good to be home, but I really, really wanted to stay!  Olivia told us that she was going to stay at the condo when all of us went to the airport and be the 'condo lady'.  She said she would take care of it until we came back.  Me too, girly!

For my own recollection, Julia took her first real nap in her crib yesterday (she has previously slept in her moses basket, on my chest, etc.); she has also outgrown much of her newborn clothes- she's wearing 3 month now.  It marks a new season and is a reminder how fleeting the newborn stage is.  I am pulling on my jeans and t-shirt and feeling a bit more like myself (even with 10 more lbs of baby weight, but the rest will come off slowly for breast feeding!)... it goes too fast! 

Mahalo for sharing this experience with us! 

Aloha and Love from Hawaii!