Hawaii

Our first two nights in Hawaii

Wow~ It seems like I was in Maui a year ago. We got home last Saturday morning early (hated the overnight flying) and I walked in to Taylor with a fever. On Sunday she was diagnosed with the flu. She has been SO sick and just returned to school today. Jake was diagnosed on Tuesday and he is back to school today and Caden was diagnosed yesterday. He and I are hanging out in a peaceful house today! So, I am ready to go back to say the least.



Our spot on the lawn


Our view laying out


One afternoon we saw this laying out. A mama whale and a baby whale!

While I missed my kids very much I had the best time ever. It was beyond relaxing and so beautiful. Michael and I took a hike to see the waterfalls but it was raining and they flooded and looked more like the chocolate river from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Thursday we went on a huge 60 ft catamaran sailboat and went whale watching AMAZING!!! We also snorkeled...well he snorkeled it was so cold! We realized quickly this was Hawaii's rainy season and had more cloud coverage than I would have liked. We got to hang out with our good friend Rhett from Virginia a bunch. He and his girlfriend will be coming for a visit in April. He is loads of fun!

The waterfall I was going to swim in

Whales from the boat



More whales

Outside our hotel

We had MANY good dinners our two faves were Mama's Fish House and Cafe Ole' (no not Mexican). MFH we went to our last day with my SIL and BIL. It was by far the best place to eat...lobster guacamole, yummy bread, macadamia nut crusted snapper that was stuffed with lobster and crab meat..I gained so much weight!

The Chaple on property (where Jon and Kate got ready for the wedding)

Around the grounds at our hotel so beautiful

More outside our hotel room

I can not even describe to you how beautiful this place was. I am sitting in my study so wanting to be on my hotel balcony that overlooked the ocean. Yes, it was cloudier than I would have liked but that didn't stop Michael and me from getting burned the first day there. I got a stripe down one side of my body like a skunk! We found a place at the Adult Pool (so relaxing) and they had a grassy hill that would lead down to the beach. You could find me there everyday sun or not with a book in hand and my ipod on sipping on a lava flow it was the best seat in the house. The hill overlooked the beach it was amazing. I read 6 books on this trip but could never get into my book club book the one I actually needed to read OH WELL.

At the luaua


Outside Mama's Fish House
Outside Mama's

I talked to the kids and my folks several times a day. Caden always wanted to talk and Jake would stay on for 30 seconds if I was lucky. It was my sweet Taylee who kept me on the phone forever! I would have to finally yell "go to bed". A huge thanks to my folks who kept everyone in line for a full week! What a blessing to us!

You can see all photos at my flickr site

http://flickr.com/photos/benchcrew