First of all, in my defense, I was gone for seven of the days. Upon returning, I have had jet lag, a lot of catching up to do around the house, and my baby boy is turning five tomorrow, so I am trying to get ready for that. So, in a word, BUSY. I barely feel comfortable sitting down to write this, but on the other hand, I am also very uncomfortable about how little of time I have spent writing. It's a rock and a hard place. I am hoping that by procrastinating with today's work a little longer, I might go into some sort of super drive later today and zip right on through everything that needs to get done today in record time.
SO!
I was in Maui for a week! It has to be the BEST place I have ever been in my life. Also, it was the best vacation I have gone on. Ever. The weather was perfect, the scenery was gorgeous, the days felt like they lasted forever, and the pace was deliciously slow. I realized while there, that this was the first vacation since MY HONEYMOON that lasted longer than 4 days. Oh, wait, there was that time in Disney World...but the kids were with me, so that doesn't count. What I am trying to get at is, in order to have a perfect balance of relaxation yet getting to do a lot of activities, you need more than just a few days. I felt like I didn't miss out on a single thing while there, yet I still had plenty of down time. It was perfection.
On the last day, we decided to do some paddle boarding. I wasn't so sure about going out into the ocean. I have a little fear of being in water with animals. I was trying to find an excuse to not go out and instead just lay by the pool, but I was talked into trying. I am so glad I did! It ended up being one of my most favorite parts of the vacation. The only thing that upsets me about this is that we waited until the last day! Had I known how much fun it was going to be, I would have wanted to do it every morning while I was there.
Oh well. Next time.
If they still have paddle boarding in ten or so years.
While I was paddle boarding, a big beautiful sea turtle came over and swam around underneath me! I was so happy to see him I almost fell off and joined him in the water (not on purpose). There was something so wonderful about being out on the ocean, paddling along, watching the sea (and the life in it), under the warm sun that just felt so wonderful, right, and just so Hawaii to me. We also paddled our boards over to a place called Black Rock where many people snorkel and some also cliff dive. I felt like I had waited my whole life to come to Hawaii, and while I was here, I had done so many things for the first time like bike down a volcano, and zip line through the forests. I felt it was only appropriate to end the vacation with a little cliff diving (or jumping). The only thing I am bummed about is that we don't have any pictures of all of this.
You'll just have to trust me.
Here are a couple of other pictures:
Our bike ride tour down the volcano:
A little zip line action:
And of course some smoochy shots. Hey, it was our anniversary!
The kids did great while we were gone. I don't think that they missed us at all, and frankly, I didn't really miss them either.
Does that sound harsh?
I just found that it was hard to be sad or miss them when A) I was having the time of my life, B) I knew they were also having a great time and were being well cared for, and C) there wasn't anything I think they would have enjoyed/appreciated as much as I did as an adult. I was actually quite surprised at how many things were geared towards adults only. There wasn't much for the kids there. Maybe I wasn't looking for it either? Anyway, I don't think it's a place I am anxious to bring my kids back to while they are still young. Maybe as teenagers? Who knows. By that time I might need to go back to Maui without them again just to get away from all the teenage madness.
The last thing I have to say about this vacation is that it was perfectly timed. By this I mean it was the best time of year to go...for me. I loved coming home to nice and warm weather. I loved coming home knowing that Summer Break has just begun, and there is no rush to get back to busy schedules. I loved coming home and just slowly get back to the everyday. I now realize how hard it was to come home from a nice warm vacation to yucky snowy cold weather. I mean, I guess I knew it at the time too, but coming home to nice weather this time just proved it further. It has been much, much easier for me, and I have been just that much less grouchy about coming home from paradise.
OK!
Besides Hawaii, I am at the tail end of redecorating the front living spaces of the house. It's been a little more involved that I originally thought, but when you wait seven years to redecorate a room you didn't really love the first time you decorated it, well then, there's a lot of work to do. I just hope I like it for another seven years. If not for my sake, for the sake of my marriage. Hubs has been less than thrilled about all that's going on.
Lastly, my sweet baby boy is turning FIVE tomorrow! I don't know about you all, but nothing (even my own birthdays) makes me feel older than when my kids have birthdays. I'm either sad that I am old enough to have a seven (or whatever age) year old, or I can't believe my baby, the youngest of my kids is already five (again, insert whatever age). So what that I just turned thirty-something, my kids are FIVE AND SEVEN.
Mercy.
I don't even know how or when that happened.
I felt like I just brought him home from the hospital.
I keep asking him if he could just stay four forever (isn't four the BEST age EVER!). He assures me that he must turn five and he will still love me the same even though he's older. He has even promised to snuggle me until he is thirty (which, sadly, I think he thinks is an elderly age).
You can bet I'll be renegotiating that contract again in 25 years.
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