HAWAII! {part two}

It might seem a little unnecessary that each day in Hawaii (HAWAII!) gets a post all its own, but I wanted to remember every detail and not leave anything out simply because it made for too long a post. I appreciate everyone who's interested enough in our lives to read along, but I'm not writing these out for your sake ;) Monday, as you will soon find out, does not deserve a post all it's own. But Sunday... Sunday was definitely a day to remember!

It started early, like 3 am early. We decided just before bed the following day that we should do the sunrise at Haleakala Sunday morning since we hadn't fully adjusted to the time change yet. We read numerous accounts (with the pictures to prove it!) that seeing the sunrise on top of Haleakala was nothing short of an encounter with God, so not only was it appropriately a Sunday, it seemed well worth the early alarm clock. (Though despite the time change, it did not feel like 6 am when our phones starting buzzing) We downed a cup of coffee and set off in the dark.

I get car sick. (I also get boat sick and plane sick and spinning in too many circles with my kids sick) We knew it was a windy road up the mountain, but I was so tired (and still maybe a little 'off' from the plane ride the previous day) that I felt like I could sleep and be just fine - wake me at the top! I didn't sleep, but Stephen has learned to drive extra slow when I'm in the passenger seat so all was well when we reached the top of Haleakala - along with hundreds of other people!

I had read that it was cold, and at 10,000 feet it's not hard to believe!, and that it's hard to enjoy the incredible view if you're shivering the entire time, so we had packed hats and gloves and brought bundles of blankets from the house. We had also read that you want the morning to be cloudy - if you drive up the mountain through the clouds, you'll come out the clouds on the very top and then watch the sun rise above them creating a beautiful light show. Theoretically.

We found our spot along the wall and snuggled up to each other in the cold - a nice welcome after our night in our house with no air conditioning! It was freezing! But so. much. FUN! Maybe it's something I won't ever be able to explain to someone else, maybe it's just something Stephen and I will forever share, like our own little secret, but that morning we were not married, we were not parents - we were back in college, in lust and in love, surrounded by people but the only two people in the world.

The sunrise? We never saw it! It rose sometime while we were there, but the clouds never parted for us to see it and it didn't start getting light until long after everyone else had given up and gone back down the mountain. We spent a while up there goofing off, exploring and snuggling back up under the blankets. Life altering sunrise or not, it was one of the best parts of our trip.

What we were expecting to see on the top of Haleakala...

And what we did see on the top of Haleakala...

Eventually, we drove back down the mountain and stopped for breakfast at Kula Lodge. The food was amazing and the view of the island was pretty spectacular. It made up for the sunrise mishap ;)

After a nap at our place, we set off to explore south. We stopped at Five Caves thinking we'd just get some great views (which we did!) but we also found turtles! Maybe this isn't a big deal to anyone else, seeing a sea turtle in the ocean, but I 'bout cried! I had told Uriah before we left that I was hoping to see one and he got so excited about the possibility! I felt like Marlin in Finding Nemo and I wanted to ask the turtle how old he was so I could tell Uriah! Apparently, the picture we sent had him jumping up and down! I'm not a huge fan of snorkeling, because I'm afraid of just about everything, but this is apparently a great spot to do so and I wish Stephen had been able to get in with some gear! 

(I hate that these pictures make it look so gray and overcast! It was so hot and sunny with just the perfect amount of breeze and shade! I guess I could edit them... But 'ain't no body got time for that!')

After climbing around on the rocks at Five Caves we drove further south with the intention of stopping at Big Beach. Just driving past in the car we decided it was too crowded (we just don't like other people much) and sorta half stumbled upon a "secret beach". Except it's not really a secret because there were other people there and it's written about in a very popular Maui guide book, but it's definitely more secret than most of Maui's beaches. Personally, I'd want to keep it a secret, too! It as so small, quiet and beautiful! We spent the rest of the day there and eventually we were the last ones left and had the place to ourselves (really, we only shared it with a couple and their baby for the majority of the time and I didn't mind watching their sweet little six month old splash in the waves, snooze naked in the shade or play in the sand - I had baby fever and envy!) We climbed the rocks (Stephen jumped off them!), swam in the ocean, read, relaxed, ate and played card games. My ideal day!

After showers at our place, we walked down to watch the sunset and then walked around "downtown" Kihei until we came across a yummy looking Three's restaurant where we enjoyed appetizers for dinner and drinks, before watching a movie at home and calling it a day. A very full, loved filled, fun day :)

HAWAII! {part one}

I feel like Hawaii should just always be written in all caps... HAWAII! With an exclamation point, too, of course...!

So, we went to HAWAII! Just Stephen and I for five and a half days. Again, just Stephen and I...! That deserves an exclamation point, too! Stephen and I hadn't been alone together for more than four hours since our trip to California for his Stanford interview almost two years ago! The trip was long over due (especially since we never had a honeymoon!) I had never been away from Ezra and never from Uriah for that long, so I was a little really nervous. Not about their well being - I figured even if they were unhappy they would be well taken care of and loved! - but about my well being! I was worried that the leaving would be so hard and sad that it would carry over into our trip and keep me from enjoying myself. You mommas know how it is - how do you be yourself and enjoy yourself when part of yourself is missing?! Well, I didn't find it very difficult. Which maybe makes me a terrible mom or maybe just means it was about damn time for a break...! but either way, I knew my kiddos were happy and safe and I was just so very excited to be alone with my hunny to miss them to the point of worry or pain. Leaving was hard, yes, and Uriah almost convinced me to stay with his Friday night bedtime routine - "I don't want to go to sweep because then it will be tomorrow and you will leave" I think I cried all the way to the airport - but once we were there and checked in, it all felt real to me and I was able to leave my sadness in San Francisco! And off we went!

We landed in Maui around 11 and made our first stop at a local Hawaiian restaurant for lunch. I couldn't recognize or pronounce anything on our plate and pretty much stuck to the rice (though I did try it all!) but it was a fun first outing all the same.
We went straight to the beach once our tummies were full. Sugar Beach is one of (maybe thee...?) longest stretch of sand on Maui, so it was a great place to stretch our legs after traveling. I have never been to Hawaii (HAWAII!) and was so surprised by the sand...! It's called 'Sugar Beach' for a reason, folks! It was like walking through brown sugar! (I think I pointed that out every time we set foot on a beach during our stay!) The sand was so incredibly soft and the water so incredibly warm. It didn't take long to convince me we should go back someday ;)
After a stop at the grocery store, we were able to check in to our place - a local airbnb place in Kihei. The place was cute and the location was pretty great, but... It didn't have air conditioning! We knew that when we booked the place but figured, well, we live here in California without air conditioning and all the reviews claimed that between fans and windows it wasn't that bad. Well, it was that bad! We checked in around 3 and it was hotter inside than it was outside. Had we been able to afford it, I would have canceled, left and booked something else last minute. Between the hot house and the forecast of rain every day during our stay, my mood started to go down hill pretty quickly after checking in. I felt terrible for having chosen the place, but Stephen was so sweet and optimistic and forced me out of my negative Nancy mood (mostly - I never did grow fond of the place!)
We left the house for cooler weather and found it at the beach just south of our place. Stephen convinced me to go for an ocean swim (I have a large love but great fear of the ocean!) and we spent who knows how long swimming just past the surf making each other laugh - forcing Stephen to hold me, spitting out sea water, somehow always failing to float, jumping over the waves (or trying to!) and stealing kisses in the surf. We filled our tummies with fresh fish tacos afterward before heading back to our places for (cold!) showers.
We watched our first Hawaiian sunset that night as we walked along the coast line of Kihei, stopping in the sand to take a selfie (or five!) and watch it disappear behind the water.

July

June came and went, bringing with it's end our one year mark here in California. Last July? Was awful. For the longest time, when I thought of 2015 or summer or moving here, all I could conjure up was the first two weeks in July - Stephen's first night rotation, Uriah learning to crawl out of his crib, knowing no one and nothing, boxes, everywhere... I think our anniversary came and went without proper recognition (or any recognition at all). We've since reached a light at the end of the tunnel and it feels so far from that dreaded month (thankfully!) But still, without intentionally doing so, I think I wanted this July to, pardon my French, kick last July's ass. I wanted to prove to myself that summer here wasn't all bad. And?! It did! See for yourself! July, in pictures...

 ^^ It definitely helped that Stephen had weekends off the month of July ;) On the first Saturday of the month we headed down to Monterey. We spent hours at the aquarium, ate our way through the candy store and ended with a walk to the beach (where we found a giant sea slug that spewed purple poison...?!) It was a long, happy day! ^^

^^ Post church on a Sunday! Are my kids cuties or what!? ^^ 

^^ On the 4th, our little family headed to the hills for a hike! (Where the boys pretended to be mountain men exploring in the wilderness when they came across a poor lost lady that needed help! ...Adventures are always better with dad ;) That afternoon, Stephen and Uriah got a chance to go flying with a fellow physician! Uriah was left speechless in awe but talked about it for the next few days! ^^

 ^^ We did a lot of this, too! Lazy mornings, snacks on the couch and movies! ^^

^^ Lots of park dates in the month of July! I love getting to scope out new ones with new friends! ^^ 

^^ Berry picking with friends! We made it to the farm before the last of the season and it did not disappoint! It was a hot, hot day but the berries were yummy and the company was superb! Ezra's stained face is proof that she approved of the activity ;) ^^ 

^^ I could probably start an Instagram hashtag of all my 'Uriah and Ezra in a Costco shopping cart' pictures! ^^ 

^^ A Saturday train ride to the Sunnyvale Farmer's Market! We made a stop at the bookstore in downtown Palo Alto before catching the train and then read our books and snacked on our fresh fruits while waiting for the return train. It's a pretty regular activity we do around here (when dad gets a Saturday off!) and it always makes for the perfect morning out! ^^

^^ Post church chocolate muffins! Though I think they prefer donut Sunday, the first Sunday of the month, but I don't think either of them is complaining... ^^ 

^^ I don't actually use Snapchat for Snapchat purposes, just to see my nieces and entertain sleepy babies with silly filters! ^^ 

^^ Ezra's first pigtails!! Though Uriah didn't do them, both scenes made me tear up! (He loves to play with and comb my hair! To Uriah's future wife, you're welcome!) ^^ 

^^ A few more of those lazy days... Ezra's first block tower, my book worms reading for hours in their fort and post nap movies on the living room (when we got a new mattress) ^^ 

^^ Another weekend off, another adventure! This time we headed up north to the Marin Headlands. It was a foggy, cool morning, but beautiful none the less! We started at the Sea Mammal Rehabilitation Center, spent some time on the beach watching dolphins and collecting sea glass, hiked down to Point Bonita Lighthouse, explored Battery Mendell and filled our tummies at In-N-Out on our way home! It was a fully day, but it sure was a successful one! ^^

^^ More kitty jammies (Ezra's favorite!), more snack and more books! Sometimes these two like each other and always it makes my momma heart soar! ^^ 

^^ Our cousin Aleks got to visit for a day before heading up to Berkeley for a pre-medical school camp (basically he's a genius! And he was a total hit with the kids!) The brainiac and gymnast that he is just must attend college here, so it was fun to be able to show him around! (Basically I just followed him and Stephen around all day taking their pictures to send to his momma ;) ^^

^^ Our last July hoorah was an evening at one of Stanford's fountains. Who knew a college fountain was the perfect playdate?! We spent some time splashing in the sun and then walked home to pancakes for dinner. ^^

 Oh, and then we left for Hawaii...