happy aloha friday!

It's Friday! Or shall I say Friyay?! 

Rob is at the office today interviewing pilots, but is off for the next 5 days. CELEBRATE!

This week has been pretty busy, especially with Rob working almost everyday whether flying or at the office, so I am really happy we get a good chunk of time off together. I'm hoping we can tackle another hike this week! Ka'ena Point Trail is on my list. Ka'ena Point is the very most western point of Oahu. I hear it's hot if you start late because of no shade, but there are some nice little tide pools. Tide pools that are FREE of sharks.  

Christian is officially enrolled in jiu-jitsu, and he's LOVING it. It's a big commitment of 3 days a week, but I definitely see the importance in the consistency. The place we go has such a good vibe. Everyone's super friendly. While the kids practice, the parents hang out in the lobby. And when the kids are done, the parents go practice for an hour! I was amazed when I saw that. Then the kids just all hang out in the lobby area, eating or doing their homework, or watching a movie on TV. 

Cora is officially teething. One has broken through the skin and it's neighbor isn't far behind. I am on the fence about ordering an amber teething necklace, but I've heard so many positive things that western medical opinions be damned? Does anyone else SWEAR by the necklaces??  

I'm currently on week two of the 21 Day Fix Extreme and am loving it! Definitely feeling stronger! I also rejoined Stroller Strides in the hopes that I can get some social mommy fitness time in, and that Cora won't scream all the way through it. PLUS, they just started a class at Ko'olina, and it's such a beautiful location. Working out by the water with a cool ocean breeze? Can't beat it. Today Cora sat in the big part of the stroller and not the car seat. She seemed to like it ok, until it was time for her to nap and then she was fighting sleep like it was her worst enemy. Sweet mercy. 

Ok, that's all for now folks. I'm going to try to squeeze in a 15 minute cat nap while both kids nap/have quiet time! HA!* 

Happy Aloha Friday! 

*Before I could even finish doing a half job of proofreading this, Cora woke up. Sigh. The struggle.

my whole30 experience

I've gotten some questions since I posted that I was doing a Whole30, and now that I'm all done, I've gotten even more! I am so happy to share with you my experience of "doing a Whole30." First let me say, that if you're interested in doing a Whole30, checkout their website! Their website has SO MUCH information on it, lots of specifics - whole30.com, like the program rules, shopping lists, etc. I'll post some other resources I found helpful at the bottom! 

Full disclosure: this was my THIRD attempt at a Whole30 and my first time making it all the way through! I think when it comes to doing this, you HAVE to be mentally in the game. This time, I finally was! 

I remember exactly the first time I had heard about the Whole30. It was in March of 2014. I was at a Moms' Night Out at one of the Stroller Strides instructor's house and we were all standing in the kitchen. In walked Becky, she was at the time the owner of Stroller Strides Honolulu. I had just seen her about a month ago at Valentine's Day workout at the zoo. And she looked different! Noticeably different! Her skin was glowing! She had clearly lost weight. She looked amazing beforehand, but wow. Immediately I was like, "GIRL. What the what? Tell me ALL your secrets." She proceeded to explain the Whole30 to me and thus changed my life. Seriously. 

At that time, Whole30 only had one book out called, "It Starts with Food." I purchased it right away. I read it, and it made SO MUCH SENSE. I mean, it's SO simple. Eat REAL FOOD. Not really anything new, right?? They describe the Whole30 as a "30 day nutritional reset." This book details the WHY, the science behind it, but in a very easy and engaging format. I was not bored, and my simple mind did not find this hard to read. ;) The Whole30 eliminates particular foods for 30 days, but they also explain why they chose those foods. Foods that aren't necessarily BAD, but may cause inflammation, or have been known to aggravate certain conditions. 

But I think more importantly than the "what can I eat?" specifics, the Whole30 focuses on our RELATIONSHIP with food. A lot of people start a Whole30 (*raises hand*) to get a jumpstart on weight loss, but you will not be weighing yourself while on the Whole30. It's against the rules. It's SO MUCH MORE than your weight. It becomes SO MUCH MORE than your weight. I got to take a good hard look at how I view food, my snacking habits, and how obsessed I am with the number on the scale. Not good, I promise. And NO counting calories! This was huge for me. I get so obsessive about numbers and calories, but because you're eating REAL food to satisfy HUNGER, you don't have to count calories. Ah, so simple, WHY is this so revolutionary? 

Now they actually have a "Whole30" book - The Whole30: The 30-Day Guide to Total Health and Food Freedom. Tell me that doesn't sound amazing? 

In my opinion, the key to success on the Whole30 is PREPARATION. This is not a "fly by the seat of your pants" sort of thing. At least it wasn't for me. The Whole30 requires you to sit down and eat 3 meals a day. (And a bonus meal if you're exercising.) This was probably one of the most challenging aspects for me. I'm a BUSY stay-at-home-mom with two little ones, and it's hard for me to just hop in the kitchen and whip something delicious and nutritious up ONCE a day, let alone three times a day. Also, do you know me? I don't cook. Except while I'm doing a Whole30... which Rob loves. Hah! I still struggle with meal prep, because I don't like to make straight up meals a full week in advance, but having some things on hand, chopped and ready to go helped A LOT. 

Staple foods to have on hand for me were: eggs, sweet potatoes, sweet bell peppers, organic baby spinach (or some other mixed greens), cherry/grape tomatoes, asparagus, avocados, Bruce Aidell's Chicken Apple sausage, organic chicken breast, frozen fish, ground beef, ground turkey, coconut milk, coconut oil, apples, almond butter (peanut butter not allowed! It's a legume), olives, and vegetable stock (read the label!).  

Because the cost of food/groceries is so expensive in Hawaii, I did almost ALL of my shopping exclusively at Costco, which is normal for us anyway. The coconut milk I had to go to the regular grocery store for. 

So what did a typical day of food look like for me?? It's not perfect, but it worked for me. Also what worked for me: keeping it SIMPLE. Three meals a day. If you nourish yourself, you won't be hungry between meals. 

Breakfast:

BLACK coffee 

2 eggs - hard boiled, soft boiled, fried, or scrambled. Whatever mood I was in. 

1/4 avocado and a handful of cherry tomatoes, seasoned with salt and pepper. 

Sweet potatoes in some form.

Sautéed spinach 

Sometimes if I had left over veggies from the night before (like asparagus), that too.  If I scrambled my eggs, I added in full fat coconut milk (the kind in the CAN, not in the box). Thai Kitchen was the only brand I could find that was Whole30 compliant. I always scrambled or fried my eggs in coconut oil, EVOO, or avocado oil.  

Lunch:

BIG ol' salad - greens, 1/4 avocado, mushrooms, cherry tomatoes, sweet bell peppers, cucumber, carrots if I was brave (hate carrots), hard boiled egg, some other type of protein like chicken or fish,  canned tuna* seasoned with salt and pepper, fresh lemon juice, a little EVOO. 

Half (or whole) apple, or some other small amount of fruit. 

Dinner: 

This was the hardest for me AND where I felt I needed to be most prepared, especially if Rob was on a trip. If I was in a pinch, I made eggs. But I can't tell you how many times I made the Whole30 Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie (found in the Whole30 book), and had leftovers for at least the next day. I also loved Sweet Potato Turkey Burger sliders. I cooked asparagus A LOT too. Many nights I'd bake a frozen fish in the oven and season with salt and pepper and fresh lemon juice, and maybe a little coconut oil. Veggies on the side, add a little side salad, and good to go! I also loved pork shoulder in the crockpot seasoned with paprika and salt and pepper. And then shredded pork on EVERYTHING. So so so good. 

*READ YOUR LABELS! My canned tuna had SOY in it. WHY???? My frozen salmon had food coloring added to it. WHY???? So obviously, I didn't eat those. You will quickly see how much sneaky crap is in your food. 

Here are some of the meals I cooked along the way! 

I did workout almost every day as well. A post-workout meal would be a hard boiled egg (or a few egg whites), and some sweet potatoes. Maybe half an apple with some almond butter. 

SO... what happened during the Whole30. Those first few days were HARD. I had a headache, I was sluggish, and a bit crankier than I normally am. Haha! BUT, within that first week or so, I noticed that my clothes were fitting better! ONE WEEK. That was motivation enough to keep me going. Here's a handy timeline posted on the Whole30 website. It's a little tongue in cheek, but it's actually quite accurate. After the fog cleared, I felt more rested and the biggest change? MORE ENERGY aka "Tiger Blood." So much more energy. (I did not experience the "my clothes are tighter" milestone in the timeline. Thank goodness or else I would have cried.) At the end of the night, I had energy for the first time in a long time to stay up past when the kids went to bed. I actually did laundry. Gasp. I felt more rested at night, even though Cora is still waking up too much during the night.

I lost 10 pounds. I never weighed myself throughout, I never counted calories, and I never measured out anything. I just ate real, whole food, drank lots of water (probably almost 100 oz. a day), exercised, and I didn't snack.  

If I was out and about, and in a pinch, and hungry because it was time for lunch, I would eat a Coconut Cream Pie Lara Bar (picked up at Target) to hold me over.  I only had to do this a few times. Also, I did not eat out at all while on the Whole30. This wasn't too hard since we hardly ever eat out anyway. 

I used other resources along the way to help out with recipe ideas or just general encouragement. A little disclaimer: JUST because someone says something is Whole30 does NOT mean it is. Make sure you know what's compliant and what isn't. If you have a question about a particular ingredient, google " [whatever ingredient] whole30" and I guarantee someone knows. Also beware of books (EVEN on Amazon) that says it's a Whole30 cookbook. IT'S NOT. The ONLY two books that are legit, for sure, 100% Whole30 are the two books written by Dallas and Melissa Hartwig. Don't be duped. 

Here are a few websites that I love! 

Nom Nom Paleo - http://nomnompaleo.com (It's not Whole30 per se, but she does do a lot of Whole30 and obviously paleo recipes. She's very transparent about what is Whole30 and isn't.)

Well Fed (formerly The Clothes Make the Girl) - http://meljoulwan.com (Same as above.)

Melissa Hartwig's Instagram - https://instagram.com/melissa_hartwig/

Whole30Recipes Instagram - https://instagram.com/whole30recipes/

Whole30 Instagram - https://instagram.com/whole30/

Whole30 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Whole30/

How's life AFTER my Whole30? Pretty good! Am I still eating Whole30 compliant? For the most part YES. I had a little bit of cheese on some rice crackers because I was making cheese crackers for Christian's lunch and I was STARVING, so I had a few. I've had a smoothie with Shakeology and store bought almond milk (NO SMOOTHIES on Whole30!!), and I just ate some gluten free bread with avocado and turkey breast. GF bread is OUT for the Whole30, and sliced turkey is technically fine IF it's compliant. Again, read the ingredients. And sigh, why does turkey have "ingredients" to begin with?? I have had a small headache off and on since coming off the Whole30 and I know it's because I didn't do the "life after Whole30" reintroduction like the book suggested. Oh well. Maybe next time? I am still drinking my coffee black though! AND I LIKE IT! 

So. 

If you're thinking about doing it, DO IT. If I can do it, anyone can! I promise! For the FIRST TIME EVER IN MY LIFE, I did not eat any Halloween candy. But more than that, I didn't WANT any Halloween candy. Reese's Cups are my favorite forever and ever amen, but not even that little orange wrapper could tempt me this time. Am I saying that I'm NEVER going to eat a Reese's Cup again? Um, no. Do you know me at all? :) But for now, I'm good. 

alooooha friday!

Pineapple fields on the north shore. 

Oh Friday. How you truly mean nothing to me. This day is no different than another day for the stay-at-home mommy with a husband that travels for work. Well, I guess today is a little different because Rob is actually at headquarters all day doing interviews. So it was nice to see him for 5 minutes this morning, and then again tonight. Case in point: I started this little post at oh... 7 this morning? It is now 6:30pm and Rob is home. Onward. 

This week was a busy one. Since we've decided (for now) not to put Christian in a "real" preschool, and use more of a homeschooling approach, we've been trying out some new activities. We've been having fun in a soccer skills class, yesterday we tried out gymnastics (which he LOVED), and soon we'll be trying out a group that does weekly field trips around the island. It looks like so much fun! I follow them on Facebook and when I saw them take a trip to the taro fields where the kids actually got in and got muddy picking taro, I was sold. (They're grown in pondfields.) I love their philosophy, "The goal of the program is to get families outdoors, learning about our rich environment, including animals, the ocean & land, and the precious Hawaiian culture and history." Can't wait for their winter program to start! He'll be trying out a Jiu-jitsu class on Monday. If he doesn't care for that, then we'll try something else like Taekwondo. So yeah, a little busy, but LOTS of fun! Usually these activities take place in the mornings, so that leaves our evenings open to just hang out or head up to the park. 

Cora had her first little "tumbling" class yesterday. And yes, she LOVED it. However, even though the class starts at 6 months old, it's really geared towards early walkers. I think we'll hold off for a few months until she's at least crawling, and then start going regularly. 

Today is my mom's birthday!!! Yay! Happy birthday, Mama!!! 

I really wish we could be there to celebrate. I've been missing Virginia and craving some Mama time really really badly lately. Right now, I am missing the change of the seasons as I sit in my house with the windows and doors open and a fan pointing on me because it's so darn hot. I don't miss cold weather, and I definitely DO NOT MISS SNOW and winter, but I do miss autumn. Seeing leaves change. The crisp mornings. Wearing boots and jeans and sweaters. Right now, I am missing Richmond, and I'm wishing it wasn't so hard to get back there. 

Mom sent me this picture the other day of a tree that my dad planted. So pretty! 

Let's talk Whole30. I'm on DAY 30! Sweet mercy. I made it! Thirty days of eating WHOLE, nutritious, delicious foods. Clean and green. Nothing processed. No processed sugar. No gluten. No dairy. No alcohol. But thirty days of eating so much yummy food. Foods that don't actually have "ingredients!!" Here's just a sample of some the delicious meals I ate during the past 30 days. 

I can't believe I didn't get a picture of my favorite dish from the Whole 30 book - Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie. I've also been loving Sweet Potato Turkey Burger Sliders. I make it Whole30 compliant, which I think it basically is except it calls for barbecue sauce, and you'd have to make your own or read ingredients. Either way, not a huge barbecue sauce fan anyway, so I don't use it.  Guess what? I eat A LOT of sweet potatoes. And eggs. More on the Whole30 later. I haven't weighed myself in 30 days, I haven't tracked calories in 30 days. It's been SO liberating. 

I'm currently on day 5 of the 21 Day Fix Extreme, and uh, I'm really sore. I'm part of a challenge group on Facebook that's really been keeping me accountable. I'm seriously so in love with the Beachbody programs and philosophies, I am considering becoming an official Beachbody Coach. We'll see. I'm still thinking and praying about it. :) All I know is my Beachbody coach is awesome, inspiring, her positive energy is infectious, and it really makes me want to be part of her team. 

Tomorrow is Halloween, and we'll do some trick or treating around the neighborhood for the first time. Christian is thoroughly stoked. We didn't get around to carving pumpkins though. Oops. Maybe next year? And I totally forgot to string up my pumpkin and orange twinkle lights. 

Ok I better end this before it becomes an Aloha Sunday post. Have a safe and wonderful Halloween!! 

6 months!

Wait. What? 6 months?! That can't possibly be right. To me she should STILL be a newborn. I blinked and now she's a 6 month old!

Weight: 16 lbs (48th percentile)

Height/Length: 27" (89th percentile)

Thriving!! 

She is such a sweet thang. She loves to be held and carried around. Probably not abnormal for the average 6 month old! ;) She LIGHTS UP when she sees her big brother. He's always so engaging with her. (Read: wild and screams like a banshee around her). But, oh so much love. 

No solid foods just yet. Well unless you count the frozen banana she gnaws on sometimes in her teether mesh toy. Those things are genius, by the way. I've also let her gnaw on small bits of avocado, but no "official" sit down, let's eat, meals. One of her first foods will be poi. I wanted it to be one of Christian's first food, but never tried it. I have a feeling that if you don't start them on it as infants, then they'll probably never like it. Hah. Have you heard of poi? I've recently seen this article (Is Poi the Ideal Baby Food?) circulating again, and the timing is perfect! Luckily, it's readily available here as I just picked up some from Costco! 

She may be a little unsure of the banana. 

Everyone's happy when Dad comes home from a trip, but Cora's smile lights up the room when she sees Rob. She loves her daddy. And I love that she has Daddy's beautiful blue eyes. 

Cora is also sitting up unassisted for short bouts of time. 

She loves loves LOVES watching the trees blow in the wind. Frequently we sit outside on the lanai just for that purpose. She's at that age where it's like she's really seeing everything for the first time. The wonder in her eyes as she takes it all in... it really makes me stop and think, why don't WE as adults stop and marvel the beautiful world around us like that. Cora's life lesson for the day. Going on her first hike on her 6 month "birthday" was PERFECT. She kicks her legs (we call them happy feet), and takes it all in. Smiles at the trees, coos at the flowers. Constant amazement. 

She loves the water. Which is obviously perfect. In the tub, in the ocean, it doesn't matter, it's splash splash splash! 

She also finally loves walks in the stroller. IF I leave her uncovered. Therefore, I take my walks in the early evening so the sun isn't beating down and I don't have to put a blanket over her carseat to protect her oh so fair skin. As long as she can look around, she is perfectly happy. If Christian is there to also provide her some entertainment, which he's always willing to do, even better!

I am so in love with this baby girl. And I'm so in love watching Christian be such a wonderful big brother to her. To be completely honest, I was skeptical when all the mamas of more than one child ASSURED me that I would love her just as much as I love Christian. HOW could I love another human as much as I love Christian? But it's true. It's so true. Your heart just grows. Our family is complete and perfect. 

It's been a wild 6 months operated on minimal sleep, but we're surviving. And we're having lots of fun! 

SO.

MUCH. 

LOVE.

:)

TGI (Aloha) Friday!

Oh heeeyyyyyy... it's been a while! A long while. I really have no explanation as to why I took a blogging break, because it wasn't intentional. Life just got busy with two kiddos and a husband that travels for work and vacation and a trip to Kauai and just LIFE. But I do enjoy this so much that I hope I can get back into some sort of routine. So, here's what you missed!

Cora is 5 months old! She is just the sweetest little Rose there is. She loves love LOVES her big brother, who is just as happy playing with LEGOS as he is trying to make her laugh. He is so sweet with her, SO SWEET that he shared his cold with her last week. Womp. There's this thing called "space," that we're having a hard time explaining to a very enthusiastic 4-year old boy. Most all of last week and this week Cora has been battling the cold that Christian had, except she had a very low fever and a nasty cough. I took her to the doctor just to be sure it was only a cold, and seems to be. She's on the upswing though, thankfully. As of last night, Cora is sleeping in the crib! No more bassinet where the walls were quite literally closing in on her. I use the word "sleeping" very lightly. But she is an absolute joy. Squeaking up a storm, all smiles, loves watching the trees blow in the wind, and LOVES watching Christian.

Christian is just awesome and hilarious and so SMART!! We've got a fun little schedule going on. No, he's not in preschool, and at this point unless I can find a very part-time option (which has proven to be hard on this side of the island), he won't go. But truthfully, since we plan on homeschooling, I'm not worried about it. We're part of a MOMS group that gets together for different activities during the week, on Tuesdays he goes to Mighty Moms with me where he plays with the other kiddos, and on Thursdays he goes to a more structured bible study in a class with others his age. Wednesday mornings are soccer, and once a month on Saturdays we're at the BMX track so he can ride his bike and do the Strider races. And LOTS of time at the park!! We're looking into various different martial arts programs trying to decide which one we'd like for him to try out. Because obviously being a ninja is his top life goal at the moment. Since he learned that Papa reads his bible every night, Christian wants to read his bible every night. We're practicing memory verses, and he's so proud of himself when he learns it.

We've already started planning our trip out east next year, which includes a week in the Outer Banks. I'm really excited about this!

Today is day 16 of my Whole30, and I keep having dreams that I keep eating junk food by accident. Yeah. So there's that. I've been working out daily trying to get back into some routine, and going out for run/walks several times a week. I registered for the Hapalua Half-marathon in April and am considering doing some smaller races in between. I made a reservation for a night at the Turtle Bay Resort for the Wanderlust festival in February with some of my favorite people... and is it too soon to start counting down???

Overall, life is good. I have no complaints, other than I'm craving that Hawaiian fall weather, which showed up for a few days a few weeks ago. It's been mostly pleasant the past few days, so I'm really thankful for that. Last Tuesday when we drove home from church (my moms' group) the Ko'olau mountains were in full waterfall mode. There were dozens of waterfalls flowing through the mountains, and it is one of the most beautiful sights I've ever witnessed. I did not take the picture below (because driving), but this is exactly what it looks like. To put it into a little more perspective, Christian and Mimi counted 43 waterfalls driving home yesterday along the H-3. FORTY-THREE.

Have a wonderful weekend! Happy aloha Friday! 

it's aloha friday!!

Happy Aloha Friday! We're baaaaaaack!

The weather welcoming committee has not been kind. I never expected it to be MORE hot and humid here than in Virginia. Yes yes, this is Hawaii and it is tropical, BUT it's also paradise and our weather usually reflects accordingly. Not this hot mess.

I'm not going to lie though, I am loving the thunderstorms. I can probably count on one hand how many thunderstorms we've had since moving here in 2010. And guess how many we had while we were in VA? ONE. And that was the evening that we arrived. (This is coming from the girl that used to hide in the closet or bathroom - with no windows - whenever a thunderstorm was approaching.) 

That picture of Cora was taken the other day while I attempted Stroller Strides. Cora is over it. I think she's getting way too hot in her carseat and just cries. She doesn't mind the carseat at all in the truck, but in the stroller outside, she HATES it which is a bummer. So I had the bright idea to bring a bunch of wash cloths in an ice filled bag and put them on her head and legs, etc. while I worked out. It worked for about 1 minutes and then she was pissed there was something on her head. I ended up leaving halfway through. Womp. 

Baxter feels our pain. It is cooler outside than inside our house. And yes, we are some of the #blessed  that have central A/C in our home. However, we rarely run it because electricity is SO expensive, and we want to be able to pay our mortgage. UNTIL we get our solar panels installed, and then it's ON. Literally. 

Anyway. Our trip back east was lovely, and I'll tell you more about that later, don't you worry. We got to see lots of family and friends, and Cora got to meet both her great-grandmas! 

The trip back was so long. The flight back was loooooong as well. 11 hours long! (We try to always take the JFK-HNL flight.) Rob and I were actually 15 rows apart. I was at a nice spacious bulkhead with Cora and he was closer to the front with Christian. Hawaiian Airlines constantly blows me out of the water with there super nice flight attendants and wonderful service. Did you know that they provide FREE MEALS during all their flights (besides inter-island) with a free glass of wine? YES PLEASE! The flight attendant in our section held Cora no less than 3 times so I could do various things. The girl beside me worked for Alaska Airlines at the Lihue station and was coming back from a girls weekend in NYC, held Cora at least once so I could do something. This girl slept 10 of the 11 hours on a plane, with a 4 month old on one side of her, and a 6ish year old boy on the other side of her. I want that kind of girls weekend. Who's in? Despite being so long, I was surrounded by some super nice people, which made it pleasant. Two other women near me offered to hold Cora if I needed a bathroom break, or just a moment of free arms. They were my village. 

SO MANY THINGS have happened since I lost wrote. Christian turned 4 years old, and Cora turned 4 months old! Christian is truly the best big brother a little sister could ask for, and Cora is just loving it. She is chunking up nicely. Last time I weighed her she was very close to 14lbs! Christian has his 4-year checkup today. I'm sure that means shots and I'm dreading it. There's this pit in my stomach, and unfortunately Rob is working, so I'm going at it alone. However, I do have a little plan in action that involves a Target run and ice-cream afterward. Win win for everyone if you ask me. 

Speaking of ice-cream, I am trying to get back into a workout groove since Cracker Barrel is not kind to one's thighs. We joined the Kroc Center which has a lovely gym, lots of classes, a lap pool, and a mini water park. (They also have lots of art classes, music classes, sports, and classes geared towards homeschooled children.) Yesterday, Cora stayed with Rob and I took Christian. I dropped him off at the childcare area so I could take a PiYo class, and then we spent some time at the little water park. He had a blast and I can't wait to go back! 

Happy Aloha Friday, and have a wonderful weekend!!

happy aloha friday!!

Hey hey! It's Friday! And that means tomorrow we leave for Virginia! "One more day!" Christian said the morning. 

We're approaching our travel plans a little bit different this time. As if it already doesn't feel like we're on the Oregon Trail, we thought we'd make the trip just a little bit longer. You know, because we were up for a real challenge. After we land at JFK, we're driving to Richmond. The flight from HNL to JFK is 9 hours 30 minutes, and the drive to Richmond is 6ish hours. Should be fun... 

But in all seriousness, we're all so excited for our trip! And the week leading up to it has been great. Rob has been working A LOT, but my former roommate Jenn is here to house and cat sit while we're gone and um... pretty sure I need to hire a full-time nanny if this is what it's like to have one. She's been cooking me dinner, doing my laundry, cleaning the kitchen, putting Christian to bed, taking him to the park, and basically helping me HOWEVER I need. I certainly did not expect her to get here and WORK, but oh man, it sure has been a real treat. 

Jen and Christian in the Aulani lagoon.

Today it's a bit cloudy and rainy, the remnants of Hurricane Guillermo. But soon, the sun will peek out and it'll feel like a blanket of satan's sweat has been laid upon us. Preparing us for our time in Virginia, I suppose. 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! 

that time we went to Portland

You may remember that last month we took a whirlwind trip to Portland, which was also Cora's first time on a plane and first time out of the state. Both kids were amazing on the plane, and good thing because they put us in the row DIRECTLY behind first class with the only divider being a thin curtain. Christian was mostly entertained with the iPad or back-of-seat-TV entertainment, and Cora was entertained being a 2 month old.

Even though the purpose of the trip was to have Cora's tongue and lip tie revised, which went off without a hitch, we wanted to pack in as much fun stuff as possible. 

We arrived Saturday evening, late. Well, 10pm, which is late by parental standards. We checked into the Embassy Suites in downtown Portland, and man, downtown Portland was in FULL Saturday night swing. The streets were busy, and I wanted to be part of it... but not more than I wanted to go to bed. This Embassy Suites did not really look the part of a traditional Embassy, but more of an old, glamorous hotel, and it actually used to be a different hotel at one point. It's one of the many beautiful historical buildings around Portland, built in 1912. The crib they provided was also from 1912. 

{photo cred}

We were across the street from lots of really cool things, including the giant Saturday Market, a splash pad, Voodoo Doughnuts, and the Willamette River. 

Prior to arriving in Portland, Rob made a reservation for us to take a tour of the Widmer Brothers Brewery. Everyone has had their famous Widmer Brothers Hefeweizen. Right? Ok, if not, then you must. We may or may not have a keg of it on tap at our house at this very moment. The tour was fantastic, the beer was great, and the food at the Gasthaus Pub afterward was... pretty good. :) But seriously, we had a blast, met some cool people... and is everyone this friendly in Portland?? 

After the tour and lunch, we headed over to Voodoo Doughnuts. But not the original one downtown, the other lesser known (??) location in the burbs. There was still a line, but nothing like the one across from the hotel. 

I will say, the doughnuts were good, but definitely more of a novelty. They weren't all that. 

Sunday evening was a REAL treat! Back when we lived in LA, we were part of this awesome small group/bible study. I have talked many times about how much I love all the people that were part of this group. It just so happened that one couple, Jenny and Joe, plus now their two adorable kids, were vacationing in Portland. They were staying in an amazing house with the most ridiculous backyard that was a former salmon hatchery... because Portland. So we went over there to BBQ and catch up on life. When I left, my heart was full. It was like my tank was replenished of something I didn't even know was missing. Oh, and the kids, especially the two boys had a BLAST throwing rocks in the creek, throwing themselves over the hammock, getting as wet and dirty as possible... you know, being boys.

It was truly an evening I didn't want to end. But we headed back to the hotel and mentally prepared ourselves for Monday, the day of the tongue tie revision aka the whole reason for flying to Portland. 

Honestly, it wasn't terrible. The procedure itself literally took 3 minutes. Three minutes.   The numbed the area with some cream, took her away, and THREE minutes later she was back in my arms. Dr. Ghaheri was amazing and had so much great information. I really enjoyed chatting with him. Rob and Christian were out in the waiting room, and then we joined them there. We hung out for a while before heading to Trader Joe's... buying all the chocolate covered peanut butter pretzels. 

After clearing the aisles of Trader Joe's, we went back to the hotel to relax. Well, Cora and I relaxed. Rob and Christian went back to the "splish splash," or the splash pad as it's more commonly known. 

We checked out of the hotel that afternoon and had lunch at the Deschutes Brewery Portland Public House. The food was yummy! I drank the delicious Black Butte Porter... you know, all in the name of increasing my milk supply. It's now one of my new favorites. 

Monday night was our final night in Portland. We stayed with one of Rob's college roommates and his family. The same family that stayed with us back in February. They are seriously some of the most wonderful people, and I wish we could be next door neighbors. Rob and Christian camped out in their backyard - tent and all! And Cora and I camped out in the living room. 

Tuesday morning we left for the airport, where we did NOT get on our flight back to Honolulu. See, free travel isn't always the best. Hah. They wanted to put Rob in the cockpit, and Christian 6 rows behind me. Tempting, but... probably not in the best interest of everyone else on the plane. We ended up flying on Alaska Airlines into Maui and then taking Island Air back into Honolulu. It was great to fly on my alma mater.

And home sweet home. 

It was indeed a whirlwind trip, but I'd like to think we made the best of a short stay in such a wonderful city. I would love to go back to Portland and spend much longer than one weekend. 

Cora has been doing great since the tongue tie revision and it was 100000% worth the trip out there. 

Thanks Portland! A hui hou!!