ka'ena point sunset hike

Aloha friends!

Long time! Happy New Year!

Last night we went on an amazing sunset hike at Ka'ena Point with friends. Those of you not on Oahu may not know that you cannot circumnavigate the entire island, and the road ends at Ka'ena Point, at least on the Waianae side. If you look at a map of Oahu, you'll see the point is the western-most tip of the island. And according to Wikipedia, "Some ancient Hawaiian folklore states that Kaʻena Point is the "jumping-off" point for souls leaving this world." Very interesting! Another really cool thing is that once you get to the point you have to walk through a gate attached to a very long fence which protects the Albatross from mongoose. I've never seen an Albatross up close. It was like a very beefed up non-annoying seagull.

The hike itself was about 3-miles in, which with a bunch of kids and toddlers, makes for a longer hike. I loved every second of it. It was relatively flat with a little mud. The sun was hiding behind a thin layer of clouds so it was nice and "cool" - at least by Hawaii standards. It was the perfect spot for the most spectacular sunset and whale watching! When you reach the end, the point, there's a nice little beach.

The sunset was spectacular! We started to walk back just before the sun set so we didn't have to walk too much in the dark. But we couldn't stop looking at this amazing sunset, which did make for a long walk back in the very very dark. Thankfully we brought headlamps, glow bracelets, and flashlights. It was the perfect way to close out this year with new friends! 

Happy New Year, friends! 

monday funday?

Well, that's not something you normally hear. But yesterday, Monday, was a fantastic day. If I'm being 100% honest, I don't always tag along to the beach with Rob and Christian. They go a lot. And sometimes I just want to soak up a quiet house, nap, or go to Target. I know, I know. But when you live here (and are massively pregnant), you just sorta take for granted that the beach is ALWAYS there, so "next time" I tell myself. However, yesterday I decided to go because I feel my beach days are about to be numbered, at least for a little while. So like I've said before, I'm soaking up these last few days/weeks/hours (??) as a family of three.

When we lived on the east side of the island, my favorite beach was Kaimana. It's such a great beach for kids. Not overly crowded, calm clear waters, and easy to access. When we moved to the west side, I prayed we could find a beach we loved just as much. I've been to a few, and I just hadn't found any that I loved as much as Kaimana. UNTIL, I went to this beach yesterday. This beach is great! As a bonus, there are little "Waikiki waves" for surfing, but without the Waikiki crowd.

Christian loves the water. He loves the ocean, he loves to stick his head under and look for fish, but his favorite thing to do is "tumble in the waves." And I mean, tumble.  I (very nervously) watched from the comfort of my beach chair knowing that at any moment he would run to me for comfort after being rocked just a bit to hard. Nope. He goes back for MORE. MORE. And MORE. And high-fives for particularly good tumbles.

Then the boys decided to go out for a quick surf. 

Buuuut... Christian wanted to tumble some more, so they dropped the board off and back out they went. 

For my iPhone I have a Watershot iPhone Housing case. Rob took it out, and I'm always impressed with the photos we can take with my iPhone. In the water. 

And then of course, this photo. Which is probably one of my favorites of all time. 

When I do tag along (at least that's what it's felt like the past several months since I wasn't allowed in the water), I never regret it. 

Lucky We Live Hawaii, indeed. 

a birthday recap, of sorts

For my birthday I got a brand spankin' new camera - a Nikon D3300. It's basically the much much newer model of my previous Nikon D40. A lot of the functions are the same except with new features and much higher megapixels. It's pretty much the most basic DSLR Nikon makes, which is perfect for me. The camera is only part of the equation in achieving beautiful photos - it's in the lenses, the photographers skill/eye, technical knowledge, etc. If you have the skill/knowledge/experience, then it's the natural progression to buy "better" cameras/more lenses, but for me... it's just fun to play around with different settings and lenses, and I really have zero technical knowledge or skill. Hah.

This camera came with the standard 18-55mm lens, which I already had (came with my D40). I also already have a 55-200mm lens that I love and use mostly when Rob's surfing; it has great zoom! My favorite lens by far is my 50mm fixed lens. Another one of my most favorite gifts! This lens is great at creating that bokeh effect (blurred background) that a lot of people (including me) love. (Although not the only purpose of that particular lens.)

ANYWAY... yesterday, I got to play around with my new camera. I forgot the lens I wanted to use (of course), but I had so much fun yesterday afternoon celebrating my birthday with my two favorite boys! Last night we went out to dinner in Waikiki with one of our favorite families - the Liles (DON'T LEAVE!!), and had planned on seeing the Friday night fireworks afterward. Naturally, I brought my camera to take beautiful, whimsical photos of our boys playing on the beach with glowing faces lit by the ambiance of the fireworks. And just as naturally, the boys were wild and overtired (at least mine was) and we all went home after dinner instead. :)

It's been a while since we went to the skate park, so Christian was stoked. He rode his yellow bike for a while, but it was hard to pedal up the ramps, so he charged it on his Strider. He even did a few of the bigger ramps this time around! 

One of my favorites!

Another one of my favorites! ;)

This one too! Ok, I can't pick. I just love these boys.

Remnants of coco puff and scrapes on his face, bandaid on his chin (skateboard incident... of course), and determination. No fear, this one.

Thank you for all the birthday wishes! It was truly the perfect day! 

happy good aloha friday!

Happy Good Aloha Friday!!

Status: Pregnant.

Any fun plans for the weekend? You know what my plan is? TO NOT HAVE A BABY.  I mean it. Rob just needs to make it through the next 2 days of recurrent. So he put me on bed rest. ALTHOUGH, when you have a 3-year old, and a husband that's gone for the afternoon... someone's gotta go to Costco.

Did anyone get stuck in #zipnado this week? I almost did. I actually got on the H-1 to go to Mighty Moms and as soon as I got on the freeway, it was a parking lot. So I said, "nope nope nope." And got off at the next exit about one mile away (which took me 20 minutes). And went to Target. I didn't know at the time that it was the beginning of something that was about to make a lot people's lives miserable.

I came across this random Instagram photo, and the headline literally made me LOL so much. Because Hawaii. 

This Sunday is Easter and we will be celebrating the resurrection of our Savior! We'll attend a only slightly-earlier-than-normal service at church, and have a little "brunch"/lunch of ham and lamb with a few friends and family, and of course an Easter egg hunt for the kids! Mimi is going to bake Resurrection Rolls with the little ones, which sounds like such a good to "explain" the Easter story on their level.

Tomorrow we're also planning on taking Christian to an Easter Egg hunt at a huge (outdoor) shopping center close by. And of course, the Easter bunny will make an appearance Sunday morning as well with a basket full of goodies. I totally remember growing up sitting in church next to my cousins on Easter Sunday eating all my candy throughout the service.

Christian spent the night with Mimi and Papa on Wednesday and I keep hearing about all the fun things they did! Christian and Mimi dyed and decorated Easter eggs, and then later on Christian and Papa went on a bear hunt on a trail close by, had dinner at Zippy's, and ice-cream for dessert. It's amazing he ever wants to come home.

As most of you know, also on Wednesday I got my cerclage removed, and it truly wasn't as bad (painful) as I had anticipated it to be. She did mention something about scar tissue and implied that it may hinder the dilation process. That's all I'll say about that. I celebrated with Taco Bell and looks of judgement from my husband. Totally joking, but not about the Taco Bell. I got my bean burrito with no onions and extra cheese. It took me right on back to my childhood days of lunch after church every Sunday. Until we became regular Sunday afternoon patrons of Andy's Barbeque and Ribs that is. Sandston/Varina people, you know what's up. 

I did have a serious talk with my doctor about WHEN I will have this baby, and she looked into her crystal ball... just kidding. I honestly believe that waiting/anticipating labor and having a baby is one of the hardest things for someone with a Type A personality to go through. I NEED TO PLAN. I NEED TO KNOW IF ROB WILL BE HOME. I NEED TO KNOW IF I WILL HAVE MY BABY ON THE H-1. This is a good lesson for me in trusting God. Because I KNOW it will all be fine. My doctor gave me a 20-30% chance of making it to my due date. My friend Jayme predicts I'll go PAST my due date!

Either way, if you need me, I'll be over here washing baby clothes, sipping my Red Raspberry Leaf tea, eating dates, and feeling like a house. 

Have a wonderful weekend!! Happy Easter!

35 weeks + visitors + cravings

I feel like we're at the beginning of a new chapter of this pregnancy. All of our guests have left, and this hale is closed for business. This is a chapter where I can get into my nesting groove, we can pull Christian's baby clothes down from the attic, wash all the baby clothes and cloth diapers, pack my hospital bag, pack Christian's suitcase for his overnight stay with Mimi and Papa, and I can really focus on not complaining my way through the next however many weeks.

If you can remember way far back in February, Rob's sister and the girls were in town! It was a busy week, filled with beach days and laughter and fun. Actually, SO much fun because I had to put in at least one call to my doctor about weird pains. (Turns out, the baby CAN push down on the cerclage, and it is very painful - trust me, but is also normal as long as no other "labor" or TMI symptoms are present.) Either way, Mimi and Papa so graciously added one more munchkin to the mix and let Christian sleep over for not one, but TWO nights in a row so I could rest at home while Rob was at work.

After the girls left, my mom flew in the very next day with her friend Rachel. Rachel stayed for about 10 days, and my mom a total of 3 weeks! I tried to take it easy, but it was still a pretty busy 3 weeks. And that's mostly because I have a really hard time sitting still or staying cooped up in the house. Mom and Rachel rented a car so they could do the tourist thing and get around island as they wanted. It was nice having my mom here, and Christian was certainly spoiled. At one point they went into Toys R Us, and let's just say, Christian thought it was Christmas. Mom was great with helping out and playing games with him while I mostly just laid in the bed in the afternoons. She gave him a bath every single night, which any parent knows is HUGE. And now going through my pictures, I always regret not taking enough photos of my mom and Christian together. Sigh. 

The day my mom left, one of Rob's college roommates (whom I originally met in Costa Rica years ago at another one of their roommate's wedding) stayed with us for 2 nights with his beautiful family! I had originally met his wife on one of their other trips out here a year or two ago. They have a sweet almost 2 year old AND the most precious, squishy 3 WEEK old. We BBQ'd, and did a little tailgating at the beach. I totally eyed the girl sitting next to us with jealousy chilling in her beach chair with wine BOTTLE in the cup holder. Doing it right.

So yeah, it has been a busy, busy month or so, and I am ready to just kick it until Baby Sister arrives. The guest room is slowly transforming into a semi-nursery, because like with Christian, this baby will also sleep next to me in a co-sleeper bassinet for the first few months or so. And like I mentioned before, I'll most likely move into the guest room for the first month or so. Since our most recent guests had a baby that needed a changing table, we busted that back out, along with our Arm's Reach Mini Co-Sleeper, so we're pretty much set. I plan on buying another cube storage to stick in there, and hanging up a few pictures with Jen's help (who else?) on Wednesday! Which means there's a trip to Target in my future. Duh. 

As for my most recent doctor's appointment, all is good. I have actually started to dilate (even with a cerclage in place) but I of all people know that it really means nothing. With Christian I was 3cm dilated by my 36 week appointment, and continued to dilate for the next month until I had him at almost 40 weeks. I get my cerclage taken out on April 1st, at 36 weeks + 3 days. Actually she said she would try to take my cerclage out. Say whaaa? "What do you mean, try?" I asked. She said it would depend on my pain threshold and if the cerclage had migrated at all.

And recommended taking some extra-strength Tylenol before the appointment. Hmmm... how about a shot of whiskey and a few Xanax? Oh? Not recommended while pregnant? I see.

Anyway, the doctor recommend Rob "stay local" for the month of April (due date is April 26th), which obviously makes complete sense. HOWEVER, I don't want him to burn up all his time off/family leave just to hear me complain about how uncomfortable I am. It is a tough situation trying to "plan" for baby's arrival with a husband's flying schedule. I remember stressing about this with Christian, especially when my doctor dropped the bomb that I was so dilated with a month left to go and Rob had a few more trips on his schedule. So, our compromise and idea of "staying local" are 2-day west coast trips as opposed to 3-day international trips, and he (basically) has the first week of April off. But not to worry! I have my backup birth partner all ready just in case Rob can't make it home. I'm hoping + praying + trusting that he will be here.

Current craving: Greek yogurt + bananas and strawberries + some kind of chia coconut granola + local honey. Can't stop. This is definitely the "healthiest" thing I've craved, so I'm going to run with it because "oh hey 40lbs" and I know I ain't carrying a 40 pound baby.

Have a wonderful week! 

happy aloha friday!!

Heyyyyyy!

First, I offer my sincerest condolences to those on the east coast getting owned by Winter. I remember living in Virginia begging for Spring, especially by now. But then I moved away from snow, and will never (God willing) go back. I do not enjoy cold weather, being cold, or snow. Although, I do think that Colorado and Alaska are two of the most beautiful states I've ever visited. For sure.

Moving on...

We have had a busy and very exciting week with Rob's sister and our nieces in town. Christian is beside himself in love with his cousins, and he has been having a blast. He even had his very first sleepover. Not sure why they call it a sleepover. Finally around 10pm, Warden Christen had to go in Christian's room and stand there until they all fell asleep. Of course, they were up before the sun chitter chattering away. Christian actually put himself down for a nap that next day, and I questioned everything I know about my son. But clearly, they had a blast.

Eventually Lilley moved into Christian's bed, and Violet ended up on the floor. Don't worry, she was moved back to the bed, where I'm sure Christian continued to kick her face and hog the bed for the rest of the night. 

I have admittedly skipped two beach days. (Not the day pictured above.) Unfortunately, I'm not supposed to get in the water, and I've been trying to take it as easy as possible. On Wednesday I also had a doctor's appointment, and afterward I decided to go home and nap instead of the beach. I swear I'm not antisocial. Just very tired.

Today there's a cold front moving in (ha ha ha sorry), so it's raining with a high of 75. So we're going to see Paddington. If it clears up, then maybe we'll (finally) go see the Friday night fireworks at the Hilton in Waikiki. I do know that tomorrow we're going to a luau!

Cold front in Hawaii; currently 70 degrees.

Yesterday my locks went back to brunette, so I'm having one of those days when you walk by the mirror and you're like, "who wha?? Oh." Ladies, you know what I'm talking about.

In other randomness, we made a little more progress in the house decorating area. We ordered a headboard for our bed! Still no pictures up on the wall yet, but we'll get there. I will say that I Raged Against Pier 1 after I tried to add something to my shopping cart and after they "saw" that I was in Hawaii, the price of said piece of furniture jumped up by $120. That is pure craziness, and NOPE. Also, since our stores actually have nothing we want in stock, I'm at the mercy of whether they'll ship to our house, or our local store. HA. HA. HA. One buffet we wanted clearly indicated it could be shipped to our zip code. GREAT! Add to Basket, please. Go to checkout... What? Can't be shipped to our zip code. OH. OK. Liars. So, I'm not happy with Pier 1, or their website, or furniture shopping in general in Hawaii. But I do like the headboard. However, it's not actually in our possession yet, so I'll believe that we're actually getting it when we do.

We also got a giant mirror for our dining area from our favorite "second hand store," Inter-island Hotel Furniture. Yep, all pieces of furniture from all the hotels that are remodeling/upgrading/etc. (Also, where we got our pineapple couch, tall rattan lamp, coffee table in pineapple room, and vintage Hawaiian hula girls print.)

Currently.

That's Christian watching a surf video on Rob's iPad, and narrating with hand motions all the tricks they're doing, and asking me how they do those tricks. Redirecting to Rob... 

Have a wonderful weekend! Happy Aloha Friday!