I must say...

It feels kinda surreal to be sitting here....in Washington...doing laundry...with no kids around and Howie at work....normal, yet so very NOT normal!!!! The kids are doing great still with my mom!!! It does sound tho, that she's quite anxious for me to be home now!!! DJ sounds good tho! I'm not sure if he's more happy about ME coming home or the present I'm bringing him...lol

This is one of our first pictures IN Maui...we'd just gotten lei'd...and if you follow me on twitter, you'd know how antsy I was to get this!! LOL It wasn't til we got to the hotel that we got presented with our own!!

This one is from the luau we attended with all the worky people....what a fabulous pig-less meal!!! And the ambiance of being on the beach was pretty incredible!!! You can't beat that!!!!

I wrote all our names in the sand!!! I love how the beach is naturally littered with sea weed...I did try to pick most of it up out of my way...but when you do so many names in the sand, you get to the point where you can't be bothered! lol

So tonite we're going over to my BFF's house for dinner...but before that I get to go shopping, just waiting on the washer to finish so I can come back to dried clothes! I have a few thing on my list to accomplish, but will save my crafty stops to do with Laura!!! SO excited!!!!

OH OH OH, in other news...I broke down and bought Eclipse...the next book in the series...and started reading it yesterday on the plane....til I started getting nauseous....I'm really hating motion sickness!!!

Til next time...ciao!

Homeward Bound

Its with a sad heart that we bid Maui aloha!! SO could have done a few more days!!! The beauty is just overwhelming!! The sights AND smells!! Plumeria has quickly become a fave smell!! So while trapped in the big metal bird in the sky, I shall fill you in on what's been happenin!

Sunday we woke up early, yet again!! And this time Howie left me for his planned work meeting. That started at 6:30 (yes, AM) and was scheduled to go til 11. So we (Wyndi and I) took the rental and went SHOPPING!!! Oh the deals we found!! We'd done our homework and had two places mapped out. If the first place in Kihei didn't pan out, the our back-up plan was to go back to Lahaina. As it turns out, we would have only had time for one place...and Kihei was MUCH closer!! We found a hole in the wall cafe called Kihei Caffe that serves a FAB breakfast!!! I had a cheese omelet, with bacon and spinach!! And we split a cinnamon bun! We would have done well to split the omelet too!!! HUGE!! So with our bellies full, we set off for shopping pastures!! The flea market was literally seconds away! And as we started walking thru the shops were just starting to open! So perfect timing! I did have a devil of a time finding a Hawaiian shirt for DJ!! So at the one shop, Serendipity, the sales clerk told us Walmart is our best bet! Well that's just music to my cheap ears!!!!
We finished the flea market and rushed back to the hotel for 11 so we could grab the boys and head up to Kahului where Steve and Wyndi were scheduled to go wind surfing for 1pm. When we discovered that they weren't done, we headed for the pool! We got one round of lazy river in and headed back to the rooms for a drink. It was 12:30 when they got done their meeting!!! So the wind surfing got re scheduled for 2pm just in case...good thinking on our part!! About 1:15 we headed out. Dropped them off and went back into town for Walmart! Not only did I find DJ a shirt, I found CUTE swim trunks for his b-day, a ukelele for his surprise and a t-shirt, and a Lightening McQueen car, as well as a bunch of stuff for us! Then we headed back to the beach to write our names in the sand...and the kids names...and Stellan's name (I follow his mom's blog). Oh, and to document Steve & Wyndi's efforts at wind surfing!!!
Drove back to the hotel to get all gussied up for the company luau! A short and sweet 3 hour fete. The dancing was great, the meal was pig less (and therefore NOT a real luau in my mind) and the weather was perfect!! Since it finished so early...we took one last swim!! This time checking out the adult pool...WOW it was heaven!!! The water was so nice and warm it actually made the air seem cool!! And the hot tub wasn't too burning hot! Quite manageable! It drained the last of my energy and I was more than ready for bed when it closed at 10!!
Of course all the packing seemed rather daunting! so I packed up all the clothes laying around and started tidying up. What was Howie doing while I did this, you ask? Reading!! SO helpful! lol His thinking was that we wake up SO early we'd have no trouble doing it in the morning. So I only did half! Couldn't really pack up the toiletries...and yes, he was right! We were up at 5:30!! Blech! Some vacation when you're up before the sun every day!!

We got all packed and met up with Steve & Wyndi to head out for breakfast...back to the caffe as we knew they'd love it!! I chose the greek omelet this time (YUM!) and Howie has the Loco Moco...a bed of rice, a hamburger patty, fried egg and gravy all over that...a heart attack in the making!!! Didn't appeal to me either....lol

Then the last stop was a gas station to fill up, and on to the airport! Check-in was a breeze once we got seated together...they originally had us 3 aisles apart...security was a breeze....and then we waited for an hour and a half.

Now, we're on a rather bumpy ride home to Seattle...where the weather's been decent! Let's hope it stays that way tomorrow!!

Til next time...aloha!

Water Logged

Today was almost entirely water related!!! WOW!

Started our day off meeting our friends (Steve & Wyndi) to go for our kayak/snorkel tour...if you do nothing else while in Maui, do this!!!! I will admit to my fears here...#1 I've never been in a kayak before...#2 I do NOT like swimming with fish!!...#3 especially when the "fish" could include ones who could eat me up, or destroy my body...#4 jellyfish don't sound like fun!
BUT, I worked thru it all and off we went!!! We did a tandem kayak, so I only had to paddle for half the time! The trek out to the other beach a mile (or so) away from our hotel's beach went quick! We saw a few Manta Rays poking their heads up out of the water...and one even swam right under our kayak!!! That thing was HUGE!! Once we beached our kayaks, we got our snorkel gear on and took off for the reef. Let me tell you...it was incredible!!!!! I felt like I'd been given front row seats to a live Nemo show!! And the sea turtles were mesmerizing!!! For their size they move PDQ!! One even came up right in the middle of our group of 6 to take a breath!! We got to see (and hold if we wanted to...which I didn't) an unagi...which is a Japanese delicacy...once its in your hand it tries to attach itself to you with its tentacles. No thanks! The other thing our guide brought up was a pencil urchin. Now that I held and it was a most bizzare thing to hold! Even tho you can't SEE it move, you can FEEL it move on you hand, just wild!
Then we kayaked back to our beach! Showered and got dressed to go out fo lunch! Came. Back to our hotel and had time for a nap befoe the boys went to play golf AGAIN!! Once they left, we girls kept ourselves busy,,..drinking Mai Tai's and planning! Finally we took off for the pool, they have about 10 pools connected with a lazy river thing! There's also two water slides wich were super FUN!!! Even the world's only w(er elevator! It took 1.2 mil to build it and it takes 18,000,000 gallons of water to raise it! Pretty neat!
Around 3 we met up with one of Howie's co-workers as we'd discusses going snorkeling again only closer to our beach. Turns out she brought another of their co-workers with, so the four of us took off. What a great hour!!!! When that was up, we did the lazy river again!! Then back to the rooms for shower #2 of the day!! Then we waited and waited for the boys to come back after golfing! They did and we finally went to dinner!! Now it be bed time!!!

On a totally inrelated moment...I had my first ever sushi meal last nite for dinner...YUM!!! I couldn't do the raw stuff (sashimi) but I did have a nibble of the octopus and tuna...YUCK!!!

Ok...eye lids are drooping!

Til next time...aloha!

Aloha and mahalo!!!

This flying thing is getting old!! Why didn't anyone actually do the math as to how many flights (6 in total) and how many miles (a million) or how many hours (24 total) I'd be doing in one freaking week!!!???? I tell ya, if it wasn't for my husband and Maui...I'd be snuggling my babies!!!

Who, by the way, are doing AMAZING!!! I've talked to them quite a few times already and its only day two!! It'll get more difficult once we're in Maui because of the time change...6 hrs! That's HUGE!!! Samantha has refused all attempts of breast milk, which just breaks my heart!!!! All that time I spent pumping and she has NO interest!!! I'm going to continue pumping while on the trip just in case she wants to when I get back....I'm praying we're not done! I really enjoy our little sessions! Watching her little face slip into peaceful slumber and her body totally relaxing...maybe that's what they mean by sleeping like a baby...its not the quantity of sleep (which we all know isn't long!) its the quality of sleep....hmmmm. DJ only started missing me at bed time last nite, and woke up with a coughing fit...poor guy! He sounded SO raspy!! My mom said he talked in his sleep..."I need Mummy"....awwww :( He also told my mom about 50 timed throughout the day that he was getting a surprise when I got home...better make it GOOD!!!

So far, I've watched Bride Wars (LOVED it!!!) and I'm right in the middle (literally) of The Darjeeling Limited...gotta say, its not doing much for me!! Howie just told me to stop watching it and find something else...just may do that! The choices on today's flight aren't near as good as Air Canada's choices...plus I had to rent the digEplayer...12.00 for 3 movies...I guess it works out in the end...

I'll report back more once I get lei'd!!!

FINALLY got lei'd at the hotel!! I'll back up a bit and go over the last 24 hours...I stupidly finished the rest of that movie...it did NOT get any better! Blah! I then started Mr Magorium's Wonder Emporium and promptly kicked myself for not stopping the other one so I. could see all of this one!! I wasn't even a third of the way in and the player was taken from me...grrrr
And I highly doubt I'll rent the player again (12.00) on the way home as there wasn't much else on it I'd want to see...
In any case...we landed in Kahului on time and rushed off the plane to wait for our luggage. The warm mugginess of the noon time day greeted us even before we were in. open air...loved it! After getting our luggage, we went and got our rental car...we went in on one with another (GREAT) couple. After waiting what felt like hours we were finally in air conditioned bliss! All of two minutes later we pulled into the Costco parking lot...yeah, we're smart like that and had a plan to get snacky things because we were forewarned how expensive things are here. When we arrived at our hotel around 2 and upon exiting we got lei'd with these beautiful purple leis!!! Took a bit to get checked in, but in hindsight I'm glad we were an hour later than the rest of the group...that would have been chaotic...
As soon as we got in the room I took pix before we mussed anything up! The bathroom is gorgeous!! Our room has two queen beds...and we actually had the discussion of whether to sleep together or separately...yeah, I smacked him!! 2 mos apart...c'mon!!
After settling we went wandering the whole resort...stunning!!! Came back to the room and had a snack and then headed out for dinner with our rental friends. I'd done my homework and knew of a restaurant famous for their onion rings. So we went in search of it...let me tell you...they were THE most amazing onion rings EVER!!! We both ordered fish and chips, just different fish...Howie got Mahi Mahi and mine was Pacific Whitefish...his was incredible...mine, not so much! After dinner we wandered the main street of Lahaina and looked into some of the shops. Not for too long as we were all exhausted! Howie was asleep before I was done getting ready for bed!!

Here we are its Friday afternoon, and we're off exploring Maui! Our goal is to check out the crater and then dinner and walking around. Howie got a round of golf in this morning...and I got a good nap! I was up for the day at 4:30 am....so by 7 I was tired again...and with no one telling I couldn't...I napped :)

Til next time...aloha!