Sweet Friends

After summer camp at preschool yesterday, Maddox's sweet friend Kate got to come home with us to play for a few hours.  They did so well and had so much fun playing despite the fact that neither of them had a nap.  We made cupcakes, played outside, did puzzles, and did a little coloring, too!  It was a super fun afternoon and we can't wait to do it again soon!  Maddox was in bed much earlier than usual last night and it still sleeping away upstairs... almost 12 hours later. :)

Staying Cool

We have been at the pool a lot lately trying to stay cool and having fun with friends.  Maclain started out being terrified of the water just a couple of weeks ago and then went straight into thinking she could swim all on her own and being very daring.  I decided to go ahead and get her a puddle jumper so I wouldn't have to worry so much about her and she loves that thing!  She can keep her balance a lot better than I thought she would be able to in it and she does great floating on her own.  She gets in and out of the pool by herself and will jump off of the side to me now.  Maddox loves the water, too, and requests to go to the pool every chance he has.  He is still gaining confidence in what he is willing to try in the water and still prefers to be pretty close, but he is getting better at venturing out some. 

Hawaii: Days 7 and 8

On Friday, we ended up packing up and leaving the house where we were staying to move to a hotel on the beach for our last night.  The guys golfed again that morning while the girls finished packing everything up.  After we left the house, we went to Lahaina and shopped some before checking into our hotel and going with the guys to eat lunch.  It was a great way to spend our last full day and it was very relaxing.

We walked to lunch from our hotel and enjoyed a great meal together...

Group shot (minus Brandon who took this picture)

After lunch we walked back to the hotel and layed out by the pool until it was time to get ready for dinner.  We ate dinner at Kimo's and got to watch the sunset from our table.  The food was great and it was a fabulous way to end our last night in Maui. 

Love him more than anything :)

Seeing our last Maui sunset

After dinner we all headed back to the hotel to get a good night's sleep before driving to the airport the next day.  On Saturday morning we met in the hotel for breakfast together, then went back and got everything packed up. 

Our last picture in Maui, right before leaving for the airport

We got to the airport just in time to grab a really quick lunch, then flew together from Maui to Los Angeles.  From LA, the rest of the crew flew directly to Nashville, but Daniel and I flew to Miami, then to Tallahassee.  We only allowed ourselves to sleep on the flight to Miami because we were trying to get our bodies adjusted back to Eastern time.  We chose to stay awake all day Sunday so that we could go to bed at a "normal" time (we crashed at 6:45 pm) and I am so thankful it was a really easy adjustment coming home.  I drove to Albany on Monday morning to meet my parents with the kids and they were so excited to see me.  It warmed my heart!  We missed them a ton, but we knew it would be good for them to have time away too!  I have to remind myself all the time that while it is our job as parents to nurture and protect our children, it's also important to give them a sense of independence. 

It was the perfect vacation and I am so thankful everything went smoothly!  We are so blessed to have such wonderful friends here that actually feel more like family.  The Evers' kept Maddox and Maclain for us most of the day on the day we left until my parents were able to pick them up, and Justin also drove us to the airport.  On the day we came home the Reavis' picked us up and drove us back to our house.  We could not have made this trip without the support of friends and family and for that we are so thankful! 

Happy Father's Day 2013

Happy Father's Day to the most amazing daddy to our two (almost 3) children.  Maddox and Maclain are so lucky to have Daniel as a father and I am so thankful for him and the love he shows our children day in and day out.  :)

I am also super thankful for my own daddy, one who has always supported me in every decision and has always been there when I have needed him.  He truly is the best!

Hawaii: Day 6

On Thursday, the girls went to the spa for massages while the guys went golfing.  We each got 50 minute massages and they were spectacular!  We got to the Ritz Carlton an hour early to have breakfast before the massages, and it was super yummy!!

Just after getting there

Our breakfast view



After getting massages, we ran back by the house to change clothes before heading over to Warf's Village to look around and eat lunch.  After lunch we met up with the boys to watch their surfing lesson.  To say they were exhausted afterwards would be an understatement!  I am glad it was them and not me!

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the boys finished up, we went back to the house to shower and get ready to head to a luau.  It was a really neat experience and I am so glad that we got to see it.  The food was delicious and the entertainment was so fun!

 



 

 

 

 



 

Sunset at the luau

 

Thursday was a full day, but oh so fun!  



Hawaii: Day 5

We didn't have an "outing" planned for Wednesday, but we knew we wanted to check out a couple of things that were really close to our house.  First we decided to go across the street to D.T. Fleming Beach Park.  Right after we got there it started to rain a little, but it quickly stopped and we were able to enjoy the beach for a little bit.

After being at the beach for a little while, we drove up the road a little ways where we heard there was a blowhole.  It was a good little hike to get there (especially in flip flops), but I am so glad that we got to see it.  We weren't able to get very close due to where we parked the car and the spot where we started hiking out, but we were able to enjoy it nonetheless.

The Blowhole

 

 

Honolua Bay: A great snorkeling spot

That evening we went to Warren and Annabelle's Magic Show. This was by far my favorite "non-sight seeing" thing that we did.  It was awesome.  Warren was hilarious and Justin, Carrie, Brandon, and Lillie actually got to participate in the show.  My face was hurting by the end from laughing so hard. :)

Lillie snapped this picture right before we left for the show that night...

Wednesday was a fun day for sure!!

Hawaii: Days 3 and 4

On Monday morning the guys took off early to play golf while the girls hung out at the house by the pool.  The area we were staying in got a good bit of morning rain, but it usually cleared up enough for us to get out there and enjoy the sun for a little while.  We had a nice time relaxing and hanging out that morning.  The guys came back after golfing and then after lunch everyone got ready for the afternoon activity - zip lining.  I was not able to take part because they won't let anyone who is pregnant do it (I was super bummed), and Don stayed back with me because he had a hurt knee that wouldn't allow him to do it either.  Everyone else had a great time, though, and seemed to have a lot of fun!

While the rest of the crew was zip lining, Don and I drove into town and did a little bit of shopping around.  Then we came back so I could start getting dinner prepped.  That night was our night to cook, so we grilled some chicken, made baked potatoes, and had salad, fruit and bread.  It was super yummy!  We all played some cards after dinner before calling it a night.

On Tuesday, the guys left early to do some more golfing while the girls drove over to Wailea to shop and have lunch.  We ate lunch at Cheeseburger Island Style, then shopped around a bit more:

Around 1:45 we left to go meet the guys at the place where we had our helicopter tour.  This was definitely one of my favorite things we did because the sights were incredible!  By the end of the tour, several of us were feeling pretty queasy but it was well worth it!

On the drive back to the house we spotted this rainbow...

Justin and Carrie made pizzas that night and we ate on the back patio of the house.  We played cards again for a little bit before heading to bed.  We were all pretty exhausted!