Before I dive into the pictures from our tropical escape, I must first give a disclaimer.
We don't go on vacations anymore. Now that we have children, we go on trips.
Even though our surroundings were warm and beautiful, the behind-the-scenes was a whole different story. We dealt with whining, terrible tantrums, mornings that started before 5am due to the time change, fighting, exhaustion, Nash climbing out of his pack 'n play every 3 seconds, and a 6.5 hour flight with a double ear infection and zero naps.
Ok, now that the truth is out there, I can move on to the pictures guilt free. Because in between all of the drama, we were able to do some pretty amazing things and see some spectacular sights.
We were greeted at the airport with real leis after our long flight. Mine was so fragrant; nothing like I've ever breathed in before. I kept preserving it in the fridge overnight because it was too beautiful and aromatic to throw out.
We started off our 10 day beach hop at Hukilau Beach.
We also spent a day at the beach where they filmed Lost.
And the boys did some "shore" boogie boarding.
Blake could not have been more happy about the waves crashing and lifting up the board.
We visited Turtle Beach where we came face to face with this guy:
Nash was pretty excited about that sea turtle even though he made woof-woof sounds.
Having fun is hard work.
Evening beach walks are the best.
We lost Nash's sandals on day one. Thankfully he didn't have to wear walking shoes the whole time. Uncle Todd flew in few days after us and grabbed an extra pair of sandals from our house on his way to the airport.
I don't know how we could have done this trip without loving grandparents who let us destroy their home, wake them up in the wee hours of the morning, provide countless meals, and guide us all over the island.
They even let us escape a few times so we could participate in activities sans children. One of the best getaways was our relaxing day at the beautiful Hanauma Bay.
Hanauma Bay has the best snorkeling in all of Oahu.
The coral reef stretches across the entire bay. Colorful fish were everywhere and they came right up to our faces. We even spotted a sea turtle. That whole day I kept thinking to myself, "Soak this in now. Because you have a long winter ahead of you back home."
Wow, it all looks so beautiful. I can guess you are completely right about having a trip and not a vacation. Which is probably why we have never really taken the boys on a trip since we had them. Our everyday life is filled with too many tantrums and chaos, a trip would be too exhausting. Looks like you guys had fun though. Those are some great pics of your boys playing on the beach!!
ReplyDeleteoh my, I have to go there some day. SO beautiful. I am sure you guys are having the time of your lives. Can't wait to hear all your stories.
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to hear more of the behind the scenes stories. It's so true about how much life changes with kids! On a positive note, those beaches are to die for. How fun to see a huge sea turtle like that in its natural habitat, and not at a zoo! I'm jealous that you were at a beach in "almost" December!!! Looks so fun to splash in the waves!
ReplyDeleteLinds, I know I say this every time (and maybe it's because you and I have embarked this road together) but your pictures are AMAZING!!! I not only love the clarity and bokeh, but you have some great angles and good composition. I especially love the one of all three boys' feet on the boogie board. If you're going to go on an amazing trip like this, I'm so glad you can document it so well.
ReplyDeleteHow can I not comment? I love it! Even though things are crazy traveling with children, what wonderful memories to help with that part. Just love the sound of Hawaii, can't wait to visit someday. Love this post!
ReplyDeleteThe best part about pictures is that is how you will really remember your trip.. The smiles and the laughs. Not the day to day craziness of raising boys:). It looks like you had a great trip overall. Can't wait to see more pictures.
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