Our last day on the Kohala Coast! Danny volunteered to watch Casey while Mike and I drove up to our favorite little mountain town to visit the not 1, not 2, but 3 farmer’s markets they have in this quaint little oasis on a hill. Continue reading
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Day 20 – Kealakakua Bay and the Mantas!
I couldn’t not choose both of these pictures that Mike took last night of a family with a goofy girl all showered, ready to watch Despicable Me 1 and then enjoy an early bedtime.
That early bedtime was for all of us, actually. Mike rose at 5 and then slowly started to stir his dead tired family. He was ready to get on the road this morning. We drove about Continue reading
Day 19 – Paniolo Adventure

Yes I realize this is a screen shot, but James posted this photo on Instagram and it was the only way to capture it (damn, Instagram, can you be more difficult!) It will now serve as our Day 18 ‘Family’ Photo
Waking up this morning felt a bit like a dream. We have been talking about doing a vow renewal for YEARS, so it was crazy to think that it was over. Continue reading
Day 18 – Vow Renewal

Day 17 Family Photo did not happen! Argh! But we did catch this photo of us after a short hike. This was the same hammock that we sat in 6 years ago, when we first started talking about taking a trip like the one we are on right now.
Michael and I got up early as usual and snuck out Continue reading
Saying I Do, Again
So, we have been talking about renewing our vows for 10 years. We actually had the pleasure of renewing them at our 10 year anniversary; our old church offered couples a chance to renew their vows over the Valentine’s weekend. To us, it was just a spur-of-the-moment activity that we thought would be fun to do before heading out on a rare quiet dinner date. I basically signed us up and told Mike we were going. I seem to recall him grumbling just a bit and asking lots of questions about how and why were doing this. (He doesn’t recall that, but I definitely do!:) The funny thing is, neither of us had any idea how meaningful those 15 minutes would be. Recommitting your lives to each other after spending 10 years together with some really high peaks and (fortunately just a few) really low valleys it turns out, can leave one’s heart a bit torn open, in a wonderful way. We decided to do it again, and this decade, we would take the time to appreciate the meaning of this special ceremony. Of course, I had a few ideas Continue reading
Day 17 – Hapuna Beach State Park
We had yet another wonderful day in paradise this Tuesday. Again, we woke up and lounged around our house all morning watching the glorious day unfold over the ocean. Continue reading
Day 16 – Nothing Much

Day 15 — Heading to our wonderful birthday dinner at Ulu’s The Four Seasons
I was the first one up this morning – a rare occurrence in this household of early risers. I have been looking forward to waking up in this house for a looooong time. Unlike on the mainland, my favorite time of the day in Hawaii is the morning. I love the cooing doves as they discuss their plans for the day, the palm fronds swaying gently in the wind overhead, and the way the morning sun reflects off the ocean when you are facing west. I wanted to Continue reading
Day 15 – Home Away From Home
This was a big big day for us. Not just because we were going to the Big Island. It was Dan’s 16th birthday. It was a travel day. We had a fabulous dinner planned for Dan’s birthday. Oh, and we just happened to be going to our most favorite place Continue reading
A Beating Heart
This. This right here. This blog post is probably the very reason my now 16 year old son was terrified when he realized that his mother was starting a blog. Because… what else could I possibly write about besides my two kids? Moms don’t really think Continue reading
Day 14 – Tubing and Surfing

Day 13 Family Photo: Overlooking Kalalau Valley at the end of the road if you’re driving to the top.
Aloha! I feel the need to clarify something on this blog. I have posted quite a few pictures of Casey expressing herself freely on this trip, mostly because we find them hilarious. But we only find them hilarious because, actually, she is having a great time. And we are having a wonderful time with her! Yes, she has needed Continue reading





