Aloha

Our computer went wonky so it's taken me a while to finally upload pictures of our recent trip to Hawaii.  It feels like it took just as much time for the kids to adjust back to "normal" life and our regular routine.  I have to say, traveling with Ella at nine months old was a great deal easier than traveling with both kids.  Thankfully, we had help from Grandma, Ashley and the kids' godparents, as we attended my good friend's wedding, survived a tropical storm, and validated Adam's fear of shark attacks.

Our first leg of the trip was mainly for Denise's wedding, which was beautiful!  I attended to bridesmaid's duties, while everyone got to do some activities like ATV riding and kayaking.  Ella was a flower girl for the first time, and while I was nervous she would be nervous with all the attention, loved every minute of the festivities.

Buckled in and ready for take off!

Our journey begins with G's first play ride (LAX --> Honolulu).  He did great!  Slept a lot, and woke up to play a little, shout to make his presence known, and ate to fall asleep again.

While I had packed a kid-sized suitcase full of toys, books and activities to occupy her for the 5.5 hr. flight, E mostly slept, ate and watch videos on my iPad.

We stayed near the wedding site, which was on a more secluded side of the island.  So we got a lovely, lush view of Chinaman's Hat.

I love Hawaiian food and was happy to find a shrimp truck very close to our hotel.

Going for a stroll outside our hotel.

This girl loves her accessories.

Taking a tour of the hotel grounds. 

While everyone went ATV riding, Donna and I took the kids to a local beach.  It was a perfect afternoon on a secluded little strip of sand.  The waves were gentle and E LOVED splashing in the water.

She thought it was hilarious that the waves were tickling her toes.  She kept asking for "more waves!" and I was happy to oblige.

We saw people land on the beach.

My kids LOVE their Mimi.

I woke up to this face every morning.

Denise & Tristan had their rehearsal dinner on the beach.  It was a picturesque backdrop evening.

E in her flower girl outfit.  She ended up walking down the aisle with a cone of popcorn (while I held her flowers).  Go figure.

A quick family picture before the wedding began.

One of the best parts of the trip was spending time with our friends.

Two of the handsomest men I know!

E exploring the wedding site with her Lala.

 After the wedding we flew to Maui for a family vacation.  We loved having our friends and the kids' godparents along for the ride.  Many hands made light work, but toddler meltdowns definitely made traveling a little tougher this time around.

On the shuttle to the airport.  I didn't realize how much luggage and stuff came with two kids.

E has developed a love of planes.  She also made sure to do some yoga in the airport to help with the flight.

We had a VERY lovely welcome gift waiting for us when we arrived at the hotel.  The kids were thrilled to open up their goodies!

Last year, it was just Ella's name in sponges.  Hard to believe we have another name in our group.

Traveling is exhausting.

Making prints in the sand.

Beach bum.

No trip to Hawaii is complete without a fruity cocktail served in a pineapple.

So blessed to be able to still vacation with my oldest friend. 

Heading out for a shopping excursion.

It was really hot during our trip, so we made sure to stay hydrated.

We were going for "Lion King" but got "Totem Pole" instead.

G and his Mimi waiting for the sunset.

"Where's the sun going?"

We braved the heat to make a trip to Lahaina for shaved ice.  It was delicious.

Ella loves her breakfast buffets.

Our favorite memory from the trip ended up being a visit to the Maui aquarium with just the four of us.

While in Maui we were hit by a tropical storm and alerted of two shark attacks (!), affirming Adam's long-seated fear.

Learning about the marine life in Hawaii.

Upside down jellyfish.  I have a strange love for them.

Being the neat-freak that she is, E was fascinated by the scuba diver cleaning the tank.

Stingray encounter.

We think this fish looks like G when he was first born.  It's all in the puckered mouth.

Maybe it was the heat or the exhaustion of traveling, but E spiked a fever the last night we were there.  Fancy sorbet was what the doctor ordered.

Getting ready to head home.

A successful and memorable family trip.

Airport bound.

Aloha, Hawaii!  'Til we meet again!