Aloha!!! Well here I am 11 days into our 14 day Hawaiian vacation. We have been having an amazing time. Honestly just having the time together as a family - totally uninterrupted by daily commitments is so great! We had Josh's mom here for the first 8 days and that was great! Not only did it allow Josh and I some dates without the kids, it was an extra adult at all times. We have really missed her since she left. Don't worry though mom, we have kept the condo pretty clean!! We have spent a great deal of time just lounging by pool, relaxing in the sun. I could live here. It is so perfect - not too hot and not too cold, even when it rains it is warm! The ocean is amazing and I think my absolute favorite thing is the humpback whales. All you have to do is sit on the beach and you can watch them slap their tales, dive in and out and even breach once in and while. Then there is the whale watching tours - that is the most amazing thing ever!! When you get close tot hem you can actually hear them sport and breath! It is the most amazing thing. They are so majestic and beautiful. Brenda and I went out on a whale watching tour and Josh and I also went out on a snorkeling tour that did some whale watching on our way back. You can also see them as you drive along the coast!! Here are a few Pictures from my whale watching adventure!
This is mama whale teaching baby whale how to tale slap
This is Baby whale excitedly tale slapping - so cute!!
This is a big Male humpback - he was very close to the boat!
Beautiful Tale!
Yesterday there was a bit of commotion at the resort - people were talking about a beached Seal down on the beach. At first they were thinking it was dead. Then the wildlife association came out and roped the area off and put up signs that said Monk Seal resting - do not disturb! She has been there for over 24 hours now. We take the kids down and go visit her, every once in a while she lifts her head and looks around. She even snorted and swatted at a fly that was pestering her! When the water comes up to high she hops up further on the beach. The wild life people have been there the whole time, answering questions and sharing information about the endangered seals. There are less than 1100 world wide. This one is a female about 20 years old. She has had at least 12 pups!! It is common for them to beach themselves to rest and they tend to be solo animals! We think she is very cute.
Another thing I love about Hawaii are coconut M & M's!! I am not even kidding they are so good!! I am not a huge M&M fan but these are so good. They are a bit of a weakness for me - hence the fact that I am on my 2nd box of 24 packages :) Don't worry though - I will bring some back to share :) Maybe! I have actually even continued running while on holidays. I started in January - well I have pathetically started about 6 or 7 times in the past 6 months but I really buckled down in January - with the motivation of having to wear a swimsuit in Hawaii!! I was actually doing quite well so I am pleased that I have managed to keep it up a little. There is something so great about going for a run at 8am in February, in a tank top and shorts, and being plenty warm. Gentle breeze keeping it not too hot! I tell ya I would be in better shape if I lived here - cause running on the treadmill in your basement is not nearly as exciting as running down the board walk in Maui looking at the ocean!! But the good news is I think I have burned off most of the M&M's ;)
Josh and I have really enjoyed having the extra time off together with the girls, lots of swimming, fun at the beach, movies and games in the room and eating meals together as a family, uninterupted! Here are a few pictures of the trip so far!
The restaurant's are ok - the good ones are REALLY expensive - and the rest are just your typical family style restaurant. Even Hard Rock cafe leaves much to be desired. We do have a great one at the hotel called Duke's and it is right on the beach - we have enjoyed a few good meals there! I love the Mahi Mahi!! So fresh and yummy! We haven't been to any farmer's markets this time - which really isn't such a bad thing as the grocery stores pretty much carry all the same stuff.
I am looking froward to getting back home to the pets - and of course my lovely family and friends, but I will miss Maui, the sunsets, the warm air, the humpbacks and even the tropical rain! I am sure we will be back.
