Mo Maui

So here are more Maui pics.  I can't wait to get back to HI.  I don't know when though because we got there this time for free (frequent flier miles) and got screaming deals on hotels.  Maybe I'll have to retire there.  I mean the smells, the sounds, the air, the colors, the textures....there is NOTHING like it in the world.  Heaven.  After a few days in Heavenly Hana we stayed on the west side...

Oops, this is actually in Hana by our condo on the beach.  Anyway, staying in Hana is a must for a few days.  Yes, we did have to buy $9 a gallon milk, but the quiet, the beauty, the peace, the sounds, the color...all worth it.  We hiked a lot, swam a lot, ate a lot, and ran into Cameron Diaz, A Rod, and Naomi Campbell (her twice).  And Stephen King.

 Russ won a dinner at work so we chose the famous Mama's Fish House.  The bill came to...gulp...$220!  For two!  And was paid for by his boss.  Yikes.  It was gorgeous.  Right on the beach, flowers everywhere...even on the TP!

 This is our attire to a super fancy dinner...hiking boots included (on Russ at least).  What can we say...we're always hiking in Hawaii?!

 View from the table.

 "The Black Pearl"  Amazing.

 A Random Dude riding with a parrot on his bike.

 Orchids in our drinks.

 One day we went up to hike in the moonscape of the volcano...but it was SO windy, we had to hide behind rocks to keep our ears from freezing off.

 We're so high up the clouds are WAY below us.

 Church by the beach.

 Russ studying the sunday school lesson on the beach.

 Too lazy to fix this crooked picture.

 Last Day was a snorkel and sailing cruise to Lanai.  The humpback whales were everywhere!  Even under our boat, beside our boat, behind our boat.  About 70 spinner dolphins hung out with us for a while.  The snorkeling was so clear, water warm and calm, and the variety of bright fish and coral was something I'll never forget.

 The Westin Villas.  Time Share presentation was a waste of time... but poured rain all day anyway.  We did come away with $175 to spend at the resort.  So not a total waste! 

 And I have to put these pics in of Ava and a friend.  They played with paper towels and cardboard boxes for 4 hours straight!  Who needs fancy hotels and fine dining to have fun anyway? :)

 So we've been back from vacay for a bit now, and the biggest shock to my system was having to cook again. It was really really weird. Almost like I forgot how and just didn't want to do it anymore. And homework! Ouch. Just last night I spent 5 hours helping Chad edit (yes, just edit) his 5 paragraph essay. Craziness.


I also hosted the RS Lunch Bunch at my house for 20 ladies. That was a LOT of cooking and cleaning. It turned out really well, food delish, house spotless, and was a fun time, but getting ready for it took hours upon hours. At one point I'm scrubbing my floor and say, "Only stupid people do this kind of stuff because smart people would never do this!" (A bit stressed maybe?) I only hosted it because I'm afraid of it so I do it like exposure therapy. I still hate it. I don't think my exposure therapy is working. I LOVE a good party...it's just the cooking and cleaning part all by myself for 30 hours (no joke) that seems a bit excessive. Put me in charge of games or just the cleaning part...I'm all over it.

I still can't believe the generosity of Mom and Dad in taking care of the kids and more while we were gone. It's unbelievable all that they did. The kids are still complaining that I don't put loads of butter in the corn like Grandpa does!  It's so good to be back and my heart is FULL of gratitude.