Made it to Honolulu

Our flight from Spokane left at 4:30 in the afternoon,  thank goodness mama Jody was there to help us haul our stuff in and send us off. We had a quick stop to Seattle then it was a 6 hour flight to Honolulu.  I let the kids stay up until about 10 their current time, then I mentioned that if they went to sleep, when they woke up we would see dad.  Ian was out in less than 2 minutes.  Madelyn and I had a hard time maneuvering a comfortable position. It ended up with me in the middle, Ian on my right side laying his head on my lap, and Madelyn laying her head on my shoulder.  I couldn't move for about 3 hours, I think I might have dozed in and out of sleeping.  Rylan was on his own across the aisle with strangers. At about 2 a.m. Idaho time, and 11 p.m. Honolulu time we arrived.  Scott welcomed us with leis and hugs and kisses. We had been apart for about 3 weeks.  

We slept on mats and Rylan and Ian's new bunk bed that night and then I woke up to two boys peering over me and asking if they could jump in our pool at 6:30 a.m. Sorry neighbors, but they were just so excited!  It was so strange to wake up to new bird sounds,  we have some zebra doves that make the most beautiful call in the morning. Madelyn and Scott slept in and as soon as we were able to get going we wanted to go to the beach right away. 

 This is Sandy beach which is about 2 miles from our house. It is a beautiful place to sit and watch the waves, but they are a little too big to swim in. Still we had to get a jumping picture!

 I can't get enough of the beautiful ocean water.  Before school started we tried to get as much fun in as we could.  We had a hotel on the Kaneohe Marine Base that we went back and forth staying in, and they have a lot of fun things to rent and use in the calm bay, like paddle boards.  I am a huge fan and have since bought one and gone on a couple adventures with just me and Ian and some friends.

Remember how I sold our Pilot, well I finally convinced Scott that a van was needed in our family!  We welcomed Mahanna to our family she is a 2015 Honda Odyssey and is so fun to drive and so easy for our kids to get in and out of, there is room for cargo AND kids, and the best part they don't have to sit next to each other! Doesn't she look awesome with a surf board on top?!?

Our favorite beach (so far) is the one on Bellows Air Force Base, just 15 minutes away.  The water is this unbelievable teal color and the sand feels like kinetic sand! It is so soft and fine. The waves are perfect for body boarding.  Scott gave the kids a ride on his to get the feel of it then they were able to do it on their own.

Some other adventures we have had:

Eating at North Shore Tacos and drinking this amazing pineapple smoothie!

 Stopping at the Laie Temple, on our way to the beach of course. Scott went surfing at Chun's beach while the kids and I played on the beach  and snorkeled.  I saw a big sea turtle and when Scott came in from surfing I told him about where he was and he was able to go find him and see him too.

Makapu'u tide pools

 Morning runs to the beach and hikes with Scott.

 We have done the Makapu'u lighthouse trail and

Koko Head

and we have done Manoa Falls

and Spitting Cave as a family:

We are so very lucky to have friends already here with us, the Reardons!  Brian deployed with Scott and we have kept in touch all these years and now we are stationed here together!   Their kids are so good to my kids and my kids love them!

We went to the Honolulu Zoo with them, and snorkeling at Hanauma Bay and the beach

 I love all the Banyan trees all over! This one was by the zoo and the kids had a great time playing in it

Instead of spiders in our house (which I have not seen one since being here) there are these tiny little geckos that are often seen on our walls and running across our floor.  Madelyn is the official gecko catcher. She loves them!

 These are some things I have learned since living here for about a month:

*Hair and makeup are a waste of time, it gets ruined by humidity, the pool or the beach
*Always keep beach stuff in the back of your car for spontaneous beach going
*Sand is everywhere! Just when you think you have it all off it shows up in another place
*Having a pool causes extreme laziness
*When you meet someone new (who is Hawaiian) expect a hug and a kiss on your cheek
*Sunrises are better than sunsets (we live on the east side)
* Tourists of Asian descent love my kids and want to take pictures with them? Not sure why? is it Madelyn's curly hair or Ian's blond hair and big eyes?
*I can't get enough of pineapple and macadamia nuts
* I love all the different trees, plants and birds, but I don't recognize any of them so I can't be tree, plant and bird nerd here . . .yet! I will learn them!
* Sunscreen every 80 minutes or else! The spray kind can be whisked away by wind and might not touch your skin!
*Basic everyday groceries are about $1-$8 more here than in the states, it's not so bad at Costco, thank heavens for Costco!
*There is a laid back, friendly attitude here, people here let you turn in their lane and no one honks at me while I drive!
* Do not paddle board on a windy day, your body acts as a sail and you will be swept out to sea faster than you can paddle back!

Carpe diem is my new motto, there is so much beauty around and things to explore!