ALOHA!!!

outside our 1st condo

We just got back from the trip of my dreams. I have always wanted to go to Hawaii, and we finally did it! We decided with a baby on the way, it better be now or not for several years. We thought that we were being so smart to book it at just the right time during my pregnancy so that the morning sickness would be gone, and the uncomfortableness (is that a word), wouldn't have set in yet. As luck would have it, two weeks before our departure, I got the full fledge influenza. Believe it or not, I was actually a little relieved, because I knew it was going around, and we still had 2 weeks before our trip - plenty of time to get it over with, and run through the whole family, and all be better before we left - right? WRONG! I was partly right, it did go through my entire family during that time, and they were mostly all better before we left, but guess who was still flat in bed the night before our early a.m. departure? That would be ME! I laid in bed while my sweet husband packed my bags, and wonderful friends and family helped with dinners and getting my house put back together before we left. All I can say is that I had the opportunity to re-learn several lessons that I have been taught many times - and that is...
1. I will never doubt the power of priesthood blessings.
2. Prayers are always answered (maybe not exactly when I wanted it, but when I needed it).
3. It's good to be humbled once in a while. (not always easy to accept help - but humbling!)
4. I am so lucky to have such a patient and caring husband who would have carried me (and baby) on his shoulders if that's what I needed! Lucky for him ...I could walk!

Anyways, I was able to get out of bed the morning of our departure. It took a couple days of keeping things low-key, and that humid warm weather, and then I was feeling great.

With that being said, the rest of our trip was fantastic! My parents came with us, and we visited the island of Maui first where we had a condo right on the beach. As my dad constantly said, "It doesn't get any better than this!" After a couple days there, we went to the island of Oahu. Our "beach house" condo wasn't all that we expected, but it was alright. I'll just say that the Hawaiian phrase "hang loose" was very evident in the second place we stayed. On Oahu we went to the Pearl Harbor visitor center, and to the Temple and the Polynesian Culture Center, along with playing at the beach, and of course - eating fresh pineapple everyday - YUM!
We were gone for 8 wonderful days, (a couple more days wouldn't have hurt!). We did miss our children, and Jarin seems to be holding a grudge - but I'm sure he'll get over it eventually (hopefully before our baby is born - or he may never recover)!
Now that our trip is done, and I have memories that will last a lifetime - I will try really hard to be patient for the next couple years until our new baby will be old enough to leave home, and I can go on another extended date with my sweetheart, (not that I'm wishing my children to grow up too fast, but moments like these are priceless too)!

dad, mom, nicky & ira at the beach & the temple