Home Sweet Hawai`i

At the end of February, our family took a trip to Hawaii. We had just been home in August for Kehau and Loren's wedding, but we decided to go again in February 2017 since we were expecting baby #2 in the end of June 2017! We figured that it would be best to go again in February as I would be in the second trimester, and that by the time we'd be able to make it out to Hawaii again (after baby was born, vaccinated, and then the expensive/busy holiday seasons were over) it would be sometime in 2018. We learned from our last draining and trying travel experience and made sure that all of our flights to and from Hawaii had a layover of at least 5 hours so that we could get a cheap hotel room and rest and shower before the next long leg.  Ever since discovering this trick (along with getting Uriah his own seat), our flights have been much better.

We were tired, but SO HAPPY to be back in Hawaii! I made sure to check what time Masas was open until (2), and we went straight from the airport to Masas! Being a pregnant woman is tough. Being a pregnant woman while away from all of the comfort foods you grew up with is RIDICULOUSLY tough. So, naturally, Masas was a necessary first order of business! As expected, it hit the spot :)

We made it a point to go to the beach as much as possible this trip, and I am happy to report that for every sunny day, we went to the beach! I don't think I've been that tan (and I use this term very loosely) since college when I worked outdoors at PCC everyday! Our first day was spent at Lanikai, and it was a beautiful day! The beach wasn't overly crowded, and it was sunny and beautiful. Lanikai is one of my all-time favorite beaches, barring the hordes and hordes of people (transplants and tourists galore!) and near non-existent parking spots. There is seriously something so therapeutic about the ocean. It's funny how it took me moving away from Hawaii to truly appreciate that.

My little beach bum

After our day at the beach, we met up with the Petersons for a yummy, all-you-can-eat Korean buffet spot in Kaneohe! (Sikdorak) Coincidentally, my good friends from Geico, Sheri Toyama, and Renee Kudlich, were eating dinner there, too! It was such a nice surprise to run into them!

The next day, we went to Waimanalo beach with Kamuela, Roxy and the kids, and Kehau and Loren! It was SUCH a fun family beach day! It was a spontaneous meet-up; we invited everyone and were happy with whoever could make it! It was another gorgeous and fun-filled day.

We decided that the perfect way to end our beach day was by getting dinner at Fresh Catch! Yes, i had some poke! I also had the fried ahi katsu which was SO YUMMY!

Uriah sure loves Grandpa ;) and all kids love Uncle Rob!
Uriah did really good with Aunty Kehau, too!

On Saturday, we had a chance to meet up with our good friends, Shani and Erik Moroles, and their son Isaac, to go hike Makapu'u! We almost made it to the top before getting torrentially rained on! (To give a clear picture, the cupholders in our strollers filled up with water and our sneakers and socks were sloshed!)  Luckily, we were able to dry off enough to still make it to breakfast at Moena cafe unscathed :)

Trying to hastily dry socks/hat after getting pounded on by rain!
Shani and I shared that delectable fruit waffle (SO YUM). For my dish, I got
fried fish eggs benedict. Ive found that a lot of the seafood options in Maryland
are battered and fried, so this grilled fish benedict was SO welcome and hit the spot!

Sunday, Tiana had her baby blessing. We were so happy that we happened to be home during that time! We were able to see more of our family (as many had flown in from Utah of the occasion), and it was a nice reason for everyone to get together and just enjoy one another's company! That evening, we also went to Aulani to watch Kamuela and Uncle Jerry play (this has become a tradition every time we come home). It's always such a treat to watch their show.

Rob has loved surfing since the first time he tried it (as my Dad says, "He got the fevah!") We wanted to make sure to incorporate surf days for him, so on Monday, Rob went to White Plains to surf while I got to visit with Hoku in Ewa. It was really nice just to relax at her house and get to talk story in person! (We talk on the phone almost every day) Hoku is also SUCH a gracious hostess, and always is there to offer something yummy to eat or drink (we do love our cups of tea!!) I was lucky enough to catch them when they had some young coconuts. Jerry, being the Tahitian islander that he is, husked the coconuts for us so we could drink fresh coconut water, then cracked them open so we could eat the meat. It's funny how you really start to miss random things you never knew you loved (like fresh coconut!) until you move away and lose access to it! 

That night, Angela and I went to one of my favorite Mexican Restaurants on the island, El Mariachi, for dinner. It was nice to have some one-on-one time with the BFF! While Angela and I were indulging in Mexican food, Rob went to the gym with Kamuela and Zack (talk about opposing plans!)

Monday night, we had dinner with Aunty Louise Oberdorfer. Aunty Louise (and Uncle Karl) met my Dad years ago when he was playing Hawaiian music with Uncle Larry Reis at the Hawaiian Regent. They were fascinated by my Dad's yodeling (they are both originally from Germany), and that's how they ended up striking up conversation with him! They have been a part of our lives since! As a family we went over to their house here and there for dinners, and she had Hoku and I sleep over too. We have such fond memories of them! (I digress) Anyway, she was so sweet and insistent on having us over for dinner while we were home. It was different without Uncle Karl being there (he had passed away last year)  but it was still so nice to be able to catch up with her. Not to mention she made the most delicious German stew! It worked out perfectly because that night we also got to watch Kehau's show, Legends in Concert/Rock-A-Hula. Kehau really wanted us to attend because it was the last night that their fabulous Celine Dion impersonator was going to be there (she really was so amazing!) We always have such a great time at her show! 

Dinner with Aunty Louise

The next morning we went to Waikiki Beach. Waikiki is the perfect compromise for beach time because Rob can surf there, while the water is calm enough for Uriah and I to play in. It had been years since I had gone to Waikiki Beach, and it was actually so nice! The water was warm (we were by the wall area so it somewhat simulates a lagoon or pool) and so clear! Kehau met us there, which was so nice, too! On our last trip home, since it was for her wedding, we really didn't get to spend much time with her (understandably). This time around, Kehau really tried to meet up with us as much as possible, and I was so happy about that! It was a beautiful sunny day and Uriah truly is a water baby. He could not get enough of the water! After a few hours at the beach, we went to go eat some yummy Korean BBQ plate lunches!

That night, I also went to dinner with Michelle at Haleiwa Joe's (one of our favorites!). It was so nice to be able to pick up where we left off! Nothing like being able to talk to your friend in person! The food was definitely a plus, too :)

The next day was one that Rob and I had been looking forward to soooo much! It was our overnight stay at Turtle Bay! Mom graciously offered to watch Uriah for us. Turtle Bay is a beautiful resort (I actually stayed there for Michelle's wedding!), but usually so pricey. As I was pricing out hotels for our overnight staycation, Turtle Bay actually was the cheapest of the "fancier" hotels that I was looking at. Rob and I were stoked! We decided to upgrade to an oceanview suite, which also included daily snacks and breakfast. The view from the balcony itself was so gorgeous, and they had a huge, deep tub for soaking! (of course I ended up lounging in there for a bit!) We ordered room service and enjoyed listening to music, watching tv, reading our books and just getting a little peace and quiet! It was nothing short of luxurious in all aspects.

I loooooove when hotels have robes for lounging. And lounge, we did!

After we checked out, we spent the afternoon cruising North Shore. We stopped in Haleiwa for some `ono kua`aina burgers. It was all in all a very restorative and relaxing break.

We also stopped to pick up a pan of Rena (Andrus) Thompson's delicious peanut butter rolls! It was so nice to catch up with Rena and Aunty Kit! (Malia was on the Big Island at the time) The Andrus Ohana are friends that we can always pick up right where we left off from seamlessly. 

That night, we went out to dinner at Yanagi with Mom, Dad, and Kamuela. Roxy babysat Uriah for us so we could all enjoy our dinner uninterrupted :) Yanagi was delicious as always, and it was nice to be able to enjoy one of my favorite spots with some of my favorite people! 

Kamuela and Rob enjoying oyster shooters!
Ka'ihi and Uriah enjoying SnapChat!

Saturday was a fun day for us! In the morning, I went to Vaitea's basketball game along with Kamuela and Hoku's family while Rob snuck in a surfing session at White Plains. After the game, we all went back to Hoku's house to help celebrate Jerry and Vaitea's birthdays. That evening, Kamuela, Roxy, and the kids came over to Mom's house so we could all watch Moana together. I loved it, and we still love it to this day! (especially Uriah, who knows all the dialogue and songs!)

Kamuela and Uriah with intense, matching game-faces!
Uriah doing some housework at Hoku's, and me and Tepoe cruising!

Sunday was a day of fun at the Petersons! We started out the day at Lanikai Beach (FAVE!), picked up some L&L plate lunches, then hung out in the pool! It's always so nice getting to spend time with some of our favorite people!

Monday was another fun-filled day for us! BJ had offered to take us to the sandbar (he has his boat license and therefore can rent boats from K-Bay) previously, and we had been scouring the weather report for a sunny Windward day. Thankfully, Monday was nice and sunny, as predicted! We loaded up along with Hoku, Jerry, and the kids (with the exception of Tamahere and Vaitea, who were in school) and had a beautiful day out on the sandbar! It had been years since I went, and both Jerry and Rob had never been! I think growing up in Hawaii, I often took for granted how truly beautiful my daily surroundings were. I woke up to the Ko`olau mountains everyday, and had a beach literally 5 minutes from my home. Moving away has definitely brought a renewed appreciation, and an ability to see the sheer beauty of Hawaii from a refreshed (and humbled) set of eyes. 

LOOK at how tan I am in the picture with Hoku. It's seriously the most tan I've been in years -
more tan, even, than when I lived in Hawaii! Could it be because I went to the beach almost
everyday for two and a half weeks? I'm going to go with YES!

That night, Dad made us his "squash soup" for dinner. It was really yummy! He was raving about how yummy it was, and his Filipino friend had taught him how to make it. It was really yummy, and it was fun to see Dad cooking, and how proud he was of his dish. Us foodies take our cooking/food very seriously! 

On our last day, we went to Ko`olina (another of my favorite beaches). Kamuela and Rob went to surf at White Plains, while me, Uriah, Roxy and the kids, Kehau, and Mom all ventured to Ko`olina. The water was PERFECT - it was a cloudless, sunny and warm day! We all had so much fun in and out of the water! 

Ok, seriously? how cute are THESE two?! Survey says? VERY.

In case you missed it, Kehau and I had a photoshoot in the water (it's always a photoshoot when Kehau is around! ...and I love it!)

Nothing like posing next to your extremely photogenic and fit sister to make you feel like a potato! :p

I really appreciated Kehau and Kamuela making a concerted effort to spend time with us. Both of them were gone for a portion of our trip last time (Kamuela's family went to NZ, and Kehau had her honeymoon) so it was really nice that they tried to get together with us as much as possible! 

Our morning was spent getting Masa's for breakfast (our Last Supper), then heading to the airport. It was such an amazing trip home, as always. Even though we were in Hawaii for almost 20 days, the time flew by. No matter how long the trip, it will never be long enough.

On our way home, we had an overnight layover in San Diego. We booked this layover on purpose because, again, Uriah does much better when we break up these long cross-country flights, and because of all places, both Rob and I have best friends in San Diego! We slept a few hours in the hotel (side note: the Days Inn San Diego - NEVER STAY THERE, ever. See my Yelp review for further explanation), then Rob's friend, Geoff, picked us up. Lindsey and Geoff made us an awesome breakfast. It was so nice being able to see them, and just hang out for a bit! They also have a little boy and girl, who played so well with Uriah! 

After breakfast, Tahani picked me up. I don't remember how long it had been since I'd seen Tahani, but I know it felt (and continues to feel) really long! I was so excited because it was the first chance I got to see the posh condo that she lives in. The grounds were gorgeous, and they have so many amenities - perfect for being able to feel pampered right at home! After a quick tour of her beautiful home and the community grounds, we spent our afternoon hanging out by the pool. It was a BEAUTIFUL, sunny and warm day, and the pool was empty! It was an awesome time just getting to catch up between friends. We still talk on the phone, but again, there's nothing like physically being with your friends. 

After the pool, we met up again with the Herrington family for the yummiest mexican dinner! Nothing like legit Mexican food! I don't remember everything we had, but I DO know we had carne asada fries that were KILLAH, fresh ceviche, cucumbers with tajin (my first time - I'm definitely a fan!), and some of the best guacamole I've ever had! Even though we were only with our friends for a few hours, it was such a restorative time for us! It was the perfect way to end our trip. As usual, I cannot wait for our next adventure!

Thanksgiving and Christmas Festivities!

Thanksgiving was such a fun (and delicious) holiday for us this year! Rob's sister, Monica and her gang, (kids - Cameron, Donovan, Brittany, Ashley, Destiny, Karmen, and granddaughter Cassidy!) as well as Mom Taylor, all piled into a large passenger van and made the long trek from Michigan all the way out to Maryland to visit us. What a commute! We were so happy and flattered that they planned the trip to come out and see us for Thanksgiving, especially since we were only planning on a low key Thanksgiving at home this year. They came in late Tuesday night, prepped on Wednesday and Thursday morning, had Thanksgiving lunch/dinner Thursday (and FRIDAY!...and SATURDAY! Basically for as long as we had leftovers!), then left on Sunday morning. It was so nice getting to spend quality time with them, since when we go to Michigan, we are usually splitting our time between lots of different family members. As they stayed with us in our home, we had a chance to just relax, talk, and have fun! Some on the couch, some on the floor, some on the air mattress, and usually Ashley on the floor in Uriah's room! It was a full house for sure, but we made it work!

Left: working to de-rib the collard greens (me, Destiny, Brittany)
Right: Baking cake on cake on cake! (Rob, Ashley, Monica)

SO MUCH YUMMY FOOD! We had turkey, ham, candied yams, collard greens, fresh cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, potato salad, rolls, mac 'n cheese (two full trays!!), and CAKES! Caramel cake, chocolate cake, and lemon cake! (This is all off the top of my head, so I hope I remembered everything) We were more than happy to eat leftovers until there were no more. 

One thing I really enjoyed seeing was Uriah getting a chance to interact more closely with his cousins. I love how hands on everyone was. Not only was it good for Uriah to get a chance to spend time with family, but it was nice to have all of these willing extra hands to help take care of him! One morning, I woke up, and Uriah was on the couch eating cereal with the gals and watching cartoons! Another morning, they had taken him for a walk to the store. I really love how everyone was so kind and loving towards him!

Cassidy loved reading Uriah his bedtime story and giving him his bottle! She was a great helper!
Karmen playing with Uriah on the couch, and Cameron sharing his food with Uriah.

Christmas was another great holiday for us. It was fun decorating the tree and seeing all of my childhood ornaments and the memories that come with them. As a tradition, my mom would get each of us kids new ornaments every year. I love that she labeled them with the year, too, because then we really can appreciate how far back some of the ornaments go! (totally dating myself here) Not only was it fun to receive new ornaments every year, but my Mom's primary reason in giving us ornaments was so that when we had families of our own, we would have ornaments for our own trees! GREAT IDEA, MOM! I have already kept up with the tradition and bought ornaments for Uriah (and labeled with the year, albeit with much scragglier handwriting). We spent Christmas Eve drinking William Sonoma hot chocolate and watching a Christmas movie. Christmas Day, we all wore our matching Christmas PJs, read the story of Jesus' birth from the bible, and opened our gifts. 

We were invited to the Gary's for Christmas dinner. It was nice to be able to get together with good friends that are like family for Christmas. We had really ono food, and I played piano while the group gathered around to sing carols. It was an awesome Christmas!

I had to add this picture of Uriah, just because it's one of my favorites.
He is so handsome <3

HOME SWEET HOME!!!!

We were so excited to be able to go home to Hawaii this past summer! Our main reason for going at that specific time (at that specific, crazy expensive time) was Kehau and Loren's wedding! YAY!! SO WORTH IT! Our tickets home cost us just over $2300 for our two tickets. Summer vacation may've contributed to that price, but flying from the East Coast all the way to the opposite side of the nation probably had more to do with it. 

Speaking of flying from the East Coast to Hawaii, if I had to use a word to describe that, I would use TORTUROUS. Granted, we only have one child, but a 16 hour total travel time with a mobile 1 year old is AWFUL. We were hoping that there would be extra seats where we could lay Uriah down next to us, but being that it was summer, all flights were packed, and we spent the majority of the time taking turns holding Uriah in our laps or trying to get him to sleep across our laps (HAHA! In retrospect, we were SOOOO funny in our optimism!). While Uriah was definitely tired, he had a hard time sleeping, or staying asleep on the flights. He was a delirious crazy man! To make matters worse, one of our seat DVD player was broken and not functional on one of our long legs (6 hour flight)! After our hell-raising flight to Hawaii, we decided we were going to change our flight home (another $200 or so, plus hotel room) so that we had an overnight layover. WORTH IT. Breaking up the flights made such a big difference!

Pre-craze.
See how calm I look? Still put together? See that smile? This was probably flight 1.

SCORE: Uriah, 1. Parents, 0.

Once we got to Hawaii, thankfully, our sour flight experience was a thing of the past! We were fortunate enough to be able to stay in my old room in Kahalu'u with Mom and Dad. We had an a/c room, Queen size bed, and our own bathroom/shower, so it was just perfect for our little family! Not only did Mom and Dad put us up, they also let us borrow Dad's nice car! We saved so much money by being able to stay with my parents. Aside from that, it was nice to be able to spend so much time with them! Every morning, Mom would take Uriah out of his room when he woke up (he was in Kehau's room in a pack-n-play) and would let me and Rob sleep in. This was SUCH A THOUGHTFUL and delicious treat for us! By the time we got up, Mom had usually fed Uriah breakfast and sometimes already had something for me and Rob to eat, too! SPOILED, I tell you! Uriah really warmed up to the house quickly, and to Mom and Dad. It was awesome to see.

Mom woke up with Uriah and gave him a bath every day (or Beth helped with baths too if not!)
It was so nice to have a little break, and we know everyone involved enjoyed it!
Dad found the way to Uriah's heart with cars and trucks! It was their special pass time.

Kehau and Loren's wedding was BEAUTIFUL! It was a beautiful day, ceremony, and reception! I was so happy to be able to witness the marriage of two of my most favorite people :) The only downside was that since it was their wedding, we didn't get to spend much time with them (absolutely understandable) what with all the running around beforehand, and the honeymoon cruise afterwards! Luckily, Kehau and Loren plan to come up to Maryland and visit us next year, so we will get all our quality time in then!

GRINDZ!!!! The food was so good.

It was so nice seeing everyone! We spent our days visiting with family and friends, EATING, and going to the beach! We were there for 18 days, but time really flew! We didn't get to see everyone that we would've liked, but that's one of the challenging with growing up on an island and coming from a big family! We hope to see those we missed on our next trip!

our first time meeting Kamuela and Roxy's baby girl, Kamamalu! She was a doll!!

Beth and Michelle met us at Ala Moana beach! Kehau just so HAPPENED to be there
with some friends, which was a fun surprise! :)

Uriah loved the water

eating all the ono food I can't get in MD:
Kimokeo local potluck, malasadas, manapua, and ahi katsu!

Kamuela invited us over for
steak and lobster tail! YUM!

Rob and I did pretty good with working out during our trip!
We worked out for free at the Pearl Harbor gym
 while Mom watched Uriah!

Took Hoku out for birthday lunch! It was YUMMY and fun!

One of our most fun days - just decided to drive, then
stopped at the beach wherever it looked nice! Fun day!

Belated anniversary overnight Koolina stay!

Sushi II for our anniversary dinner! Omakase (trust the chef/he controls the dishes) was excellent!

MASAS!

Fun in Kailua with some of our favorites - the Petersons! <3

Aija loved Uriah - and he loved her right back! BFFs!

Dinner Date with Mom and Dad - Yanagis!

The ride home was much smoother because:
1. We used mom's pro tip to take a King size pillow to help Uriah sleep. Really helped!
2. We broke up our flights and overnighted in Seattle for a few hours to shower,
stretch out our legs, and sleep!

Our trip was so fun, and it was really great to be able to spend so much time with the people we love. Going back wasn't easy, but the silver lining was getting back to our routines. We can't wait for our next trip home!