Hawaii!

Sometimes things don't live up to all the hype and build-up, but our vacation to Hawaii certainly did. It was a trip of a lifetime . . . something we have been planning for over 18 months. To be able to go with my husband and my best friend was more than I could have asked for.

Here is a day by day recap:

Day 1 &2 - Travel days from hell. We got a text message while driving across Wyoming (the kids stayed with Doug's parents in Utah) that our itinerary had changed. After a frantic call to my brother who got online and figured out what was going on (all while going in and out of cell service across Wyoming), we learned that our entire flights had changed and we would not get into Maui until 10 pm instead of 7 pm. Grrr! We got up Thursday morning and headed to SLC. We were lucky enough to be able to leave our car at Doug's brother's house and got a ride. On the way to the airport, we are listening to the morning news and hear that there has been some computer glitch that affected control towers and many flights were being delayed. Seriously? We plan a trip for almost 2 years and the day we travel, there is a computer glitch? Long story short, we ended up with a very long layover at LAX because of the problems and finally got to Maui at 10 pm. My best friend, Lori and her husband, Tom had arrived at 6 pm and were already crashed out. My aunt picked us up and we went to bed after a short tour of their gorgeous house.

Day 3 - This was really Day 1 on Maui. We had a wonderful breakfast (fresh fruit on Maui is amazing!) and then just cruised the island all day, figuring out our way around. We had lunch in Lahina right on the ocean and scoped out the shops. That night, we had tickets for the Warren & Annabell magic show, which came highly recommended to us by many who have been to Maui. It was a great show, but didn't quite live up to the hype. We later learned that the main magician (Warren) was on vacation, so we had some fill ins. Still fun! Then we stopped for dessert at Kimo's for their famous Hula Pie (thanks, Brigit, for the tip--it was as yummy as you said it would be).

Day 4 - Beach day! Lori and I went for a long run along the beach path in Wailea and then we all headed to the beach. My uncle Doug took us to their fav spot that is not crowded and has some great snorkeling. Doug and Tom swam right next to and touched some giant sea turtles. They both were speechless when they came back to shore. That night, my aunt and uncle cooked for us (they are gourmet cooks) and we sat on their covered patio and just enjoyed the night.

Day 5 - Sunday was our chartered snorkeling boat trip. We boarded the boat just before 9:00 and had breakfast on the boat. The crew was so fun and entertaining. The first stop was Molokini, which is a big horseshoe-shaped rock that is visible from the coast. We snorkeled there for about an hour and saw so many amazing fish. The water is warm and clear and everytime we turned a different direction, we saw different fish. The second stop was "turtle town" where these giant sea turtles come to have their shells cleaned off by other fish. Sure enough, not two minutes after being in the water, turtles were everywhere. Tom bought an underwater camera and got some of the best shots! The turtles are so laid back and would just come right up to you as if to say hello. We had lunch on the boat and just cruised around for a while. This might have been my favorite day. Later that night, we went to the famous Mama's Fish House for dinner (the same place Oprah has charter her meals when she comes in). Super expensive, but the most amazing seafood I've ever eaten. On our way to dinner, we got a tour of some of the mountainous region of Maui. We climbed 10,000 feet before coming back down to the restaurant.

Day 6 - Oahu day. We left for the airport in the morning and caught our flight to Honolulu. Tom got a wild hair and decided it would be fun to rent a convertible for the day, so that's exactly what we did. Our first stop was Pearl Harbor. Touring that memorial was a very moving experience. Standing on top of the USS Arizona is a humbling experience. We also toured a submarine. There were no lines and we just breezed through everything there. Our next stop was North Shore. Someone told us there was a big surfing competition going on, so we decided to check it out. We first stopped for lunch at this nasty looking trailer off the side of the road. It looked a bit scary, but we had been told they had amazing shrimp. And it was! Best I've ever had. We made our way down to the beach and walked right up to catch the semi-finals and finals of this huge surfing competition. Unreal! We watched for a couple hours, then did some shopping and headed back to the airport. We got back to Maui late that night, grabbed some fish tacos and crashed.

Day 7 - Lori and I went for a run through town and then we all headed to a different beach for a few hours. That night was our traditional Hawaiian luau at Old Lahaina. It was picture perfect. We watched the sunset, the food was good, and the entertainment was wonderful.

Day 8 - Golf day! We had a tee time at 11 a.m. at the famous Wailea Emerald course. The course sits right along the coast and you have an ocean view from most of the holes. We had some good laughs and took pictures the whole time. There was a couple that teed off right ahead of us that looked so familiar. Turned out to be Newt Gingrich and his wife! Fun to be golfing among the rich and famous. After playing 18 holes and getting drenched by rain on the last 3 holes, we walked around some of the fancy resorts at Wailea. Lori and I went for a run right along the beach when we got back and then my aunt and uncle treated us to another amazing dinner on their patio Wednesday night.

Day 9 - Thanksgiving Day in Maui was a treat. My aunt and uncle's tradition is that as soon as the turkey goes in the oven, they head to the beach. So, that's exactly what we did. We went back to the "secret beach" and enjoyed a picture perfect sunny day. We did a little snorkeling, but mostly just enjoyed reading by the ocean. Doug saw an octopus and an eel while snorkeling that day. Thanksgiving dinner at the house was incredible--the best I've ever had. Staying with gourmet cooks has it's advantages for sure. We got to watch the Bronco game (my uncle is a die hard fan) and just enjoy a lazy evening.

Day 10 - We were brave and got up at 4 a.m. to go see the sunrise above Haleakala. This is a famous crater caused by a volcano many years ago. We drove up to the top and we were literally above the clouds. It was a bit foggy, but we got to see the sun come up through the clouds and it was a spectacular view. We went out to breakfast and then headed to Iao Valley, which is a rain forest. It was amazing to me that in less than an hour, you could go from an 80 degree beach to the top of a mountain and then to a rain forest. The Iao Valley was so green and lush. After that, Doug and I let Lori and Tom take a nap since they were staying one more day, but we headed to the beach for one last hurrah. We drove my uncle's scooter around and soaked up our last rays of sun. We also did some shopping and stopped at the farmer's market to buy pineapple to bring home. Can't get enough of that stuff!! We then left for the airport and had a 4 hour layover in Honolulu. Luckily, I have a former co-worker who just moved to Honolulu and she and her husband picked us up at the airport and we all went to dinner. The flight home was long and exhausting, but I was definitely ready to see my kids. There were a few happy tears for all of us, but they had an incredible week with grandma and grandpa and all their local cousins and aunts and uncles. We are so blessed to have been able to do this trip.

As hard as it was to come home, we have memories and pictures to last a lifetime!