Aloha and Happy Birthday, Jeff!

We had the wonderful opportunity to go to Maui for 10 days in May. While we were there, we celebrated Jeff's birthday and Mother's Day. We started his birthday with a boat trip to Lanai. We convinced our kids to go in the water for a few minutes and we took turns snorkeling. After a BBQ lunch, we headed back to Maui and saw about 100 dolphins on the way. They swam around the boat and did jumps and spins. For dinner we ate at Cheeseburger in Paradise and then the kids played on the beach by the restaurant. Emma was so sweet and wrote "Happy Birthday Daddy" in the sand. And yes, the water in Hawaii really is that blue!!!!

We Got Lei'd!

One of the best features about our hotel was the daily activities they offered. There was remote control shark races in the pool, coconut husking, lei making, ukulele lessons, hula lessons, an astronomer one night, and movie night under the stars to name a few. Emma and Caden did the lei making twice and they were actually able to bring them home and share some aloha with Nonnie and Poppy and Emma's teacher.

Fun Around Town

We had to take the classic Banyan tree pictures in downtown Lahaina. While we were there,we saw a carver carving tikis and a woman weaving really cool baskets. Another night, we caught a keiki (kids) hula show in Whaler's Village. The kids were on stage for the traditional "Huki lau."

Fun at the Beach

Every morning, the kids woke up early, so inevitably we were on the beach by 8 a.m. every day. The kids loved playing in the sand and also catching waves on rafts. Jeff and I enjoyed snorkeling and were lucky enough to see sea turtles right at Black Rock, by our hotel. We loved ending the day watching the sunset on the beach as well. Every night the hotel had a torch lighting ceremony at Black Rock and someone would dive off the rock. There was also live music and a hula girl. Our last night, Emma and Caden helped light one of the torches.

Fun in the Pool

One of our favorite activities was hanging out in the pool. The Sheraton has a pool that goes on for days, under bridges, past waterfalls, and even has a water slide. We never even made it to the other end of the pool.

Our Last Day:(

Our return flight didn't leave until 9pm, so we got a late checkout at our hotel, and then went to the Maui Ocean Center. The kids were most fascinated by the sea turtles and the diver that was in the tank feeding the sharks and manta rays. At the airport, Caden entertained a large crowd with his toys in his backpack. Here he is making a seahorse out of play-doh. Then he decided that Silva was his new best friend. He proceeded to get each item out one by one and show her and tell her about it. He even had her read an entire magazine to him. She was very sweet and we loved her Mississippi accent.

A Creative Playdate

Our friends Camden and Raegan came over for a playdate which included building a fort for snails and glazing some random ceramic shapes I had laying around. The little artists were hard at work on their masterpieces.

In The Garden

My mom has a fabulous garden which is great for tea parties and other gatherings. Emma and Nonnie had tea in her "Secret Garden."

Happy Birthday Nonnie!

As you know, this trip was a surprise visit for my mom's birthday, so we had a little birthday gathering with my Aunt Becky and Uncle Gary. The highlight of spending time with them is the concerts we get. Between the two of them, they can play the piano, keyboard, tuba, trombone, trumpet, guitar, and a few others I am forgetting.