Hello Everyone! Wow, it’s been a long while since I have written a Happy Monday post. I didn’t plan on stopping my blogging but I had decided to take the summer and enjoy my family so I think crafting and blogging took a back seat.
This summer we had an amazing vacation in Hawaii so I thought before we get back to crafty happenings, I would share a bit of the fun. Although this was not our first family trip to Hawaii, I am still in awe. We have family that lives in Hawaii and the last time we visited my youngest was practically a newborn! Both my boys are now of age to really file these new memories in the forever bin. Despite my multiple visits, I spent a large amount of time, ooo and aaaing over the continuous mountains surrounding us and the exotic vegetation. While preparing for this post this morning, I had a hard time selecting photos to share. I took so many and they are all so very special. So I selected some and grouped them together. The first batch you see is of the amazing house that we rented with our family (my husband’s family). This is our third time renting a house together and we all have a great time. This house had an amazing pool and loads of open spaces for us all to hang out. We would spend evenings eating outside near the pool. I also included a photo from a beautiful hike and of course our trip wouldn’t be complete without a visit to the Dole Plantation. Yum!!
This next set of photos are of our visit to Pearl Harbor, a sneaky date night Leao and I had, beach time, and taking photos on the property of the house we rented. They had amazing trees, flowers, and even a mini putting green! The boys got a lesson from our family on how to make a yummy Hawaiian dessert. I had one of the yummy finished products.
I took so many pictures while we drove around of the mountains and trees so I had to include at least one in this grouping. We had a family bowling night and I have to say I am pretty convinced that my Hawaiian family is in a league because they sort of wiped the floor with us! Beach time and books were a priority, of course, being the book nerd. The last two photos are of a few of us out for sunrise photos.
Each day we made dinner together and on one night our Hawaiian peeps made us some traditional Hawaiian food. It was so much fun to try the dishes and hear stories about some of them. I decided that I wanted to pack more educational activities into this trip since past trips we spent a lot of time on the beach. So we took a trip to Iolani Palace. It was extraordinary and I was glad to be able to take my boys to see this place and learn about the history of how the US. overthrew and took control of this country. It’s not talked about when you hear about Hawaii. Most often you only hear or read about Pearl Harbor but these magnificent islands were self-governed prior to that tragedy. So I included a few photos inside and outside of the palace. 
This last grouping is beach scenes, Pearl Harbor, family hanging out at the house, visiting Hanauma Bay and cousins hanging out at the pool.
I had such a wonderful time that upon my return home and after jetlag faded, I fell into serious withdrawal. Just didn’t get enough. Definitely a highlight of our summer.
Ok, now that we have caught up, I will be able to resume a regular posting schedule so do come back.
Happy Monday and have a blessed day!
Belinda
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