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
Hello Everyone! It’s been way too long since we’ve been together. I had every intention of writing and posting January 2nd but I was overwhelmed with vacation laundry, meal planning and now our first winter storm which was a blizzard that dumped over a foot of snow with below freezing temps and school canceled for two days. So I have been a little preoccupied. 
First, an update on our master bedroom renovation… The walls have been painted, crown molding has been installed, we bought a new bed frame, bought and installed new window blinds and a ceiling fan. Now I am going to slow down and slowly add accent items and new side tables. We will also be adding a new seating area. I am trying to be mindful and not just rush through the process. I have to say, the clutter-free room feels great. When I go to bed at night I am truly in an oasis. Even if I still have some purging to do in the rest of the house, I feel great about our bedroom.
While at my in-laws home we had amazing food, shared funny stories and played a lot of game playing. We even had a few days of football to watch. I feel blessed that we live close to them so our kids have grown up with them in their lives. I know as they get older, they will want to do other things with their time but right now, they are just as thrilled to go as my husband and I. They even had some quality time with one of their aunt and uncle too.
We love board games but one that my youngest hadn’t played the original Monopoly. He’s played the newer version called Monopoly Empire and he has played it on the Xbox but it’s not the same. So this year, we brought it out and let me tell you, it was priceless watching Apollo as his collection of properties grew and had the opportunities to buy houses. He absolutely loved it. He also won which made it even sweeter for him.
The snacks my mother-in-law made were so yummy. I think I ate a dozen while watching football and my pants are now reminding me of the indulgence.
I still enjoy taking photos of everyone even though its been years since I have created a scrapbook. Later each day, I send some photos to the family that could not attend so they can share in the celebrations virtually.
Some years, we have big gatherings when more family can attend but even when it’s a small group we have fun and I know the memories will last forever.
Time with my boys has evolved over the years. As their interests change and their independence increases the amount of quality time together decreases. But I continually try to find ways to connect. Lately, that is with books and gaming. You all know I am a bookworm so that one is easy. Gaming, on the other hand, is a bit more challenging because I am so terrible at it. But I have been making it a point to try. This weekend, we have blocked out time for gaming and I even have scheduled additional time for it today since they have the day off from school. So I will be playing Minecraft with Apollo and Super Smash brothers with Nick later today. I hope that I can continue to find ways to keep our connections as we enter new phases in their young lives.
Last year was our first year attending the Boston Comic Con and this weekend it arrived in Boston so we took the boys. It was a flurry of people, comics, costumes and all around fun. I normally don’t like to be in crowds that dense, but I took one for the team! It’s nice when we attend events because work can’t interfere and I love the feel of our little unit. Nick knew exactly what comics he was looking for and I even had a graphic novel in mind for myself. Apollo decided that he would add more Lego figures for his collection so we hunted down tables that sold them.
Apollo spotted The Mystery Machine on our way in to the convention center and we had to stop to take a photo. We still enjoy watching classic Scooby Doo so it was so much fun to see a real live Mystery Machine.
As the boys get older, it might be more challenging to find activities that everyone wants to do. So I am cherishing all these little memories and locking them in my heart for future savoring!