Family Vacation in Review

Hello again....

what was it I said about posting more regularly?

I have an excuse, but will share my excuse in another post a little later.

Meanwhile...this is what I have been up to...

our first family vacation....to Hawaii!!!

Here we are heading for the airport...

preparing for our 10 1/2 hour flight to Honolulu...
yes, we happened to travel on the same day the hurricane hit

we made it....rough landing...but it was all good!

Aloha!

 our first stop on day one was the beach...

 started out as a cloudy day....leftover from the hurricane

 that did not deter Collin from sand castle building...

 the kids found a coconut on the beach, which we kept as a "pet" for the duration of our trip....

by the time we got to Bellows Beach, the sun was out...

and the water was so warm!

 stopped at the scenic overlook on the way back to Waikiki Beach

 visited the Pearl Harbor Memorial on day two...

the Arizona Memorial was amazing...

day three brought a hike to the top of Diamond Head...

 almost there....

woohoo....I made it...

one hot and sweaty group...

it was much easier on the way down...

chillaxing with our shaved ice after the hike...

we spent our afternoons by the pool...

as well as playing at the beach...

 family dinner at Duke's...

 my one true love...

Caroline, Grace, and Katherine...

world's largest Hawaiian shirt....of course the kids had to get inside it... 
most of the kids.....

 day four hiking Manoa Falls....

 the hike was beautiful....

 one more hot and sweaty crew....

 drove over to the blow hole after our hike...

 at the lookout...

 all the kids snorkeling at Hanauma Bay....

a highlight of the trip was attending a luau on the night before we left...

everyone enjoyed their fruity drinks with umbrellas...Teddy sporting his Aloha casual look...

 my beautiful step-daughters Laura and Grace...

 Katherine and Jack...

 my one true love....he made this entire trip possible for our family

Katherine and Laura...

 yes...that is Katherine on stage dancing...lol

 
Grace and Caroline....precious...

Our trip could not have been more perfect!

We are truly blessed to have a such a beautifully blended family,

where we laugh and love and truly have fun together!

here we are heading home....life is so good!
We are blessed...

My Favorite Vacation Places

I don't get to travel nearly as much as I used to (not that I was ever traveling frequently) but now that my life is so hectic, it's much more difficult to get away. Most of our vacations are to visit family members or me tagging along on one of my husband's business trips...which I love to do. I know one day I will have more time to travel again...until then I can add to my list of places I want to go...here are some of my favorite places in the United States that I have visited...notice they almost all have something in common...WATER...I just love being on the water.

 

The Pictured Rocks, in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Breathtakingly beautiful....photographs can't do it justice.

Northport, Michigan (home of my Michigan parents)

The triplets and I are heading here the end of July!!!

Copper Harbor, on the shores of Lake Superior in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

Wonderful memories of summer vacations here as a kid.

 

Cedar Spring Inn outside of Charlottesville, Virginia in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
This is only two hours from our home, and D and I love to escape here for a little R&R.

Snoqualmie Falls and the Cascade Mountains in the state of Washington.

Love the entire Pacific Northwest area.

 

Mackinac Island, Michigan...this is where I met my husband back in 1986!
I think we need to spend the 30th anniversary of the night we met at the Grand Hotel!

Harbour Court, the New York Yacht Club annex, in Newport, Rhode Island.

This is a very special place for sentimental reasons.

Mount Rushmore was FAR more awe inspiring than I ever could have imagined.

Would love to go back some day!

Bellows Beach is a secluded beach at Bellows Air Force Base on Oahu, Hawaii.

I WILL go back some day....primarily because D goes to Hawaii on business...LOL.

 

Lido Beach in Florida...I spend a week here every March with my Virginia Parents.

It is ALWAYS a much needed respite.

 

What are some of your favorite vacation spots in the United States?