Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vacation. Show all posts

Monday, August 18, 2014

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...
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Monday, March 10, 2014

Post Vacation Blues

If you follow me on Instagram,
then you will know we just got home from a FABULOUS week in Florida!
The boys and I visited my Virginia parents (who winter in Florida) for a week of sun and fun!
It was a much needed break from "real life"
and although it was not spring vacation for the boys,
they took their homework for the week with them and only ended up missing two and a half days of school 
because we had a snowstorm in Richmond last week and their school was closed!
Here are a few vacation pics...
Lido Beach....we walked out the door of our condo right on to this beach!
View from my mom's cabana...we spent every morning at the beach and every afternoon at the pool!

Out to dinner on St. Armand's Circle....they clean up well!

My baby boys are taller than I am now! 
Virginia parents with us!
Virginia mom and I at dinner....was happy to be sporting my Lilly summer colors!

So I mentioned to my sweet husband how frustrated I was that I had forgotten my Clarisonic 
because I was going to be slopping buckets of sunscreen on my face all week
and I had no way to deep clean my skin....
so sweet D took it upon himself to surprise me and mail it to me.
Unfortunately, after a brief discussion about the mail, he discovered that he mailed it to the wrong resort.
So my Clarisonic took a side trip to Cuba (not quite, but close)
and finally arrived to me on Wednesday.
I love D....he thought I would be mad when I discovered it was on its way to Cuba,
but all I could do was laugh....I didn't care if it was lost forever at that point.
Sweetest gesture...always doing things to make me happy.
Best husband ever.
Teddy trying to prove he is MUCH taller than Jack....these two cracked each other up all week....
which I did not particularly appreciate at 1:00am.
Boys.
Rented a boat for the day....both boys played skipper.
Teddy and Virginia dad bringing us in....
...to catch lunch at the Tiki Bar!
The only cloudy day we had!
Virginia mom and I made the most of it and went shopping! 
You can see for yourself how cooperative the boys were when I wanted to take pictures!
My handsome boy Teddy....
I had to bribe them for this picture....
My baby boy Jack....by one minute that is.
LOVING my Vineyard Vines fleece I posted about here 
I may have to get one in navy blue too...
Can't believe how big my boys are getting....

Katherine did not stay home in Virginia while we were in Florida...
she went to Mardi Gras in New Orleans!
Louisiana Daughter had the entire week of school for Mardi Gras,
so Katherine opted to visit her for the week instead of coming to Florida with us.
Looking forward to Louisiana daughter visiting this summer!!!
Silly girls....they are more like sisters.

As hard as it was to come home, 
we have lots to look forward to this spring...
and it IS spring FINALLY!
All of the snow from last week has melted,
and it is going to be 72 degrees tomorrow in Richmond!!!


























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