A-lo-ha! Part 1

We had a wonderful trip to Maui to celebrate my Dad's 60th birthday. Being there with family (Gigi, Papa, Aunt Rach, Uncle Jason, Tate, Uncle Andrew, and his girlfriend Aida) made such a difference. Not only was it great to spend time together, but it also gave Chris and I a chance to relax with so many people around to help and entertain Lucie and Ryan.

My parents graciously volunteered to have Lucie and Ryan sleep in their condo, which meant we weren't on duty for the little ones' crack of dawn wake-up calls due to the time change and pure excitement. Lucie, Ryan and Tate had to learn that if the moon is still out, you can't go to the pool. I haven't slept that well since before Lucie and Ryan were born – pure bliss!

With cousin Tate by their side, Lucie and Ryan spent the week jumping in the warm ocean water, splashing at the pool, going on little adventures around the island and drinking endless cups of POG (Passionfruit-Orange-Guava juice). They're still talking about how exciting it is that you can buy POG in milk carton containers in "Ha-wa-yee".

With so many photos and stories, I'll have to break this up into a few posts. First off, the beach!

We liked to hit the beach early in the morning, both because it was a good thing to do with early-risers, and because the beach was shady and cool before mid-morning. Ryan was excited about playing in the ocean early on, while Lucie took a bit of time to warm up to it. She spent much of the first half of the week playing in the sand, but by our last few trips, she was very excited about the water, and even went in with me far past where she could stand.

With so much jumping, splashing, digging and sand-castle building, everyone was always ready for a big, delicious breakfast of pancakes and pineapple upon return. I've never seen Lucie eat so much. Now we know how to fatten up our little skinny-minny ... take her to Hawaii! I'm definitely a willing participant in that plan.

Next up, the pool.