tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83741884521691289252024-03-05T01:01:56.856-05:00Coastie Mama LogsCoast Guard Wife, Mom of 4 in 5 years, living in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Maryland, and now Hawaii! (But always pining for England.)J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.comBlogger693125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-52151066543239027952018-03-20T14:14:00.000-04:002018-03-20T14:14:05.302-04:00New Zealand, Days 11 & 12 - Dunedin and Christchurch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's our final installment in the New Zealand Epic Adventure Series! We're on Day 11 now and according to my notes, you'll never guess this, but apparently it was another BEAUTIFUL DRIVE as we left Cromwell an headed east towards Dunedin! The good news is it was actually quite sunny as well!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I bet this lake is beautiful in the fall!</td></tr>
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We saw green mountains, dry tundra, rocky cliffs, and sheep! And sheep perched on rocky cliffs! As we drove out of the mountains and into wine country we started seeing more and more vineyards and fruit stands. But then it also became harder to see anything because a thick and heavy fog settled in the valley. Seriously, right there is the sun--and look at that fog! So now we have sheep grazing in orchards under a layer of fog. If that isn't Jane Eyre-esque dreamy then I don't know what is!<br />
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It was going to be a long drive, and we were on Day 11, so it goes without saying that mama needed a coffee. But this is the "scenic southern drive" and not exactly prolifically humanized. In fact, most of the drive we couldn't even get cell phone service in order to look up a cafe. Finally, we rolled into a small town and Jon stopped for gas. Across the street was this little shop and I decided to give it a try. I had heard that New Zealand does coffee right no matter where you stop and I can now verify this testimony. If you ignore the garish marketing and giant plastic ice cream cone, inside you'll find three little old ladies working an expresso machine hidden amongst the hot dog stand and deli bar. So there's my NZ tip of the day: don't be afraid to stop for coffee!<br />
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We continued on our drive to Dunedin (pronounced dun-EDEN, not DOON-idin like I had been saying) and the landscape become more hilly and green, reminding me a little more of the North Island. The city was much bigger than I had anticipated. And also more hilly. It looked like all of Dunedin was built on an angle. I had read that it is an academic town, with a college and numerous bookstores, but that's not the type of exploring one does with small children. My impression was that it was extremely industrial, and that everybody owned a house with a chimney and every chimney was smoking. So much so that there was an actual cloud of smoke over the city that night!<br />
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Apparently the steepest residential road in the world is located in Dunedin but we didn't have a chance to scope it out. In fact, I only have one photo from our drive through town, and it's this one I took as an example of New Zealand architecture. I would describe the homes in this country as one of two varieties: Tiny Victorian Farmhouse (like this photo) or Boxy Glass-encased Contemporary, which I didn't get any photos of. But I appreciated the way the Kiwis incorporate large windows into their homes and was impressed that you generally weren't able to see into the houses despite these large sheets of glass. (Because I tried!)<br />
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Moving on ... visiting Dunedin wasn't on our original itinerary so we were basically shooting from the hip at this point. We decided to drive onto the Otago Peninsula and check out Larnach Castle. The peninsula itself was just beautiful! It was very similar to Coromandel on the North Island and apparently known for it's eco-tourism. But we weren't really there for that. So we just kept driving up and up and around and around on narrow winding roads. Like this one. I'm not even sure how the campervan fit under this hedge!<br />
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We made it to the top of the peninsula and to Larnach Castle. This was totally a Janine-stop--I kinda have a thing for historical estates. But the rest of the family wasn't too impressed. And the house had a creepy history involving financial ruin and suicide so that put a little damper on things. But it was a beautiful home with a beautiful garden AAAAANNNDDD, no surprise here, BEAUTIFUL VIEWS!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a photo of a postcard because the front elevation was undergoing some restoration while we were there.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the garden.</td></tr>
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Like I said, Jon and the kids weren't exactly enthralled with touring a house so I attempted to redeem the visit with a stop at the cafe for warm fires and tea and biscuits, or a "Fluffy" (frothed milk with marshmallows) for the kids.<br />
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It was getting late and the sun was going down (early, because we're very far south at this point!) so we made our way off the Peninsula and stopped once more for groceries. This time we checked out a Pak and Save (which we decided is a cheaper place to get groceries) and then visited The Warehouse next door to purchase some super glue (to repair the table that some child fell on?!?) We then took a very confusing and winding drive around the city to park ourselves at Dunedin's Top 10 for the night. This was a sweet little campground, straight out of the 60s, and as usual, there was maybe one other campervan there that night. But it had a heated indoor pool! A very ancient and uninteresting heated indoor pool, but the kids didn't mind! There was also a playground that they enjoyed during our waning hours of daylight while I fixed a delicious dinner of soup, vegetables, and crackers.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sidenote: the swimsuits we were wore in NZ are soo faded from all the pools and hot tubs we visited!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look at that frost!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were board games painted onto all the picnic tables. Too bad it was just a touch too icy to play!</td></tr>
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That night Jon surprised me by renting out the private spa nextdoor to the campground office. We locked the kids in the camper again and some random man working the front counter led us to the spa room and turned on the water and jets. Jon and I settled in ready to enjoy a few minutes of relaxation ... and then immediately started coughing and gagging. The amount of chlorine in the water and air was making our eyes itch and our throats burn. We tried to stick it out, but after a few more minutes of suffering, we decided it was more important that we keep ourselves alive so we could return to our children and make our flight back to Hawaii. So we bounced back out and let the front desk man know that while we appreciated the campground amenities, something was just not right with the spa! We stumbled and coughed our way back to the camper and thankfully lived through the night. To this day we still laugh about our attempt at a romantic night, but sometimes I wonder just how close to death we may have been!<br />
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We woke up on Day 12 and this is where all my notes from vacation abruptly end. We started our drive up the coast to return to Christchurch so we could fly out the next morning and things must've moved very quickly during our final 36 hours--too quickly for me to keep up!<br />
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Apparently, penguins are the <i>thing</i> on this side of the South Island. Jon and the kids had their hearts set on seeing a few so when a penguin sanctuary popped up on our radar we decided to give it a shot. And failed. Not only was it not prime penguin viewing season but the best opportunities occur at night and cost some serious coin. So we explored the grounds, spotted a few sea lions, and then were back on the road.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMad2XX9kT99_z9UBx_LMTjXgUBYAISQcOv7QTgVkj-O4l5AwBQcSmEJxHpKlOTjaq1OLNq5Oq54qsNNhvABc-ipR_Rm-q1hKMQfm_HOxC5gN4MTNxNo86SLlNO4Oj5UtAPVUvibJhyphenhyphenjwF/s1600/DSC_6122.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMad2XX9kT99_z9UBx_LMTjXgUBYAISQcOv7QTgVkj-O4l5AwBQcSmEJxHpKlOTjaq1OLNq5Oq54qsNNhvABc-ipR_Rm-q1hKMQfm_HOxC5gN4MTNxNo86SLlNO4Oj5UtAPVUvibJhyphenhyphenjwF/s640/DSC_6122.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is as far as our penguin encounter got!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No penguins in sight!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We did spot a few sea lions though!</td></tr>
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I was referencing our trusty NZ Frenzy book on the drive, trying to find one more sight to close out our tour of the South Island and to make up for dragging my family all over an old house the day before. And I was certain that location would be the Moeraki Boulders. These are spherical shaped rocks scattered along a stretch of beach on the east coast. And despite being just "a bunch of rocks" they really were very cool! Finding perfectly smooth and round boulders just lying on the beach was quite fascinating. And we also had fun exploring the coast and finding some beautiful shells and our own miniature boulders to bring home.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA9HDeDRO12aQGEiVjHgaL75jjYpJf6uO5h4g9Y2GvkTIgeLieX_asNIC_VsYezJic7YOL_ZkYjbLec5r3BdC9TVh3ACvGc8jWJSmpm18KS1MAtbZ_YTRmeT-dkp7fhcj8So4xW69IZ3LA/s1600/DSC_6104.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA9HDeDRO12aQGEiVjHgaL75jjYpJf6uO5h4g9Y2GvkTIgeLieX_asNIC_VsYezJic7YOL_ZkYjbLec5r3BdC9TVh3ACvGc8jWJSmpm18KS1MAtbZ_YTRmeT-dkp7fhcj8So4xW69IZ3LA/s640/DSC_6104.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the treasures we found!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCcC_rd1QEaG3YAfFkMquWRwowTHnC6b4Cs5iN31qYljSlytii5hb7CCVHS98jOJrJLH16DxS7Oov3074WHnl9nM3XVV-CJ0TuQaJNuD49fCTAwFeWSJu4GsUpTPheftbz8rPoYi19yMR/s1600/DSC_6108.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnCcC_rd1QEaG3YAfFkMquWRwowTHnC6b4Cs5iN31qYljSlytii5hb7CCVHS98jOJrJLH16DxS7Oov3074WHnl9nM3XVV-CJ0TuQaJNuD49fCTAwFeWSJu4GsUpTPheftbz8rPoYi19yMR/s640/DSC_6108.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the road again, spotting sheep again. But this time we're on the very far east coast and can see all the way to those mountains in the west!</td></tr>
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The rest of our drive was through farmland and rolling hills. We returned to Christchurch Top 10 for our final night in New Zealand and one last sleep in our beloved campervan! The sunset perfectly punctuated our experience spending 10 days in an RV--so golden, so rosy, ONLY GOOD MEMORIES! Never mind that we had to secretly super glue the table! Forget about that time someone fell off the toilet and broke down the bathroom door! Did we really all get motion sickness or was that just the giddiness of our adventures?!? WE CAN'T WAIT TO DO THIS AGAIN!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynqp8fqGOcb9dlWEsq39RBjQVkUd3KVn1OiuYYJob3D1Co2WUev8NZN1SOHVW3IGw9vh5op7pggFIvmwGZpvg9pH9AkuHh1W0XCNMjpB3QUyfw9Rgd-NF71nH-tGh6KAM5-Q5gd08UCy5/s1600/IMG_1411.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjynqp8fqGOcb9dlWEsq39RBjQVkUd3KVn1OiuYYJob3D1Co2WUev8NZN1SOHVW3IGw9vh5op7pggFIvmwGZpvg9pH9AkuHh1W0XCNMjpB3QUyfw9Rgd-NF71nH-tGh6KAM5-Q5gd08UCy5/s640/IMG_1411.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sunset on our last night!</td></tr>
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The next morning we took advantage of our final hours with wheels and visited a playground in Christchurch. But not just any playground. Pretty much the most amazing playground we've ever seen. My one friend who had visited here the year before recommended it to me. And the the kids and I did some googling and watched and re-watched a YouTube video about it in eager anticipation. It wasn't ranked up there on our to-do list along with Hobbiton or Cathedral Cove or the Luge, but it was definitely something we were hoping to squeeze in. And we did--just barely.<br />
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Despite it being cold, wet, and dreary the kids had a blast. I'm so glad they got in lots of playtime before we had to drag them off because things were about to go very sideways on our travel adventures. After 12 days of being on the road, it was bound to happen!<br />
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We took a quick flight from Christchurch back to Auckland that afternoon and had lots of time before our final flight back to Hawaii at midnight. Our plan was to rent a car and explore Auckland but after a lot of waiting and phone calls it became apparent that there were just no vehicles big enough for our family available to rent that day. Then we looked into storing our luggage at the airport so we could at least wander around the city unencumbered. That's when we discovered it would cost us several HUNDRED dollars to temporarily store our 5 bags. ??? And to top it all off, in the middle of all this, we found out our flight was being delayed over an hour and would now be leaving after 1:00am. Because it is so fun to try to herd 4 tired and travel-worn children around an airport after their bedtime.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZPrQfemhBRk3-ZcmHu7FAkg5N2WltCJXymM-HtV8b4kQM-_uelBmEcIoo_lDbKriBKoef249PKCzCKTgk_ASXuGYTgDvDvt3sVWJqbA9ZAGUgFynQ5IRBjJNvQ6xrUP8WD8IrLwkvcuh/s1600/IMG_1442.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZPrQfemhBRk3-ZcmHu7FAkg5N2WltCJXymM-HtV8b4kQM-_uelBmEcIoo_lDbKriBKoef249PKCzCKTgk_ASXuGYTgDvDvt3sVWJqbA9ZAGUgFynQ5IRBjJNvQ6xrUP8WD8IrLwkvcuh/s640/IMG_1442.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Note to self: MUST TRAVEL LIGHTER!</td></tr>
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Frankly, we were all tired and travel-worn and the thought of doing one.more.thing was just a little too much for me at that point. So I begged Jon to just book a hotel for us to hang out in for a few hours until our flight left. He eventually found a place that was able to accommodate our "large" family, and offered a shuttle to and from the airport. And to top it all off they had a pool and a restaurant. The pool started out sounding appealing but, like I said, things started moving downhill very fast this evening and even the thought of relaxing in a pool seemed like too much by the end of the day.<br />
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Dinner was something that couldn't be avoided and we were all looking forward to something a little more elaborate than a campervan meal. Unfortunately, this was one of those restaurants, er "dining experiences," that catered to the traveling businessman or bougie couple (i.e. NOT the family with 4 kids dressed in the comfy clothes they're planning to wear whilst flying on a red-eye.) And presumably this is why they didn't even open their doors until 6pm. Which meant not receiving our food until close to 7pm. Which meant we had some very tired, very silly children misbehaving around all those cloth napkins and crystal glassware. Bad memories that I'm choosing to push past.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for the restaurant to open.</td></tr>
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We headed back up to our hotel room about 8pm with visions of everyone taking a "quiet rest" for two hours before we had to drag ourselves back to the airport. Instead, everybody was all hyped up on who-knows-what and jumped on the bed and watched TV most of the evening. And then all the kids fell asleep for our final 15 minutes in the room. Therefore, we had to try to wake them all back up and somehow finagle them and all our luggage back down to the hotel lobby to await the shuttle.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkZ2yiKr8KrysIuzKk_JpPmz4ol9hEl74RqZ6LBQ0qN_1SOCw7KW3P_zIS0uT_1bkjaEhgmmhjaZ2GLwMiFfoItbG_ePfl3V_kr_66EZZTLc1Cr0hqPMccY7OvQECeSDxt4zXsZ-vkAMh/s1600/IMG_1444.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNkZ2yiKr8KrysIuzKk_JpPmz4ol9hEl74RqZ6LBQ0qN_1SOCw7KW3P_zIS0uT_1bkjaEhgmmhjaZ2GLwMiFfoItbG_ePfl3V_kr_66EZZTLc1Cr0hqPMccY7OvQECeSDxt4zXsZ-vkAMh/s640/IMG_1444.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lovely accommodations that we barely got to enjoy. Please note the wrestling session occurring on the bed.</td></tr>
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The shuttle that was supposed to arrive every 30 minutes and yet never showed. After over an hour the concierge lady felt bad for us and absconded a hotel van to drive us to the airport herself. We appreciate her! The rest of the evening is one big blur--checking in, sleeping on benches at our gate, finally boarding the flight, feeling more tired than I've felt since having a baby and yet not being able to sleep on the plane ...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Everyone is sleeping ... except for me.</td></tr>
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Thankfully they had us all sitting in the front row together and thankfully the kids had no problem falling sleep themselves. Or Jon for that matter. We had a lovely flight attendant who commented, sometime around 2am, that my children were so well behaved. I wanted to say, "Well yeah, they usually are at 2 in the morning." But instead I just smiled, said thank-you, and enjoyed the compliment because let's be honest, we don't get that one very much these days!<br />
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Then the breakfast carts started rattling, and the sun started rising, and soon we could see our hot and humid island off in the distance. Jon began unzipping the bottom of his conversion pants (that he had bought specifically for this occasion) in anticipation and I started laughing uncontrollably. Because after two weeks of traveling with four kids, and one night of very little sleep, everything was funny!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out that leave-status facial hair!</td></tr>
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We landed and disembarked without a hitch! Our friend was waiting at the baggage claim to pick us up with venti Starbucks in hand. The sun seemed so much brighter and so much warmer after all that time living under "the long white cloud." And we were finally pulling into our friendly and familiar home! We had such a wonderful experience--the adventure of a lifetime, but it was good to be back!!<br />
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Would we do it again? Absolutely. In fact, we're planning on it. Sorta. We figured we should visit a new location that we haven't been to before, but we're all looking forward to returning to that campervan life again. Because, ONLY GOOD MEMORIES! But New Zealand did settle in our hearts, and we'll always hold on to that sliver of hope that in the future we could return (perhaps without kids!) and do all the things we missed on our first visit. Someday!<br />
<span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: #bd081c; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 33px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 17305px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: #bd081c; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 33px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 17305px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: #bd081c; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 33px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 21050px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: #bd081c; background-image: url(data:image/svg+xml; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 33px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 21050px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-19161218971857561672018-01-04T02:37:00.002-05:002018-01-04T02:37:13.922-05:00New Zealand, Days 9 & 10 - QueenstownQueenstown--our major goal on the South Island. We pushed ourselves hard in order to have plenty of time to explore this well-known destination for thrill-seekers and the adorable mountain town did not disappoint!<br />
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We woke up on our 9th morning to frost on the windshield and ice on the roads. The motorway was so sketchy that we passed an overturned campervan that had slid on an icy patch. So we were very careful to take it easy and enjoy the views, because of course--the drive was gorgeous.<br />
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It got super foggy as we were driving into the Cromwell area. We decided to make a pit stop at Wild Earth for coffee and a peek at the canyon. There we spotted a jet boat zooming over the river. We already had plans to try this at our destination so it was fun to get a glimpse of our upcoming adventure.<br />
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We continued on our route through Arrowtown and stopped over at the Shotover Jet--a thrill ride that had come highly recommended by our friends. Originally, the plan was for just Jon and the boys to ride but (while wearing rain boots and her monkey hat) Joci just barely made the height requirement. So we made a snap decision to include the whole family.<br />
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I'm so glad we did because (a) it was super-duper fun, in fact, all the kids will tell you this was the absolute highlight of their vacation and (b) this ended up being our Christmas family photo.<br />
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I had no idea what we were getting into. Fast boat. Cold river. It sounded pretty straightforward to me. I didn't know what the big fuss was about. But it's actually a really crazy fast boat (up to 90km/h) that can travel over incredibly shallow water (5-6 cm.) And then you have the additional thrill of skimming past jagged rocks and roaring through narrow canyons, with a few 360s thrown in for good measure. It was rrrreeeeeaaallllyyy cold (for us Hawaiians), like 40 degrees, plus you have the wind and water spray to contend with. But Joci's smile through it all was just the very best--even if it was completely frozen on her face!<br />
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We hung out in the gift shop for a few extra minutes to get warmed up and then it was back in the campervan to continue on into Queenstown--a quaint little town built on the side of the mountains overlooking a lake. And the views? Well, they were remarkable. I mean, they were of "The Remarkables," a seriously impressive chain of snow-capped mountains. Queenstown was bustling, thanks in part to its plethora of ski resorts and winter activities. It was the busiest area we had visited outside of Auckland.<br />
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There's a second luge here that the kids had requested we visit but we couldn't find a place to park. Thankfully, there is a holiday park called Lakeview Park just down the road. We got a camping spot for the night that overlooked the lake and was a short walk to both downtown or the gondola up the mountain.<br />
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This luge was much busier than the last one and for some reason the kids had a harder time. It was still fun though and it wasn't raining so we got some great photos at the top! And of course, we all enjoyed warming up with hot beverages at the mountaintop coffee shop.<br />
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That evening we walked downtown to the waterfront to book our tickets for an activity the next day. There we listened to a man playing guitar and singing a duet with his dog before heading over to the famous Fergburger for dinner. Unfortunately, the line was way too long for a hungry family of 6. So we stepped in to London Pizza next door instead. And we actually really enjoyed it! Jude said it was his favorite meal of the trip!<br />
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The next morning we had a scheduled cruise onboard the TSS Earnslaw to Walter Peak Station--a working sheep farm. As much as we wanted to attempt Milford Sound, it was a very cloudy day and it would have meant more traveling and less time to get back to the airport later that week. So we cut off that portion of our trip. It may be one of our biggest regrets, but we have no way of knowing if we could have made it work!<br />
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The Earnslaw is an old steamboat that cruises the lake. It's very large with lots of areas to explore. There's also a full-service bar and coffee shop area as well as a piano with live entertainment! It was a clear yet cold day on the lake as we traveled to Walter Peak. Once we disembarked, we visited the barn where we watched sheep shearing and herding. We even got to take home some wool! (Although I have no idea what to do with it.)<br />
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Afterwards was morning tea, which I (no surprise here) thoroughly enjoyed. The scones were amazing! I asked for the recipe, but it turns out it's in metric measurement and meant to feed a very large crowd. Someday I'll attempt to replicate! The tea room was darling and our family got prime seats overlooking the garden.<br />
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From there, we got to feed and pet the shop, alpaca, cows, and deer. As well as score a few photos for the memory book. We made a quick stop at the gift shop for some junky souvenirs for the kids--Joci got a plastic toy that moos (and continues to moo to this day) and Jack got a splat ball that he promptly through against the steamboat window that he immediately discovered was not actually closed. So he got to enjoy his gift for all of 5 minutes. :(<br />
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On the way back they passed out music and all of us on the lower deck had a sing-a-long with the pianist. It was getting late in Queenstown and the sun sets early. Although our original plan was to spend two days there, we decided that since we were no longer planning to travel any further south, we might as well get a hard start on our trip back north.<br />
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So we drove to Cromwell, the next town over, and booked a campsite at the Top 10 there. Unfortunately, we discovered too late that their spa was closed. (Because as you know by this point, hot tubs are a driving force in our decision making.) We found out about a "aquatic center" in town--picture something like a YMCA that doesn't requirement a membership. So we ended up getting unlimited pool and hot tub time for $15 for the entire family. It was a nice break but awkwardly local. I'm quite certain we were the only non-Cromwell residents there, let alone the only non-New Zealand residents. The kids didn't mind and the hot tub was certainly a welcoming sight after 10 days of traveling.<br />
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There wasn't much to do or see in Cromwell other than vineyards and fruit farms. Oh, and bungee jumping! But that wasn't something we were looking to attempt this trip. So we called it a night after dinner and a movie--pre-made tortellini and another beloved En Zed cucumber before watching "Big Hero 6."<br />
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The next morning we'd start our long trek back to Christchurch. We were all getting a little worn out by this point in our adventure but there was still plenty to see and do before we could return to our tropical home!J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-38226068767685976492017-09-12T19:03:00.005-04:002017-09-12T19:46:02.805-04:00New Zealand, Day 8 - Lake Tekapo and Clay CliffsIt was raining when we woke up in Christchurch (notice a theme here?). I promise you it did not rain the entire time we were in New Zealand, or even most of the time. But it certainly seemed to rain a lot. We had an ambitious day of driving before us. We were trying to keep our agenda flexible, but with the plan to drive as far as possible so we could spend the bulk of our final week in Queenstown. So we left the campground first thing in the morning and drove straight through until lunch.<br />
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I didn't know what to expect. No, actually, I did know what to expect. I had read (and re-read several times) <a href="http://theartofsimpletravel.net/newzealand/">Tsh Oxenreider's blog post on the South Island</a>, as well as the NZ chapter in her book <i>At Home in the World</i>. I thought I knew what we'd see, but instead, it was just straight roads through farmland and pastures as far as the eye could see. Granted, that wasn't very far since it was rainy and foggy for the first hour of our travels .<br />
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After driving well out of the city and any form of civilization in general, the rain stopped, the clouds parted, and THERE THEY WERE! The mountains. The superbly majestic, perfectly snow-capped, mountains of New Zealand. That's what we were looking for!<br />
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It was crazy. They were all around us. Just when I thought we had surely taken a wrong turn and would be driving straight into snowy peaks, the road would bend and the mountains would suddenly be beside us, then behind us, and new mountains would rise up in front. Needless to say, I have countless blurry photos of snow-capped mountains from the campervan windshield.<br />
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This was to be our longest day of driving on this trip and the kids did great. I'm sure it helped that it was the first day we figured out how to use the DVD player. We also pre-empted the winding roads with some Dramamine. Jude was on his second day of a fever (I think I forgot to mention this in my last post??), but thankfully, I had packed Tylenol for our trip knowing that he tends to get run down when we're traveling or doing a lot in a short span of time. Normally, I'd let a fever run its course, but if there's one time I'm okay with utilizing the miracle of Tylenol--it's on our "family vacation of a lifetime" on the other side of the world.<br />
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We made it to Lake Tekapo and pulled into a scenic overlook for a potty break and to make some sandwiches. Lake Tekapo is fairly well known in the tourist world and I'd read a few blogs on visiting it. We had our eye on a campground along the lake but since it was still early in the day and we were feeling good, we decided to push on through.<br />
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We did make some time to stop at The Church of the Good Shepherd. This is probably one of the top tourist stops on the South Island, but fortunately, we unintentionally timed our visit in between two tour buses. So we were able to capture some unobscured photos of the chapel as well as meander along the shoreline and teach the kids how to skip rocks. It was crisp and still, and with the mountains reflecting off the lake, it made for a stunning view. There's not a lot to <i>do</i> at Lake Tekapo, but there was plenty to see.<br />
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Reinvigorated from our rest stop, we continued our drive southwest--stopping every few miles for the occasional photo-op. While preparing for our trip, one of my friends' gave us the book <a href="http://www.nzfrenzy.com/">NZ Frenzy</a> for the South Island. There's also a volume for the North Island. These are your "off the beaten path" guides for both islands and, while they're nothing fancy to look at, I love the author's enthusiasm for adventure and appreciate his reviews and "obscuremeter" for each attraction. We didn't use the book as much as I'd have liked, since we were limited on time and easily filled our itinerary with all the "big" tourist attractions. But I did find one of his recommendations right on our way to Queenstown.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not exactly campervan friendly but this gravel road just screams "adventure awaits!"</td></tr>
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I assumed it was right off the main road, but what I didn't realize was you had to drive a few miles off the highway, then turn onto a gravel road and travel another 10km. It's private property, but they allow visitors and just ask that you drop a $5 donation in the box before opening the gate to drive the final stretch. Once you reach the end of the road there's a bit of walking involved as well. Jude wasn't feeling too well at this point and I think Jon wasn't as enthusiastic about the Clay Cliffs as I was, so just Jack and I made the trek.<br />
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We had a little mommy-son adventure and were both impressed by the Clay Cliffs jutting into the sky. We squeezed through a thin passage and entered "the cathedral" which was a beautiful and surreal open space surrounded by the cliffs. The sun was close to setting so we didn't stay too long (and also why my photos didn't turn out quite as dramatic as it looks in real life.) I thought it was worth the $5 and the short detour, but the experience would have been improved if Jon and the other kids had joined us and we had set aside more time for exploring.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"The Cathedral" (I feel like that word is used a lot in NZ.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3d1Z8j7cZranHH2e3uusm9gWaXo-9ynissUoFpo1kAAtVotjDb2CozWFJ0GOuHRh_592-zaesoIYoE1ZAkmM29EYWWT5R6FxFg9lsesEff0rZfc1dqwS5sLtkgiqSLWvYbvqajyO8xl1I/s1600/DSC_5754.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3d1Z8j7cZranHH2e3uusm9gWaXo-9ynissUoFpo1kAAtVotjDb2CozWFJ0GOuHRh_592-zaesoIYoE1ZAkmM29EYWWT5R6FxFg9lsesEff0rZfc1dqwS5sLtkgiqSLWvYbvqajyO8xl1I/s640/DSC_5754.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were some gorgeous views looking out from the cliffs too!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimak0eZ89P1b4X5DO26rHC44Q9vSatwNKg2ufCT3R87PbzXPuUNkloSniq1Iw98ARkn-9QoKDHL_S1f3YzGPaynYWWNc1dEJgPF_VYRB5YmGnIdxKYtlcTiw4CLK51z-y_FLj8yVmhc0tD/s1600/DSC_5771.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimak0eZ89P1b4X5DO26rHC44Q9vSatwNKg2ufCT3R87PbzXPuUNkloSniq1Iw98ARkn-9QoKDHL_S1f3YzGPaynYWWNc1dEJgPF_VYRB5YmGnIdxKYtlcTiw4CLK51z-y_FLj8yVmhc0tD/s640/DSC_5771.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the Clay Cliffs from the motorway. If only you could drive straight across that pasture ...</td></tr>
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As it was, we wanted to get to the nearest campground by dark. This was right down the road in Omarama. (I mistakenly kept pronouncing it OMA-rama--rhymes with that event in Virginia called "Homearama," but it's actually O-mara-ma.) It was another Top 10, but sadly I must admit, it was my LEAST favorite of the resorts we stayed in. There was no pool, and only one tiny playground. The kitchen and bathrooms were frigid and the lights would randomly go off if you were still for too long (or in the shower??) I also don't think it helped that the entire campground was basically empty. There was one other man staying there. I think he may have lived in a camper there. He was the epitome of "creepy guy that lives at a campground." In fact, if any of you are making a movie with a character of that description, may I recommend the man that lives at Omarama Top 10? He comes complete with long, gray beard and shifty eyes. But I digress.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAW0mNLwhe_HlrV3vAU5hl3y36RvdqDC76xMPevdd4lfNcLEUhyphenhyphenkgaL-RPLrwDpaDCQETcWUGHy4r_5szlKkPLPi2k8sqqFvTF25gZUBI-uMKzGcaX3Bqv1i5PFy1YfXtOIzx0H6MMMI3U/s1600/DSC_5763.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAW0mNLwhe_HlrV3vAU5hl3y36RvdqDC76xMPevdd4lfNcLEUhyphenhyphenkgaL-RPLrwDpaDCQETcWUGHy4r_5szlKkPLPi2k8sqqFvTF25gZUBI-uMKzGcaX3Bqv1i5PFy1YfXtOIzx0H6MMMI3U/s640/DSC_5763.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One other campervan rolled in after we arrived so it wasn't TOO desolate.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCE31Jc-vAsx0sC8nbkr9__z_Z2wVBkwzQESU6jJ2Qun3tNKNdM6j4N0mnbfCXNeOtH3jrJZywEyWJlbT1NyVPu4vfgHGNfoPp198dFDZccS2XQFR-iSNg54BYO2Ghzmr9f2u3kAXrrKEO/s1600/DSC_5764.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCE31Jc-vAsx0sC8nbkr9__z_Z2wVBkwzQESU6jJ2Qun3tNKNdM6j4N0mnbfCXNeOtH3jrJZywEyWJlbT1NyVPu4vfgHGNfoPp198dFDZccS2XQFR-iSNg54BYO2Ghzmr9f2u3kAXrrKEO/s640/DSC_5764.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not quite what we had become accustomed to at other campgrounds.</td></tr>
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The one thing this resort had going for it were the fabulous mountain views. Unfortunately, those same mountains also blocked the sun, which made it seem to get darker even earlier. And this may have been the coldest night during our visit to En Zed. It got down into the 20s (fahrenheit!!) For dinner, I attempted to bake a frozen lasagna in our tiny oven but after 45 minutes gave up and decided to microwave each portion individually. It actually wasn't too bad, especially with a side of garlic bread and cucumbers.<br />
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Speaking of which, we loved the cucumbers in New Zealand. Now that I'm thinking about it, we enjoyed most of the produce. After living over a year on an island where so much of our favorite produce has to be shipped in, it was nice to eat some local vegetables again! It was good we ate our fill, because our next stop was Queenstown--a region known as "the adventure capital of the world." And adventure is something our family just can't say no to!<br />
<span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 42px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 234px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 42px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 234px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-65622330568263841722017-08-26T15:34:00.000-04:002017-09-04T13:24:25.866-04:00New Zealand, Day 7 - That Campervan Tho' (North Island to South Island)<b>Day 7 - Auckland to Christchurch</b><br />
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Here's the thing, New Zealand is an island, but it's a big island--and actually it's two islands that are not connected. Several other families we talked to and blogs I had read just focused on one island and it was usually the South one. But there were places we wanted to visit in both regions and we viewed this as a once in a lifetime opportunity to be on that side of the world, so we decided to try to swing both. Originally, our plan was to drive to the southern tip and take the ferry across to the South Island but it would have consumed a huge portion of our limited time to drive there and a huge portion of our limited funds to transfer 6 people and a campervan on the ferry. Turns out, it's actually cheaper to fly. So that's what we did!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSxRrwM91UigW-nz28KxlMiYwLRt-tOgWHVzdBXuTUF4xbxIyDyTrStZ07xWJ0-IFLEtvOOBs28GPsATXD65QcZRuJ3bKG2vWoa04HEdmrqdMgYviUV7DjyVi4Izbf8bDCGaPZOed6xq_/s1600/IMG_1135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1209" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoSxRrwM91UigW-nz28KxlMiYwLRt-tOgWHVzdBXuTUF4xbxIyDyTrStZ07xWJ0-IFLEtvOOBs28GPsATXD65QcZRuJ3bKG2vWoa04HEdmrqdMgYviUV7DjyVi4Izbf8bDCGaPZOed6xq_/s640/IMG_1135.jpg" width="482" /></a></div>
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This allowed us to focus on just one loop on the North Island, return to Auckland, fly down to Christchurch, do a circle on the South Island, and fly back to Auckland for our return flight to Hawaii. We had to devote an entire day to travel but it was worth it for us to get to experience both islands and still have time to visit most of the sites on our list!<br />
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So on Day 7 we left Waitomo first thing in the morning and drove three hours to Auckland. After days of roaming the hillside, it was strange to be back in the city--with straight highways, multiple lanes, and on-ramps and off-ramps.<br />
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We had eaten as much of our food as we could and frantically started cleaning out the campervan once we pulled into the rental lot. We paid extra for a package that exempted us from having to return the RV with a full gas tank and an empty toilet tank (more on that later.) So it was actually fairly easy to pack everything up, wipe it all down, sweep it all up, and hit the road again.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosh6ItSQvPSo8PlOncjw8VGLabngLyASCgSMKHDVqKbSQ5T-eGqZp6RZcthJrl1BB61yX5FQ_5jeq2IGD6W-thWlk5bhRta-VEFyWZZ3ZKQMBOD6BBZVXkI4fY1M5kQmIHnlolglwsurp/s1600/IMG_1146.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosh6ItSQvPSo8PlOncjw8VGLabngLyASCgSMKHDVqKbSQ5T-eGqZp6RZcthJrl1BB61yX5FQ_5jeq2IGD6W-thWlk5bhRta-VEFyWZZ3ZKQMBOD6BBZVXkI4fY1M5kQmIHnlolglwsurp/s640/IMG_1146.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Zealand is so campervan friendly. Most places had parking areas designated for RVs.</td></tr>
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The RV rental location provided a shuttle to the airport that pulled up just as we were finishing one final bathroom break. We were soon back at Auckland, all checked in, and enjoying brunch at the airport McDonalds--which actually made a delicious Flat White, if I do say so myself.<br />
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The flight to Christchurch was less than one hour. We splurged on the Kids' Snack Pack that the airline provided and they all got to pick a treat at the gift shop which made for a quick and pleasant flight. As we were flying in to the South Island you could begin to see the difference. More brown than green, more mountains than rolling hills. And snow! Well, not on the nearby ground, but definitely on the mountains in the distance. We were all shivering in anticipation!<br />
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We landed, picked up our luggage, caught another shuttle, and then waited some more at the campervan rental, which was actually quite nice and accommodating! We rented through Britz, but they work in conjunction with Maui. So our first van was a Maui and our second one was a Britz--even though they were exactly the same on the inside. We were really happy with our rental experience and loved touring the country in our campervan.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkDGFUU5Ma_3BR9VdDpRGNqvu7BmdACAr4rT23lla_wv720vlQwhF1iQmvioJmDKpsWyYCV9OjnUYls4c-r-xxKFvXaiJt0aJ3BM-j1qonpQxL_kdFtbocJ_pTLZNhm5yYNa0G4wpsbI2/s1600/IMG_1136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQkDGFUU5Ma_3BR9VdDpRGNqvu7BmdACAr4rT23lla_wv720vlQwhF1iQmvioJmDKpsWyYCV9OjnUYls4c-r-xxKFvXaiJt0aJ3BM-j1qonpQxL_kdFtbocJ_pTLZNhm5yYNa0G4wpsbI2/s640/IMG_1136.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cappuccino machines for the adults and crayons and coloring pages for the kids!</td></tr>
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That said, there were definitely some challenges to sharing a tiny living area with six people. Naturally, space was a big issue. There was plenty of room for us to store our groceries and smaller items, and there was a large storage space under the camper that was great for a folding table (that we never used), camping chairs, muddy boots, and other outdoor stuff. But there wasn't much room for our bags. We had packed everything in soft bags to make storing them easier. But our modus operandi soon became piling the bags on our bed during the day, and stacking them up in the dining area at night.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVz5ejjf4FKoTerC2dyeE-f8IecV6WqHbU-oVSLCjjyBNjue-U3xy-VgXBR9NZRv-r6tJDn4ibfvtXuMAoKmo16AuKBbbQFJuuDXSwgEHR1_WkO10DMW36PR0iTqkVJxpITn1NKv6uRMn/s1600/IMG_1142.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirVz5ejjf4FKoTerC2dyeE-f8IecV6WqHbU-oVSLCjjyBNjue-U3xy-VgXBR9NZRv-r6tJDn4ibfvtXuMAoKmo16AuKBbbQFJuuDXSwgEHR1_WkO10DMW36PR0iTqkVJxpITn1NKv6uRMn/s640/IMG_1142.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen area</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQ8A4IQvr0GzQVC0XyUPboAJPgtc-K-Ps4ZUt2Kdr7nwpjdoRkCg6m4CrLve9oz4QgLaneg3EWXv7S8KxChjHUToMN-4uJVbIaZt68bLOM9pjdwzaAayb31nLsgfrUpb_8_sVa4uWu94x/s1600/IMG_1144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWQ8A4IQvr0GzQVC0XyUPboAJPgtc-K-Ps4ZUt2Kdr7nwpjdoRkCg6m4CrLve9oz4QgLaneg3EWXv7S8KxChjHUToMN-4uJVbIaZt68bLOM9pjdwzaAayb31nLsgfrUpb_8_sVa4uWu94x/s640/IMG_1144.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As you can see from this photo, there's only space for one adult to walk through at a time. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIN-hQIYZ1KvrJ3asLHsutu8X8aS2hC6LZ_YvS2VvTZbg_8VmFnio_P5fIIAkCaf040pOGfNH29LwpiYSbQFjHbJJtHs9HXahCfzW5FPvNY0N-zUd7lYRfTwcw8o0I1m5AfMBh5Y7hic7n/s1600/IMG_1145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIN-hQIYZ1KvrJ3asLHsutu8X8aS2hC6LZ_YvS2VvTZbg_8VmFnio_P5fIIAkCaf040pOGfNH29LwpiYSbQFjHbJJtHs9HXahCfzW5FPvNY0N-zUd7lYRfTwcw8o0I1m5AfMBh5Y7hic7n/s640/IMG_1145.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kitchen storage. We also had a TV/DVD player but we didn't figure the DVD player out until halfway through our trip.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CmascU5TLI1ZW0BQ_sungXoR9FwYu3K_7-DzwOu_grhNMIlOf22RrexqyizbtqXtcUhcnkc7oYy6bAguULSAqcPxbyRiaPrfnpIXpILm8g8hDgXtKBtdHN-59mBHAZPT9i-pPksGVNZb/s1600/IMG_0782.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4CmascU5TLI1ZW0BQ_sungXoR9FwYu3K_7-DzwOu_grhNMIlOf22RrexqyizbtqXtcUhcnkc7oYy6bAguULSAqcPxbyRiaPrfnpIXpILm8g8hDgXtKBtdHN-59mBHAZPT9i-pPksGVNZb/s640/IMG_0782.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We did most of our cooking in our campervan kitchen, but I usually did dishes in the resort kitchens--more space and unlimited hot water!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP449E68G-6s8Psl1bGoDzw6N_HSNizde22xnGE-jcE_E-HGId8cIx2Lnf9pQwt0FiiO8hNeKWY31qASI-KboiwVACvULHCxwpAu0mybw01FuECQNqtB0IrDxLLrqLc_seAcCGM_LuVwtE/s1600/IMG_1152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP449E68G-6s8Psl1bGoDzw6N_HSNizde22xnGE-jcE_E-HGId8cIx2Lnf9pQwt0FiiO8hNeKWY31qASI-KboiwVACvULHCxwpAu0mybw01FuECQNqtB0IrDxLLrqLc_seAcCGM_LuVwtE/s640/IMG_1152.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another example of a campground community kitchen.</td></tr>
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You could only set the tabletop up during the evening when we weren't driving, since two of our kids needed to be in carseats and they didn't fit in the leg space. At night, we'd set up the table and move the carseats to the driver's cab for storage.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mqSquAdENskNWgA-n413jecDLpfS0BTduG4J4FEMW4j5gtC0KmmbRDnKDUSjWFUs3K1vIHUpQLZeqcxf5UOxUlSA2ZuOId5D8TdGyHpNCf-novYqXpnkvpraejPnpa9aLPwC3auj9C7u/s1600/DSC_5583.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4mqSquAdENskNWgA-n413jecDLpfS0BTduG4J4FEMW4j5gtC0KmmbRDnKDUSjWFUs3K1vIHUpQLZeqcxf5UOxUlSA2ZuOId5D8TdGyHpNCf-novYqXpnkvpraejPnpa9aLPwC3auj9C7u/s640/DSC_5583.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Play time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC0oa61B5maNmTay0UnqxQ_8C6WN17he9bv3TuWUhCaKGkwQJSQQaCiCozI9vI1VtWmsDQagiu0Gbw2oIknk0wGXRZWM2G_QelPFqActJBpCoOEbWfHGiXb7rBAS5YdU45hVkeT-76TRU7/s1600/IMG_0742.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC0oa61B5maNmTay0UnqxQ_8C6WN17he9bv3TuWUhCaKGkwQJSQQaCiCozI9vI1VtWmsDQagiu0Gbw2oIknk0wGXRZWM2G_QelPFqActJBpCoOEbWfHGiXb7rBAS5YdU45hVkeT-76TRU7/s640/IMG_0742.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meal time.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ96yR9OY56QHuQEL6jl8BiY-JvqwSrgY-1XDLc2ch2kfv4Q1szH6WB5VXygv1fDtmd7RiN1a0t1DBpP39XsCtqB2tvaVyO7YEjb4R2UrNmFdFLO8tLxaGQnePmCENx2ym4iCJik1y6XfF/s1600/IMG_1131.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQ96yR9OY56QHuQEL6jl8BiY-JvqwSrgY-1XDLc2ch2kfv4Q1szH6WB5VXygv1fDtmd7RiN1a0t1DBpP39XsCtqB2tvaVyO7YEjb4R2UrNmFdFLO8tLxaGQnePmCENx2ym4iCJik1y6XfF/s640/IMG_1131.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEtW3OsblWjAQRG9JJYH4S19yQL4ur0HF-IYHNf_QsuVcqp1r95xfXpXTCMpIp92FY2Ehw1rPwOD8BBpTAj3FWp4B6EjdJthbvNzXd8VQIqajSBNqlOhaA8RV9EReS_cAsxIoNkKyATTk/s1600/IMG_1143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtEtW3OsblWjAQRG9JJYH4S19yQL4ur0HF-IYHNf_QsuVcqp1r95xfXpXTCMpIp92FY2Ehw1rPwOD8BBpTAj3FWp4B6EjdJthbvNzXd8VQIqajSBNqlOhaA8RV9EReS_cAsxIoNkKyATTk/s640/IMG_1143.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More play time</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Jon and I had the double bed in the back of the van. The dining area turns into another double bed, but we preferred to use that for storage and put all four kids in the double bed up above the cab. They thought this was fun for the first few nights but soon reality set in and some evenings it was a challenge to get them all to settle and sleep (no matter who was sleeping next to them.) Then we could shut the curtain on their bed and get the rest of the camper to ourselves.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XNpe8YrpbX3GnQB_DyC4RDh1jdQ9bMB2FicPWjwulldaE0mSnDZPBGGs8SbSxJIGwV2NNPMHtx1hn1ac7lX_s6XQ_g58pHA02kVsvScHMxnYqC0LCwKRb1C3Y9CG19YGSKK2C7X0peMx/s1600/IMG_0751.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0XNpe8YrpbX3GnQB_DyC4RDh1jdQ9bMB2FicPWjwulldaE0mSnDZPBGGs8SbSxJIGwV2NNPMHtx1hn1ac7lX_s6XQ_g58pHA02kVsvScHMxnYqC0LCwKRb1C3Y9CG19YGSKK2C7X0peMx/s640/IMG_0751.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kids' bed</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjECyU5ETF2LrxZlFmr4dQoIEYOLFmq31122sM_zb3s8G_B5zakkEV6gv9LMG53hQVTCVlx41gg7b-g3ICwbr3n41s-Z2Z9YRkrcXKhoUvd90TYS8zu8r5UUTaHrNin1V1Pv8OFsfpoRgF/s1600/IMG_1137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjECyU5ETF2LrxZlFmr4dQoIEYOLFmq31122sM_zb3s8G_B5zakkEV6gv9LMG53hQVTCVlx41gg7b-g3ICwbr3n41s-Z2Z9YRkrcXKhoUvd90TYS8zu8r5UUTaHrNin1V1Pv8OFsfpoRgF/s640/IMG_1137.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our bed. And since I slept next to the window but am always the first one up--it involved acrobats to get out of bed every morning.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Dirty laundry presented another challenge. Mainly because it was actual, dirty laundry. Lots of rain + all our hiding and touring adventures meant there was no re-wearing of clothes. So we started a pile in the one free corner of the camper. And with six people, it didn't take long to grow! Muddy shoes stayed in the bucket-step at the front door.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggPhiXZGJRuGXKT4wPqP62oFs-BWvRBaMrgeHoTFnjAC70lOps7c1Ca2iKmlz9-ZPm3aiwK4KuRMiqxCRqabthyphenhyphenat9L1jp9D8-bwhh11mRVE8ABKfptrWdsngTxCQJD6Yu_JkT6tBfN7l/s1600/DSC_6061.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgggPhiXZGJRuGXKT4wPqP62oFs-BWvRBaMrgeHoTFnjAC70lOps7c1Ca2iKmlz9-ZPm3aiwK4KuRMiqxCRqabthyphenhyphenat9L1jp9D8-bwhh11mRVE8ABKfptrWdsngTxCQJD6Yu_JkT6tBfN7l/s640/DSC_6061.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what things looked like when we were parked for the evening.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwR22T8jO-jaPBDhb5YM1KpqjTxZaTcvy4YOLahABMkTOexBsmk3ef7tR9_MHaDR3vIs5sWh4DuUxpfmHmz__a-d1IAt_4doSAQ0K3ovvaFEg8LSd21fGsqpNulwUkktoAHoIykyq0Llbb/s1600/DSC_6062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwR22T8jO-jaPBDhb5YM1KpqjTxZaTcvy4YOLahABMkTOexBsmk3ef7tR9_MHaDR3vIs5sWh4DuUxpfmHmz__a-d1IAt_4doSAQ0K3ovvaFEg8LSd21fGsqpNulwUkktoAHoIykyq0Llbb/s640/DSC_6062.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVkUtdPRdV2JXcFsvy6qkeoQBHHBJ8HTmKBDQBBZ2IGqJuZCzWOLXlJ7FCAiK88hd1FSroU0k3whYV8GHRXSATH06YUnSdvzBDwiHcyLZP1qO8py9tRq8PYnJeeBfEmky1psTwlk8lFi3/s1600/IMG_1385.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcVkUtdPRdV2JXcFsvy6qkeoQBHHBJ8HTmKBDQBBZ2IGqJuZCzWOLXlJ7FCAiK88hd1FSroU0k3whYV8GHRXSATH06YUnSdvzBDwiHcyLZP1qO8py9tRq8PYnJeeBfEmky1psTwlk8lFi3/s640/IMG_1385.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAserPZTbbCMLvWGCDLHP-LEHcHisde35NUWSlfKYH7O8BHT3F1Ulj0UK8k73jB8lubyvEKe_fYAaUKNfVYGGMM0AV2MrGTsXzIvObH8rW4apbOslUz7Wb7V4FIoziopvRW93kswPbLEmQ/s1600/IMG_1386.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAserPZTbbCMLvWGCDLHP-LEHcHisde35NUWSlfKYH7O8BHT3F1Ulj0UK8k73jB8lubyvEKe_fYAaUKNfVYGGMM0AV2MrGTsXzIvObH8rW4apbOslUz7Wb7V4FIoziopvRW93kswPbLEmQ/s640/IMG_1386.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hanging laundry on every spare inch!</td></tr>
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But the wet towels, robes, and swimsuits were impossible to dry in the cold weather. Anytime we weren't on the road, wet items were hanging everywhere in attempt to somewhat dry. Sometimes we'd throw them in the campground dryer but at $4NZD a pop, it's not something we wanted to do every day in addition to our regular laundry. And wet sneakers were a whole other story. I spent a good portion of my vacation time in dreamy En Zed standing by a hand dryer with a stinky pair of my boys' shoes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAZt62I1blmi1Ir_OfYCAR7mEVSYwY_41BE9iQX9O4VE7alnRw45ILHU5a1JTDg6DU-AN2rL2WsvwKbI_jUqy62qY6GAcxUmGFAqs0IzbvZZ5SkOZtm3T6oNZDTtFO7-ujZaf-HM9mY9w/s1600/IMG_1345.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizAZt62I1blmi1Ir_OfYCAR7mEVSYwY_41BE9iQX9O4VE7alnRw45ILHU5a1JTDg6DU-AN2rL2WsvwKbI_jUqy62qY6GAcxUmGFAqs0IzbvZZ5SkOZtm3T6oNZDTtFO7-ujZaf-HM9mY9w/s640/IMG_1345.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We also used the dryers for just getting warm period.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7sDsVu-Jbwxfde6UsYvvgoIXfMQswox5wcxVqIAgJ8AaTrTcrCEra-NO70lhQk4OALWTngWM0W4DSQ8rHBMFl-xZpmUGHIstoxA0ZPQ3s48gv18zi6dGzYEX8UJKUHC-9VXVk-rm-t1Qq/s1600/IMG_0959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7sDsVu-Jbwxfde6UsYvvgoIXfMQswox5wcxVqIAgJ8AaTrTcrCEra-NO70lhQk4OALWTngWM0W4DSQ8rHBMFl-xZpmUGHIstoxA0ZPQ3s48gv18zi6dGzYEX8UJKUHC-9VXVk-rm-t1Qq/s640/IMG_0959.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Heat lamps!</td></tr>
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And then there's just the whole experience of living in such close quarters with your children every second of every day. Our only hope was to wear them down sufficiently enough during the day to guarantee an early, peaceful evening. And while it certainly helped that the sun was setting at 5:30. It made for some very long and quiet evenings for Jon and I. On the warmer nights we sat outside under the stars on the camping chairs. But on the colder and rainy nights (which was the majority), we just sat together on the bed and read or watched the iPad. And then went to bed early.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRW-fbenKRYLuQFTzEDewm46506kIVri1uOKThvDb8JaMc8VXRWMgLgakEh6-qQNagkDv8rBs-OVR61gL_j2T2EATtumIuU5_4VZ6MMgo3OADS-D0HliD4pHDbTogK8m0dya-TsZMuhWx/s1600/IMG_1126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtRW-fbenKRYLuQFTzEDewm46506kIVri1uOKThvDb8JaMc8VXRWMgLgakEh6-qQNagkDv8rBs-OVR61gL_j2T2EATtumIuU5_4VZ6MMgo3OADS-D0HliD4pHDbTogK8m0dya-TsZMuhWx/s640/IMG_1126.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coloring on the floor while sitting on a bag of dirty laundry.</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GAFcW8xTegmJrzVkQY5lovuKoXs24jMRvZLOJRji1pTdqpythq47XmZnH7T30-VTl8TEfYJgM1-36anK6wiaQAh4CO-ePXLX5tXuaCq3N_dWh_NBEK1Ci7lEutxDNKuFbOJ31DG62XOe/s1600/IMG_1127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GAFcW8xTegmJrzVkQY5lovuKoXs24jMRvZLOJRji1pTdqpythq47XmZnH7T30-VTl8TEfYJgM1-36anK6wiaQAh4CO-ePXLX5tXuaCq3N_dWh_NBEK1Ci7lEutxDNKuFbOJ31DG62XOe/s640/IMG_1127.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIuhFij-HEbKN78l4QhYhdugeAfDhC8xvZXXgMdDSevU9HNgA6JY9cwsb3u6a1ZfjoG6m3KXjnZBTRYc3VnZ_MnDPO3F6b9DyIunuFBsbWgsgNqTp2EQ312rlVVZ6KBesdU1IrnMWseBa/s1600/IMG_1387.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDIuhFij-HEbKN78l4QhYhdugeAfDhC8xvZXXgMdDSevU9HNgA6JY9cwsb3u6a1ZfjoG6m3KXjnZBTRYc3VnZ_MnDPO3F6b9DyIunuFBsbWgsgNqTp2EQ312rlVVZ6KBesdU1IrnMWseBa/s640/IMG_1387.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Enjoying a breakfast of oatmeal cookies while siting next to the space heater.</td></tr>
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Oh, and let's talk about the convenience of having your toilet RIGHT THERE. Like, right next to our heads as we slept. I mean, it's great, having such amenities available anytime we needed them, especially with four kids. But still... ew. And don't even get me started on the time one of our kids had an emergency situation while we were ON THE ROAD and Jon took a crazy sharp turn that ended with us having to reinstall the bathroom door... I'll leave the rest to your imagination and just say, this is why you only use the toilet when the van is parked.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-GYmX2Usx0iIhCKP8xMQk6b4E8Zhb2a6ZGHzJMl4GrXzyKrz-KZaC5iEWPESyWwZzbyxpgJ__c0L9tzTH1FEGCn56S_Sd8MtVcTcASfhUM6tfRumS_uBpRlYQvT27gRLISXGwcm36NtG/s1600/IMG_1139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN-GYmX2Usx0iIhCKP8xMQk6b4E8Zhb2a6ZGHzJMl4GrXzyKrz-KZaC5iEWPESyWwZzbyxpgJ__c0L9tzTH1FEGCn56S_Sd8MtVcTcASfhUM6tfRumS_uBpRlYQvT27gRLISXGwcm36NtG/s640/IMG_1139.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I tried to capture this bathroom but it was so tight I couldn't fit it into my camera view. But this is the toilet and that hose you see next to it ...</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8R6LPXkAVZSMcrWUMzIR1jIWcVQHxRi33KOHb1e5dn5iRQYyr-cwJWhPkZZgpznI7ukzetF0WOZ2bNm6FOz5IMheE3sabUx_XpcDJt9LR1E16WfkznaVHb0GtfEuJ4zGUIaHPpdIRcFn9/s1600/IMG_1140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8R6LPXkAVZSMcrWUMzIR1jIWcVQHxRi33KOHb1e5dn5iRQYyr-cwJWhPkZZgpznI7ukzetF0WOZ2bNm6FOz5IMheE3sabUx_XpcDJt9LR1E16WfkznaVHb0GtfEuJ4zGUIaHPpdIRcFn9/s640/IMG_1140.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... is the shower, hanging directly above the toilet and the sink, which folds into the wall. We didn't use the shower, but I was regularly awed by it's functionality.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGl-se8VWT1ElTnq0dp0a_xk7y5d3y9NCWm64cRYNoY_pSqQTfcW70eVqbDVIdm-VVlxBaRsJgeIEM99UMXTQOXDq6KZq_ih7HF20Id75GbLQ6b4_dQ271iHwYgse7_laC5RJhC4RFB73u/s1600/IMG_0736.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGl-se8VWT1ElTnq0dp0a_xk7y5d3y9NCWm64cRYNoY_pSqQTfcW70eVqbDVIdm-VVlxBaRsJgeIEM99UMXTQOXDq6KZq_ih7HF20Id75GbLQ6b4_dQ271iHwYgse7_laC5RJhC4RFB73u/s640/IMG_0736.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We tried to utilize the campground restrooms as much as possible! (Note Julia standing under the hand dryer in the background.)</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipyK7tKwnK2UgKRxeJ0g4YzyP7xlhTWf0z6ki0BbehgjdxzumPMXqCMahyLsyF-nFSxLpSeqnbUfOXtzL-OS9Z2Z4VmUF9hgCh5lS2kAK11rU41qSQz0MowRd2ObeYHCaIQA5D5UkdqpKU/s1600/IMG_0956.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipyK7tKwnK2UgKRxeJ0g4YzyP7xlhTWf0z6ki0BbehgjdxzumPMXqCMahyLsyF-nFSxLpSeqnbUfOXtzL-OS9Z2Z4VmUF9hgCh5lS2kAK11rU41qSQz0MowRd2ObeYHCaIQA5D5UkdqpKU/s640/IMG_0956.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEY9y9ueUQ0EdhI4K9Dk6Plx0gWOemX7jQRVaL-xeuwcWoWK452IOmqWn05sCnxaHqv-X687P0B6eMrI-o1OiKHWfcYBluvZNGP_PPRpICYP9X_Ubet6YNpFOnJZ6zfYfs197uTRZ2Q-n8/s1600/IMG_1340.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEY9y9ueUQ0EdhI4K9Dk6Plx0gWOemX7jQRVaL-xeuwcWoWK452IOmqWn05sCnxaHqv-X687P0B6eMrI-o1OiKHWfcYBluvZNGP_PPRpICYP9X_Ubet6YNpFOnJZ6zfYfs197uTRZ2Q-n8/s640/IMG_1340.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some were nicer than others ... can you say heated floors?!?</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKKDQnuxDAE-ra8v5p2AJqviDtfyzakXblMfYm5hHK_E4J3vhL9KS-B_ZOzxGSr03kApmKfJYNWVEoZklWinRlMy4kCZULH4x2rJjnRR9TaCvlJ0T7kX6-H0H-N3R_Tc2wnt0pQR6B-L0/s1600/IMG_0957.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjKKDQnuxDAE-ra8v5p2AJqviDtfyzakXblMfYm5hHK_E4J3vhL9KS-B_ZOzxGSr03kApmKfJYNWVEoZklWinRlMy4kCZULH4x2rJjnRR9TaCvlJ0T7kX6-H0H-N3R_Tc2wnt0pQR6B-L0/s640/IMG_0957.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She's showing you an example of a campground shower.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiI1MXJjowNLEVCY_E46m9RF4KO7_Ae8rhxyF0Xo-NsNPMSBhQ19CnOzsFXhzJm48rL37lbzN3K50F476f0zGnqQhyphenhyphenLV5KPfcb_dV0y4Iw-yG0LFGSHRH_WOZVRHHmOWWjTfrKMjjXYld/s1600/IMG_1344.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiI1MXJjowNLEVCY_E46m9RF4KO7_Ae8rhxyF0Xo-NsNPMSBhQ19CnOzsFXhzJm48rL37lbzN3K50F476f0zGnqQhyphenhyphenLV5KPfcb_dV0y4Iw-yG0LFGSHRH_WOZVRHHmOWWjTfrKMjjXYld/s640/IMG_1344.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some campgrounds had stricter shower policies than others!</td></tr>
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We tried to encourage the kids to save up their "big needs" for when we were at the campground, but--kids. So instead of lasting us 2-3 days, our sewage tank needed emptied every day. Which was another reason we stuck to camping resorts rather than free-camping (that and power--we needed heat and to charge electronics.) Daddy was an absolute hero in emptying the tank each day and the rest of us cheered him on through the window.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfd1890U7GIqG7dWvJUUKUUN0dj3oEK_Ld4tSbcuILyD0rv46TqD_nn57eDGd7ICmMKn_J5cHGowvyAg1AgH-fWpWnZbvSVn2mvt1W_b1lgStVe4qevcdJ9TwkGoPhLrk5dlP5Toxhyphenhyphen420/s1600/IMG_0739.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfd1890U7GIqG7dWvJUUKUUN0dj3oEK_Ld4tSbcuILyD0rv46TqD_nn57eDGd7ICmMKn_J5cHGowvyAg1AgH-fWpWnZbvSVn2mvt1W_b1lgStVe4qevcdJ9TwkGoPhLrk5dlP5Toxhyphenhyphen420/s640/IMG_0739.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doesn't the term "cassette" make it all sound so pleasant?</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vA0htnrmwn_d3WYB_Z8ehH2SVEkK6xnUz8r236GBdodK2nOyNte14pjPJP3ClKse8K-0GcbndAwqLqmq1hB5pmjTGCBQDh1Zevog0WvZrgRWRodF_KAVXTLVo_FzqCc1jxz2Pa9hh52t/s1600/IMG_1093.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1143" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2vA0htnrmwn_d3WYB_Z8ehH2SVEkK6xnUz8r236GBdodK2nOyNte14pjPJP3ClKse8K-0GcbndAwqLqmq1hB5pmjTGCBQDh1Zevog0WvZrgRWRodF_KAVXTLVo_FzqCc1jxz2Pa9hh52t/s640/IMG_1093.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
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So anyhow, we acquired our second RV and made our first stop at Countdown for more food. They say that New Zealand is expensive, but add shopping with [the distraction and wants of] four kids to that equation and it adds up even more. For example, if you just grab the first eggs you see (which aren't refrigerated by the way), they could end up being the fancy-pants, organic, free-range, fresh-air, $9/dozen kind. Yikes!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdG1PJ6wRbRZ71i-ZFKTacd4mlwuqKN1B2zNpJ7qdXutzKI9jCUHbp3OPY97zjkdj4ym9wciSGT8WW4S77t0RD8X5T4g0wcbxNbpjhUx7iIlrGeGds2GuSkEP3AKEAlNJskvK5Z5dvK7Te/s1600/IMG_0961.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdG1PJ6wRbRZ71i-ZFKTacd4mlwuqKN1B2zNpJ7qdXutzKI9jCUHbp3OPY97zjkdj4ym9wciSGT8WW4S77t0RD8X5T4g0wcbxNbpjhUx7iIlrGeGds2GuSkEP3AKEAlNJskvK5Z5dvK7Te/s640/IMG_0961.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNQCwgFlBan3G5cDgB7t-xA8L2GJ9wQwAPK2k59xWZ0HzJmbRDGeGe02qXP_-ZAG5QaK0vDgt94MUFh3Tgcg4It0b4xy3al7izXIBnpZ4c62ku8jE5wcKtKCldkXtObheDWdoEcNdhZPM/s1600/IMG_1094.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNNQCwgFlBan3G5cDgB7t-xA8L2GJ9wQwAPK2k59xWZ0HzJmbRDGeGe02qXP_-ZAG5QaK0vDgt94MUFh3Tgcg4It0b4xy3al7izXIBnpZ4c62ku8jE5wcKtKCldkXtObheDWdoEcNdhZPM/s640/IMG_1094.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There was no La Croix in En Zed, but this was a delicious alternative!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWNG0XyNxIovPAiI3szf3HwyQ8zHVtob7Hyy-ucyORsgYHlGsq3h09np-44-w-qCpLMgLZTN99Wd5bV6TPuqnoo9ipoJ_faW-oNoicEyEx3rC5mrvjdQnLNIGokqakBiIqwU7g6DgmdeYF/s1600/IMG_1341.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWNG0XyNxIovPAiI3szf3HwyQ8zHVtob7Hyy-ucyORsgYHlGsq3h09np-44-w-qCpLMgLZTN99Wd5bV6TPuqnoo9ipoJ_faW-oNoicEyEx3rC5mrvjdQnLNIGokqakBiIqwU7g6DgmdeYF/s640/IMG_1341.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cheerios, but not General Mills. Interesting.</td></tr>
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And while we're on the topic of stores in New Zealand, can I just point out the garishness of signage in this country? It never ceased to amaze me that a place of such jaw-dropping natural beauty had such eye-assaulting, man-made marketing.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHvRPFVrMV6BUk4Cy_v2ZlTk-bhPjZNxtL-wHxis3QzB2NNSvGTHWBlc1NNzOh1NhirksoxVC7VVz0SK8QP0RssGHKctvOAr2WZY39F0F1lXvn-TShEi9O0mUzpbm-NoMLoT6Af8ozt-m/s1600/DSC_6126.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGHvRPFVrMV6BUk4Cy_v2ZlTk-bhPjZNxtL-wHxis3QzB2NNSvGTHWBlc1NNzOh1NhirksoxVC7VVz0SK8QP0RssGHKctvOAr2WZY39F0F1lXvn-TShEi9O0mUzpbm-NoMLoT6Af8ozt-m/s640/DSC_6126.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1EAVPkMHA4y7IJb3e2hOJi3IkUV6xrWxOFzpgjJb-TLr-m4o2KouhKOSxsqV_Jc06VGmSWZ3QmOnNIRlzqr5ZwngdiwpCiJZnXhNLucXjb2txHbeaqyzOSwONBfwSQPKyIUGXZouyfUT/s1600/DSC_6127.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX1EAVPkMHA4y7IJb3e2hOJi3IkUV6xrWxOFzpgjJb-TLr-m4o2KouhKOSxsqV_Jc06VGmSWZ3QmOnNIRlzqr5ZwngdiwpCiJZnXhNLucXjb2txHbeaqyzOSwONBfwSQPKyIUGXZouyfUT/s640/DSC_6127.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLxFd05gezSPLvI7LXIw83Cyl70OR0FlSUqRHlcqn06fWQByswh5mSXrTdB3kLeszmpPEZTo-FIKSdNczfesoje1kRbaUYBIJoNpwjLveBJg8NkvUI8Fy4hVvxYW6p64frIVG-CqeBixl/s1600/DSC_6128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgLxFd05gezSPLvI7LXIw83Cyl70OR0FlSUqRHlcqn06fWQByswh5mSXrTdB3kLeszmpPEZTo-FIKSdNczfesoje1kRbaUYBIJoNpwjLveBJg8NkvUI8Fy4hVvxYW6p64frIVG-CqeBixl/s640/DSC_6128.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipOCUa3yzvlFlEefJz2JbURyFc5Danv6NZ2HDFxWO_Rq6vvmI5B872G62AOwJY5bfG_RqZz5JZMlAeTUzHysVuceEek4vydPK3X6mDtNR9JDOunqo_bT-DkvBSPu0LZ4evGT-jXghEExd/s1600/IMG_1368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiipOCUa3yzvlFlEefJz2JbURyFc5Danv6NZ2HDFxWO_Rq6vvmI5B872G62AOwJY5bfG_RqZz5JZMlAeTUzHysVuceEek4vydPK3X6mDtNR9JDOunqo_bT-DkvBSPu0LZ4evGT-jXghEExd/s640/IMG_1368.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is "The Warehouse" which would be similar to our K-Mart/Wal-Mart/Target.</td></tr>
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After a long day of travel, we knew we needed an early evening to relax. So we made a short drive right within Christchurch and stayed at the Top 10 there that night. This was a really nice campground and the only one we visited with a DRIVE-THRU CHECK-IN. So this was also the only time I was present during the check-in process. And it was also when we realized these campgrounds charge extra per person beyond the initial two campers and why we were busting our budget on overnight accommodations. Instead of $43/night, it turned into $119/night for a family of six!!! I always find it frustrating when I feel like I'm being punished for having kids. But I digress.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJQ_5HE00Q3slulkkujSvw7ns4gkx7di9hzzoRE_Ym-EeezO85E9a8MJdP2p2_sZ859Twdre0PNozr_6nMOpU1MEv6FEyonqWwA8FLntPUQz8YE9HS9UQ03MmJHBn8QHp7_3EAHwi7tgd/s1600/IMG_1153.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiJQ_5HE00Q3slulkkujSvw7ns4gkx7di9hzzoRE_Ym-EeezO85E9a8MJdP2p2_sZ859Twdre0PNozr_6nMOpU1MEv6FEyonqWwA8FLntPUQz8YE9HS9UQ03MmJHBn8QHp7_3EAHwi7tgd/s640/IMG_1153.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I never understood why they always filled campgrounds one next to another when the rest of the park was open. But it did make things feel a little less desolate.</td></tr>
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So it was a nice campground and a populated campground--we were surrounded by other camper vans. But we still had the showers and kitchen to ourselves most of the time! The Christchurch Top 10 had an "indoor heated" pool. I use the terms "indoor" and "heated" loosely. It was located in something resembling a shed. And not nearly warm enough for me. But they somehow managed to squeeze a kiddie pool and a slide into the shed-space and that was enough for our kids!</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozrGSok5uwL3CqM0BHEZbg0uAbR8pTiBfHf4nBGdRq4cB_x8PAg-6NyZx2sC6PB-12CJlB3VC1nhdhIgPnyA-O6pYId0t5HybPC6wMvqOcJOfrncVXo3OaN0YvcEV9R1xQlTldhiIxvZl/s1600/IMG_1149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgozrGSok5uwL3CqM0BHEZbg0uAbR8pTiBfHf4nBGdRq4cB_x8PAg-6NyZx2sC6PB-12CJlB3VC1nhdhIgPnyA-O6pYId0t5HybPC6wMvqOcJOfrncVXo3OaN0YvcEV9R1xQlTldhiIxvZl/s640/IMG_1149.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It really was as ghetto as this pictures makes it appear.</td></tr>
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This campground also had a hot tub (and it too was located in a separate shed--more like a tiki hut.) But you had to pay extra and reserve it ahead of time. So we did. At 8:00pm, we ensured the kids were fast asleep, locked the camper up, and headed across the road to our own private hot tub. Woo woo!! (and no photos.) It was the perfect peaceful ending to a long day of hustling, and a needed break before what was about to be our longest day on the road in New Zealand!J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-74517971794593852852017-07-22T14:20:00.005-04:002017-07-22T14:20:57.332-04:00New Zealand, Day 6 - Lake Taupo and Waitomo CavesWe woke up to a heavy, steady rain. Which was a bummer, but it made leaving the campground a little easier. I think the kids would have been happy to swim in that amazing pool all day (even in the rain), but sorry family, we didn't come to New Zealand for the tepidly-heated swimming pools! So we enjoyed hot showers and hair dryers while we had the chance and then set off to explore Lake Taupo (the actual lake.)<br />
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On the way we came across an advertisement for the Ernest Kemp--an adorable and old cruise boat that takes you around the lake and to view the Maori Rock Carvings (which are only able to be seen from the water.) They were offering a winter special (that included coffee and cookies), so we opted to give it a try!<br />
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There were only 15 of us on the cruise--which I'm sure is a much different experience from the 58 visitors they pack onboard during the summer! The skipper was a retired New Zealand Coastguardsman and the hostess was a lovely older women with two grandkids in Switzerland that she was missing very much. She immediately took to Julia and Joci and kept them entertained most of the cruise.<br />
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Unfortunately, there wasn't much to see out on the water. It was rainy and foggy--normally you would see snow-capped mountains in the distance, but we could only see the houses that were hugging the edge of the lake. But it was still a nice, relaxing few hours of floating.<br />
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We made it out to the Maori carvings which were pretty impressive--as they are literally right on the water! But I was surprised to hear they were created in 1979. Certainly not ancient, but still a feat to be admired!<br />
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Our hostess brought old bread out to show the girls how to feed the ducks and actually had them eating out of her hand at one point! So that was quite a show when the kids were done looking at rock carvings.<br />
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And then on the ride back she gave them all coloring sheets and crayons and played ring-around-the-rosie with the girls. Julia kept asking her to play Duck Duck Goose, but I don't think she understood. At one point, she asked me if Julia spoke another language. "That's not English, is it?" "Yes, actually it is. It's just very fast and very terrible English." *blush*<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Putting those Ginger Beer bottles to good use!</td></tr>
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We pulled back into port and loaded back into the campervan for potty breaks and to eat lunch, right there, BECAUSE WE COULD! And then made our way to the Waitomo Glowworm Caves. Still raining when we got to the caves, but it didn't matter because--we were in a cave!!<br />
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Like the Waiotapu Geothermal Pools, I wasn't overly expectant for this tour. But there's not many Glowworm Caves in the world (just two in NZ and one in the US) and it's one of the top-rated tourist activities in New Zealand, so we went for it. You guys, I was so wrong. From the moment we first stepped into the cave it was AMAZING! And it certainly helped that we had a fantastic tour guide. He was an older, native Maori gentleman who passionately appreciated the caves and was also really funny!<br />
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Yet again, we had a small tour group--around 20--and were told that during peak season groups are around 70 people. This allowed us to see and explore a little more. In the middle, we reached the Cathedral Cave, which is a large opening with perfect acoustics. Our guide encouraged someone to break out in song to test this out, but one disadvantage to a smaller group is no one was brave enough. If only Marmie had been there! He said they do a special program at Christmas where they can fit over 100 people in the Cathedral to sing carols. And now I want to go back at Christmas!<br />
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This was the part of the tour where we transitioned from stalagmites and stalactites to glowworm viewing. He has us all duck down and peer into the farthest reaches of the cave--and then he turned off the lights. And the glowworms were right there! When he turned the lights back on your could see their little strings hanging down like fishing line.<br />
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From there, we turned around and headed to toward the sound of lapping water where we boarded a rowboat. It was completely dark and our tour guide reminded us to remain totally silent (try telling that to a 3YO) as he rowed us out into the water and the blue-green glow reflecting off the ceiling. It was so beautiful and even more impressive when viewed in total dark and quiet. No pictures allowed--so I snagged this image from a postcard. But this is exactly what it looks like--utterly amazing!<br />
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We continued following the stream and ended up outside at the mouth of the cave--and back in the rain. The forest looked beautiful but we were all hurrying along to get back under shelter.<br />
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We made a quick stop at the Gift Shop, where Jon got talked into purchasing these tourist photos. (We were such suckers for these expensive photos that anyone could take but they're some of the only ones we have of our whole family on the trip!)<br />
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I immediately went to the creams and lotions display again--because hello dry, winter face. Except apparently the tube I picked was not a moisturizer and instead some sort of clay mask that I could not rub in or get off. And while trying to be discreet, I got some in my eye. So I ended up washing up in the public restroom. Lesson learned--maybe all those free samples aren't exactly the best idea.<br />
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It was fairly late in the day by this point and still very rainy so while we would have loved to do the nearby hiking trail (which supposedly offers more great views of glowworms and is FREE), instead we drove just a minute or two down the road and camped out at Waitomo Top 10--which was probably in my personal Top 3. It's not very impressive when you pull-in-- a smaller holiday park, located in this little valley surrounded by hills and mountains. But it was so peaceful and quiet there that night. There were quite a few of us in the park (and by "few" I mean, maybe 5 campers??) because Waitomo Caves are a bigger attraction and we ran into a lot of British tourists on the North Island who were following their rugby team around the country.<br />
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But we still had the outdoor hot tub all to ourselves. And it was HOT. Has it become evident yet that I rate my campgrounds based on the temperature of their water attractions? Because after traveling and living with 4 kids in a small-confined space, and sleeping on a 2 inch foam mattress, the value of a hot soak at the end of the day simply cannot be underrated. We slept good and hard knowing that the following day would push us to our limits with lots of driving followed by another flight. Soon we would be our way to the legendary South Island!J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-48139039990263652572017-07-13T03:37:00.004-04:002017-07-13T03:37:21.320-04:00New Zealand, Day 5 - Rotorua and WaiotapuWe woke up to rain and the anticipation of rain for the rest of the day. We had plans to explore the town that morning and, although you couldn’t see much in the thick layer of fog, we decided we’d attempt to stick to the plan.<br />
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After a trip to the grocery store to restock the kitchen, we stopped by Skyline Rotorua just to “check it out.” One benefit to the weather was the lack of lines, so we decided we’d give the Luge a chance and before we knew it we had boarded a gondola and were on our way up the mountain.
I’m sure the views would have been lovely but, again, we couldn’t see much beyond the rain and fog.<br />
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At the top we were fitted with helmets and given a quick lesson on how to work the luge cars—and then we were off! Julia rode with me, Joci rode with Jon, and the boys were on their own. We often joke about living in “lawless Hawaii,” but I think New Zealand enjoys even more freedom. Amazingly, no one made us sign a waiver or give our minors permission to whiz down a slick hill in a plastic cart. And I rather enjoyed the lack of rules!<br />
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Well, I should say, Julia and I had a grand time! I tried to take a video but it was very blurry and all you can hear is us screaming. Jack, and especially Jude, had a little bit harder time maneuvering their carts. And Jon had to stop a few times to get Jude back on track. But apparently it didn’t quench their thrill because all the kids claim the Luge was one of their favorite activities in New Zealand!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, I lugged my rain boots halfway around the world and I NEVER regretted it!</td></tr>
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We didn’t realize that we would have to ride a ski lift back up to the top of the mountain before catching the gondola back down. Our kids have absolutely no experience with ski lifts—and they only sit two people at a time. So we crossed our fingers and sent the boys up the mountain. Julia and I followed behind. And then Jon and Joci, who got banged on the non-bruised side of her head with the lift handle while getting loaded. Ouch!<br />
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Not only was Joci’s face banged up but everyone was very wet and cold by this point—these things happen when you’re racing luges and riding ski lifts in the rain. Fortunately, there’s a great café at the top of the mountain and we all enjoyed lattes and hot cocoas with [what should have been] an amazing view.<br />
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Randomly, there is also a Jelly Belly store at the top of the mountain. We popped in to get the kids a treat and ended up letting Jack talk us into buying Beanboozled. Jack had seen it on a YouTube video and thought it’d make an excellent family activity. Let’s just say he was the only one that enjoyed it!
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The game includes several pair of jelly beans that look identical, but actually taste quite different. For instance, chocolate pudding or dog food or juicy pear or booger. You flick the spinner, choose whatever color jelly bean it lands on, and then pop it in your mouth while everyone is watching … and hope you got the good one! It was funny, I’ll admit, but it only takes one or two rounds of chewing vomit or rotten egg before the game starts to lose it’s lure. Of course, Jack thought it was all such wild fun and couldn’t understand why he was always the only one that wanted to play.<br />
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But now I'm getting ahead of myself! After getting our fill of the top of the mountain, we headed back down (where we got suckered into purchasing this photo of our family riding a gondola!) and out to our campervan to enjoy a potty break and lunch—perks of traveling with your toilet and kitchen!<br />
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And then we decided to check out <a href="http://www.waiotapu.co.nz/">Waiotapu Thermal Pools</a>. I gotta be honest, I wasn’t real gung-ho about this excursion. Science isn’t really my thing. But I was pleasantly surprised!
It was raining when we arrived, so there was hardly anyone else there (and that’s also why all these pictures are from the iPhone—didn’t want to bring the big camera out in the rain.) But it ended up tapering off right as we started our hike and stayed that way until the end—perfect!<br />
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It was a great walk—there are three loops so you can do the short, medium, or long version. We did the long one and the kids did really well. I was surprised at how interested they were in the thermal pools. But they WERE interesting. And there was a lot of variation—different colors, textures, temperatures; some were bubbly, some were stagnant, some were trickling … you get the picture.<br />
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Oh, and some (well, most) were really stinky! I’d say we all enjoyed the walk in fresh air but there was nothing fresh about that sulfury atmosphere. And it certainly added a new dimension to getting stuck with the “rotten egg” Jelly Belly later that evening!<br />
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We passed through the Gift Shop on our way out and the girls picked out their souvenirs for the trip—stuffed sheep. And while they were trying to find the perfect stuffy, I was over at the cosmetics display testing out all the face moisturizers. And there’s my hot traveling tip of the day: I neglected to bring moisturizer because I was attempting to pack light and it’s not something I use regularly here in humid Hawaii. And I was missing it within the first two days. But conveniently, nearly every place we visited had a gift shop and every gift shop had a display of lotion and cream samplers. And I unashamedly tried out most of them!<br />
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That evening we drove down to Lake Taupo for our next campground and had just enough time to stop off at Huka Falls. It’s not so much of a “falls” at it is a rapids. But the sheer force of water was quite impressive! It was raining again at this point so we didn’t do the hike or venture too far—just enough to snap a few pictures and load right back up again.<br />
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On this night, we were “camping” at the <a href="http://www.laketauporesort.co.nz/">Lake Taupo Top 10</a>. This was everyone’s favorite holiday park (and also the most expensive.) It’s really too bad it was raining because I think I would have enjoyed it more. It also didn’t help that the kids ran straight to the jumping pillow after we pulled in and returned soaking wet and covered in mud—it would be days before their rain boots would fully dry out again.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not the best picture, but you get the idea! I'm sure this place is extra-dreamy in summer!</td></tr>
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So what made this park so special, you ask? Well, basically one reason and one reason only—the pool. Not just any pool, but a zero-entry heated pool with attached hot tub, outdoor movie screen, and swim-up bar! Madagascar 3 was playing when we arrived and it didn’t take the boys long to figure out they could order their beloved ginger beer WHILE SWIMMING in the pool. The whole “heated” aspect just wasn’t quite enough for me, so I spent the evening either with chattering teeth in the kiddie pool area or dragging the girls to the hot tub to get warmed up again. Nevertheless, it was a pretty cool way to spend the evening and the perfect way to end our fifth day in New Zealand!J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-92150589558960166462017-07-05T14:34:00.002-04:002017-07-05T14:34:26.448-04:00New Zealand, Days 3 and 4 - Cathedral Cove and Hobbiton<b>Day 3 - CATHEDRAL COVE</b><br />
We woke up to a dreary, overcast day but soon the sun came out and we enjoyed some mid-50’s weather. Most of our time on the North Island was a mild 50-some degrees, but it was cloudy a good portion of our visit. I suppose that’s why they call this place “the land of the long white cloud.”
After hot showers and some clean teeth and dishes, we said farewell to Shelly Beach and continued on our drive around the Peninsula, stopping once along the shore for snacks, more Dramamine, and public restrooms so we don’t stink up the camper! Oh, and a little shipwreck history happened to be there as well!<br />
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Our first destination was the famed Cathedral Cove. This is a big tourist attraction and one of the beautiful places I spotted on Pinterest, but thanks to traveling in the off-season, we had no problem securing a spot large enough for the campervan and the scene itself wasn’t too crowded!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not bad scenery for a walk!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzX4pHK90PNmgIDwTMXBBZHw4HncncpZA1er8mhvaXgw19PvMY-66gf1oNap1760FA-eIIeTulv-sIXKmZbra1QtkUfwZCfPqeov6iB6dFJTDAtF0W4Fpye9gIWy5OygVf_mhuKiYdVOwH/s1600/DSC_5386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzX4pHK90PNmgIDwTMXBBZHw4HncncpZA1er8mhvaXgw19PvMY-66gf1oNap1760FA-eIIeTulv-sIXKmZbra1QtkUfwZCfPqeov6iB6dFJTDAtF0W4Fpye9gIWy5OygVf_mhuKiYdVOwH/s640/DSC_5386.jpg" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love how easily NZ moves from rolling pastures to tropical jungles to alpine forests.</td></tr>
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There is a bit of a walk down to the beach and the rocks—I think it was about 45 minutes one way. Naturally, the kids complained. But it was a beautiful trail and the fresh air and exercise did us all good! Jon carried Joci on his shoulders most of the way … and then forgot to accommodate for the extra height and she whacked her face on a low-lying branch. Oops.<br />
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The beach was beautiful and we happened to time it just right so that we were there at low tide. This is when you can walk through the arch and on down the beach. There’s really not too much to say except that it was just unique and well, beautiful!<br />
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We walked back to the campervan and everyone got a potty break and we made lunch because it was all just RIGHT THERE—the beauty of having a house on wheels! And then we drove on to Hot Water Beach.
I was a little excited about this place. It’s where, because of nearby volcanic activity, you can dig a hole in the sand and experience your own little hot water spa. It’s also a major tourist attraction and everything I read warned of crowds. So we pulled into the parking lot and the place was absolutely desolate. Just one other campervan enjoying a picnic lunch.<br />
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I walked down to the water but there was still no one. Whether it was because it was winter or because we had missed low-tide, it wasn’t quite the show we were looking for.
We also didn’t have a spade. And everyone was kind of worn out by this point so we decided to just continue on. I was a little disappointed, but we’ll just have to add Hot Water Beach to the list for the next time we visit!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOG7SbwWilfEe13boPbvTVQnOTnUycEciPP1rF6vOmz7-i6IlPtM7vOsLHVShae94wg_ma-PVZQpNWEAXDgcrhd5zulY9tQmSnKnmsmG1N5O1DVxDp86ojtLA5wuujltl4-j_SKjR_tpHF/s1600/DSC_5428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOG7SbwWilfEe13boPbvTVQnOTnUycEciPP1rF6vOmz7-i6IlPtM7vOsLHVShae94wg_ma-PVZQpNWEAXDgcrhd5zulY9tQmSnKnmsmG1N5O1DVxDp86ojtLA5wuujltl4-j_SKjR_tpHF/s640/DSC_5428.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not Hot Water Beach--but right across from it.</td></tr>
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Our original plan was to stay at the Top 10 campground there but we mistakenly thought it was on the beach. It wasn’t. And the whole place had a weird feel. So since we had some daylight to spare we decided to get further along on our itinerary and instead drove down to Waihi Beach Top 10. This was my favorite holiday park! (We’ll get to everyone else’s favorite later.) It was quaint, with lots of trees, and the leaves were still turning yellow. They had a great playground, another jumping pillow, and it was an easy walk down to the beach.<br />
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The kitchen facilities were also pretty impressive (and included a worm farm for composting kitchen scraps). On Friday nights, they fire up the pizza oven outside and you can make your own pizza for dinner. There was also a TV room, which we didn’t use, and an under-5-year-old play room.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I was just so impressed by these campgrounds' neat and tidy community kitchens!</td></tr>
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Oddly enough, this campground keeps "pet" eels in their stream. We discovered them on a walk the next morning and the signs encouraged us to feed them--so we did. It was cool and gross all at the same time!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love yellow leaves!</td></tr>
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But the real treat was the heated pool with slide (not hot enough for me) and the hot tub (deliciously hot enough for me!)
The kids played outside in the waning light while Jon set up the camper and I made dinner. And then we all enjoyed a night swim while taking care of a load of laundry.<br />
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<b>Day 4 - HOBBITON </b><br />
The next morning was my birthday (in New Zealand)! Not gonna lie, I was ecstatic about the chance to celebrate my special day over Winter Solstice for once! Speaking of Winter Solstice, that was one challenge to vacationing in winter—the sun set as early as 5pm and rose as late as 8:30am (on the South Island.) But with kids rising before the clock hit 6am, it made it easy to catch a sunrise! And that’s what I told the kids all I wanted for my birthday—a sunrise walk on the beach.<br />
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It was kinda chilly and windy, and that darn long white cloud ruined my sunrise views, but we still had a nice time on the sand and found some really beautiful shells!<br />
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While I would have loved to stay and enjoy Waihi Beach a little bit longer, we had some big plans for this day—visiting Hobbiton! Driving off the Peninsula was beautiful and interesting. Seriously, I think some of the windiest roads were on that chunk of the island. And apparently New Zealanders don’t believe in road shoulders. We headed into alpine territory and drove up and down mountains and rounded bends so tight surely we were on only two wheels.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipUmND2qO-vy6iLc-cowasu14jo1zAU_vgEB6WKFB8xIBhGYUOoZfF4UwXZpA9IUiz9CxtPFXXJqrb_IrSmrOCtdMm9O8QDYsq37RrGoXqHqizDB5xeGL20RMNb80q7wVH7K0Te06BXmsn/s1600/DSC_5446.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1143" data-original-width="1600" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipUmND2qO-vy6iLc-cowasu14jo1zAU_vgEB6WKFB8xIBhGYUOoZfF4UwXZpA9IUiz9CxtPFXXJqrb_IrSmrOCtdMm9O8QDYsq37RrGoXqHqizDB5xeGL20RMNb80q7wVH7K0Te06BXmsn/s640/DSC_5446.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just one example of those alluring yet frightening NZ roads!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We stopped here quick for pictures. It's an old railroad way covered to a hiking and biking trail and looked like it would've been really fun if we had more time!</td></tr>
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Finally, finally—we hit flat farmland and straight roads. Like as straight as your eye could see. After two days on the Peninsula, it was bonkers.
One thing I learned about En Zed was that if it feels like you’re not close to your destination—you probably are. There were so many times where we thought “this doesn’t look right” and then, BAM--a cave, a rock formation, a wildly famous tourist destination—would just pop up out of thin air.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtdC6OKPwtMTxxybHRyi5bTz8aOJ3p6wWx9ezUY7iG7uJ3X8ddhyF380TJd2eIalatQqr8IPn94TImb36ogffyDsDuehE52xEkA6W68lFmVZCz5yM9uqE5iJiL7IqjrmN_kff3vZ0IRYi/s1600/DSC_5456.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEtdC6OKPwtMTxxybHRyi5bTz8aOJ3p6wWx9ezUY7iG7uJ3X8ddhyF380TJd2eIalatQqr8IPn94TImb36ogffyDsDuehE52xEkA6W68lFmVZCz5yM9uqE5iJiL7IqjrmN_kff3vZ0IRYi/s640/DSC_5456.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I attempted hundreds of these "out the van window" photos of farmlands and sheep. I'll only burden you with one for now.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhObE5fDuF3qjPaXemm75JUwuGRt1Krq3xBaWIM6vnTsZZMyGkrevUBZE9leaZ-4TFKK7mmMLT9dYQ_CxYEyRdTnMlU-MoTHU-mV0DDIBcp_DQTj-aF1aL0W2yJqzb7HeEdT7CUYGLy8yP/s1600/DSC_5469.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhObE5fDuF3qjPaXemm75JUwuGRt1Krq3xBaWIM6vnTsZZMyGkrevUBZE9leaZ-4TFKK7mmMLT9dYQ_CxYEyRdTnMlU-MoTHU-mV0DDIBcp_DQTj-aF1aL0W2yJqzb7HeEdT7CUYGLy8yP/s640/DSC_5469.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this is the view from the Hobbiton parking lot.</td></tr>
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And that’s how Hobbiton was. Later, we’d learn that the land was actually leased from a local farming family. So it made perfect sense to be in the middle of farmlands. But at the time, a bus depot and gift shop in the middle of a sheep pasture seemed a little out of the ordinary.<br />
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You can't actually see the Shire from the motorway, of course they wouldn’t let that happen. So everyone parks at the gift shop/café and then a tour bus drives you in. The drive itself is beautiful (even I’m getting tired of hearing me say that the scenery is beautiful, and it’s only Day 4). It’s just rolls and rolls of emerald green pastures and dots and dots of white sheep for as far as you can see. Eventually you round a bend, disembark the bus, and find yourself on the stone-walled path famous from the movies. <i>We're going on an adventure! </i><br />
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Anyhoo, Hobbiton is exactly what you see in the movies. At least on the outside. We were disappointed to find (as I’m sure everyone is) that you can’t actually go in the homes. Well, they let us peek in one, but it’s just an empty space. The actual indoor scenes were all filmed on a movie set in Wellington.<br />
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Speaking of filming, it took two years to build the set and they only filmed there for 12 days. Yeesh! The original set was temporary and was removed after Lord of the Rings. But when they returned for The Hobbit, they rebuilt the set more permanently and received permission to run it as a tourist attraction for 50 years.<br />
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Oh, I forgot to mention, kids under 9 are free! Apparently they don’t get many kids there because ours were the only ones I saw the whole day. I thought the whole “under 9” thing was a bit random, but it worked out for us perfectly! And I’m glad, because while I think my kids enjoyed it initially, they quickly grew tired of hobbit holes and a miniature world that they couldn’t exactly touch. But I really enjoyed it!<br />
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And our kids do know about hobbits. We thought it’d be a great idea to let them watch the movies before our trip, you know, for research. I’m not sure allowing a 3YO to watch LOTR is the wisest decision, but you know how it is for those babies of the family—always getting away with stuff too early in life. It did help build some excitement for them and they had fun spotting different scene locations throughout our journey!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FAKE!!</td></tr>
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Interesting to note, the oak tree above Bilbo’s house is actually fake! Originally, they had moved a tree from a neighboring farm and rebuilt it at that spot and then removed it after filming LOTR. But when they returned for The Hobbit, they had to ship in a new one that was created in another country (I can’t remember). Apparently, after it arrived, the shade of green just wasn’t right. So they repainted it a different shade. It just baffles me the amount of effort that goes into movie scenery!<br />
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And there’s one scene where Frodo and Gandalf are sitting on the hill watching the sun set. Except in real life, they’re facing east. And the sun is rising. The filmmakers just played it in reverse. Crazy stuff!<br />
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When we had our fill of The Shire, we ventured down to The Green Dragon Inn where everyone received a free beverage. And this is where the boys fell in love with ginger beer. We also got the kids cookies and I had my first meat pie. Which was amazing. And sadly, the only pie I had during our entire visit to The Pie Capital of the World!<br />
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As much as I would have loved to move in to my own little hobbit hole, we had more things to do and places to see! We drove on to Rotorua and stayed at the Top 10 Holiday Park there. This one was a bit more crowded, but still very empty comparatively! The rugby playoffs were going on during our time in NZ and there were a lot of British there to cheer on their Lions and also exploring with campervans.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack said, "It feels like Maryland because it's cold and I'm on a swing." </td></tr>
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We saw a few of the same people on our Hobbiton tour at our campground as well, and then out to dinner later that night. Rotorua was a cute town and would have been great to explore further, if we had time, but it took our little gang so long to walk downtown and back, there was only enough time to eat dinner. We opted for an Irish Pub, not realizing it would also be the main hub for the rugby game. But it really stirred the boys’ interest in rugby. And they served ginger beer. So day=made.<br />
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We returned to our campground and decided to test out the “mineral pools” there. I didn’t know what a mineral pool was exactly, and I’m still not sure, but it seemed like a hot tub with really stinky water. And I haven’t noticed a difference in my health since. But a hot tub is a hot tub and to the kids, it was just another fun place to play Marco Polo after dark!J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-66240201328017115852017-07-03T14:23:00.001-04:002017-07-03T14:23:23.278-04:00New Zealand, Day 1 and 2 - Arrival and Coromandel Peninsula<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Let’s just state the obvious from the start—I loved New Zealand. Like LOVED it. Please don't tell England, but I may have experienced a transfer of affection. I'm still sorting out my feelings in that regard. I mean, NZ can't boast of Jane Austen, but other than that, it was so <i>me</i>!!—the cold weather, the farminess, the mountains, the food... I don’t think I fully comprehended how much I’ve struggled with settling into Hawaii until I left and found so much of what I’ve been missing in New Zealand. But I’m sure we’ll get to all that later. Let’s start with the logistics.<br />
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First of all, I’d never planned on visiting New Zealand. I’d watch <i>Lord of the Rings</i> or <i>The Hobbit</i> and think, “wow, that’s a beautiful place!” But it never really occurred to me that we could actually go see it ourselves. When we moved to Hawaii, one of our Coast Guard friends told us about their trip. And then as we’ve met more and more people here, we’ve found that lots of our military friends have vacationed there. It’s really quite convenient being wayyy over here in the Pacific. So we thought huh, maybe that’s something we could do before we leave. You know, when the kids are old enough to appreciate it.<br />
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Then we had our first Hawaiian winter (or non-winter.) Or our first year in Hawaii. And island fever had started to set in. It wasn’t so much that I needed to leave the island, but rather that I just needed a change. So much about Hawaii is the same day in and day out and I felt like I was losing my ever-loving mind with the redundancy of it all!
It hasn’t been such an issue for Jon though, because he’s been traveling so much this last year. But he happened to have a lull in his work schedule in June. And the kids had off school. So we decided maybe we should trade in our plans to travel to the East Coast for Christmas and do a family vacation this summer instead.<br />
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I needed cold. So we considered Alaska. But then the idea of New Zealand kept coming up and Jon found a really good deal on tickets for the whole family and we literally just decided that day to “just do it” and next thing I knew we had 6 seats on a plane leaving in June and absolutely no idea what to do after that!<br />
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By the way, June is WINTER in En Zed. Which I was absolutely thrilled about. But it made packing bags that much more challenging. We left all or our winter clothes and gear back on the mainland. Silly me never thought I’d need it here. Silly me never imagined how much I’d be craving snow and ice and chill after only 12 months in eternal summer. So between a bag of coats/hats/gloves arriving from back home, a few trips to the thrift store, and several shopping sprees on Amazon, we were able to scrounge up enough to get by.<br />
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And yes, we brought our kids. For weeks leading up to our trip I wondered if it was really the best idea to bring four kids 8-and-under to the other side of the world… and now that we’re back I’m still wondering. There’s so much they didn’t appreciate. There’s so much they won’t remember. But at the end of the day, we’re a family. And this was a family vacation. And overall, we had a really good time together!<br />
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So I’m going to do my best over the next few weeks to share this experience with everyone who enjoys following along on our journeys, preserve the memories so my kids have something to look back on, and jot down a few tips and logistical information for some of our friends that are hoping to make a similar trip in the next year or so. Hold on and mind your head!<br />
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<b>Day 1 – ARRIVAL IN AUCKLAND</b><br />
Our flight wasn’t until the late-afternoon which meant plenty of time to do last minute packing and cleaning … and plenty of time for the kids to undo it all! We loaned out all three of our cars and our house to friends that were PCSing to and from the island. So I was also trying to prep the house and yet keep things as low-stress as possible, but in the end it ended up being a race against the clock to get it all done in time. Sadly, the rug never did get vacuumed before we left.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We were some of the only blondes in the international queue. That's Hawaii for ya!</td></tr>
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We sat in three rows of two on the plane. Julia sat with Jon, the boys sat together, and I had the honor of sitting with the child with anger management issues (which is why I ended up with orange juice all over my pants and shoes). We had packed much of the same stuff we used on our flight to Hawaii, and the rest of the kids all did really well. It also helped that Hawaiian Airlines has individual video screens with lots of movies to choose from!<br />
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Of course, Joci was being a typical 3YO and only wanted to watch 20 minutes of every movie, while simultaneously playing with a different toy. So I spent a good chunk of the flight keeping her entertained until she finally fell asleep. But I did manage to watch 3 movies and that ain’t bad!<br />
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By the time we landed it was around midnight Hawaii time. We still had to get our bags and get through customs, which is the point where Joci did her whole “refusal to walk” thing that she tends to do. Thankfully, the airport isn’t too crowded in the middle of the night and we were able to drag everyone through fairly quickly. </div>
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Jon had made reservations at Oakwood Manor, saying it was the only place he could find close to the airport that could accommodate a family of six. It was, shall we say, unexpected. It was not, as their website states, an urban luxury hotel.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We caught the tail end of fall here!</td></tr>
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The cool part was that we got a two-story suite and everyone had a bed. As soon as we walked in the door I was reminded of my flat in Oxford almost 13 years ago (which is the last time I left the country except for our honeymoon to a resort in Turks and Caicos.) Like, overwhelmingly reminded me of English living. From the smell down to the way the floor creaked under the thin blue carpet to the terrible lighting and draftiness + necessary space heaters. It was uncanny. But only the first of many instances where I felt like I was back in England.<br />
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Although it was nearly 2am Hawaii time when we arrived, the kids were sooooo amped. This was to be our new normal for the first day or two because everything was new and soooo EXCITING!!! After a good amount of running, yelling, and jumping on the bed, we finally got to them all to bed. And everyone slept fast and hard until about 6:45 NZ time, when I could hear them running up and down the stairs.<br />
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<b>Day 2 – COROMANDEL PENINSULA</b><br />
Although we left on Friday, it was now Monday. Because we crossed the International Date Line, Hawaii was actually one day behind but two hours ahead (and the East Coast eight hours ahead). Super confusing. But we were on vacation so it didn’t matter what day it was!<br />
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We had heard the hotel offered a continental breakfast. We had not heard that it was $7/person and consisted of cold cereal, canned pears, the whitest bread I’ve ever seen, and Weetabix (which I did not attempt to try during our whole visit!) The only coffee we could find was instant, so I enjoyed three cups of tea instead. Because it was chilly and hot tea seemed appropriate.<br />
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Jon and Jude took a taxi to pick up our campervan while the rest of the kids and I enjoyed more fun on the stairs and watched some cartoons. Interesting to note: NZ also has the Disney channel, but the voiceovers are all with an accent. Which was kind of funny!<br />
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A little while later, Jude burst into the room with a huge smile on his face to announce that the campervan was here! And it was amazing! And we’re all just SO EXCITED TO TRAVEL THE COUNTRY IN A SMALL, CONFINED SPACE TOGETHER! AHHHHH!
But on a more serious note, the campervan was nice. Much nicer than I was picturing. And it was kind of exciting. But the children’s enthusiasm was starting to become a little much at this point.<br />
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But yes, we spent the rest of our time in a 24 foot campervan (RV for you Americans.) We rented through <a href="http://www.britz.co.nz/">Britz,</a> although they work in conjunction with Maui, so our first van was a Maui. Campervans are THE THING TO DO in New Zealand and there are all sizes and sorts that you can use. Ours was a 6 berth and fully-contained (i.e. included a fully equipped kitchen and bathroom/shower). Money-saving tip: if you can swing it, a <a href="https://www.transfercar.co.nz/">relocation campervan (or rental car)</a> would be the way to go! For only $5/day, you can rent a campervan as long as you pick it up and drop it off at the specific location. We attempted to do this, but with 4 kids we just didn’t have the flexibility we needed. But it is possible to travel NZ very cheaply if you can make this work!<br />
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Our first stop was for provisions. There is no Wal-Mart or Target in NZ. Instead, they have The Warehouse. Apparently, despite weeks of planning and packing, I had forgotten Julia’s socks and underwear. Random, I know. So we had to get some of that for her along with some warm jammies. Next door was Countdown, a big grocery story chain. (At the end of our trip Jon visited a Pak and Save and seemed to think that was a much better bargain!)
It’s interesting shopping for groceries in a foreign country. They didn’t have many American brands and we didn’t know what was good otherwise. Always a gamble. And some of the food tastes different. For instance, “tomato sauce” is not the same as “ketchup.” And good ole Heinz ketchup is pretty hard to find!<br />
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Everyone warned us that NZ is expensive but, coming from Hawaii, I don’t think it was quite as bad. It also helps that the exchange is currently $1USD = $.73NZD. Some things were a bit much. Like the dozen cage-free brown eggs that Jon picked up for $9. Yikes! The portions were also much smaller, but that may have been because we were shopping in the city. For a family of six, one small jar of pasta sauce doesn’t get very far. So grocery shopping was a bit of a challenge, especially since we were trying to eat meals that didn’t involve a lot of ingredients.<br />
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But we finally got our kitchen stocked and were able to hit the road!
So here we are, cruising down the motorway (i.e. highway), in a 24-foot campervan, on the opposite side of the road with Jon sitting in the driver’s seat on the righthand side, trying to figure out kilometers per hour and maneuver all the roundabouts and the children are VERY EXCITED!!! And it was all just a bit much.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those tiny white dots on the hill? Sheep!!</td></tr>
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And then we quickly transitioned to rural New Zealand with beautiful green hills and cows and sheep grazing everywhere. The roads narrowed and curved and we wound our way around hills and pastures. I thought we were either going to roll down the mountain or get sideswiped by a truck on more than one occasion and the kids’ excitement started to die down as car sickness set in. I had crawled back there to help them out and after sitting in the backwards seat a few minutes I began feeling quite miserable myself.<br />
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Right about the time I was laying on the camper floor dry heaving into some grocery bags, Jon decided to pull over for a break and the kids all poured out into the fresh air. I tumbled out onto the beach to watch the kids attempt to skip rocks where I promptly got nailed in the forehead by a stray stone that Jack accidently let loose a few seconds too soon.<br />
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And that’s when I started to cry. And laugh, because it was kind of funny. But also cry because it hurt and I felt like throwing up and the kids were being so terrible all day long and Jon was stressed out with learning to drive in a foreign country and it was all just.too.much.
I was certain we had made a huge mistake with trying to bring alllll these children to “vacation” on the other side of the world.<br />
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But I can now say, from the other side, that there’s a definite adjustment period, and it probably lasts around 24-36 hours, where everything is new and overwhelming and the children are wayyyy overstimulated and acting out in all sorts of crazy ways. But it ends. And after that first day, we started to find a rhythm and settle into our new normal. But in that moment, when I’m rubbing a bump between my eyes and the kids are climbing back into the campervan with mud all over their shoes … I just wasn’t so sure.<br />
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We hadn’t planned on traveling very far that first day FOR THIS VERY REASON and I’m very glad for that. We treated everyone to some Dramamine and headed back on the narrow, winding road to Coromandel.<br />
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Coromandel Town was cute and appealing, but also fairly empty this time of year. We ended up driving on a little further to Shelly Beach Top 10 Campground (Top 10’s are kind of like a brand or chain in NZ.) There was only one other campervan there besides ours, but the receptionist was kind enough to turn on the jumping pillow for our kids. Apparently these are a big thing on this side of the world, because nearly every campground we visited had one. The kids thought it was great and even Jon had a chance to get a little carefree.<br />
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We had bought pre-made pizzas for dinner that night, but unfortunately, couldn’t figure out how to get the propane to work. Which meant we didn’t have an oven/stove or hot water. So instead, we used the microwave, and had pizza mush for dinner. Eh.<br />
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Shelly Beach didn’t have much to offer, but we didn’t know that at that time since it was our first holiday park. It did have a big kitchen, hot showers, a few cows next door, and a beach with lots of seashells. And that’s where we spent the final few minutes of daylight that evening before collapsing into bed a little bit earlier than usual.J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-47525455002837520182017-06-10T15:06:00.003-04:002017-06-10T15:06:50.263-04:00#MCWlove in Oahu, Part 2Here's the thing with houseguests, it can be a challenge balancing your visitor's vacation-of-a-lifetime experience and your own everyday-life one. The first half of their visit, the boys were still in school, still had homework. Jon was able to take a few days off but was working the rest of the time. I had some work to do for MOPS, a research paper that I'm assisting a former professor with, and just the normal laundry, cooking, and cleaning that it takes to keep up with a family of six.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">For example, I had a photo due for The Fresh 20 and ended up cooking Shrimp Lo Mein at 9am, in the middle of a playdate, just to meet my deadline because there hadn't been an opportunity earlier in the week.</td></tr>
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And then there's the social aspect. Which could be just me, but sometimes mama needs a social timeout. My kids calls it my "alone time," and it has little do with with having extra people in the house and everything to do with raising children in a very loud, talkative (million questions a day), but still always-around-me stage. If you have to ask me the same question a few times, if I'm staring at you and my eyes glaze over, or if I'm not staring at you because I've reached max threshold and cannot handle anymore incoming information ... it probably means I need some alone time.<br />
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And this is the beauty of having an extra car--or really just a second car because I'm more than happy to be stuck at home. Our guests can go out and experience whatever they want to, especially those things that we've already done time and time again, and I can stay back and nurse sick kids, fold laundry, or read a book. So if you're ever visiting and I offer to send you off on your own adventure while I hang back and "do nothing." Don't worry. It's not you, it's me.<br />
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But speaking of our every day normal life...<br />
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<b>Day 7</b><br />
Halfway through Micah and Carrie's visit was Sunday--which is church followed by Flag Football. It's not easy living so far away from our family so it's always a special treat when grandparents or aunts and uncles can attend something as simple as a school award ceremony or sports game. Jack and Jude had a great game and I know they appreciated the extra fans we had that day!<br />
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Certain grandparents have been asking for videos of the boys playing. This is not easy because many of these plays are very short and uneventful. It's also hard for me because I'm trying not to cheer and scream while holding the camera. But I did capture a little of the excitement. It's hard to see, but the first one is Jude giving the handoff to Jack, who nearly scored a touchdown but the ref didn't call it. And the second one is Jude passing the ball to Jack, who caught it and scored an actual touchdown. They're are really fun to watch and I'm actually learning a little bit about football too!<br />
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After a game in the hot Hawaii sun, we came home, "reprovisioned" (as my husband would say,) and headed to the West Coast. We don't make it over to that side of the island very often, and we had a few things on our agenda this visit. Mainly, picnic on the beach during sunset. Like me, Micah and Carrie had never seen the sun set on the ocean before (although I have plenty of memories of my brother and I waking up early on vacation to catch a sunrise!) <br />
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For Mother's Day, we came out this way so I could eat at one of my favorite restaurants and watch the sun set (if you haven't caught on yet, mama loves sunsets.) While here, we came across an interesting looking cave, noticed a pin on Google Maps for "Mermaid Tunnels" which sounded intriguing, and drove through a lovely little state park at the very end of the road. So these were all on our itinerary for this return trip.<br />
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What we didn't really consider was that this was a holiday weekend. Do ya'll know what Hawaii beaches look like on holiday weekends? Pretty much like campgrounds--one tent after another, people partying in their truckbeds, each one blasting a different tune from their monstrous speakers-on-wheels. But hey, I love the Hawaiians sense of "ohana," even if it means a parking spot is almost as rare as seeing a snake.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the first beach and much less crowded with tents than when we reached the state park.</td></tr>
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We managed to find two spots (because, two cars. You guys, you don't know how badly I want one of those vintage VW vans that all the cool surfers drive out here. Except I want mine to haul actual people, not just beach gear) and set out to locate the Mermaid Tunnels.<br />
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These are sorta-secret. They're mentioned on a lot of blogs but a lot of those bloggers won't tell you their exact location. I'm not exactly sure why. I understand keeping some things a local attraction, but if you're going to mention it, or post it on Pinterest, you're just driving people to find it on another webpage that actually describes the location. In this case, there's not much by way of directions. You just head out to the rocks and keep walking until you come to a hole that leads to a cavern. Orrrrr, you go on a holiday weekend and look for a crowd of people standing in a circle on the rocks.<br />
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We had the advantage of the latter. The giveway were the two little girls (like maybe 10 years old??) jumping into the hole and coming out the other side. Then most of the crowd dispersed and we had the cave to ourselves long enough to check it out and snap a few pictures.<br />
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Unfortunately, it was not just high tide, but also King Tide, which meant the tunnel was full of water. Of course, this did not phase the 10 year old girls. They just swam under water to the other side. You know, just swam through rising water with a rock ceiling directly overhead. Also, just typing that makes me feel like I'm suffocating. Clearly, I did not attempt. Jon and Micah checked things out and the kids jumped down to see the tunnel for themselves. But I was more than willing to view things from dry land and put this on my list of "things to see during low tide and less crowds."<br />
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Once we had our fill of mermaid caves and tidal pools, we made our way past the partiers back to the cars to drive up the coast a bit more to Kaneana Cave (or Makua Cave.) This one is not a secret. Super easy to find, especially if you're gawking out the window at the scenery like.I.do.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Love these westside views!</td></tr>
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Eventually, the mountains will turn brown and you'll run into a huge hole in the side of one. (Or you can just look for a big parking lot on the left and a sign for Kaneana Point.)<br />
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There's not a whole lot to see here, and the kids weren't too interested in hanging out very long. The plan was for Carrie and I to entertain the children on ground level while Jon and Micah hiked up the mountain to "Upper Makua Cave" (which appears on the internet to have some splendid views of the west coast.) But after a cursory exploration they decided to turn and rejoin us. And we didn't mind, because at that point a truck had pulled in next-door and it's passengers were blasting extremely loud explicit lyrics and engaging in questionable activity. Time to move on!<br />
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Our final destination was Ka'ena Point State Park. Apparently, the entire western half of Hawaii had the same plan because it was absolutely packed. We're talking tents, tables, grills ... one family even had their own porta-potties! But we came to enjoy a beach picnic and see the sun set and that is what we were going to do! So after driving to the very tip and back again, we were able to squeeze into two parking spots. Interestingly enough, most people hang out at the top of the beach and leave the rest wide open. Or maybe it was just the tide.<br />
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But just know that despite the calm and quiet appearance of these photos, there was some questionable activity occurring directly behind us. To the tune of "music we don't usually listen to." Tunnel vision and earmuffs, children!!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Never wants his photo taken.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cloudy sunset, yet still beautiful!</td></tr>
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<b>Day 8</b><br />
Sunday was a full day. But Monday was still a holiday and we wanted to make the most of it. Jon, Micah, and two of our guy friends had morning plans to hike Olamana--known locally as "Three Peaks." They just hiked the first peak because it's the least deadliest and the highest. I would love, love to do this hike but someone had to entertain the keiki. Also, I'm very supportive of my husband scoping out activities first and then taking me back later when he knows the lay of the land. So next time. Until then, we enjoyed the men's stories and photos.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvXmcm99o-ZfIpPrgbnD0lt-MXpoIwcownpCEwMIGazpnysF9zaYGrjiof_fgUR_dh3-gnfWELAMUb2eidT8aT6ljQYo80BU3HxwTPYkdwTQVF7NvhR-Q1C9wpoJghGZswnoGP8d7_8cv/s1600/Screen+Shot+2017-06-07+at+9.01.41+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="338" data-original-width="600" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHvXmcm99o-ZfIpPrgbnD0lt-MXpoIwcownpCEwMIGazpnysF9zaYGrjiof_fgUR_dh3-gnfWELAMUb2eidT8aT6ljQYo80BU3HxwTPYkdwTQVF7NvhR-Q1C9wpoJghGZswnoGP8d7_8cv/s640/Screen+Shot+2017-06-07+at+9.01.41+AM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Micah</td></tr>
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The guys needed a break after their momentous event, so we chilled at home before heading out to the beach later in the afternoon and meeting up with two other families for sun, surf, and burritos for dinner. No photos, because we do this so often I no longer think to document it.</div>
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<b>Day 9</b></div>
<div>
<i><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-family: Roboto, arial, 'Noto Sans Japanese', sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">On the pontoon / </span><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-family: Roboto, arial, 'Noto Sans Japanese', sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Makin' waves and catchin' rays up on the roof / </span><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-family: Roboto, arial, 'Noto Sans Japanese', sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Jumpin' out the back, don't act like you don't want to / </span><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-family: Roboto, arial, 'Noto Sans Japanese', sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Party in slow motion / </span><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-family: Roboto, arial, 'Noto Sans Japanese', sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Out here in the open / </span><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; font-family: Roboto, arial, 'Noto Sans Japanese', sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">Mm, motorboatin'</span></i></div>
Another one of our favorite guest activities--renting a pontoon to take out to the K-Bay Sandbar. We invited our new Coastie friends that just moved here last week to join in the fun--they were also a part of church, the Olamana Hike, and dinner on the beach. We assured them that we are only this exciting because we have visitors in town and we will soon return to our normal, less-eventful lives.<br />
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I'm pretty sure I've blogged about the sandbar before. Or maybe we just do it so often it feels like I have. But it's all the same. Anchoring out at the sandbar, admiring the view of the island from the sea, swimming with the sea turtles, and paddle boarding as far as you can see.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We even had a rainbow this time!</td></tr>
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At this point the kids, and more specifically the boys, were starting to droop. I think all the fun was taking its toll.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRytc9Gf6iFC27IA2fjBcCeZSwTs1BBabLEzDqpWmHdxI4aAArUjT6vyjUe2egDAfOFAdNRTq8PvSACuErzA90vpMpH572h4Rr0O6c0FXFkL2oV0AxHQ8TwSe3ehAlqm7RElzZwjeoRc4o/s1600/DSC_5253.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRytc9Gf6iFC27IA2fjBcCeZSwTs1BBabLEzDqpWmHdxI4aAArUjT6vyjUe2egDAfOFAdNRTq8PvSACuErzA90vpMpH572h4Rr0O6c0FXFkL2oV0AxHQ8TwSe3ehAlqm7RElzZwjeoRc4o/s640/DSC_5253.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack and Jude spent half their time on the boat napping.</td></tr>
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<b>Day 10</b><br />
The above is probably why I have no--ZERO--pictures of the next two days--the keiki were just wiped. I had two days of hours-long training to do (more on that later.) So Uncle Micah and Aunt Carrie took kid-duty on Wednesday and Thursday morning. And it was much appreciated! The first day, they spent the morning at the beach catching minnows and playing in the waves. And that afternoon they took the car by themselves and visited another park at the south of the island.<br />
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<b>Day 11</b><br />
The second morning they explored the <a class="_sEo iJ69j20iktdI-6WH35iSZ2V0 rllt__link" data-cid="9207507988096413480" data-rtid="iJ69j20iktdI" data-ved="0ahUKEwj7qKXp7LPUAhVCzoMKHfSjCl0QvS4IRzAA" href="https://www.blogger.com/null" jsaction="r.UQJvbqFUibg;" jsl="$x 2;" role="link" style="color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.541176); cursor: pointer; display: inline !important; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; overflow: hidden; position: relative; z-index: 2;" tabindex="0"></a><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 16px; white-space: nowrap;">Ho'omaluhia </span>Botanical Gardens and fed the fish and ducks. Julia had gymnastics that afternoon and then our babysitter showed up so the adults could get a double-date night in Waikiki. We ate at a restaurant with ocean views and then walked around downtown at night--exploring the streets and touristy shops.<br />
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On the way home, we decided to see Tantalus Lookout at night. Except it was closed. So after a very long and windy drive up the mountain and back down again, we found a place to stop with comparable views of the city (and several parked cars containing people NOT there for the views.)<br />
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<b>Day 12</b><br />
Uncle Micah and Aunt Carrie's final day--their flight was in the afternoon so we had the whole morning for one final hurrah. We decided to hike the Judd Trail since it's kid-friendly and we hadn't done anything "woodsy" during their visit.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Even the road to the hike was lovely!</td></tr>
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This was a really fun hike with all sorts of varying terrain/scenery. The kids got a little whiny at the end (okay, Joci got a lot whiny), but I think it had more to do with over-extending them for 12 days and less to do with the hike itself.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting lost in the bamboo forest.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This tree grew right over a rock.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We love these trees! Rumor is Captain Cook brought them to the island because they're great for creating ship masts.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We literally had to drag her out of the forest kicking and screaming.</td></tr>
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Afterwards, we came home to wash the mud off and grab lunch. Jon was working this day so the kids and I did the airport run. Is it just me or are airport drop-offs the worst place for goodbyes? It's probably just me. But I get so nervous trying to find a place to pull in and quickly unload. I barely remember the goodbyes. And Joci completely slept through it all.<br />
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But it's not goodbye, because hopefully we'll make it back to the east coast at one point during the next few years. And if not, we're already working on a list of things to do when Micah and Carrie come back for another visit. So instead, we say a hui hou--until we meet again!J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-16155429814116320582017-06-07T16:28:00.003-04:002017-06-07T16:28:16.449-04:00#MCWlove in OahuNow that we are residents of one of the most beautiful places on earth, people remind us all the time to expect visitors. Lots and lots of visitors. Instead, the majority of our guests have consisted of lizards and cockroaches... and a total of three visits from the grandparents. I think this is because most of our friends are in the throes of bearing babies or deep in the trenches of home ownership and renovations--two life phases that we feel very far removed from these days!<br />
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It also doesn't help that flying here is spendy! Honestly, if you had given me an $800-$1000 plane ticket 18 months ago and asked me where I'd want to go, it wouldn't have been Hawaii. It would've definitely been somewhere east of U.S. I'd always assumed our 50th state was for people looking for resorts and sunshine and pristine beaches. What I've learned over the last 11 months is that, while Hawaii is certainly all those things, it's also so much more. It's rugged and varied and thrilling ... and I'm fairly certain that after four years of living here, we'll never run out of things to do. (I'm also fairly certain that it won't be easy to return to some place normal after this, like D.C. I think we're going to have to plan a step-down tour before we move back to the east coast!)<br />
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And while we don't exactly have the best accommodations to offer (i.e. sharing a bathroom and wall with four small children), we try to make up for it with plenty of adventure <i>out</i> of the house. So we were pumped when Uncle Micah and Aunt Carrie found came out to explore our little bit of paradise with us this month!<br />
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Here is a not-so-brief overview of all we were able to accomplish in 12 days.<br />
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<b>Day 1: </b>Arrival<br />
Jet lag is a beast, my friends. Micah and Carrie arrived around 3pm our time, which is 9pm East Coast time. In other words, just as our little brood is ramping up for the witching hour our guests are winding down for bed. So today's goal was to keep everyone awake long enough to get just a taste of Hawaii life. Since Jon works down in Honolulu, he's usually the one doing airport pickups. And what is quickly becoming our post-flight MO is a stop at the Pali Lookout. I love this place--it's easy to access, free to park for military, and has the most amazing views of the windward side of the island (as well as some sketchy history)--the perfect introduction!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Micah</td></tr>
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After a rousing welcome by The Junior J. Crew, we enjoyed an early dinner and drove down to Kailua Beach for an evening walk on what has occasionally been voted a Most Beautiful Beach in the World (although not recently--thanks tourists.) Which brings us to another favorite guest activity--Jeep rides!<br />
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Since we can only fit one extra person in our minivan, we become a two-car family whenever we have visitors. But I think we can all agree cruising around Kailua in our island beater is much more authentic than being jammed in the backseat of a minivan with all the sand and goldfish from our previous beach visit!<br />
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<b>Day 2</b><br />
One avantage to the jet lag is that it suits our schedule better. We are very much early to bed, early to rise kinda people. My kids have rarely slept past 6am since we moved here. And falling asleep before 10pm isn't highly unusual either. So Jon took a day off of work, the boys went to school, and the rest of us we're out of the house and heading to the Pillbox Trail before 9am.<br />
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I was pretty pumped about this excursion. Jon's done it twice, but after nearly a year here I had yet to make it! (Our first attempt was way too muddy for the kids. And Jon decided to take the boys on his own the second time to make sure the girls could handle it.) It was a little challenging in a few spots but Julia was able to do the entire hike on her own. And Joci enjoyed the whole experience from the backpack carrier.<br />
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It was a beautiful morning but you could see the clouds rolling in from out to sea. So we had a few rain squalls once we reached the top, but it was much more preferable to hiking in the heat of the day!<br />
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And the views were everything I had hoped they'd be, but I actually liked the ridge hike even more! The mountain ridges here are amazing to see and hiking alone one's edge was even more of a thrill!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UHkLIBhvzYpzhOW8deBocu7mbyswstFSRui9RCbLHRbLXD61tJ1ZzogytN8JD5kN8sijztfEEePFqSpomF4Mw1Pz0ZP3g2ioSUG73XxSRuGqDkczpz0tyFYexT8fo9hxla2W3XUoq7S8/s1600/PillboxHike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UHkLIBhvzYpzhOW8deBocu7mbyswstFSRui9RCbLHRbLXD61tJ1ZzogytN8JD5kN8sijztfEEePFqSpomF4Mw1Pz0ZP3g2ioSUG73XxSRuGqDkczpz0tyFYexT8fo9hxla2W3XUoq7S8/s640/PillboxHike.jpg" width="360" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Micah</td></tr>
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Julia had speech that afternoon and the boys were due home from school, so Jon took Micah and Carrie out for a scenic exploration down the southeast coast--one of our favorite drives peppered with gorgeous mountain views, windy highways, scenic overlooks, blowholes, and cliffy coasts.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_GDqlMwTw8fjtxwfnQWIeIEh2mTN8nMBficzrFVLOtWrDafUlCJTYncNkXKjFEyGm7jvmJVOADYyak6fbkvL_XZppycUO8Ak8CGuZG88aZNzUDPaIC6WhjtD8j8Pmzp73RKvoGXJhxM2Y/s1600/IMG_0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_GDqlMwTw8fjtxwfnQWIeIEh2mTN8nMBficzrFVLOtWrDafUlCJTYncNkXKjFEyGm7jvmJVOADYyak6fbkvL_XZppycUO8Ak8CGuZG88aZNzUDPaIC6WhjtD8j8Pmzp73RKvoGXJhxM2Y/s640/IMG_0033.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sharing sweet potato noodles!</td></tr>
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<b>Day 3</b><br />
Jon was back to work and both boys were still in school so we went with a low-key option--the Mokapu'u Lighthouse Trail. This is paved, which makes it ideal for the double stroller. But it's also uphill the entire way. Good thing Uncle Micah was in the mood for a workout!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7aEwQivvHlEyUqFTBqi1F7t2ovhAk7eB-Ub38FYihGFIHrzvCfmPurO6DfEZMrYC1itiyBq9IS1v6g8F5Upv9_LYxuJ-0-t2Zfw_6E37s7gikqKvqyOtYUAQcBIUGeWDJ3jWa1pW0mDf/s1600/IMG_0037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZ7aEwQivvHlEyUqFTBqi1F7t2ovhAk7eB-Ub38FYihGFIHrzvCfmPurO6DfEZMrYC1itiyBq9IS1v6g8F5Upv9_LYxuJ-0-t2Zfw_6E37s7gikqKvqyOtYUAQcBIUGeWDJ3jWa1pW0mDf/s640/IMG_0037.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View looking down the southern coast.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAbKNjXihtLmwDkoaKIVt3dBTUtXpvgyDF8plspw8HLNwJfpZLJ1oai95UfiEqOhlJZZgbxexBJrXiLP-hIBrBW9nV-87IHyZtlkhbVUvhv9FOm_BqO3FJEDKF_UVThpZnncdvbPS5nlH/s1600/DSC_5095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAbKNjXihtLmwDkoaKIVt3dBTUtXpvgyDF8plspw8HLNwJfpZLJ1oai95UfiEqOhlJZZgbxexBJrXiLP-hIBrBW9nV-87IHyZtlkhbVUvhv9FOm_BqO3FJEDKF_UVThpZnncdvbPS5nlH/s640/DSC_5095.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View looking up the east coast.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvwYb8W_3bDm2kd-NGRX-RpVZgvX-nW1VVTtGzYS2OUMFMiK4GoMOuumHr2w04dv-rAdmZApHasUterzf2OIu5nSCW7OYItW9dDWQjHHseW195NKXjRXuiwFVkHKEi5t8ex5p4DymwrYA/s1600/IMG_0043.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQvwYb8W_3bDm2kd-NGRX-RpVZgvX-nW1VVTtGzYS2OUMFMiK4GoMOuumHr2w04dv-rAdmZApHasUterzf2OIu5nSCW7OYItW9dDWQjHHseW195NKXjRXuiwFVkHKEi5t8ex5p4DymwrYA/s640/IMG_0043.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Well that's one way to search for whales...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJHIlw_KZ2GoBCsl5X0s6BG154S3TtMN0PoHMHB7WST1THdM8_PF7jyvRtQof4a8bn4JSa1wHuM8-DznxfMmFbW5PpJaxERsgXBJw_eJALa-jtyixiwG-hqKpyIxC67gnwte85wHZeCFB/s1600/DSC_5101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="1600" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwJHIlw_KZ2GoBCsl5X0s6BG154S3TtMN0PoHMHB7WST1THdM8_PF7jyvRtQof4a8bn4JSa1wHuM8-DznxfMmFbW5PpJaxERsgXBJw_eJALa-jtyixiwG-hqKpyIxC67gnwte85wHZeCFB/s640/DSC_5101.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down at Tidal Pools.</td></tr>
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From the top of the trail you could look down and see the Mokapu'u Tide Pools. They looked fun and I'd never been before, so we made them a stop on the way home.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHOQ4gmQguO6nnM9nxKAjv0-eqDWCRyuCMO5H79I2uFACEGBrmTNcWgtMRP8U0VNbBJRfOyvXtmZXVWBoYPd02z__rvCUvT0zqmnbqrJSAoNO8zt1cdeTjzZRy25B0lSckukD3o98XGvP6/s1600/DSC_5108.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHOQ4gmQguO6nnM9nxKAjv0-eqDWCRyuCMO5H79I2uFACEGBrmTNcWgtMRP8U0VNbBJRfOyvXtmZXVWBoYPd02z__rvCUvT0zqmnbqrJSAoNO8zt1cdeTjzZRy25B0lSckukD3o98XGvP6/s640/DSC_5108.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View looking back at lighthouse.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Cheetah" and "Duck Baby" catching some rays.</td></tr>
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We came home in time to pick up the boys from school and then took Uncle Micah and Aunt Carrie to the kids' favorite spot for minnow catching, kite flying, and drainage ditch floating. Ew. I mean, Hawaii can't ALL be beautiful.<br />
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<b>Day 4</b><br />
While laying out in the sun by the drainage-ditch-turned-minnow-pool the day before, the boys' principal called to (a) inform me no one was in trouble and (b) invite us to the end-of-year award ceremony where Jack would be surprised with the certificate for "Resiliency." So Uncle Micah and Aunt Carrie got to experience some "real life" fun that included sitting in a non-air-conditioned Hawaii school cafeteria and elementary school "silent applauses." See? We've got your full vacation experience covered!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZbXiX1blgmTt7xJ5Vc6oCdBGz992rFLOXg9nBXuHqUtuWGe9UHSezTpcUUULqIULTQS0_IvKhNJA1gMXD6fvBE_Ax2m5h22qwBpibxwtpOOTg-9syqFz6-equVOQY9Z6MOIkO3AVHtiy/s1600/DSC_5136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1063" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5ZbXiX1blgmTt7xJ5Vc6oCdBGz992rFLOXg9nBXuHqUtuWGe9UHSezTpcUUULqIULTQS0_IvKhNJA1gMXD6fvBE_Ax2m5h22qwBpibxwtpOOTg-9syqFz6-equVOQY9Z6MOIkO3AVHtiy/s640/DSC_5136.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Proud of this kid! I know elementary school awards are kind of a joke, but this kid really has shown resiliency over the past year and I so appreciate that his teacher noticed!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jude actually go the award for "Responsibility" earlier this year--which also fits him perfectly!</td></tr>
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Our original plan for the rest of the day was to hike Diamond Head and visit Tantalus Lookout. But we decided to give our legs a break and take a less touristy route up and about the North Shore. Unfortunately, the award ceremony took up a big chunk of our morning and we didn't have a chance to see everything on the list. But we did get to:<br />
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Stop for coffee at Green World Coffee Farm ...<br />
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Sample Dole Whip at the Dole Plantation ...<br />
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Drive through historic Haleiwa and shop at the HE>i store, and then enjoy a picnic lunch at Waimea Bay while watching the more adventurous kids jump off Waimea Rock.<br />
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We took the long road home, but only had enough time to pass through Sunset Beach and Shark's Cove. The drive from the North Shore down the eastern coast is beautiful itself... it will also make you wonder at the legality of building a road so close to the ocean. (The spray from the waves actually hits the road!) Both girls were asleep by this point and I texted a friend quick to see if she could watch the boys if I came to school pick-up 10 minutes late. So we drove by Kualou Ranch and Uncle Micah got a quick photo-op of Chinaman's Hat. I had been hoping to check out the Macadamia Nut Farm but we were just out of time at that point.<br />
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Julia was supposed to have gymnastics that afternoon but I noticed she was shivering while getting dressed in her leotard. Not a good sign. Turns out, she developed a fever sometime between swimming with the sea turtles at Waimea Rock and arriving back home. Joci had a similar 12-hour fever just a few days before so at this point, instead of "what is it?" it was more of a question of "who's next?"<br />
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<b>Day 5</b><br />
Turns out, it was Jude. The boys' last day of school and Jude stayed home sick. He ended up sleeping most of the day, so Uncle Micah and Aunt Carrie took the girls to the beach while I stayed home and caught up on laundry, made dinner, and delivered food and loaner goods to our new Coastie friends that had just arrived on-island that afternoon. It was a good break because things were about to amp up for the holiday weekend!<br />
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<b>Day 6</b><br />
One of the things our family hadn't done in Hawaii yet was to visit Haunama Bay. This is one of the Top Rated Things to Do on Oahu so it's amazing ... and also a huge tourist attraction. And ya'll know how I feel about crowds. Our plan was to check it out during the week but we couldn't fit it in around Jon's work schedule. So because it was a Saturday on a holiday weekend, and because the preserve only has a limited number of parking spaces that fill quickly, we left the house at 6:15am and arrived there just after they opened at 7:00. (More advantages to jet lag!)<br />
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It ended up not being as crowded as I worried--despite the fact that buses of tourists from Waikiki were rolling in every hour! And it was such a cool little volcanically created cove! I knew snorkeling would be great there but I didn't know that you could experience close encounters with fish without the snorkel. They literally just swam around our toes in just a few inches of water! It was also super calm and great for the kids!<br />
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Of course, the boys were much more adventurous and took to snorkeling right away. It's so fun to see how quickly our kids have been able to pick up on things while living here--bike riding, swimming, boogie boarding, and now snorkeling. They're always up for a new adventure!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Micah</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo Credit: Micah</td></tr>
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That sums up the first half of Uncle Micah and Aunt Carrie's visit. Stay tuned for more "never been done before" adventures, including the "high point" of the week. Tee-hee. *cheesy smile*J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-13466112758306367652017-05-10T02:10:00.004-04:002017-05-10T02:12:35.365-04:00Solo parenting for the winI told Jon the other day that I feel like all our memories of Hawaii are going to be of just me and the kids. That’s not true, of course, especially since we tend to have more fun when Jon’s around. But it does sum up the majority of these last few months—Jon traveling the western hemisphere or on the island but spending long days at work, and the kids and I holding down the fort here at home.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Occasionally we'll venture to the beach in the evening to blow off steam and get out of the house.</td></tr>
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Sadly, we’ve all gotten used to this new lifestyle and the kids are able to adjust pretty swiftly to Daddy’s comings and goings. I think it's a little more difficult for Jon to reacclimatize in between trips. When you're not around for new developments, you may not be aware of new routines. For instance, YOU DON'T SHUT THE 5-YEAR-OLD'S BEDROOM DOOR AT NIGHT. Otherwise, she'll come barging into your room at 3am to let you know her door was shut. Not that that happened last night or anything...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The things that go down here when there's not an extra adult to supervise...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Face painting gone wild.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A minute before the seam busted.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A four-kid sleepover! (It lasted 20 minutes.)</td></tr>
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But when Daddy he is around, we usually end up doing something special. And that’s what I hope we remember--all those grand adventures we’ve had here living on the island. Unfortunately for them, one of those fun adventures did not include the kids. Jon and I were able to enjoy a night away for our 11th anniversary during Marmie and Poppa’s second visit to Hawaii. We stayed at the Turtle Bay resort on the North Shore where we got bumped up to an amazing room with ocean views.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Watching the surfers in the sunset.</td></tr>
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It was so peaceful and relaxing wayyyy up there on the north end—a very different scene from the better part of Hawaii resort life in Waikiki. We would have gladly stayed longer but that might have been a bit excessive for “just” 11 years.
We decided to choose one special activity during our day away and Jon voted for a Segway tour.<br />
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I may have rolled my eyes a little but it was actually a lot of fun. It could have helped that we were the youngest people in our group, other than our tour guides--who were the hippest Segway guides I’ve ever met. (Okay, okay, it was my first Segway experience.) But hey, this island isn’t that big, and we’ve already seen a lot of it, so it was well worth it to have the opportunity to explore one small corner on a different mode of transportation.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We returned to love notes and Marmie's famous apple pie!</td></tr>
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And while we’re on the topic of “moments without kids” let it be known that we found a REAL babysitter. Whom we love. And can afford. And who seems to enjoy our small band of misfits. So we hired her one Saturday morning to do something we’ve been wanting to do for so long but couldn’t … paddle board out to the Mokolua Islands.<br />
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Those would be “The Mokes” for those that don’t know. They are two small peaks that rise out of the ocean just off of Kailua Beach. They’re kinda what we’re known for around here. And if you see shirts or a bumper stickers with them on—it’s how we identify who is an actual citizen of “the windward side” of the island and who is just here for a visit. (I’m still trying to decide where I fall on that spectrum.)<br />
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We had the PERFECT morning for paddling. A storm was supposed to kick up later that day, but during our few hours on the water it was clear and calm as could be!
Not only did we get to experience some unique views of our town from the water, but we also could see clearly all the way to the bottom of the sea. It was great fun and I highly recommend it to anyone who chooses to visit us!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Another date night. Just for kicks. And because we actually have a sitter.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some kind gentleman on the beach thought we were tourists and offered to take a photo.</td></tr>
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We utilized Sam the Sitter a third time this spring when Marmie and Poppa were visting and we decided an adults only evening was in order (also, we wanted to do a luau and didn’t want to pay for the kids. Just sayin’.) Everyone here says Paradise Cove does THE BEST luaus. So that’s where we went. And we weren’t disappointed!<br />
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Not only did we get a delicious dinner (I use “delicious” loosely. It was good for luau food but I’m still adjusting to Hawaii local fare.), singing, dancing, and fire throwing, but we also got some flower crowns and tattoos and all sorts of authentic Polynesian fun. Oh, and a sunset. Because ya’ll know we don’t see many of those here on the east side of the island!<br />
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We also had a few more "haven't done this yet" experiences while Marmie and Poppa were visiting, including whale watching off of Honolulu, where we saw some actual whales (although photographing them is much more challenging than spotting them!), enjoyed another Hawaiian buffet, learned about whales, made leis, and enjoyed gorgeous, clear views of the city from a floating vantage point.<br />
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Afterwards, Jon drove us to Tantalus Lookout. I have no idea what this is or what purpose it served, but after reading the nearby plaque I believe it was a posh area to live, at one time, as well as a popular picnic destination (think Box Hill from <i>Emma</i>.) Basically, we're all about the views here on the island! (And selfies. Because all the tourists do them all.the.time.)<br />
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And then of course, there were beach visits, paddle boarding, and pontooning in the bay. Like we do.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marmie was killin' it on the paddle board!</td></tr>
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In other news, I wrapped up my final MOPS meeting of the semester. It’s been a wonderful year, and a hard year. I’ve met some amazing mamas and despite the challenges of leading a group of women I didn’t even know a few months ago… so well worth it. Some of my favorite people in all the world are right here in my MOPS group and I’m excited to learn how to be better moms with them again this fall… after a little time off, of course.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My MOPS mamas! We had a tea party for our last meeting and it wasn't even my idea. *heart eyes*</td></tr>
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Julia started gymnastics this year. She LOVES it. Although I’m not sure if she loves the actual physical challenges of gymnastics or just the social aspect. It’s hard to tell with her. And I really couldn’t tell you if she’s learning anything because I barely get to watch. I’m usually outside the door pulling a 3YO off the roof of the storage shed or breaking up my sons’ latest soccer game turned wrestling match. Thus, no photos of actual gymnastics. Although that's pretty much our usual life here in the house anyway.<br />
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Our third child is all registered for Kindergarten in August and just had her evaluation last week. And I’m not even sad this time. It’s been really sweet having “just the girls” home these last two years but Lia girl is SO READY to be in school, or just make friends. I’m not quite sure if she’s caught on yet that school is so much more than socializing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Actual face paint. Not to be confused with what Joci does with her watercolors.</td></tr>
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And speaking of school, Jack and Jude have had a great year. I’ve been so impressed with how much they’ve learned and grown. Both boys love to read. And more than once I’ve gone to check on them at night only to discover a light on and one of them up late with their nose in a book.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of our favorite projects this year--an economics fair!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">School isn't the only place where we learn! Petting a hammerhead on the beach.</td></tr>
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Another area they've really advanced in is football. They went into the January season barely knowing a thing about the sport and now they're in their second season performing as all-stars (and Jude is even playing up an age group!) It may help that their dad is the coach. And being able to play catch with the coach after dinner definitely has its perks.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Go team!</td></tr>
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And for that we are thankful. We may not have Jon around often. But at least we have him around. And that's more than many kids can say in this heavily-populated-by-military area. When he's here, we play football, hike, and paddle board. And when he's not here, we eat fish sticks and smoothies for dinner. Maybe in front of the TV. While watching "Fixer Upper." With promises of a "sleepover" to follow but only if they go to bed an hour early... Because while solo parenting can often cause me to lose my mind, at least I still have my wits!J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-69280337428018053272017-04-02T15:59:00.002-04:002017-04-02T15:59:40.013-04:00Little Trip to the Big Island (Part III)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The final two days of our vacation were composed of road trips. On one day, we drove north up the coast in search of a mega waterfall. We chanced upon a sign directing us to the "scenic route" and didn't think twice. We meandered down slow, windy roads that paralleled the coast until we noticed several cars pulled off along the ride. Figuring this meant something nearby was worth seeing, we found a spot in the midst of them.</div>
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Of course, everyone had to pee at this point. I think my kids think peeing in the bushes is half the adventure. We hiked a ways down the cliff and caught some gorgeous views of waves crashing on the bluff. Jon walked out to a point of rocks while I stayed behind and supervised children throwing stones in the stream and one kid taking yet another bathroom break. Because that's pretty much my life right now.<br />
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Once everyone had their fill, or perhaps I mean their "empty," we continued our drive up the coast and on up the mountains. Here it's all farm country with lots of cows and crops and small Hawaiian ranch houses that look like they were just dropped in the middle of a field. It reminded me somewhat of Pennsylvania.<br />
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Our destination was Akaka Falls. I mentioned earlier that I've been somewhat disappointed with Oahu's waterfalls, otherwise known as water trickles, or dropping streams, or downward flowing water... I digress. Akaka Falls promised a 442 foot drop. Now this is the waterfall I've been waiting for! We reached the end of the hike and there she was in all her glory. ... and this is as close as we could get. I mean, c'mon!! What's the point of a 442 waterfall if you can only glance it from a mile away?? It was still pretty impressive but the distance coupled with the angle of the sun made it difficult to truly capture it's beauty. We came, we saw, we photo'd. But my personal highlight of the trip was still a day away.</div>
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Our final full day on the island was an ambitious one--a full day of driving along the southern and western coast. Our first stop was the famous Black Sand Beach. I had heard that your chances of seeing a sea turtle sunbathing on the black sand was very high. We did not see any. We did see one or two swimming in the water but nothing too extraordinary.<br />
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The sand is made from lava rock and is actually black--very different from the white beaches on Oahu. We explored for a little bit but didn't stick around long enough to build a sandcastle since we were anticipating grabbing second breakfast at the southernmost bakery in the US.<br />
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No pictures of the bakery because it was basically just another busy, touristy Hawaiian bakery. But we did get some refreshment before veering slightly off course and making our way down the southernmost tip of the island. We have some friends from our Virginia Beach days that now live on the Big Island and she suggested checking out the tip "if I haven't had enough of cliffs and rocky coasts." Of course, I can never have enough of cliffs and rocky coasts. And this long, narrow road driving through farms and fields ended up being my favorite part of the island.<br />
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While it certainly wasn't cold or snowy, it did satisfy a bit of my home-longing. And if the drive down to the tip reminded us of hot, summer days in Central Pennsylvania, then the tip itself reminded me of Cornwall, England. Not that I've actually been to Cornwall. But I have watched a lot of Poldark and that's basically the same thing.</div>
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Up until this trip, I had wrongly assumed that the southernmost tip of the U.S. was in Key West. Well that would be the contiguous states. The actual southernmost tip is on the Big Island and it is apparently a popular destination for local fisherman and cliff-jumping, thrill-seekers.<br />
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Also in that area is this blowhole thing which gave me flashbacks to "The Rescuers" and the pirates cave where the Devil's Eye is hidden. (Evidently our trip to the Big Island reminded me of many, many things in my life.) This area also made me extremely nervous with my four antsy and adventurous children running around.<br />
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So I'm standing at the edge of the world, trying to take photos while also keeping the keiki alive and I can tell my geographically inclined husband is thinking. And then he pulls up some maps on his phone and I can tell immediately that this rocky coast teeming with fisherman and tourists is not satisfactory. He seems to feel that this is not precisely the southernmost point, but rather, we should head a few hundred yards to the east. He finds a dirt road, nay path roughly the size of a vehicle, off to the side and we make our bumpy way farther from the crowds and back into rolling fields.<br />
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According to Jon and his maps, THIS is actually the southernmost tip. But I can see why most people settle for the more dramatic scene on the other side of the rock wall. At this point, you may be wondering what sort of vehicle carted our family of six up and down mountains, through lava flows, and onto hole-riddled 4-wheeler trails. That would be our trusty rental minivan. We made sure to induct her inside as well with a good dousing of goldfish crackers, sand, and a growing collection of "special" lava rocks and shells.<br />
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We ventured back out of the 4-wheeler territory and returned to the main road--with me telling Jon to stop the car for a photo about every 2 minutes. Including this spot, where he graciously pulled off the road and let me stumble through a field to take in this scene. Which may have been my favorite view of our entire trip. Cliffs and rocky coasts 4 life!!<br />
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Our final destination was Kona--to explore the city, sit down for dinner, and visit with friends. But on the way we stopped at Pu'uhonua O Honaunau--the Big Island's City of Refuge. This was a place where those who had broken sacred laws could flee to and receive sanctuary. It's an interesting bit of land but unfortunately, I think the historical significance of the sights was lost on our young kids.<br />
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We finished off the day with dinner at Kona Brewing Company and dessert and playtime at our friends' house. And then we headed back to our side of the island. Except that ended up being a complete disaster. We decided to go back the way we came but after only 45 minutes of driving down the western coast traffic came to a complete stop. The wait was growing longer and half our kids had already fallen asleep so we, along with everybody else, turned off our cars and settled in for the long haul. There's only one road around the island and then one that cuts through the two mountains in the middle, which was over an hour the opposite direction.<br />
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After an even longer wait, we gave up on waiting and turned the car around to try the other route. In other words, a 90 minutes car trip ended up taking 4 hours. It was late and dark and the road through the mountains is DESOLATE. Like nothing is out there except the stars. Both Jon and I were fighting to stay awake, him so he could drive and me so I could ensure he was awake and driving. Also included in the lack of civilization on this drive was the lack of radio stations. I think we could get one, and it was the equivalent of Hawaiian elevator music. It was so bad it was comical. And while it normally would have put me to sleep, at this point it just made us laugh and laugh, which helped keep us awake just a little bit longer. We made it back to our cabin safely, and carried four dead-asleep children to their beds before crashing ourselves.<br />
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The next morning, we had a few hours to kill before our flight back to Oahu and out of alllll the fun activities on the Big Island there was one that our kids had relentlessly asked to do ... the arcade room at the campground. You guys, it was so sad. All the games were "vintage," most of them didn't work, and the only ones that did were just terrible. But I don't think our kids even noticed. In fact, the girls didn't even realize that they weren't actually playing some of the games.<br />
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We finally ran out of quarters and headed to the airport, with one quick stop at Rainbow Falls (no, we did not see a rainbow) and a picnic lunch of all the food we didn't manage to eat during our stay at the cabin. Thankfully, everything tastes better al fresco.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is not an action shot. She asked for me to take her photo, purposely stood here (in front of tourists instead of the waterfall), and then posed like this. I'm not even joking.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Burn all the energy before our flight!</td></tr>
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True to our family-style, we rolled up to the airport with plenty of cushion time for small disasters. We were the first to check in to our flight and the first to plant ourselves in the waiting area. And then the flight got delayed. Three times. We played every game in our backpack including a rousing game of "Monkey in the Middle" with an actual stuffed monkey. Once more people started showing up I tried to corral them all to one corner and finally gave in to some Kindle time. Until the batteries died. No outlets. No Starbucks. One small bathroom with a line. And several hours of waiting in the airport. Always an adventure.<br />
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<br />We'd only been gone 5 days but when we got back to our house it felt <i>so good</i> to be home. And feeling good to be home felt so good too. Because even after living here for 7 months it still feels a little odd. I tell myself that whole settling in thing takes a full year, but honestly I can't even remember anymore. And I've learned, or am still learning, that home is not a house or a place or a region. Home is where my people are. The Big Island was a great adventure. But it's good to be home.J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-70153982308218910672017-03-11T01:27:00.002-05:002017-03-11T01:27:51.544-05:00Little Trip to the Big Island (Part II)I'm just gonna go ahead and say it. I miss winter. I realize that many people move to places like Hawaii to escape the cold, dark days of winter. But I must be one of those anomalies that instead feels a twinge of sadness, living here in the tropics, whenever one of my friends posts a beautiful snowy scene. Or maybe just wears a scarf. Wears socks. Drinks hot coffee in the middle of the day. You get the picture.<br />
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Ergo, one of the allures of the Big Island for me, personally, was its snow-capped peaks. You could view two of them from almost any of the places we were at that week. And one of them you can actually access with a vehicle. Or attempt to. Unfortunately, on the day we chose, the top half of the road was closed due to high winds. But even if it had been open, it's not recommend for young children since the high altitude isn't good for their developing lungs. Or something like that.<br />
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We discovered this when we arrived at the Visitor's Center halfway up the mountain. And while I walked away a tad dejected that I wouldn't be making a snowball that day, the wind and chill (50-some degrees) at 9000 feet was enough to give my [non] winter blues a bit of a boost. There was a small mountain/hill/slight rise near the visitor center that we decided to hike instead. And after watching the kids get blown about and all of us struggling to catch our breath, it's probably a good thing we never made it to the top of Mauna Kea. But the views were top notch.<br />
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The Big Island has a lot of variation. Some parts were almost tundra-esque, like the area around Mauna Kea.<br />
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Others were a touch more forested, like our drive as far up Mauna Loa as we could get.<br />
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Some areas were quite jungle-y, like when we went on a short hike to explore a lava tube.<br />
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Some stretches were farmy and reminded me of our roots back in Central Pennsylvania.<br />
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And a very large chunk of the island is desolate and recovering from total volcanic annihilation. We spent half a day exploring that area of Volcanoes National Park, which was basically views upon views upon views of lava rock.<br />
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We followed Chain of Craters road all the way down the mountain until it hit the sea. And then we picked our way across the rocks to view this stunning arch made by lava.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're on the other side of the lava flow from where we road our bikes.</td></tr>
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We also had the opportunity to view this bonus attraction: a selfie-taking tourist hiking lava rock in 3 inch heels.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Second from the right, not to be confused with the selfie-taking tourist NOT wearing heels.</td></tr>
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I'd say this is a rare sighting but... it's not. I could write an entire blog about the fashion and photo-taking habits of some of our favorite tourists. Moving along.<br />
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One of the highlights of our trip was visiting the Jaggar Museum at night to view the hot lava. Despite being dark and late, the scenic overlook was packed full of people. We could only get a few quick glances in between shoulders and behind bushes. But then the fog rolled in and the people rolled out. We decided to hang tight a bit longer and, sure enough, it cleared back up in a few minutes and we got front row standing plus some really amazing views of hot, spewing lava!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the hot lava from the overlook.</td></tr>
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I'm glad I was able to capture a few shots from the overlook because I ended up spending a good portion of the evening parked outside the restroom. And this is my beef with our four children. While they are regularly <i>inspired </i>by one another's potty habits, they're never <i>synchronized. </i>So usually one of them realizes he/she has to go right about the time another one is coming back. I feel like I spent just as much time in and out of restrooms on our vacation as I did doing some actual sightseeing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of the hot lava from the restroom entrance.</td></tr>
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While you can't see the lava spewing out of the earth from this vantage point, it still proved a photo-worthy opportunity. And isn't this what family vacations are all about? Not just checking items off your bucket list, but experiencing new and exciting ventures with my people and seeing it all from their perspective. It just so happens that we're at a stage where those perspectives often include cement block walls and a toilet. Here's to the next milestone: kids old enough to use restrooms unescorted!<br />
<span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 113px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 20367px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 113px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 20367px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 113px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 20367px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span><span style="background-color: #bd081c; background-position: 3px 50%; background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; background-size: 14px 14px; border-bottom-left-radius: 2px; border-bottom-right-radius: 2px; border-top-left-radius: 2px; border-top-right-radius: 2px; border: none; color: white; cursor: pointer; display: none; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 11px; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; left: 113px; line-height: 20px; opacity: 1; padding: 0px 4px 0px 0px; position: absolute; text-align: center; text-indent: 20px; top: 20367px; width: auto; z-index: 8675309;">Save</span>J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-35638597189401663882017-02-21T14:29:00.002-05:002017-02-21T14:29:28.678-05:00Little Trip to the Big Island (Part I)We missed out on the annual family vacation this year--which just so happened, for the first time ever, to include both Jon's and my families staying at the same beach at the same time last summer. We were a little sad to be the ONLY clan to miss out on the fun, but hey, moving overseas involves some sacrifices... and it also has its own level of thrill and novelty.<br />
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But after seven months, we're starting to feel a bit more settled. And while island fever hasn't quite set in (sometimes I wonder if I'm too much of a homebody to ever really suffer from that affliction), we decided perhaps a little island-hopping was in order.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am learning that it is impossible to direct four children around an airport without garnering all.the.stares.</td></tr>
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I really didn't know much about Hawaii before we moved here, so in case you're like me, I'll just start with the basics. The STATE of Hawaii is actually made up of 8 individual ISLANDS (and I've heard there's another one growing under the ocean as we speak.) Oahu, where we live, is the most populated but it is not the largest. That distinction belongs to the island that carries the chain name--Hawaii. But since that gets confusing, we all just call it "The Big Island."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OiAxRPDK64k/WKyPJXw-UKI/AAAAAAAARwE/vsa11K3OX0kBe5DD-Eix8zyOYuOWOOgngCPcB/s1600/IMG_6712.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OiAxRPDK64k/WKyPJXw-UKI/AAAAAAAARwE/vsa11K3OX0kBe5DD-Eix8zyOYuOWOOgngCPcB/s640/IMG_6712.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Big Island actually has SNOW!!!</td></tr>
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The islands are not far apart, (on clear days you can see across to Molokai from Oahu's eastern shore.) But there are no roads to connect them (i.e. no creepy Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel) or ferries, at this point. Although I think that'd be a fun idea! So you have to fly. Which is a little crazy--being forced to fly to another city in your state that is much less than the distance we'd drive from Maryland to Pennsylvania. It's not expensive (maybe around $200/ticket) but definitely more than driving the same distance. And when you have to multiply plane tickets by six family members... it can become a "once a year" kind of experience.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They say they love to fly!</td></tr>
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Despite all being the same state and created from the same volcano chain, each of the islands has new and interesting experiences to offer. We'd love to make it to all or most of them before we leave in 2020. And by "we," I mean maybe just Jon and I. But from what we've heard and read, The Big Island was a good place to start and a great option for bringing the whole family.<br />
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The coolest thing about the Big Island and the best reason to bring all the kids can be summed up in two words--active volcano! In fact, anytime the keiki would get whiny or complain about our travels, we'd remind them, "Children, you are standing on an active volcano. Do you know how many people can say that in their lifetime?!?"<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Let's just say, I took a lot of photos of the snow-capped mountains. I may be missing winter just a tad.</td></tr>
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The other great thing about TBI is Kilauea Military Camp. This is a recreational camp, within the boundaries of Volcanoes National Park, that was created for, and is only available to, military veterans. It just turned 100 years old and is the cutest little campground you ever did see!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Isn't this just darling??</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our cabin wasn't quite as cute as the stone cottages.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Four kids on a couch!</td></tr>
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We just so happened to get the last cabin available that week. There's a few different options, but ours included one bedroom, a living room, mini-fridge and microwave and bathroom with a whirlpool tub. Which the kids naturally found amusing.<br />
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The grounds also include a theater, bowling alley, arcade, coffee shop, and restaurant (which we ate at once and will be content to never visit again.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They were all decorated for Christmas.</td></tr>
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But no amenity beats the fact that you are camping ON A VOLCANO. You could actually see the glow of the lava on the horizon each evening. But now I'm jumping way ahead of myself!<br />
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We took a short little flight from Honolulu to Hilo. Keep in mind, this was the first time the kids and I have flown since our big transition in June. I was a little nervous because that trip wasn't exactly all unicorns and rainbows. But hopping to another island isn't quite that adventurous. The flight itself was easy-peasy and super short--it's just the whole checking-in and waiting around part that gets dicey.<br />
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We arrived and got our rental minivan lickety-split. We decided to make the most of our first afternoon there and just get right to it with a drive down south! And this is where the differences between TBI and Oahu really become obvious--mainly, space. The island of Hawaii is basically made up of five volcano mountains, the two largest being Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa. They are shield volcanos, meaning they're large but sloping--so the rise is more subtle. Oahu's mountains were also once shield volcanos but the two main ranges are much more abrupt. Almost all the land views on Oahu seem to include a rising and ridged mountain in the not-so-distance. And since these mountains are too steep to build in, all the houses are crammed in the valleys. Homesteads on Hawaii seem much more spaced out. As we're driving out of Hilo (one of the major towns on the island) it felt so much more <i>spacious</i>. Kinda like that scene from the "Sounds of Music" where she's frolicking and spinning in the field.<br />
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So we drove and drove and drove and then hit a dirt road that, according to our map, would lead to a lighthouse. Except after we arrived, we felt that "light tower" would have been a more accurate description. It was in the middle of an old lava flow that, for us newbies, was really impressive. So we started walking and hiking our way to the ocean. Which brings us to another substantial difference in the two islands. I wouldn't recommend coming to the Big Island for its beaches. Oahu has some of the best beaches in the world--so we get plenty of that back home. This island, on the other hand, is much more rocky and "cliffy." Both are impressive for different reasons!<br />
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It was getting hot (something about standing on lava rock in the middle of the afternoon sun) and the keiki were hungry. So we headed back to the van for refreshments and more road tripping. Had we known ahead of time just how much time we'd be spending in the car that week, we may not have been as excited as we were. The Big Island is BIG, you guys. And all the cool landmarks are spread out and there is only one, ONE, road that goes through the middle of the island (more on that later) and then the road that circles the island. So if you're planning a trip there any time soon, just plan to spend HOURS in the car.<br />
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Anyhoo--we drove along the southeast coast, through what appeared to be a hippy commune, and were making our way towards the campground when we came across a sign for "Chain of Craters Road." It sounded intriguing so we decided to get our carpe diem on with a U-turn towards this promising attraction. Judging by the amount of cars parked, we figured it must be good. Joci was asleep by this point, so I was carrying her and the other three kids were trailing behind. We passed an ice cream truck and somebody commented about "carrying her the whole way." Which was a little confusing. And then we started passing bicycle rental tents. And we could see in the distance that there were many, many people either selling food or renting bicycles. Which we found slightly curious. So we decided it was probably best to make inquiries.<br />
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What we discovered was that this "hike" led to a place to view the lava flow (awesome!) but that it was nearly 4 miles one way (so not awesome!) Clearly, our family of six would not be making this hike. But we also couldn't pass up a chance to see some lava. So we sprung for the bikes. Two kids' bikes for the boys, a sweet ride for me, and one for Jon with a trailer for the girls. We started off all fresh and energized for our travels and were probably less than a mile in when it dawned on me that our boys are still pretty new to bike riding. In fact, they've never ridden their bikes beyond our neighborhood. And certainly never more than perhaps a mile total. And here we were planning to cover nearly 8 miles of dirt and gravel road. Carpe diem, baby. We've got this!<br />
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On this adventure, we were riding our bikes over an old lava flow. For instance, if you were to view this area of the island from the ocean, you'd see a large dark path running down the side of the mountain where the lava flowed and killed everything in its path. This included an entire neighborhood. At the beginning of the road, there were quite a few of these shanties that appeared to be dropped on top of the lava rock. I just assumed the base of the volcano had become a new destination for Tiny House people. Eventually I asked a guy selling water by the road and he clarified that no, those are just people who rebuilt on top of the land they own--on top of their old houses that now no longer exist. It's all so very fascinating and creepy at the same time.<br />
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The further you get down the road, and the further you get from civilization (and by civilization I don't mean running water or electricity because I'm pretty sure those houses are very "off grid"), the road gets a bit more challenging. In some places, the gravel was extra-thick and would catch our thin bike tires. This area of the island is also completely exposed to wide-open ocean and thus, was extremely windy. Our poor boys were struggling!<br />
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But we still had it better than the groups and groups of people we passed on foot. And once we rounded the first major bend and could see the steam rising in the distance, we knew we were in for a treat. Nearly four miles later, we parked the bikes and crawled over large lava rocks towards the ocean. Just a few days before, a huge chunk land had broken off due to the lava flow, so they wouldn't let us get too close. But in the distance you could see the red hot lava streaming off the mountain and pouring into the ocean. Which then created an impressive column of steam. It was pretty amazing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The best I could get with my iPhone. See that strip of orange pouring off the cliff?</td></tr>
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I'd like to say it was all worth it, and I think the kids would agree if you asked them today, but on that day, at that particular moment, I'm not sure they appreciated the full experience. The sun was setting, and there were a lot of people hiking IN (since it's even easier to see the lava at night), but we still had to get our group of four children back out. The girls had it easy in their little chariot and it wasn't long before Jon and Jude pulled way ahead. Jack was having a bit of a harder time (that involved a shoelace coming untied and completely knotting around his bike pedal.) There were a few instances where he wanted to quit. But really, what else could you do? We're in the middle of nowhere. Literally surrounded by rocks for miles around. You either keep going. Or you sit here and mope, and then still have to keep going. So we kept going. And in the process, had a few good discussions about perseverance and finding the joy in every situation.<br />
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It was dark by the time we made it back. Thankfully, our fancy rental bikes were equipped with mini-flashlights duct-taped to the handle bars to help light the way during our final mile. The kids were never so happy to climb back into the car. We fed them oatmeal cream pies for dinner and they all feel asleep within a few minutes of our drive to the cabin.<br />
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And perhaps that's the secret to cramming a family of six into a one bedroom cabin--where the little ones out so that nothing and no one prevents them from falling asleep or staying asleep. We had accomplished a lot in less than a day. Rest up kids, because we still have 4 more days of exploring!J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-9217491571386440202016-12-28T15:10:00.001-05:002016-12-28T15:35:59.636-05:00Chasing Waterfalls (A Hawaiian Christmas)If there's one thing I'm learning about hiking in Hawaii, it's that the experience is more about the journey than the destination. A little like the Christmas season, I think. Because sometimes it seems that before you've even finished your morning coffee, it's over. And you're left sitting in a pile of trash, hungry, and counting how many new toys your kids have already broke. Or maybe that was just me.<br />
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But the events leading up to that moment, now those are the memories I want to hold on to. And my favorite holiday, Christmas Eve, certainly lived up to its reputation this year.<br />
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It's rainy season here, which means that it not only rains a lot, but it's also typically overcast and cool during the day. And by cool I mean mid-70s. It's lovely for us locals--a subtle shift in seasons and a chance to actually wear jeans. But probably not the best time of year to visit. And also not the best time of year for hot water (for those of us using solar panels.) So we celebrated Christmas all on our own this year. It was my first time, in 33 years, not spending the holiday in Pennsylvania. (Jon's only missed one year while he was deployed a few months before our wedding.) And while, in some ways, I was looking forward to spending the day with just our little family and doing our own thing, it still was a little sad to feel so distant from all our families. So we decided to start some new traditions, and that began with a hike on Christmas Eve day.<br />
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We let the kids open a gift early--new Hydro Flasks all around! Jon and I love ours and the cheap knock-offs we bought the boys for school didn't last the first semester. So we decided that it was worth the $100+ it cost to outfit our brood with quality water bottles. And like the good, little Hawaiians they're becoming, our kids were thrilled! Some of them actually sleep with their water bottles. Kinda like a beloved stuffed animal. (It also saves me from those bedtime delaying cup-o-water-runs.)<br />
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Our kids haven't had tons of experience with hikes and we weren't quite sure just what they could handle, so we decided to start out with Likeke Falls. There's two different ways to access this trail--one from the Pali Lookout and the other from the Presbyterian Church parking lot (which is what we did.)<br />
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Thankfully, we had a few friends do this hike recently and they warned us that the turnoff to the waterfalls is easy to miss. In case we have any friends planning to do this hike in the future, this is what you're looking for (it's on the right if you're coming from Kaneohe, on the left if you're coming from the Pali.)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That white tape means turn here!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look for this tree!</td></tr>
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It was a fairly easy hike for the kids. I even noted to Jon that our boys must have reached that stage where it's no longer cool to hang out with mom and dad--they were up ahead of us the entire time. Julia managed it just fine and Joci was on Jon's back (which made crawling under branches a bit of a challenge for him.)<br />
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There were a few people on the trail along with us, but nothing like our visit to Manoa Falls back in October. Plus, the big group ahead of us originally missed the turnoff. So we had a good 15 minutes at the falls all by ourselves before they looped back around.<br />
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We had a fun time at the top letting the kids splash around, hang off some branches, and climb the highest point for some gorgeous views. And Jon and I were able to climb a little bit higher on the waterfall. And yes, this is the waterfall. Basically it's a 15 foot high stream. I mean, it's nice, but I've seen way more impressive falls for a lot less effort in Pennsylvania. Jon says I'm crazy and need to get out more. So I'll qualify this by reminding you all that I've only seen 3 waterfalls up close and only on the island of Oahu. On my bucket list for the next 3.5 years is to hike to a truly jaw-dropping fall. Until then, we'll just enjoy the journey. Oh, and those views!<br />
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We were pretty muddy by the time we got back. And since the hike ended up being easier and shorter than we imagined, we decided to just grab some drive-thru lunch and do another one.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And we thought this was muddy!</td></tr>
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Jon and I have both had our eye on the Maunawili Falls Trail for a while, but the reviews were spotty. For one, I wasn't sure if my kids could manage 3 miles. And then there was the mud. Literally every review mentions the mud. One description says there are a few stream crossings. Um, not quite. At one point, you are actually hiking up a stream. Not crossing it. But honestly, by that point we were so incredibly muddy, it didn't matter anyway.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So fresh! </td></tr>
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This was actually a really fun hike through lots of jungly wilderness. My favorite part were the views at the top (because you actually hike up and then down again.) The mud was a little challenging. My calves are still sore from 4 days ago. And it's muscles that have never been sore before. But I guess that's because I've never hiked in mud before.<br />
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Julia struggled on this trail. She and I spent a lot of time together since the men + Joci were usually way up ahead. I mean, her stride is so much shorter than mine and she had a tough time sidestepping all the roots and mud puddles. We had some quality conversations about overcoming adversity and learning to find joy in seemingly difficult situations. You know, real life skills. We also found that Lia greatly responded to some verbal encouragement. So whenever she'd announce that her energy tank was getting low, we all started cheering her on to fill her back up again.<br />
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This waterfall was a bit more crowded, mainly because there was a group of hot shot young men jumping off the cliff after making us all wait 15 minutes for them to build up courage. But the trail itself was fairly empty and it ended up being a beautiful, mild afternoon for a hike.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lia called this 'Punzel's Hair!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We made it to the end!</td></tr>
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Naturally, we were all exhausted when we got home. It took a while to empty out the van, hose down all our shoes, strip the kids, and get them in the shower. We were halfway through the girls' tubby (at 4:20) when we realized that the Christmas Eve event that we thought started at 6:00 actually started at 5:00. It was 40 minutes away. Jon and I still needed showers. The kids all needed dressed up. And the cookies for the exchange still needed cut. We did it all in 25 minutes and limped in (because we had to park a mile away and walk) to the Admiral's Lighthouse just as the service was starting.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I still had mud on my leg and Jack had muds in his ears!</td></tr>
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The Coast Guard Admiral lives at the base of Diamond Head in a house on a cliff overlooking the ocean. It was a gorgeous evening. The Chaplain did some advent readings interspersed with singing Christmas Carols while the sun went down and then we all lit candles as night fell on the lighthouse.<br />
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It was quite magical, for Jon and I. And pure torture for four kids who were not acting at all like they had just hiked all day. (Perhaps it had something to do with skipping dinner and instead grabbing a fistful of cookies for the car ride there.) We ended up forfeiting our seats and moving to the back of the grassy lawn where four children spent two hours wrestling, climbing the lighthouse, making unnecessary trips to the bathroom, and turning on their candles at all the wrong moments. Memories!<br />
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At the end of the evening, Jon took the girls up to the top of the lighthouse for one last view. They spotted a red light blinking out on the ocean and came rushing down to the rest of us yelling that we had to leave RIGHT NOW because they saw Rudolph and knew Santa was on his way! So we all hustled to the car and no one fell asleep on the way home because it was all just too exciting!<br />
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And that was Christmas Eve! By far my favorite part of the holiday. Christmas Day I woke up to the kids "trying" (and failing) to be quiet in their rooms until 6:30 (the time we said they could come out.) The day was a blur of cookies and hot chocolate (that Joci spilled, because it wouldn't be Christmas if someone didn't spill their hot chocolate,) the Christmas Story, opening gifts, video-chatting with both our families and some of our friends, football, a quasi-fancy dinner that no one liked, and lots of clean-up.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Because you can't do Christmas without a fire!</td></tr>
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Thankfully, everyone was worn out enough that we could trick them into an early bedtime. Time to rest up. Because now begins winter break, with four kids at home, during rainy season. And that is an adventure all on its own!J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-92092178390427908662016-12-20T01:30:00.002-05:002016-12-20T01:35:58.401-05:00Welcome to [the second half of] my houseLast post I left you with my creepily-lighted laundry room, er, closet. Probably not the most attractive note to end on. But if there's one thing I'm learning while living here in paradise, it's that you need some rain to make a rainbow. So let's start the second half of our house tour with our house's lil' pot 'o gold--the patio.<br />
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Yes, I called it a patio. Everyone else here would probably call it a lanai but according to my extensive research, a lanai is <i>covered. </i>And since I'm already super apprehensive about my shaky grasp on the Hawaiian language, I'm just going to stick with what I know. This <i>patio </i>is not covered. At least, it wasn't for the first two months we lived here. We went through a few different options, including a giant sail shade, before settling on this arrangement--a gazebo over the table and a large umbrella over the sitting area.<br />
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You may remember the big mess this spot was when we first moved in. The cement was covered in a layer of algae that made a spongy noise when you walked on it and smelled like a dirty fish tank. Not to mention hid about a dozen rusty staples that my kids kept stepping on. So we bought a power washer and Jon went to work revealing a whole new floor. Then he repainted and sealed it, a process that took longer than expected since he could only work on non-rainy days. We threw down some outdoor rugs, got a good deal on patio furniture, and wa-la, the transformation was complete.<br />
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It's practically like having another room. The only thing missing is a TV. Outdoor televisions on lanais are a thing around here and the only reason I suggest it is because Sunday nights get a little dicey around here when PBS Masterpiece is on at the same time as football.<br />
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We love to hang out here or eat dinner--and I'm not just saying that because it's so much easier to clean up. It also tends to be cooler/breezier and a little less claustrophobic. I'd say we eat here all the time but the truth is, we don't. We'll go through a few rainy days, get in the habit of eating inside, and then forget we have the table out here for a few weeks. And then we'll have guests over or throw a party and remember again.<br />
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Once again, we love our dreamy backyard. Even though we are just a few feet away from our neighbors on either side, tall fences + thick foliage give us the illusion of privacy. You don't realize how close you are until someone starts to get loud. Like last night at dinner, when Jack was yelling back and forth with his classmate next-door. Or when the typically-quiet neighbor on the other side starts on this hacking/gagging cough thing that freaked me out a bit when we first moved in. Let me just say, living almost on top of one another in a climate where <i>everyone </i>keeps their windows open <i>all the time</i> is interesting. And I'm not just saying that because I'm super-convicted about the way I talk to my kids sometimes.<br />
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Speaking of those little guys, you may have noticed the second door and windows along the patio wall. That would be Jon's and my bedroom door and the bathroom windows. When I'm in the bathroom and the kid's can't reach me, (and I do mean just me, the kids never bother Jon) they usually run outside and start talking to me through the window. I feel like they purposely wait until I'm in the shower to ask for a snack.<br />
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And then there's the door. It's been a bit of a creepy adjustment having an outside door in our bedroom. We didn't sleep so well the first few nights feeling a tad "exposed." It's also an adjustment when the kids leave it open all.the.time and all sorts of creatures end up in our bedroom. But it is a nice alternate route to the back of the house--like when I want to sneak to my room without Joci spotting me. Or when I want to sneak out to the hammock with a book for a few minutes. Or when I want to sneak out of the house to make a quick grocery store run without a bunch of kids asking to go with me on a "date." I know it sounds like I do a lot of sneaking about. But living in around 1600 feet with 6 people causes you to really value your personal space!
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Back to the main house! Off the kitchen/dining/living area is the hallway to the rest of the house. It's also the location for our linen closet and craft/game closet (because storage space is everything here, have I mentioned that enough times yet?) First door on the right is our guest room. It's not much, but it is a room, with a door and a closet. The one disadvantage to this room is that it's right next to the living room, and the windows are perpendicular to the living room window. Which means that if you are a guest sleeping in our guest room, and my kids wake up at 5:55am and start playing not-so-quietly in the living room, it probably sounds like they're right next to your head. But at least you'd still be a guest in Hawaii, right? Rain/rainbows, baby.<br />
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We've already had our first two visitors--my parents and Jon's parents--come test things out. I feel like this room is not being used to its full potential. I'd love a Murphy Bed in here so it could function in other ways when we don't have visitors. But for now, it's my music room (we put the keyboard under the bed when people are visiting.) The study (when I have to separate the boys during homework time.) And the trampoline (just kidding, the kids are not <i>supposed </i>to be jumping on this bed.</div>
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<br />Across the hall is one other disadvantage for guests, whether overnight or just here for a few hours, they have to share a bathroom with my offspring. In my dream house, the kids would have their own bathroom. Or even just a urinal for the boys would be nice. Like, in the garage or something. Boys are so gross. That is all.<br />
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The kids' rooms are very similar--same size and layout. Both the boys and girls have Ikea bunk beds--great for saving space, not-so-great for keeping your head when the ceiling fan is on. Windows yet again play an interesting role here. Since their rooms are side-by-side, you can often hear Team Girl and Team Boy yelling back and forth to each other after lights out.
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<br />Not much has changed in the kids' room since our move. We've cut back on clothes and stuffed animals--both of which seem to grow despite my efforts. And while we keep most of our toys out in the main living space, the have their Legos in their room and the girls have their dolls and dress-up/pretend play stuff in their room so we can still maintain something resembling "room time" aka, mommy needs you in your own little space for a time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're at that age where I find little notes everywhere.</td></tr>
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<br />And last but not least, the Master Bedroom. As far as fitting old furniture into new spaces, this room presents the biggest challenge. While the square footage would probably be fine, the fact that the room is a rectangle rather than a square makes things difficult. There's not enough room for two bedstands. And we're definitely putting that king size bed dream on hold for the next few years. Because of our the type of windows we have, our only option for AC (which is pretty much a must in the summer) is that massive portable unit in the corner.<br />
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We do have two closets though (something we didn't have in the last house), but we end up sharing them anyway since Jon's half is almost entirely taken up by a chest of drawers. And we actually leave the doors open like this most of the time. Not so much because we're lazy, but because (a) they're old and really hard to close and (b) it helps cut down on mildew in the closet. Lovely, right? Rain and rainbows. It's all just rain and rainbows.<br />
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And we'll finish the tour in the master bathroom--yet another room that makes us wonder "what were they thinking?" For instance, instead of making this side a vanity + a sink, it's a vanity on the left connected by a pipe to the sink on the right. I just don't get it. Again, notice those great views of the back patio (and easy communication avenue) from our toilet and shower.</div>
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And from here I think we'll just sneak on out the back door to hammock for some quiet time, which is pretty precious around here. And that wraps up the tour of our FIFTH home since we got married over 10 years ago. Mahalo for joining us here on the beautiful island of Oahu!</1800><br />
<br />J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-52383516428615760142016-11-18T16:00:00.000-05:002016-11-18T21:41:54.064-05:00Welcome to my houseIf you're new, you may want to <a href="http://coastiemamalogs.blogspot.com/2016/08/hamping-it-up.html">check out what we began with first. </a><br />
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Hear a knock on the door and the night begins</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Cause we done this before so you come on in</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Make yourself at my home, tell me where you been</span></i><br />
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Here we are again. That point after PCSing where I virtually invite you in to my home. It's kinda creepy really. But I tell myself that if you were me and I were you, I'd want to come creep on your digs too. And I think it's especially curious this time around because Hawaii is so, er, um, <i>special</i>. Since we're not aiming for a mention in Better Homes and Gardens or a feature on HGTV, I promise to tell you how it really is. The non-glossy glance at living in paradise.<br />
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So go ahead, cue Flo Rida and come on in.<br />
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This is the front of our house and, as you can see, the bulk of our front yard consists of a cement driveway. It's a little odd, and frankly not the most welcoming first impression, but it's perfect for small children just learning to ride bike or skateboard. In which case, it's not so perfect for parked cars. So we generally park at least one vehicle on the street. The vinyl decals on the front door are a recent addition by our landlords. And while it's not my personal style, I like it so much more than the old curtains that were originally there.<br />
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The windows to the left of the rocking chairs are over my kitchen sink. They're perfect for keeping an eye on the kids while working in the kitchen, or for people watching while washing dishes. Because we get a lot of foot traffic on our street. Our neighborhood's wide, flat streets and destination-less location make it a hotspot for walkers, joggers, and bikers. Maybe someday I'll become one of them.<br />
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Our landlords made quite a few improvements this summer before and during our move-in process. Some we appreciate, like the front door. Some we're less than enthusiastic about, like the rock gravel in the flower beds.<br />
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They also had all the foliage removed from the side of the house. I understand the need for low maintenance when it comes to owning a rental. But, ugh. We lost our natural privacy shield for the bedrooms and the rocks are a magnet for small children wanting to make a mess. Not to mention they're ugly.<br />
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But all stones aside, we really love our yard. It's on the larger side for a house in town, and the automatic sprinkler system keeps it thick and green. We see a lot of soccer, football, and t-ball games go down out here! We also have yard space on either side of the house which we tend to forget about. For instance, this completely enclosed area where we hide our trash cans. Can someone say "chickens?" If so, please tell my husband, because he still needs some convincing.<br />
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To the left of our driveway is a real gem--a two-car garage. Garages are another rarity on this side of the island, although most houses do have a carport. I would say that we don't even use ours for cars but hey, would you look at that! May I introduce to you the latest addition to our family--"Daddy's White Jeep" (to quote Joci.)<br />
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We've been shopping around for a cheap third vehicle to have on hand for (a) when guests come because we can't fit everyone in our minivan and (b) to help alleviate some of the mountain-commute strain to Jon's Explorer, which is the one we're planning to bring back with us to the mainland. And let's be honest, we also wanted something fun to cruise in around the island!<br />
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I know it looks pretty classy from a distance but don't be misled--it is loud and rusty and deteriorating and hasn't had windows/a cover over the back seat in years (so you can just imagine what that looks like.) I say this all from a safe distance because I actually have not been able to ride in it yet. We've had it for a month now and I'm anxiously awaiting our upcoming visit with Nonnie and Poppie so that someone can keep an eye on the kiddos while I learn how to drive stick.<br />
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And I know I've mentioned this before, but hidden behind our treasure of a garage, where we keep so much more than a car, is the real hidden gem of this house: our storage room.<br />
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This is what sealed the deal for us on this house. It's where we keep all our camping and travel gear, Christmas decorations, and Jon's tools. I have no idea what people without storage do, because we would have to leave all this stuff behind. And no Christmas decorations for four years is just sad.<br />
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On to the more visually-appealing aspect of our tour, the living room. As you enter in the front door, you immediately step into the living room. Or into the couch, I should say. Literally.<br />
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In some ways, it's nice because it visually separates the entry from the rest of the room. But honestly, it's because of the walls. Here's something else special about Hawaiian houses--they have a lot of windows. This is great, since we rely solely on the breeze to keep us cool. And I love all the natural light. But it makes wall decor quite a challenge. We basically have boxes and boxes of wall stuff that didn't make the cut in this house. Add to that the fact that our outside walls are cement block, and we've had quite a predicament. This is why the TV is hanging where it is (an inside wall) and nothing is hanging over the loveseat (an outside wall.) [Since this photo was taken we did manage to drill into the cement wall over the couch and that is now where the painting of Coast Guard Eagle hangs.]<br />
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Notice anything different? Those would be new couches! We decided to spring for it and got a good deal on this set. Here's hoping they can outlast four kids and the island climate!<br />
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Right off the living room is the dining room and kitchen.<br />
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I'm pleased to say we were able to fit in both the farm table and the hutch. I am not pleased to say that my darling metal chairs are already starting to rust.<br />
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I was able to figure out a way to make use of that random opening to the left of the window (I think there used to be another window there??) I bought some macrame plant hangers from Target and filled the bottom portion with a vase. It works well and keeps my kids from using it as a shortcut. But I've noticed it's become quite the attraction for smaller children when they come to visit!<br />
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There are a few windows in our house that don't have curtains because they don't have brackets. At first I was all gung-ho about getting them fitted up. But now that we've lived here, and I realize we never, EVER shut the curtains--I have to wonder, what's the point?<br />
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This is the view from the end of the dining room toward the living room. That turquoise chest was an impulse purchase at an antique store back in Maryland, and we never had a spot for it. Now it holds toys. That closet is where we put everything that we'd normally put in a coat closet, except for coats. And that hall to the left leads to the bedrooms.<br />
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If you pivot from the dining room, you're now looking at the kitchen. It's nice, because it's actually upgraded. Although I think it's about 14 years old at this point. But I gotta tell you, it looks much nicer in photos. There was a mold problem before we moved in (there was one after we moved in too), and you can still smell it when you open some of the cabinets. And although the counters are granite, they seem to have this sticky film on them... and several places with gouges?? But on the plus side, we have LOADS of counter space.<br />
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Anyone else see something odd in this picture? I'll tell ya, it drives me bonkers every.single.day. (Take a close look at the cabinets under the sink.)<br />
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There's that stove that doesn't have an exhaust fan! I don't know how to explain it, but just know that Hawaii is quirky. And the climate here is quite unforgiving, particularly to that trend-that-needs-to-end called "stainless steel." Everything <i>stainless</i> steel (and I use that term loosely) that we own looks terrible. Looks, dare I say it, STAINED. We're talking water marks, corrosion, rust--ya know, STAINS. Our fridge is only a few months old and it's already covered in rust spots. Sadness.<br />
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Speaking of the fridge, we went through four within our first month here. So the first one had a water filter and ice dispenser, which apparently went wrong, and leaked water all over our floor and under the tiles and all up into the trim and cupboard panels. It was doing this before we moved in, but since the house was empty for a few months, no one noticed until after we were actually living in it and wondering why water was creeping out from under the tiles. And then we pulled the fridge out and found a garden of mold growing up the cabinets, which then deteriorated the trim at the bottom. Lovely.<br />
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Our landlords replaced the fridge and we got a new one the same day the moving truck arrived (yay, madness.) But it was damaged coming off the truck. And within 2 days (and 2 gallons of spoiled milk) we realized it actually wasn't cooling properly. So while waiting for a replacement, they loaned us their old one--fridge #3. Finally, fridge #4 arrived, and while it's currently functioning properly, it does not have a water line (aka no automatic ice or filtered water.) I've mentioned this before but I'll just reiterate, we kinda like our ice here in Hawaii. And we kinda don't like our tap water. And when mama doesn't like the water, she drinks less. And when mama doesn't drink enough water, everyone suffers.<br />
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So we tried out a few filters and pitchers and basically, nothing was keeping up with the H2O needs of our family of six. So we finally sprung for a water cooler from Costco and 5 gallon water bottles that we refill at the local hippy grocery store. Which means we now know fun facts, like our family drinks 15 gallons of water a week. And since it only costs $2.50 to fill up one bottle, it's really not such a bad deal. There's just the whole inconvenience of filing up giant water bottles every week. But I will say--best tasting water I've ever had. And it's cold. Or hot if you'd like. Which is also handy for oatmeal and tea. And now I think I've devoted enough time to discussing water here on the island.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That basket is for recycling. You can tell this picture is staged because it's almost always overflowing.</td></tr>
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To the right of our fancy water dispenser (which is stainless steel, such a bummer), I'm sure you spotted that brick floor. That would be a rotting piece of wood between the two rooms because--fridge leak. But you all know I had my heart set on those brick floors since the moment I glanced them in a few small photos sent to the mainland. While they're not everything I thought they'd be, they are quite charming.<br />
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They're also handy for clinging on to dirt and hiding shattered glass. They're also a beast to vacuum and on the rare occasion that I attempt it, all the rattling makes the right wheel of my vacuum fall off. I digress.<br />
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We're not quite sure what to call this room--den, office, library... We ended up moving the non-broken couch into here and that's generally where you can find me in the evening--parked under the most high-powered ceiling fan reading my Kindle or watching a show on my laptop.<br />
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Our original plan was to only have a desk for Jon but it didn't take long to realize I need a workspace. Not so much to actually <i>work </i>there, but at least a place to park all that school and MOPS paperwork that needs to be gotten to at some point. So we ended up purchasing a desk just for me. I rarely sit there during the day though because I'm a mom. Or because this room is just too bright! It's hard to see the laptop screen.<br />
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Funny story. The video tour we saw of this place before we rented it had you entering from the laundry room. We didn't even know this door existed before we moved in. But I'm very glad for it. First off, it's a nice way to get a breeze going through the house (which is why I keep the main garage door open most of the time) and second, because it means I can close off the laundry "entry" and make it just a "room."<br />
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What laundry room, you say?<br />
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This one!<br />
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Actually, the door-open looks is how it is 98% of the time. In other words, whenever people are not coming over or I'm not taking photos. And since this is a bare all post, here's a peek inside my laundry room. A lot of houses here just have a washer and dryer out on the lanai or carport. So I think this room is pretty special. *all the heart eyes*<br />
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You know what else is pretty special? That utility sink. We had one in our Maryland house and I was all like "I don't know how I ever lived without this!" (This was also while potty-training and cloth-diapering.) Again, we had no idea this house had one until we moved in. The things that make me giddy ...<br />
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As you can see, we use this room for so much more than laundry. It is also a closet for "all those small kitchen appliances I use once a year but can't bear to get rid of." If you can see past the smattering of rust on the dryer, you may notice the smoke alarm. We had to take it down, and put it within easy reach, because humidity sets it off. Humidity. Hawaii. Need I say more.<br />
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I must say, this room is not a happy place. And I'm not just saying that because the cement floor is flaking off and the lighting is super creepy. Let's just say, laundry has been quite a heartbreaker for me since moving to the island. I don't know if it's my sub-par units, the different water, or the fact that we're all sweating a little more than usual--but our clothes are just not coming clean. It's really quite defeating. But you can't have it all. And whenever I pull a shirt out of the drawer that still smells like the hamper, I just tell myself, "Girl, you may be failing at clean clothes here, but your homemade bread has a killer rise." Amen.<br />
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<i>Stay tuned for Part II next week!</i>J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-38843893857708156312016-11-07T01:51:00.002-05:002016-11-07T01:51:25.910-05:00The appetite of our livingI was thinking today--I've experienced 32 autumns. Twenty-one in Pennsylvania, one in England, four in Virginia, and six in Maryland. It is now my 33rd October and I'll be spending this fall (and the next four) here in Hawaii. And friends, THIS is not autumn.<br />
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I haven't really had to deal with homesickness with this move. I mean, my husband, kids, and <i>stuff </i>are all around me. This IS home. But I'm without a doubt dealing with seasonal-sickness. What I would do for just a few hours huddled by a fire, cozy in jeans and a cardigan, sipping on a steaming cup of chai, listening to the kids romping in piles of crunchy leaves, and breathing in the cool, crisp air.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's this one spot on the school playground ...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... that I like to go when I want to pretend it's fall.</td></tr>
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And that's okay. Because I've got 32 bona fide autumns under my belt--32 years of autumnal memories to look back on and pull out when I'm feeling a wave of seasonal-sickness--if I have to fast fall for the next four (or six or eight or however many more) years we'll be residing this much closer to the equator, I think that's gonna be all right.<br />
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It's good to have passions and "big strong feelings" (as I'd tell my kids.) And it's just as good to go without the things we love for a little while, if only to appreciate them more when we return. And as the quote from Jim Elliot that's been bouncing around in my head all week goes: "Let not our longing slay the appetite of our living."<br />
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I think it's safe to say we've been LIVING here in our new home state.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the Pali Lookout.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our house is in front and to the right of that that mountain in the middle.</td></tr>
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Yes, I'm longing for fall in one of the 13 original colonies. But today I'm living here in Hawaii. And that means lots of adventures of the green and blue variety. With a few pink and gold sunsets thrown in for good measure.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Had to stop washing dishes for a few second to snap this view from our front door.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dusk at Sharks Cove, North Shore.</td></tr>
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As for the appetite of our living, we're slowly working our way through a 4-year Hawaii Bucket List. That included a trip to Dole Plantation and things like the Pineapple Maze (not worth it) ...<br />
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And cool, fresh Dole Whip (worth it!)<br />
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We also spent a day at the Bishop Museum. And I cannot even begin to tell you how wonderful it felt to be in a building that (a) wasn't made of cement block and (b) was built prior to the mid-century. Because sometimes I miss things like wood floors and paned windows almost as much as crunchy leaves and jeans.<br />
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But lest you think our life here is all golden like sunsets and Dole Whip. Here's Julia with a reality check.<br />
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Because sometimes your big brother plants himself right where you wanted to sit and it's just.too.much.<br />
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Ah yes, when we're not perfecting our tan by the World's Most Beautiful Beach or hiking up yet another ancient volcano, we do normal people things. Like workouts with Daddy in the garage.<br />
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Or play soccer.<br />
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Don't ask me what our team record was. I just know it wasn't good. But look at how much fun we had!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some days the clouds are so low you can almost reach them!</td></tr>
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We also went ahead and became a Cub Scout family. At first, I was considerably opposed. Especially when Jon started traveling a lot this fall and I ended up dragging four kids to all these pack and den meetings. But every time the boys put on these uniforms, I cave just a little. No shame in my game--I'm a Cub Scout mom simply for the cuteness factor!<br />
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And while the boys are busy with school, soccer, and scouts, the girls and I are exploring some new ways to keep busy during the week. In addition to a new homeschool preschool co-op we just joined, we try to hit up all the library story hours.</div>
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MOPS started up in September and did I mention I'm one of the coordinators? It's fun, keeps me on my toes, and gives the girls lots of new friends for playdates and tea parties!<br />
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We gotta keep the family females busy because our baby is 3 now and if the 2s are "terrible" then the 3s are "trouble." And that's exactly what this girl gets herself into every time I turn around.<br />
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But it's not entirely her fault. In some instances, she clearly didn't act alone ...<br />
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And finally, you wanna know one really great thing about fall in Hawaii? No Daylight Savings Time. That's right! Nobody messing with my offsprings' already tenuous rising hours. And we're now only five hours behind the east coast instead of six. Which is also nice in some ways. Like, I can't even tell you how wonderful it feels to know that Election Day will already be half over by the time I wake up on Tuesday. Yaaaaaasssss!<br />
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Okay, I better stop now. But first, just one last picture of Hawaii at dusk (taken from a moving vehicle on our way home from a very normal trip to Costco.) Because this place truly is beautiful. And I refuse to let my longing slay the appetite of my living!<br />
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<br />J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-55544044073388189262016-09-08T18:07:00.002-04:002016-09-08T18:07:57.526-04:00Sentimental SettlementSo here's the thing. They say that Instagram has killed blogging. And that may be true. But for me the problem is a bit more broader. It isn't just the ease and efficiency of posting quick stories on Instagram that makes it more and more difficult to sit and write a lengthy blog post, but just the camera-phone itself. I take soooo many pictures with my phone because it's always there and at-the-ready. Actually typing up a blog post is kinda easy (mainly because I just ramble and don't think too much about what I want to say), but the hard work is sifting through all my photos, deleting the poor ones, and deciding which of the other ones I want to upload and add to the blog. A task only made more difficult by interrupting children and technological glitches.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But God bless the camera phone because I don't generally drag the big camera to Cub Scouts meetings and without it I would have missed this capture!</td></tr>
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I should also add here that my faithful DSLR has been suffering some serious neglect since we arrived in Hawaii. Not just because it's inconvenient. But between the wind and rain and sand ... I hardly bring it out of the house anymore. So family, if you're looking for a Christmas gift idea, perhaps a rainproof/windproof/sandproof camera bag would be a good idea.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We returned the car we were borrowing from one of Jon's co-workers. The kids said they lived at the end of the rainbow.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Evening beach jaunts--how I keep my sanity when Jon is traveling.</td></tr>
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But all image-capturing dilemmas aside, there's one other roadblock to my wordsmithing and that would be reading. I try to read in seasons, because I know how easily I can allow a book to consume me. But it's also nice to have something relaxing to do in the evenings before bed. So, knowing Jon would be traveling this week, I purposely chose to re-read (for the third time) a book that I knew would be entertaining, but that I figured I could also easily put down and thus not interfere with the rest of my life.<br />
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So I pulled out the "Mark of the Lion" series and well, oops. Despite having read it twice before (I think before I was married), it's still just as good as ever. So sorry blog, but I was momentarily transported from the sandy beaches of Hawaii to the sandy arenas in Rome and Ephesus. And also, if you haven't read the books before, I highly recommend them.<br />
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So here we are, 6 weeks after move-in date and I'm trying hard to remember what it was like to live in this house after the crates arrived.<br />
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Needless to say, it is overwhelming.<br />
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But I'm getting better! This is only our fourth military move (and that includes the DIY move we did a few blocks away in Virginia Beach.) So we're not exactly the most seasoned military family. But we've done it enough to know what to expect.<br />
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We expect the house to be a disaster for a while. We expect a few things to end up broken. We expect to go through a period of time where it feels like not everything will fit and it will never feel like home. We expect to get rid of some things. We expect to still have to buy some things. And we expect the whole "settling" process to take some time.<br />
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Therefore, the entire move was as we expected. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that despite all of the above, the move was, in general, quite smooth.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My mom made her famous Chex Mix for Jon and I the week we were moving out of the Maryland house. Days later, after we were back in PA preparing to fly to Hawaii, we realized we hadn't seen the Chex Mix container in a while. Lo and behold, it turned up in a box of kitchen towels here in Hawaii! (And surprisingly just as fresh and tasty as always!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's always nice when dolls and doll clothes are one of the first things to be unpacked!</td></tr>
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We've heard all the horror stories--stuff getting stolen, boxes or large items getting mixed up and delivered to the wrong state/family, whole crates getting "lost" and never to be found again, water gushing out of crates once they're cracked open... I was bracing myself for the worst. But everything arrived at once.<br />
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Well I should say, everything we intended to arrive. (There are a few items that intentionally never made it onto the truck but that our kids think got dropped in the ocean or something.) We ended up with a few broken items--a glass bottle Jon used to collect change, our two model ships that were packed by themselves in a box labeled "fragile" but then somehow ended up under Jon's kettleball.<br />
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The girls' yard sale play kitchen got damaged while being packed, so we knew before we left the mainland. It's currently functioning with a healthy amount of duck tape. But I think the biggest disappointment was the couch. It arrived just fine, was carried into the living room and then (apparently) "roughly" set down. The back support snapped and is now protruding out through the fabric. It wouldn't be so bad if it wasn't directly facing the front door. In fact, it rather conveniently acts as a door stop.<br />
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Other than the fact that it looks bad and could be potentially harmful to small children, the couch still functions normally. So we're just deciding if we want to replace it, and therefore invest in new furniture while living in an area of unkind elements. Or just deal with it for the next 4 years. Jury is still out.<br />
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Anyhoo, back to living in a house of box towers. So we always choose to unpack ourselves. One time we let the movers unpack for us, and it was nice to have everything out and all the boxes and paper taken away at once. But I personally found it more distressing to have all our stuff just lying around waiting to be put in its proper place. And I can only imagine how having four kids would exacerbate that feeling. So we systematically unpack as we go ... and I always start with the kitchen.<br />
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It's rather nice that our current kitchen has a very similar layout to our previous one. So I kept most of the cupboards the same. The biggest difference is I don't have a pantry here, but I do have additional cabinet space. And of course, some cabinets are bigger than their predecessors and others are smaller. So it's a bit like solving a puzzle. I finally got everything put away in its proper place ... and then discovered an entire lazy susan cabinet that was completely empty. So I'm sure there'll be some re-working in the future.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're just re-discovering all our forgotten toys and furniture!</td></tr>
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Moving helps you discover your vices. I learned that mine are dishes. I had thought I'd leave behind my blue and white china, milk glass vases, and blue glass. But we ran out of time (and room) to take things to our parents' for storage. So we brought them all along. And then they stayed in boxes for a few weeks until I could figure out what to do with them. Because this is what happens when you move out of a house with window sills, a mantel, and built-ins into a house with nothing.<br />
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Jon's vices are books and Coast Guard paraphernalia. I'm sure you're surprised. You'd think that books would be my problem. I put most of mine in storage and only brought the ones that I thought I'd want to read or reference over the next four years. Jon put a few of his in storage and then brought boxes and boxes of the rest. Apparently he's planning to do a lot of research on politics and the middle east while we're here. Hmmm.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That black and white blur in the top right corner is a bird. And this is not the first (or second) time we've had a bird in the house. Too many doors + too many children.</td></tr>
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And then there's all that nautical tchotchke we've collected over the last few years. You all know what happened to the model ships. And a number of other things got taken to Jon's work because (yay!) he actually has a real office now. He then went out to Target and bought two bookcases and that simultaneously provided book storage plus a shelf for glass. And also a cupboard for my office stuff--because I no longer have a desk area.<br />
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In fact, storage has been going so well that we actually have a few empty areas--like a cabinet in the office, drawers in the guest room, and baskets in the living room. Not that we need any more stuff, but it's nice to know we still have room to grow!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not pictured: me washing the car while she sat and watched.</td></tr>
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We pretty much got everything unpacked within a few days. And it only took another week or two to finish off the final boxes of all that stuff I just mentioned. The only thing left to do at this point is hang stuff on the wall. Normally we try to knock this out right away, but we've been faced with two challenges this month. First, Jon (the official wall-hanger/hammer-wielder) has been on two separate trips and hasn't had much time to help around the house. And second, these cement block walls. While I feel quite safe during hurricane season, I'm none too pleased that we can't just drive a nail into our walls. I'm a firm believer in finding a way around anything, so until we figure out that route, most of our walls remain blank and most of our guest room is just piles of wall art.<br />
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(And before you mention Command hooks, we do have some, and they "may" work. But I'm afraid to trust them with breakable items because we have textured walls + an insane amount of humidity.)<br />
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Other than the kitchen, I think the only room that is officially complete is the boys' room. And I haven't taken a picture of it yet because it's always a mess. Okay, not always. We make them clean it up, but it never stays that way long enough for me to take a photo.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Those Hawaii rain showers.</td></tr>
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Oh, and the patio. You guys, if a patio could gross you out it was this one. It smelled like a fish tank, because there was literally algae growing on the cement. And then there was all the hidden rusty staples that my girls' toes found our first week. Also, it isn't covered. An uncovered patio in rainy Hawaii isn't much fun. The rainstorms are usually quick, but then all your outdoor furniture is wet. But I am happy to says we have transformed the space completely, and it all started with a power washer. More pictures to come when the entire house is clean and I get the big camera out.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xsbGxMenxtw/V6Y0W5rACwI/AAAAAAAAQcs/80pagT3m2QQDscP-EjmzFXBFcr9zUEyMwCPcB/s1600/IMG_3595.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xsbGxMenxtw/V6Y0W5rACwI/AAAAAAAAQcs/80pagT3m2QQDscP-EjmzFXBFcr9zUEyMwCPcB/s640/IMG_3595.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sneak peak of patio improvements. Make me gag!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EFXI5v3hU1Y/V8snUbz3BJI/AAAAAAAAQqA/lkXYsRY1yjY6qxu-YCWZhXsXuakCS8SFQCPcB/s1600/IMG_3845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EFXI5v3hU1Y/V8snUbz3BJI/AAAAAAAAQqA/lkXYsRY1yjY6qxu-YCWZhXsXuakCS8SFQCPcB/s640/IMG_3845.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're trying our hand at gardening ... again.</td></tr>
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But enough about the house already. The moving truck arrival was the start of a new season for us ... and a busy one at that! Three days after move-in, we celebrated the Coast Guard's Birthday on base. Here's the thing you guys. Hawaii has some amazing beaches and weather and mountains and hikes and views. But you know what just might be my very favorite thing about this duty station? The people. Everyone we've met here is so kind and so generous. Community is very, very strong here in the Aloha State. For the first time ever, we actually have a lot of Coast Guard friends (and neighbors!) And lots of military friends in general. And we have school friends and MOPS friends and we're working on church friends... There is so much to do here and there are so many people to do it with--I think that's what makes Hawaii so special.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3Iz-nSM2Sk/V8snUYg1snI/AAAAAAAAQrU/-6NJr909JmAmklgQoUWn_d0mfhx4aZHLQCPcB/s1600/IMG_3675.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Z3Iz-nSM2Sk/V8snUYg1snI/AAAAAAAAQrU/-6NJr909JmAmklgQoUWn_d0mfhx4aZHLQCPcB/s640/IMG_3675.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rock climbing wall at the Coast Guard Base.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She made it like 3 feet.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nhnTumkAmvQ/V8snUQgXeoI/AAAAAAAAQqA/eqD6dDxj2HI7EGI0eIQGdZ_9mJs_J7pTACPcB/s1600/IMG_3683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nhnTumkAmvQ/V8snUQgXeoI/AAAAAAAAQqA/eqD6dDxj2HI7EGI0eIQGdZ_9mJs_J7pTACPcB/s640/IMG_3683.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A water slide that ended in a literal mud bath. This was their favorite activity, obvs.</td></tr>
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And speaking of things to do, our first weekend with our stuff was also our last weekend before school started. It was hard, but we purposely walked away from all the boxes and tasks to do something fun as a family. Our original plan was to hike the Pillboxes but it had just rained recently and after passing several people, covered in mud, suggesting we turn back ... we did just that. (Jon and the boys have since done the hike and I'm a tad envious of their experience!!)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a bad family trail. Uphill the entire time, but at least it was all paved!</td></tr>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TJ2yJxXrfh4/V8snUdLZCQI/AAAAAAAAQqA/q4MCpnOpBBQ8ObG8kk9_Qz-rH8hz-u0lQCPcB/s1600/IMG_3705.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TJ2yJxXrfh4/V8snUdLZCQI/AAAAAAAAQqA/q4MCpnOpBBQ8ObG8kk9_Qz-rH8hz-u0lQCPcB/s640/IMG_3705.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Instead we drove a little bit further down the coast to visit the Mokapu'u Lighthouse. It was an easy walk (although entirely uphill) and had gorgeous views. The kids did fairly well (Joci was on Jon's back and Julia ended up in my arms for 2/3s of the way back down.) And it afforded us a few good hours of family time.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4wwF4qwGbM/V8snUYynFFI/AAAAAAAAQqA/2hbqEo-TRyogAkP7Ir77ePuA8cFBpJlqgCPcB/s1600/IMG_3708.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Q4wwF4qwGbM/V8snUYynFFI/AAAAAAAAQqA/2hbqEo-TRyogAkP7Ir77ePuA8cFBpJlqgCPcB/s640/IMG_3708.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After climbing that tall mountain, the little lighthouse was a tad anti-climactic. </td></tr>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CUI-VciEVWk/V8snUaS-4nI/AAAAAAAAQqA/25VLa14LmaohrtP4izTG_fkRp1Y8YbyTQCPcB/s1600/IMG_3710.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CUI-VciEVWk/V8snUaS-4nI/AAAAAAAAQqA/25VLa14LmaohrtP4izTG_fkRp1Y8YbyTQCPcB/s640/IMG_3710.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P32T-Cse3xU/V8snUctrLfI/AAAAAAAAQqA/tGz2y0QAb60-frRuRf9RyxjQtIgrj0P2ACPcB/s1600/IMG_3713.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P32T-Cse3xU/V8snUctrLfI/AAAAAAAAQqA/tGz2y0QAb60-frRuRf9RyxjQtIgrj0P2ACPcB/s640/IMG_3713.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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Monday was a big day because it was the first day of school! Yes, we started on August 1st this year. It's a little strange, starting school in the middle of summer. But it's kinda summer all the time here. And I was very thankful this year to get started on our fall routine a little early after months of living in limbo.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XzuoFnbDPfI/V8snUbhNveI/AAAAAAAAQqA/FUW6sjOEyOUZ3rxitBDeZScFtmssAdKZQCPcB/s1600/IMG_3911.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XzuoFnbDPfI/V8snUbhNveI/AAAAAAAAQqA/FUW6sjOEyOUZ3rxitBDeZScFtmssAdKZQCPcB/s640/IMG_3911.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When I ask Jude for a picture, he stands very still and smiles for a photo.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cwy6aCUKaWM/V8snUVZdeBI/AAAAAAAAQqA/q3yV95kUPeUvub9dw77Ykt23SU38fpZUACPcB/s1600/IMG_3912.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Cwy6aCUKaWM/V8snUVZdeBI/AAAAAAAAQqA/q3yV95kUPeUvub9dw77Ykt23SU38fpZUACPcB/s640/IMG_3912.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When I ask Jack for a picture, he runs away.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OTn507y8ZW0/V8snUUo5frI/AAAAAAAAQqA/Og076vAO5HUREok2n5ex2nxJdOdyhgqnACPcB/s1600/IMG_3910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OTn507y8ZW0/V8snUUo5frI/AAAAAAAAQqA/Og076vAO5HUREok2n5ex2nxJdOdyhgqnACPcB/s640/IMG_3910.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And then I have to be all sneaky with the camera and this is the best I can get.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i0dZMvV1waU/V8snUZcY6wI/AAAAAAAAQqA/ogeCYyfUSCMDSp_DjOFYoHblbB30XvrGgCPcB/s1600/IMG_3913.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i0dZMvV1waU/V8snUZcY6wI/AAAAAAAAQqA/ogeCYyfUSCMDSp_DjOFYoHblbB30XvrGgCPcB/s640/IMG_3913.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't even ask Julia for a picture, she asks me. Girlfriend, it's not even your first day of school.</td></tr>
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<span style="text-align: start;">The boys LOVE school. Heck, I love this school. I mean, it's cute enough to be in a movie. And both boys are doing well so far! </span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ghP9rjoojMY/V9HY4wotwLI/AAAAAAAAQsI/xkYstYwdOsgAt1GBrJuvx069JS43QZR6wCPcB/s1600/IMG_4255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ghP9rjoojMY/V9HY4wotwLI/AAAAAAAAQsI/xkYstYwdOsgAt1GBrJuvx069JS43QZR6wCPcB/s640/IMG_4255.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There are rainbows over the school parking lot, the principal stands outside to greet the parents every morning, the 6th graders do the Whip/Nae Nae as they direct traffic, and unicorns play out back during recess. (Okay, so that last one may be a slight exaggeration.)</td></tr>
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Our biggest adjustment is homework, specially 2nd grade homework. Some evenings it seems like a lot. But maybe that's just because trying to tag team homework between two boys, during dinner prep and the witching hour, IS a lot. But it does get done. Because when everything is done and I sign off on Jack's agenda, he gets to "clip up." And Jack is all about the "clipping up" and earning gems and getting to pick out an extremely fragile piece of junk from the "treasure box."</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YVWreOSfdVQ/V8snUTd5KXI/AAAAAAAAQqA/wMeP_gBSqSwnSmJ0zJMiVOJOKwegB1VJQCPcB/s1600/IMG_3724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YVWreOSfdVQ/V8snUTd5KXI/AAAAAAAAQqA/wMeP_gBSqSwnSmJ0zJMiVOJOKwegB1VJQCPcB/s640/IMG_3724.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's not a cage, that's a gate to keep the unicorns in.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2acAvZMVIx8/V8snUWVIDGI/AAAAAAAAQqA/eeRAFuzyQXggGYKV2--MSKBYVo6DCYAAACPcB/s1600/IMG_3725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2acAvZMVIx8/V8snUWVIDGI/AAAAAAAAQqA/eeRAFuzyQXggGYKV2--MSKBYVo6DCYAAACPcB/s640/IMG_3725.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here's a picture of Jack [not allowing me to take a picture] standing by his desk!</td></tr>
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Unfortunately, during our second week of school "island fever" hit the family. I just made that name up. But there's something not entirely right about being sick, in August, while living in paradise. Or missing school the second week, for that matter. And as illness usually works in our family, the children fell like dominoes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JGWl5Qwm0iU/V8snUeqESKI/AAAAAAAAQqA/Yv8cU_4grCMJ1D-oQ6WjeweGAwSmseVvQCPcB/s1600/IMG_3783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JGWl5Qwm0iU/V8snUeqESKI/AAAAAAAAQqA/Yv8cU_4grCMJ1D-oQ6WjeweGAwSmseVvQCPcB/s640/IMG_3783.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just enough energy to shuffle Legos around on the couch.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4oqfH6G4fik/V8snUT9C-II/AAAAAAAAQqA/vUiq-yb9u4wkW_NJdFDAPMftD08mGC8PwCPcB/s1600/IMG_3799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4oqfH6G4fik/V8snUT9C-II/AAAAAAAAQqA/vUiq-yb9u4wkW_NJdFDAPMftD08mGC8PwCPcB/s640/IMG_3799.JPG" width="610" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A week after recovery from that pretty terrible stomach flu, she got hit with a new kinda flu.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6AEenaQyvzE/V8snUT8Fr-I/AAAAAAAAQqA/N4Kzcr2pFy4HEFNLshmgqpD8uiGrhDw6gCPcB/s1600/IMG_3763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6AEenaQyvzE/V8snUT8Fr-I/AAAAAAAAQqA/N4Kzcr2pFy4HEFNLshmgqpD8uiGrhDw6gCPcB/s640/IMG_3763.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Medical staff love when I walk into their offices with all my children.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ga1_kwHz0mo/V8snUX8A9nI/AAAAAAAAQqA/wLf3luIffaoHyRQ9Tr_ytIbtvc9fkhy8QCPcB/s1600/IMG_3764.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ga1_kwHz0mo/V8snUX8A9nI/AAAAAAAAQqA/wLf3luIffaoHyRQ9Tr_ytIbtvc9fkhy8QCPcB/s640/IMG_3764.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We stumbled upon a free carnival after leaving the doctor's office and suddenly everyone forgot they were supposed to be sick!</td></tr>
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Because what appeared to be a 48 hour fever for each kid, ended up being nearly two weeks of "being down" as a family. I'd say it was annoying because we couldn't really do anything or go anywhere. But I still didn't have my car at this point. So we weren't do things and going places anyway.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CvoE7fROgbQ/V8snUQxSBUI/AAAAAAAAQqA/GqTINzWG3KU6e04qotUwaqlQY96Y1pvzQCPcB/s1600/IMG_3813.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CvoE7fROgbQ/V8snUQxSBUI/AAAAAAAAQqA/GqTINzWG3KU6e04qotUwaqlQY96Y1pvzQCPcB/s640/IMG_3813.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grocery run sans vehicle. We have to save money on gas so we can afford $7 boxes of cereal.</td></tr>
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In fact, it all felt very appropriate. We were officially settling in now. We had all our stuff. We all built up our immunity at once. And our minivan was supposedly making it's way west FOR REAL THIS TIME. Yes, it's all starting to feel a bit more like home.<br />
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J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-76447091932068211922016-08-20T02:51:00.000-04:002016-08-20T02:51:23.868-04:00We put the "stay" in staycation<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We ended up "hamping out" for 25 days. It actually went better than I originally thought, but was still very challenging. Even more of a predicament than living in an empty house, was living without a second vehicle. We're still not exactly sure what happened, but apparently the company we used to ship our minivan out to the island held onto it for a month before sending it to California. So what should have only been a 29 day process, has now turned into two months and counting. </div>
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But for that first weekend, while Jon was off of work, we were able to settle into our new town and start exploring all this side of the island has to offer!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boys have picked up boogie boarding like they picked up bike riding!</td></tr>
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We moved into our house on July 1, the start of the 3-day holiday weekend. So naturally, we were excited to be out of the city in time to celebrate the birth of our nation in small-town style.</div>
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We weren't quite sure what to expect, especially when considering this was our first Independence Day NOT in one of the 13 original colonies. But for the most part, it reminded us of 4th of July parades back in Pennsylvania and Maryland. The biggest differences were that instead of waving, the Hawaiians do the shaka. And although we got some candy, we also got a LOT of seasoned dried seaweed. And no one in the J Crew was a fan.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The tree house at our friends air bnb place!</td></tr>
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But then the holiday ended, Jon went back to work, and I was stuck in an empty house with 4 kids, no car, and days upon days on end. It was a little bit of a "thorn in the flesh" type of experience.<br />
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For the most part, the kids did quite well. I'm amazed at how much fun we were able to squeeze into those small carry-on backpacks ... and how long the fun lasted! It was also a good opportunity to get creative with building habitats for tiny plastic sea animals and army men.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Food Trucks are a big thing around here--they've even influenced Jack's Lego building!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Why yes I packed hillbilly teeth in the kids' carry-ons.</td></tr>
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Having the bikes around was a huge blessing as well! And we were able to dig up enough things around the house to build bike ramps and create obstacle courses.<br />
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We certainly had our share of behavior issues, but I'm still trying to decide if it was the stress of moving or just the shift of having all four of my kids home all day for summer break. Either way, we've had some long, tough days. And it wasn't just the kids. I had a difficult time adjusting as well.<br />
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But I also learned a lot about myself during these past two months. For instance, I had become entirely too dependent on Target runs and Chick-Fil-A stops. Or maybe just the whole idea of "getting out of the house" in general. I'd gotten really sloppy with planning and errands, because it was just too easy to "run out" and grab something when I needed to. But even more than that, when the kids were driving me crazy and I couldn't get away, at least I could get everyone away. I could meander the kids down the Target Lego aisle while sipping my Starbucks. I could let them run loose at the Farm Park while I allowed myself to complete a thought or two on the bench. I could give myself a day off of dinner and dishes if we hit up CFA (because they're just soooo nice there, it has to make up for the unhealthy aspect!!)<br />
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And suddenly I don't have that anymore and all that's left is just me--this mess of a mom who desperately needs Jesus each and every day because I.just.can't on my own. And so when people asked me how we were doing, I'd just say it's hard but good. Hard, because I realized there were too many things in my life ("good, but limited things," as our pastor here would say) that I'd allowed to become anchors. And good, because it showed me that hope in Jesus is the only anchor I need. And so while I'm thankful to have had this wonderful experience of "hamping." I won't be sad to see it end!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is our new church. We talk about anchors a lot because, well, that's it's name.</td></tr>
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One particular frustration for me to deal with was living so close to so much, and not being able to enjoy it. Once Jon started his new job he immediately jumped into working long hours and getting into a good working groove. Most days, he's up at 5am to hit the gym before work. And then not leaving the city until well after 6:00--getting home in just enough time to kiss the kids goodnight. So we not only had to adjust to not having a vehicle for the majority of the day, but also not having a second adult around.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We made up lots of fun with whatever we could find!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My birthday gift--a hammock chair for reading and all around not-being-disturbed! It hasn't worked yet.</td></tr>
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One day I was sitting at breakfast, literally watching my tan fade away, and decided that was it. We weren't going to spend another minute circling bikes in the driveway when the beach was so close you could almost hear it. (Okay, not quite that close.) I mapped it and, according to my phone, the closest beach access was .6 miles away, or a 20 minute walk. Except I forgot to tell my phone that the walking would be done by 4 kids ages 7 and under. But hey, even if we doubled that time (and we sure did!) we at least would be relaxing by the ocean.<br />
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So we set out on an adventure and started out strong--so strong! Everybody had a backpack to carry our lunches, towels, and beach toys. Of course, the boys insisted on bringing boogie boards, despite my protests. And both discovered their hands could no longer carry them about halfway there. And then Joci's legs just stopped working, like they usually do when things get too tough.<br />
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But then we arrived and it was just beautiful! And so empty. We practically had the beach to ourselves! And then the first child started screaming. Because apparently, when it's especially windy (like it had been the first two weeks we lived in our house) the Man 'o Wars come in. I didn't even know what these things were. We're used to jellyfish in the Atlantic. But these guys are little and dark and I don't even know how you'd see them in the water. Obviously. Because throughout the course of our beach day, 3 out of 4 of my kids got stung both in the water and on the beach. Jude actually still had one attached to his leg when he ran up to me and I had to pry it off. So fun!!<br />
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So note to self, when our stuff finally arrives and I have an actual beach bag, keep some vinegar in it for the Man 'o Wars. Hawaii has a learning curve.<br />
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One of the tricks with having so many kids is remembering to take care of yourself. I know "self care" is a big buzzword these days and usually involves lots of chatter about mommy pedicures and overnight hotel retreats. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about making sure each and every one of your children is fed ... and then realizing 3 hours later that you never fed yourself. Or, as in this case, lovingly applying sunscreen on all your offspring, only to arrive at the beach and discover you forgot to bring some for yourself. You know, basic mommy survival skills.<br />
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So we spent the whole day at the beach until everyone agreed they were ready to go, and then began the long trek back. The long trek made even longer but four small and tired children. Joci's legs stopped working before we even made it to the beach path. So I ended up carrying my toddler, the boogie boards, and the beach bag over my sunburnt shoulders the entire .6-but-felt-like-no-point-6 miles back. We made it. But let's just say mama has not attempted to walk to the beach with the kids since.<br />
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Another challenge I wasn't anticipating is that during these first few weeks of settling in (actually, make that months now) we spend so much time working on house projects and running errands for stuff we need, that we have no time for exploring the island. Everyone keeps reminding me that we have four years to get to know Hawaii better. But it's just a tad disheartening to know that most people accomplish more in their one week of vacation than we have in our nearly-2-months of living here.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lanikai Beach with the Mokulua Islands in the background. Everyone tells me we have to watch the full moon rise between the Mokes, so it's now on the Hawaii bucket list!</td></tr>
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So we've made it a point to put down the housework, step away from the tools, or put off the laundry a few hours longer and do something fun as a family on Sundays.<br />
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Rain or shine (or even super-windy before a tropical storm) we've been at the beach at least every weekend!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bellows Beach--the other side of the Mokes!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They call this "the pool." It's funny how much they appreciate dirty back-water simply because they can stand in it and there are no waves.</td></tr>
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After about 3 weeks of hamping, one of Jon's co-workers loaned us his third vehicle. It didn't have AC or carseats, and we couldn't drive it on base, but at least we had it around when we were in a pinch. I was excited to finally have the freedom to explore more and get out of the house with the kids. And then "Paradise Fever" hit the family. And we were right back to being stuck in the house.<br />
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But first, I need to go back. It was our little Jocelyn's third birthday on July 21st and I kinda forgot. Or not so much forgot, but just did not realize, it was coming up. When you live without a calendar and you have no commitments because you have no car, time just sorta runs together. So I kept telling myself I had time, because her birthday was at the end of the month. And the next thing I know, it's her birthday week and I have NOTHING planned. And no Marmie to bake a cake to bail us out.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You guys, she's such a fiery little thing and I hate that she just keeps growing up!</td></tr>
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I have no idea how or why, but she suddenly went from requesting a "Paw Patrol AND Frozen" cake for the last 4 months to simply wanting a "Hawaii flower," Yaaas! I can do that. So the Fantastic Four and I walked to the grocery store and spent a small fortune on birthday cake supplies. And in case you think I'm exaggerating about the local grocery store (me, exaggerate??), I snapped this picture of proof of the "Everyday!" low price on Life cereal.<br />
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So in going along with the our summer theme of "work with what you have," I made a flower birthday cake using a glass casserole dish and red serving platter, both on loan from our friend Cara. Only the best for our Omega Baby!<br />
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I actually had a whole list of birthday gift ideas on Amazon, but since I forgot about her birthday until a few days before, there wasn't time to order. So I made a late night trip to Target 15 minutes before they closed and grabbed a few junky toys off the clearance rack. I hated spending money on toys knowing that it wouldn't be long 'til she'd be reunited with all her fun stuff again. But the poor girl just HAD to open SOMETHING!<br />
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To make it up to her, we announced that we'd be taking the whole family to Sea Life Park for our fun experience that weekend. Cheers all around! Joci had requested to swim with the dolphins for her special treat, but after checking out the prices, we had to gently break the news that she just wasn't that special. It didn't really matter much anyway because by the time we pulled into the park, she was getting super-duper whiny.<br />
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She kept crying about being hungry. So we bought her a very cute and very expensive lunch and she refused to touch it. By now, I was getting annoyed. And when she practically ruined the dolphin show for me with all her moaning and fussing, I was kinda over it.<br />
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We made it through the rest of the park. And at least the other 75% of our kids seemed to have a fun time.<br />
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But after spending the final hour holding a screaming, crying baby, we decided it was time to head home. So we started walking towards the exit ... and that's when she threw-up on me. And not just ON me. Like, after it happened, I thought, "Phew, that's not so bad." And then I looked down into my shirt. Oh, there it is. Puddling in my bra. Try cleaning that out in a public restroom. We scratched our plans to visit a lighthouse and drove straight home.<br />
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And since this was hamping in a totally non-glamorous way, we used beach buckets for barfing and beach towels to ward off chills. Poor thing didn't even have a couch to sit on, so I ended up moving my air mattress out to the living room so I could keep an eye on her. And then this went on for days.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She wanted to help me label all the school supplies.</td></tr>
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I thought this was just some 24-hour stomach bug. Oh no. By the fourth day, she had hardly eaten a thing, had kept down nothing, and hadn't urinated since early that morning. By the time I called the clinic they were closed. So they referred us to the Army hospital ER. But we had to wait until Jon got home since he had the car. (Also, he's our designated ER attendee.)<br />
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It was after 6pm by the time they left and after midnight by the time they returned. But thankfully they let her come home, because apparently they had discussed keeping her overnight. She was so dehydrated they had a lot of difficulty accessing her vein, which I'm sure was a traumatic event. And then they filled her up with two bags of IV fluids.<br />
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Of course, if you ask Joci about all this, she'll just tell you about "my pink hospital" (yes, the Army hospital is actually pink) and "my purple popsicle." And now all the kids are jealous and looking for an excuse to visit the "pink hospital" themselves.<br />
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My now 3YO baby slept with me that night. We cuddled up together on the single air mattress, and it didn't even matter. Because I knew that it was our last night on the air mattress. Assuming all went as planned, Tuesday was the day our household goods were arriving. My little girl was on the mend, my husband was about to have an actual day off of work, and in less than 24 hours, I'd be sleeping in my very own bed for the first time in 43 days--hooray!J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-46307512825262213082016-08-06T15:46:00.006-04:002016-08-06T15:46:56.046-04:00Hamping it upUsually, when you live in your home without any of your household goods, you say you're "camping out." But that's not really accurate, since the word "camping" doesn't usually conjure up working bathrooms and stove/ovens... or several rooms. But it's not "glamping" either, because personally, there's nothing glamorous about air mattresses and sleeping bags (especially in July in Hawaii.) So I think we need to go a bit further and create our own word to describe our experience these past four weeks--hamping. House camping.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dy2I_uW_aCU/V6YmYMCvCgI/AAAAAAAAQYA/ey20HUGFryEIgaVIm7iaRvSHgD61JENUACPcB/s1600/DSC_3625.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Dy2I_uW_aCU/V6YmYMCvCgI/AAAAAAAAQYA/ey20HUGFryEIgaVIm7iaRvSHgD61JENUACPcB/s640/DSC_3625.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting good habits of riding bikes in the house.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't even ask me how many times a day I have to say "Stop hanging on the counter!"</td></tr>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XaGM99ukXRY/V6YmYLaQvUI/AAAAAAAAQYA/ceYUUKIfcZIqyUkq1B_xw1hC2k1zpV4kQCPcB/s1600/DSC_3635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-XaGM99ukXRY/V6YmYLaQvUI/AAAAAAAAQYA/ceYUUKIfcZIqyUkq1B_xw1hC2k1zpV4kQCPcB/s640/DSC_3635.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The one part of our new house that's "bigger"--the kitchen!</td></tr>
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It goes without saying that there are many aspects of this move that I'd wish we'd done differently. Or rather, that I now know better for when we move out of Hawaii.<br />
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Remember that Advanced Shipment we sent out before Memorial Day in Maryland? Well that arrived on-island safe and sound and was delivered on Friday, July 1. Eight days after we had arrived and the timing was perfect. If we hadn't had that shipment, I'm not sure I could have pulled this off. When we were deciding what to send ahead back in May, we had no idea we'd be moving into our house early. Otherwise I would've packed very differently.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dining room.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Den.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Girls' room.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Girls' closet. Overtime I open this I see the scene from "Pride and Prejudice": "Shelves in the closet, happy thought, indeed."</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Boys' room. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qxwx0X8pI0k/V6YmYMSktJI/AAAAAAAAQYA/esz4XWLhRN0zj-G_BvAbmBu7fJxMdgNHQCPcB/s1600/DSC_3653.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qxwx0X8pI0k/V6YmYMSktJI/AAAAAAAAQYA/esz4XWLhRN0zj-G_BvAbmBu7fJxMdgNHQCPcB/s640/DSC_3653.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not as many shelves in this closet, because apparently, it's meant to be actually used for hanging clothes.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--x0JTVA9aRg/V6YmYCOrVaI/AAAAAAAAQYA/O5ZbBLnNTWIMAH5_48Ao9JmnjhnIruDCgCPcB/s1600/DSC_3657.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/--x0JTVA9aRg/V6YmYCOrVaI/AAAAAAAAQYA/O5ZbBLnNTWIMAH5_48Ao9JmnjhnIruDCgCPcB/s640/DSC_3657.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Master Bedroom. This room is SMALL and it's also the hottest. Which is sad, because the master bedroom should not be the saddest room in the house.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MkcytvRYr_A/V6YmYCGGtUI/AAAAAAAAQYA/TYaPFZQQ5MEjWjKCxX_J7t6jyUpIyo0iACPcB/s1600/DSC_3659.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MkcytvRYr_A/V6YmYCGGtUI/AAAAAAAAQYA/TYaPFZQQ5MEjWjKCxX_J7t6jyUpIyo0iACPcB/s640/DSC_3659.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Every day I look at this sink/cupboard combination and try and figure it out. And every day I just don't get it. Why not use a sink that is also a vanity? The world may never know.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Main bath. What you can't see is that there are no exhaust fans in these bathrooms. My boys think this is hilarious and like to lock their sisters in the bathroom when they are particularly "stinky."</td></tr>
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But we did decide to send all our camping stuff, just in case we got tired of living in a hotel and wanted to get out in nature for a little while. I didn't actually go through our camping supplies--we just set the bins out to be packed up. But for the most part, it was enough to get by. We had one pot, one skillet, one kettle, plastic plates/bowls/cups/flatware, and cutting board. We also had our camping grill and my Blendtec blender.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iq00xItN4bo/V6YmYATmTBI/AAAAAAAAQYA/9Liy1VL5yDk6MUOJKutxGjKb31l7mtKHgCPcB/s1600/DSC_3640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iq00xItN4bo/V6YmYATmTBI/AAAAAAAAQYA/9Liy1VL5yDk6MUOJKutxGjKb31l7mtKHgCPcB/s640/DSC_3640.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is our camping awning that we're using temporarily.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our yard is a pretty decent size for living in town in Hawaii!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gGBfbTL-Pc4/V6YmYMWOxbI/AAAAAAAAQYA/MDdmI6uncGgqxDbt-gK7fRJZI5iOMWkWwCPcB/s1600/DSC_3645.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gGBfbTL-Pc4/V6YmYMWOxbI/AAAAAAAAQYA/MDdmI6uncGgqxDbt-gK7fRJZI5iOMWkWwCPcB/s640/DSC_3645.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And we have a 2-car garage, which can be hard to find here!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You guys, I am trying to get into this whole "no shoes in the house thing." I know it's better. But now I just have a house full of muddy footprints.</td></tr>
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For sleeping, everyone had a sleeping bag. Unfortunately, due to some mishaps, we were down to only one air mattress. And then we had three camping chairs. We had thrown in a folding table and chairs and our new patio table set that we had just purchased from Ikea (and kept flat-packed in the box.) Originally, we were going to send our beach stuff ahead but since the shipment was going out right before our east coast beach trip, we decided to keep it back. But we did send our bikes--and having those for the kids was pretty much a game changer!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zYXL1aWXrN8/V6YmYLlaXAI/AAAAAAAAQYA/BYXDh0gaDHURqBy6-0Ieex-Nr1UM7X6BACPcB/s1600/IMG_2971.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zYXL1aWXrN8/V6YmYLlaXAI/AAAAAAAAQYA/BYXDh0gaDHURqBy6-0Ieex-Nr1UM7X6BACPcB/s640/IMG_2971.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This child. I just can't.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We went from barely making it out of the driveway to riding loops around the neighborhood without training wheels in about 3 days!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My biggest kid.</td></tr>
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So despite having some essentials, we still had to make several pricey Target runs. Pillows, for instance. They're not expensive. But when you multiply each pillow by 7 (because a certain family member requires two), it's a bit more than I'd rather spend on something we wouldn't even need in a few weeks. We also got each person a new beach towel and that was to be used for both recreational and essential drying needs. A cheap knife, some measuring cups and spoons, a mixing bowl and spatula...</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how we brewed our coffee each morning. It tasted so good but took so much longer!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">6 towels!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is how I ironed--folding table, towel, and an iron we bought for Jon to use at work.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And this is how I cook bacon without a stove exhaust. I mean, it's Hawaii. Why would you not want a stove exhaust? The world may never know.</td></tr>
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In short, it was enough to "get by," but not exactly easy-living. Thankfully, because Hawaii is truly a "small world," the sister of a friend I went to college with (and who married on of Jon's best friends from high school) is also living here and she not only dropped by to say hello and introduce herself, but also came with a box full of kitchen things, extra towels, and sheets. I gotta say, more than anything, I was most excited about the sheets. Sleeping bags are not my jam. Ew.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We're still adjusting to geckos in the house. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And cockroaches everywhere. I think it may take the full 4 years to adjust actually.</td></tr>
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The first few days of "hamping" went fairly well. The kids had lots of new things to keep them occupied. We're not used to this whole 2-car garage + large/flat driveway deal, so our new MO became wake up, open the garage, and ride bikes around for a few hours. I had to go out and by some new pajamas just so I could be dressed appropriately for sipping coffee and watching kids on the front stoop by 7am. Speaking of the front stoop--we quickly realized we needed some comfortable seating for the many hours we would be spending out there. I had my heart set on rocking chairs. We've never had a front porch before and although this doesn't quite fit the bill, this small bit of Pennsylvania farm charm warms my heart!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I always thought the best set-up was a window over the kitchen sink facing the backyard. But a kitchen window overlooking the driveway seems to work much better here!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It rains here pretty much every day.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Making a animal habitat out of packing material.</td></tr>
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As is typical, everything seems to go wrong when you move into a house. Even though our lease started in mid-June, we had told our landlords that we weren't moving in until July. So they didn't quite have everything ready. That was okay. But within our first few days we noticed that the fridge was leaking, and that it had been leaking for a long time, and that the wood side panels around the fridge were now covered in mold. *shudder* Mold is kinda a given here in hot, humid Hawaii. But I'm still new. So I'm just gonna go ahead and let myself be grossed out.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More fun with packing materials!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a Coast Guard helicopter! We're not used to living so close to Coast Guard action--it's pretty fun!</td></tr>
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The leak was caused by the water hose and we had to turn off the water to the fridge (and the new replacement fridge does not have a water hose) so now we no longer have a filtered water dispenser or automatic ice maker. Which makes me a little sad. Because it's hot, humid Hawaii and mama likes her ice. But after making our own for the past several weeks and filtering our own water, I can say it's not really so bad and I'm no longer worried about losing hours of my time each week to making ice and filtering water. Just call me an overcomer.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">First real meal in our house--Mango Chicken Salads. They were sooo good, but even better after weeks and weeks of not cooking!</td></tr>
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Speaking of overcoming. Let's talk about air conditioning. Houses in Hawaii, especially older ones and ones on this side of the island, generally don't have AC. First, electricity is much more expensive here. And second, when it's breezy it's actually quite pleasant. It's just the days that it is not breezy that are borderline unbearable.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">FaceTiming with our favorite Spicy Family! Gosh we miss our BFFs!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can just imagine how smoothly FaceTiming with 8 kids goes...</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">After weeks of sitting on folding chairs, we were all just dying to relax on a couch!</td></tr>
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Personally, I'm a huge fan of this set-up (at least for most of the time.) I love breezes and keeping windows open and not being shut up in some artificial box of artificially chilled air. It's nice, because I can hear my kids everywhere--outside or inside. Although I can also hear my neighbors, and what music they're listening to or what movie they're watching (and smell what they're having for dinner!) And when you consider our spicy family, I'm sure they're hearing a lot more of us.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When you really like the taste of your sister's My Little Pony toothpaste but don't like the picture on the front--duct tape!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The neighbors dog keeps coming over. I have no idea why.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is our neighbor. She's really attached to her dog.</td></tr>
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But like I said, there have been some unbearably hot days. So our first major purchase was a portable AC unit for our room. Sorry kids, you'll just have to deal. Our landlords decided to upgrade the one AC window unit in the main part of the house. And they paid big bucks to have a professional install it and professionally build out one of these ancient louvered windows. It wasn't until it was all said and done that we all realized the unit's plug was not compatible with the nearest outlet.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing [I have no idea] with whatever we can find in the house!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This girl, she's got a pose for everything these days.</td></tr>
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And so then we had to have an electrician come in and build a new outlet closer to the unit. But thankfully, we now have this shiny, new AC unit that I'm scared to death to use because I have no idea what it will do to our power bill!<br />
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Ah yes, power. In order to save on electricity, many houses here use solar panels. They're expensive and the waitlist can be several years long. So often people will just get them for their water. Which is what we have. But since the landlord's weren't ready for us, the solar panels weren't flushed/turned on/whatever it is that needs done. And since we're living on "Hawaii time" now, it was at least two weeks before the solar panel tech guy could finally find time to make it out to our house. So for our first two weeks, we didn't have hot water.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She begged for a tubby our first day here... and then drew all over the walls. Making ourselves right at home!</td></tr>
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Well, sorta. There is a way to override the solar and heat water with electric (for overcast days), but it takes about 30 minutes to heat up. And then it automatically shuts off after a few hours. Let's just say, as a mother of four, I don't exactly schedule my showers, laundry, or dishes 30 minutes ahead of time. Or I will, and then something will come up, and by the time I get around to it, the water is back to being cold. It was an experience to be sure. But it's been so hot that cold showers weren't really a problem anyway!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing with the hose ... While it's raining.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We love sitting out here ... when it's not raining.</td></tr>
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And then there are the typical adjustments with moving into a new house. Jon and I hardly slept a wink that first night. Between trying to sleeping with the windows and doors wide open in a neighborhood that is completely unfamiliar ... and trying to identify all the weird sounds and new lights, it was hard to relax. Also, the curtains that came with our house are rather, er, questionable. Some are mildewy, others are ripped, and all are stained. Most don't even fit the windows, but since you want the breeze to flow through, you don't really close the curtains anyway. So while it gets dark a little earlier here (before 8pm), the sun is up before 6am ... and therefore, so are my kids.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Front porch views.</td></tr>
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It's hard not to move into a hew house and just see all the things that need done. We need new curtain rods in all the rooms, new curtains, shelves here, shelves there, the patio needs power-washed and refinished, the laundry room would look so much better if the floor was painted. The can lights needs spray painted. The closet doors need painted. The back patio needs some sort of shade. We need plants! Can we build our own Bermuda shutters for the front windows? Replace all the shower heads! Replace all the fans! Build more shelves for the closets!<br />
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I'll just stop there. Because there's this tension between, this isn't our house and we don't want to dump too much money into something that will give us no return and, we have to live here for the next four years, let's try to make this as comfortable as possible!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No TV for 6 months! So we watched movies on the laptop.</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We've been on a quest for the perfect after-church brunch restaurant. TripAdvisor led us to this interesting establishment. Let's just say, I don't think they have building codes in Hawaii. </td></tr>
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So yes, this has been our earliest experiences in our house. We spend most of our free time doing projects and then forcing ourselves to take a break and do something Hawaii-esque--gotta take advantage of living here somehow! But those first few weeks of camping weren't all about the house. There were children involved too. And next time, I'll tell you all about entertaining children in an empty house with no car. Until then!J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-29629001877407151562016-07-30T02:13:00.000-04:002016-07-30T02:13:19.376-04:00Who, what, where, when, Waikiki<i>Picking up where we left off previously...</i><br />
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Saturday was the day we got to see our house for the first time!! Naturally, the drive there was beautiful and I was staring out the window the entire time. But when we came through the tunnel and around the bend on the other side of the mountain--catching our first glimpse of Kailua--I knew no matter what, we had made the right choice. For our family, there's just something about this part of the island that "feels" right to me!<br />
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I won't say much about the house, since I'm saving all that for its own post. But I will say that I had prepared myself for the worst, and was pleasantly surprised to find it wasn't as bad as I was expecting. Living in Hawaii is going to be an adjustment--it already is an adjustment. But I think we're going to be just fine.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He was too excited about his Aloha shirt, er, outfit!<br /><div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">After touring the house and meeting our landlord, there wasn't much else to do there. So we threw a load of laundry into the washer and set off to check out Kailua. We had dinner at what is now one of our new favorite restaurants and then spent some quality time at Target picking up a few things to keep the kids occupied in our empty nest. Like, a skateboard. Because, Hawaii.</span></span></td></tr>
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We tried to head back to Waikiki at a decent hour, but since there was still a little lingering east coastness in our blood, the kids once again started falling asleep in the car sometime after 6:00. And once again, we had to usher 4 sleeping/crying children into our resort--past the kidless couples rocking on the veranda, past no less than 4 brides (I don't know if they just come here for photos or what, but seriously, Bride Central, people!), past the honeymooners heading out for a quiet dinner... If only I had a shirt to wear that said "This is not our vacation." Instead, I'm sure the family with the 4 [constantly] crying kids was quite the hotel mystery.<br />
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We were up bright and early again on Sunday and figured, since we've got all this time before us, let's check out church! Actually, not going to lie here. But after being in such close proximity to my kids (like never being more than a few inches from them even in my sleep) for going on 4 days, I was desperate for a break! We had two different churches that we had checked out online and decided to visit the largest one first.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the view from the church parking lot... not bad!</td></tr>
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And this is the part where I thank the Lord I have such outgoing kids (even though it is utterly exhausting at other times.) Not one of my offspring balked at walking into a room full of kid-strangers and hanging out there for 2 hours. Nobody even looked back. (Maybe they were as desperate for a break from me as I was from them?) I mean, I STILL remember being PETRIFIED visiting new churches whenever we traveled as a kid. Just thinking about it even now gives me a chill.<br />
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But they went willingly and when we came back to pick them up everybody had such glowing reports to give about "the new church." Even Jack loved it. And Jack did not love our previous church. When you ask him why, he says it's because this one gives you snacks. So there you have it folks. The way to a boy's heart, is through his stomach.<br />
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Jon and I enjoyed it as well. We've been back several times since our first visit, so I think this may be the one. Although everyone knows, plugging in to a new church is about so much more than just showing up on Sundays. But I'm sure we'll get there eventually!<br />
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Afterwards, we visited the Marine Base nearby for lunch and a little shopping at the Exchange. Then we drove around and explored a few options for the beach and other fun, as well as the fancy housing here--since we're working very hard to convince some of our Marine friends that they need to move here next year!<br />
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The base was pretty impressive. I love the Coast Guard, but since we're such a small service, we don't have much to offer. So I'm very happy to bum off our Marine neighbors for the next four years!<br />
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In an effort to be healthy and to deter from "all this eating out", we decided to grab dinner at Whole Foods. That's right, Kailua has a Target and a Whole Foods. We are living large, people! (Except without Chick-Fil-A.)<br />
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As I'm sure you can guess by now, we didn't hit the road until after 6:00 and our kids didn't make it over the mountains without falling asleep. But we were slowly coming out of our EST funk and settling into Hawaii time.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"McGee and Me" --we can watch online through RightNow Media!</td></tr>
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Jon started officially working full-time on Monday which meant the kids and I were on our own for the next week. Our days were pretty much the same: we'd wake up, chill out for a little, then get ready for the pool and beach (which took a good hour considering how much effort is involved in getting 4 kids dressed, lathered in sun lotion, and loaded down with water toys.)<br />
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It sounds lovely--hanging out by the pool all day gettin' our tan on. Except it's not like that at all. One downfall to staying in a fancy schmancy resort is that everyone around you is there on vacation. And most people didn't bring their kids. There were a few who did, and my kids would instantly befriend them. But typically they were gone by the next day or two.<br />
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For the most part, our fellow resort guests were composed of older couples visiting from Australia and younger couples visiting from Japan. And while I would say our hotel was very family-friendly, it was clear that is not an aspect most of the visitors were there for. And so my time poolside was divided between keeping four children alive and keeping four children from disturbing our fellow guests. "Don't splash. Don't jump. No cannonballs. Watch where you're going." ... you get the idea.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When the only person around to help put sun lotion on your back is a toddler ...</td></tr>
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I only talked to three different people during our entire stay: (1) a lady relaxing next to me, reading a book, who mentioned that she also had 4 kids--but had left them behind. Naturally, I felt terrible that she was seated next to us at the pool. (2) an elderly Australian gentlemen that would greet us every morning on his way to aquacise. Our final day there, he asked if I was the babysitter. Oh no, they're all mine. I do this for free! (3) an Australian lady that was there with her entire family, including teenage kids. I actually had the opportunity to tell her why we were really there. She was so kind and compassionate. And it was during this conversation, the first I had all week, that THE INCIDENT happened.<br />
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I'll mention here that my kids are not swimmers. We haven't had much experience with pools in their short lifetime. Naturally, they're picking things up super quick now that we've spent the majority of our summer vacation near water. But still, the skills aren't there. Jack and Jude had quickly made friends with this one other boy that they called TaiTai (or something along those lines, I'm not sure they heard his name correctly.)<br />
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Apparently, Jack and TaiTai were having a jumping competition. I was rotating my vision amongst my four little waterlings and when I last glanced at him, he was hanging out and laughing by the edge of the pool. At some point between then and me checking on my other three kids, Jack decided to follow TaiTai into the pool and jumped straight into the deep end. I never saw it happen, but within seconds this timid little boy walked up to me and said, quietly, "um, I think your son needs help." I looked up and could see Jack flailing his arms in the deep end gargling, "help, help!" Thankfully, one of the pool attendants saw him about the same time I did and jumped in to rescue him. Jack ended up being fine, just a little shaken. He laid down on the lounge chair and fell asleep within a few minutes (and stayed that way for the next 2 hours.)<br />
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I, on the other hand, was a little more rattled. I resorted to my "new mother" tactics of checking on my sleeping child every 5 minutes to make sure he was still breathing, chastised myself for ever thinking it was okay to start visiting with a fellow hotel guest, and never relaxed poolside again.<br />
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Thankfully Jack made a full recovery. And although he wasn't very interested in the pool for the rest of that day, he was right back at it the following day, albeit staying far away from where toes can't touch.<br />
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Other poolside fun included taking the girls to the bathroom approximately every 10 minutes (and thus making very stern threats to the boys to STAY OUT OF THE WATER while I'm gone,) rescuing Joci when she fell into the water next to me, and forking out $40-some dollars each day for a "mid-morning snack" at the Tiki Bar.<br />
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In case you're wondering why we didn't spend more time at the beach, we did make a few attempts. But the waves were a little rough--Jude had a scary "going under" experience that made him a bit skittish the rest of the week. And the beach was so crowded, I didn't feel comfortable leaving the girls behind to be in the waves with the boys. Then there was the big boats that kept rolling in right next to us. And the fact that there was no potty nearby... So after two visits to the beach, we decided to save that experience for the evenings when Daddy was home.<br />
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Our days took on a new rhythm of waking up, eating breakfast in the hotel room (either instant oatmeal cups or yogurt + granola), getting ready for the pool, hanging out there as long as we could stand it, returning to the room to shut the curtains and turn off the lights for "mandatory quiet time" and a movie from VidAngel, and then counting down the hours until Daddy got home.<br />
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Every evening we had to go out to eat. I say "had" because eating out gets very old, very fast with 4 kids. Especially in Waikiki. We did visit a grocery store in a very "interesting" part of town one evening and got enough hotel-friendly food to last about 2 days, but those prices were shockingly high as well. Apparently there's a fabulous restaurant with a world-famous chef at our resort, which we obviously did not eat at. But we did enjoy a few dinners on the terrace where, in addition to one free kid's meal per adult meal purchase (#winning), they also served up live music and hula dancing.<br />
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By Thursday, we needed a change. I decided a trip to the zoo was in order--and we would walk there. According to Google Maps, it appeared about 6 blocks away from our hotel. Surely we could manage that? (Sidenote: somehow we completely forgot to set aside our stroller and Ergo for this trip and they ended up getting packed with the rest of our household goods.) And we did. We made it all the way to the zoo. I may have included two pep talks along the lines of "If we do this, no one is allowed to complain ..." and apparently it worked. Certain parts of the zoo were a tad disappointing. We made the mistake of going left first and that led us through all the birds. Maybe I'm just not a bird person. I'm pretty sure my kids aren't. So having a 1/3 of a zoo composed entirely of birds just wasn't doing it for me.<br />
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Then we came across a playground and I couldn't get my kids to leave. I was like, "Children, I did not just spend all this money for you to play on a playground all day!" I think their other favorite part was the farmyard--because we haven't seen enough cows and chickens in our lives! And the biggest hit of all was the koi pond. I should explain here that there are koi ponds EVERYWHERE in Hawaii. Numerous hotels and business establishments have them simply for the pleasure of their patrons. We've seen lots of koi ponds since moving here. But THIS koi pond was the best of all koi ponds because it had a clear tube that allowed kids to crawl inside the pond and peer up through the top. Also, these fish were clearly of a performing background because there were numerous times when they would "swim" <i>vertically</i> over the top of the water around the pond. Even I thought it was pretty cool.<br />
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So by the time we made it through the birds, out of the farmyard, and away from the snack bar, over half our day was over. I was a little disappointed that the lions never showed, the hippo exhibit was closed, the gorilla slept as far out of view as possible, and the rhino only gave us a view of his backside. But the zebras and were on point and the giraffes and elephants were enough of a boost to finish off the final leg of the zoo well.<br />
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Of course, by the time we were all reasonably exhausted from walking around the zoo ... it was time to walk home. Thankfully, there's a Starbucks across the street where we could all get sufficiently refueled. And the kind barista gave us a free cinnamon roll. Which reminds me--everyone in Hawaii is SO NICE! I mean, it may have been the whole four kids thing, but people were always giving us free food. Nancy at the snack bar felt so bad for me being at the pool on my own each day that at lunch she gave me my two free kids' meals WITHOUT the purchase of an adult one. And every time a family was leaving the resort for good, they donated their water toys to us. By the time we left the hotel, we had 3 boogie boards, 2 inner tubes, and a raft.<br />
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Hotel living with 4 kids was quite the experience. Living in downtown Waikiki with 4 kids was quite the experience. We had fun, but after a week, we were ready for a change. Our reservations ended on Friday and we were supposed to move to a 2-bedroom suite at a different resort closer to our house. We drove to check it out one evening and I nearly missed it--nestled amongst the houses near the bay. It didn't look very kid-friendly, and there was no beach within walking distance. It was also a good 15 minutes farther for Jon to travel for work. So I would've been trapped there with the kids for even longer days, and with little to keep us occupied.<br />
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After thinking it over, Jon decided the best route would be to just move into our empty house and camp out there until our stuff arrived. Our Advanced Shipment was arriving that Friday (with all our camping gear) and at least we'd have a yard with a few toys, and a driveway with bikes, and more than one or two rooms to hang out in. I was initially opposed because once we started spending the night in our home, it would mean giving up our room and board allowances. But honestly, we were having a hard time staying within the food budget anyway. And living in the house would give me a little more flexibility in the kitchen.<br />
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I was already starting to see Jon's point of view, but it wasn't until Thursday, after one week of hotel living, that I was convinced we needed to move on to greener pastures ... or bigger pastures. Whatever it took to give me a little more space from these four little crazies!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much energy, so little space.</td></tr>
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So Friday morning we rose with the sun, packed up our bags, and said our final farewell to the honeymoon suite we called our first home in Hawaii. The kids and I dropped Daddy off at work and then I gave everyone a stern talk about being super-duper quiet for the next 20 minutes because (a) this was my first time driving in Hawaii and (b) any kind of city driving makes me nervous in my old age.<br />
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We made it out of the city in one piece, dipped in and out of mountains on the way to the east coast, and craned our necks for views of our new home as we rounded the final bend. We'd finally arrived. The journey had seemed so long up to this point, but the adventure was far from over. Now would begin a new chapter of living in an empty house!J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-17101897558830450042016-07-23T14:19:00.001-04:002016-07-23T14:19:30.115-04:00Like a second honeymoon, only with kidsThis is the part of our journey that gets very, very hazy. I was going on about 20 hours of no sleep (give or take a 5 minute power nap here and there) and was strugglin' to keep it together. I vaguely remember Jon going off to collect our luggage and me reminding the kids over and over not to jump off this random ledge they kept jumping off of. Also, I forgot to mention that while Jon and I received traditional Hawaiian leis, the kids were of the candy variety. So not only were they severely jet-lagged and finally getting a chance to stretch their legs after 13 hours of traveling, but they were chewing their way through a sugar-laden lei.<br />
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We finally gathered up our things and headed out to meet the shuttle. They decided to squeeze our entire family (and our luggage) into the last 6 seats remaining of one van. Three minutes after we situated ourselves, they changed their minds, had us disembark, and then wait for a second shuttle that would apparently be a more direct route. I think they took one look at our kids and decided we needed to get to our hotel ASAP.<br />
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The drive to the hotel is a bit of a blur. Our first taste of our new home state was the outskirts of Honolulu, and that's not exactly it's best side. Two children fell asleep instantly (and were extremely difficult to awaken once we got to the hotel.) But after what seemed like a very long trip, we finally pulled into our resort. And while I don't remember much, I do remember thinking "Wow, this is niiiiice!!!"<br />
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So, the government gives us a stipend to cover our room and board while we're waiting to move into our home. It's based on a whole bunch of things--rank, location, number of dependents, whether or not you have a kitchenette in your room, etc. Our responsibility is just to find a hotel that offers this "government rate." Naturally, there are quite a few options in Hawaii. But because of RIMPAC this year (a biannual military event that brings in over 25,000 additional people to the island) most places were booked up.<br />
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We knew that Jon would begin working right away and I'd be stuck in our hotel with the kids on my own, so Jon made it a priority to stay at a place right on the beach to make it more convenient for me. So when he told me, after quite an effort, that he'd finally found a place that not only offered a government rate, but also let our entire family stay in one room, I was quite relieved. Never mind that it was one of the "older hotels." I was just happy to be on the beach.<br />
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Well, it turns out it's not just "one of the older hotels," but it was the very first hotel to open in Waikiki in 1901. And you guys, it was positively charming!<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SxiPLX-FXhM/V5HJnpiqZ_I/AAAAAAAAQQ0/a-eyDeQ5ApoVUnkJKiAnyKdjLReWGrcPgCKgB/s1600/IMG_2783.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SxiPLX-FXhM/V5HJnpiqZ_I/AAAAAAAAQQ0/a-eyDeQ5ApoVUnkJKiAnyKdjLReWGrcPgCKgB/s640/IMG_2783.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out the detailing on that veranda!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So we roll up to this beautiful Victorian building, stumble past rows of guests relaxing on rocking chairs on the veranda (I'm fairly certain Jack was sleepwalking at this point), step through the lobby where a pianist was providing live music, just barely dodge a bride and groom racing their way down the hall, and plant ourselves on the couches in front of the check-in desk--where Jack promptly falls asleep while the rest of us wait for Jon to get our room.<br />
<br />
Jack is obviously super-duper tired at this point. We all are. But we're also pretty hungry--like ravenously hungry. It was a very strange marriage of sensations, and I'm not sure I've ever felt that way before. In fact, there were a few instances where I had to catch myself from stumbling while we walked from our room to the outdoor eating area.<br />
<br />
It was late and crowded, but a kind couple that was just about to leave offered us their table. We sat down to glance at menus and Jack fell right back to sleep again. I mean, literally sitting up at the table sleeping. He eventually settled into lying on his [metal] chair, but never woke up again the entire meal. The waitress just laughed and put his food in a box. Meanwhile the rest of us hurried through dinner so we could shuffle off to bed.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cH7KCE9EZCM/V5HJnub8LMI/AAAAAAAAQQ0/N3H_tLckigUhOJFL4aAJDEAWGZx0yFuugCKgB/s1600/IMG_2621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-cH7KCE9EZCM/V5HJnub8LMI/AAAAAAAAQQ0/N3H_tLckigUhOJFL4aAJDEAWGZx0yFuugCKgB/s640/IMG_2621.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qcCJgQgN95A/V5HJnuoQg8I/AAAAAAAAQQ0/m4us4rPtvRUqmrzmGoqs0v-UYtNuGwA0ACKgB/s1600/IMG_2619.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qcCJgQgN95A/V5HJnuoQg8I/AAAAAAAAQQ0/m4us4rPtvRUqmrzmGoqs0v-UYtNuGwA0ACKgB/s640/IMG_2619.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Except it felt wrong, so wrong, to just go to sleep in Hawaii without having seen the ocean. So the non-sleeping kids and I made a quick detour to the beach just for one quick peek and, wow. It was everything I hoped Hawaii would be.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fmjVZVrWJxk/V5HJnqbe5cI/AAAAAAAAQQ0/sBPfeKnNbzIHg7lu_S-7fZayXU_O6qLOACKgB/s1600/IMG_2628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fmjVZVrWJxk/V5HJnqbe5cI/AAAAAAAAQQ0/sBPfeKnNbzIHg7lu_S-7fZayXU_O6qLOACKgB/s640/IMG_2628.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Does it not just feel peaceful and serene?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We sank our feet in the sand, dipped our toes in the water, enjoyed the final light of day, and then headed back up to our room where we could finally, finally give in to the exhaustion of the day. It was 8pm Hawaii time (2am EST). You never saw four kids (or their parents) fall asleep so fast! And we all stayed that way for the next 9 hours.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JjcB9SPk-5I/V5HJnicZqeI/AAAAAAAAQQ0/3aLkyYCM6G82bbcx2Pr9G-UqlXJ8DS4TACKgB/s1600/IMG_2724.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JjcB9SPk-5I/V5HJnicZqeI/AAAAAAAAQQ0/3aLkyYCM6G82bbcx2Pr9G-UqlXJ8DS4TACKgB/s640/IMG_2724.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Jon was up bright and early the next morning so he could catch a cab to pick up our vehicle that we shipped early, and then head to the Coast Guard base to check in. He didn't think it would take all day, so the kids and I decided to lay low in the hotel room and attempt to recover from the previous days adventures. Ha.ha.ha. Four kids. In a hotel room. Laying low. Hardly.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L_4Jr1u4ilE/V5HJnpWy2-I/AAAAAAAAQQ0/DLuhG3hXjOUBEPD4tGJWbf0WJosQLpgLQCKgB/s1600/IMG_2679.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-L_4Jr1u4ilE/V5HJnpWy2-I/AAAAAAAAQQ0/DLuhG3hXjOUBEPD4tGJWbf0WJosQLpgLQCKgB/s640/IMG_2679.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The lanai barely fit the 6 of us, but at least we could get some fresh air. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I guess this would be a good time to mention that our hotel room had a bidet. Or, as my kids called it, a "toilet shower." I won't go into too much detail, but I will say that we may have devoted our entire first morning in Hawaii to "testing out" the bidet. So fun.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PXb3GxPLRAY/V5HKNZTkS2I/AAAAAAAAQRY/ZqiYE_xGZ7EaJq3-5-S92dh5y7MqnV88wCKgB/s1600/IMG_2634.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PXb3GxPLRAY/V5HKNZTkS2I/AAAAAAAAQRY/ZqiYE_xGZ7EaJq3-5-S92dh5y7MqnV88wCKgB/s640/IMG_2634.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We had the city behind us and the ocean before us!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IEMBDLqrb5k/V5JLI_Jn1eI/AAAAAAAAQTY/_mx-47Pp3_gPwxOBUSfwYIL70aIgBjXYgCKgB/s1600/DSC_3612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IEMBDLqrb5k/V5JLI_Jn1eI/AAAAAAAAQTY/_mx-47Pp3_gPwxOBUSfwYIL70aIgBjXYgCKgB/s640/DSC_3612.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Practicing those hula skills ... again.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uld_h-_1rH8/V5JLI9dKYDI/AAAAAAAAQTY/ZGUCShW2ZngKjfOREo6LX7hrO_eh_svggCKgB/s1600/DSC_3616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Uld_h-_1rH8/V5JLI9dKYDI/AAAAAAAAQTY/ZGUCShW2ZngKjfOREo6LX7hrO_eh_svggCKgB/s640/DSC_3616.JPG" width="424" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-je2HULAFHXw/V5HJnna1RzI/AAAAAAAAQQ0/cmylgjAiTOokAuysvSybBKxNWNrwKMnhgCKgB/s1600/IMG_2640.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-je2HULAFHXw/V5HJnna1RzI/AAAAAAAAQQ0/cmylgjAiTOokAuysvSybBKxNWNrwKMnhgCKgB/s640/IMG_2640.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't remember what's going on here. All I know is I can never get just a nice, normal picture from my children.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Everybody was more than ready to hit the town when Daddy returned. We decided to visit Hale Koa, a military resort, just a few blocks up from our hotel. We did a little shopping in the Commissary, grabbed dinner, and let the kids play at the park. We thought about staying for fireworks but didn't think the kids would make it that long.<br />
<br />
Instead, Jon started driving up the coast. He and I enjoyed the views and the kids fell asleep before we even made it out of Honolulu. What they say is true, Hawaii is absolutely gorgeous. The beaches, the coastline, and the mountains. I just can't get over the mountains. I didn't make it out of Waikiki very much that first week we were on the island, but whenever I did, I just couldn't stop staring at the mountains. I'm not sure they'll ever get old!<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F2mNucAS01o/V5HJnq6TtoI/AAAAAAAAQQ0/yryACZq5Uo4osQr-bgFwwssBOePmHFD5gCKgB/s1600/IMG_2652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F2mNucAS01o/V5HJnq6TtoI/AAAAAAAAQQ0/yryACZq5Uo4osQr-bgFwwssBOePmHFD5gCKgB/s640/IMG_2652.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View from the other side of Diamond Head.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5YdRHPsFEbU/V5HJnpu2cfI/AAAAAAAAQQ0/tSMmHMxDcnk7EVACLQhKMZt1jQkRRTGJgCKgB/s1600/IMG_2661.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5YdRHPsFEbU/V5HJnpu2cfI/AAAAAAAAQQ0/tSMmHMxDcnk7EVACLQhKMZt1jQkRRTGJgCKgB/s640/IMG_2661.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yehhdHpFnps/V5HJnkeFbFI/AAAAAAAAQQ0/QPTgf3lW4V4K584QNhZhWHNSPXiQ7iJFQCKgB/s1600/IMG_2662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yehhdHpFnps/V5HJnkeFbFI/AAAAAAAAQQ0/QPTgf3lW4V4K584QNhZhWHNSPXiQ7iJFQCKgB/s640/IMG_2662.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QPzl_SawCW0/V5HJnqKsOYI/AAAAAAAAQQ0/gwIMyjlNEdIKz9pV8rmfn0UqMpQRm-UrQCKgB/s1600/IMG_2676.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QPzl_SawCW0/V5HJnqKsOYI/AAAAAAAAQQ0/gwIMyjlNEdIKz9pV8rmfn0UqMpQRm-UrQCKgB/s640/IMG_2676.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hawaii has lots of places to pull off the road and enjoy the views. Thank you, Hawaii!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MsdZzXlRwII/V5HJnoOdqAI/AAAAAAAAQQ0/ADttQ4-T94Iv_vS7nazQpszHq3y8WMUlACKgB/s1600/IMG_2664.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MsdZzXlRwII/V5HJnoOdqAI/AAAAAAAAQQ0/ADttQ4-T94Iv_vS7nazQpszHq3y8WMUlACKgB/s640/IMG_2664.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There's nothing graceful about jet lag.</td></tr>
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The nice part about our little drive that evening was that the kids slept. The bad part about our drive that evening was that the kids slept. Because the parking garage for our hotel is about 2 blocks away. And our actual room is 8 floors up. And it wasn't like this was a little afternoon siesta. We had four kids OUT for the night.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cDs2JaYSwKQ/V5JLI-IqZPI/AAAAAAAAQTc/ulQKbhkdH9YolSKl9QfSxSmSp2VxCW1_gCKgB/s1600/DSC_3623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cDs2JaYSwKQ/V5JLI-IqZPI/AAAAAAAAQTc/ulQKbhkdH9YolSKl9QfSxSmSp2VxCW1_gCKgB/s640/DSC_3623.JPG" width="424" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">In case you're wondering how this hotel living thing all went down--Jon and I had one bed, the three younger kids slept horizontally on another, and Jack had a trundle bed.</td></tr>
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Jon dropped me and the crew off at the door while he parked the car. And I ushered four half-sleeping, half-crying children into the hotel, past the lovely live pianist, and into the elevator. Yet again, easiest night putting the kids to sleep ever (once we got everyone in the room.)<br />
<br />
<i>To be continued ...</i><br />
<br />J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-21100061286280506872016-07-14T18:48:00.005-04:002016-07-14T21:08:35.894-04:00Aloha!<div class="MsoNormal">
Jon’s alarm went off at 3:15am and it hurt! I roused the
kids one by one and got them dressed, saving Jack for last since he’s my
deepest sleeper. Joci never even woke up while I changed her and Jude fell
right back to sleep before I could put his shoes on. Once we finally got Jack
fully awake his excitement was enough to stir the others and within a few
minutes everyone was up and at ‘em—oozing with the excitement of their first
flight!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Packing was a bit of a challenge for this leg of our
journey. We were actually allowed two checked bags per person at no-charge,
since we were military traveling on orders. But we didn’t think we could handle
all that luggage plus kids in the airport. So although it would have been nice
to bring along some extras, we narrowed it down to one checked bag and one
carry-on per person, and one extra bag for Jon with all his uniforms since he’d
be starting work right away.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4zsxXVBYJ6I/V4gL7DbMYGI/AAAAAAAAQNU/3ckQxW9M7Ko6Hjxe5N4WQE51St5t68rmQCKgB/s1600/IMG_2572.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4zsxXVBYJ6I/V4gL7DbMYGI/AAAAAAAAQNU/3ckQxW9M7Ko6Hjxe5N4WQE51St5t68rmQCKgB/s640/IMG_2572.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was obviously within the first two minutes because I don't think she carried her suitcase ever again that day!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UW7avf6d-e8/V4gL7DdTCZI/AAAAAAAAQNU/Kp1sBzbTv3EYLI9ZMzxGQpxQViFLazaaQCKgB/s1600/IMG_2573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UW7avf6d-e8/V4gL7DdTCZI/AAAAAAAAQNU/Kp1sBzbTv3EYLI9ZMzxGQpxQViFLazaaQCKgB/s640/IMG_2573.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yeLECc3olQk/V4gL7AD0-QI/AAAAAAAAQNU/zzpNx2yjOfkPrazDbVfoEp519-sb17aYwCKgB/s1600/IMG_2577.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-yeLECc3olQk/V4gL7AD0-QI/AAAAAAAAQNU/zzpNx2yjOfkPrazDbVfoEp519-sb17aYwCKgB/s640/IMG_2577.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So tired, so chill.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That ended up being more than enough since the girls
especially struggled with pulling their suitcases and the rest of us shouldered
their load. We had to drop the rental car off by 4am and then wait for a
shuttle to take us to the airport. The shuttle was jam-packed and the lines at
the airport were long as well—surprising for so early a weekday morning! It was
right around this time that the lack of sleep started to hit Joci. When Joci is
overtired she gets in one of her angry moods (something we’ve seen a lot of
these past few weeks) where she fights being held, but makes a run for it the
second her feet hit the ground. So while Jon was checking in our family, I was
alternately chasing a toddler throughout the airport or securing her to my lap
with the straightjacket hold.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ghtvhh8LUXI/V4gL7Pt9PbI/AAAAAAAAQNU/j7GNf7lUtQg6ZS4gMea1ELHLoHRDRlwJQCKgB/s1600/IMG_2582.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ghtvhh8LUXI/V4gL7Pt9PbI/AAAAAAAAQNU/j7GNf7lUtQg6ZS4gMea1ELHLoHRDRlwJQCKgB/s640/IMG_2582.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The toddler tries to make a run for it!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9nj84dFVqGAmFreF31aKtqgiMsHWC_jBmej9_wKFnmjfmnHV7h9DBDP31Dwpy6yTviFvWojEUqwHauXMoKDwVaZhIXWAuMA7kz31m1xo_zdWm1xIMJUtQoW0lO6hMAY2x0maPo_Ykga-/s1600/IMG_2585.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9nj84dFVqGAmFreF31aKtqgiMsHWC_jBmej9_wKFnmjfmnHV7h9DBDP31Dwpy6yTviFvWojEUqwHauXMoKDwVaZhIXWAuMA7kz31m1xo_zdWm1xIMJUtQoW0lO6hMAY2x0maPo_Ykga-/s640/IMG_2585.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That moment when you DON'T enjoy being held by your mom!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uugf6YZmYQM/V4gL7P8jaaI/AAAAAAAAQNU/BE0tHbDiqIkPPYtrzbZN8k84d6Q1w48_ACKgB/s1600/IMG_2586.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Uugf6YZmYQM/V4gL7P8jaaI/AAAAAAAAQNU/BE0tHbDiqIkPPYtrzbZN8k84d6Q1w48_ACKgB/s640/IMG_2586.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then there's this girl, so happy to be moving to Hoo-why-wee!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</o:p></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The TSA line was long too. Phase 2 of an overtired Joci is
when she finally settles down and just wants to be held. So that’s what I did
the entire time we waited in line. Thankfully, we got in the fast check line
and didn’t have to take off and put on the kids’ shoes!</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
Then began the long trek to our gate where the girls and I
parked ourselves while waiting for the boys to purchase coffee and breakfast.
We had arrived just in time to view our final Maryland sunrise. Between that
and all the airport traffic, the kids were constantly entertained!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ygoaTuxj2fg/V4gL7IJ3NnI/AAAAAAAAQNU/dPt7ecY93OgQR2a_OgpK0kNjiMWOY1gWgCKgB/s1600/IMG_2588.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ygoaTuxj2fg/V4gL7IJ3NnI/AAAAAAAAQNU/dPt7ecY93OgQR2a_OgpK0kNjiMWOY1gWgCKgB/s640/IMG_2588.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last Maryland sunrise!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jon had reserved us 3 seats in a row/one row in front of the
other (conveniently located near the restrooms), so we could all stick
together. He sat with the boys and I sat with the girls. Taking off and the
flight itself were pretty anti-climactic. Nobody screamed or cried … or were
ovely excited for that matter. I think the trip to Knoebels earlier in the week
helped. Apparently taking off in an airplane is no big deal compared to
rollercoaster rides!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gVssQK0_jnw/V4gL7Kj3QCI/AAAAAAAAQNU/FRiviQtY3ZUJFZG4Yde13Yjh7HhVb-KVgCKgB/s1600/IMG_2590.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gVssQK0_jnw/V4gL7Kj3QCI/AAAAAAAAQNU/FRiviQtY3ZUJFZG4Yde13Yjh7HhVb-KVgCKgB/s640/IMG_2590.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">She was highly entertained by the seat remote.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The kids did pretty well and our backpack “fun bags” kept
them entertained for the whole flight. The biggest challenge was sleep. Julia
slept over half the flight (Jack got a decent nap in at the end as well), but
Jude and Joci were wide-awake the entire time. And since my toddler’s attention
was held by each item for approximately 5 minutes, I literally spent the whole
flight taking new things out of her backpack and putting old things away …
every 5 minutes.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n3Lf1gDyzPY/V4gL7KaSd7I/AAAAAAAAQNU/n9Jcy_RfRT4vSzV_x_ujzA2GavOq9BviACKgB/s1600/IMG_2598.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-n3Lf1gDyzPY/V4gL7KaSd7I/AAAAAAAAQNU/n9Jcy_RfRT4vSzV_x_ujzA2GavOq9BviACKgB/s640/IMG_2598.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alphabet cookies from the Dollar Store.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IueqZfvwW1s/V4gL7N8GFEI/AAAAAAAAQNU/nQ-OdlZiaj4fN4dGcbf0brYi4jXKVXtQgCKgB/s1600/IMG_2599.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-IueqZfvwW1s/V4gL7N8GFEI/AAAAAAAAQNU/nQ-OdlZiaj4fN4dGcbf0brYi4jXKVXtQgCKgB/s640/IMG_2599.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sticky letters from the Target Dollar Spot.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FNUW_TGVzBs/V4gL7A7JW2I/AAAAAAAAQNU/RKccoo75fK8PYXo62tQNphf2Qy4MFMrwgCKgB/s1600/IMG_2603.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FNUW_TGVzBs/V4gL7A7JW2I/AAAAAAAAQNU/RKccoo75fK8PYXo62tQNphf2Qy4MFMrwgCKgB/s640/IMG_2603.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stupid plastic tea set from the Dollar Store that she picked out and (surprise, surprise) it was her favorite toy on the trip!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ff_Cd3SFJrY/V4gL7LhX5aI/AAAAAAAAQNU/Lg0P7n-53iIduZrSFXAIlNHehBDOGWTywCKgB/s1600/IMG_2604.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ff_Cd3SFJrY/V4gL7LhX5aI/AAAAAAAAQNU/Lg0P7n-53iIduZrSFXAIlNHehBDOGWTywCKgB/s640/IMG_2604.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of movie watching going on in the seat behind us.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x7bkZ5pSEZM/V4gL7HlUtSI/AAAAAAAAQNU/WH126fSELrsnU7U0y9coCQlKIrrvVn5bwCKgB/s1600/IMG_2605.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-x7bkZ5pSEZM/V4gL7HlUtSI/AAAAAAAAQNU/WH126fSELrsnU7U0y9coCQlKIrrvVn5bwCKgB/s640/IMG_2605.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Paw Patrol AquaDoodle mat from Target Clearance endocarp!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gHkQAkqm2Hg/V4gL7DOomGI/AAAAAAAAQNU/Tbn37OuYCTYf87sV8CDHzfASrcksUXQZwCKgB/s1600/IMG_2606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-gHkQAkqm2Hg/V4gL7DOomGI/AAAAAAAAQNU/Tbn37OuYCTYf87sV8CDHzfASrcksUXQZwCKgB/s640/IMG_2606.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frozen puzzle--4/$1 at the Dollar Store!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c0OAwp6Y_kM/V4gL7AvTdFI/AAAAAAAAQNU/GHp1h8Hk5lY4ni7bmupA-7x_vnaHwubcgCKgB/s1600/IMG_2607.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-c0OAwp6Y_kM/V4gL7AvTdFI/AAAAAAAAQNU/GHp1h8Hk5lY4ni7bmupA-7x_vnaHwubcgCKgB/s640/IMG_2607.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sleeping child--priceless!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NXz9xB4csco/V4gL7CWxmGI/AAAAAAAAQNU/dz4akkLm34w4INYZssL6Wk87ZlxsvfVWACKgB/s1600/IMG_2610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NXz9xB4csco/V4gL7CWxmGI/AAAAAAAAQNU/dz4akkLm34w4INYZssL6Wk87ZlxsvfVWACKgB/s640/IMG_2610.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming in for a landing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
We were supposed to have a one-hour layover in San Francisco before our second
flight to Honolulu. Joci fell asleep almost at the same moment the wheels hit
the runway. And then we sat on the tarmac for almost an hour. We had a small
delay leaving Baltimore and now an even longer delay waiting to pull into our
gate. Meanwhile, the clock was ticking on our second flight.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The captain asked that those who did not have a tight
connection allow those that did to exit the plane first. But after the long
wait, nobody let anyone off first. Which did not bode well for those of us at
the back of the plane. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Joci continued to nap while the other kids started whining
that they had to go potty. But they weren’t letting anyone out of their seats.
When we finally disembarked (me carrying a sleeping toddler plus carry-ons) we
made a run for our next gate promising the kids we could take a potty-break
once we arrived. We reached our gate 4 minutes after the slated departure time
and the plane was nowhere in sight. We had officially missed our flight. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
By now, all the running and jostling had roused Joci, who
was not happy. The kids were all weary of carrying luggage. And we still
desperately needed a potty break. As we started seeking out the customer
service desk to try and change our flight, I couldn’t carry Joci another step.
Naturally, she threw herself onto the floor screaming that she couldn’t walk.
So I started following the rest of the group, hoping that the fact that the
rest of the family was moving on would encourage her to get to her feet. It
did, but not in the way that I hoped. Our little runner jumped up and made a
dash in the opposite direction with her little ladybug backpack bouncing behind
her. Clearly, all my worst fears about traveling with small children were going
to come true at the same time.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In the end, I chased down my tiny escapee, Jon booked
tickets for the next flight to Honolulu (which was departing only 1.5 hours
later), everyone got a potty break, and we even had a chance to sit down and
eat lunch after 9 hours of traveling. What was initially a disaster turned out
to be a much-needed rest before embarking on yet another 6 hour flight. <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SnMB47WEazk/V4gL7C_ykAI/AAAAAAAAQNU/ml8DpmI7CaQ1cKZ0oL7RRnb-SThzuJy3wCKgB/s1600/IMG_2612.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SnMB47WEazk/V4gL7C_ykAI/AAAAAAAAQNU/ml8DpmI7CaQ1cKZ0oL7RRnb-SThzuJy3wCKgB/s640/IMG_2612.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not a happy traveler!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4QGSTwjJo4s/V4gL7EFwktI/AAAAAAAAQNU/45ektFC6CFsytD0CySdX62-BQlJd7sQVACKgB/s1600/IMG_2614.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4QGSTwjJo4s/V4gL7EFwktI/AAAAAAAAQNU/45ektFC6CFsytD0CySdX62-BQlJd7sQVACKgB/s640/IMG_2614.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waiting for our second flight.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The downside to being squeezed on the next flight out was
that we couldn’t all sit together. This was a much bigger plane with 5 seats in
the middle and 2 on each side. Jon and
the boys sat near the front and the girls and I were towards the back, meshed
between a kindly, older gentlemen from our previous flight and a young, former
Coastguardsman. In other words, neither were accustomed to children. But both
were very kind and gracious.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<i>(Random sidenote about the older gentlemen sitting next to Julia crocheting a washcloth for the son he was visiting in Kailua. Today (3 weeks later), a yard crew showed up to do some work on our plants. I was telling the one guy our story--how we're Coast Guard, just arrived, are camping out in the house--he stopped me and asked where we had flown in from. When I told him BWI, he said that his dad was the sweet man that sat next to us. Apparently, he had told his son about the Coastie family he flew in with and their move to Hawaii!)</i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We were in the front of the section, which meant lots of leg
room but no small space to sequester wriggly children. And Joci was getting
very wriggly at this point. Unfortunately, this was also the point where we
started to experience a lot of turbulence and girlfriend here just WOULD NOT
let me buckle her seat belt. So I put her in my own death grip and hoped the
flight attendants would let it slide. Then the good Lord had mercy on my weary
mama soul because within minutes she grew tired and limp and soon was out
completely. I held her for a while, enjoying those rare moments when a toddler
is actually still, until Lia had to use the restroom. Then I nestled Joci in a
chair and she slept there for around 3 hours soooo … hallelujah! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p><br /></o:p></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g34rXjS0-ME/V4gL7N8WmCI/AAAAAAAAQNU/FmIInWoCUhcMNlfNZqhUTZo7jkjfPFPXwCKgB/s1600/IMG_2616.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-g34rXjS0-ME/V4gL7N8WmCI/AAAAAAAAQNU/FmIInWoCUhcMNlfNZqhUTZo7jkjfPFPXwCKgB/s640/IMG_2616.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">*praise hands*</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lia spent most of the flight enjoying her free snacks and
beverages and playing with her Kindle and backpack toys. I tried to take a nap
a few times, but was unsuccessful since my 4YO required my assistance or
attention at least every 5 minutes. But with Joci sleeping, the flight was
already 75% easier! And I finished my book, so yay!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-adga98zdAU0/V4gL7GRizXI/AAAAAAAAQNU/o4VHbaSx0lYUVYt9ztliBsdD7qXMtVl9ACKgB/s1600/IMG_2597.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-adga98zdAU0/V4gL7GRizXI/AAAAAAAAQNU/o4VHbaSx0lYUVYt9ztliBsdD7qXMtVl9ACKgB/s640/IMG_2597.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Roots and Sky" by Christie Purifoy<br />
I LOVED this book. It's all about a family's move to a 100-year-old farmhouse in Pennsylvania and their first year (and four seasons) in their new home. It reminded me so much of my parents' old brick house back in PA and also inspired me as we set out to make our own new home here in HI.<br />
This has nothing to do with the story, but I follow the author on Instagram, as well as her sister, who is the wife of one of the 12 Marines that died in the helicopter crash off Oahu this winter. It was a heartbreaking event that hits close to home since we're now living just a few blocks from their former house. But her IG account is full of God's peace and promise--I admire her so much!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The only other thing I remember about this flight was the
potty breaks. My girls found the teeny, tiny toilets so fascinating that, once
they had made one visit, they suddenly had to go potty much more frequently
than usual. I don’t even know how to describe trying to squeeze into an
airplane restroom with a kid (and helping them put on and take off their pants
with no room to bend.) So I’ll just let your imagination take over with this
one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Joci woke up with about 2.5 hours remaining in the flight,
so the rest of the trip was spent with me simply trying to keep my two girls
from annoying the people next to us. I think I was mildly successful. My one
disappointment was we didn’t have a window seat. My first views of our new home
were craning my neck over several fellow passengers and glimpsing a few peaks
of the mountains that would very soon capture my heart!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
We arrived. We disembarked. We garnered lots of stares
ushering our 4 small children through the airport and towards the baggage
claim. (Is it just me or are tiny children weighed down by big backpacks the
cutest thing ever?!?) In Honolulu, the trek from the gate to baggage claim is
all outdoors. So we got our first taste of Hawaii warmth meandering through a
maze of travelers and walkways.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
We arrived at the baggage claim and saw our first familiar sight—a Coast
Guard uniform. But even better, this one was worn by a co-worker bearing leis
for the whole family. Aloha kids, welcome to Hawaii. Welcome home!<o:p></o:p></div>
J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8374188452169128925.post-11058038295772471892016-07-08T03:56:00.000-04:002016-07-08T03:56:24.309-04:00Pennsylvania rest stop<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>6 days before departure</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Jon and I arrived in PA late Thursday night and spent the
night with my parents. The goal of our time in our home state was to say some
final goodbyes to family and friends, soak up as much of our hometown as
possible, and rest up for our major venture southwest. So on Friday we hung
around the homestead and did Central PA-y things like swim in the creek.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Marmie helped the kids make “boats” out of empty plastic
water bottles that she tethered in the middle of the creek so they could “bomb”
them with rocks. The plan was to play <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">near
</i>the creek, so we didn’t dress the kids in swimsuits. Duh. Kids can’t play <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">near </i>water on a hot summer day. By the
end of our time, both boys were having swimming competitions to see how far
they could go upstream.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V96NkJm5GLQ/V2g7U2VsqKI/AAAAAAAAQB0/vmJzQD0GmwsgjHR6oAH1-2AJzehYxtA7gCKgB/s1600/IMG_2326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V96NkJm5GLQ/V2g7U2VsqKI/AAAAAAAAQB0/vmJzQD0GmwsgjHR6oAH1-2AJzehYxtA7gCKgB/s640/IMG_2326.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This girl. She's a little too into having her photo taken.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wwo4Za0dalQ/V2g7U3WlisI/AAAAAAAAQB0/Q463YPIens8JYnU_ZMiDIeuVpYVSR1FzwCKgB/s1600/IMG_2342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Wwo4Za0dalQ/V2g7U3WlisI/AAAAAAAAQB0/Q463YPIens8JYnU_ZMiDIeuVpYVSR1FzwCKgB/s640/IMG_2342.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is right about the time I decided we had enough pictures.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That night we headed up to Jon’s parents’ to spend the
weekend in the mountains and by the pool. It’s so peaceful and lovely up on “Nonnie’s
mountain” (as the kids say). It was the perfect way to unwind after a hectic
week of moving out of the house.</div>
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<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>5 days before departure</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
On Saturday, we were scheduled for family photos. It
actually went fairly well considering there were 10 kids involved. My children
are the worst with posed photos. Two in particular will intentionally NOT smile
when asked. We were able to capture this picture when Poppie started spanking
Nonnie behind the photographer. Fun times!<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
That night we had a big picnic with both sides of our
family, which gave the kids a chance to get some cousin-time before our
extended absence.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><u>4 days before departure</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Sunday was church, more goodbyes with our PA church family,
another family photo op...<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P9Bl9e7TEWA/V39YW5BlYbI/AAAAAAAAQKE/MbWCfykcPjMMV4kp8pfMGQXAO2ZBo8LbACKgB/s1600/FullSizeRender%2B197.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P9Bl9e7TEWA/V39YW5BlYbI/AAAAAAAAQKE/MbWCfykcPjMMV4kp8pfMGQXAO2ZBo8LbACKgB/s640/FullSizeRender%2B197.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Whereas Julia loves to have her picture taken, Joci fights it with every ounce of her being.</td></tr>
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... and yet another picnic—this time with Jon’s aunt and
uncles. And of course, more pool time. My kids have very little experience with
pools. But they couldn’t get enough of Poppie and Nonnie’s. They were the first
ones in and the last ones out each and every time. Which meant lots of
lifeguarding by Jon and I. But I’m glad they enjoy the water so much!<br />
<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UAbfofWG5XM/V2g7U8alETI/AAAAAAAAQB0/Zs04qY27RbkzggD4s8y5d1Uso1inxUTfgCKgB/s1600/IMG_2398.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-UAbfofWG5XM/V2g7U8alETI/AAAAAAAAQB0/Zs04qY27RbkzggD4s8y5d1Uso1inxUTfgCKgB/s640/IMG_2398.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "big kids" liked the water guns too!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eRj-qdfxpI4/V2g7U4dyKPI/AAAAAAAAQB0/iEKQ6205CgcP1uuiC4vKoPfRrhNiA79gACKgB/s1600/IMG_2427.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eRj-qdfxpI4/V2g7U4dyKPI/AAAAAAAAQB0/iEKQ6205CgcP1uuiC4vKoPfRrhNiA79gACKgB/s640/IMG_2427.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All the adults watching the kids' whiffle ball game.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ss9TcvY28cw/V2g7U0sKCiI/AAAAAAAAQB0/yCOMlWo5a2kO_bZos4mDsOmyhrJ4qP2fgCKgB/s1600/IMG_2428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ss9TcvY28cw/V2g7U0sKCiI/AAAAAAAAQB0/yCOMlWo5a2kO_bZos4mDsOmyhrJ4qP2fgCKgB/s640/IMG_2428.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aunt Katie teaching Julia about selfies.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dKxdzuFgAsE/V2g7U1xVW_I/AAAAAAAAQB0/H2PaYtREy78kfdcLM-BPw-JQWyAxbku2QCKgB/s1600/IMG_2429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dKxdzuFgAsE/V2g7U1xVW_I/AAAAAAAAQB0/H2PaYtREy78kfdcLM-BPw-JQWyAxbku2QCKgB/s640/IMG_2429.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Playing well into the night.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>3 days before departure</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Monday is was back down to Marmie and Poppa’s. We let the
kids have some extra play time with Marmie’s collection of yard sale toys “for
the grandkids.” For some reason, they seem so much more entertained by the
grandparents’ toys than their own!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FhTXdk_xy78/V2g7U-W-GrI/AAAAAAAAQB0/s7wAwjBMEWwWm84ijegYr29WjZSCnFw9gCKgB/s1600/IMG_2317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-FhTXdk_xy78/V2g7U-W-GrI/AAAAAAAAQB0/s7wAwjBMEWwWm84ijegYr29WjZSCnFw9gCKgB/s640/IMG_2317.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marmie is so organized!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
That evening, we visited a famous local playground, had
lunch at my favorite restaurant, and then finished off the evening with a deep
in the community pool.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u><br /></u></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><u>2 days before departure</u></b><o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I woke up another year older on Tuesday. To celebrate my
birthday, we headed to one of the happiest places on earth—Knoebels. The first
thing we saw when we pulled in was their newest ride, Impulse, which is a
straight drop and a few loops. No big deal. Naturally, Jack was in line before
the girls were even out of the restroom. <o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lHrbVooDI7k/V39LqtUCWdI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/Xvuzuc9eyDwYWtq1QdQgf570wsA9AyXDQCKgB/s1600/IMG_2479.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lHrbVooDI7k/V39LqtUCWdI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/Xvuzuc9eyDwYWtq1QdQgf570wsA9AyXDQCKgB/s640/IMG_2479.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack is in the front row of this thing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After my mother-in-law arrived, she felt that riding Impulse
would be an excellent way to usher in my 33<sup>rd</sup> year. And since my life
is a constant flux between need-to-show-my-kids-mama’s-still-got-it and
I-am-not-the-same-person-I-was-before-kids, I allowed myself to be persuaded. It
was fun, I’ll admit. But after half a Dramamine and an iced coffee later, my head
was still spinning. Kids, Mama may have the heart, but I just don’t have the
head that I used to!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5rmcl9Y3fio/V39LqmQLEjI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/rvKHun_eNXkI4MIOVZ7edLQDrfLooM_pQCKgB/s1600/IMG_2490.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5rmcl9Y3fio/V39LqmQLEjI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/rvKHun_eNXkI4MIOVZ7edLQDrfLooM_pQCKgB/s640/IMG_2490.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poppa and Lia in the back row of the kiddie coaster.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IvNsbGNRqIw/V39LqnXnHFI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/rTHk2GSYuqcsROEWTgKRo_TNyW4w--KJgCKgB/s1600/IMG_2499.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IvNsbGNRqIw/V39LqnXnHFI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/rTHk2GSYuqcsROEWTgKRo_TNyW4w--KJgCKgB/s640/IMG_2499.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uA653kT1aQA/V39LqpeJJvI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/BiPTqriUAugljWGcg4AFvZ26_ZSUGPkGACKgB/s1600/IMG_2508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uA653kT1aQA/V39LqpeJJvI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/BiPTqriUAugljWGcg4AFvZ26_ZSUGPkGACKgB/s640/IMG_2508.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We told the kids we were going to see my birthday cake ... Joci couldn't understand why we weren't eating it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It really was a fun day though. The cousins, Gabe and Aviel,
came along and, according to Jack, it was “the best time Gabe and I have ever
had!!” And it wouldn’t have been a trip to Knoebels without Marmie and the
girls dressing up and play-acting at the castle. One of my little ladies is
particularly into role-playing. The other one is not quite sure. I’ll let you
figure out which is what!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ll6bHD3_WfY/V39YBB11EJI/AAAAAAAAQKI/ube1bsqGEW8PTgwXeVXzaZNPv7sLcSYQgCKgB/s1600/DSC_3558.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ll6bHD3_WfY/V39YBB11EJI/AAAAAAAAQKI/ube1bsqGEW8PTgwXeVXzaZNPv7sLcSYQgCKgB/s640/DSC_3558.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9xCZudiNmc/V39YBBz7T-I/AAAAAAAAQKI/vNMBffSYkdQAZ-uBb6WgRa2COM76nSa_ACKgB/s1600/DSC_3522.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9xCZudiNmc/V39YBBz7T-I/AAAAAAAAQKI/vNMBffSYkdQAZ-uBb6WgRa2COM76nSa_ACKgB/s640/DSC_3522.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j0OPkkyUnN0/V39YBODtt3I/AAAAAAAAQKI/16omd5vb8HYUW3tf2JALJQKubjn3TLmUQCKgB/s1600/DSC_3527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j0OPkkyUnN0/V39YBODtt3I/AAAAAAAAQKI/16omd5vb8HYUW3tf2JALJQKubjn3TLmUQCKgB/s640/DSC_3527.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I've always wondered why I got my love of dress-up. This. This is where I got my love of dress-up.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9oX989iQd6Y/V39YBDIamxI/AAAAAAAAQKI/qMJnKnqyJIE0mJ-3aEzjx1JQLzOIbuOrgCKgB/s1600/DSC_3533.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9oX989iQd6Y/V39YBDIamxI/AAAAAAAAQKI/qMJnKnqyJIE0mJ-3aEzjx1JQLzOIbuOrgCKgB/s640/DSC_3533.jpg" width="456" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aviel and Lia were mermaids.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tUfDoFqSeQE/V39YBH8AUZI/AAAAAAAAQKI/7tSyOLqnNo0uNuLC7UVkTsSSt2aDb4bZgCKgB/s1600/DSC_3556.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tUfDoFqSeQE/V39YBH8AUZI/AAAAAAAAQKI/7tSyOLqnNo0uNuLC7UVkTsSSt2aDb4bZgCKgB/s640/DSC_3556.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It also wouldn’t be a trip to Knoebels without someone
convincing a small child they’re ready to ride a roller coaster. And since Jude
outgrew his fear sometime between last year and this, that particular status fell
to Julia this summer. Everyone was lining up for the Twister, one of the wooden
rollercoasters, and I was off getting a second iced coffee. When I returned,
Julia was not in the onlooker crowd.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tF5Lki6OB2k/V39Lqt378MI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/r1imdRgD0WQCzZe9F9IRUElle9ejanQ-ACKgB/s1600/IMG_2510.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tF5Lki6OB2k/V39Lqt378MI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/r1imdRgD0WQCzZe9F9IRUElle9ejanQ-ACKgB/s640/IMG_2510.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
I was told she didn’t cry or scream. She just kinda froze.
And her only comment upon disembarking was “I didn’t like that.” Well, kudos to
you, girl!<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ZOUHB9lqto/V39YBFAsOkI/AAAAAAAAQKI/9TjgAxClGW01dwR9W09E_43nzmOzTw_AwCKgB/s1600/DSC_3449.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0ZOUHB9lqto/V39YBFAsOkI/AAAAAAAAQKI/9TjgAxClGW01dwR9W09E_43nzmOzTw_AwCKgB/s640/DSC_3449.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Daddy outdid himself with this year's round of frog. After he won 3 stuffed animals I was getting a little nervous that we'd have one disappointed child. But he pulled through with the fourth ... and all four made the flight to Hawaii.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dcfLMOq0g_w/V39YBFJg9rI/AAAAAAAAQKI/ybKKd-3ld3kLg-_h7lvV9WwIiGihaE16gCKgB/s1600/DSC_3479.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-dcfLMOq0g_w/V39YBFJg9rI/AAAAAAAAQKI/ybKKd-3ld3kLg-_h7lvV9WwIiGihaE16gCKgB/s640/DSC_3479.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marie knows how to have a good time!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yVmvnd580QA/V39YBAfQZuI/AAAAAAAAQKI/yCllV4Dxv8gikefwAZ5iS8inD9n7yjjjACKgB/s1600/DSC_3583.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yVmvnd580QA/V39YBAfQZuI/AAAAAAAAQKI/yCllV4Dxv8gikefwAZ5iS8inD9n7yjjjACKgB/s640/DSC_3583.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poppa, Nonnie, and Jon. I begged off this one to "watch the kids."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Despite being exhausted and down to our last ride ticket
(for about the third time that day), we stayed ‘til close and finished out the
evening with one last ride on the Ferris wheel. We had to fill our Knoebels
tank to overflowing since it might be 4 years before we make it back!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<o:p></o:p><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F-elc5DiuIs/V39L0wT7Q7I/AAAAAAAAQIQ/p81ZZCGeUogwO4Me_Mv_mTnGGyPuGiF6ACKgB/s1600/IMG_2549.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F-elc5DiuIs/V39L0wT7Q7I/AAAAAAAAQIQ/p81ZZCGeUogwO4Me_Mv_mTnGGyPuGiF6ACKgB/s640/IMG_2549.JPG" width="534" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Hey Marmie and Poppa, can you watch the kids while we get a quick photo?"</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a1wAFNxb7W4/V39Lqkmo_ZI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/8q3fJ4UQBcUDftGFRdWeUOYkV-sud_zGgCKgB/s1600/IMG_2542.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-a1wAFNxb7W4/V39Lqkmo_ZI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/8q3fJ4UQBcUDftGFRdWeUOYkV-sud_zGgCKgB/s640/IMG_2542.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Final goodbyes ... post Skloosh.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U-gLoDh0lwA/V39YBPoJ3mI/AAAAAAAAQKI/kPYtGcch8VIrk7sTMPQmsMGO09nU8wHaACKgB/s1600/DSC_3591.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-U-gLoDh0lwA/V39YBPoJ3mI/AAAAAAAAQKI/kPYtGcch8VIrk7sTMPQmsMGO09nU8wHaACKgB/s640/DSC_3591.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoTitle">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><b><u>1 day
before departure</u></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It took most of the morning for us to organize our stuff and
pack the car. We had amassed a bit more volume between birthday gifts, Knoebels prizes, and last
minute stuffing.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l4jqrzb1Yl4/V39LqjXSHyI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/b5asxjFUyqMbfWkX3rhelwqA77L8wOfGACKgB/s1600/IMG_2547.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l4jqrzb1Yl4/V39LqjXSHyI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/b5asxjFUyqMbfWkX3rhelwqA77L8wOfGACKgB/s640/IMG_2547.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Waving goodbye to Marmie and Poppa as we round the bend!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our final day on the mainland was jam-packed with a bunch of
dull must-dos—we picked up a rental car immediately after arriving, then
checked into our hotel. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xF4HSg4KKVg/V39Lqh7t0DI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/olZZdQb5zQ0244j5wR63egLrHfWAnH7qwCKgB/s1600/IMG_2555.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-xF4HSg4KKVg/V39Lqh7t0DI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/olZZdQb5zQ0244j5wR63egLrHfWAnH7qwCKgB/s640/IMG_2555.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How we roll.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
And then we had to drive another hour south to drop off our
minivan at the shipping center. Unfortunately, this all overlapped with DC rush
hour so we ended up spending most of the day in the car with very little to do
(since everything was all packed up.)</div>
<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kmtcqNrocW4/V39Lqq4jQjI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/spMuiHX53BgKpFBemOTYTlIqy0TxJ7tGACKgB/s1600/IMG_2561.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-kmtcqNrocW4/V39Lqq4jQjI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/spMuiHX53BgKpFBemOTYTlIqy0TxJ7tGACKgB/s640/IMG_2561.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Last drive through Annapolis.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Thankfully, our favorite spicy family had invited us over
for one last hurrah that evening. You may have noticed these friends show up a
lot in our final days. We just love them so much and are REALLY going to miss
spending time together letting the kids run wild and commiserating over raising
so many children!</div>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3CENA172mr4/V39LqiBUHqI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/Pci6t37lecghQ4rQVhu5Og2Idm6e5-WZQCKgB/s1600/IMG_2563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3CENA172mr4/V39LqiBUHqI/AAAAAAAAQIQ/Pci6t37lecghQ4rQVhu5Og2Idm6e5-WZQCKgB/s640/IMG_2563.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And I thought it was difficult to get 4 kids to smile for the camera ...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
By the time we gathered up our offspring and snapped one
final photo (or about 50 photos trying to get the best shot, which never quite
happened) it was long after dark. We still had to drop off some errant library
books and drive back to our hotel—swinging by the old digs for one last wave!</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Number 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Closing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="List Continue 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Message Header"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Salutation"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Date"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text First Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Body Text Indent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Block Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Hyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="FollowedHyperlink"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Document Map"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Plain Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="E-mail Signature"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Top of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Bottom of Form"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal (Web)"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Acronym"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Address"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Cite"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Code"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Definition"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Keyboard"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Preformatted"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Sample"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Typewriter"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="HTML Variable"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Normal Table"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="annotation subject"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="No List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Outline List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Simple 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Classic 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Colorful 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Columns 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Grid 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table List 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table 3D effects 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Contemporary"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Elegant"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Professional"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Subtle 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Web 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Balloon Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Table Theme"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" UnhideWhenUsed="true"
Name="Note Level 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" SemiHidden="true" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" QFormat="true"
Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" QFormat="true"
Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" QFormat="true"
Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" SemiHidden="true"
UnhideWhenUsed="true" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="41" Name="Plain Table 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="42" Name="Plain Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="43" Name="Plain Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="44" Name="Plain Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="45" Name="Plain Table 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="40" Name="Grid Table Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="Grid Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="Grid Table 1 Light Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="Grid Table 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="Grid Table 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="Grid Table 4 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="Grid Table 5 Dark Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51"
Name="Grid Table 6 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52"
Name="Grid Table 7 Colorful Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46" Name="List Table 1 Light"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="51" Name="List Table 6 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="52" Name="List Table 7 Colorful"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="46"
Name="List Table 1 Light Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="47" Name="List Table 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="48" Name="List Table 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="49" Name="List Table 4 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="50" Name="List Table 5 Dark Accent 1"/>
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The kids were so hyped up over time spent with besties,
sleeping in a totally awesome hotel room, and our impending adventure that they
were bouncing off the walls (and beds.) I think the last child standing drifted
off someone after 11pm and I’m sure I followed a few seconds later! It was
going to be a very short night—3am and the race for our flight was not far off!<o:p></o:p></div>
J9http://www.blogger.com/profile/18038873816339954236noreply@blogger.com0