Hi everyone, we’ve been in Hawaii this past week. It’s been wonderful to enjoy the beach, hang out with family, not do housekeeping, and just be in a new place away from home.
After our October 2023 trip to Hawaii, we came home to deal with a lot of unexpected life craziness: Ellis’ 2 hospitalizations for cyclic vomiting, both mom and Mil surgeries had separate health issues and surgeries, and loss of uncle and cousin. Ack!
Thankfully, both moms are well again and Ellis is back to her spunky self. God walked with us through those months and still gave us time of peace, joy, and love. Feeling grateful.
Hope you all are well. I missed my blogging community!
Glass-bottom boat tour with Diamond Head on the right:
Beach outing and man with pet parrots walk around for pictures. Venmo tips accepted:
Sunset:
48 responses to “Coming back home from Hawaii”
It’s good to see you and your family relaxed and having fun!
Thank you, Liz! It was great to soak in the sun and just hang around without an agenda.
The family photos are great, but those birds! What an experience to be so close to them. Glad to have you back, and glad you had a good time!
Thank you, Linda! The birds were comfortable on our shoulders and in Ellis’ hands. It was an unexpected photo opportunity, and we’re so glad he stopped by.
You and your family deserved a relaxed trip, Esther.
Thank you, Miriam. We love it there and the slow pace of Hawaii living.
Very nice & pretty look family pic. Nice you sharing your past week Hawai ptip. Amazing pet parrot 🦜 with both kids of you. I like. My dear friend Esther!
So beautiful capture the Sunset. I Miss you all of. Happy have you back & you had a enjoy time. Your family relaxed.
Thank you, Raj! We were excited to go back and got the beaches again.
Most welcome , Esther! Enjoyed.
Have a great weekend!!
Thanks, Esther, ! You too! 😌
You’re welcome! Hope you are well. 🙂
Iam very well & you & kids?
I love the parrot 🦜♥️💛🤗
They’re very colorful and tame!
Hi Esther! That looks like a very fun vacation. Did you stay at a hotel at the Diamond area this time? I remember it, but I’m sure it has changed a bit. Be sure to tell Ellis that she is quite skilled with getting her parrot to lay on its back in hers hands! Darling Dart will be envious. Chris looks cute-fully happy and Elliot is getting tall. Is he your height now? And of course you look beautiful as always. ❤️
I was thinking about you when we were close to the Rainbow Tower each day. That is the prime spot for Friday night fireworks and access to the beach.
We stayed at the same hotel, but the view was from a glass bottom boat tour. Next time, we’ll try the hike on Diamond Head, but no one was too interested in doing that this time.
Thank you for all the sweet comments! We took a bunch of photos and those were the few that came out well. Lol.
The parrot owner held Ellis’ hands out and plopped the parrot down like that. It didn’t move at all.
Esther, I would have skipped a hike on Diamond Head too and go for anything on the water! Glass bottom boat was a great decision!! Diamond Head was the place to go snorkeling to see the fish.
We took a small sailing trip around the Rainbow Tower waters with just six guests on board. This captain would beach up his catamaran and take a few hanging out on the beach for a ride for a small fee. There was no planning or waiting, just hop on and go!
Then I wanted to go out into the deep seas, so we went on a group sail water tour that did take planning with a large fee. I couldn’t believe what I saw but I screamed Whale! We were NOT on a whale watching tour. But I saw it spew water and come up, but no one else saw it. So it was unusual and the captain had to anchor due to the ocean law. Sure enough it came up again close enough to get great photos and everyone saw it too. Fun!
That parrot was well behaved!! What a thrill for Ellis.
How could you not notice the sunset? Good thing Chris brought you out of your relaxing trance to pay attention to nature’s beauty that happens in a moment to capture it on camera for us too. Stunning!!!
I would love to see and hear more of your trip if you want to text. ❤️🫠
It would’ve been such a thrill to see a whale!! The boat tour guide mentioned that we could see a whale, but we didn’t. We saw 2 sea turtles and a school of fish. His helpmate threw out a cup of fish food, and the school of fish immediately appeared. But I wasn’t on that side of the boat, so I only got a glance. To see a whale would’ve been a hit!!!
Hawaii tourist culture is interesting…lots of tipping involved for beach performers and walking vendors while others are based on schedules and fees. Lots of fun all around.
I was amazed at my mindlessness too that I almost missed the sunset. It wasn’t on my mind at all…I was too busy keeping an eye on the kids while I was sitting on the beach. I missed a spot on my back for sunscreen the day before and got a terrible burn. I’m so glad that Chris mentioned the sunset…happy to share it with you. 🙂 Did you ever catch the Friday night fireworks on one of your stays too?
If I saw a Friday night fireworks, it certainly wasn’t a memory moment for me.
Seeing sea turtles is exciting! When I’m walking on the bay sea wall and I get to see a sea turtle… well I go bananas!
So much changes in twenty years, my dear Esther. I’m so glad that your family had another opportunity to visit the area together again! ❤️
I would go bananas too if I saw a sea turtle near me!! We went to one of the beaches where sea turtles sunbathe, but we were so tired by the time we got there that we just passed by. There were many stops along the way.
It’s nice to be on the beach and see the fireworks go off nearby, but it lasts only 5 minutes. Yea, it wasn’t that memorable excepts that it’s a fun thing to look forward to with kids. There was a guy dancing with fire sticks while we waited.
Yes, it was lovely to be back!
You must have been driving from Turtle Bay along North Beach which is where I saw the turtles sunbathing in the sand and in the shade of the trees. I had forgotten about that! We didn’t stay very long either. I remember fun shops to do quick stops to buy t-shirts and silly souvenirs.
I do remember that traveling with family, especially with young children, is very different than traveling with just a spouse. My HI trips were with my second husband. He was a Pro-Amiture avid golfer. All of our vacations together included golf. I totally loved being able to ride in the golf carts on those beautiful golf courses. I didn’t play that level, but did golf in 3 par women’s leagues during the years I was married to him when I lived in Denver, CO. That’s why we stayed at Turtle Bay Resort. He was/is a certified financial planner for a large company and had a business client in Honolulu, so we traveled HI six times within three years. Always rented a convertible but stayed at different resorts. Always fun.
You are so right! We were driving along North Shore and we stopped several times along the way. By the time we neared the beach where the turtles can be seen, everyone declined to get out of the car. Also, we didn’t think it was possible the turtles would be out there with so many surfers and beachgoers. By that time, Ellis was worn out from crying and Elliot getting antsy about not having enough time to go to get to the beach before sunset. I was hoping we’d miss the beach that day, but Elliot won in the end. That’s the day I got the sunset picture.
Like you remembered, it’s still the same with lots of stops along the way with food trucks, vendors, souvenirs, and snack stops. I always wanted to ride in a golf cart and feel the breeze on my face. Chris is a hobby golfer and golfs maybe 3 times a year, on a good year. Sounds like a lot of vacations within those 3 years. Turtle Bay Resort is lovely and the grounds so pristine. What a bonus to having a client in Hawaii…vacation and make money too. 🙂
“Elliot getting antsy about not having enough time to go to get to the beach before sunset”, and he was so correct on that!
Your next goal is to get Chris to let you drive/ride in a golf cart while you watch him golf! It took me a while to convince my husband that I wanted to do that, but it turned out that he actually loved it. Yes, it was worth the extra money and it would also be worth the extra money to have someone watch your kids while YOU as a couple get to get a break away!
I was just reading your comment and Ellis day next to me reading it too. She got to the last sentence and gasped out loud! “What…without US?” She said. Yep, not yet. Lol.
But it’s totally worth the extra fee to drive the cart.
One day, we’ll have a date. Geesh, it’s been forever.
OMGOSH, that’s so funny. Your children don’t know about Mom and Dad dates! YET!! 😂
We do everything together and have family dates!! Oh well, one day we’ll have a couple night out. But yea, Ellis gasped at the horror of us going out without her. shaking my head…we’re weird!
What fun!
Fun and different! Thank you, Cindy.We got home and pooped out from all the daily adventures… not used to doing so much in a day.
Oh that sunset! So beautiful!
Thank you, friend! Do you know that I didn’t even notice the sunset? It wasn’t on my radar since I rarely see them. But Chris pointed it out saying I needed to take a pic right away. Lol. I guess my photo brainwashing has rubbed off on him.
What wonderful photos of your trip Esther – it is hard to pick a favorite, as I like them all – great pic of the whole family, I love the parrot poses and what a stunning sunset. Hard to leave paradise and return to reality I’ll bet!
That’s what I thought too. back to reality! Well, I got sick the first night we got home with chills and a terrible throat cold. The next day Ellis got sick with the same symptoms and the doctor prescribed her antibiotics. Ha! I thought we would be ok, but we probably got something from Elliot, and he probably caught something from people coughing on the plane and in the tourist area. He was sick on Saturday in Hawaii and we had a very slow day for him to rest up. He almost threw up at night too at the hotel. Ack!
Thank you: I’m so glad you like the photos!!
Honestly! It is always something. I hope you all are better now. Did Chris remain unscathed? I did like the photos a lot! Did you get a beach photo of Elliot’s footprints on the beach?
Tell me about it. It was a rude awakening back to reality, but we are all on the mend now. Thankfully, Chris was spared.
I remembered the footprints photo but I couldn’t get one. I asked him to walk and then Ellis started walking next to him and then Chris followed behind. Aye! I did get one of him standing on the beach by himself.
Thank goodness Chris was spared. As to the footprints photo – well, then you’ll just have to go back again!!
Nope, I spoke too soon! Chris is feeling under the weather now. It’s going around the house. ugh…the E trio are much better though.
Yep, you’re right. I guess we have to go back.
Sorry to hear Chris is feeling under the weather now. Glad the E trio are doing well though. A good reason to return.
It’s back and forth…but the coughing and sniffles are persisting.
Hope you stay well and don’t catch anything. I thought we were in the clear cause it was spring. Germs don’t rest!
Sorry to hear that and yes, that is very true. I am thinking I should get a COVID booster since it has been since last October. I haven’t decided whether to just wait until Fall or not.
We’re all on the mend for good, now! Ellis has puffed up eyes from allergies, but I’ll take that from her coughing.
I haven’t heard about Covid boosters yet. If you can, you should. In the fall, we all should get boosters.
It seems it is no longer a hot-button topic Esther. A few months ago it was the measles and that’s all they were talking about. Allergy season is bad here right now, especially with all this rain. We did have three days in a row of great weather, but it was rainy, so those with mold allergies suffer too.
Allergies are awful!!
Indeed – especially here with grass and trees are coming out at the same time. If that is my only problem health-wise, I won’t complain.
Seems like a great time.
You all look amazing.
Great share.
Happy happy happy
Thank you!! It was a great time to be together and do some vacation things. There were so many coughing people there though and Elliot caught something getting sick in the middle of our time there. When we got back, Ellis and I caught something and have been both sick. lol. Post vacation sickness. Yikes.
Ohhh no 🥺
Tell me about it. We were sitting on the plane with someone having a coughing fit two rows down from us. Every time I heard the coughing I would wince imagining all the germ droplets floating around the enclosed space.