Things I learned on my vacation:

• Don't rent equipment at the resort (i.e. snorkeling mask & fins, swim board...). We paid way more for the convenience, as we found out a day later.
• If your place has a washer/dryer, you don't need change of clothes for every day of your vacation.
• Read small print, before you sign anything. That's how we got scheduled for a Time-share presentation...
• Take a day to figure out all the things you might want to see and make a plan.
• Bring a larger carryon, if you can, rather than paying for the extra luggage. We loaded each kid with a backpack and only checked in three bags between the five of us. At $20 per bag we probably saved $40 each way.
• Packing all the medical (diabetes) supplies into it's own bag made it so much easier to get through security.
• Bring a lot of things to keep kids busy on a long flight. Not only we had no problem with our kids, we had other passengers tell us that we have "such well behaved kids". (Boy, did we fool them...)
• "International Market" in Hawaii does not mean from around the world... at all.
• Bring snacks!
• Sun block is crucial. Make sure to cover yourself in even layer and do not miss any spots. It takes a day or more to get adjusted to the extra sun, so take it easy at first!
• Relax! You are on vacation!

Hawaii vacation 2009

Where do I even start?.. A week in Hawaii, first family vacation in years (if not ever). I will break it down day by day.

Saturday.
We are all packed and eager to head out. Luggage and car's long term parking is already prepaid. Off we go! Only a few blocks later we are shocked to find out that somehow Larissa left her insulin pump at home! How does she do it?.. Not happy, we turn around and drive back home. Needless to say, Larissa is in a bit of trouble.
Airport's check in is quick and painless. The only issue is that our luggage price went up and we have to pay $15 more that expected. Still, over an hour before the flight, so we get a treat at Starbucks.
The flight is smooth, service is excellent, kids are behaving, food is delicious (spinach manicotti and chocolate cake). Thank you Hawaiian Air! Not a bad start at all! We also found out that kids don't get wings on plain anymore, it's a chocking hazard!
Another quick flight from Maui to the Big Island, car rental, then we check into our hotel. Actually, it's a time share, and we have two one bedroom apartments reserved in opposite parts of the complex. That's one flaw of getting online reservation. We laugh at the idea of keeping kids on one apartment and taking the other. All jokes aside though, that won’t work. Lucky for us we can trade for one two bedroom apartment! Since we got a fridge and a stove, we stock up on some food and settle in for the night.

Sunday.
Today is Gabe's birthday! I almost forgot with all the excitement.
Our morning starts with a "Welcome" speech by the Shell Club. It's really funny when Jon steals the show, without even trying. As a presenter lady gives us her speech, she stops in mid sentence looking at Jon and suddenly she proclaims: "I just totally forgot where I was. I lost track of my thought watching this cute little boy..." Ha ha ha
(This is we get suckered into a time share presentation, without even knowing it. When I am offered a discount card for the island activities through the Shell Club, I am thinking it's a local generosity, but as it turns out, I should read the small print in the future. It is actually a "free gift" with a 90 minute presentation commitment...)
We rented some snorkeling gear and a viewing board for Jon and head out to the beach. Hawaii beaches are nothing like the Oregon ones we are so used to. It's rocky and slippery. You might as well keep your water shoes or sandals on. Plus, the sand is extremely hot. This is my first time snorkeling. I have some trouble adjusting to breathing underwater; my instincts are telling me that it's not an option... I also find out that since neither Larissa nor Jon can swim and we don't have swimming vests, I can only handle one kid at a time. But once we all get going, it's a great experience! Water is warm, and fish is plentiful. We also spot a huge turtle feeding on algae.
Sadly, we didn't realize the strength of Hawaiian sun and despite our best efforts applying the sun block, we all got a different degree of sunburn.

Sunday night is spent at the Bubba Gump Shrimp restaurant. It is Gabe's 11th birthday and what better way to celebrate, but to try some lobster and crab legs? Our waiter is really entertaining and finishes our dinner with a Happy Birthday song and an ice cream for Gabe.

He is thoroughly embarrassed

Monday.
By Monday morning I finally figured out locations of all the places we want to stop by and planned out the rest of our week.
I start my morning with an early run. I actually manage to put in seven miles. Not too bad for vacation!
Today we have a Sea Quest snorkeling adventure scheduled at around noon. Even though we are sun burned, the trip is great! We take a fast boat out to the Captain Cook Monument, which is an animal and a coral preserve. Again, it's beautiful!

On Monday night we are scheduled for a Luau, but when we get there we find that all the appetizers are gone and there is no place for us to sit. This is not our idea of a dinner, so we take off looking for some local food. We come across L&L Hawaiian BBQ. It's a fast food place, but portion are big, so we order a few dishes and take them back to our apartment patio.

After dinner we all fall asleep on a couch watching TV. This is life!

Tuesday.
We head out to the next scheduled event at Ocean Sports Glass Bottom Boat ride. We get there early and get to relax at the beach. This part of the Big Island is a little different. I like it. The beach is sandy and waters are shallow. May be next time we could stay here... or may be not, based on the pricey shops around the hotel...
Our boat ride is not long enough... While looking at turtles and fish we keep getting things dropped onto the glass bottom by other passengers... No bog deal , except that it is getting on my way of good photos.

Once finished, we continue with our scheduled adventure and head out to the Upolu Point. I think we are really lucky with the weather. It seems like wherever we go, it's clear and sunny, but out where we are not, it's either raining or overcast. Yeah! We stop for lunch at a French restaurant Daniel Thiebaut. The food is fancy and expensive, but so worth it.

Next stop is Wiapia Valley. We decided against hiking down the trail. Today we are not prepared for it...

On the way home we stopped at the Kona Mountain coffee shop. Sampled some coffee flavors and decided that Hazelnut one and Coconut Mocha are the two we "must have".
Another great day comes to an end.

Wednesday.
Again, early run (five miles) and drive, drive, drive. Today's points of interest are South Point (most South point of United States) and the Volcanoes!. Not to forget a Punalu'u Bake shop, where I admit I had THE best ever salmon teriyaki burger! That along was worth the drive!

Tim ends up jumping off the South Point cliff twice, because my camera battery gives out in the middle of his first jump...

But I don't think he has any regrets.

Volcanoes National Park is next. Walk through a lava tube (tunnel), followed by a looooong hike across the bed of a volcano crater. Needless to say, by night time we were completely out of steam... (the light line in the picture is the trail)

Thursday.

As if we didn't have enough fun for the week, another trip lays ahead. Today it is UFO Parasailing for Tim

and a crazy drive to the top of Mauna Kea Mountain to the Astronomy observatory. Despite all the warnings from the rangers about the "four wheel drive must have" Tim takes a change (and his family along) for a drive up the 13,000 ft elevation up a gravel road.

Surprisingly, we make it up without getting stuck, but everyone (especially Jon) are feeling light headed, so we quickly get down the mountain (yet another crazy drive).

Glad it's over with...

Lunch at McDonald's and we finally make it to Hapuna Beach. So nice, can't get the 'boys" out of the water. Jon is fearless and has to be watched closely.
Friday.
Vacation is almost over and we put in almost 700 MILES in driving! That's insane... I must get a chance to bake by the pool side. I do just that with Jon and Larissa, while Gabe and Dad go Kayaking. After a while though Tim picks us up and I get a chance to go out there with one kid at a time too.

Saturday.

What? The vacation is over?!! No! Oh well, off to Oregon we go. Till next time.

Mid-August 2009

This week certainly had it's ups and downs.

Tim and I realized that the summer is almost over, our kids are getting ready to go back to school and we haven't done anything exciting as a family... actually, in years...

We did manage to get the paperwork going for our passports, so soon enough we will be able to be spontaneously crazy. Not yet though...

For now, we have to limit our adventures to within the borders of US.

At first we considered a road trips and a Pacific ocean cruise, but that's just not exciting enough, we went a little over the top and booked us a week long trip to Hawaii!

I have to admit that my fear of flying is getting on the way of a restful sleep at night and causing me some anxiety... Well, if that wasn't enough, we got a guilt trip attempt from Tim's ex about not including his two oldest kids in our planning. The same two kids that chose to stay home with their friends this summer and not visit us. Funny how suddenly they feel entitled (or is it really their Mom who feels that way?..)

I am continuing with doing long runs on Saturdays and this weekend was my personal best. 15 miles!! I did have to stop (quite) a few times, but I did finish it!

Larissa and I took a walk on Sunday for lunch, but it turned out that many establishments around here are not open on Sundays, so we ended up checking out a local Goodwill store and a Mexican grocery store instead. I found a Russian scarf and cup of flan for me at those two places (guess which one where, LOL). Larissa got a winter dress ($2, can't beat that) and a huge doughnut.

A few things I learned this weekend:

• Good night sleep makes a HUGE difference during a long run. Staying up till 2am the night before is not an option. Darn instant Netflix!! So many choices.
• You should not attempt a split once you pass your teenage years. Gabe and I were goofing around and I managed to do something to my hip, while showing off my flexibility. Not sure what I did, but it was accompanied by a loud "Pop!". Even Gabe heard it. Ouch! I am in some serious pain now and no longer can touch my toes. I hope it goes away before the Marathon...
• Miserable people are eager to share their misery. Hence the harassment by Tim's ex.
• If you want Larissa to go to the store with you, and she is not interested, ask Gabe or Jon instead... It never fails!

I also made a necklace using beads from the Planet Bead's grab bag challenge.