A Rude Awakening

We returned from Hawaii this week only to find ourselves in the now-frozen tundra of Washington. Ahhhhh....only a few days ago we were basking in the sunny 80 degree weather. Now it's in the 20's with snow- yes snow. The grocery store was packed with people buying supplies for the "Big Storm". Schools were closed, Matthew's swimming classes were cancelled, lots of people stayed home from work. Did I mention that we only got 1-2 inches? As a former Michigander I found this really quite humorous. But things are different here than in Michigan- no plows or salt trucks. So I guess it is a big deal. We've definately got the boy ready for the weather though....

Anyhow, Maui was fantastic. A great rest and recharge for all of us. Although traveling with an 18 month old is a bit busy. We did a lot more take-out than we're used to on vacation. But Matthew couldn't have been happier. He went swimming at least once a day and got to chase the waves on the shore. We didn't let him get into the ocean because the seas were really rough. It didn't matter to him though, as long as he got to go in the pool, he was happy.

We went to a luau one night and he was totally hypnotized by it all. It was really fun to watch the amazement in his eyes. He loved the dancers, especially the Tahitian ladies.

He also got to practice a little hula before the big show...

Our last day before we left there was a big storm with lots of rain and wind. With the rain, the red soil from the mountains washed into the ocean so the water was stripped with blue, green and red. It was really a neat thing to see. Oahu had the most rain and set records previously from 1970's. It was really pretty the night before as the storm rolled in (not sure if you can make out the rainbow in the pic).

It was a great trip and we really enjoyed the time together and getting a chance to chill a little bit.

Now we're just preparing for Christmas since I had absolutely nothing done before we left. We are looking forward to celebrating with friends and family. Four of the six of Matthew's grandparents will be visiting in the next few weeks. As well as Scott's friend Joe and his wife Anne. We can't wait for all of the festivites and fun.

Mele Kalikimaka (Merry Christmas)!!