Snorkeling

Snorkeling, and simply swimming in the ocean in general, is super fun.



One morning, at the best spot we found, we were simply surrounded by these black fish.  It was so fun to swim around with a school that big.





We also did a snorkeling trip out to Molokini.  I have to admit that we found better snorkeling on our own (Like right outside the hotel :)), but the trip was super fun.  We got up early to board and whale watched our way to the site.





We snorkeled at two different places and had an awesome lunch on the boat while we looked for sea creatures. When we saw this dolphin, we also saw a mama and baby dolphin, quite possibly the cutest thing ever.

On the way back, we stopped at a popular turtle destination.

Speaking of turtles, we got to swim with one at our hotel beach. We saw him when we were out there one day and followed him for a while and then on our last morning, we decided to take one more swim around the reef and were lucky enough to see him again. Turtles are cool.
Also cool? This little lizard that just about made me jump off my bar stool when we landed on my shoulder!

Wordless Wednesday

A perfect day in Maui

Thanks to some pro lessons from our visit a few years ago to ex-Hawaiians Nic and Kim, we had some tricks up our sleeves for days in Maui. We woke up early and went out for a beach jog:

Our perfectly placed hotel was on a strip of beach about a mile long, so a run to the end and back was just enough to get the blood flowing and start the day off right.

Plus, sand and warm water on your toes first thing in the morning is a pretty awesome way to start the day. Optional cool down swim in the ocean for bonus points.

After that, we packed our bags with our snorkels and hit Starbucks for breakfast and then a trip to Foodland and Subway to get snacks, drinks and lunch for the day. We packed these in an insulated bag (you know, to keep the vodka nice and chilled ;)) Then we'd drive out to explore. We did a bit of hiking.

When we got to a place that looked like good snorkeling, we'd stop and give it a try. More than once, we found that we had a little beach all to ourselves.



After a few hours of hiking and swimming and exploring, we'd head back to our car and have our picnic lunch and drive back into town to spend the afternoon at the beach by our hotel.

Here, we'd make some drinks and suntan and chat and people watch and swim and snorkel some more.

I have to say that JJ did an awesome job of picking our hotel. Out of all the snorkeling that we did, the second best place was right outside on "our" beach. The cool thing about that was that we didn't have to spend any more time than we wanted in transit to something cool. Something cool was right outside our door.

Even though it was cloudy, the temperature was delightful and the water was amazing.

After a few hours of lounging and a couple rounds of vodka and diet Mt. Dew, we'd go clean up and head into town for a snack or happy hour.

We'd usually come back to the little bar by our hotel for one last drink or a walk on the beach as the sun set.

Then hit the hay early, wake up and repeat.  Perfection.

Maui

So once upon a time in 2011, about the time I started ignoring my blog for a while, we went on a delightful little vacation to Maui.

I'm going to relive a bit of it this week. Even though my tan has already faded, I want to transport myself to the beach...

and remember the awesomely warm water...

and fantastic sunsets...

So awesome.

Jan. 6

The timing of John's surgery date coinciding with the new year makes for a good time of reflection.  His "second birthday" will always follow the ringing in of the new year and I think it adds to the mindset of starting fresh and being thankful for everything that we have.  I'll never forget that very long day but I am glad that I took the time to write about it when it was fresh.  Every time I read this, I remember the 'me' that I was that day: vulnerable, hopeful, scared.  Remembering how quickly you can lose everything you love is a good impetus to align your gratitude and your goals and drive the course of your life instead of letting it drive you.

January 6, 2009

Happy 3, JJ.  I love you.  I'm glad we're still on this road together.

Wordless Wednesday

Baby, it's cold outside!

The kitties have discovered where the warm comes out.