4.17.2013

o, well hello...

i took a month to collect myself.

moving is craaaaaaazy.



homeschooling is...challenging.




hawaii is...very different than i am used to.




but overall, this has been a good month.
the hard ones usually are.
good, not easy.
one of my favorite parts was this....


she came to celebrate our birthdays together.
it was a relief, ya know?
just to have your friend with you for a few days.


and reedo treated us to the James Taylor concert in honolulu


 it was very sweet.
my siblings and i grew up listening to him.
i knew the words to every song.
we sang along and called my other sister to listen together.
james taylor is 65 years old and he sounds just the same as he ever has.
he is such a romantic and i just love him.
my kids fall asleep to him singing to them "carolina in my mind" and "sweet baby james."
what a treat to see him in person.
it was familiar.
and that is just what i needed.


on my birthday we celebrated by hiking through beautiful trees and tropical loveliness to a little waterfall.




sweatiest day of my life.
but so great.
really.



a few things you may not know about my new home 
(i certainly didn't)

1. things take a little longer here.


not sure if it's the aloha spirit or the fact that it is an island 2500 miles away from anything else...but yep, you need patience here. 
what seems awesome and "kick back" on vacation is not as cool in real life :)
but i'm learning.

2. i do not need half of my clothing.


it is hot here. 
not burning hot. 
the weather forecast for as far as the eye can see is 81 degrees. and that is a sweaty 81 degrees.
all we ever want to wear is bathing suits, sundresses or shorts and tank tops.
all day.
til bedtime when it gets down to like 77 degrees. 
so my jeans and boots and sweaters and even long sleeved shirts? going bye bye until the next move.

3. the beach here is much more comfortable than the california beaches.

the water is so warm.
the air is so warm. 
less people are looking at each other and comparing.
there are tons of lagoon type beaches where mommies don't have to stress as much. 
the beach is definately growing on me.
the hawaiian beach, that is. 
i was never that much of a fan before.


16 comments:

  1. So happy you are back <3! Love your photos and words!

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  2. Rose D. Frenchtown, NJApril 17, 2013 at 3:51 PM

    You have been missed... :-)

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  3. I've missed your posts but completely understand. HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY!!!!How wonderful that your sister came to celebrate with you. Mine is in a few days, although I haven't had much time to even think about it this year.
    Your pictures make me long for the water!!!

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  4. So nice to see you back! Mmmm ... Sunshine and warm temperatures, can't wait! Just getting into spring here in New Brunswick Canada. Can you please post some pictures of your house/decorating? Always so fun to see! Praying you are all continuing to adjust to your new surroundings!

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  5. Welcome back to the blogging world and I'm glad you are adjusting the island well. It does take awhile to get used to doing things aloha style when anywhere else we are all so rushed. We've been here almost three years and there are many times I have had to force myself to slow down and enjoy the Hawaiian pace of life.

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  6. helllooo!! moving is SO crazy, especially a big move like this!! glad you're settling in, as hard as it is. we need house pics now. thanks ;)

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  7. I really love the way you're rolling with all of this. I'm sure it's hard and stressful in many ways, but you're searching out the shiny threads and they look so good on you! I wanna come visit now. You had me at stress-free lagoon beach and less comparing. ;)

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  8. awesome to read your catch up post, glad all is well! : ) beth

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  9. I am so glad you are doing well! I hope you guys all continue to find your new normal! Your pictures are amazing as always!

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  10. So glad you guys are getting settled. Thanks for sharing your pictures! I always enjoy seeing what your family is up to. Your pictures are wonderful and your kids are just too cute! Have fun setting up your new house! ~Kristina :)

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  11. You've never loved the beach before?
    This I cannot understand.
    Maybe it's the fact that beaches are in every direction forever away for me?
    But I still can't imagine!
    So glad your sister could come to visit and James Taylor!
    So jealous!

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  12. Happy Belated birthday! Great pictures.

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  13. i'm loving your laid back life. i can imagine that would definitely take some getting used to though. believe it or not Virginia was a huge adjustment in that area as well. people up north just move faster...get things done...lines were faster, more efficient. it still bugs me. love that you are settling in. enjoy those beaches for me. love warm water.

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  14. Love your blog...never commented before but I need to know where those precious curtains came from (white ruffles)in one of your photos. Looking for some just like them. I know you're very busy, so when you get a chance could you let me know via your comment section? Thanks, and you are darling:o)

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  15. I love the pictures...they make me want to move there! I live at the beach in Southern California and before my husband and I became parents (11 years ago!) we considered moving to Hawaii. Ultimately, staying near our families is why we decided to stay, but him and I dream of doing it someday. So I love riding along on your journey through reading your blog, thanks for posting! :)

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  16. So glad you are ok! Was getting worried! lol :)

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