It has always been a dream of mine to go to Hawaii. I figured it would remain just a dream, but my father purchased a timeshare condo awhile back. He generously gave a week to my sister and I and last month we left on a jet plane. This was the first time flying anywhere with Corey, and the first time flying with kids. We stayed the night in Seattle with my aunt and uncle, who graciously took us to the airport in the early AM. I never realized how much it costs to park a car at an airport for a week! Since the vacations we go on usually involve a tent or a family member's house, this was a new experience for us. The plane ride went better than I expected (probably thanks to the tips of travel savvy moms: umbrella stroller, snacks, and lots of new toys) and we enjoyed our layover in Honolulu. I had really wanted to go to the Polynesian Cultural Center but without carseats (yup, we forgot ours and paid the car rental a small fortune) it wasn't an option. So instead we hopped on TheBus and went to see the Pearl Harbor Memorial. After a film they took us by boat to the memorial which is above the Arizona. In all, 2,386 people were killed by the surprise attack that moved the country into WWII. It was a somber but interesting experience. We took our connecting flight to Kauai and found our way to the condo. The kids were very tired. We learned that they sleep fairly well sharing a bed. One thing I really enjoyed was seeing my sister and bro-in-law. We don't get to see them very much and it was fun hanging out. It was their first time in Hawaii too. We took these pictures after having dinner at one of the Marriott's restaurants-really tasty, with open air seating and a koi pond.

Amy and Clinton hanging ten. Corey and I have different vacationing styles. I enjoyed reading travel books for months before we left, getting ideas of what to do and pack. Lists are involved. Corey prefers spontaneity and adventure, just going with the flow. In times past, this has created tension. We seem to be meeting in the middle; we just picked a few things we really wanted to do and it worked well for us.

We did a little hiking on the North Shore, it was so beautiful. It's what I pictured Hawaii being like. After a short hike (but not easy) hike, we made it to the overlook. This is Ke'e Beach.

Backpacker magazine ranks this trail as one of the nation's top ten most dangerous hikes. We only hiked the beginning part of the trail, which is maintained better than the rest of the trail. I wasn't entirely comfortable, there was quite a dropoff on a few parts. I'm smiling, but standing as far over as I can. And holding Ezra.

I loved the sun, warm breezes, beautiful plants and interesting birds. It was so much fun going somewhere new. We took a picture of the taro fields near Hanalei, also on the north shore. Yes, we sang "Puff the Magic Dragon." And I don't think poi is all that bad. Much better than poke (a raw salmon relish.)

The other thing I loved: warm, sandy beaches. We went to one with a protected wading area for the kids. Ezra kept referring to the beach as Hawaii, we had to explain the whole island was Hawaii, too. We did some snorkeling there and I loved it. I saw some beautiful fish and a moray eel (which I didn't get too close to.) Snorkeling and our hike were my favorite parts, I think.

Kiluea National Wildlife Refuge. Corey (jokingly, of course) throwing Ezra into the ocean. I can see how it would have been a different experience with just the two of us. Our vacation wasn't quite as relaxing as it might have been, but the kids had fun. On our last evening, we went to a luau. It was expensive, touristy, and long, but we enjoyed it. We got to try some food and see some dancing. The kids fell asleep so we got to enjoy the show.

I miss the sun...warm water...that vacation feeling. Until next time! And we'll wait until we can go without kids!