Aloha!

We did it. We managed to haul two small children across the ocean and back, and we lived to tell about it. This was no small feat for our first official trip as a family of four. Go big or go home, right? Despite a few bumps and bruises (some literal, some not), we had a great time together and enjoyed the beauty of the Big Island of Hawaii. As I record the memories of our trip in this post, I am going to do so in nauseating detail--there are so many little stories and events that I want to remember--so pardon the lack of brevity here. Brevity isn't one of my strengths anyway.

Saturday Feb 18th:
We loaded up and headed to MSP around 6 a.m. As usual, we didn't leave any too early, and had maybe 10 minutes at our gate to hurry and do bathroom runs/diaper changes before we boarded for Denver. I was less than pleased that we were to be separated on this first flight for Adrienne, but I figured for a short 90 minute flight I could do it alone. Matt sat up front with Jillian, and A and I shared a back row with another mom and baby. I should have gotten a picture of both of us sitting there wearing our nursing wraps (aka hooter hiders) around our neck, as we prepared to dutifully nurse our babes on ascent/descent to prevent ear pain. Had to look pretty funny. The flight was a breeze, and soon we found ourselves hauling it to our gate in Denver to board for Kona. Matt grabbed some pizza for us all and we shoveled it in, changed A's diaper (twice), and Jillian required a  new shirt due to the fast pizza eating. This quick transition wasn't easy for Jillian, and I literally asked Matt "Are you sure you want to do this?" as we stood in line to board. I admit to feeling a sudden wave of anxiety over the looming 7+ hr flight. I am a big fan of going fun places, but not a fan of flying. At all. We were unable to be seated together again, but the assignments actually ended up being perfect. Matt and Jillian sat in a 2-seat row in front of me, and A and I sat directly behind them...with a fantastic empty seat! What a blessing it was to have that space. Adrienne promptly fell asleep not long after take off, so I took the opportunity to lay her down for awhile (yes, with a disposable changing pad underneath her for sanitary purposes).

About an hour later the pilot announced we were leaving the mainland and encouraged us to take in the overhead view of San Francisco

Though I appreciated the update and tour guide-like info, I was not pleased to see a very awake Adrienne gazing up at me just seconds after his very loud announcement.

She remained awake for the duration of the flight. I had to get up and walk her a couple of times, but honestly, she was amazing. No crying, no fussing really, just lots of looking around, playing, chewing on whatever I allowed, and charming the entire plane with her cuteness. I had so many compliments on what a great baby she was. Jillian did equally great on the flight. She and Matt watched lots of movies, played games on iPad, ate lots of snacks (mostly sugar loaded bribes), and did some coloring.
I admit that I cried a few tears of joy when we landed. It felt like such a huge deal for us to prepare and get there, and we had finally arrived. I so wish I had thought to record the moment we deplaned. I would have if I had realized what a cool experience we were about to have. I couldn't see from my window that the Kona airport was completely outdoors--no walls at all to speak of--so we stepped out Presidential style into this amazing tropical weather in the middle of a lava field (literally) and walked down the steps to the pavement. I admit we all let out a few shouts of excitement as we just sort of reveled in the moment. Jillian continued to dance around hollering "We're in We-white!" for several minutes after while waiting to get the bags. Oh the bags. Yes, there were a lot. Despite my best efforts to keep it reigned in, we arrived in paradise with 2 suitcases, 1 small rolling suitcase, 2 car seats (in large car seat bags), 3 backpacks, an umbrella stroller, and a diaper bag. Whew!

We waited semi-patiently for Matt to get the rental car, and then we were on our way. We drove north out of Kona up the Kohala Coast to our resort: The Fairmont Orchid. I enjoyed the view of Mauna Kea from my perch in the passenger seat, while Matt and I chatted about the success of the flight. Seeing as how it was now 9 p.m. central time (5 p.m. Hawaii time), the girls were fast asleep in the back seat.

We stopped at a gourmet grocery store that was recommended on our way to pick up a few necessities, and Matt and I enjoyed a sushi picnic in the parking lot while the girls kept snoozing. After checking into our room, we worked to get the girls bathed and back to sleep. It became obvious that this would be no easy task, and so began the sleeping arrangement of the week: Matt in one queen bed with Jillian, and Adrienne in the other with me.

Sunday, February 19th:
After a fitful night's sleep thanks to a restless Adrienne, everyone was up at 3:30. For the day. Yup. It became clear that the girls were not going to go back to sleep, so at 4:30 Matt suggested we head back to Kona so that we could be at Wal-Mart when it opened at 6 (for diapers, baby food, water, etc), and and then back to the resort for his 7:30 conference start. We gathered our supplies, and hit a quick yummy stop for a breakfast sandwich at a local bakery (Buns in the Sun). Matt attended the conference all morning, while the girls and I wandered around exploring the resort and attempted to get our room into some sort of order. We hit the beach for a bit in the afternoon, and  have no pictures of Adrienne's first dip in the ocean, thanks to me forgetting the camera in the room. In the middle of all the events of the day, I discovered I probably had mastitis (Ouch!! Probably due to Adrienne not nursing well at all on travel day) and had to spend a great deal of time on the phone with the resort doctor who kindly gave me a script for the necessary antibiotics. We trucked it back down to Kona that afternoon to pick up my meds, then back north to wander around the Waikoloa shops before eating at a Japanese restaurant that we previously ate at in Maui and loved. Jillian was not so happy about the wait.

The food was not as wonderful as we remembered. I still can't decide if it was because we each ate with one hand while managing a tired, cranky child with the other, or if it truly wasn't as stellar as the Maui location. We'll never know.

Monday, February 20th
The girls slept in until 4:30. Oy. Luckily, I was recovering quickly from the mastitis so that wasn't as much as an issue. After Matt finished the conference for the morning, we set off on a beach trail walk to the resort just south of us in search of a lunch spot that someone recommended. On our way I got some great pics of our resort beach and scenery.

 It soon became clear that this "trail" wasn't going to be passable pushing the umbrella stroller, so Matt carried A over some rocks before deciding that we should abandon the plan. We did enjoy some little coves and rocky spots while we were on the trail.

Super Dad hauls Adrienne over the rocks

The bumpy ride lulled her to sleep

Can you see A? She was still snoozing in the stroller while we all took a closer look at the water and rock formations

After a lunch at our resort, we hit the beach--this time with camera in hand--and enjoyed a fun afternoon of sun and fun. The beach was so protected by the rocks/reef that it was perfect for small children--hardly a wave in sight and very shallow. You could swim 50 yards out or so for some great snorkeling. Matt and I took turns doing so while managing the girls.

Jillian was able to be so independent because of the calm, shallow water. She loved wearing her goggles and playing with her sand toys we picked up on that early morning Wal-Mart run the previous day.

Adrienne loved the water!

One of the many friends Jillian made on this trip.

Taking her turn with the sand toys

We played until dinner time, then promptly headed to the beach front restaurant for some grub. Jillian ate her first of many, many Mac and Cheese meals. She ordered it nearly every time.

It was during this meal that we observed the torch lighting ceremony that happens nightly at the resort. It begins when a man sounds the conch shell horn. He goes around to each torch on the resort and lights them just prior to sunset. The children all gather and follow him. Matt took Jillian over to see it, and she even got to help.

Matt excitedly told her they should hurry back to our table and tell me about the experience. She promptly replied, "No, Dad. We cannot tell Mom about this. She will not think it is good." Ha! Apparently she suspected I wouldn't approve of her involvement with fire. We finished dinner while witnessing a stunning, stereotypical Hawaiian sunset.

Tuesday, February 21st

While Matt was at conference and A napped in her stroller, I took Jillian over to the small pebble-filled "hot pool" so she could play a bit. It was as warm as bath water, and she had it all to herself, except for a few brief moments with another "friend"

In the afternoon, we headed back to Kona for lunch and to pick up Matt's bike rental. In the evening, we attempted the beach trail again--this time we abandoned the stroller, and I wore Adrienne in the Baby Bjorn.

 When we made it to the other resort, we enjoyed looking at all the sea life they had in their pools--various fish, including some sharks, and some friendly sea turtles

On the way back, Matt found an interesting piece of coral and Jillian enjoyed throwing rocks into the water with her dad.

We found a family of 3 turtles on our beach just before dinner!

Wednesday, February 22th

Matt had the day off from conference, so he rose early to head out on a bike ride up the coast with a friend of his who was also at the conference. Adrienne wanted to try out his helmet before he left, and looked a bit like those sea turtles we saw the night before....except much cuter.

Matt sporting his new Hawaii volcano biking jersey

While Matt was on his ride, the girls and I played around on the resort a bit. I had Jillian run some laps through the large grassy lawn, and then we explored the gazebo (aka "princess castle") at the north end of the resort. She encountered yet another friend (Shenay, whose mom was one of the conference presenters) to play with.

My wild child, mid-sprint

A princess and her Hawaiian castle

Girl talk

 

When Matt returned, we headed north for lunch in Kawaiahae Harbor, and then took a drive to the northernmost point of the island--Polulu Valley. This was by far my favorite part of the trip. The drive was spectacular and the views were unbelievable. We were unable to hike down the steep trail to the black sand beach with the girls, so it is on our list of a place to return someday. It is an extraordinarily windy part of the island, and Jillian didn't quite appreciate the beauty of the scenery thanks to that. Lots of complaining a la 3 year old style during our stop for pics!

The end of the road--literally. The highway just stops here.

Not a fan of the wind

3 out of 4 ain't bad...

 

On the way back down, we stopped briefly at Kapa'au Park to watch the rough sea smash into the rocks.

Finally, a stop in Hawi for some Tropical Dreams ice cream...the most perfect ice cream, high in butter fat and utterly delicious. Jillian loved the Mexican chocolate (chocolate flavored with vanilla and cinnamon), and my perfect double scoop bowl included a sampling of 4 flavors (an indecisive person's dream)--Mexican chocolate, coconut cream, Kona coffee, and Macademia Nut. Absolute perfection.

We hit the beach for more fun upon our return to the resort. I loved putting the girls in their matching swim suits. So fun for a mom of girls.

Love this pic of Matt and his girls

It was not long after the above photos that Adrienne took a little tumble while exploring a grassy area with Matt. In the brief second he looked away to ensure that some nearby kids didn't kick their ball too close to her, she fell down a short slope and hit her mouth on the concrete. Her lip swelled quickly and we were unsure for awhile if her teeth were damaged. We headed back to the room to collect ourselves and better assess the situation. I put a late night call into my friend who happens to be a dentist, who helped give us some evaluation tips and gave some assurance that she was likely just fine. Aside from a fat lip for about 24 hrs, she was. Tough little cookie!

shot of the little fat lip

Thursday, February 23rd:

I woke up early to go to the bathroom and noticed Jillian wasn't in bed with Matt. I couldn't find her anywhere, and started to panic. I headed into the bathroom and in a rush of great relief found this...

Apparently too much fun at the beach causes one to sleep walk and make a bed on the dirty towels on the bathroom floor!

We hung out at the pool for the morning, and then had lunch with Matt's colleague and wife after conference was over. While Matt and the girls rested, I escaped to the spa for an hour of bliss--a Lomi Lomi massage in a cabana right on the ocean. It was fantastic. Ironically, the massage therapist was from Topeka, so she and I talked a bit of Jayhawks on our walk to the cabana. Such a small world! We spent the rest of the afternoon at the beach, and then got cleaned up to try and take the girls out for a nicer dinner. Jillian was so tired, and so much more mellow than usual that night and was so sweet as we sat at the Japanese restaurant. Matt ordered her a special drink (some fruity punch) and she felt like such a big girl. I walked Adrienne around in the stroller until she fell asleep, so I was able to eat using both of my hands. It was lovely. We took a few pictures on our stroll back to the room late in the evening.

Friday, February 24th:

Before Matt headed out to his last morning of the conference, we took a few shots outside the patio of our room. The grounds truly were impeccably kept, and the foliage so beautiful

Straight out our back door

A zoomed in shot

To the right of our patio...the ocean in the distance

Jillian was still sacked out at 8 a.m.--highly unusual!

 The girls and I spent the morning packing, and then we checked out at noon. We were able to stay on the resort grounds as long as we wanted, and were given a room to quickly shower at the end of the day before heading back towards Kona. We spent one last, long, lovely afternoon at the beach.

Playing in the resort canoe with yet another friend (Vivian, from CO)

Adrienne graciously took a nice long nap in the stroller, which meant a bit of true relaxation for me

So it was only fitting that I sipped on this delicious tropical beverage

Jillian requested that Matt bury her in the sand

She needed some help to get out

She's awake!

At 4:30, we grabbed our bags from the car quickly showered before saying our goodbyes to the Fairmont Orchid.

Jillian promptly fell asleep after leaving the resort, but Adrienne had other ideas. She screamed for a long 20 minutes before Matt decided to pull over. While I fed her, he took a little walk out in the lava field.

I love this shot of him hiking through the field with the sun setting behind him

Matt made good use of his time on his little trek, and left our mark in the field among so many other names and messages. If you head to Kona, you'll find it just north of mile marker 90 on Hwy 19.

We drove around Kona most of the evening, had dinner on the water, and then did a little bit of last minute shopping before heading to the airport.

I love the confused look on Adrienne's face here

Our flight didn't leave until 11:45 p.m. and we were all quite tired. Adrienne screamed through most of the airport check-in activities, and Jillian whined about being thirsty. In a last minute decision, we checked one of our carry-on bags to lighten the load. Just before boarding, Matt asked me to get Jillian's pull-up on her (we still put her in one at night to be safe). I scrounged around in my bags, only to discover that I had left the ziploc with Jillian's pull-up and extra change of clothes in the other carry-on. The one that we checked. I figured it would be OK, since most of the time she wakes up dry anyway. I assured Matt we had nothing to worry about. We finally took off, all of us crammed in the back row of a 757. Adrienne conked out immediately, and Jillian watched movies on the iPad for about an hour before joining her. Not long after, I heard Jillian cry and Matt looked over at me with a glare to inform me that Jillian had just peed her pants. My heart sank. She was soaked, had fallen back asleep, and we were flying over the ocean near the beginning of a ten hour travel period, in a dark plane full of sleeping people, with no clothes for her. What did I do? I cried. Yep. I cried and cried as I frantically searched both carry-ons in hopes that I had missed spotting these crucial items in my previous check. I even went back to the galley to ask the flight attendants if I could stand back there in the light to search more diligently. All while sobbing. I went back to our seats with a disposable changing pad to at least put under her and inform Matt that I. had. nothing. He asked what I had for Adrienne, and I pulled out a pair of stretchy shorts--size 9 months. Jillian wears a girls 4, yet somehow those 9 month shorts looked just about right in that moment. In the meantime, a nice father sitting behind us handed me a large pull-up. He was traveling with his wife and sons (one of whom must have had a bed-wetting problem), and was like an angel throwing me a lifeline. I changed Jillian out of her wet clothes, and put her in the pull-up and Adrienne's shorts while she slept. That was all I could do. Big time mothering fail--I will never forget how I felt in that moment. We made it through that flight somehow, and suddenly I sort of found that situation a bit funny as I walked behind Matt and Jillian in the Phoenix airport.

 She never said one word about her getup and just went about her business as though it was normal. I was so thankful that she didn't add any salt to my wound by complaining about her garb.
We managed the last leg without too much trouble (Adrienne was a bit antsy), despite the fact that Matt and I hadn't slept one second in over 24 hrs and could barely stay awake. We landed safely, got our luggage without incident (unless you count the interesting stares we got for having our child dressed in super short shorts in February in Minneapolis!), loaded up, and headed home. I felt such a sense of relief and accomplishment when we pulled in the garage. I learned a lot through this experience--about traveling in general, spending time with my family, and about going with the flow through the inevitable bumps along the way. It was truly a memorable trip that none of us will ever forget (well, except Adrienne...). Jillian cried when we left, and has told us several times since returning that she misses Hawaii. She told us that she likes Hawaii just the same as "the big mall" (The Mall of America) and Chuck E Cheese--they are all on an even playing field in her book. Gotta love the perspective of a child. Aloha, Hawaii! Mahalo for a good time.