Trouble in Paradise...

Hi y'all!  Yes, you read the title correctly!  Allow me to explain and try to refrain from slapping me while saying "but you're in Hawaii"!  So, yes, this place is gorgeous and amazing and all of that but it definitely has its challenges.  Jaden is still battling allergies and developed a cold sore on his lip a few days ago.  I thought it was healing quite nicely with forcing putting Abreva on it every 30 seconds.  This morning though he woke up with a huge blister on top of his "healing" cold sore.  Normally it wouldn't be that big of a deal, but we have very important pictures to take tomorrow.  More on that later....  Also, to add insult to injury, Jaden has developed a skin rash around his waistline and cuts on his ankles.  This is a direct reflection between the amount of time he spends in water with his fins on.  However, being the superhero mother that I am, I rushed out to buy him diaper rash cream (it keeps the sand from sticking to his skin) and fin socks to wear while he boogie boards.  I'm crossing my fingers that all of these heroic measures will ensure a speedy recovery.  Oh, and we got Claritin also, which seems to be helping.

Chris and I are doing fine in the health department.  No allergies or skin rashes to report, but we both are sleep deprived!  We are attempting to sleep in a double bed (sshhh, don't tell my parents) but are consistently woken up to the sun rising at 5:45 am or the birds screaming chirping right outside of the window.  We really might need a vacation after we return from our vacation.

Anyway, yesterday was Father's Day.  We spent most of the day just hanging out.  Jaden really, really wanted to go to the beach and so I took him while Chris took a nap.  I had just unpacked all of our stuff, got comfortable, and started reading my book when Jaden limps over to me asked to go home because his rash and feet hurt.  Grrrrr!!!

Today was much better!  We drove to Kailua Beach and did our usual activities.  Jaden had made a brief miraculous recovery and was able to spend most of the time in the water.  One of the reasons I love this beach is because the water is so warm and the ocean floor is so soft.  It was a tad bit windy today and the sand was blowing everywhere but we still had a good time.  Below are some pictures of our day!

Tomorrow is a very exciting day, so stay tuned.  Until then, I hope everyone is having a wonderful start to the summer!

Aloha!

My future husband! 

Allergic to Hawaii

Don't worry, friends, I'm not talking about myself!  I'm allergic to normal things like people crying and expressing my emotions.  Jaden is the one allergic to Hawaii!  Can you even believe it?  He is totally fine in any body of water but as soon as we get close to our apartment, he morphs into a sneezing, sniffling, itchy eye, whiny child.  I guess he isn't used to all the parks full of freshly cut grass and trees that shake their pollen everywhere.  It was so bad on Wednesday that he didn't even want to leave the house.  So we stayed inside.  The.  Whole.  Day.  It was extra annoying because we had the rental car and we were supposed to go hike Koko Head and then hit up Lanikai Beach.  Thankfully he was much better by the next morning.

Yesterday, we headed to "Old Faithful", the beach by the apartment.  This is the beach where boogie boarders rule and surfers are not allowed.  We have probably been here at least 50 times but Jaden absolutely loves it.  We got him fins to wear while he boogie boards so he can catch more waves and there are a ton of kids for him to bond, run, wrestle, and play with.  While he did all of these things, Chris and I relaxed on the beach, tanning ourselves until one of us looks like a tomato and one looks like a Cherokee Indian.  You'll have to decide who is who, but regardless, we were both pretty cranky last night trying to sleep with sunburns.  Here are some pictures of yesterday...

Can you see Jaden in the wave?!

Today was very similar to yesterday, except the boys headed to the beach, while I headed to the mall. We are in a time crunch and we all need outfits for our upcoming nuptials. Thankfully I was able to find outfits for the boys.  They might be the most handsome guys I have ever seen!   Aloha!

Getting Acclimated...

Hi folks!  We have been here for a week now and are settling in quite nicely.  We have been frolicking from beach to beach and pool to pool.  Jaden and my mom have been spending the last few nights at the Hilton and Chris and I have enjoyed the perks as well!  We have eaten at some fantastic restaurants, exhausted ourselves by walking approximately five miles a day, registered for our wedding license, watched professional boogie boarders at Sandy Beach, observed a gay pride parade down the main drag, watched Jaden surf, and have driven around most of the island.  Clearly it has been a busy week!  Below are some photos of the past few days...

Tomorrow, the boys are going to hike Koko Head.  I will not be joining them, since I already had my brush with death last year.  If you don't know what I'm referring to, click here.  If they survive, we'll head to Lanikai Beach.  I'll post more pictures of our adventures later!

Aloha!

Deja Vu

Hello again friends! It is Thursday evening and we are finally in Hawaii. We left on Monday evening and flew into Las Vegas for two fun-filled, relaxing days (sarcasm). I kept wondering why I wasn't having as much fun in Vegas as I used to as a 21 year old. I have never been so thankful to leave a place as I was on Wednesday morning! However, our flight to Honolulu left a lot to be desired. It was a full, squished 6 hour flight where I'm pretty sure 90% of the passengers had ADHD....up, down, up, down, can you get up, I need to get my bag, can we switch seats, squirrel, are we there yet, etc. Also, there was a tv crew filming a new show to be aired on CBS called "Game on a Plane". They described it as Cash Cab but in the air. Everyone was expected to cheer and yell and high five the contestants as they ran down the aisle to play trivia. I did nothing of the sort, except give dirty looks and try to fall asleep.

 We finally arrived around 6 pm and my mom came and picked us up from the airport. Remember, she loves Hawaii as much as I do! She has already been here for a week, staying in my apartment, and warming the place up for me :) She has since checked into the Hilton Hawaiian Village where she and Jaden will live a life they have grown accustom to (until Monday at least). Chris and I unpacked our suitcases and were asleep by 9 pm. Can you say party animals?!

 Today was our first "real" day here and we didn't waste one second! Chris and I were at Safeway by 7 am to grocery shop (hello, five hour time difference) and by about 10 am we were ready to hit the beach. My mom leaves on Monday (sorry, Jaden) and she really wanted to go to the North Shore. We packed up all the necessities and headed out. Jaden spent a majority of the time on his boogie board, while Chris, Peggy, and I worked on our tans. We had a really good time up there and wrapped our day up with some yummy Mexican food. I'm exhausted so I'll write more tomorrow. By the way, I got a "real" camera a few months ago and I'm attempting to teach myself how to use it. By real, I mean not an iPhone. I'll post some photos below of my photography attempts. If any of you know anything about photography, please look at my pictures and tell me what I'm doing wrong (or right, if anything). I'm so not good with stuff like this!

Aloha!