Hawaii

This summer we were invited by friends to join them in Hawaii for Thanksgiving. Four months after our
invitation we found ourselves in a villa on Lanikai Beach in Kailua for 5 nights- SAY, WHAT?!

Ryan got invited by the pilots to check out the cockpit- an amazing start to our vacation!

This picture was taken within 5 minutes of arriving at the house. The kids threw open their suitcases and pulled their suits on and RAN into the water. I wasn't far behind them.

This is a view from our backyard. Our BACKYARD! This house was straight out of a magazine. Most mornings I woke up to watch the sunrise over the 2 islands out there.I would stand in awe and know that I was a tiny part of the population of humans who ever got to see this sight. With every breath of those 5 days I lived in a state of gratitude. At one point my cheeks hurt from smiling.


To say the kids had fun is an understatement. A typical day went something like this:
eat breakfast
swim in the ocean
have a snack and soak in the hot tub
back in the ocean
lunch
soak in hot tub
swim in ocean
snack
hot tub/pool
dinner
either one more swim or showers and low key time

We had a total of 3 outings- 2 for shaved iced and shopping and 1 for a luau.We played in the waves and kayaked and paddle boarded. We ate and drank and laughed. The ocean was so warm and the sand felt like flour on our feet.

Haley with the roasted pig and Ryan getting a tattoo from a chief!









The sunrise looked different every morning. The beauty of how it changed every minute had me captivated.









The house was like nothing I had ever seen in real life. This is the view from the front door. I felt like royalty.

I did an excellent job of being in the moment and soaking everything in on this vacation. I was filled with gratitude and happiness every day. I mean, what was there to stress about?

I did feel a bit worried about Josh's health. He had been ill for 2 weeks before we left. The Dr. initially treated him for strep, but while we were in Hawaii we found out it was mono. Poor guy! Good thing the nature of the trip was relaxing. He slept a lot and was able to be with us without wearing himself out. After all, we hardly went 100 feet from the house!

Each evening, as everyone went to bed, I would walk out into the back and stand in the night. I'd stare at the stars and listen to the ocean and take deep breaths. In the last year or so it has become totally clear that I feel most spiritual when in nature (ok and beach villas too).  One of the nights, as I stood out in the dark I felt compelled to take a swim. So I did just that. At 11:00 at night I found myself swimming in the ocean, staring at the stars and splashing in the warm waves. It was a moment I won't ever forget.

We will forever be grateful for the invitation and generosity from our friends. It was an incredible, magical time. The Russell family adventures continue! Who knew Hawaii was on out list? We are SO GLAD it was!