yesterday was a good day

we try to get an early start on our weekend adventures to avoid peak-sun exposure because of my fair skin and our littles. actually, who am i kidding? i have burned countless times since the kids were born and have never seen them more than flushed (thanks to their dad's genetics). anyway, we always plan to head to the beach early so that i don't burn. i don't think we've ever left the house on time, yet i remain eternally optimistic when it comes to our departure plans. of course, yesterday morning was no different. our intended arrival time came and went and we still hadn't even left the house but this time we didn't let our usual packing frenzy get the best of us. instead, we all happily entered the car peacefully. by the time we we made it to the beach, parking was full and we were denied access. no surprise there. so we headed to a beautiful crowded beach we typically avoid and arrived to this...

people clear out for lunch! our timing actually worked in our favor. there were folks on both sides of us but we had our own slice of paradise for over an hour until the afternoon rush. we were stoked, to say the least.

 

 

disclaimer: haj took all photos. i didn't even get into the water. more often than not, i don't. i know that's ridiculous, but it takes some serious convincing for me to take a dip unless i'm hot and sweaty. not sure why i don't take the plunge more often since when i do, i'm always glad i did.

also, if you're interested in water photography, haj loves the watershot housing for his iphone. he rarely uses the gopro these days.

nana and papa visit

my mom and stepdad arrived a week after ruby was born. it was perfect timing. i was just beginning to feel a little overwhelmed and my mom swooped in to do all of the dishes, laundry and a few cleaning projects around the house. she also made sure i had an opportunity to nap during the day. they spent most of their days entertaining rain and cuddling ruby. i felt so spoiled. i think we all did. rain was just stoked to finally play with his nana and papa in person after talking to them on a screen for the past year and a half.

since i just had a baby, we spent a lot of time in the house. there's so much to see on this island. i felt like jeff and my mom were missing out by not going on an adventure every day, but they insisted spending time together as a family was their priority. they did go to volcano on their own and we all managed to get out and do a few things together...

ruby's first experience outside the gollestani compound, a hike in kaloko.

waipio valley.

the hardest part of living in hawaii is being so far away from family. i'm counting down the days until our trip to mn!