Monday, September 19, 2011

Aloha!

I'm feeling some Hawaii withdrawal today, so it's probably a good time to post some pics from our trip.



Cause it was freaking INCREDIBLE.


Our trip could not have been more perfect. It helped that we had 6 months to read up and plan. We knew just what we wanted. To relax and enjoy. To eat and eat some more. To not over schedule, but when we did do something, to do it right.

We knew that we wanted to stay at the same resort the entire time. Unpack once. We had the top floor with the most dazzling view. Lots of our afternoons were spent on our balcony with coconut ice cream, recovering from the morning on the beach and watching the water below. 

We slept each night with the sound of the crashing waves.


We got free Mai Tais everyday. Of course, virgin Mai Tais are just fancied up pineapple juice and pog, but they still were delicious.


This is where we ate breakfast every morning and drank our Mai Tais and appetizers every afternoon.
We averaged 4 full meals a day. Plus ice cream.


Shane says that the most memorable experience of the trip for him will probably be sitting at the resort restaurant the first night, eating and drinking and watching the water.

It was amazing. I can't explain it. For the first time in over 5 years it was just us. No responsibilities. Just each other. Just pleasure. It was as if I could feel myself unwinding from the job that never ceases. I breathed in that sea air and rejoiced in a week of being just us.

(I did have a total freak out the day we left the kids, but once we got to Maui, I chilled out and trusted in my mom.)



I think the first night was the best too. We just couldn't stop smiling. Or kissing.


We spent an exorbitant amount of time on the beach. We chose our resort when we read it had the best beach in Maui. Beautiful and very few people. We swam in the ocean, dried in the sand until we got hot, then got back in the water to cool off. We collected shells and coral to take home for the kids. We read books, ate picnic lunches from the resort restaurant and talked.



How's that for perfect.

We ate out soooo much, we had tons of leftovers. But no microwave in the room, just a fridge. 
We discovered that if you sit your containers on the hot sand for 30 minutes, they will be as hot as if they just came out of the oven. 

Got through two books while beaching. Juliet was a really fun one that I recommend. 
Thanks Mary Lea for sending it to me!



It says something about how much we swam and walked that I only gained one pound.
Shane ran three times while we were there. I, on the other hand, walked around the golf course talking on the phone.

I loved my smart phone cover to protect it from the sand. I got mine from Come and See the Seitz.
And yes! It does match my blog background. Thanks for noticing!



My favorite outing was going out for my birthday to Mama's Fish House. We read over and over again that it was the best place to eat in Maui. And I will say, it was the best place I have eaten, ever. The ambiance, the service, the view of the water, the fresh caught seafood. 
The PASSIONFRUIT CREME BRULE. Better than any birthday cake I can imagine.

Fair warning, it was also the most expensive meal I have ever had in the US.

Totally worth it.


The view.




But look at the darling blue and purple lai the manager gave me for my birthday!


Not to be outdone, Shane got me one a few nights later after a walk on the beach. 

He pointed out that his lai was yellow.


Shane got yellow swim trunks for the trip just for me. 
He said that it would make it easy for me to find him when were snorkeling. :)


And we did some fantastic snorkeling. We paid a bunch of money to go out to Molokini for the day to snorkel and it was a total letdown. We saw a few cool fish. No biggie.

BUT.

Just a few minutes walk down our beach we went to Black Rock and snorkeled right off the shore.

I kid you not, I turned around and was 3 feet from two HUGE sea turtles! It was unreal. 

Shane went out father than me and he saw an eel and a ray. 




We of course went back a few days later.

This time there were 4 turtles.


We walked from the beach straight to our luau. Other than having a damp swimsuit under my dress, it was pretty fun. It was the one night we chatted with other people. Everyone at our table were newlyweds. Wedding talk!

And can I just talk about my hair for a moment. If only I could get it to look like this all the time! It only looks this way if I let it air dry after swimming in the ocean and it's my absolute favorite way to wear it. Saw a recipe for salt water spray here that I'm planning on trying. 


Oh, I could totally do that.


Went on a lovely sunset cruise. You can see our resort in the background. 

I still can't get over the color of that water.
Or how warm the sand stayed even well into the night.



Several times we went into nearby Lahaina to shop and eat. Even though it's touristy, it's still quite charming and worth going to at night for some "shave ice" and to look for treasures.


If you go, grab a burger at Cool Cats for great food and even better people watching. 

I love people watching in tropical places. Something about seeing what people choose to wear on vacation makes me happy.


And while I'm giving advice, here's another tip.
Always upgrade to the convertible. (I miss that little mustang)

(Shane doesn't always see the genius in my photo taking moments like I do.)



Lanaina is a great place to watch a sunset too.




I was planning on getting myself a piece of jewelry to remind me of our trip, but my mom gave me this gorgeous shell bracelet for my birthday and I never did see anything I liked better. I wore it almost everyday. I just bought a little charm to add to it.


I got to wear fresh flowers everyday too.


And enjoy a fridge full of diet coke.


The last day we were pretty tired. We hung out on the beach some more.



Laid out by the pool and swam a bit.
Made out under the waterfall.


And took one last sunset walk on the beach.

It was one of the most lovely weeks of my life, and the perfect way to celebrate our 10 year anniversary. 



I cannot wait to go back again.

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11 comments:

amydear said...

Sounds perfect. I'm kinda jealous, I admit. Your hair is so fun wavy like that. Mine used to do that more, but seems to have given up after this last baby. And I am totally reading that book right now! I hope my Hawaii vacation happens sometime soon.

Blair said...

Your trip seems like it was amazing! My husband served a mission in Hawaii, but I've never been. We're hoping to go there together someday. I'm glad you were able to enjoy a week away!

kristi lee said...

and is baby #3 on the way now?

Leslie said...

ok, so which resort!? i love maui, it looks like you were in Wailea. which hotel?

Natalie Jane said...

Kristi - No.

Leslie - We were on the kaanapali beach at the royal lahaina resort. One of the pools we swam at was in a neighbor resort we spent the day at.

Amy F. said...

It looks like you had a beautiful time! It felt like a mini-vacation just looking at the pictures! I was SO excited to get my "prize" that you sent. Of course you have perfect taste! I especially love the dangly pearl earrings. My jeans of earrings are pearl posts, so the ones you sent are a little more fancy and perfect for my personality. I think my 12 year old is going to try to take over the bottle of sand for a necklace. The kukui bracelet was perfect, I had one that literally broke a month ago and I was bummed about it!! Thanks so much!!

Dionna said...

Beautiful pictures. I'm wondering - was it humid at all? How about windy?

Natalie Jane said...

I didn't notice it being humid. A couple days it was windy, but only once that it kept us off the sand.

Randi said...

what an amazing trip. happy 10th. so glad you got away. :)

Kathleen W. said...

Aw, what a great trip! I'm so happy that you both had fun, and look so relaxed and in love. Happy anniversary!

Linds said...

HAPPY 10 YEARS! what a fabulous trip!!!

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