the lagoon

We discovered a quiet little spot at the Hilton lagoon (totally man-made) that made Addie ridiculously happy! We enjoyed a girls day again and Kiki, Rachel, and Riley came over to play in the lagoon with Addie and I. Later that week on one of Justin's early-release days from the conference we spent the afternoon as a family relaxing in the lagoon as well. Addie just sat in the water and played with her sand buckets and tools. She loved the little tiny minnows that were in the water and insisted that we catch a few in our bucket like the big kids (that's why she's pearing inside so intently). When Daddy came to play she got a ride all the way out to the rocky island in the middle of the lagoon. By the end of the week we really had to watch her because she would just walk out in the deeper water without a care in the world. She fell a few times with her face under water and it didn't phase her.

Honolulu Zoo

For Rachel's birthday she requested the zoo...just kidding. We went for the kiddies, Addie mostly. Riley hung out in the Baby Bijorn the entire zoo trip and just watched the world go by like the angel she truly is. Addie got to experience the zoo hands on with her Mommy and Kiki! We saw monkeys, reptiles, elephants, and fish. They had a little children's zoo which was just the right speed for Addie. She got to see animals up close and personal. Even petting a few. The zoo experienced completely zonked Addie out for the rest of the day but it was worth it. I love seeing the excitement in her eyes when she sees an animal in person that we've pointed out in books or talked about. We had a little run-in with the peacocks during lunch time. One almost snatched a piece of sandwich out of my hands. Rachel and I were both a little concerned about our girls fingers and the beak of the peacock. I strutted my Mommy feathers and shooed it away. I guess that's a hazard you gotta watch out for. Going to the zoo just girls was one of my favorite memories from our vacation.

This picture you can see how excited Addie was to be sitting on the cow. What you can't see is that there is a sign on the cow that says "no sitting". Leave it to Kiki to break the rules for her granddaughter's happiness!

friends and cousins

We met baby Riley for the first time in Hawaii since she was born the day Justin, Addie, and I moved to the Philippines. The girls had seen one another on Skype through the computer and Addie always pointed at Riley, said "baby" and would wave. Seeing Riley in person was a whole other story. Addie was enamored right away and couldn't let Riley out of her sight. She was mostly very gentle with her. There were only a few gabs in Riley's face. Addie mostly liked handing Riley toys and playing with her while Riley was in her Jumperoo. Riley just stared up at Addie in awe. When they both get a little older I'm sure there will be a real friendship. It was so sweet to see the girls together.

Hawaiian playground

What really made our vacation so wonderful was being able to spend some quality time with family. Rachel, Trey, and Riley only lived a short drive away so Addie and I spent lots of time at their house playing. Addie adored her cousin Riley, Aunt Rachel, and Kiki. Addie really took to her Uncle Trey after he flew her around in the air with the Bumbo seat. That's a surefire way to make friends with a toddler. One gorgeous afternoon the girls all took a walk to the playground. Kiki and Addie had fun on the equipment. Addie had her first ride on a swing all by herself. She was so excited that her eyes were watering and her nose was running. She couldn't stop giggling.

wildlife

Justin and I have concluded that Addie may very well be the next Jack Hannah or Bindy Irwin. She absolutely loves animals. Luckily the Hilton has it's own wildlife preserve (and I don't mean the prowling singles) just a walk away from our hotel room. Every day Addie and I walked to see the penguins, turtles, flamingos, macaws, ducks, and koi. It was a definite perk to the resort. She even learned to say fish (sounds more like "ish").

Waikiki

The Hilton Hawaiian Village was situated right on Waikiki beach. We quickly discovered that Waikiki is a bit more populated than any beach we enjoyed in Kauai during our wedding and honeymoon three years ago. Oahu and Kauai are very different islands. Besides the expensive Hilton burgers and $30 umbrella rental (note we have no umbrella) we enjoyed the beautiful weather and blue waters. The entire crew came over to the Hilton for the day on Sunday. We all took in some rays and watched the babies. Addie enjoyed some french fries with her Kiki. She warmed to the sand and the water as the week went on. Look how cute Riley is in her tankini!

A week in Honolulu

We have returned from our week in Honolulu, Hawaii with a few more long flights with a 15 month old under our belt. We're a bit jet legged and tired but it was one of those great vacations that makes all the tiredness, dirty laundry, and post-vacation blues worth it.

Lucky for us Justin had a conference in Honolulu which just happens to be where my sister-in-law, Rachel; her husband, Trey; and their daughter, Riley live. We'd been planning to go as a family for months and were excited when the week finally arrived. The visit was even better because we convinced my mother-in-law (also known as Kiki) to come for the week too.

All week we played at the beach, ate good American food (some home cooked and some not), visited with family, and just relaxed. Justin had to work during the weekdays but on more than one occasion the conference let out early and we got to spend the afternoon as a family.

After only spending 4 months in Manila I am surprised by how glorious it felt to be back in the States. The air was clean, we blended in, used our debit cards, and there was a Nordstrom! It felt like coming home, and this is only after 4 months. Maybe the honeymoon is over now.

It will take me a few posts to get all the great pictures up so you might be in for some reading.