Happy Easter!

 The Easter Bunny arrived right on schedule, filling baskets with Hollister body spray, shirts, socks, gum and candy.

There was also a little time for an egg hunt before getting ready for church.

After church, we changed and spent the day at Meadows Park with the Joyce's and all of their extended family. We BBQ'd hamburgers and hotdogs, had lots of side dishes and desserts to feed everyone.

Taylor and Jenna

Matt had fun flying the Barbie kite and we played softball, had a silly string war and just enjoyed the sunshine.

 The big kids organized an egg hunt for the little kids too.  Thank you to the Joyce's for including us in their family celebration!

Tie Dyed Eggs

With our trip, we didn't have much time to do Easter prep.  I knew Reanna was spending the night last night, so I boiled some eggs for the girls this morning.  They had a fun time tie-dying their eggs using pipettes and a cloth.  

We aren't big fans of hard boiled eggs, but they still look pretty!

Aloha Maui!

This is the day we always dread from the moment we book our trip to Maui.  There is just something magical about this place and saying goodbye is so tough!  At least we know, we have the opportunity to go back!

 We checked out of the condo and spent a few hours just driving around different parts of the island.  We stopped at the best whale watching lookout and saw quite a few while we were there!

 Lots of mamas and babies!

 Even though it was only 10:00am, we had to get Hula Cookies ice cream sandwiches before leaving the island.  It was the last dessert spot on our list...a Kona Chocolate Chip cookie and a Macadamia Nut Chocolate Chip cookie sandwiching a scoop of Vanilla Macadamia Nut ice cream...HEAVEN!

Our last stop was Wailea...the first place we stayed when we came here 12 years ago. We walked around the Wailea Shops and did some last minute shopping.

We also reminisced a little and had Taylor pose at the same fountain we went to on our first trip here when she was a year and a half.

Crazy!  Then it was off to the airport for a very turbulent flight home.  We had the most fantastic week and I can't believe we have been to Maui now 7 times.  It is truly one of my favorite places and I'm so grateful for all of the memories that our family has made there!

Maui Day #7

Last time we were in Maui, we attempted the Olivine Pools, but it rained as soon as we hiked down.  We were determined to try it again with better results.

 The drive there is one of the prettiest on Maui.  We stopped above Honolua Bay to get this shot of Kapalua and the Ritz Carlton.

 The snorkeling at Honolua looked perfect this morning.

When we arrived at Mile Marker #42, we parked and hiked down to the pools.  It is the most amazing spot...giant pools to swim in with waves crashing only feet away!

 The girls wore their suits so they could jump in this time.  There were only two other families there...another hidden gem we found from Maui Revealed!

 They probably jumped 15 times and loved every minute.  There were fish swimming all throughout the pools and coral lining them.  Some of them may have been 15-20 feet deep!

The girls dried off, put their hiking stuff back on for the tough hike back up the cliff.  Mission accomplished!

 We decided to try a new beach for the afternoon.  One of Taylor's friends from school was also in Maui and his family was spending their time at D.T. Fleming's Beach in Kapalua.

 The waves were crazy big, but Taylor, Allison, Trent and Kylie had fun on boogie boards and playing soccer in the sand for the afternoon.

We stayed until close to dinner time, so we picked up a quick dinner at Cilantro's and searched out Local Boys Shave Ice for our nightly treat.  We had heard about this place before but had never been.  We each picked a flavor of ice cream for the bottom, shave ice flavors for on top and then finished it off with sweet cream.  I got coconut ice cream with Mango, Strawberry and Pina Colada shave ice.  It was amazing!!

Maui Day #6

We were at Boss Frog's at 8:00am to make sure we could get two stand-up paddle boards.  After learning to surf last summer, the girls were hoping to try this too!

 We were back to Napili Bay because they had a great lagoon area without waves to help us learn.

 These girls were pros from the start!  I think their surfing practice really helped with balance.

 Check out the whale tail I captured when snapping this photo of Taylor on her first run!!

Within the first 10 minutes, they were off to the coral reefs, paddling without any issue.  You could even see the fish and turtles from the paddle board!

 Matt had a little bit of a tougher time staying balanced, but he was able to laugh at himself and eventually was able to stand up for a little while.

 I went out of few times too and loved it!  It's probably one of the most peaceful things I've ever done and I can't wait to try it back in SD.

We all took turns throughout the day and this was certainly one of the highlights of our trip!

We ordered food to go from The Gazebo at Napili and spent about 8 hours at the beach today.  

The tide pools were perfect again and we cherished the sunshine since we hadn't seen it in a day or two.

We had an 7:30 dinner reservation at Kobe Steakhouse, so we took a little time to drive up to Lahainaluna High School and catch this gorgeous sunset.  Our Teppan-style dinner was delicious and our Scoops ice cream never disappoints!

Maui Day #5

After our timeshare tour, we got a $100 meal voucher.  The girls put on their dresses for a few pics on our balcony

and we went to a nice brunch at Mala Ocean Tavern near the Mala boat ramp in Lahaina.  It was the perfect Sunday morning spot to watch the whale watching boats and eat a hazelnut sticky bun, pineapple boat, caramel french toast and bacon and eggs!

Then it was back to the room for a quick change into suits and a day at Kapalua Bay...finally!  There was some fantastic snorkeling today and we were within two feet of sea turtles while walking on the lava rocks.  Of course, I didn't have my camera!

 Allison being Allison!

 There was a nice break in the weather and Matt was eager to visit Ka'anapali and eat dinner at Leilani's.

 There was a short wait for dinner so we took some nice photos along the beach before sunset.

 This Princess ship was just leaving port as our name was called.  We loved our ribs, teriyaki steaks and of course, another Hula Pie!