Lucas’ mother, Kathy came for a visit in the middle of February. She has been our first family member to come to see us since we moved to Oahu in July and it has been great. The kids are loving reconnecting with their Grammy and she’s loving being with them. I was able to take off a whole 10 days and have really enjoyed time off and time spent with Kathy.
With two kids and growing one, school now for both Lucas and I, full time work for me and then Legacy Creative Co, Lucas and I don’t usually get too much time spent together for long durations. And most of the time, if we get away on a date, we are both very tired after long days. Thankfully, we tucked away some money to go to the Island of Hawaii. Just the two of us! The kids stayed with their very capable Grammy. Living on an island does not sink in until we were flying off it on our Hawaiian Airlines jet. Life exists outside of our island! After hard charging at our respective responsibilities and going through pregnancy, we needed a “you and I” vacation.
Our first day on Hawaii we spent driving. Hawaii is called “the Big Island” for a reason! We arrived in Hilo and picked up our rental car. We chuckled at our Chevy Spark which is tinier than our current car and kind of reminds me of a clown car. After driving through heavy rain into Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park, I decided that we should go to Kona instead. I didn’t feel like getting wet and cold even though I love rain. We drove for what seemed like forever and was really only three hours. On Oahu we have gotten used to driving 30 minutes and being where we want to be. We did take a detour that brought us to the southernmost point of the United States. We drove through Kona, and took a stop at the Kona Brewing Company. The food and beer was delicious.
We stayed in Hawaii’s Volcanoes National Park overnight. The rain had stopped by nighttime and we were able to check out the Jagger Museum. The Halema’uma’u crater glows at night and it’s really cool. It’s hard to believe that we were standing on top of a volcano! It’s almost a surreal feeling. We stopped in for a drink at the lounge. The sweet bartender found me some hot chocolate which was a life saver since it was freezing by Oahu standards! Not only did she add whipped cream, she didn’t charge us for it. Our cabin had a Jacuzzi tub which was amazing for this prego mama. After a bath and some homework we fell asleep. Or rather Lucas watched basketball while I fell asleep.
With seeing a majority of the park we headed back to Hilo, hungry and in search of food. We ate then found the Lyman Museum and Mission House. I think this was one of my favorite parts of the trip, aside from the Jacuzzi tub! The museum had a good overview of Hawaiian history which helped me fill in the missing pieces I have in knowing their history. The mission house was built in 1838 and was owned by teacher David Lyman and his wife, Sarah. Their house was beautiful and I love the carpentry. Because of my dad’s influence and my 13 years working with Habitat for Humanity and other house building endeavors, I have learned to love carpentry. The beauty of the Hawaiian Koa wood is amazing in this old house. Lucas spent the rest of the afternoon meandering about exploring the old town of Hilo. After eating supper we returned the rental car and headed home, anxious to see our precious babies.
To conclude, we both definitely missed our babies. However, I think it’s important to have time away as a couple. It’s not always possible to have two full days away like we were blessed with, but any time together to reconnect is key to a healthy relationship. Whether you are a busy mama, a busy woman or a small business owner, don’t forget to give yourself time to reconnect to the important people around you. Without them you may not be where you are today. Maybe they have made you who you are currently, like Lucas has helped me become a better woman, wife and mother. People matter and it’s nice to recognize that and carve out a little time to enjoy that person’s quality time.
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