We met the Taylors in 2002, a few months before Caden was born.
We were instant best friends, all of us.
For the next 7 years, we did everything together ....
countless vacations, birthdays, school events, sports, bought vacation homes, built our dream home, raised our kids, everything together.
So to say we've missed them for the past 2 and a half years would be an understatement.
We couldn't wait for them to come out to visit us!
This was our first trip to Hawaii together in early 2003. What a blast!
And this is us now in 2011.
Our families have grown, we've all gotten older ;), but our relationships remain the same.
We had a jam packed 10 days - beach, pool, paddle boarding, surfing, skimming, shopping, restaurants, patio bbqs, movies, carve boarding, crab hunting, night swimming, 6:15 am workouts, easter egg hunts; you name it, we did it!
I was worn out, and I am almost never worn out.
Crew and Hayes loved playing together. Crew almost never has little friends his age to be silly with and he thought Hayes was hilarious. Crew also taught Hayes a few tricks in the water.
They are body surfing the waves below.
We all paddle boarded and paddle surfed a few times. Even little miss Ivy loved paddling on the ocean.
Chase and Boston loved skimming, body boarding, surfing, night swimming, etc. One night, they left to the beach right after Chase got home from school at 3:00, came home around 6:30 and literally inhaled a few pieces of chicken, ran right back down to the beach for night swimming, and came home around 9:30. They are just best, best buddies.
The little kids all got along so well. I was shocked how well they did being together all day and night for 10 days. There were no fights and very few arguments.
They couldn't get enough of the pool and water slides. Hayes and Olivia were so much more comfortable in the water by the time they left. They are good little swimmers now.
Carve boarding was the activity of choice between dinner and night activities. The boys all rip. Shannon and I are a work in progress, but at least we were trying ;)
Crew is the cutest thing. He runs and pushes the longboard, lays on his stomach, and then pops up into his surf stance.
Our favorite breakfast restaurant in Napili (above)
Freds in Kihei (below)
Ice cream at Lapperts
Just when I thought our 14 hour day of non-stop activity was coming to a close, my dear friend Shannon would yell out to the kids "who wants to go crab hunting?" or "who wants to go night swimming"? Sleep was minimal :)
One night, we took the kids on an Easter egg hunt on the beach with flashlights. So much fun!
Taylors, we miss you ......
we love you .......
come back soon!!!
AND, my husbands gets better every year with trying to make my birthday special. It has taken him a while to realize that although his birthday is just another day to him and he would rather have no one recognize it, I actually enjoy celebrating my day. This year, he watched Crew AND picked up the boys from school AND took the boys shopping to have them pick out a little gift for me while I spent 4 HOURS in the spa! Terme, massage, manicure, pedicure, and silence. Oh, it was heaven!!
