Winter Paradise!

It was such a great way to start the year off.... in the sunshine! We were able to go to Hawaii with my family and we had a blast! There are so many memories I could write about, and I wish I would have kept a little notebook in my pocket at all times to write down all the little sayings that were said by each person. Life is just too much fun when you're with your whole fam (all 13 people) in close quarters. We stayed at the beautiful Marriot resort in Oahu. It was so nice to relax on the beach, soak in the rays, and spend time together before a busy new year started up again! We had some great adventures including some of the following: the 24 hour stomach flu went around to the whole family -2 people who really lucked out! That virus seriously went around like the plague! The best part about it was that it only lasted for one day, and the next day you were out on the beach again! We just came to the conclusion that pretty much we were just doomed to get it while living in such close quarters! It turned out to be a humorous thing in the end. So as far as the rental car goes: we didn't have one planned in advance (big mistake) so my dad and Crystal came back with a convertible mustang! We called it 'The Stang"....not such a great fit for 13 people including 2 car seats! When we went to Costco, the car was jam packed full with stuff on our laps and the top down to provide as much space as possible! When we went out to dinner, we had to take 3 trips to get everyone there and back, crammed on each other's laps. Being able to take the top off saved us! We also had the opportunity to go to some beautiful waterfalls and walk through the jungle to get there, it was gorgeous! We spent the rest of that day at the North Shore watching all the incredible surfers. It was such a thrill to watch them! One night all the couples played the "newly wed game" and I think that was our favorite part of the trip! My dad came up with the questions and we'll just say we all learned a little too much about each other! It was a kick in the pants, and we laughed all night long. Most importantly, we just spent time together as a family and that was such a blessing. I feel so blessed to have a wonderful family, and it's so great that we can all spend a week together and get along so great. Each person has so much to uniquely add and it was so nice to talk and get insight from one another. Happy New Year!