It was spring time...and we had no idea the season had changed! No joke, every day is exactly the same gorgeous weather...mid 80's and usually sunny with just a few clouds! It seems like ground hog day! We were beginning to forget what day it was....let alone the month! On a minimum 2-3 times/week basis we would stop for a few seconds and ask eachother...what day is it???? We had our very first rain in March on Eric's birthday!!! We were all very excited b/c it hardly EVER rains where we live. We are in more of the desert part of the Island on the south-west part in our town called Kihei. We spent the next few months still adjusting and working & enjoying our days off that literally feel like vacation every day we're not at work!
(our bible "Maui Revealed")
We kept exploring && had so much fun answering the question "where are you guys vacationing from"....HA HA!!! We were no longer tourists....we lived here~~even though we still dressed like tourists!
we began paying more attention to the moon & stars now living here...there's not many lights on this island at night so when you look up you see a MILLION stars!! We had beach nights with friends under the full moon & wine nights with music under the stars listening to the waves....it's just amazing!
Kandi was still adjusting to a new job let alone more intense nursing in the ICU. Definetly feeling somewhat homesick, missing a job I had felt I was real good at for 7 years & knew everybody and my routine was done with familiar skill & great relationships...I knew almost the whole hospital! Now it was a new job, more intense, I'm the new girl aka "haole"... plus I was missing family and friends and our other doggies & our home. Won't lie it was definetly hard adjusting. Somedays we would go to the beach & be in love...other days, I would cry missing so many of the "easy...routine...normal" things & people I had always had. Definetly hadn't been "the new girl" in years whether at a job, or a new group of friends. With that, I've learned to welcome & be super welcoming to any new employees or new friends we meet that move out here because I now know what that feels like.
~~ but we just kept telling ourselves "just keep swimming"!
we began exploring more than just land...
swimming with the HONU's!!!
they are the most peaceful creatures! Snorkeling is definetly something we started enjoying together on our days off && I'm pretty sure we will get into diving!!
We saw our first Hawaiian Monk Seal!!! SOOOooOOO CUTE!!
Doggies were still loving their morning and or evening beach walks! They are becoming VERY VERY spoiled here! When we walk along the beach people are always coming up to them to give them love.....and FOOD!! Sometimes, when we let them loose they quickly find someones beach bag and next thing you know they're eating someone's lunch!! One day, this older lady came up and asked if she could feed them each a piece of her sushi!! NO joke... our dogs walk the beaches of Maui & eat fresh Sushi!
We were enjoying time with our adorable little godson Mason! I think Eric really enjoyed having him over because it was an excuse for Eric to get his favorite Lappert's ice cream!!
We went to 'Little Beach' for our first ever Sunday experience!!!! WOW....all I can say is, be sure to wear your sunglasses for people watching, don't go back in the woods, be VERY open-minded and prepare yourself for lots of naked fire dancing!! It was AWESOME!
We were enjoying meeting new friends and hanging with old ones for beach sunsets, days & late nights!
Doggies were very spoiled with their beach sheet & umbrella!
the boys were making many beagle friends!! There's not many on the island so when we find beagles everyone goes crazy!!
^^ here are the boys with their GIRLFRIEND ... her name is Penne & they love to stare at her!!
In May Kandi lost her grandmother. She had battled Alzheimer's & dementia for the past several years and God was ready to call her home. It was really hard because we tried to prepare ourselves before moving for the "what if's"..... you think you will be OK if you prepare yourself for it & discuss it beforehand. But when the time actually comes, it is a lot harder. I was 4,000 miles away, just started a brand new job & the cost of airline tickets are exactly what you would expect. So, I was not able to make it home to be with my family and my father for my grandmothers services. My little sister was able to go and be there with everyone & give my dad a hug...it was just hard because for once, I was the only person that couldn't make it...I always made everything in my family & when I felt my dad needed me most & when I wanted nothing more than to be with my family .. I couldn't. But, this was all something Eric & I had discussed and prepared for even before buying our one-way tickets here -- I just hadn't expected something to happen so shortly after we left. Later that spring my other Grandma had her second stroke -- once again I wanted nothing more than to be there and see her with my own eyes and be able to talk to the doctors & nurses and scope out her hospital room to make sure they were doing everything right -- and I couldn't. But thanks to phones, family and some very sweet nurses in Missouri, I was able to put my mind at ease & my grandma luckily didn't need as much therapy as she did with her previous stroke. So, spring was a little rough on my emotions that is FOR sure. But it brings you closer and makes you appreciate the family you have and the relationships we have with them regardless of how many miles & oceans separate us. It's the text messages, voicemails & postcards we get that mean so much more than they ever did before. Learning how important family is & how much they are really there for you when you need them.
Without family around, our friends new & old were our 'ohana'. Keeping busy with beach days, nights & happy hours --we had our first "themed party" .... it was Prom & we decided to go 80's!
5/5/12
Cinco de mayo
we later enjoyed patron of course!
Kandi went stand up paddling for the first time & loved it... what a workout! Can't wait to bring Eric but I know he is going to want a board of his own!!
We visited the aquarium for the first time and saw baby turtle and the infamous 'tiger shark' that I hope never to see in the real ocean!
We love to go mini-top-down driving on days off! And one of our friends gave us great advice to get out of our little beach town and just drive....so we decided to explore up-country.
We stopped at the Ulupalukua winery and the Ranch.
We absolutely loved upcountry Maui. It really made us feel like home...the smells of green trees and leaves and the COOLER weather! We loved the drive especially because back on the mainland Eric LOVED his roadtrips && we really really missed them. So, we learned to head upcountry when we miss home, the cool air & driving!
there's more than just palm trees & sand in Maui!
Playing upcountry in Makawao at the Forest Reserve....SOOOO many different trees, cooler weather and easy doggie trails! This one was 3 miles...they were pooped!!
Picnic in the park !!
These doggies have no clue how loved & spoiled they are!! I can't tell you how many of our friends & family have told us that they wish they were our dogs!!
They love convertible driving !!
beach day down at La Perouse bay!
they have seen this island top to bottom...almost! Haleakala camping is on their bucket list! But little Payton gets so car sick we're not sure how he would do on that crazy drive!
Hiking off the beaten path hike in the Iao Valley!
Hiking thru the valley up up up up up!!
We hiked past the needles far far and up up!!! The view from the top was AMAZING!!
I enjoyed garage sales ...my Gram would be so proud of me!!!! I was loving finding cheap stuff and repainting it to fit in our new little "home by the beach"!! Back in Chicago we always wanted brand new, expensive, nice fancy looking things.......but here it was different && I enjoy being crafty!!!
We enjoyed many days & nights with friends......on days off our decisions are what beach do we want to go to and hope to see everyone :)
MY FAVORITE BEER!!! BIKINI BLONDE!!!
WE LOVE OUR BEACH DAYS & FRIENDS
Spring time was great with more exploring, relaxing and settling in. Kandi ended up taking a new position at the same hospital in a much less stressed atmosphere doing nursing that she was familiar with. It is a prep & recovery heart, brain & vascular unit that feels very homey:) Eric still working at the golf course & enjoying free golf & improving his golf game! We still catch all the sunsets we can, eat delicious seafood, sushi and our favorite poke!! We had visitors coming in the summer & a trip to Kauai planned!! Still having moments of missing home and being home sick at times (Kandi of course..not so much Eric:) but with eachother, these cute dogs, a new less stressful job, sunshine, the ocean & our Maui ohana....we were doing just fine!!
