Our first family vacation

This year we decided it was time for a family vacation. A real vacation, not just any old "let's go to the beach" vacation. Our destination? Hawaii! More specifically, Oahu. Why? Well, last year Andrew and I went there for our honeymoon and loved it. Unfortunately when we went we didn't rest at all. We were up doing the whole "tourist" thing the entire week. It was a vacation but it was exhausting! This time we decided it was all about relaxing. And relaxing is exactly what we did this time.

I booked our vacation one month in advance. We didn't even know we were going to go there until I realized the trip would cost just as much as staying at a local beach for a week. Really, who would pick the local beach over Hawaii when it cost the same? So once that realization hit I discussed it with Andrew and booked that night. Man, we were excited and full of anticipation! We started planning what we'd do...OK, I should say I looked beaches & activities up and ran it by Andrew. Yea, he's not the planner/researcher in the family.

Vacation day comes, we hit the road at 4:30am for our 8:00am flight out of LAX. We're tired but full of excitement until we get to the airport. First off we find out you have to pay for meals on the flight, pay to check our luggage, and our flight is booked and Andrew and I don't have seats. Notice I said Andrew and I, Suraya had one. Guess she was going to Hawaii alone. My bad for not looking up the airline info but their bad for overbooking. It was a little stressful but in the end we got to Hawaii on the original flight we booked but the nightmare didn't end there.







We land in Hawaii and of course the excitement has hit us pretty hard. We couldn't wait to get the rental car and head to the hotel to unload and hit the beach. So we're at the baggage pick up at the airport. we get Andrew's and Suraya's luggage but where's mine? They lost it! I was fuming! I filed a claim and they were going to call me when it came in. Needless to say the drive to the hotel was not as exciting as expected. I had to go out and search for a new bathing suit. I'm not skinny minnie and I have a larger than normal top area so bathing suits are a pain to find. Once we go to the hotel I set off on my mission. Thankfully while I was still shopping Andrew called and told me they had delivered my suitcase. Oh sweet relief! Let the fun begin!!!

So the hotel wasn't as great as the one we stayed in during our honeymoon. I wanted to upgrade but found out the price was outrageous so we made due. We were only going to sleep there anyway. The first evening we walked around Waikiki and didn't do much. I was still getting over my close call with losing my luggage. Later we ended up going to the grocery store and buying a weeks worth of lunches and breakfasts. Little did we know that the nearby Walmart was cheaper! Here's what $70 worth of groceries looks like in Hawaii....












Day 2 was much better. We decided to head to the North Shore and check out some beaches. Suraya got to snorkel for the first time. She loved it.









Day 3 we went to the Honolulu Zoo. It was quite interesting to see some of the animals. We saw Pumbaa, Timon, and Simba.








After that we picked my sis up from the airport. They lost her luggage too! Eventually that was found as well but with some serious damage!







Day 4 and on we explored and went to every beach we could fit in. It was so much fun. We had an amazing time. We mainly stayed up in the north shore where the beaches are less crowded.
























We checked out the Dole Plantation as well and got some yummy pineapple chocolate and tried to conquer the gigantic maze!









Our last day there my sister and I went to Hanauma Bay for some snorkeling. We saw the most beautiful fish!



And then our vacation was over. It was time to go back to real life. We plan to return in 2010...can't wait!

Where have I been??

Apparently I've been everywhere but here!! I get so easily excited about new things such as "blogging" then after a few days my interest fades. Sometimes I just feel overwhelmed. What do I write about? I didn't even write about our Hawaii vacation in June! I need to step up my game a little. I am definitely one that doesn't like to take time out of my day to get on here...if I do I will be sucked in and stuck here. It happens with other sites. So....what to write about...there's so much yet way too much to actually write. See, this is the problem I run into.

I was coming back from a weekend at the river when I decided to check on a local social networking board I frequent. I was expecting the usual chatter or even "silence" since it was the weekend. I was completely wrong. What I read shocked and saddened me.

One of the ladies, Jewelyn, was due to give birth and everyone was excited for her. She had posted a few days ago asking for advice and what to expect in the delivery room. One of the other ladies (a friend of Jewels and also a member of the networking site) was even all set and ready to head to the hospital as the official photog for the beautiful event. None of this was to be.

The photog (I would rather not say her name since I have not asked her if it's OK) was the bearer of the heartbreaking news. Jewelyn was taken in for an emergency c-section. Baby Gabrielle was born but Jewelyn did not make it. She suffered an amniotic fluid embolism & disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). She lost brain activity and was placed on life support. Her husband had to make the most difficult decision he probably will ever have to make. Jewelyn passed away Sunday September 27 at 11:30 PM. Jewelyn leaves behind a wonderful husband and beautiful baby girl.

The ladies of the networking site have come together and set up a Paypal account for donations. Donations can be sent to; 4jewelyn@gmail.com. 100% of the donations will be given to Jewel's family. Also we are holding a yard sale this Saturday. All the proceeds will go directly to Jewelyn's family.

Troublemaker

We have one of these across the street. A punk ass teenager who has no respect for others or their property. The cops have been called on this kid for trying to set fire to people's cars. He vandalizes property. The mom thinks he is an angel and everyone else is delusional...*sigh*. Laying on the roof and shooting the kid with an airsoft rifle sounds really good right now.

Question of the day...

How can one be happy for someone when that person (the someone) is not genuinely happy themselves?

Reading is my passion

Lately I have been reading a lot. My passion for reading was rekindled with the Twilight series. Now, this series and type of story is not my normal genre. I tend to stick to John Grisham And Mary Higgins Clark and maybe some Dean Koontz but I am so bored of those books. I have read almost all books from these authors. It's time to try new books. Since I finished the Twilight series I have read a few more books that were very interesting. First is The 19th Wife.



The 19th Wife has two stories within. One is nonfictional and about the start of polygamy in the Mormon religion in the 1800s and the fight of one woman to end it. The second story is fictional and set in the current day and is of a young man who was kicked out of a polygamist sect and his involvement with a murder scandal within the sect.

This type of book is not what I normally read but I have been stepping out of my reading comfort zone and reading genres that are new to me. I loved the historical part of the book. It was very interesting to read about the struggles women faced when it came to polygamy. The fictional part of the book was OK.. The stroies jumped back and forth each chapter so when I started reading a new chapter I had to get my mind set for whichever story was being told. In all it really kept my interest.

Then there was Summer Sisters by Judy Blume...yea, I know...she writes adult novels?? Well, yup, she does!



This book was really great and an easy read. I read it in one day. The novel is a coming of age story where two girls begin a friendship at the age of 12 and spend each summer together. The book chronicles their experiences and friendship each summer as they grow older. As the summers go by and the girls get older they become closer and eventually further apart as their relationship strains.

Great great great book! This is the book that I was reading and posted about below.

Currently I am reading The Doctor's Wife and I am not into it at all. I am hoping it picks up some.

Coincidence??

What the heck? So yesterday on our way out of Hawaii (will post about the vacation later) I picked up a book from WalMart to read on the plane ride back to Cali. They had a horrible selection so it took me some time to choose a book that interested me. None of the books I planned to read were there. So anyway I finally choose a book and while on the plane I start reading it. Well, a few pages in I realized I made a bad choice...here is why:

Cassandra & Von are characters in the book that was published in 1998.

Why does this even matter to me? Well, here ya go...

My name is Kasondra. My ex's name (Suraya's dad) is Vaughn and we met in 1998.

So do you see the connection here? Names spelled different but same names. I mean really, how coincidental is that? Who actually has those names? I mean mine is kinda normal but his isn't and they just so happened to be in the book I bought on a whim. So weird! Sheesh...that must be what I get for reflecting on my past!