Bee is for BLESSED ...: Maui Vacation!

Tee and Ava got Maui'd!!!

Our Maui vacation was nothing short of amazing!! I had no idea how different Maui would be than Oahu. Both are beautiful places, it's just Maui is more laid back and Oahu caters more to the tourists. Zoe had a blast in paradise and it was also great to travel with Jay and Mao.

Zoe did great on the plane (both to Maui and back home to LA). She slept, played with us and Ninong and pretty much just hung out on my lap. Our first stop was Da Kitchen for lunch. They had crazy loco mocos and friend spamusubi!!! Afterwards, we checked into our condo at the Kapalua Villas. It was absolutely perfect!! Full kitchen, a huge master bedroom, a sofa bed and two bathrooms! It wasn't as close to the beach as we thought, but we still had an ocean view and lots of trees. It kind of felt like we were in Baguio or something. Plus, since we had a full kitchen and a Costco nearby, we stocked up on poke, Hawaiian snacks and drinks! Mike and Jay cooked surf and turf to ring in our first night in paradise =).

We decided our first "official" activity was to visit Haleakala (volcano) to see the sunrise. It was recommended that you do this first since you can take advantage of your jet lag (we had to get up at 3 am to be there for the sunrise). Although it was early and super cold (really really cold ... people were wrapped up in their hotel's comforters, etc.), it was so worth it. To be that high up, amongst the clouds, and to see God saying "hello" through a beautiful sunrise is an experience I will never ever forget!!! I felt so blessed to be able to experience that with my family =) ...

Once we descended the mountaintop, we stopped to have breakfast at the Kula Lodge. They had amazing pancakes with coconut syrup!! I had a slight mis-hap at the restaurant though -- I was squatting and holding Zoe close to the window look-out when my foot got caught underneath me somehow. As I tried to get up, I ended up lunging forward, slightly throwing Zoe ahead of me and ended up hitting my head splat into the window. It made a huge sound and everyone thought it was Zoe that rammed her head into the window. Embarrassed and red-faced, I assured everyone it wasn't Zoe and it was, in fact, me that hit my head. Soooo glad it was me and not Zoe ... her guardian angels saved her from a concussion for sure!!!

After the volcano, it was time to hit the beach!!! The beaches in Maui are a lot calmer than Oahu so Zoe LOVED it!!! After a while, she didn't even want us to hold her in the water! It was so awesome to just lounge around the water and relax. It's been a long time since we've been on vacation with Jay (and our first time with Mao) and it was nice just having them around all day =).

The wedding events were fun as well! The wedding venue was absolutely breath-taking! It was on a private plantation in McKenna and was sooooo freakin' beautiful! The wedding itself was great as well -- Ava and Tee looked so happy =). We're so blessed to have been a part of their dating journey and now, we're a part of their married life as well! Tee's family is always so fun to be around and since we haven't been around them like we used to in high school, it kind of felt like a reunion for all of us =). Zoe had a blast, of course, and socialized her little heart out with all the kids.

The day after the wedding, we conquered the Road to Hana. It was super winding and crazy scary with the one-lane roads, but it was worth it. Although it was sprinkling from time to time, we still had a chance to get out of the car and take a closer look at all the beautiful things nature had to offer (i.e. exotic plants, waterfalls, etc.). We took LOTS of pictures and Zoe didn't mind the zig-zagging roads at all. I think her favorite part was the blow holes at the black sand beach =). We ended up taking the "un-recommended" path on the way home ... it was un-paved and scary but shorter than turning around and going back the way we came. The scariness and riskiness of the road less traveled added to our adventurous day =).

The rest of our time was spent hanging out at the beach, eating shaved ice and hanging out with the bride and groom. We had such a wonderful vacation in paradise ... I kept thanking God all the way home for such a blessing for me and my family. Hopefully, through God's grace, we can continue to go on these super fun vacations and be able to create so many meaningful memories!!! Alooooooha!!!