To Maui, Group 2

My travel day began at 2:30 am Friday. By 3:30 am I was packed and ready for Dad to take me to the airport. 

Bags packed for a month are heavy.

My "this is how pale I am before the beach" picture. 

Dad was able to take me into the airport and tell me good-bye right outside of security. The line was full of people who did not look awake or very excited to be up so early. There was no stopping my smiles though. 

Having my suitcase completely unpacked and searched in the security line made me a bit nervous, but whatever it was they thought they saw as a problem didn't turn up so nothing was taken away and I got to go through (after repacking my bag). 

I found my gate no problem and settled down to wait until my 6:05 am departure time. 

While I was waiting I wrote in my journal. A guy walked away from his group and came over pretty near to me. I heard him say "So beautiful, so beautiful" and then he walked away after a moment. I looked up then wondering who or what he was referring to, I was the only female in the area... Other than that, there was nothing that made me wish I wasn't alone! 

My first plane.

I had a seat by a window and the lady next to me was sweet. 

The runway. 

Leaving Dallas.

For most of the flight everything was dark so I tried to sleep didn't really work. Then I read a bit. 

Sunrise!

Mountains in California (I think). 

LA!

I had a terminal change in LA, but it wasn't too far of a walk and I found my gate pretty quickly. Walking with my heavy bags did wear me out some though. 

After getting some really, really not cheap food, I found a spot to sit where I thought I'd be able to charge my phone. The station was broken, however, a nice gentleman offered to let me use his portable super battery phone charger thingy. I texted family and ate and read and then boarded my second plane about two hours later. 

This time I had a full three seats to myself. Across from me was a family of three with a baby, so I offered for them to overflow onto my row if they needed to.

Leaving LA.

I'm pretty sure those white splashes are from a pod of dolphins. 

The flight really went well and did not seem like 5 hours at all. I got to see "Inside Out" and it was pretty good. To pass the rest of the time I did some Bible study, slept, and read. 

Maui!!

Maui is largely covered by sugarcane fields. 

The landing was a bit bumpy and our touch down involved some bouncing on the runway *grimaces*, but other than that it was smooth! 

The Maui airport is so pretty and is open for the most part so as soon as I got into it I could breathe in the warm, salty air tinted with the smell of flowers. 

There's my ride!

Mom and the littles picked me up and we went straight over to Costco for the big haul. That Costco is the busiest, most stressful one we have ever been to. I could tell the kids had missed me, they were practically hanging off of me the entire time we were shopping. 

When all the food from our overflowing cart was loaded into the car we went to Jamba Juice for me and Ava and Burger King for Gabe and Mia. Then we took the only highway to get to where we are staying, Maui Eldorado. 

The drive is breathtaking and the ocean is right there!

On the other side are the mountains.

I landed in Maui just before noon (Maui time) and we got to the condo about 4:00 pm I think. It didn't take me long to unpack and settle in. Then I went to one of the three pools around the complex to cool off real quick. The one I visited has whale mosaics in the tile on the bottom and has always been referred to as "the whale pool" by us children. I don't know how to go swimming by myself... 

When I returned not long after I left I showered and then felt greatly refreshed, only very tired. 

We ate dinner in the room and the kids watched part of a movie. 

By 8:00 pm we were all in bed. 

Flying alone really was no problem for me. I have been flying ever since I was a baby, pretty much every year and am very comfortable with the whole process. Really the weird part wasn't not having Mom or Dad with me, but rather not having younger siblings to watch out for. I missed that more than having an adult with me!

Saturday morning we woke up about 6:30 am. I slept hard. We all got ready and went to go have breakfast at one of our favorite places, Aloha Mixed Plate. We love it 1) because the food is yummy, 2) because it is not expensive, 3) because the water is literally right there, and 4) because it's all picnic tables in the shade. 

Mom treated me to an iced salted caramel mocha.

It lasted me all the way back to the room, getting ready for the beach, 

the walk down, and sitting on the beach. 

Mermaid Ava. 

Muscle Man Gabe.

Sandy kiddos.

Sand baby.

We alternated between playing in the water and doing pushups for three rounds, then ran in and out with the waves to get our workout in! 

Because we are so close to the equator the sun is much more intense here so we did not stay down at the beach for a super long time. We came back to the condo and showered, then ate lunch, and had rest time. Mom went to get a manicure and pedicure. 

About 4:00 pm we went into Lahaina to walk around and get dinner at Cool Cat Cafe.

Mia and Gabe both purchased shark teeth.

They came with a guarantee. 

This is a cartoon we saw.

Everyone had burgers for dinner (except for Mia, who got a hotdog). Then there were root beer floats for dessert. 

Ava thought she got to have all of them.

Ava

Gabe

She makes up her own.

Back at the room we got ready for bed. The kids watched the rest of their movie, and Mom and I read. 

That day was also Chloe's 17th birthday. Now we are both 17! But only for 3 weeks. They went to church, then celebrated with everyone at Rosa's, and then went to a 10:00 pm showing of "War Room" which was "amazing!" 

Sunday morning we rose at 6:30 again and got ready to go to church. 

I can see the water from our porch. 

The church service is held at 8:00 am in Whaler's Village at an open-air restaurant right by the beach. (Whaler's Village is within easy walking distance from our room and is like a big, open-air mall.) 

Mom treated me to an "Island Vintage Late." 

I can see that from my seat in church.

Mom met an older lady at the nail salon on Saturday and invited her to join us at the church service. She came! Afterwards she was showing me pictures of her grandson who is my age and is "really a great guy." 

We got back to the room and prepared to go to the beach. It was pretty cloudy today and more rough, though the kids still had no problem swimming all they wanted. Even when it rained they were not bothered. 

  

About 2:00 pm we came back to the room to shower and watch movies. One is going now and the other will be for after dinner. 

That Moment When...

The front desk calls your room to let you know your car has been running for 4 and 1/2 hours. 

The Herd: Quoted 

"Goodnight, see you soon." -Dad a few hours before we had to get up to leave for the airport. 

"Do you have a ponytail holder or something?" -Dad laughing at me getting my hair stuck in my backpack.

"Gabe, go put some different clothes on. You have worn the same thing for 3 days." -Mom

"Have you seen the lizard skeleton?" -Ava

"No, and I think I'm good!" -Me

"Be thinking about what you want for breakfast." -Mom

"I'm thinking something that involves bacon." -Mia 

"Mom, do you like bacon?" -Gabe

"Yes." -Mom

"I know Dad doesn't, he disgustifies it." -Gabe

*Lydia tells Mom her Starbucks order*

"And I want hot chocolate" -Mia calls out even though she was not offered a drink.

"We didn't have quiet time!" -Mia

"We did, you fell asleep." -Mom

"Oh yeah..." -Mia

"I'm so glad I got that 1/2 inch of hair cut off, it'll make caring for it at the beach so much easier!" -Me