Home away from home

“I’m ready to get settled”, I said to Cabell, as well as to my mom and sister as our 3 week travel adventure came to a close. There were so many exciting moments and memories, yet, I felt ready to unpack my suitcase and put things away where they belonged. It sounds so ridiculous, I know, considering the type of trip we have been on! But I’ve realized that I feel comfort in routine. I feel peaceful with order. I feel delight with quiet. I was thoroughly looking forward to having my own bedroom, going to the grocery store, setting up our kitchen, unpacking all of our suitcases and making our rental house feel like our home. Sharing a hotel room, not having my “own space”, clothes flung everywhere, and little privacy was starting to get to me. It is not ironic to me then, that the first devotional* I read the morning after we moved in was about dwelling, based on the scripture from Psalm 91:1-2:
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

God knows my heart. He loves me. And He’s always wanting to refine me and draw me closer to Him. (You, too.) He is my constant companion, shelter, and sense of comfort, regardless of my circumstances. When things seem “out of control” or out of my normal routine, I tend to let it effect my mood and my sense of well-being. I’m convinced that He wants me to lean into Him more and not let my surroundings dictate my state of mind. Whether I’m in Richmond, VA, Kailua, HI, or anywhere in between, this is a lifelong lesson. Are you putting your trust and your worth in your surroundings? Take heart, friends, that we are all in this together. What do you find “shelter” under? I vulnerably declare that routine is not my shelter. Order is not my shelter. Quiet is not my shelter.  Don’t misunderstand me. There is nothing wrong with routine, order and quiet. But when we depend on them to fulfill us or give us security, we are putting too much importance on them. And they will never sustain our souls. They sure tempt me, but I will hold fast to the truth that God is my everlasting Rock.

We were so excited to pull up to the new house, see the palm trees in the yard, the green grass and feel the wind blowing. The kids were the first ones inside and went searching for their rooms. As the lone sister of the family, Lilly got her own room and the boys will be sharing. They quickly jumped in the pool and the first few days we spent countless hours swimming, especially at night. I love seeing the kids come up with games to play. And Lilly has even given Luke swim lessons! They set up their eno’s and we have all enjoyed swinging and lounging under the swaying palm trees. It took a few days to get fully unpacked and we are still learning where things are in the kitchen and around the house. Slowly, but surely, we are feeling more settled. We’ve grocery shopped at Whole Foods, Safeway and made a trip to Costco. All that’s left is a trip to Target and I’ll feel right at home! Ha!

We have a mango tree in our backyard and it has been incredibly tasty to have fresh mango every day! Daddy climbed up like a monkey to pick a high one! We eat them with breakfast and/or lunch—they have made a delicious topping to our homemade Acai bowls. But maybe best of all— Cabell used them to make the most delicious mango daiquiris! It’s 5 o’clock somewhere! They won’t last too much longer, but we are enjoying this tree, to say the least. Our little nudist of a child, in particular!

Some of you know that we shipped my minivan from Richmond to Hawaii. Unbelievable, right?! What a trip the minivan made! It sailed across the Pacific Ocean and all is well. We chose to ship my car instead of Cabell’s Tahoe because it was easier for Owen to get into the minivan. When we picked it up at the Honolulu port, memories of our sweet pup came flooding back. Oh, how we wish our boy was here with us. He would have love the pool, the yard and the beach down the street. It still hurts...but the new location has helped ease some of the pain.

We’ve really relaxed and enjoyed the laid back, downtime and paradise pace this first week in Kailua. The beach is right down the street and is incredibly beautiful. The kids have loved boogie boarding. We have driven around and explored...the majestic mountains draw out a gasp every time I see them. (Just ask my kids—I just can’t help it.) They are simply incredible.

We went to see the children’s school...they are on two separate campuses (1 mile apart). Luke is at the Mauka Campus (which means ‘towards the mountains’) and Lilly and Lawson are at the Makai Campus (which means ‘towards the ocean’). It was fun to learn some Hawaiian—and it really helped to make sense of the two locations! Luke wore his PE uniform for the tour of his school as he is super excited about having a change of clothes for PE, which also includes a swimsuit for swim lessons. The staff at Trinity were all so welcoming and friendly. They greeted us with aloha (love) and we instantly felt at ease.

Cabell has a good friend from college who has lived on the island for 14 years! He’s an exceptional surfer and Cabell and Lawson were excited to get out on the waves with him. We all went to Ala Moana Beach Park one evening and while the boys surfed, Lilly, Luke and I hung out on the beach, played, saw a beautiful rainbow. The boys had the time of their lives and the draw to the waves was inspired instantly. In fact, Lawson has asked on the daily when he can surf again. So...we decided to have a family surf session over at Waikiki Beach. Of course there are no pictures to document this but we were all out in the water and Cabell was helping teach us what to do. The boys all caught waves, but Lilly and I weren’t so lucky. We were close and I’m hoping that with a little more practice, we will experience the feeling of “riding a wave”. The paddling out is no joke, however. I’ve got some work to do.

We have met several of our neighbors and all seem happy to have us on the street (so far!). There are some children and the kids have already made some friends. We had our first “dinner party” last night —we had Cabell’s college friend, Tally and his buddy, Dave over for dinner. It was so nice to sit outside in the breeze, eat salmon and Cabell’s Caesar salad and just enjoy the atmosphere and the company. Hosting guests for dinner was so laid back (granted it was for 2 guys) but it just felt different. No pressure to impress. No pressure to have it all ready. No pressure to have it all perfect. Just welcoming others into our home, being present, and sharing a good meal were the top priorities. The laid back nature of this culture is so attractive and I look forward to gaining more and more of it.

Aloha from Paradise. Week 1 has flown by... I hope you’ll stick around.

*devotional: Gracelaced by Ruth Chou Simons (given to us by my sweet mama before we left)

More Maui days...

A few times on this trip, I’ve heard Cabell say in awe, “It just makes me realize how small we are.” There is something about seeing mountains rise above and a vast ocean spread out that gives you a fresh perspective. Then you go up the mountain and look down below. You see the towns, the hotels, the beaches, the cars and the people...and the feeling of “being small” is amplified. It gives us a glimpse into God’s perspective, His majesty and sovereignty. It’s a comforting feeling. And truly, it’s an eternal perspective that we would like to hang on to. Our lives on earth are but a blink in the eternal world. The hustle and bustle just don’t matter that much. It’s ironic, however, because we matter to God. The details of our lives, our thoughts, our habits, the way we care for others (including ourselves), our homes, our children, our attitudes, our routines—it matters to the One who made us and knows us. Moments when we can reflect on God’s goodness and His greatness are a gift.

Driving through the West Maui Mountains provided just that.... along with a whole lot of laughs and near-heart-attack moments. The road through these mountains is small. One lane. Winding. Without a shoulder or a guard rail. Falling rocks signs everywhere. And some “fallen rocks” on the road. I thought the Hana Highway was frightening at times—ha! We even saw one car almost fall off the cliff as he was backing up to make way for an oncoming car. It was so nerve wracking!! Cabell even got out of the car to look around the bend and make sure no other cars were coming. I had my eyes covered. You “had to the be there”, but really, it was unreal. And wow...the scenery that surrounded us was just incredible. We were on the edge of the cliff that fell into the Pacific. But the mountain continued to rise above us. Everywhere we looked, we were amazed. Pictures don’t do it justice, but thankfully we have them as part of our memory.

We headed up the coast to Kapalua, which felt like a mountain town overlooking the ocean! The trees were tall and beautiful—cook pines. The wind was whipping and we had an amazing view. A little farther up the road, we came to Honolua Bay, which was breathtaking. The water was clear, blue, green, and turquoise. Catamarans were there full of snorkelers. I can only imagine the beauty they saw below. As we ventured on, we arrived at the Nakalele Blowhole. The kids had never seen one of these and it was a sight to behold! The power of the water under the rocks pushed through the “small” hole and busted up and sprayed out. We continued up the mountainside and arrived at Kahakuloa Valley. Just when we thought we had seen all the views! (All pics above)

Other days, we enjoyed Polo Beach at the hotel. Cabell had a golf outing and Mommy went boogie boarding with the kids—it’s fun how excited they get when I join in the fun. :) Luke loved the Keiki Lani, so he enjoyed some afternoons there, even learning about the origin of the hula dancers, the Hawaiian islands, volcanoes and lizards. Cabell and I enjoyed some dinners out, too. Our favorites were Mama’s Fish House and Morimoto at the Andaz. (What a gorgeous hotel that is!!)

On our last day, we took a snorkeling trip to the island of Lanai (an island we could see from our hotel) on a boat called Quicksilver. It was the perfect ending to our island hopping adventure! What struck me the most was how blue and clear the water was—and I mean under the water. It was the most beautiful blue, yet crystal clear. For some reason, I remember waters that are a beautiful color from above, but once you get under, it’s clear/colorless. I saw the most deep and bright blue and it was striking. Keep your eyes open, friends, each day. There are always new discoveries and majestic moments, even in the activities that are not new.

We saw bottlenose dolphins on the way to Lanai, swimming right alongside the boat. They are gorgeous animals! (If you know me, you know that I LOVE dolphins.) At our second snorkel spot, we swam alongside 6 or 7 Hawaiian green sea turtles. They were swimming near an old pier that was knocked down during a hurricane many years ago. They are magnificent mammals that just glide through the water. It was incredible to be so close to them. And on the way back to the harbor, we came across a pod of about 200 spinner dolphins! They jumped in the air and spun (duh) and were a mass of marine life. There was even a baby in the pod. Wow!! We had a great experience on the Quicksilver...a nice breakfast, coffee, a vegan lunch for Cabell and myself, bbq sandwiches for the kids, cool breezes, naps, sliding off the slide on the side of the boat, taking pics with the rented underwater camera, listening to the Shady Ukelele band and Jimmy Buffet, $2 mai tais and beers (my new favorite is Maui Brewing Co. Bikini Blonde)—all on top of the super snorkeling.

We explored the adorable town of Lahaina after the trip and I got my Hawaii trucker hat. (Everyone in the family is going to pick one out—ha!) And we went to visit a friend/real estate buddy of Cabell’s who lives on the island. What a treat that was!

Maui did not disappoint! What a gift the last 3 weeks have been. We are pinching ourselves that we are not flying back to the mainland next, but going to settle into our house in Kailua. That is where the paradise pace should take full effect....