2013: Here We Come!

Okay, so I haven't been able to come up with a super-rhymey, cutesy "2013" phrase.  Stay tuned.  I will try to do a better job blogging this year.. I will try to do a better job blogging this year... I will try to do a better job blogging this year...How crazy the last year has been.  Between Daisy Girl Scouts, swimming lessons, gymnastics lessons, homework, working on the deck outside, finishing up the retaining wall, laying sod, you name it, 2012 it has been a full year!  So full, blogging got squeezed right on out of it!

Doug and I just got back from a trip to Hawaii, to celebrate our 15 year anniversary a few weeks early.  We kicked around the idea of going somewhere over Christmas break, since the kids would have a host of grandparents who could help watch them while we were gone.  Originally we thought about going to Greece, but they had zero cruises available and we know their economy is in the toilet right now.  I have ALWAYS wanted to go to Hawaii.  Grandfather got to go to 48 states, and came 500 miles from Hawai'i while in the Navy.  I decided I'd like to round out his list for him.  ;-)

Hawaii it was.  Once we decided in LATE NOVEMBER, Doug THREW together a trip.  How lucky we were that it all worked out... Normally people would have booked vacations like this by, oh, say AUGUST?????   Fortunately everything was still "bookable" and flights were available.  I appreciate his hard work in planning it all.  It worked out so well!  It sounds like everyone had a great time back here on the "mainland" while we were gone.  The kids enjoyed Grandma, Grandpa and Aunt Sherry snuggles, lots of snow and just plain "getting spoiled" by family.  :)  I think it was good for them to be apart from us.

In Hawaii, we tried to fit so many things into such a short trip, I think we exhausted ourselves!  I don't think we slept more than 5 hours a night.  On our drive back from Michigan to Georgia, I started getting the chills, so I knew I had met my "Waterloo."  The next day I had a fever and flu symptoms, even after having the flu shot in early December.  I digress. 

Cliff notes version of our trip? 
12/20 - Ava's holiday party at school.  Drove from there to Aunt Jean's house in Rockholds, KY.
12/21 - Continued driving to Michigan.
CELEBRATE CHRISTMAS!
12/27 - Flew from Detroit Metro to Phoenix, from Phoenix to Maui.
12/29 - Flew from Maui to Lihue, Kaua'i.
01/03 - Flew from Lihue, Kaua'i to Honolulu. 
01/04 - Flew from Honolulu to Phoenix, from Phoenix to Detroit Metro.

I will post more pictures and detail later.  For  now, we officially have a blog entry on the books for 2013.  Woo-hoo!

:)
Peace, love and ALOHA,
Shelly, Doug, Ava and Liam