Well buddy, we already have a bucket list started for you. Don’t worry, it is all fun stuff. Promise! I am not posting these in any particular order, but why not start with Hawaii?!
I took a trip to Maui with my family in February/March 2013. My husband and I were newly dating and he was unfortunately not able to go with me on this paradise vacation. We have vowed that we will go to Hawaii together in the near future. Now that Oliver is on the way, we are super excited to include him in our future plans.
We don’t necessarily need to go to Maui, any island will do just fine. 😉 You can’t go wrong! Andrew and I have discussed visiting Kaua’i, known as the Garden Island. We love outdoor activities such as hiking, mountain biking, and camping. We want to expose Oliver to all of that and more. We never want him to be afraid of trying new things or to feel left out. We do not view him as a hindrance to our life’s journey, but as a joyful addition. We want to share with him all of life’s offerings.
So, first things first…HAWAII!
Our little buddy will need some time to get settled into his new home. He will need to get used to us, his parents, and the home we have to share with him. We hope in a year or two, we can take him on a trip to Hawaii and have some tropical fun!
We will visit the sandy beaches and feed the pesky birds…which is probably why they are pesky. Tourists like us feed them all the time! 😉 Ok, so maybe we just look at the birds. Regardless, sitting on the beach with my boys brings so much happiness to my heart just thinking about it. Oliver in his little swim trunks, sun hat, cool dude sunglasses, lathered in SPF 9000, and toes in the sand…what a vision! Mommy, daddy, and Ollie walking along the beach together, running through the incoming wake, kicking and screaming and laughing. My heart melts.
When we have all tired, we will find a perfectly shaded hammock to lay in and take an afternoon snooze. This may be a far-fetched dream that we will get a toddler to take a nap when you are surrounded by this scenery and activity, but this is my story! 😉
There will be at least one day of hiking and exploring. There is so much beauty to explore in this world and we want our boy to see it all! Waterfalls, private coves and swimming holes, big trees and leaves, and anything else we can discover. Hawaii is so green and lush. Everything is beautiful, almost surreal in a way. Very different from the California valley we live in. Seeing our boy’s face light up at the sight of the ocean, the animals, the foliage…it makes everything worth it!
We will go to Luau’s, bonfires on the beach, visit tiny towns and shops, and we will eat all the yummy food we want! I will teach Oliver all about mommy’s favorite thing to do at the beach…collecting rocks and shells. Another one of my quirks. We will stay in a little VRBO (Vacation Rental By Owner) on the beach, so that every night we can fall asleep listening to the sound of the ocean. I bet those nights of cuddling will be the best!
Sigh…are we there yet??
Our Journey 