Back again with another old video. I can’t believe this was TWO years ago.
I could use a trip to Aulani right about now, how about you?
Hanauma Bay Hike
One of Lyla’s favorite things to do is watch the videos that I put together up on our TV. I’m always happy to use our screen time to look back on some of our fun memories.
This is an oldie (pre-kid!) hike that we did with our friends. Trail overlooks Hanauma Bay. We went at sunrise and a pod of whales put on a show for us.
M A G I C A L.
Hawaii is a hard place to leave
Five years ago this month, Alex and I were packing up our apartment in Southern California and getting ready to embark on our big adventure in Hawaii.
After being married & honeymooning on the beautiful islands of Maui and Kauai, we decided to do something “fun” and purchased ourselves two (one way) tickets to paradise.
It was hard leaving family but we had always said that we were just going to go for a few years, have fun and experience something new. We would be back before we had kids…
Welp. Five years later and three kids later we are still here (sorry, mom) But, at the end of this month, we will be packing up one more time and cashing in some more one-way tickets; this time heading east.
Bittersweet is the best word that I can think of to describe how we feel about it but it doesn’t seem big enough. It’s hard to put into words how this island has become our home. How the people have become our family.
Hawaii is a hard place to leave. Truly truly truly. The scenery, the spirit, the people – all so beautiful. And so very special. There is really no place like it.
Hawaii is a hard place to leave. But, in all honesty, it’s a hard place to live too. It’s expensive (shocker, right?) – especially when you are trying to raise three kids on one income. It’s also very transient (at least our island) with lots of military families. This year alone we have had to say “a hui ho” to so many of our dear friends. It’s sad.
Hawaii is a hard place to leave. Especially now that we have kids. The island is littered with memories of pregnancies and the earliest stages of my babies’ lives. I love that all three of my children were born in the same hospital. That they all took their first dips in the same ocean. That they all were introduced to this world in a space of beauty. I know that they are resilient but, in all honesty, it’s hard for me to imagine them anywhere else.
Hawaii is a hard place to leave. But it’s our time. We both knew in the back of our minds that we probably wouldn’t stay forever. It’s time for us to be closer to the majority of our family (we will be leaving behind our auntie, uncle and cousins – wah!). It’s time for us to spread out and try new things. It’s time for us to find our home and put down roots.
Hawaii is a hard place to leave. But that doesn’t mean we aren’t excited. There are a lot of fun things coming down the pipeline for the Byrds. We are looking forward to more family time, new experiences and, in all seriousness, some good Mexican food. And Chic-fil-A.
Hawaii is a hard place to leave. But we know we will be back. And until then, we will be spending our last week here drinking it all in.
Bringing Baby to the Beach
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #JumpIntoSummer #CollectiveBias
Summertime has arrived here in Hawaii and we are finding ourselves at the beach more than ever.
Yes, even with a newborn.
For a little while, our tradition of surfing on Thursday nights with friends was the only beach time we were fitting in each week but as the temperatures are rising we have been trading in our park days for beach days and squeezing in weekend trips too.
Weekend beach time is extra sweet because Alex gets to come with us.
Yes, it’s a lot of work. Packing up (what feels like) the entire house, loading it – and the kids – into the van, unloading it at the beach, setting up camp, tearing down camp, bringing it all back to the van, washing off the kids, dressing the kids, taking care of the wet, sandy stuff at home (tired yet?).
But it is SO worth it.
I love watching Lyla and Simon’s confidence in the water grow. Alex took Simon out on his surfboard for the first time this week – how cool is that?
I love the quiet time that I get with Etta Rae as I sit with her in the shade.
I love seeing the smiles on the faces of my family and hearing them laugh.
I love watching Lyla and Simon play. They sit in the sand together and make “soup”. They chase birds and each other. They play peek-a-boo with their baby sister. They just have fun.
So much goodness.
I know a lot of you mamas out there will have fresh babes this summer and the thought of bringing them to the beach/pool/any body of water is daunting. Especially if you have older children too. But, mama, you can do it! Whether you are taking them solo or will have extra hands around to help, here are my “must have” items for bringing baby to the beach…
- Personal Floatation Devices (PFDs) for the kids. My number one concern when taking the kids to the beach is safety. The first thing that I do when we get to the beach is put a Puddle Jumper® life jacket on Lyla and Simon. They both know not to go in/near the water without an adult but having them wear their Puddle Jumper® life jacket gives me peace of mind while I set up our camp. We started using the Puddle Jumper® life jacket with Lyla last summer and recently went back to Target to get Simon his own. The kids love them because they are easy to put on (just slide their arms through and clip the adjustable buckle in the back), they are comfortable (the woven polyester material makes them softer and prevents chafing) and they totally give them confidence in the water. I love them because they have been approved by the US Coast Guard as a PFD and they have antimicrobial properties built in to resist odor causing bacteria from building up (yuck!).
- Designated space for baby. A playard works great at the beach because it offers you a solid surface to put baby down that is away from curious, sandy fingers. We bring a fitted crib sheet to put over the top to keep bugs and sand out and give an extra layer of sun protection.
- Water and snacks. Our kids (OK, fine – me too) love to snack at the beach. Taking a nice snack break in between playing and swimming usually buys us more beach time. I try to pack a healthy variety into a bunch of small containers so that if a wet, sandy hand finds its way inside we don’t lose it all.
- Baby powder. Even if you rinse your kids off in the ocean or the beach shower and physically carry them straight to the car, they will somehow find a way to cover themselves in sand from head to toe. To make sure you leave the beach at the beach – and to save your car from becoming a crazy, sandy mess – put some baby powder wherever the sand is stuck to your kids and it will brush right off. Seriously, magic.
- Water resistant blanket. If your kids are anything like mine, they will constantly be bringing you sand “ice cream cones” and treasures that they find in the water. Having a water resistant blanket helps keep your butt comfy and makes it easier to brush the sand away too 😉
- Re-sealable plastic bag. I make sure to have a few of these in different sizes. The sandwich size is perfect for keeping my phone safe. The gallon size makes a great diaper pail.
- Sun protection. Duh, right? Make sure you have sunblock and don’t forget to reapply!!
- Camera. Point and shoot, iPhone, DSLR, Polaroid – whatever you use, use it! Make sure to capture these special moments with your family.
- Baby blankets. Lots and lots of baby blankets. Because inevitably, the blankets are going to get wet/sandy/spilled on/etc. and you don’t want to wrap up baby in a dirty blanket.
- A giant beach bag. One big enough to throw everything inside.
If you want to pick up a Puddle Jumper® life jacket for your child this summer, you can find them at Target! They fit children 30-50 pounds and have lots of fun designs for kids.
What is your “must have” item for a trip to the beach?
Ewa Beach
Year of the Byrds 34/52
Soooo I haven’t posted a “Year of the Byrds” update since week 16. My goodness.
(I have, however, been emailing myself photos for the past eighteen weeks. I’ll get around to posting them…eventually)
Life has been very, very good to us. This week was no exception.
Started off the week catching the sunrise with my favorite son 😉
Hit up one of our favorite beaches on Saturday.
Lots of fun with friends in our neighborhood.
A coffee farm excursion.
More playing.
More beach.
And a special dinner at Monkeypod to welcome home these boys 🙂
34/52
Waimanalo Beach with Uncle and SwimZip
In the week leading up to our big trip to the mainland we spent a lot of time with my brother (AKA Uncle) cruising the island and hitting all of our favorite spots.
[If you didn’t know, Uncle had been living here on Oahu for the past year but recently decided to go back to the mainland to finish school.]
Waimanalo Beach is one of my favorites on the island. The mountain views are unreal, the water is the bluest of blues and the sand is so nice and soft. Just a little slice of heaven here on earth
On this particular morning, it was pretty windy and we were getting sprinkled on here and there but it was still just as magical as we wanted it to be.
Sprinkles or shine, I take sun protection very seriously, especially for my kids which is one of the reasons I love SwimZip products. Their rash guards have UPF 50+ Sun Protection, have an awesome zipper in the front which makes it super easy to put on (am I the only one who thinks my kids’ heads are huge?!) AND are super cute. What’s not to love, right?
While Uncle and Lyla played in the waves, Simon and I hung out on the beach. And by hung out on the beach, I mean I was an obnoxious mom and put him in the grass for some photos.
Admit it, you wouldn’t have been able to resist either.
(Simon isn’t repping SwimZip here but they do have tons of cute options for boys. Which one do you think would look cutest on him?!)
Before calling it a day, we spent some time on the giant rope swing.
SwimZip isn’t just for kids! They have products for women and men as well as sun hats and fun circle towels. (seriously, how cool is the world one?!)
I know that I have a pretty long wish list going…what would be on yours?
Disclosure: I was not compensated for this post, however I did receive a sample for my review. All opinions are my own and not influenced in any way.