"If you don't see the book on the shelf, write it." ~ Beverly Cleary
My grandfather enjoys all of his grandkids immensely and now that he has a great grandchild, he dotes on her accordingly. He scoops Maggie up in his arms seconds after she appears in the room. When she makes her way back into my arms it isn’t for long, as he needs a few more moments with her sweet little smile and shriek.
I’ve been here before. I mean, I’ve been to Hawaii before. I came as a young girl when I was 12 with my mom, two friends and their mothers. I came with my family the first Christmas after my Grandpa Lowman died. I also came with a friend’s family in place of her dad, who couldn’t come because he had to work. I’ve been here with my family celebrating my Grandma & Grandpa Elvrum’s 50th wedding anniversary. I’ve been here with Barry lounging on the beach and hiking up mountains.
I’ve been to Hawaii for a lot of different reasons, each reason more different than the one before. The reason I’m in Hawaii now is not only because I love the sun and fruit, but mostly because I love my family. I want Maggie to experience vacation and time uninterrupted with our family and recognize all that the world has to offer.
Our group stretches out to 11 people in all, and we range in age from (almost) 6 months to 80 years old. Sometimes our days are spent all together with our cars caravanning though the lava flats to a sandy beach, but other days we splinter off and do what our bodies allow. Yesterday that meant that some hiked, some napped, and some simply swam.
This time in Hawaii Barry and I are spending our days relaxed, phones off, happily taking what comes. Maggie is the apple of everyone’s eye and contentedly squawks, shrieks, and grunts while getting passed around. I know she won’t remember this trip and we’ll have to fill her in on the details, but I hope what she takes with her when we leave is the feeling of being here….together.
Every so often I click a picture of someone that I love and the other night at dinner I took this picture of Chaya while we stood and waited for the kabobs to be done.
I love this picture.
It just looks like Chach to me. Isn’t she beautiful?
I’ve learned that I really don’t feel comfortable in front of the camera. In about 90% of our wedding photos I’m talking and making really strange faces and recently my double chin seems to appear more often than I’d like it to. It is so easy to be critical of myself.
Chaya has an ease in front of the camera which results in wonderful pictures.
I’m working on it, so Maggie can have pictures of herself with me. Plus, I want her to be confident in who she is and how she feels leaving the woe-is-me attitude for the nay-sayers.
Back to my beautiful cousin: Maggie has started to adore Chaya on this trip. Yesterday while I was with My Man and mom, we noticed that Maggie was cranking it up on the shore. Eventually Maggie made it into Chaya’s arms and calmed herself down. That, in my book, is huge since Maggie is a total Mama & Papa girl.
