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.
