Aloha from the Big Island of Hawaii!

To kickoff the start of summer vacation, Ken and I took our kids and my Mom to the Big Island for the week! What a treasure to travel with Grandma aka Gammie, a dream we’ve had for a while. Right after swim class last Saturday, we flew to Kona and rented a car and drove all around the island, stopping in Hilo then Hawaii Volcanos National Park followed by drives along the Southern Coast of the island. Our trip to Waimea was one of my favorite memories from this week! It’s a super cute town with a lot higher elevation than Kula (on Maui) and it reminds me so much of the beautiful countryside of the Valley Isle. We visited the cutest park in Waimea and it’s officially my all time fave kids park we’ve been to potentially ever. This is hard for me to say since I grew up going to Giggle Hill on Maui and love the wooden play structure the community built in the past couple decades…but Anuenue Playground is just as amazing as Giggle Hill! Maybe slightly better? Ok, can’t believe I even said that. But it is. So there. (*Might update my review later when I come down from travel wonder…)

Here are some photos of our family adventure. I’m so grateful for how hard Ken works so we can do things like this every now and then. He’s really the best husband and father. He plays with our kids and makes them laugh and he tirelessly helps me pack up all our food for the day and then unpack and clean up at the end of the day…

On this trip, I’ve been thinking long and hard about how important it is for us to play with our kids. Just play. I’ve been reading research on how play impacts a child’s development and creativity and confidence. It builds and strengthens them in ways discipline and correction just won’t do.

“Play is the foundation of learning, creativity, self-expression, and constructive problem-solving. It’s how children wrestle with life to make it meaningful. ” – Susan Linn, Psychiatrist

So, that’s been a goal of mine for this trip together. To play, and enjoy my children. To allow their imaginations to take the lead, to release my expectations for how everything should look…instead of trying to do “all the things” to take time to enjoy and embrace one thing (activity, adventure, meal etc) at a time. To savor. I’m honestly not very good at playing and having fun when I’m all wound up after cooking/prepping/packing for the day but I’m learning how to pause, and pray and ask God for help in this area. I want to show my kids that I enjoy them, and love them, and love spending time with them. Does that make sense? It’s something I’m working at as a goal this summer. I’m such a work in progress. (Thanks God for never giving up on me!)

How’s your summer starting out? Any fun trips planned?

Here are a few more photos of our trip, reminds me that I want to start doing landscape photography more…Big Island was so inspiring!

Lots of love from our little Maui fam on the Big Island! xx