A little bit of Hawaii to brighten your day.
Aloha and welcome to your February dose of Aloha! I just read in the news that Hawaii is once again ranked the happiest, healthiest state in America, so I figured it’s only right to share…
I do my best to write posts that are encouraging or useful in some way, but every once in a while I just can’t resist one of these…And I was quite relieved after sharing my New Year’s post, to get comments from millions great masses at least a few readers who specifically requested I share some photo-heavy, Hawaiian-life posts.
My pleasure.
{Reminder: To get daily doses of our life here, you can also follow my Instagram feed. A lot of those photos also land on my Facebook page, so jump in to either (or both) of those if you haven’t already.}
TODAY seemed like an appropriate day to have some fun around here because…(drumroll please!)…
TODAY: LUKE TURNS 13!! Yes, I am officially the mom of THREE TEENAGE BOYS! (let’s pause for a moment of prayer for the mom of three teenage boys.) But really, this is so much fun! I’m just a tad crazy about my Luke. Aaaaand…Luke is a very SOLID SEVEN on the Enneagram (personality typing) for those of you who happen to speak Enneagram lingo. If you don’t know the Enneagram, I will write about it here eventually…but suffice it to say that SEVENS LIKE TO PARTY. Their nickname is “The Enthusiast.”
And thirteen–is a very big deal. (Or at least that’s what Luke says. ;))
So clearly this is a fitting occasion to have some fun. And to kick us off, I get to share Luke’s just-released highlight reel video from his last YEAR of surfing. I think you (and your kids) might enjoy it!
(if it doesn’t load right away, you might try refreshing your page…)
Luke from David Swanson on Vimeo.
Fun, right? Luke’s had some great contests lately, and we feel really good about the all of the championships coming up soon…
But there’s more…
Most of the photos I am sharing are from an epic day of boating with friends. In fact, we were boating with Dr. Shormann, of the DIVE Into Math and Science curriculum that I wrote about in this post. If your kids are blessed to take any of his online classes you’ll get a feel for what an incredible man he is, but really, his whole family is just awesome. We feel super blessed to get to do life on the north shore — including church and youth group and our homeschool adventures, with them! (You’ll see his daughter Ellie in the photos as well. She’s a gem.)
My folks were still here for the boat trip, which made it double great, and overall it was just a perfect day. (except Jonah was sick and missed it.) We saw whales, (like up close and personal) dolphins, (the cool, calm, and collected Dr. Dave was screaming like a little boy as he dove in and swam with a huge pod, haha.) and we even paid a visit to a big school of sharks (we stayed in the boat.) We caught fish, and Levi reeled in his first catch ever to find it was a very lively octopus. So funny! It was a day to remember for the rest of our lives. Thanks again, Dr. Shormann!
(Dr. Shormann shared those 3 beauties…^^^)
And a few more pics for fun…Many thanks to Josiah for his contributions… (see more of his work–and writing at his web site.)
(My amazing parents…hurry back ya’all!! ^^)
Happy Birthday Luke! We couldn’t love you any more, and we are so very proud of you.
And to the rest of you…thanks for being a part of our life! It’s an honor to share it with you!
See you soon,
Monica
Thank you so much for the sunny and warm pictures!! We just got buried in 2 feet of fluffy white snow! Which is FUN!! But….it’s after 2 snow days at school the week before for 4 inches and 6 inches, plus we are forecast for ANOTHER 8-12 inches tomorrow night!!! Sun? What’s that? Warm…isn’t that only available via roaring wood stove?!
Your pics made my day! 😀
Happy 13th Birthday Luke! Wow your video of you surfing was impressive.
Iam a mum of 2 boys aged 10 and 12 from Australia who do swim squad trainning and I know the dedication you would put into your trainning. Well done and keep aiming for your dreams and goals. You are a champion and so is your mum.
Blessings,
Shelley
Happy birthday to Luke! Thank you for sharing the pictures of Hawaii. I’ve only been to Hawaii once, but I left a piece of my heart there. I must confess, when I start missing it too much, I watch an episode of Magnum PI. 😊 A while back, I even ordered a Hawaiian wedding band from Honolulu Jewelers. I also have a plumeria plant that I try to keep alive. Just trying to bring a bit of Hawaii to Oklahoma! Enjoy your day!
Thanks for sharing! I always enjoy your pics & living vicariously through them. Looks like a lot of fun. You are blessed.
Happy Birthday to Luke! 13 is a big deal:)
We are actually tentatively planning our first trip to Hawaii in October. We aren’t sure what island will give us the most “bang for our buck.” We are more scenic sights kind of people than the commercialized areas… Do you have any suggestions?
Renee–thank you for commenting! Oh that is so hard…all of the islands have so much to offer (and none are cheap, haha. :)) But the most scenic of all would be Kauai. It’s much slower there and so many incredible things to see and enjoy. You can’t go wrong on any island though! Keep me posted and blessings to you and your family. 🙂
Happy Birthday, Luke!!! I can’t believe he’s 13…I remember when you were posting that he was 8!!! Time certainly flies. Thanks for bringing us all along on your amazing Hawaiian life…it really does raise the spirits to see all the sunshine and happiness you are experiencing in such a unique Hawaiian way!!! Love to you all from New Jersey where we are expecting 6-10″ of snow tomorrow!!
Hey Wendy!! Thank you so much. Yes, I remember you from way back too…that’s so much fun! (Tommy has grown up a bit too, right? ;)) Enjoy that snow–which of course we think sounds incredibly dreamy. Much love to you and your family!
Hi Monica, thanks for sharing this post and these pictures! I actually am traveling to Hawaii here soon with my husband. He’s a pilot in the air force and will be there for 12 days in early March and I’m lucky enough to get to be there for 7 of them! This will be my second time visiting. Last time we took a drive around the island which I was just fascinated with. We stopped at a beach on the North Shore and got drenched because we were not expecting the waves to be so much bigger! I am so excited to spend a day up on the North Shore when I’m there in a few weeks, but if you have any food or fun recommendations please let me know! I just appreciate your posts so much. You’re very much someone I look up to as a woman, mother, and wife!
Hey Chrissie! Yay for a trip to Hawaii! 🙂 So glad you get to come and I hope it is a wonderful trip. I do have a “north shore favorites” tab in the top of my menu bar, so you might want to click there and read about a few of our favorite restaurants, beaches, and so on. I hope the trip is beyond even what you hope for! Keep me posted and thank you for taking the time to comment. XO
Aww happy 13th to Luke & thankyou so much for the amazing pics. They especially look so lovely to me at the moment as it’s a very cold dreary wet morning here in the U.K so seeing these beautiful sunny faces & landscapes really cheer me up no end.
My son is going to become 13 also this year & I’m
totally blown away how you manage to cope with three teenagers when i can barely manage my one horror lol.
Health & happiness to you all x
Thank you so much Louise! I’ve never been to the UK but hope to visit one day. of course every place has it’s own beauty and charm, but I am happy to share a little Aloha with you here! 😉 Enjoy that soon-to-be teenager, and God bless you! xo
Oh it looked like you had a lot of fun! We have yet to actually tour the Island. Thanks for sharing the awesome pictures. My son uses the Dive videos with his Saxon math. I didn’t know he lived here.
Nita–Oh wow, your son uses DIVE!? So great. Yes, Dr. Shormann is from Texas, but has been living on the north shore for a few years now. Hope you get to do a big tour soon, (we also don’t get out a lot–so easy to just get comfortable in our own little zones!) Much love–
What a great treat to spend Luke’s birthday with you all even tho we’re not able to be there ! Wonderful tribute to our deserving teenager! Sure miss you & wish Luke a fun celebration!! So many wonderful memories! 😘
Aww! Thanks for sharing a LOT bit of Hawaii with us! It sure made my day! And yes, I keep hearing that too, “HI being one of the happiest places in the world”, what a treat!
Congratulations to your 13th year old. What a blessing!
Hopefully one day I’ll get to visit Hawaii! God blessings!
Ahhh… Hawaii does my soul good-even in photos!Happy birthday, Luke! And, God be with you,mother of 3 teenagers.
SO glad to hear it, Shannon! 🙂 Thank you! Blessings to you…with Aloha
Thank you for sharing a glimpse into your wonderful Hawaiian life of adventure and beauty. If it’s possible to leave your heart somewhere, surely mine is in Hawaii. Our family has enjoyed many wonderful adventures there that we continue to treasure. Now if only we could stay forever. Sigh.
Alexandra–Thank you so much. And I’m so happy you have had the blessing of enjoying the islands, too. Where do you usually visit? Sending you warm Aloha–