Stop and smell the plumeria.

Whenever I visit the mainland I often run into people in awe of the idea of living in Hawaii. “Wow it must be amazing!” and it is but I have to admit that sometimes I forget. I know that sounds ridiculous considering our backyard consists of banana trees, papaya trees, plumeria trees and red hibiscus bushes and our front yard faces the majestic Ko’olau mountain range, complete with waterfalls after a heavy rain. What I mean is that sometimes the laundry pile, stack of dirty dishes (which will attract the largest cockroaches you’ve ever seen) and other chores often take priority over the surfboards, amazing sights and fabulous weather. The inside of a Hawaiian grocery store, bank or Walmart are identical to the ones on the mainland. It is easy to get caught up in the monotony of the “To Do List”.

I recently received a wake up call when someone asked me how much longer we'd be in Hawaii and I realized we were entering the last year of my husband’s military assignment here. Ugh. So its time to stop and smell the plumerias and to make sure we experience all paradise has to offer and to appreciate this wonderful opportunity. My goal is to document the stuff we do and hopefully focus on doing more of it.

I’d also like to thank my youngest daughter for weaning and potty training last week, its amazing how much time gets freed up for things like writing a Blog when you don’t have to nurse and change diapers all the time.