Lessons from Hawaii

We had the wonderful privilege of going to Hawaii to be a part of one of my best friend's wedding. We had so much fun being with so many friends, in such a beautiful setting, celebrating so much love. I thought I would document some of the things (baby and non-baby related) I learned from such a monumental trip. Hello 13 hours of traveling!!

1. Have really great friends. Nothing (and I mean nothing) would have been possible without the help of so many kind, generous, gracious friends. Everything from caring some of the 14,000 pieces of luggage that we brought, to wiping off sand from baby rolls in an outdoor shower at the beach was helpful. Even just their understanding and sensitivity to the baby made a huge difference. I cannot count the number of times our friends helped out, it was just constant and wonderful. Thanks guys!

2. Don't wear your hair down for a windy beach wedding ceremony. Wear it in a bun. Pinned down. With 2 bottles of hairspray caked on. Then slick it back with gel. And add more pins.

3. Get tan before you go. Otherwise, you might as well wear a big sticker on your head that scream "tourist!" Everyone in Hawaii is tan!

4. Make lots of friends on the plane. Kyler is way more entertained by people than he is by toys. This will help some of those 8 hour flights!

5. Try not to get sick on vacation. Kyler and I both failed miserably at this. Make sure you have lots of Tylenol on hand!

6. Take a baby pool to the beach. The waves were huge, so there was no way I was even sticking Kyler's pinky toe in that water. We set up a little blow-up baby pool next to our group and he splashed away for a good while. He was safe, contained, cool, shaded, and happy.

7. Eat the local food. This is always my favorite part of vacations.

8. Be flexible! Diaper changes in the park, nursing while laying out at the beach, naps in the mountainous shade, and just complete schedule mayhem.