Today, we drove to Makena to hit Big Beach. I had only been once before several years back, and Brannon had never been. Big Beach has a shore break (waves break right on the shore as opposed to farther out and rolling in), and there are usually boogie boarders and skim boarders all along the shore. It's a quick ride, because if you don't jump off the wave in time, you get slammed right into the sand on the shore (hello, sand burns). And if you don't enter the water at the right time or the right way, you get slammed into the sand by those same powerful waves. It makes playing in the water a bit more exciting. :)

Yesterday, we drove up to the Ali'i Kula Lavender Farm in Kula. It was a bit rainy and cloudy up there (which is fairly common weather for Kula, or most places as you drive up Haleakala), but was still nice to sit outside in the back on their lanai and enjoy a lavender scone (with their delicious lavender lilikoi jelly) and some hot lavender tea. 

Extra perk: They have a green initiative - if you bring in your own cup/mug, your first cup of tea or coffee is on them (both lavender-flavored, of course)! 

Each part of the island has different types of beaches, which I love. The sand granules feel different under your feet (some are really fine while others are more course), the water is a little different color (depending on the tides and the reef(s) in that particular area), the sandy part of the beach is a different length and shape (which changes your laying out/walking on the beach experience a little), some beaches have a lot of trees creating more shade, but also more branches on the beach, some have no trees at all, the sand bar under the water is a different depth, the waves are different sizes, the wave breaks are different, etc... a different beach for every mood I suppose. 

I don't know if anyone has seen the old movie "Hello Down There", but that is probably one of my favorites childhood movies. It was released in 1969, and Richard Dreyfuss is in it as a teenager (before anyone really knew who he was - his name wasn't even featured on the movie poster).

Last night, while sitting down eating dinner and watching a childbirth video, I thought I felt some minor movement in my belly. So I put my hand over my belly where my uterus would be and a couple minutes later I felt a small bump on one of my fingers! It was incredible. I stopped everything we were doing and told Brannon. It felt euphoric and magical. I couldn't believe it. I all of the sudden didn't care about all the logistics I had been previously concerned with, and was completely wrapped up in the moment of what had just occurred. I just sat there, stunned. And smiling. Our baby is moving! It's real!

Today, we grilled out with our friends Mandy and Lyam at Ukumehame Beach. They brought their awesome VW camper van. 

Kanaha Beach right down the road in Kahului is a well-known place around the island for great kite surfing and wind surfing. It has even earned the nickname "Kite Beach". We will usually go to the far end of that beach where there are less surfers, so we can watch from a distance but have a little space. Today, I think every kite and wind surfer on the island was at Kanaha, covering the whole beach. It was exceptionally windy, which made it great for these sports, and it was fun to watch up close.

So I'm trying to stay somewhat active while pregnant - I usually at least walk every day and sometimes do several lunges and squats. I wasn't a huge gym fanatic before I got pregnant (we're really more of the hiking, biking, activities outdoors kind of people), so I'm not overdoing the whole working out thing. But trying to be a little active every day even when I don't feel like it.

My favorite place in the world (thus far) is the Haleakala crater on Maui. I've never seen such diverse beauty in one place. We've hiked it once before a couple years ago, right before we moved off island (hiked in via the Sliding Sands trailhead, and out Halemau'u or "Switchbacks"). We did a 13 mile day hike with a group of friends,  and it was extremely memorable.

We've been enjoying Maui while we're here, but have to admit we're a bit anxious to get back to our RV, who is waiting patiently for us in the backyard. He's almost ready to be taken out - a couple more projects that need to be finished (flooring and curtains) and he'll be ready for summer camping (see our RV Remodel section). We get back on June 5th, and have a few short trips planned. We're trying to live in the moment while we're here, but we are looking forward to our first trip out! 

Lately, I've been gleaning information from mothers around me, seeing as I've never done this parenting thing before. I've become way more observant about parents' interactions with their kids, young and old, taking mental notes on what I like or dislike. I've been asking LOTS of questions about methods, discipline, sleep scheduling or not, instincts, etc...