Final sunset during our BBQ dinner.

Today was our last full day in Hawaii.  Tomorrow morning we will be heading back to Vegas to resume our normal lives.  So we wanted to make sure we got in a full day today.

First thing this morning, Rylie had her second surfing lesson, and she rocked it.  She has obviously become more comfortable with the sport and was paddling back into the lineup for her next wave by herself and was even starting to turn a longboard.  It was awesome to see.

But what shocked us the most was Chloe.  She wanted to surf.  At  7 years old, 43 pounds, and a fairly shy kid, we had expectations of her quitting part way through or being uncomfortable in the water (okay, mom thought she was going to drown).  But we couldn’t have been more wrong.  Even though she didn’t pick it up as fast as her older sister, she did really well.  She rode waves on her own.  She did her best paddling.  In fairness, that is difficult when you’re so small that your arms barely reach the water (rumor has it that is what kept Cee Lo Green from being a professional surfer).  But most importantly, she smiled through the entire lesson.

That Chloe could surf was awesome because she still struggles with riding a two wheel bike.  This could be a great chance for her to improve her balance.  For those of you unaware she gets carsick and sometimes has some issues with her balance and high places which her doctor felt may be related.   But she was able to stand on a moving board in the ocean.  Of course, other times she stood up and ran as fast as she could off the end of the board, plugging her nose, and going into the water.  She finished the whole hour and informed us that our next vacation should be a surfing vacation and that she would rather come to Hawaii than go to Disney.  That made my smile even bigger!

I loved being on the beach and watching them surfing.  Rylie was the greatest cheerleader her sister ever could have asked for, so loud we could hear her from shore.  Chloe’s instructor, Koa, was fantastic.  He is a true surfer and was very intent on protecting her and helping her learn.  He even made it clear to others in the water that he expected her to have space.  Of course he also did a handstand while riding a wave, but the tip he got from me was for how he treated my daughter.  The best parts were watching the girls surf the same wave together.  You could see them smiling and watching each other.  It made me incredibly proud.

Rylie on the left, Chloe on the right.  Rylie fell off first, something Chloe remembers very well.

We had lunch at Cheeseburger in Paradise.  More shave ice.  A BBQ dinner using up left over food with family near the beach.  And a quick run to fetch some last minute souvenirs.

This was the best vacation I have had in a long time.  Two weeks away was more stressful in planning than in happening.  I’m sure I will be walking back into a mess on Monday, but for now I am completely relaxed and had a great 16 days with my family.  Both girls said they didn’t want to leave Hawaii because they knew it meant I had to go back to work.  I couldn’t agree more.

The move to Vegas has been incredibly good for us as a family.  I learned too late that my job was putting too much of a strain on my home life, and I am so happy that I made the change.  Work doesn’t run my life anymore.  I was able to almost completely disconnect for a couple weeks and I’m pretty sure the world didn’t end.  I’ve found the balance that I need, and that they deserve.

Maybe the next vacation will be spent exploring the extent of that balance from the top of a surfboard with my girls.

We do this on every beach vacation. Footprints in the sand. L to R: me, Rylie, Chloe, and Michelle. It’s fun to watch them grow this way.