Ohana, it means family… I learned it from watching Lilo and Stitch.

Five years ago Jen and I tied the knot. On that exact same day, Kayla and John also exchanged vows. We didn’t know each other back then but now they are our good friends. We all decided to head back to Hawaii, where we all spent our honeymoons, to celebrate our 5 year anniversaries. This time with the kids…more on that later. Ohana right? Nobody gets left behind. When Jen and I were there 5 years ago we LOVED it. You should have seen how sad our faces were the last day we were there. We decided right then, that every 5 years, we would come back because we loved the islands, culture and the aloha spirit that is woven into the fabric of the Hawaiian people. Hawaii truly holds a special place in our hearts.

Now about making it a family vacation. Our son who is now almost 2, has never been outside of Austin. We decided why not just take him on his first trip across the US and onto an island 9 hours away…not the brightest idea but hey we survived. Not by much, but we survived. We really, really have to thank Kayla, John and their two amazing kids Sienna and Tyson, who helped us get through the long flights and the car rides. They were life savers and they have the patience of a saint. The travel was definitely an experience but we are so glad that we all went together with our children. They had a blast hanging out at the beaches (Tyson doesn’t like sand on his feet),  tunnels (Tyson LOVES tunnels) and most of all each other. Seeing life through a child’s eyes is a refreshing experience and it makes you realize that every single day is amazing and filled with life.

I wish I took more pictures during this trip but it is hard running around keeping a little guy happy and out of trouble. Here are a few snapshots from our Hawaiian vacation.

Aloha~