That's a lot of stairs.

Well, if I could describe this week in two phrases, I'd say Tired and More Tired. But if I could only describe it in one word, I'd have to choose the word Fun-Filled! (I'm pretending this is one word, by the way.) It has been full of beaches, water, early mornings, late nights, no work, hikes, traveling, and basically, just full of Life.


What triggered all this life-living fun? We had some great friends move from Missouri to this little island lost in the Pacific. Adam & Ashley were brave enough to move to a place they'd never visited! After picking them up at the airport last Tuesday, we filled our week with showing them around the island. We traveled around the windward side- the side we live on- and showed them the telephone pole you can jump off of into the ocean, a beach with big waves, and some sweet ocean scenery next to the highway. We also hit up North Shore, where Adam & Pete spent an hour jumping over 4-5 foot waves crashing on the shore. We saw some turtles the size of Ashley, walked around a North Shore surf town, and discovered Ashley's new favorite sport- snorkeling!

Before all this though, Pete and I celebrated our 2 year Anniversary! I took him to a breakfast nook (since that's his favorite meal of the day), where he ate Guava Chiffon and Cinnamon Apple pancakes. I had hash browns...I know, I'm boring. :) Afterward, he ordered me into a t-shirt and shorts, and drove me clear to the other side of the island. I had no idea where we were going until we turned off of the main highway and onto a road that led to the most western point of the island. I knew exactly what was down this road but was too excited to imagine the possibility...so I kept my mouth shut and waited. When he finally slowed in front of the place I was hoping for, I erupted in laughter and shrieks. He surprised me with skydiving on the North Shore- an amazing blend of mountains and ocean! More than ever, I became convinced that skydiving is my calling in life. We parked and walked up to the window, where Pete told the girl that he'd made an appointment. She had no record of it but said that the last plane of the day was just getting ready to go up in a few seconds. We rushed through the paperwork (well, half of it...), threw on our gear, and jumped into the plane within 5 minutes! We were up to 14,000 feet in no time- my favorite place to be! My tandem master was taking pictures the whole way up, which we hadn't paid for but he sent me for free later on (so amazing!). I tumbled out of the plane a few minutes later and experienced blist as I freefalled through the air for the next 60 seconds. Pete went out right after I did so I got to watch him land. The view was simply incredible- it literally took my breath away. I was so thankful for this amazing gift my husband had given us to celebrate our life together.


After falling from the sky, we spent the rest of the day together. We ate mexican food on Turtle Bay beach then picked up Adam and Ashley at the airport that same night. Overall, it was a fantastic anniversary.

So, besides giving our friends a tour of the island, we also did a crazy thing on September 11th. We woke up at 4:00 a.m., drove a few miles to the base of a mountain on the Koolau mountain range on the windward side, and started hiking. By the time the sun rose, we were ascending a mountain of stairs...literally, a mountain. There were 3,922 stairs to be exact. The mountain itself is over 2,000 feet high! Each step is like climbing up a ladder and it goes straight down. The summit is ridiculous. However, we avid hikers did indeed conquer the stairs that came in massive doses! The panoramic view from the top was unlike any other. Did I mention that Adam is afraid of heights? :)

Then, to top the week off, we celebrated our awesome neighbors/new friends Katie & Dave's birthday at the beach park! We barbequed, talked, sang happy birthday, and watched the sun set over the mountains as we stood on the beach. It was pretty much picture perfect, and reminded me of how blessed I am to live in such a beautiful place. We went home together to what we now call the Jr. Compound (the real compound is at our auntie and uncle's house), and continued our little party by sitting around a fire pit and sharing stories about life. We nibbled on peanut butter cookies and talked into the night like old friends. Sometimes I forget we're adults because I feel like we still have so many free times together. I never knew adults could hang out together on the beach and then sit around a fire together. I just figured adults worked all the time and didn't have many friends. Kind of a weird view of adults.... but I guess that's how all adults are. Or maybe we're still just kids in adult bodies. Who knows?

All in all, it has been one amazing week with great friends.