Mele Kalikimaka

This just might be my favorite Christmas Break of all time.  To start with, it was kicked off a week earlier than most for the fam to head to Hawaii!  I've never been more excited to whip up some sub plans and pack a suitcase.  Matt's basketball team had a tournament that took us to Paradise (thank you, Pioneers) where we basked in the sun, ate Sno Cones on the beach--special shout out to the hotel deli run by cute Asian ladies, ate great food, and shopped. 

I could definitely see why people would move to Hawaii...weather was a steady 75-80 degrees and the scenery was beautiful!  We became quite the sport and leisure people which is sometimes a tad outside the Sauder norm (the sport part...we've got the leisure down).  Remember the jean shorts and penny loafers at basketball tryouts, Jana?  Anyway, we got to snorkel, parasail, and hike up Diamond Head, which was much more "sport" than I expected.  Seriously, I was thinking easy stroll as I saw little kids strapped to dads' backs, and old women wearing flip flops making their way down, but I really question how they did that.  It was much more strenuous than I expected and at one point I looked up to see what had to have been 1,000 stairs straight up.  So those thinking of going...be warned.  Maybe leave bread crumbs and wear a camelbac.   

The view at the top was well worth the sweat!

I'll save you the long documentary and just let you enjoy the pics. 





The Kid, naturally, became my photo buddy :)



We also enjoyed Pearl Harbor and a Luau

The roughest part was definitely getting on a plane in summer clothes and landing with snow on the ground.  Home sweet home.  T-minus three days to reality.  

The Lost Shall Be Found

Some could say I've been "lost" as far as the blogging world is concerned.  Others might say I've been far too busy lazy and have seen blogging as a major burden lately.  There are a number of things that could be documented:  Thanksgiving, KC shopping rendezvous with the fam, my current addiction to the television show Prison Break, or my putting off finishing starting the project for my master's class due next week. 

So....what fascinating event wins out to be the first thing posted in the last month?

Two words: Gingerbread House.



Allegedly the house sticks together via frosting...we resulted to a hot glue gun



Mom's love for decorating paid off when she spent an extra hour jazzing up the house.



Final product

 December has come which usually means I'm primed and ready for Starbuck's Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate and Christmas music blaring every time I'm in the car.  However, this crazy nice weather is throwing me off here.  And the fact that the fam is headed for Hawaii in less than two weeks might also be throwing me off this month.  Jana's husband, Matt, has tournaments there for his basketball team, so of course we've all decided to join the fun and support the team.  Bronzing on a beach in the middle of December doesn't sound half bad either.  Aloha!