Aloha!

I felt this picture was fitting to start off this entry. This was taken the evening we arrived in Kauai. It's the view we had the entire trip from our back patio of the condo we stayed in called the Cliffs in Princeville on the north Shore. We are so lucky to have been given a weeks stay here for our Christmas present last year from my husbands mom. She is so cute the way she wraps the leis up for us in a package and presents us with a week is Hawaii as her Christmas gift to us. She has been gracious enough to give us this gift for the last 3 times I have visited the beautiful island of Kauai and I truly appreciate the beauty of her gift.
We had quite a time getting to this beautiful view tho, we showed up an hour before our flight as we have times before only to be delayed with bag check outside the terminal. When we finally made our way up to the front of the long line they informed us that we had to have checked our bags 45 mins before our flight and since it was 40 mins before we were out of luck. Yep, you heard me right....5 mins short of the 45 mins time frame and they cut us off cold turkey. Now you can imagine the look on my face and the feeling in my stomach since the previous day I had driven my son and parents to the airport and seen them off a day earlier than us.
I went into complete panic mode. Here I am with a baby traveling and we missed our 7am flight to SF where we were to connect to a flight to Lihue. So I call Priceline via cellphone and they basically say "you're outta luck, non refundable or exchangeable tickets we can not help you BUT if United airlines wants to ok you to fly standby then it's entirely up to them...We get in an hour long line and finally make our way to the counter where a nice associate (let me just say I could NEVER do that job) basically tells us our next chance is a 4:45 flight out where she has 10 seats avail and if we want to spend and additional 300.00 (150.00 each) to hold them we can for sure get on the flight. We don't have 300.00 extra dollars right now so we basically have to wait and see....
Let me tell you, hanging out at LAX all morning with a 13 mos old is STRESSFUL! I totally called my friend Elise for moral support and to let out a few tears of frustration. Thank goodness for girlfriends! So we walked and walked in the stroller and watched some dvd's to keep our little one occupied. I am sure that the staff at the airport didn't appreciate the crushed goldfish on the carpet but whats a mom to do...
Then about 11am a very annoying family came walking up where we were hanging out and they had 4 teenagers all with attitudes and 3 adults and a baby a little older than Lily on a leash. I could never do that to my kid, I mean if I need a leash to keep an eye on my kid then I need to be a better parent. Just my opinion. So we strolling around the terminal and I go by one of the teens who talks to Lily and asks here where she's going. I tell her Hawaii, we had missed our flight and she replies so did we and we are flying standby on the 4:454 flight out. Ok...panic really sets in because remember how I mentioned there were only 10 seats and there are 8 of them...I take the initiative to walk across to the other terminal where a really nice gal is at the computer and I politely asked if could I ask a couple of questions about standby since I have never missed a flight in my life! She tells me she is headed to break but she'll be happy to help me out. All my years in banking customer service and me doing the same thing for my customers must have paid off that day is all I can say. She tells me how if they have mileage club rewards they will bump us from our seats for them. Now I am really panicked, so I tell her my story and about my parents already being there and I totally choke up. She is so sympathetic and understanding and I tell her how we could not pay the extra 300.00 to hold the seats and she says that's silly since they don't like to charge us if they don't have to. She then says she will take a look for me and we discover there are 17people waiting to fly standby for this 4:45 flight.
Ok NOW I am really panicked. She says well, why don't we get you out on the 1:30 to San Francisco and you can connect to the 4:45 to Lihue from San Francisco??? I tell her ok but what happens if we can't get on the flight to Lihue. She smiles and says don't worry give me a second to hide a few seats and you'll be just fine.
I can't believe it! She is talking while working but I am blown away that just like that, she has solved my problem and we are headed to KAUAI!!!!
So after finally getting to the island the real vacation began and we spent our days snorkling and laying on the beach. My parents we staying in Poipu and we were on the North Shore in Princeville. It was a little hard planning with 3 families but we made it work and had alot of fun. I mentioned to alot of my friends that we had planned to meet up with the photographer that took our wedding pictures, Ken Posney in the same spot we were married with my parents and the kids for a family session at sunset.This is the part of the trip I was looking forward to the most! From the first time I met Ken he just had this aura about him that was kind and so peaceful. He's just an amazing guy! Pls stop by his site and check out his work at www.kenposney.com/weddings.html His photos are truely breath taking and he captures images that are more beautiful than words can describe. I have spent alot of time since we met checking in on his site to see what he's been up to and how many new images he has for me to enjoy.
We had an amazing time with the shoot and I am sure we are going to love everything he captured. I know it seemed cheesy but Mat, Scott and I had matching Hawaiian outfits and we had the baby in a white Hawaiian dress. Us girls wore the Plumeria flower in our hair to capture the authentic Hawaiian vibe. I am so pleased Ken was able to meet with us and I look forward to many more years of family portraits taken by our friend.
So it's taken me all day just to get this much blogged and I am dead tired. I have to pick up my parents from the airport tmr at 5:30 so I will leave you with this image of my beautiful Hula Girl.