Maui, baby!

The last couple of days have been so tiring but so fun! When we landed in Maui, local time was 9:55. Making it 12:55 back home. Then it took like a half hour to get my bag from baggage claim (that seriously sucked!) and we ended up stopping at the beach on the way to my dad's house. We probably got to my dad's sometime around midnight. Making it three in the morning back home. Bubba was so exhausted that he was terrified of the water. It probably didn't help that it was dark, as he's not a huge fan of the dark. He insisted upon sleeping directly on my chest our first night here.

The next day was better. We didn't have to spend the entire day cooped up! Hooray! It was bubba's first time at the beach, and it was exactly as fun as it sounds! He's such a water bug, you can't keep him away from it. He also loves the sand. He was building sandcastles just yelling "yay! yay! yay!" the whole entire time. When he decided he was exhausted, we went home and took a three hour nap. When we woke up, we drove to the other side of the island because some friends of my dad's had come in for the day off a cruise and we were driving them back, so we went to dinner over there and I got to see the largest tree in the United States! It was planted in 1857 to celebrate the 50 year anniversary of the first Protestant mission to Maui (by order of the Queen!), and today has, if I remember correctly, 16 trunks not including the main one! Every time a branch gets too weak, the tree shoots another branch into the ground to hold the weak one up and it keeps growing! Isn't that cool?! No, just me? Okay then.

Today was super cool also. I learned to surf! Okay, not really. I learned to stand up on a surf board though! I got 31 seconds before I fell off, that was my best time. I did it until every single muscle in my body was shaking with the effort. I never realized the amount of just full-body strength that a surfer has to have. You have to get going (it makes it easier to get up) by paddling and trying to get a wave to carry you. But you have to paddle with your arms, and that hurts. Then you have to push yourself up (using your arms!) to a standing position, then your legs have to steady you while the ocean tries to kick you off your board. It's exhausting and exhilarating. I kept trying to look at it from a scientific and mathematical perspective, because every thing in life boils down to math. But I had to let go of that and fight off my basic instincts. When my brain was screaming "do not try to stand up! this board is wobbling and halfway underwater and if you try to stand up you will fall and hit your head on a rock and die!", I stood up anyway. And I didn't fall immediately. Once I did, I didn't get hurt. I gained more by taking the chance than I would have if I hadn't. It was beautiful and wonderful and amazing.

I can't think straight with all of the excitement in my head, so I'm going to leave this where it is.

Also Merry Christmas!!!!