My 'must do' list in paradise....

Oh to still be on the lovely island of Maui. Hands down best vacation (sans children) ever. I think life in general with this guy just gets better as the years go by. We had a few 'must do-s' on our list but other than that it was just play it day by day. I'm telling ya, it's the way to go.

Must do #1- Visit Lanai:

A few years back we went to Maui and I had a pedicure. The tiny little gal that worked her magic on my feet lived on the island of Lanai and took the ferry over to Maui to work everyday. I was fascinated with this idea...a ferry to work everyday, I had no idea. *Sidenote- She also worked at the 4 Seasons resort there on Lanai and had pedicured Oprah's feet as well. How 'bout them apples?!

Anyhoo, I knew then and there that if we ever went back to Maui I wanted to take the infamous ferry over to Lanai and check it out. Come on, Oprah does it.

It took about 45 minutes from Lahaina harbor to get to the island. These were the first up close views as we neared the harbor. Kyle said it looked a lot like Alaska. Not so tropical huh..no palm trees in sight.

Tiny island with one tiny grocery store. I had to take a price comparison tour. I found it much more enjoyable than Kyle..."No way, a cake mix is $3.59..can you believe it...no way, a box of cereal is $6.29, no way...." We did not purchase anything.

We rented a jeep and toured the island for the day. One half  looked like a tropical yet rocky jungle.

The other half...the moon.This was the only swim-able beach with the only palm trees on the island. It's literally a dry/mountainy/not so pretty place that once was a complete Dole pineapple plantation...the entire island. This beach was fabulous and fit the bill for our snorkeling needs. We  saw schools of fish, sat and talked, and counted 37 too many inappropriate and unfortunate bathing suits. I had the best Pina Colada (my personal fun drink of choice) at the 4 Seasons (where one Ms.Winfrey had her own personal pedicure years ago).

We swore we saw a dolphin out in the harbor as we ate....had to have been. Would I go again...probably not, no need.  It was a fabulous 1 day adventure that I have officially checked off my list.

Must do #2: Eat a lot of fresh fish

I think I ordered fish every time we went out to dinner...except for my eggplant night...can't pass up eggplant. This night however was my favorite. Such a fun experience. We joined forces with Mark (Kyle's brother) and Lorri (hilarious sis-in-law) and created our very own last minute bbq at a random beach park along the highway. How's that for spontaneity?!

We found a fresh fish market and made our selection. We got some marinade to go with it and then headed to the grocery store for charcoal and all the other "stuff." Sidenote: there's a lot of "stuff" you forget you need when you're not in the courtesy of your own home. Rule of the night...make due!

The camera ready wives patiently waiting.

Our improvising skills were crazy good and the fish was delicious. We ate on the paper bags from the store and I grabbed forks, salt n pepper packets, and napkins from the deli- after I made a legitimate side salad purchase. Add some guava juice and a bag of chips and you've got a serious BBQ..Thomas style!

Just a fun evening that I'll always remember!

Must do #3: Play me some Tennis

I love this guy...his name....Good Sport.

I played tennis in High School and then fun/casual co-ed stuff in college. NOTHING major...however, I really love playing...really...really...love it! I hadn't played in years and Kyle hadn't played since 9th grade PE so it was about time for some serious court action. Hilarity (mixed with some great volleys) ensued and after 2 hours we called it a morning.  Kyle's direct quote as he dripped in sweat, "That was really fun, we should do that again." No sarcasm what so ever. Such Good Stuff! 

Must Do #4: Enjoy everyday even with nothing planned

We had a few days where we literally had nothing planned and I absolutely loved it. We went running, read books by the pool, swam, shopped at the same store 3 times on 3 different days, counted people's hideous tattoos, read the local newspaper, talked about everything, ate great food, and just enjoyed being together.

I of course missed my darlings (who were so well taken care of by my one-in-a-million in laws) and by Saturday, was ready to see them again. I made them home made cinnamon rolls...I had to.

So there it is, I'm a list maker.  It's so gratifying to check things off, have fun, and be productive....especially on Maui!