Throwback to 10 years ago | Kona

  Throwback to 10 years ago this October when Mike and I went to Hawaii with my sister and dad to watch the Kona Ironman.  I dream of Hawaii often and I can hardly believe this trip was 10 years ago.  This was  the season RIGHT before the years of pregnancy and babies.  It was a different life, of course.  I had just quit my lab job at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research and started working at an elementary school.  We had just finished a fun summer of biking to work, triathlons, and whatever the heck we wanted to do and when.  We didn't think of it as a last hurrah, but it certainly was.  Loved looking back at these pics, as well as watching some of the video of me getting taken out by a wave while my dad pointed and laughed and my sister couldn't stop laughing either.  Such good times.

  This was the beach we hung out at the most and it is significant because this is where we went on our first morning.  That first morning, there was also an earthquake as we were waking up!  My mom called to tell us there was a tsunami warning and we need to stay away from the water.  Approximately one hour later, we were here.

 The same beach that we spent a lot of time at before the storm.

After.  So much rock was exposed!

   We have this pic framed in our house!

   This was the most beautiful off the road beach I have ever been to!  I am sure the locals did not approve of us being there, but we sure enjoyed it!  Also, notice my teeth, this is why I am getting braces.  I have had them for one year now and everything is straight except that same tooth you see in this pic.  I'm getting close!

   This was us on the way out to seeing the lava flow into the ocean.  It was so freaking hot that day.  We never made it.  We were so under-prepared.  We didn't have any water and my sister and I were wearing flip flops and bikini tops.  Haha!

Running down Ali'i drive as if she was finishing the ironman.  I was cheering for her.  LOL!

Dream house.

    I have watched the Ironman here 3 times.  Once when I was young, once in college when my dad did it, and then this time when we didn't know anyone in it.  It is quite an experience every time.  We watch whenever it is on tv because there are such great memories and such inspiring stories.

  Some of my most treasured and cherished memories of my childhood are from when I was in Hawaii with my family.  I pretend I am Hawaiian because I can get away with it, but mostly because it is such a happy place for me.  I cannot wait till the next time I go and I cannot wait to take my kids to make some happy memories with them.

Aloha!