well I didn't hold to my word of writing in this space more often. even though i've thought i wanted to sit down and keep this updated, i have not committed to doing it. but here i am, today, because my friend becky reminded me that i do love sharing and documenting.

let's see...it was way way way back in november of last year since i last posted. since then, we've made our first trip back to colorado since our move. it was wonderful to be back for the holidays and enjoy snow and friends and family. we visited all of our favorite shops and restaurants and took channing to a few fun colorado spots she either missed or had never seen. the zoo was a must as well as the north pole...yes, there is an actual north pole in colorado springs. it is a christmas themed amusement park and it's pretty fun! we spent our first week in colorado springs seeing luc's family and then headed to visit my parents in palisade for the second half. we came back through denver and of course went to dinner at casa bonita and enjoyed a fun shopping trip to ikea!

pre-christmas celebrations in hawaii...

christmas tree decorating in hawaii before our colorado trip.

hawaiian santas are pretty awesome.  this was taken on a little trip we took to maui. — hawaiian santas are pretty awesome. this was taken on a little trip we took to maui.

and christmas in colorado...

first thing on her list to do in the snow.

since then, channing started a new semester of preschool and i quit my design job. that came as a surprise to many, i know, but it has been nothing short of fantastic for my family. i loved being back in the world of design, after being away from it for so many years. i worked with great clients on amazing jobs and got to travel to maui, oahu and san francisco. sounds like a dream job, right? it truly was, but not for me right now in my life. my stress level was high and i was not emotionally or physically there for channing or luc. i realized i needed to make a change after channing said to me one day "you are too tired to play with me anymore and i really miss you playing with me". if that's not enough to make you second guess your choices, i don't know what is. the stress was also causing some health issues for me. many of you who have been following along for awhile probably remember me discussing my challenges with getting my hormones back to normal levels even years after having channing. the stress was seriously affecting my adrenals and i was not in good shape. i also had barely worked out in the year i started working which packed an unflattering 15 pounds on my body. all in all, it was time for a change. it was scary but it was good.

i am now mostly at home, able to take and pick up c from school and be available for lots of playing when she gets home. i even got to go on my first preschool field trip, which was pretty fantastic! i am working out every day and even started teaching spinning classes again, 2 days a week. i am doing some consulting design work on a part time basis. right now it feels pretty ideal and i am feeling a lot more like "me".

that all being said, it's crazy to think that we have been here on hawaii for 2 whole years at the end of this month! right before i turn 37, which i also can't believe. sometimes it seems like we've been here for much longer, with all of the change and adjusting but other times it seems like only months ago we were packing up our beloved home in colorado and saying goodbye.

here's the truth...i finally feel at home here. our trip back at christmas was interesting. i think luc and i both wondered if that first trip back would make us regret our decision to leave or help us feel more settled in our decision. honestly, i was a little afraid i would get back and never want to return. but, that didn't happen for either of us. though we love our home state of colorado so very much, miss our friends and families and miss a lot of what we have known for the past 35 years....hawaii feels more and more like home now. and we don't regret our decision to take this leap.

i think we've both found our stride. luc is doing awesome at his job and enjoying getting to work on amazingly beautiful homes and i am feeling much more at ease with my current balance of work and family. we've gotten more used to a more laid back way of life. we accept the fact that we have to drive 40 minutes to "town" (kona) to go to costco or target but we're also thankful to even have those resources. (and being able to order pretty much anything off of amazon prime and have it delivered to our front door is super helpful!) i love our home and making it feel comfortable, beachy, bright and happy. growing plants has been one of my favorite past times...especially awesome since i don't have to worry about a year frost and freeze! we've been doing a lot of paddle boarding, swimming and playing at the beach. and feeling very thankful that we live only 10 minutes from being able to do any one of those things at any time. channing has been involved in some fun activities like soccer (huge here on the island) and aerobatics. she took a theater class this winter and i am hoping to get her into a hula class this fall.

oh ya, and we got a dog. her name is lola and she is an olde english bulldog. she's currently 5 months old...we brought her home at 6 weeks. she fun, crazy, quirky and she gained 10 pounds just last month. so, there's that.

this is not to say that there aren't struggles and days where things are tough. but, you know, that's life anywhere. what i do know if that i am feeling more thankful and appreciate of the beauty around us now...as opposed to focusing on what i am missing out on and what i don't have access to. this is a crazy fantastic opportunity we've been given and i intend to make the very best of it!!

i've had a few people reach out to me lately who are thinking of making some kind of a big move in their lives. maybe not to hawaii but truly, any move out of your comfort zone is a big one! please know i am ALWAYS here to listen or chat. i love the relationships i have gained through social media outlets and i always want to be available to help whenever i can. so please, never hesitate to reach out. until next time...aloha!

2 years of aloha