Carter Fitness: Liar Liar: The Epilogue

I have gotten many emails asking how the surprise / vacation went. So here it is: I am happy to report it went great. I'll keep this brief, but let me start at the beginning...

As planned I woke Denyse up at 6am and as expected she was initially not thrilled. That changed when I told her we were leaving for a week in Hawaii. She had 24 hours to get packed and ready, and I presented her with a check list and all the stuff I had pre-prepared. We spent most of that day shopping for crap she needed (wanted) but it wasn't that bad.

After the flight there was one last treat I had in store for her upon our arrival. I had arranged for her Mother, sister, brother-in-law and their baby to meet us in Hawaii. When we got to Kona and walked through the gates there they all were. It could not have been more perfect.

I did manage to slice my foot open on a rock on the first swim of the first day, but some Band-Aids and tape and I was good to go. We spent the week doing tourist stuff; sight seeing, snorkeling, eating, hiking, eating, lying on the beach, eating, etc. Below are some of the 800+ pictures I took (yes I know, I am that type of Dad). It was absolutely great having some of our family there. Ironically, even though it was out 10th anniversary we were so busy that I hardly got any time alone with Denyse. The exception was an amazing beach side couples massage at sunset- a gift from her sister Amy and brother in-law Jason. A special thanks you to them for that wonderful experience. Another special thanks to Denyse's mother Linda who looked after our kids when they were driving us nuts. Also thanks to everyone who knew and said nothing, Mary who took Gabe to school on Wednseday so Denyse could pack, my mother who watched our dog Buffy (and more), Josh, Everett & Evelyn who made sure my gyms still ran smooth in my absence and thanks to anyone else I might have forgotten.There are a few things I've learned if you are traveling soon that you might want to keep in mind.

Take pictures in your bathing suit at the beginning of the trip, not the end
When flying, sedate your kids or yourself
Even a plain burger will be $20, and take about an hour
Your kids will throw fits, and will wait till everyone is watching (just roll with it, they are out of their element)
Women will shop in stores they have at home simply because they are in Hawaii now
Snorkeling is a great ham exercise

The tan has already faded, but the memories are holding on strong. And if I ever need a reminder I can check out the 800 pictures previously mentioned :) It was well worth all the effort, and I hope my family had as much fun as I did. Here are some of my favorite shots (click for larger version).

Denyse and Nate at sunset