Postcard from Paradise

We got back to DC- miraculously- in time to bear traffic, pick up groceries, and toss our beach laundry in the washer before crashing with dinner and a glass of wine in front of a fire. Hawaii was amazing. Travel is hell. It's good to be home.

Still, it's a special kind of sad- and I know Missy agrees with me here- watching the last of the Bellows sand circle down the shower drain. It means vacation is really and truly over.

It was a ridiculously quick trip to Hawaii to see the fam for Thanksgiving, but then again work is always interfering with our vacation plans. We're getting used to it.

In the space of four days, we managed to cram in the North Shore circuit, an Army football game (my Peruvian brother-in-law's first American football game!), an actual Thanksgiving feast, about a hundred games of bocce (and lawn darts and badminton and dice games, oh my!), a pilgrimage to Duke's, a monsoon day at Bellows, and more mai tais than we cared to count. We saw old friends and were utterly charmed by our little niece, Lehua.

We did not surf or paddleboard or snorkel as planned, but part of the fun of being pseudo-locals (by family) in paradise is that there's always next time for the touristy stuff. For the most part, spectacular vistas notwithstanding, we were just like the rest of the poor saps trekking across the US on the busiest travel day of the year to share stuffing and turkey with the fam.

But those vistas were pretty hard to ignore. We're already planning our next- longer- trip, when Seth can hike and hit the waves, and we'll have time (and better weather) to lie on the beach for a change.

I'm beyond jealous that I have to be at the Pentagon for a board at 8 tomorrow morning, while Missy is sending me vacation pictures. (Although there are Mondays even in Hawaii, and Sara had to work.) Looking forward to the next family vacation. Seth survived his first, and claims to be excited to do it again, too.

More and better pictures will follow, but here are a few:

First, and most epic, documents my Thanksgiving wins. Believe it or not. (I never win anything in my family.)

This is from the Worst. Weather. Day. Ever. at Bellows. Check out that fleece!

Toasting Seth's "Alive Day" with champagne and the Bustamantes.

 And this one is probably our favorite. Our little niece, fetching and opening a beer for Dad. Totally unprompted. What a rock star.