Hiking Hawaii: Diamond Head Crater

Thought I would take a little break from wedding posts to share some of my favorite experiences since we moved to Hawaii.

One of the first things that Shaun and I did once we arrived here, was hike Diamond Head.

I've now done this hike twice, the first time with Shaun and the second time with some lovely ladies that I've gotten to know through our boat.

This is, what I would consider, an easy hike. It is kid-friendly, but definitely not stroller-friendly. You do gain some elevation on the way up and there are quite a few stairs, but there are spots where you can  move off to the side of the trail and take a break. The second time I did this hike, one of the girls I was with, had her 26 lb. son in an Ergo carrier and she made it up with no problems.

If you ever get to visit Hawaii, I definitely recommend doing this hike.

Diamond Head from Waikiki.

The mountain to the left is Koko Head Crater and just over the one to the right is Hanauma Bay, a famous snorkeling spot.

Beautiful view of Honolulu and Waikiki.

The views that I have seen from the many mountain tops here are incredible and it seems like each new hike outdoes the previous. I feel so blessed to be living in such an amazing place and hope you all enjoy reading about it!

Thank y'all for stopping by!

In full-fledged Christmas spirit!

Many of you shared gifts that you have bought/ plan on buying for your significant other and I thought I would share what I have in mind for S. He is an avid golfer and a huge UK fan so he's not too hard to shop for :)

The first thing I thought of and am definitely getting him:

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He not so subtly hinted that he wanted one of these (he doesn't know it yet, but I was already planning on buying him a new one)

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He really needs... (the case that it is)

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I know he really wants this, but not sure if I"m going to get it for him yet..

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 A few other ideas I've had for him...

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I think this could be a great idea for a guy.. Did I mention that I recently subscribed? I'm super excited and I think a lot of guys would love to get a little package in the mail every month with some goodies to try out. Don't get me wrong though, by no means is S the metro type (totally the hunting, fishing, hiking, manly-man-type), but I think he would still secretly like this ;)

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I can't wait for S to come to Connecticut this year (I went to Kentucky last year) and we are still planning a trip to snowy Vermont for New Year's :) I still can't believe that I will be able to go home for over two weeks (16 days total). Just one more reason why I LOVE my job. I don't even think my teacher friends can say that!

He won't actually get there until a couple days after Christmas, but will still be there for at least a week. We have yet to get a tree for our apartment (it will probably be a mini tree this year) and I am sooo excited to go to the Festival of Lights at James Island County Park again this year. My favorite part is the fire pits where you can make s'mores, my favoriteeeee<3

From two years ago:

Who doesn't love Christmas lights on palm trees?

Last, but not least, tonight is the Navy Christmas Ball! I'm leaving work a little early to get ready and cocktail hour starts at 1900 sharp. There may or may not be a little pre-gaming going on before that ;) We picked out a new suit for S last night as they are not required to wear their dress uniforms to this event and he looks super sharp and handsome, can't wait!

Pictures to come!

Hope y'all enjoy your Friday and the weekend! Anyone have any fun plans???