Football & Fairy Tales The McSwains: Maui

Thursday

This morning was Breakfast Day at the condos! Dad made the bacon and eggs, I started on the pancakes but it was a royal failure for me so I quickly delegated to Ryan Fetz and switched over to making the fruit salad instead. We enjoyed the breakfast while mom & Madison Claire slept in! Afterwards, we decided to start the Sherlock Holmes movie again so had a low key morning in the condo watching the movie. Mom, Meredith & I went shopping around Whalers Village while Ryan & Dad watched Madison Claire. That night, we made lasagna at the condos for dinner and then all of us kids went to the Warren & Annabelle's show as a treat from mom & dad. We had a great time!

The breakfast crew with our breakfast

Watching the movie

At Warren & Annabelle's

Friday

Ryan started a new ritual of going down to the jacuzzi in the morning when he wakes up. I was able to get a picture of him today - he was the only one down there. Once Madison Claire got up, we took her back down to the beach and just had fun by the pool. Dad & Patrick played golf over on Lanai so were gone for most of the day. When they got back, we headed into Lahaina so I could have Madison Claire's picture drawn by an artist on Front Street. Afterwards we had dinner at Lahiana Fish Company - it wasn't any good but a shaved ice from Ulalanis ended us on a positive note! Not many pictures from today:

If you look closely, you'll see Ryan sitting in a chair right in front of the jacuzzi

Saturday

We woke up early for the Gazebo for breakfast...as usual, it didn't disappoint! Afterwards, we drove up the coast to the Blowhole but the tide wasn't in so it wasn't really going like it was the last time we went. We did get some fun pictures in the same spot where Ryan & I have some of our favorite pictures from previous years. After we left the Blowhole, we went to Honolua Bay to snorkel. We had tried to book an official snorkel trip at Honolua Bay a few years ago when we were there but the day we were supposed to go it was too windy for that side of the island so they had to take us somewhere else. This time, we decided to go on our own, so we rented snorkel gear and decided to check it out. It was amazingly beautiful how clear the water was. Madison Claire was way past due for a nap, so I didn't get to go in, but I enjoyed the scenery and watching everyone else. After we had been there for a while, Dad, Madison Claire & I drove up to a lookout point to try to take pictures of everyone snorkeling from above. I looked and looked and couldn't find them anywhere. I finally found someone who I thought was Ryan because he looked bald and was wearing a blue bathing suit, so took about 30 pictures of him before we decided to give up on finding the rest of them. Sure enough, as soon as we got in the car, there they were pulling up in the other car - so they hadn't been in the water when I was looking! That afternoon, mom & dad took Madison Claire to the Pirate ship for some pool time. Ryan, Madison Claire & I went out to Sansei with our friends from Nashville & CPA, the Smiths. They go to Maui every year and this is the second time that it has worked out that we were all there the same week. They are one of the most generous families we know and we so appreciated getting to spend time with their sweet family! After dinner we went back to see the place where they were staying and Madison Claire had fun playing with their 3 kids.

At the Gazebo

Perfecting the "stink eye"

On a stop on the way to the Blowhole

Up close

So ready for her nap

Here comes dad

At Honolua Bay - so tired - didn't want anyone but mommy

Our snorkelers - Meredith, Patrick, Ryan & Ryan

Begging me to take her back to the hotel so she can sleep

Decided I would walk her down to the water

She liked it!

Random dude I thought was Ryan - how cool would this picture be if it really was him?

Honolua Bay

Kisses from MiMi

Ready...

Set...

Go!

At Sansei

Thank You, Smiths!

Sunday

Our time share is for one full week, so we had to check out of the villas today. We were originally planning to go back to the hotel for the last 2 nights but after seeing how much better Madison Claire did in the villas than the hotel, we decided to just stay in the villas on points for the last 2 nights. The only problem was, in order to keep it the same amount of total points, we had to move from 4 rooms at the villas down to 2 rooms! Mom, Dad, Sarah & Ryan had one room (with mom & dad on a pull out couch) and then Me, Ryan, Meredith & Patrick had one room (with Meredith & Patrick on a pull out couch). The original plan was to have Ryan & I stay with Mom & Dad so that they could have a bed & we were going to take the couch. The problem is - Madison Claire needed to be in a bathroom so she had her own space we could close off, which meant that whoever was in the room that she was in couldn't get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night - or would have to walk down the hall of the hotel to go in the other room! We didn't think it would be a problem for me, Ryan, Meredith or Patrick. Turns out we were wrong! Ryan had to go in the middle of the night that first room and so he took the room key that we thought was to the other room but after he walked down there it didn't work. Needless to say, he went somewhere he shouldn't have (I will spare you the details). That night, we all headed to the Old Lahiana Luau. It was a lot of fun & a great picture opportunity! I know there are a ton of pictures here, but I just couldn't choose my favorites, so enjoy!

Arriving at the Luau

Family photo

At our table

Ha - got him!

This little girl was at the table next to us - MC loved her!!! She kept holding her hand, dancing with her, and even gave her a few full front hugs. It was too cute!