Oh hi, Ohio!

My favorite job in the whole wide world is being Auntie Paige. I only wish I lived closer to all of my darling nieces and nephews. Since I don’t get to see them all the time, it makes our visits that much sweeter. A few weeks ago I headed out to Ohio to visit my dear sister, Leah, and her amazing family. It had been over a year and a half since I had seen them, and we had the most amazing time! It was a visit full of hugs and kisses, storybook time, dancing, eating treats, and spoiling them rotten. I had to make up for lost time! 

I basically had the best time ever and I almost decided to move to Ohio right then and there. After a bit of thought, I figured I might not be able to withstand the Ohio winters, so instead I decided to just visit often. It was Sob Fest 2012 at the airport. It broke my heart to say goodbye to them and the tears were flowing. But let’s not think about the goodbyes—let’s just look back at the perfect visit we had. I miss you all so much and can’t wait to see you again!

Sisters!! I love this picture. We so look like sisters--I love it!

One of the highlights was our trip to the children's museum. I had a blast playing with the kids!

Tornado chamber with Eden and Grace. We felt like Dorothy...there's no place like home!

Bird watching with Claire Bear.

We also had a slumber party while Mom and Dad went out for a date night. 

One of our favorite activities together is reading books. I recorded them a storybook and left it with them so I could "read" to them anytime they want! 

Aren't these kids just darling? I wanted to pack them in my suitcase and take them home with me! 

Meeting Asher-Boy for the first time! He won my heart!

Miss you all so much! Can't wait to see you again! Love, your Auntie Paige

You Can't Beat the Wreath

I always say, if you can’t find a fabulous holiday wreath then make one! The past couple Christmas season I’ve been searching high and low for a great wreath. I could never find one I loved, or when I did find one I liked it was way overpriced. Last Christmas I decided it was time to take things into my own hands. I bought a plain wreath at an after Christmas sale last season. It was pre-lit and I picked it up for about $15. A steal! On Black Friday I went to Michaels and spent about $5 on large box of ornaments and some ribbon. Then, it was time for me and my trusty hot glue gun to get to work! I started by placing on the larger ornaments on the wreath and then filled in the spaces with the smaller ornaments and “twirls.” I then made a large bow out of candy cane ribbon and my wreath was complete. I love it! I spent about $20 instead of purchasing one for $50, which makes me love it even more! It’s joyful and triumphant!

Part Two: Valleys, Volcanoes, and Sharks Oh My!

One of my favorite stops in Maui was the Iao Valley State Park. Parts of Maui are actually quite dry and desert-like, but tucked away in the middle of the island is this gorgeous, green, breathtaking valley. The pictures barely do it justice, but hopefully you can see what a beautiful place this is. I could have stayed here for hours. Just stunning!

Another highlight of the trip was our visit to Haleakala—a dormant volcano that reaches 10,000 feet into the sky. We took a tour up to the top and enjoyed the incredible views. 

You can even see the Big Island off in the distance!

After sightseeing at the top, we rode mountain bikes down the hill. It was so much fun! You go from cold weather at the top and it slowly warms up as you make your way down the mountain. We rode through beautiful farm land and enjoyed the smell of eucalyptus and lavender all the way down. It really was a blast! I decided that bike riding is pretty fun…especially when it’s all downhill…on a beautiful island. Not to mention the sexy helmets!

I’d have to say that the best part of our trip was probably snorkeling. We snorkeled in several different places, but the best by far was Honolua Bay.

(Photo borrowed from Google)

The water was great and there were tons and tons of fish. We saw huge fish, colorful coral, stingrays, and even swam with turtles. Oh, and I almost got eaten by a shark here. 

Yes—that’s correct. I swam with a shark in Honolua Bay. I was just snorkeling along, minding my own business and I look to my right and I see this…

(not actual photo of my shark, but he looked just like this!)

I froze and looked again. At first I thought I was imagining it, but then I realized that I really was swimming next to a shark. And the shark acted like it was no big deal! He was about 15 feet away from me and he was about five feet long—that’s as big as me! I tried to signal to my husband, who was diving near some coral facing the other direction, but I didn’t want to signal too much, because I didn’t want the shark to think I was signaling to him. Ha ha! Okay, so maybe I wasn’t thinking clearly. Anyway, Mr. Shark swam past me and swam away into a cave. I then found out what it was like to have a mini panic attack in the water. But don’t worry—I recovered and kept on snorkeling. It was a pretty amazing experience—incredible and terrifying all at the same time. I’m pretty sure Discovery Channel will be making a reenactment to show on Shark Week. 

In case you couldn’t tell, I’ve officially fallen in love with Maui. It’s so beautiful, so charming, and so perfect. I really think I might have to retire here…or move there immediately. Thank you Maui!