My Summer Experiences: Part One - Hawaii!

Ah, the lazy summer days have come to an end. My girl and I are back in school, the hubby is working harder than ever, and the dog has free reign of the house (as if he didn't before). I can't believe the time has come. The summer flew by and now it's time to return to the routine of class preps, homework, after-school activities, and restful weekends.

It occurred to me that I have not shared two fantastic experiences I had this summer. The first experience was the eleven days that the three of us spent in Hawaii.  The second experience was the four days I spent in New York City. Both we absolutely amazing, in similar but different ways.

Hawaii is awesome. 'Nuff said. I encourage everyone to go at least once. Though Hawaii is a part of the US, it really feels like a different country. It is simply beautiful and the overall atmosphere is slow and relaxing.

We spent the first four days on the absolutely gorgeous island of Kuai. Kuai is one of the least commercialized islands of Hawaii causing the landscape to not be interrupted by buildings and other structures.

The ocean is simply beautiful there.  The water is clear causing it to reflect the most beautiful blue from the sky.  The water is slightly cool but we had so much fun playing in the waves.






We also went ziplining! I had not been before this trip and it was so much fun! We had amazing views from various points of the island. Of course, my girl was a pro and simply fearless as she went from line to line.

We also got to view some amazing waterfalls. The roads were a little curvy and none of us felt great when we got to them, but how we felt went away when we saw God's beautiful creations!






We spent the rest of our time on Maui. Another beautiful island, only a little more commercialized and fast paced.  My girl and I had a wonderful time doing a LOT of shopping on this island and we ate some amazing food.  We attended a luai. It was a fantastic show. The show discussed the history of the Hawaiian islands and focused on native dance. And the native Hawaiian food was awesome!

Another incredible experience was finding a black sand beach. Most of our vacations are taken on the eastern shores of the United States where the sand (and the water) are grey. Imagine my surprise and happiness when we found this gorgeous black sand beach!

We spent several hours on this beach enjoying the peace and the beauty of it. All three of us left with a bit of a sunburn.





Our trip to Hawaii was an amazing adventure and what I described here are just a few of the experiences we had while there. I'm so thrilled that we had the opportunity to go. Kevin and I honeymooned there 15 years ago and it was our goal to go back.




It was amazing. And it has definitely inspired me to visit other places in this world. I want to experience and explore more of God's beautiful creation.

School, Dress Code and Creative Expression

With school beginning in a few short weeks (for me and my girl), the one thing that has a constant presence on our mind is… the dress code. Every time we pick up a new piece of clothing, we ask if it will meet the dress code. My girl is attending a new school this year and it comes with a new dress code that we must learn. It’s a simple dress code, requesting that the students’ appearance is neat, clean and modest. I am in agreement with dress codes. I think they provide adequate guidance in helping students learn how to dress appropriately, especially students who may not have parental guidance at home.

But the question that has been floating around my mind these past few days is this… Do dress codes hinder creative expression?

Junior high and high school are times when students are truly learning who they are. Those are the years when they try new hairstyles, experiment with makeup and go through phases with styles of clothes. One day they want to wear six-inch heals, and the next day are Converse. This week the favorite subject is English and next week it will be History. Last night your student watched My Little Pony on tv while braiding her doll’s hair, but tonight she will ask if she can watch a rerun of Grey’s Anatomy with you (which, by the way, the current answer is “No”).  She is constantly growing and learning who God designed her to be.

I don’t yet have a question to my answer, though I’m sure a child psychologist might. But I know that we will continue to work with the dress code and find ways to allow my girl’s creativity and self-expression ring through. Not by trying to find ways to go around it or press what we can get away with, but by remaining within its guidance and allowing God to continue telling her who she is.