WHY.

SEPTEMBER 17 2015
 2 years ago we were on our way to Moab and Paul and I decided to make a "Moving Back to Hawaii Pros and Cons" list. It was long. We thought of everything.   I think in that moment we knew what we wanted we just needed to find a way to make it happen. I kept that list in my car and anytime we were on a long drive we would read it, dream about it, talk about it, and consider it. For the last 2 years we planned, saved, and dreamed of moving back. I know to most people it came as a total surprise, because lets be honest, no one ever believed we would really do it. (Even in my mind I had my shreds of doubt). I also know it was really hard for a lot of people to understand why.  For us there are so many reasons, we knew we had to follow our hearts and do what we felt was best for our little family.  One of the biggest deciding factors for us was time. Time with our family, time with Paul and time we can't ever get back. Paul would get home at 6:00pm every night. We put our kids to bed at 7:00pm and they would get to see their dad for 1 hour. Sad. We knew that isn't what we wanted.  We knew moving here Paul would still be on Utah time and we would get to see him more. We knew he would have to start work at 5am (Paul is not a morning person so this is how I know he REALLY loves me).  After 8-10 hours of work it's still semi-early here (late in Utah) and Capri is usually just getting home from school. Sometimes he works later if he has to but even then it gives us a lot of wiggle room.  He still works the same amount of hours but we get to see him so much more, we have become so much closer as a family unit and my kids are used to having their daddy around I am forever grateful for that.  Second, it's Hawaii.  Another huge factor for us was we want to raise our kids in a simple environment. Life is simple here. Most days I pick Capri up from school soaking wet, barefoot and her teacher (who moved here in the 90's to surf) asks me where I surfed that day.  Matix wears his swimsuit or undies everyday and I wonder why I even buy clothes. I want to teach my kids to LIVE. You know, not just go through the motions, but really live. We want to spoil them with experiences. We don't want them to worry about things, new trends, and dressing/looking/being perfect. I want them to be aware of their community, to  appreciate, respect, explore and enjoy this beautiful place we live. There are a lot of reasons but ultimately these were our  biggest. I know Hawaii isn't for everyone, but I do know everyone has a place that has their heart, where they feel like they belong.. ours just happens to be allllll the way across a big sea... and for now, we are so so happy to be here.