Slowing Down

Oh to be staring out at the beautiful, majestic Pacific Ocean 

while spending the morning golfing.

It's been crazy since school started on Sept 5th. Getting back into the groove of a routine and having to be out of the house by 8:15 which is loco, has been challenging. Toss in soccer, church activities, family get together's plus small group and so some things have been put aside for a later time.

It seems one of those things set aside is slowing down and just taking in life.  I was letting the dog out early Wednesday morning and fortunately, looked up to see the beautiful sunrise peaking through the trees.  I ran for my phone as my camera is at the above location and snapped a few pictures.  Unfortunately due to all the wildfires in Eastern Washington, our sunrises have been spectacular and late enough in the morning to see them.  Oh, how I don't like it getting lighter later in the morning and earlier in the evening. Sigh....

After dropping off my preschooler, I have about 30 minutes to kill before I need to be at bible study.  I let my 2 year play on the playground and just enjoyed watching the fog roll in and making myself aware of this sweet precious time with my little guy.  Lucky for him, mom's phone was in the car, so I played with him and watched him run in his cute little rain boots.  It was in those moments that I thanked God for making me slow down and just enjoy my boys.  The busyness can wait another day, I want to imprint in my mind those little hands.

As for the picture above, my lucky husband in on a golf trip to Hawaii with some friends of ours.  That's another post in and of itself ;)

Linking up with Carina at lovely little whimsy 

It's a Kona coffee kinda morning

The weather is grey, cloudy, rainy and I'm really missing Hawaii this morning. Thankfully, a dear friend just returned from Kona and brought me back a pound of full on, no blend here, Kona coffee. I pulled out my French press, freshly ground myself some beans, and enjoyed a yummy cup of coffee in my Hawaii mug. It sure makes my Seattle Monday not seem so dreary.

Day 41

I would rather be here than where I am now. It is day 3 of the stomach bug and everyone has it, including dear old mom. Mike stayed home from work today which was a huge blessing for me. I have been able to rest as I was the last one to get sick. Luckily it only lasts 24 hours, so here's hoping the sun will come out tomorrow.

Day 40

Day two of the bug....So why not, I took over 300 pictures in Oahu. On Sunday afternoon, I was standing out on the lanai and noticed a lone sea turtle right in front of our hotel. It was the only sea turtle I saw the entire time in Hawaii too.

Day 39

The stomach bug has hit the Sorensen family, so I decided a picture from Hawaii was a better choice. The rock formations were so amazing and I loved hearing the water crash against them.

Day 29

After two days of clouds, this is view we were granted our last day. We threw on our bathing suits for one more dip in the ocean and swimming pool and then packed up for home. Mike and I had a great time just the two of us, but I sure miss my boys.

Day 28

This evening, Mike and I were able to attend our first luau. The food was pretty good, especially the slow cooked pork. The luau was more than just a show and dinner. It was a journey through the South Pacific islands and a part of their culture. We had a fun time, but unfortunately, most of my pictures were out of focus or I had issues with the lightning. Oh well.

Day 27

Today we rented a car and drove around the island of Oahu. We stopped at various beaches on our trip and by far, my favorite place we stopped was Sunset Beach. The sand was so soft and your feet literally just sank as you walked. The weather was coming in from the east and Sunset Beach was on the north side of the island. The gray clouds pretty much tell the story of the day, but it was nice to drive around and see the beauty God created.

Day 26

Today we went on a tour of Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial. It was very humbling to be there and to see where the ships were docked and what happened on December 7, 1941. I chose to do something a little different than the shot of the memorial. This picture was taken from the memorial of one of the sections of the ship that stands out of water. The one thing that really surprised me was the fact that today, after 67 years, there is still oil leaking from the ship. So my picture today is of the oil slick that is leaking from the USS Arizona.

Day 25

Day one in Oahu. Mike and I will be celebrating our tenth wedding anniversary this year in June, but decided to take our trip to Hawaii a few months early. It was cheaper to cash in our miles in January than any other time of the year. This is a picture of the sunset from the balcony of our hotel room in Waikiki.