I have fallen off the face of the earth. The last 7 months has been consumed with precious time cuddling my little baby girl and soaking in all the moments and memories and with my day job that I've been able to convert to doing at home, I had so little time to devote to my website or photography.  Now I finally feel like I've achieved some sort of balance, am able to more efficiently juggle the balls of my life, and can confidently dive back into the ocean of the blogosphere which I so dearly missed.

I sat at my computer last night and perused all of the folders of photographs I've taken in the last year or more and couldn't figure out where to start so I decided to take a leap back in time to January 5, 2014 and the staycation honeymoon my husband Andrew and I went on. It was a literal dream. Come with me.... Let's hear the ocean waves roll in and hit the sandy shores while the cool tradewind breeze caresses our faces. Let's go. This post is photo heavy, but so worth it. If you want to see our hotel room or the beautiful oceans, sunrise and sunset of the North Shore, keep reading!

Here's a taste of what lies beyond the "Read More" button.

My father and mother surprised Andrew and I with a 4 day stay at Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore of O'ahu. We live on the island of O'ahu so it was a staycation for us. I mean honestly, what need would I have to fly away to a tropical destination when I already am blessed enough to live in one? Turtle Bay was wonderful. They did so wonderful many renovations from when I had been there last as a child. It was beautiful and completely renovated and redecorated. We were there in the midst of all of the big surf competitions, so there were quite a few reporters and professional surfers staying at the hotel as well which was just an added bonus.

I love the way they redecorated the lobby area with the lounge. Simple elegance.


I was going to resize the photos of the tub and shower but they deserved a full sized photo.  That was the best bathing and showering experience of my life. If I had the money, I would build a shower just like this at my home.

And now... the view from our deck, the real gem of this suite. The waves were pounding the shore below, there was a nice, cool onshore breeze and the mist from the waves below gently caressed our faces while we stood up there. In the morning when we woke up and got coffee, we were treated to a spectacularly hazy, colorful sunrise.



After the sun rose, the vibrant pops of blue from the sky and the sea below were a wonder to behold. All of these photos were taken from our balcony.

And then the sun set and the sky transformed into an array of colors that transformed to deep blues, purples and gold as the sun faded below the horizon in the distance. The sunset photos were taken at the beach as my husband and I sat and just watched the sun as it seemed to tuck itself into the ocean at the distance as if it were going to bed.

I love looking at these photos from these wonderful days of solitude and peace that my husband and I had together before conceiving Arielle. How truly blessed we are to have shared these moments, to have photos to reflect on, and to know that even in the midst of the chaos in the world, peace and beauty still exists all around us. From my family to yours, I wish you all a wonderful week, filled with many peaceful sunsets and glowing sunrises.