Ringing in the New Year in Hawaii

After Xmas, we spent nine days on the Island of Maui. The kids had been to Oahu and the Big Island previously but had never been to Maui and wanted to experience that too. It's one of the few times that I said okay with going back to the same place (Tom and I have now been to Maui three times). 

We arrived on a Saturday afternoon, hit up the Costco by the airport and drove to our rented house (between Lahaina and Kaanapali) that was on a golf course (12th hole) but had magnificent views of the beach and water. It had a pool table and its own swimming pool and hot tub so we really didn't even need to leave but we did. 

We retired early that first night due to some jet lag (after ordering in some food from Maui Brewing Company). Waking up very early the next morning, we started on our almost two hour trek up Haleakala to see the sunrise. The kids weren't that thrilled to get up early but the time change certainly made it a bit easier (since our bodies were still on Chicago time for the most part). There were some clouds but still the sunrise was amazing. It was chilly up there and we couldn't do the bike tour because two out of three of our kids were not old enough so we just explored on our own. The bike tours are now conducted outside of the National Park due to a tragic accident so I'm glad Tom and I did that back in 2003 when we got married. After heading out of the park, we found a great breakfast spot - the Kula Diner. It had some great Macadamia Nut pancakes and Hailey got her crepes and rice so she was very happy. We headed home after that to relax at our pool before hitting Taverna Maui for dinner (which was also on a golf course). 

The next day was Peyton's birthday and our tour of Lanai so we were up early and had a pretty full day. We were so happy that we chose (and Peyton agreed) to go to Lanai. One of my friend's told me it was her favorite excursion on Maui and it certainly didn't disappoint. Highly recommend. We dined at MonkeyPod for dinner and I'd definitely say the MonkeyPod in Oahu and the Wailea area of Maui were much better. But it was Peyton's choice and she was happy. 

On Wednesday/New Year's Eve, Peyton and Austen got private surfing lessons on Kaanapali Beach. They did really well but wanted bigger and stronger waves. That night we dined at Merriman's. It was spectacular. The food, the views, the service - they even had a Photo Booth of sorts outside to take our New Year's pictures. Another place we highly recommend. 

The first day of 2025, we ventured down to Wailea and did some shopping. Peyton got her Maui decaled Lululemon that she's been wanting since we went to Hawaii last time. She also got her Acai bowl and we ended the day with a dinner at Leilani's on the Beach where we loved their Hula Pie. 

On the second day of 2025, Tom and Austen hit the golf course and stopped by the house when they were on the tee box of hole 12. The girls and I hung out at the pool after getting Starbucks. When Tom and Austen were back we headed to a late dinner at Coco Deck in Lahaina. You can see the devastation from the wildfires still and see where some areas were affected and others were not due to the wind direction. Highly recommend Coco Deck too. It was one of the only restaurants we didn't book beforehand and we weren't disappointed. 

January 3rd was a tough day as the kids woke up to the news that we had to let Sadie go. There were a lot of tears for our special girl as the realization hit them that they wouldn't see her again. It was good that we had no formal plans that day aside from a late lunch/early dinner at the famed Mama's Fish House. So hard to get reservations there and I did it six months in advance! I loved eating there early though because last time Tom and I were there it was so dark, we couldn't appreciate the magnificent views. On the way home, we stopped for ice cream too. 

Our last full day in Maui, we hiked a trail not far from our house to see a blowhole. Then we enjoyed the afternoon at our pool before heading to the Plantation House restaurant for dinner. Austen was especially thrilled to be dining there as the Sentry Golf Tournament was going on at the course that the restaurant overlooked. Austen actually saw Xander Schauffele in the airport when we arrived and gave him a "What's up Xander?"

Our last day, we made plans to do a Pineapple Tour. The tour was awesome and we learned so much about pineapples and got to take home five of them. I learned that there are only two pineapple plantations left on the islands of Maui but they supply pineapples to Hawaii mainly. The mainland U.S. gets their pineapples from Costa Rica and the Philippines. After the farm, we ate lunch at the Paia Bay Coffee Bar where we watched some Sunday football before heading to the airport for our return trip home. 

Everyone enjoyed our Hawaiian holiday and I was glad that I was able to find my pineapple cup at the local Starbucks to replace the one I broke when we were there three years ago. Success!

Views from Our House

Sunrise at Haleakala

Happy with her Crepes and Rice

Lots of Mocktails - Taverna Maui

Snorkeling on Lanai

Peyton Surfing

New Year's at Merriman's

The Girls

The Guys

Mocktails - Mama's Fish House

 

Look at the Pineapples!

Goodbye My Sweet Sadie Girl

It has been a rough year with Sadie and we knew she was growing tired as it became more difficult for her to walk. She couldn't really do the stairs anymore either (and we have a lot of those in our house) - even just the few she'd navigated before. We had to make adjustments to our lives and hers. 

Sadie's Last Family Photo Shoot Pic

We brought her upstairs to sleep every night by using a sling and hoisting it over our shoulders to get all 110lbs of her up there. Why not just let her sleep downstairs? Well, she's a Bernese Mountain Dog and they love to be with their people so I said, someday she will not be here with us and we won't get to bring her upstairs to sleep with us so I am going to do all that I can to get her up here while she's still with us.

We still brought her outside four times a day. Her walks got shorter. Tom built a cart off our back deck with an automatic pulley system to get her back inside safely. She went to all of her appointments - acupuncture, laser, massage - and they did help a bit. We tried to switch up her medications to see if anything would improve her strength. They didn't and some made her pee more or gave her diarrhea (that was fun) so we went back to the tried and true meds. I took her for a ride almost every day in my car. She loved going for rides and I kept it up. We ran errands, went to Starbucks and went to her "spa appointments" which were her laser and acupuncture sessions. 

Life went on and we went on vacations (not too many because we hated leaving her) and her boarding facility would call us with updates and make accommodations for her special needs. We were lucky to have them so we could get away for Christmas last year, Spring Break and our niece's wedding in Italy this summer, and then finally this Christmas. 

We knew her time was limited as she was not doing well the week before we left. She was struggling to walk more and I had some very hard conversations with her vet. She just seemed so tired. Tired of making her legs try to work when they wouldn't. Her body had failed her and she would fall down unless we were holding her. She had a skin infection that took her down and affected her quite a bit in the end but we were finally able to get a quick acting shot approved and she rallied a bit. I thought we could get through the holidays and this trip and we'd have a little more time together and then we'd say goodbye. 

Sadly, her boarding facility called me early one morning while we were in Hawaii to let us know that they were taking her to her vet. Her breathing was labored and they were concerned. So off they went. They brought her in and took her back. Examined her and the vet called me and told me that her oxygen levels were very low - like 77% when they were giving her oxygen and they think 95% is the lowest they like to see. They thought she may have pneumonia. She would need 24 hour care and a feeding tube, and needed to be transferred to VCA Aurora if so. VCA Aurora. Not a bad place but that's where Adler passed away. I couldn't send her there. And I couldn't do it just to keep her alive. She couldn't get air and she was suffering. I needed to let my baby go and I wasn't there. That's the hardest part of all this. If I thought for one second that I could get on a flight and make it back to be there, I would have but I could not let her suffer one more minute. 

I am eternally grateful to the manager of her boarding facility who stayed with her in her final moments on this earth and to her vet. I hope she is up there running, yes running, with Adler. 

Adler was my heart dog but Sadie was the one who saved me after we lost Adler. She was a lot of work even as a puppy but she was the sweetest dog and so stoic too. What she endured in her lifetime, I hope no other dog has to endure. But now she is free. 

Goodbye my sweet Sadie girl. I'll love you forever. 

Stocking Presents/Treats for Sadie

She Loved to Lay on the Couch

I Promise to Love You Forever