Disneyworld, Disney Cruise, Disney Vero Beach - Dec. '06

There's something you guys should know about Andre and I... it's kind of embarrassing actually, but we are, admittedly, the biggest of Disney fans. We were in Disneyland in Christmas '04, and in Disneyworld, the Disney Cruise and another Disney property on Florida's coast in '05 and 06. We're just kids really, I think we enjoy it more than  Julian and Aleea do :-) There's just nothing like feeling like a child again... just 2 weeks of unadulterated Disney fun! Anything Disney, please ask us, specially if you're planning a trip... we're virtual experts - tee-hee! Anyway, sharing with you a few videos we put together from those trips. Enjoy! 

Hawai'i island Life video

Almost forgot about this...  

Disney video from '05

On the road again...

We had a 3 day weekend in Canberra so we decided to go up the coast to Jervis Bay. Andre and I were quite happy to discover the unbelievably nice beaches they had in the area. The sand was so white and so fine! The water temperature was pretty comfortable, so the kids spent a LOT of time in the water. Thankfully, we were able to find a 'cottage' (it turned out to be a HUGE house that could have easily housed 2 families) that allowed pets, so Maleea for once was able to vacation w/ us. She just absolutely loved running in the sand! Andre has this thing about driving off the beaten path, steering away from the freeway so we usually end up discovering these lovely little towns. The nice thing about Canberra is 3 hours away is Thredbo and Perisher Blue w/ top notch skiing (altho' we've only done toboggoning), then 3 hours away as well are wonderful, pristine beaches. The best of both worlds! (depending on the season of course). Anyway, here's looking forward to the next 4 day weekend coming up, yey!

Missing Hawaii nei

So true that saying that absence makes the heart grow fonder. 12 years in Hawaii can certainly do that to you. What is there to miss about paradise? Friends we've made for one. The trade winds, the hang loose attitude, the beaches, flip-flops, hulu-huli chicken, malasadas, island music, the spirit of aloha. We will be back one day, until then... we'll miss you, our Hawaii nei.

New Zealand, W-O-W!

December found us, Mickey, Andre, Julian and Aleea taking our yearly holiday to the South Island of New Zealand. W-O-W! It was simply unbelievable! The scenery was truly stunning and breathtaking. The first few days were full of 'oohs' and 'ahhs', until we realized our whole trip was going to be the same, just one beautiful land and waterscape after another. From the Fiordlands to the glaciers, the mountains and waterfalls... We drove around the entire island in a camper van, our home away from home for 10 days. We slept by creeks, lakes, mountains... just awesome! The kids did amazingly well, despite there being no electronics of any sort. Books, games and window-gazing did the trick. If you want to go back to the basics and spend tons of time with family in a truly majestic setting, then NZ is it. Please view the video below as we share our experiences with you. Happy New Year!!!

All we want for Christmas...

Funny how completely different these two are. Julian is very specific as to what he wants from Santa (Andre and I suspect that as a 9 year old, he already knows that Santa does not actually exist, but he's just not telling that he knows for fear he stops getting gifts for Christmas :-) ) while Aleea wants absolutely.... nothing. We have asked her several times what she wanted and she's said time and time again, "I don't really want anything Mom". True enough when I asked them to write what they wanted for Christmas, here are the results...