Would you read it if?

So, I have been perplexed about my book. I can't just walk away from it, but I am not convinced that it is ready to be left alone. Perhaps it is because I am in a writing funk, or because I have pregnancy brain big time. But today, I realized that I may have been classifying it in the wrong genre.

I have a question for all you readers out there... If you read a book whose main characters were teens, and dealt with first love, elopement, and family ties, would it entice you now, or would it be something you would have read as a young adult?

Please let me know your thoughts on this...it would be greatly appreciated! :)

To have a friend like Mel!

Do you remember Melanie Hamilton from Gone with the Wind? She was the quintessential friend that everyone would love to have. Nothing that the spiteful, conniving Scarlett O'Harah could say or do, would taint the charming, humble attitude of Christ-like Melanie. Oh to have a friend like her! Someone who looked past your flaws and found good in all you do.
Today in Bible study, a couple of women and I confided in each other about how difficult the road is to deep friendships as we get older. We felt bad noting friendships where we put in all the effort, and rarely felt cared for by the friend. Should this bother us? Shouldn't we be more like Melanie...giving always, and expecting nothing in return, continuing the overpour even when it apparently is blown off by our said friend?
Something else we talked about, was the seasons we go through in friendships. How some may only be designed to fulfill a short-term purpose, and once the time is up, you move on without hurt feelings. This is so difficult for me! I want to be best friends with ALL my friends...I hate change and want to always have that "honeymoon" phase of friendship...where you haven't allowed the flaws to irritate you, when you haven't had a hiccup in communication. Maybe it's because I traveled a lot when I was a child, and I depended on long-distant friendships to carry me through the rough transitions. It's funny how children seem to correspond better than adults...I keep coming across letters from my childhood friends well after I moved away from them.
Just recently (the past 5 years) have I realized that my friendships can't always stay the same, and I can't always feel connected to everyone on my path ALL the time. It makes me sad, but it's the growing pains of adulthood, I suppose.
I thrive on friendships. Deep ones. Ones where I can call them up at all hours of the day, and just talk about nothing. Friends who, despite my many flaws, care about me as much as I care about them. I am a social butterfly, but love to settle into one or two close friendships and find security in that fellowship. I want to be Melanie Hamilton, and have a Melanie Hamilton befriend me!
But out of all this conversation today, we were most comforted knowing we have an intimate friendship with us always...the Spirit lives in us and never falls short.
I am reminded of Josh Hamiltion from the Texas Rangers, saying in response to how he felt about moving on to the World Series, "I just point to Jesus Christ, He's my best friend." SIGH. IF only I could be satisfied in that!

Mahalo, Hawai'i!

Aloha! We just spent 21 hours traveling back from our 50th state, Hawai'i! 19 of us went to celebrate my mom's 60th birthday at an amazing house in an amazing place! We were impressed that the only two tourists that were friendly enough to speak to us, lived three hours away from us! Midwesterners are so friendly!!!

Here is a picture journal of our fun trip.

ARRIVAL TO PARADISE

The boys could hardly wait to jump into the pool which probaby gave the house it's name,
Rock Slide, see below...

SUNDAY FUNDAY

We all woke up around 3:30 that first morning...our time zone changes were the culprit! But
we did get to see an amazing sunrise, examine the lava rock which covers the Kona landscape, and play with a coconut.

Here is Papou (grandfather) with some of his grandchildren.

My two boys with their cousin, hangin' in the hottub

The pool

Building a sandcastle at the resort's private beach

Cooling off his footsies!

BIRTHDAYS AND SUN

A brand new four year old...and sixty year old!! :)

Birthday breakfast in the outdoor kitchen!

Sixty!

four!

Posing in front of one of the top rated beaches in the nation.

My parents and their four kids...the t shirts were a birhthday surprise for my mom!

The birthday boy crashes after a fun celebration...he's clinging to his party favor box.

HIKING TO THE BLACK SANDS

Have you ever seen an avocado that big?? And there were bigger ones!

At a pitstop halfway up the mountain at the north end of the Big Island.

Starting out on our hike...I was very leary of it,
especially with signs for falling rock, and thinking
about the hike back up...it was hot and I am pregnant!!

What we are going to hike down too...

The view halfway down...made us keep going 

a rudimentary playground at the end of the hike down, just before the beach.

My oldest skipped the tire swing and headed on the lava rock towards the crashing waves

black sands are really black! and super soft!

Participating in the custom to stack rocks for interesting art all over the beach

Never too old to play in the sand

What a view

Fun to draw down the beach

A swing on the way back up

The beautiful valley on the inland side of the beach

A tree or bunches of trees?? This was in a nearby town, Hawi...we had awesome food at Bamboo Restaurant.

FROM CRASHING WAVES TO CRASHING LAVA

We chose to set aside a day, and drive to the otherside of the island...the lush side. We stayed at Kona, which was mainly lava rock, unless you went up into the neighborhoods.
On the way to the Volcano National Park, we found a couple of great spots to look at. The first, Lapahoehoe Point, which had violently crashing waves, and the brightest blue cauldron of swirling water! It was amazing, and scary! The boys had a blast, of course!

Cody insisted I take my signature "toes" picture in front of a crashing wave.

Walking down into a rain forest

A beautiful 450 ft waterfall, Akaka Falls

We thought this was a cool display!

In front of a steam vent at the Volcanoes National Park

The crater of Kilaua Iki..the volcano we are going to hike into...

After crossing the crater...

Look at all that dried up lava!

We drove to the point where an active volcano was dumping lava into the ocean....That is the steam from when it hits the water and we could see the fiery glow swell with the lava.

That is lava flowing across the ground to the ocean...we were only about 300 yards away.

ONE MORE BIRTHDAY AND FAMILY GET TOGETHER!

My niece turned three on the Friday we were in Hawaii. We took her to a glass bottom boat, and out to lunch. That evening we took a picture of all the family in the foyer of our house. It was so much fun to hang out with the little nieces and nephews for a whole week! I'm going to miss them!

 

ALOHA, HAWAI'I!

Our flight didn't leave until 10:30pm, so we drove to a coffee plantation, and explored Kona. My four year old insisted we get a snow "globe" from a shop we passed, they were huge! 
The boys finished up some homework at a restaurant on the beach...after my husband watched the last pitches of the Giants game....GO RANGERS!!

We were exhausted once we got on the plane, and although the kids slept the whole way to Phoenix, my husband and I were going on about 1 hour of rest. So I slept at the airport, during our 2 hour layover, and hubby slept from Phoenix to Minneapolis. We were glad to be home, but sad to say goodbye to warm weather! Here we are, with a 20 % chance of snow on Thursday....glad we got to the beach before a midwest winter!

Watching the sunset on our Hawaii Vacation