Renewing our Love in Hawaii

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easing angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trust, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails..." 1Corinthians 13:4-8

We have always enjoyed traveling together. Mark used to say he was a home body and didn't care either way if he traveled. He has always enjoyed traveling once we do it and if he doesn't have to do the planning. I grew up in a family who was constantly on the go, so travel has always been a passion of mine. I crave adventure and I crave this adventure with those I love the most. Over the years we have taken many trips near and far, but none as meaningful as Hawaii. Our first trip was in 2014. We were celebrating a lot that year. My parents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, Mark and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary, I celebrated my 40th birthday, and my mom celebrated being cancer free. It was an unforgettable trip and one of those feel-good trips that I never wanted to end. I remember the tears rolling from my eyes as we drove to the airport. I didn't want that trip and the feelings it brought, to ever end.

Ever since that trip, I have dreamed of returning. When I made my first vision board the beginning of June 2021, Maui was on it. I also had a specific hotel I had dreamed about, and that hotel was on my vision board. I had it all set in my mind. My family knew Hawaii held a special place in my heart and they knew I dreamed of returning someday. No one knew that I had made a vision board. So, when Mark surprised me on our anniversary with a trip to Hawaii, I was shocked and amazed. It was another one of God's divine interventions. Mark had no idea I had Hawaii and a specific spot picked out on my vision board and he was about to make it a reality.

My last blog I left off with Mark and I renewing our faith and love in front of some friends and family. The next morning, January 12, 2022, Mark and I were off to Maui. With Covid and weather this year, we were worried about our flights being on time or being canceled. The night before we left, we prayed for uneventful travel. Every flight was on time, and we arrived without a hitch. I surprised Mark with a red Chevy Camaro Convertible (which was probably more for me anyway). We drove up the coast toward our destination and it felt like a dream. I immediately recognized a favorite stop from 2014, Leodas Kitchen and Pie Shop. We stopped there and grabbed some food to go and went on to our hotel. As I drove up to our hotel, I couldn’t help being not just nostalgic, but wistful, about how much had changed in our lives in 7 1/2 years. We were both determined to make this trip unforgettable.

I could go on and on about things we did, places we ate, and people we met. But I really only want to touch on what this trip and alone time meant to us. This trip represented new and improved love. It represented renewed faith in God and in our marriage. It represented a new beginning and a better way of life. It was a chance for us to be alone 1:1 with no one else around for 9 full days. The days and nights were filled with endless talks, walks on the beach, hanging by the pool, eating way too much, drives along the coast with the top down, and so much more. This time alone together gave us more time to reflect on what we have been through and how grateful we are that we fought for each other and continue to do so. We felt God's presence with us and our love for each other continues to grow stronger and deeper every single day.

I mentioned in my last blog that Mark and I had planned on renewing our vows in Maui. We did not change these plans. Several months ago, we had set up a service and picked a place to renew our vows. We chose January 18, 2022, to do our vow renewal. I hired someone to come to my room that morning and do my hair and makeup. Then Mark helped me into my wedding dress that I wore 27 1/2 years ago. I had someone remove the sleeves from my dress and it looked like a whole new dress. I didn't have to do anything else to it. It felt amazing to be able to wear my dress again for this special occasion. We drove about 45 minutes away to Po'olenalana beach. The officiant led us on a "secret" path to a more secluded area of the beach. As we entered the beach, he pointed out the houses of Clint Eastwood and Sharon Stone, which were directly above us during the ceremony. The area was perfect, and I couldn't have dreamed of anything better. During the ceremony, we read vows to each other that we had each written ourselves. It was the most meaningful thing, and we are both so glad we did it. After the short ceremony, we took pictures. I wished only that time could stand still.

After we were all done, we went to go eat. The officiant had suggested a few places nearby. We checked all three of them and they were only open for dinner due to Covid. We decided to head back to our hotel area and ended up eating at one of our favorite restaurants, The Hula Grill. As we sat there, a woman next to us kept staring. I looked over and she asked If we would stand up so she could take our picture. She said we looked beautiful, and she wanted to send them to her daughter. We stood up and she took several pictures. We kind of felt like true newlyweds again as we were all dressed up walking the boardwalk and people would stop us and congratulate us. It felt wonderful. If they only knew what it had taken to get to this point. If they only knew our whole story, they would be in even more awe.

We decided to go back to our room and change and head to the pool. Before we changed, we got our "first dance in." When I think of this day and our ceremony, the dance, and all the congratulations from strangers, I feel beyond blessed and grateful. God got us to this point. He guided us every step of the way and we chose to follow Him. It is because of Him that we are where we are today. On our trip, we took all our books and continued with our daily routine of reading from them. We never missed a night. The true alone time we got to spend together, brought us even closer together as a couple and brought us closer to God. I encourage all of you to fill your life with experiences, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show. Have love to show and give, not hatred or envy within. Have forgiveness to give, not resentments to hold. Live with no excuses and love with no regrets.

I am including our vow renewal ceremony. We videoed it, but you cannot hear us because of the ocean. I encourage you to watch it anyway. It is very short. Despite not hearing us, you can see our emotions.