Turkey Day at the beach?

Yup....didn't think it would ever happen. Didn't think I would even really want to go. But when a trip to Hawaii is placed in front of you, how do you say "no"? (Hint: you don't)

It was my parent's turn to host Thanksgiving this year. My mother really threw us for a curve when she asked if we would be willing to fly with our kids to Waikiki, stay at the Trump Towers and play on the beach for Thanksgiving. Oh, minor issue...we needed to cook a dinner for 12 in a hotel room. No problem!

We flew, we played, we were drenched in sea water (Brett had no craving for chips the whole trip. Weird, eh?), we walked, and walked, and walked. We cooked a holiday dinner for 12. We shopped at nearly 15 ABC Markets. We consumed pineapples at nearly every meal. The kids convinced us that after the beach they needed to rinse off in the pool before taking a shower. How do you say no to kids that bathe that much?










Some additional surprises: a random parade, Friday night fireworks (you should have heard the car alarm chorus!), crabs, neon fish, snorkeling, sea turtles, window displays with models in bikinis in the snow, seeing the "giraffe whisperer" at the zoo, getting photos taken of Mom and I out running by Asian tourists in a bus - (hey, we look like locals!), and finally enjoying the amazing Trump hospitality. If I could have brought my pillow home I would have. And the robes. Oh yeah, the appliances...I would take those, too. Mostly the shower. I would KILL for that shower. Truly.

To my wonderful parents: MAHALO!!! What happens when it's my turn to host? Buggers....

( this is the kitty that missed his girl while we were gone...)

A new day of celebrations

We celebrate around here like any other family; birthdays, anniversaries, teeth that fall out....the usual.  But this year we added a new celebration on November 18th. That is the day Brett received notification that everything was approved on his dissertation and became officially finished with school! 

Brett and I spent our first year at the University of Utah together and when we married he was half way through his Bachelors.  When Marin was 18 months old he graduated with a BS in Exercise and Sport Science. After Gabe was born Brett decided he really wanted to go back to school so he investigated all the options and selected a program that would get him through a combined Masters/Ph.D. It has been a long, long road and Brett has been such an amazing example to these kids of determination and sacrifice. He has worked full-time through all his education and never took summers off. He is tenacious and a total brain (with a 3.95 for his Masters of Science in Public Health and a 4.0 for his Ph.D in Public Health). What you never get told is how long the dreaded dissertation process actually takes.

I had moments in this process when I really despised his committee and reviewers. It took a lot of time and some real perspective to see that this is what separates the Masters students from the Doctoral students. There is a dramatic difference between the two! A Doctoral degree is an education in intense refinement by fire and brimstone. I now truly appreciate the process and hope never to have to go through it again...

November 18th will be celebrated forever around this house. Congratulations, Dr. McIff. Your degree looks good on you!

P.S. If you want an education for yourself, check out the differences in how a Ph.D. looks when he/she graduates.... http://doctoralgraduationgowns.org/