Last Monday, a surprise snowstorm (in the middle of a super mild winter) made for this picture out of our living room widow:
And Clara went outside and had fun doing this:
Fast forward about a week, and our view looks more like this:
And Clara’s sporting a different kind of outfit:
Yup, true to our anniversary resolution, we snuck off to Maui, Hawaii to celebrate finishing our book, our impending five year anniversary (in July), turning 30 (I will in March and John already checked that box in November), and any other celebration-worthy excuse that we could think of (Clara’s first four syllable words: escalator, helicopter, and anemone!). It’s actually the first time we’ve flown somewhere on a real vacation since our honeymoon to Alaska back in 2007, and it’s the first time we have ever announced that we’re taking a week off from blogging in the entire 4.5 years since we started this whole shebang.
We know – gasp!
We do plan to post a pic or a quick note here or there throughout the week about our little island adventures (and a few things that we wrote up to share before we left, like some small kitchen progress). And we lined up a pretty sweet giveaway (valued at nearly $500!) for you guys, which will go up sometime tomorrow (Monday) – although not necessarily at 10 or 2 (we’re 5 hours behind our normal schedule here in HI). But our main goal is to relax, unplug, show Clara a great time, and just generally seize the week that we’re here.
So we’ll return to our regularly scheduled home improvement programming next Monday and will just be popping in every once in a while until then (so please forgive us if we’re not actively answering comments). We can’t wait to come back refreshed, inspired, and ready to tackle everything from the cork floors in the kitchen to the three untouched bathrooms, the walk-out deck we want to build, our big carport-to-garage conversion, the crown molding and wainscoting we’re planning to add, a complete sunroom makeover, a total playroom makeover, and all of the other major projects mentioned at the bottom of this post that we chatter endlessly about when we lay in bed at night (yes, even here in Maui).
Oh and since Clara’s here with us we’ll have to share all the how-she-traveled and how-she-adjusted-to-the-time-difference details soon (maybe next week on Young House Life). Due to quarantine regulations, we couldn’t bring Burger, which is why he’s at home snuggled up to our house sitters (we have some friends and family members who are taking turns moving in to hang with him the whole time we’re gone). You know we call him and talk through the phone at least twice a day though, right? Heck, maybe he can somehow inspire our house guests to lay some cork flooring while they’re there (he’s a pretty persuasive chihuahua). Here’s hoping!
To any Maui natives or fellow vacationers: you better say hi if you see us out doing the whole dorky tourist thing! Just look for the girl whose legs are so pasty white that they actually look blue and there I’ll be.
And yes, my skirt is twisted about three inches too far to the right. I can’t be the only one who fights skirt-spin, can I?
Have an amazing time! You guys deserve a break, and we’ll look forward to hearing all about it when you’re back!!!
Yea! You guys work so hard, you deserve a break. Have a wonderful time and can’t wait to hear all about it when you return.
You deserve a vacation after all your hard work. Hawaii is filled with beauty and will recharge your batteries. Enjoy!
Shucks, we’re lucky bloggers to have such sweet readers.
xo,
s
I totally agree- you crazy kids kick back and relax!! No more internets!! :)
wow!! so awesome! Good for you, you guys completely deserve it!
Yay! Y’all needed a break! And HOORAY for finishing the book!!
*Gasp!* I am shocked (!!) and at the same time, exhilarated for you. You deserve the R&R. Soak in all that sun and just rejuvenate yourselves. You inspire us all. You have worked hard, now play hard.
NO way!! That’s SO fantastic, guys!! I love Hawaii and hope you’re having the time of your lives. You deserve the R&R even as you’re still working. !!
Have a wonderful time!!! Everyone who reads your blog will just have to survive. We might even get more work done.
There could not be two people more deserving of a vacation. I hope you guys have fun and relax.
Aw thanks you guys! You’re all so sweet.
xo,
s
AHHHHHHH I’M SO EXCITED FOR YOU GUYS!! Well, and was confused for a few, because I’m so used to you guys springing your vacations on us AFTER your return!! Did you guys go straight from Portland to HI?! Either way, RELAX, enjoy and leave the computer in the hotel – we’ll still be here when you return :) xoxo!
Yes! We’re a lot more confident about saying that we’re gone these days (Fort Knox-like alarm system + house sitters = peace of mind) so we thought to really enjoy a week off and seize the day while we’re here we shouldn’t try to blog right through it!
xo,
s
Woo hoo! You guys deserve the time off! Enjoy!
Will be there celebrating our 15 years married and 20 years together 1 year from now! ENJOY your trip you SO deserve it!
Ooh, you’re going to love it! We’re ready to move here. Haha.
xo,
s
As sad as I will be not seeing new posts from you guys everyday *tear* – you totally deserve this vacation. You guys are awesome and inspiring. Take your week and enjoy it to the fullest. Do yo thang, Petersiks!
Maui is amazing, enjoy and go whale watching if you can! Breathtaking!
Jealous in Ohio!
Tiffany
OMG have fun! I’ve always wanted to go to Hawaii! Post lots of pictures! :)
Will do!!
xo,
s
I was just thinking how yall really deserved a good break after a hectic past 4 weeks! ENJOY EVERY SECOND and stay unplugged!
Jealous!!! Have a great time, you guys totally deserve the break :)
You guys are the best secret-keepers! Yep! I would trust you with all my top secret info ;) haha.
You two deserve this soooo much. You have been going flat out for 4.5 years. Although I will miss your diaily posts…Good for you unplugging! Look forward to hearing all about HI. Weather looks great and Clara looks pretty cool in her shades ;)
Thank goodness! You all ARE human and DO need vacations now and then!!! Enjoy every second and don’t worry about taking a break – we’ll all be here waiting when you get back! Have a super fun, totally relaxing time!
I could not be happier to hear that you’re unplugging for a whole week! I love your blog and you two deserve to deeply, fully enjoy a nice break. We’ll be here when you get back. :)
Congratulations on the getaway! It’s about time you carved out some blog-free vacation time. You’re well on your way to meeting that resolution!
Nice!!! Portland to Hawaii…I can’t imagine! Hope y’all are having a blast :)
Haha, it’s definitely a big temp change from Portland! We loved it there too, though!
xo,
s
OH YAY! YOU GOT YOUR VACA! I hope you enjoy your VERY well DESERVED vacation in HAWAII! And I can’t wait to hear all about it! I’d love to go over there someday.’
Enjoy enjoy enjoy! :)
Good for you! We all need a vacation now and then. And you both have been going non stop for awhile. Have fun and enjoy the sun! I’m in South Dakota and we are expecting a blizzard this week. My parents are escaping to HI on Saturday, so I’m a little jealous of you all. Aloha!
Good for you for taking a break! And great choice. Hubs and I went to Oahu and Maui for our honeymoon. Maui was ah-mazing. If you haven’t already booked one, Lahaina Luau was excellent. Highly recommended to us and we loved it.
Thanks for the recommendation!
xo,
s
Totally agree! My husband I loved the Lahaina Luau :)
They are right. Old Lahina Luau is the best on the island. Also, Pride of Maui is best tour of Molokini, and take Clara to Baby Beach. Easy walk from Lahaina. ;) There are nice breakers, so very calm waters – which is why the locals all take the kiddos there….
Love Maui! We spent our honeymoon there and can’t wait to go back! Have fun – you deserve a vacation!!
And for quick lunch/dinner, I definitely recommend Maui Tacos (and their amazing pineapple salsa)! And definitely check out the Farmer’s Markets – they’re all over the place. Fresh pineapples, soooo good!
Congratulations and best wishes for a wonderful vacation!!
Yay! That’s so amazing you guys. Have a great time!! xx
No, that skirt spin is a pain. Have an awesome time in Hawaii and don’t worry about us. Aloha!!
So good for you guys! Enjoy! And I suffer from skirt spin on a daily basis!
Enjoy your vacation. Although I’m not sure what I’ll be doing at work mornina for the next week. My bosses may expect me to become productive or something!
So awesome! Can’t wait to see all of the pics from your trip and live vicariously through you for a little bit :)
I can’t believe you didn’t ask us to house sit again. Was it because Even Steven spent the entire time on your toilet?
Haha, you guys are always welcome!
xo,
s
Good for you! Have a wonderful time with lots of R & R!!
Have fun! I loved my trip to Hawaii and can’t wait to go back.
Enjoy Paradise! You most definitely deserve some serious R&R! Clara too!
Enjoy your time off, I can’t wait to see pictures! We want to go to Hawaii in the next 5 or so years!
Yay! I am SO happy you guys are finally taking a break!!!!! Have so so so so so so much fun you guys. Stay incomminicado as much as you can – we’ll all be here when you get back!
How exciting! We’ve been there once, and are dying to go again someday! Without sounding completley intrusive, how did you all go about planning the trip cost effectively? Do you have any tips for budgeting a trip to Hawaii? We’re so clueless! Hope you had an amazing time! (we were also surprised here in Greensboro, NC by snow day on Monday, Thunderstorms on Wednesday, and cold temps again for the weekend.) Hope you had an amazing time!
We just googled around for tips on booking affordable flights (prices go up on the weekends and are typically lowest around Tuesday night/Wednesday morning) and looked for a place to stay that was within our budget. More deets when we’re back of course!
xo,
s
Well hullo there neighbor; we’re in Greensboro, too!
Enjoy the break — and Hawaii! Maui is probably my favorite place on Earth. Have some banana-macadamia nut pancakes for us.
Already done! Mmmmmmm….
-John
Whaaaa a reply from John?
;)
Oh my gosh , so happy for you guys that I’m all teary-eyed (though maybe I’m a little hormonal). Your pictures make it look so BEAUTIFUL, it makes me want to go now.
Have a wonderful week off and enjoy the sun/warmth!
Enjoy! We will miss you next week but you deserve it.
Congrats, you three deserve your vacation! Enjoy every minute and do some relaxing!
That’s wonderful! Enjoy your week off – you two definitely deserve the break!
i could not be more jealous! take lots of pictures (so we can all live vicariously) and ENJOY!
Enjoy your unplugged family time! Family is what it’s all about. Happy anniversary, happy birthday, and happy first four syllable word. :)
Enjoy your week!!!! Please unplug – you guys deserve it!! We will still be here when you get back :-)
A must deserved vacation!! Have a wonderful time & enjoy the blessings of life. Your readers will be here when you return!
Gasp! That’s what i did…and my husband asked “what?!?” and i said ” the petersiks are in hawaii” and he rolled his eyes.
so happy for you guys..unplug away and make it last!
Haha, hilarious.
xo,
s
I did the same thing! I said it just as if any of our friends were in Hawaii! My husband basically had the same reaction. Haha! Have a great time, you deserve it!
HA! I did the same thing. Husband is already in bed and I think I woke him up from his almost-asleep state! Oops!
Haha, I love it.
xo,
s
Haha! I totally talk about you guys as if you’re my friends too – “guess what John and Sherry did today, husband!” there’s definitely some eye rolling at our house too ;) Yes to echo everyone else’s thoughts – enjoy your very earned vacation!! We’ll be ‘here’ when you get back!! :)
LOL, count me in on this one too. I said “OMG” and to husband “John and Sherry are in Hawaii this week!” and got a nice You’re-nuts-but-I’ll-play-along “Ohh, wow…”
Haha, so nice of him to play along.
xo,
s
HAHA! I did the same thing… I said “John and Sherry are in Maui! So jealous!” He reminded me that I don’t actually know you guys, but then rolled his eyes when he realized that he knew exactly who I was talking about! He used to just say, “Who? Are they your friends?” And I’d have to remind him… Not anymore! :)
You guys deserve a break! Have fun and we’ll look forward to your return. We’ll just manage our DIY projects by trolling your archives… :-)
So excited for you guys! I love Maui. I’m sure you’re already aware, but there’s a lot of fun stuff to do there! Some of my favorite places to grab a bite are The Hula Grill in Lahaina at Whaler’s Village (a great place to shop) and Mama’s Fish House near Paia. I recommend reservations for Mama’s. Get there early in the afternoon to so you can enjoy the beach and watch the windsurfers. You guys would probably like the small town of Paia on the North Shore with it’s unique restaurants and shops. I could go on, but I’m sure you’ve got things all planned out already. Enjoy every minute of your break!
Thanks for all the tips!
xo,
s