A perfect summer day in the life of my beautiful, amazing, talented, lovely friend, Kacey Luvi Pearson. Please enjoy living vicariously through her Hawaiian summer vacay?just like I did!
When I first met my husband, we had a few things on a list of non-negotiables before we would even CONSIDER continuing a relationship. The first (and the most serious) is, of course, our values and truths regarding the basic principles of our faith and how we would raise a family. Ok, check. But then, there are the other important things: “When you vacation, do you want adventure and sight-seeing or to lay on a beach and consume an ungodly amount of calories?? Beach and calories? Great. Me too. Check. You’re in. Put a ring on it.
We LOVE to vacation. I mean, who doesn’t? But now we have two young children who we want to experience vacation WITH! So I’m excited to share with you our recent family trip to the island of Oahu in Hawaii. More importantly, these are the things we love to do as a family ANYWHERE on any given day!
This particular day was perfect. I’m choosing May 18th because it was my birthday (and let’s be honest, mama gets what mama wants on her birthday, am I right?).
I started the day at 6am at a local coffee shop in Kailua with my mom. The beans were local, the roast was strong, and I was in perfect company. My sweet husband stayed back with our kids so my mom and I could enjoy one of our FAVORITE pastimes?drinking coffee together.
After our coffee date, my mom took over kid duty and let Chance and I head over to CrossFit Kailua for a workout! This quickly became more like a nightmare as I finished dead last in both 800m runs. I’m sure they felt bad for me, but cheered me on as I slowly crossed the finish line with a big wet spot on my pants (#momstruggle?can?t hold it, can’t hide it).
Anyway, it was time to eat, and shoot… I deserved it. We gathered the family and hit up a local favorite, Nalu. It’s a healthy joint with some incredible aca? bowls and salads. If you’re ever in Kailua, check it out! Our mouths were quicker than our iPhones, so we didn’t take photos of our food. But we snapped this cute shot of our daughter, Swayze, enjoying her shaved ice!
After lunch, we headed to the water! This particular day we visited Lanikai Beach. It’s listed as one of the TOP beaches in all of the Hawaiian Islands, and now we know why! The soft, white sand and bright turquoise waters are enough to lure a visitor and demand their return. We tried to get a family photo here, but as you can see, it was a total mom fail.
Even though the waves were a bit intense for the little guy, he LOVED walking around in the sand (true Hawaiian-child style) and showing off his glutes.
This was my 34th birthday and the eve of my second baby turning 1! I’m feeling strong, happy, and energetic ever since I took control of my nutrition and fitness a few months after my son was born.
The day ended with a dinner out, which is a huge treat for us! It was truly a perfect day in the life of a Pearson… Oh, if everyday felt like your favorite birthday whilst vacationing in Hawaii… 😉
The icing on the cake was a family photo shoot. As a photographer myself, I put a lot of value in beautiful imagery, so I hired an Oahu-based photographer to capture our family. These will be treasured forever!!
Sure, there are highs and lows, but perfect days start on the inside. Wives and moms, even in the mundane, have the ability to steer the ship and make everyday life fun. It’s in our attitudes and written all over our faces. Whether we are on the beaches of Hawaii, or sweeping the floor underneath the highchair for the 3rd time, joy is available. Find it. Use it. You will never regret it.
Oh?please take me back to Hawaii!! Kacey, you make us all want to ditch our current (insanely hot) summer days in lieu of a luau!
Now you?yes YOU?tell me about YOUR perfect summer day below!
Xoxo,
Heidi
Related reading:
A Perfect Summer Day Series: The Powell Pack in Arizona
Macro Tracking for the Win! All of Your Questions Answered
My Top 4 Fat-Blasting Cardio Workouts
Take Time to Make Time for What Matters Most
3 Responses
Hi Heidi! I just want to say that I just love you and Chris. You 2 are both just so down to earth & kind hearted. I’m sure you get tons of people (no pun intended) asking for your help with weight loss and I’m no exception. I know & understand you are a busy girl but I was wondering if you have any advise about how to get started. People say “just do it” but for me it’s just not that easy. I tell myself every day “today is the day” but it never turns out to be and I constantly beat myself up about it. Any suggestions? If not, it’s ok. Understandably you are quite busy. I enjoy reading your & Chris’ post and seeing your pics & videos especially of your kids.. Aaww Rubs!
Hi Melissa: Here’s where you can get all the steps you need to begin and finish your transformation journey: https://heidipowell.net/9060. And be sure and follow all the links within the post too. You can do this!
Hi Melissa…I know where you’re coming from…believe me. I know exactly!! I used to go to bed at night and tell myself ok tomorrow I’m really gonna do it. But I’d get up and do and eat the same things over and over again. Then we went on family vacation to the beach and my 2 yr old went running away from me and I literally could not catch him to save my life. It scared me and embarrassed me. I decided then and there I was done. This was it. I bought Chris’ book Choose To Lose and immediately started carb cycling the day we got home from the beach. I’m 3 weeks in now and I’m actually running/walking the trails in the woods behind my house. My kids even go with me. I have 6!! I have lost 11 lbs so far. I bought a new pair of all terrain shoes to keep me motivated. I’m not saying it’s easy. But I will say my 16 yr old son was motivated by what he saw in me and came to me and said he wanted to do it with me and he lost 4 lbs his first week. I just ordered the second book. I just want to encourage you. I still have a long way to go. But I have also come so far and feel great. You CAN do this!! Good luck!!