I was supposed to.....

Not sure to start at the start of this little adventure, or back at the age of 13....

The picture is from the driveway, at my "Hawaiian Hale" the morning of the day we leave. And once again, even back in Denver, I couldn't have written it so perfect.

Really, I lived in Hawaii for a month? I closed a deal - proving to myself that yes, I can work and play all at once. (All my friends never had a doubt, the 13 year old whom sometimes lives inside my head, she has doubts). My sons had a summer they will never forget - and neither will their mom.

I'm home. Denver. In my own bed, in a city I love. And truly, it is, looking at a long lost friend whom I haven't seen in years. While you are glad to see the friend, not quite sure if you want to keep in touch, but so glad to re-connect. We are talking MY OWN HOUSE HERE.

Truly, as I said on an earlier post - home is the present. It's not a house, it's not a place, but a moment. Contentment.

My house is a place I sleep, raise my children and a roof over my head. HOME is a whole other category.

What was I supposed to do?? Learn to surf. CHECK Learn to dance? Hula lessons? A helicopter ride? Ride my bike? Run the IRONMAN Course???? I had all these hopes and dreams. Don't we always have hopes and dreams in life????

I accomplished NOTHING on my list!! Okay, one thing - surfing lessons. And you know what??? Hands down - the best month of my life. Goals and dreams are great. We just have to realize it's okay if we go off track. We have to also realize dreams come true and they just don't look how we thought they would.......

Truly, the only thing I wish from this entire adventure: I WISH I could have given the 13 year old Leasa, wait make that the 20 year old Leasa, wait make it the 30 year old.....a glimpse of this is how it turns out now..... She wouldn't have believed it. She probably would have somehow thought something was wrong with the picture. She had these ideas..... These ideas everyone has..... The way it's supposed to be......

What we forget are all those things we DID accomplish not on the list:

Hiking a volcano
Swimming in a waterfall pond
Staying in a local hotel -
Going to breakfast at midnight - and TRULY, it's one of the boys favorite moments.
Getting a black-eye
Swimming with Manta Ray's
Watching your son surf
Seeing outriggers in the sunset
Being impressed your sons didn't flinch when a 12 year old GIRL showed up in a hula skirt and said, we are all going to the beach......
Seeing sharks close up
Telling your sons the beach one "north" of us was "clothing optional" and if they wanted to check it out, well, go ahead.....

And on and on........

Somehow, sometimes, it turns out even better. Even if this wasn't the picture we had in our head.


Maybe the picture was wrong.....