There were so many things that almost made it as my blog topic for the day:

• A wonderful morning run with Becky to start the day with an incredible sunrise over Haleakala
• A road trip involving driving above the clouds
• Spending a few hours hiking through National Park #26
• Life lessons learned while vacationing
• Eating salads at our AirBNB for suppers to keep a feel of staying healthy while on vacation
• How Becky and I enjoy the same activities and share similar values
• Food truck gyros (we didn’t have any, but I could almost taste them!)
• Remembering lessons learned from past vacations
• Seeing my home away from home, Hawaii, from the top of Maui
• Making my boys write about what they’ve done each day on vacation

Each of these started to form into a blog post of their own throughout the day.  Some made it past the early stages and into development, but there was one point in which I knew they were each for naught.  There was a specific moment today in which it hit me so perfectly what I was most thankful for today…

After our long hike, a late lunch, and a grocery store run we hit the beach.  The water was a bit chilly and the temp was dropping so I stayed out of the water and stayed next to Becky while the boys splashed.  Becky requested a song that I’d used in a photo presentation of our last vacation, “Beautiful World” by Colin Hay (of Men At Work fame). I fired it up and we just sat there on the beach quietly as we watched the boys play together.  We didn’t say too much, just chilled and soaked in the beauty all around us.

After a while the sun started to set and the clouds parted just enough to give us a peek of its golden red glow…  and was able to get this picture:

It summed up that moment of serenity perfectly.  What an amazing moment!!!

Thanks!!!

This morning we started our drive around the west side of Maui and enjoyed some beach time and a great lunch.  My shoulders kept getting more and more tense as there were people everywhere!  I couldn’t believe just how many people there were swarming everywhere around us.  My stress hit its max when we were trying to find a parking spot for a tide pool and saw a line of cars parked about a mile away.  I totally get that it’s my fault for choosing to go there during the busiest time of the day and it’s up to me to choose my mindset.  That said, I could just feel the stress of being surrounded by so many people eating me up.

Funny thing is that within a mile or so of passing those tide pools up we turned left when it seemed everyone else either turned right or stopped…  and we quickly found ourselves on a very quiet stretch of the island.  About that same time we stumbled into what is, so far, my favorite part of the island…  the lush and green valleys in the winding roads of the western side of Maui.

As soon as we were off seemingly on our own I could feel myself relax.  The pressure was off and I felt great.  I couldn’t believe how much more calm I became in such a short period of time.

Thinking more about it, I think that’s one of the reasons I really enjoyed the Big Island and New Zealand so much.  It’s so easy to get a little ways off the beaten path and totally relax in the relative quiet.  To be clear, it’s not so much to be totally alone, just somewhere with a handful of people as opposed to a swarm.  One of my highlights of the day was when Dominic and I ran into a family of five and shot the bull and took a few family pictures for them.  Spending time with them felt great, being packed in bumper to bumper surrounded by people and resorts and retail felt the opposite.

Long story short, Dominic and I were catching back up to Becky and Gavin when we ran into that family.  After taking the pics of the family the two of us scratched our heads and tried to find the trail that Becky and Gavin had taken.  It was difficult to find as there were really no clear trails, just a couple of ghosts of trails that had once been.  I finally told Dominic, “let’s try this one out and see where it takes us, it looks kinda cool.”  Dominic’s response was priceless and hit the nail on the head for me today…

“Take the road less travelled and it makes all the difference…  Isn’t that a Bible quote?”  – Dominic Kreiling, 12/26/2018

“No, it’s not in the traditional Bible, but I’m pretty sure it should be Bud!”  I then went on to remind him that it was a Robert Frost poem and then the lightbulb lit up…  “That’s right, that’s the one that Steve has memorized and said when we were driving in the mountains in Colorado!”

Today I’m thankful for getting off the beaten path, it is definitely where I find peace.

Thanks!!!

With about 10 hours of flight time I’ve had ample opportunity to get back to a project that’s been on the back burner for a while…  my book.  After only getting a couple of hours of sleep (thanks again for letting us crash at your house last night for about three hours Mom!) the entire first flight to Phoenix was spent with my neck pillow and sleep mask on as I snored away.  There was a little procrastination on the flight from Phoenix to Maui too, but I was able to spend a significant amount of time working on it.

The part that was most amazing to me was that unbeknownst to me I’ve been working on it all along!  So much of what I’ve wanted to add over the past 18 months or so has come from my blog posts.  I’ve spent the past couple of hours going through the posts I wrote from August through December of 2017.  After the blog I’ll move on to the posts from 2018.  In sifting through them I’ve found many instances when I blogged about something related to Dad.  I’ve also had the unique opportunity to relive almost 6 months of my life through re-reading some of the highlights from each day.  It’s mind blowing to see just how much I would’ve forgotten had I not captured so many magical little moments.  I’ve been grinning like a fool the entire time, going from one great memory to the next.  I’m so thankful for taking the time to write each post and to spend time going back through them now.

Lastly, I’m grateful for how everything has been “coming up Millhouse” so far today.  My brother shared that phrase from The Simpsons with me a while back and it’s totally fitting today.  In my favorite instance from the show he complains about how his pants  are way too short for him.  All of a sudden there’s a flood and while his pants stay perfectly dry he emphatically proclaims, “Everything is coming up Millhouse!”

While we were boarding the flight from Phoenix the person behind us told the flight attendant his seat was broken.  I started to get nervous as they started to help him find another seat and brought a couple of mechanics onboard.  I was getting pretty nervous that we might be in for a bit of a delay.  As it turned out they were able to quickly fix it, but they’d already moved the individuals who were in the row.  With that being the case the two people sitting next to me moved back to that row, Dominic slid over to my window seat, and the four of us Kreilings had all six seats in the row all to ourselves!  I had to fight back the urge to shout out, “Everything is coming up Millhouse!”  Gotta love how things work out sometimes like that!

Thanks!!!

I’ve mentioned it before, but just to re-state it, I won the “In Law Lottery.” While I hear some interesting stories from others about how difficult things can be with their in laws I just can’t relate. They’re great people with huge hearts. Over the past 24 hours I’ve had the opportunity to spend a good chunk of time with my father in law.

Last night we played cards with Dominic and Nathan (my nephew) while everyone else went to the movies. It was so much fun that I’m sure we’ll all remember it for quite some time!

Today everyone went outside to ride sleds behind four wheelers in the fields. As we were wrapping up the first session of sledding (the boys are back outside already as I type this) I took a few minutes to lay flat on my back on a sled in the field. It felt great to enjoy the fresh air and time outside. Out of nowhere Ken pounced on me and squished me! It was hysterical!

While everyone else was either in the house or wrapping up their rides Ken and I decided to take a walk in the woods on a trail he has behind the house. We walked and shot the bull as he pointed out various animal tracks. He shared a couple of hunting stories and talked about how he would be working on the next trails. We took our time and enjoyed the quiet and some time together, exactly what the doctor ordered during a busy holiday season.

Spending time with him in the woods reminded me so much of the times I had done the same thing with my dad so many times in the past. Dad and I would often wander through the woods to cut brush, boughs, and to find places to hunt and trap. He would share stories of hunting as a kid and the things he and his friends used to do in the woods. He’d share his knowledge of wildlife and wilderness survival skills. We’d spend time talking and other time in quiet. As I look back those were amongst my favorite times in the world with him.

The time with Ken has been an awesome Christmas present. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the time with him and am so thankful for the opportunity to create some excellent memories together. It’s also been great to bring back so many wonderful memories of times with my dad. While I can’t spend time with Dad this Christmas the time with Ken has helped to fill that space and has left my heart filled with joy.

Thanks!!!

Last night while celebrating Christmas we reminded each other of the story of Nick’s remote controlled truck. We had our giant VHS camcorder set up on a tripod near the stairs to record the opening of our presents just like we did every year. Nick’s big present that year was a remote controlled truck that he really wanted. After unwrapping it he turned it on, grabbed the remote and hit the gas. It rocketed forward at an amazingly quick pace… and shot straight past the camcorder and straight down the stairs. The silence of our shock was broken only by the sounds of plastic crunching on each stair and then onto the concrete. The film caught our expressions and they were priceless!!! Just like normal, we all laughed and enjoyed re-living that magical moment.

Throughout the past 24 hours or so there have been many fun childhood memories that have come back to me. Between Christmas with my family and then driving back through Ladysmith on our way to the Thums’ there’ve been many moments that have come back to mind and brought smiles.

As we passed by the Ladysmith High School I was reminded of so many wrestling matches. I still shiver with disgust when I drive by that school 😉

While going for one of our walks yesterday with Nick we had flashbacks to when the to of us used to fight like Dominic and Gavin were.

Eating spritz cookies always reminds me to seeing just how many of those wonderful cookies I could eat as a kid before my parents would cut me off. I always remember making them with my mom and eating some of the dough and I remember how much my dad loved them.

Opening presents with the family reminded me of all the times we did that as a family. We’d usually huddle around the tree after church on Christmas Eve and open a seemingly endless pile of gifts… after taking a family picture like the one below. Gotta love those silk shirts!!!

So many times I’ve stopped and smiled as a memory has dusted off the cobwebs and reappeared in my brain. One other thought has passed through almost immediately after each of those memories… Which memories are the boys making today that they’ll remember forever? Hanging out with their cousins? Joking around with grandparents and aunts and uncles? Staying up late playing games? Just a hunch, but I’m guessing they’ll remember their trip to Hawaii on Christmas Day. Regardless, it brings me great joy knowing that they’ll also have wonderful childhood memories to look back on once they’re old like me!

Thanks!!!

Today has been exactly the chill family Christmas I was hoping for and always look forward to. We’re all up at Mom’s and I’m enjoying every moment of it.

After hanging out last night we slept in this morning and it felt great to not be in any rush. Once I was up Becky and I headed out to take Ruger for a nice long walk. We enjoyed the fresh air and movement which was exactly what the doctor ordered after all the eating last night! There wasn’t an agenda so we kind of wandered and went even further than we were planning.

We then hung out and just did a lot of chillin’ until lunch. Lots of talking, planning our summer trip together, and working the different building kits the boys received as gifts. There may have been a little eating mixed in too!

Then it was time for lunch… mmm… lasagna!!!

Once the dishes were done we went right back to chillin’. More shooting the bull and relaxation time. Throw in a couple of games for good measure and it was exactly the peaceful Ive been hoping for.

As a big family we played the dice game, our annual fun event in which Mom picks up a bunch of cool stuff, wraps it up, and we play games to see who gets what. Every year we have so much fun with it!

Supper will be ready soon and then we’re sure to fire up some more games and relaxation. I could definitely get used to this pace!

Throughout the day we’ve had a wonderful mix of time a a big family, time in smaller groups, and even some time alone. There’s been zero agenda or stress and it’s perfect.

Total chillaxin’ all day long with some of my favorite people in the world… How could I ask for anything more on Christmas? (Although I jut realized I’be been chillaxin’ a little too much and I don’t have a group picture of us so I’ll go with a Christmas Gavin instead).

Thanks!!!