By Cadie,

"I was lucky enough to get to spend half of my summer in Hawaii with my Aunt Courtney and Henry. They were both very generous to extend their home to me and I had a fabulous stay with them. I got my first job! Working at an arcade was a good learning experience and it taught me that I never want to work at one again haha! However, I am grateful for the good first job experience (and money), and it was a pretty fun place to work. Spending time at the beach and in the sun was amazing. I even saw a turtle at the beach one day, and it was super cool to see it swimming, and poking its head above the waves. Kona has some of the most beautiful sunsets I’ve ever seen! Exploring town was fun and I found a coffee shop called HICO that I went to most Friday mornings! Exploring the island with Courtney and Henry was amazing and I had so much fun visiting waterfalls, jungles, and even a green sand beach (there are only 4 in the world)! One struggle was learning how to drive Courtney‘s truck on rainy days, but it all worked out in the end. Courtney‘s pets were definitely, a highlight of the trip, but Pyxie the cat, and Mona the dog have since sadly passed away. Pyxie was the sweetest, and she even slept on my bed some nights. While Mona has had somewhat of a strained relationship with my family, we came to an understanding while I was staying in her house, and I’m sad to see her go because I know how much she meant to Courtney. Despite some ups and downs, I will always remember my times there fondly and I’m glad I went!"

Cadie had quite an adventure in Hawaii with Courtney this summer! I was so proud of her for getting outside of her comfort zone. She came home a few days early, but that probably worked out for the best because Mona passed away the Thursday after Cadie got home. Mona was with Courtney a long, long time and I know the loss was probably pretty hard for her.