flashback: how my mom was on national television.

If you know my mom, you know that she isn't really afraid of anything. She is all herself, and doesn't care who sees. She's the mom who doesn't know how to whisper in a crowded audience. She would be sitting next to me at a performance, and would lean over and say "Did you see that? She fell! Look Dani!" When, in fact, I did see that girl fall. So did the whole audience! And now they know you did too!

Now don't get worried, she wasn't on TV for being arrested, or on America's most wanted list, and no it wasn't even an episode of hoarders. (As believable as it may be...) She was on the weather channel.

When it comes to an opportunity, Robynn jumps at it. One of those opportunities came when we were on a family vacation in Hawaii. Our trip was planned to be this dream three week vacation on two different islands. First we would spend a week and a half on Oahu, and then the rest of the trip on the big island. The trip was amazing, and I'll probably make many posts about that trip, but the end wasn't the easiest towards the end, especially for my anxious self.

As it was hurricane season, there was some rough storms while we were there. (Which made for awesome wave jumping and boogie boarding by the shore btw!) There were actually two hurricanes near the islands while we were there. The first one happened towards the beginning of the trip, and didn't come close enough to do any damage, but it did make for some high tide and big waves for a few days. The second one came during the very end of our trip, and was actually all over the news at the time. Hurricane Lane. The hurricane was so severe, we had to cut our trip a day short and fly home. At this point we were on the big island. Our flight home was leaving from Oahu, so we had to fly back there to catch it. We got there a day early and stayed at the hotel we had a couple weeks earlier.

Check me out next to one of the signs our hotel had around!

This hotel happened to be on Waikiki beach, which is one of the most populated beaches in Hawaii. It's usually packed with people, filled with tourists, and always full. But that day it was completely deserted.

The chairs were gone, the restaurants and bars closed, windows blocked. It was a little spooky. There was no one.

Except...

Jim Cantore.

If you aren't aware, Jim Cantore is a popular personality and meteorologist for The Weather Channel. He flies all over to capture severe weather. He was on the beach with his entire camera crew to capture the beginnings of Hurricane Lane.

Now, I didn't know of him, but my mom definitely did.

She was determined to meet him.

I have it on video, but instead of at first going and standing near him and his camera crew to say hi, she decided to casually walk several yards behind him so she was on camera, acting as if she was just taking a stroll on the beach. Which happened to be deserted. During a hurricane. Anyway. My dad and I were upstairs in the hotel room laughing our butts off watching her on the live weather channel feed. She was the size of a grain of rice she was so far away, but we knew it was her. I will always remember that.

She came back upstairs a few minutes later, so excited and happy.

"Mom, you should go get a selfie with him!" I said. I mean, when else was she gonna get it?

"You're right!" So she walked back downstairs, giddy in her step, and back down to the beach.

and,

got the selfie.

(After waiting in line for 45 minutes behind people who had the same idea.)

She still got it!

by the way, photo creds to Robynn, my mom. She took all these! haha.

Hope you enjoyed my little flashback storytime! It was fun reliving it.

Happy Sunday everyone!