Our Hawaiian Vacation

Is anyone else besides my Grandma Kay anxiously awaiting this post with pictures, videos and stories from our trip to Hawaii?

• The Airport and the Plane Ride

We got a lot of great pictures of the boys on this trip, but some of my favorites were taken at the airport.

 

The boys did great on both plane rides, mostly sleeping and snacking.  We snapped a quick family pic before landing in Oahu.

• Haleiwa, the Northshore, and Shaved Ice

Day one was spent relaxing, unpacking and grocery shopping.  On day two we took a drive up the center of the island to Haleiwa and the Northshore. 

Austin loved to eat the sand.  It was disgusting, but it made him so happy.

This is my favorite picture from the trip.

 Before going home we stopped for some shaved ice and the boys loved the cold, sugary goodness!

• The Lagoons at Ko Olina Resort

We stayed at my brother-in-law's condo at the Ko Olina Resort.  Within the resort they have 4 man-made lagoons that are perfect for the kiddos.  So after a much needed nap...we headed off to the lagoons for more fun in the sun.

I made Austin his very own sand Bumbo and got to spend time with Trevor playing and swimming in the ocean.

• The Temple and the PCC

Day three was spent in Laie visiting the temple and the Polynesian Cultural Center.  At the temple, the boys and I were walking around enjoying the peaceful feeling that is always present on hollowed ground, when all of a sudden we heard a loud wailing sound.  My heart stopped; it sounded like a tsunami warning.  I immediately grabbed the kids and found shelter within the doors of the temple.  The kind man at the recommend desk assured me that because it was the first day of the month, the alarm was only a test.

That experience got me thinking about how grateful I was to be a forever family and for the covenants I had made in the temple.

 

No trip to Laie would be complete without a stop at Giovanni's Shrimp Shack for lunch.  Trevor is just as much of a shrimp lover as Darren and I, so now there are 3 Giovanni fans in the family.

Trevor has a thing for what he calls a "wiki-tiki".  (He first learned about them from a Scooby-doo movie he saw at Grandpa Rocky's house.)  There were lots of wiki-tikis at the PCC and Trevor wanted his picture taken with all of them.

 

The Polynesian Cultural Center was just as wonderful as I remember it being 7 years ago when Darren and I visited during our honeymoon.  I loved the coconut cake they made at the Tahitian village, Trevor loved the drums at the Tongan village and of course the Samoan village is always a favorite.  Trevor wasn't so sure about the angry faces, yelling and tongues in the Aotearoa Village, but that is by far Darren's favorite.

The night show, "Ha: Breath of Life" was wonderfully done and I have thought about the messages in it several times since seeing the show.  The main message for me was that "family is central to the Creator's plan for the eternal destiny of His children."

• International Market in Waikiki

Trevor loved the huge koi fish at the International Market Place.  He tried to feed them leaves and got offended when they didn't seem to want them.

For posterity I'll record that Darren decided to drop the boys and I off in downtown and then continue driving around looking for a free place to park.  Shortly after he dropped us off, Trevor had to pee and Austin was screaming, but that's not even the best part.  When it was time to go Darren said he would run ahead and get the car because it was parked a long ways away.  So off Darren went running and the boys and I headed in the direction Darren said the car was.  After only 3-4 blocks Trevor started having a melt-down begging me to carry him.  On top of that, Austin fell asleep in the front pack making him 16 lbs of dead weight.  We walked for what seemed like forever (it was actually 11 blocks) when I finally called Darren asking where in the heck he was with the car.  His response...I can't find it.  Exhausted, hot and totally pissed off we stopped walking and sat down in the shade on the corner of Ala Wai Blvd and Namahana St.  A long time passed (at least 20 minutes) before I finally heard from or saw Darren.  He had finally found the car and it was 30 feet from where the boys and I were sitting, resting in the shade.

• Swimming Pool

Day four was the wedding, but it wasn't until later in the evening so we went for a family swim.  Both boys love the water and we all had a lot of fun playing and splashing.  It was a hassle trying to get everyone to hold still so that we could take this family picture, but I am so glad that we did because it is a favorite of mine.

• Randi and Gabe's Wedding

The wedding ceremony was beautiful, Randi looked amazing and I was honored to be a part of her special day.  Besides a disaster with the wedding cake (it wasn't me who made the cake) the day was perfect.

It was wonderful to look up during the ceremony and see my husband and sons looking so dapper.

 

At the reception, Austin tried poi for the first time.  I documented the experience in a series of three photos.

**shudder**   **gag**   **cough**

"What on earth was that?!?!"  "No dad, it's not yummy and it's not funny either."

"Do I want more?!?!"  "Are you kidding me?"
"There's no way you're sticking that spoon in my mouth"

•  Dole Plantation and Goat Island

On our last day in Hawaii, we made a trip to the Dole Plantation.  We did the pineapple maze and shared some amazing Dole Whips.

Trevor found the cutest little pineapple and he wanted so badly to pick it and bring it home with us.

After the plantation, we went back to Laie to Malaikahana Recreation Area to play in the sand one last time.  We didn't make it out to Goat Island, but we saw it.  Darren did some boogie boarding and took Trevor in the ocean while Austin and I sat in the shade watching and taking pictures.

• Harry, the Coconut

He tasted delicious!  We have tried buying coconuts since we have been home, but none of them have tasted as good as this one we bought on the side of the road in Hawaii.

We had a fabulous time in Hawaii and we were sad to leave.  When we got off the plane in Seattle it was 7am (4 am Hawaii time), 40 degrees, and raining.  Trevor started to cry as we disembarked and when I asked him what was wrong he sobbed, "I want to go back to Hawaii".