Hawaii

Not more than a few weeks ago, Chris was given the opportunity to do some work in Hawaii. Neither of us had ever been to Hawaii so naturally Chris was ecstatic. He wanted me to come with him but initially I was worried about how I was going to juggle everything with Maddie's birthday, my Disney mystery shop that I'd committed to and our trip to Palm Desert for Thanksgiving that had been planned for months. Chris went ahead with his plans and I started to get a gut feeling that I was going to kick myself later if I didn't jump on the chance to go to Hawaii with Chris. After all our hotel and rental car were paid for, as well as his flight and his meals. What could be a better deal than that. My Mom offered to watch the kids and Chris and Amanda said they would watch Sawyer so she didn't have to watch all 3. So 2 weeks before the trip we booked my ticket and it was final, I was going to Hawaii. I was so excited, I kept telling people, "I'm going to Hawaii!"

I was able to reschedule Maddie's party a week earlier to make things a little easier and I met Chris out there on Tuesday so I could go to Disneyland with Maddie on Monday. We made sure we would arrive home Friday night so we'd be home on Maddie's actual birthday and just in time to get ready for our trip to Palm Desert and Thanksgiving!

After only 2 hours of sleep I got up early got the kids off to a friends house before school and Libby and I embarked on a great adventure. It was her first plane ride and a long one at that. It was hard I'm not gonna lie. She doesn't fall asleep in anyone's arms ever, so it was tough getting her down for a nap and she didn't stay asleep long but woke up in a happy mood. Once the plane ride was over, I felt the excitement of being in Hawaii and quickly forgot about the miserable plane ride.

Chris was working so this was not much of a vacation for him. He worked 16 hours the day before I got there. Luckily he was able to get done at a decent time the rest of the week so we could do a little sightseeing. He picked me up from the airport and we went to Peal Harbor. This was one stop I definitely wanted to make. The boat rides out to the monument were done for the day but we toured the area and watched a film about the attack at Peal Harbor. It was a sobering experience and I have a lot of respect for the men and women who put their lives on the line for our freedom every day.

We drove to our hotel after stopping at Costco to get some macadamia nut chocolates to bring home. As I stepped out of the car I saw the most beautiful view of the ocean and our gorgeous hotel. I literally ran down to the sand which was just steps away and took my shoes off. It was heaven, I was in paradise and I had to pinch myself to make sure I wasn't dreaming! Libby also got her first touch of Hawaiian sand, and she loved it!

I could go on and on about our amazing resort. I took lots of pictures and rather than bore you to death with them I put them all in a collage. If you click it you can see it bigger.

I would definitely recommend staying at this resort if you are going to Oahu. It is called the Ko Olina Beach Club. The pools were simply amazing. They had all kinds of waterfalls and caves, they even had a slide that was inside the rock so it was dark and fast.

The two full days I was there I spent the entire day basking in the sun and playing on the beach with Libby. We also enjoyed swimming in the fun pools. Chris came back on
Wednesday just in time to enjoy the end of this beautiful sunset with me.

That night we drove in to Waikiki and enjoyed the sights and sounds of the big city. I couldn't believe all the shopping they had there. It was amazing. I really enjoyed the international marketplace which reminded me of Olvera Street, with all the vendors. We bought the kids each a few souvenirs.

On the streets of Waikiki they had street performers. I took a picture with this newspaper guy. He was very good at keeping still.

Waikiki wasn't like I would imagine Hawaii at all. It was more like San Francisco with Tiki Torches. Even though it was fun for an evening, I was glad we stayed outside of the big city.

I have always wanted to try Ruth's Chris Steakhouse and we were excited to find out they had one there in Waikiki. It was a little risky taking Libby there (and it was 9 o'clock at night too!) but she did great. She was very pleasant and allowed us to enjoy our delicious meals.

Here are a few pictures of Libby on the beach the third day of my trip. She loved the sand and really allowed me to relax on the beach. She even fell asleep while I was walking around so I carried the stroller out to the sand and let her sleep while I read a book.

Chris came back to the hotel around 2 pm that day and we swam for a little while so he could get a chance to go in the ocean. We got ready and then headed up to the North Shore for our last evening there. We really did a lot in the short amount of time we had since Chris was working. We stopped and looked at the Dole plantation. Since Libby was asleep and we were in a hurry to get to the Polynesian Cultural Center we just got out snapped a few pictures and hurried on our way. It was neat seeing all the fields of pineapples growing along side the road.

We also stopped in an old town called Haleiwa. We went to Matsumotos for their famous Hawaiian ice with Ice cream.

We also pulled off the side of the road to look at the ocean on the north shore. It was beautiful and the waves looked huge.

We got to the Polynesian cultural center around 5 pm so we missed a lot of the fun things to do there. We were able to see a Samoan show and eat dinner and then go to the big show that evening. It was magnificent. After visiting the PCC, I have such a great appreciation for the Polynesian culture. I find it fascinating and want to learn so much more about it.

After we left the Polynesian Cultural Center we drove by the Temple in Laie. It was late so the visitors center was closed. It was beautiful and I had such a calming feeling just walking onto the grounds.

What a marvelous place Hawaii is. Chris and I can't wait to go back. We did so much in a short amount of time and would love to go back and take it all in more. I feel so lucky I was able to go. As we left on Friday I felt sad leaving such a beautiful place not knowing when and if I'd ever come back. I'll never forget the sights and sounds of this paradise. Watching this short clip of Libby on the beach helps me to reminisce.

We were however happy to go home to our other 3 adorable children who were very excited to see us. Thank you Mom and Dad, and Chris and Amanda for taking care of our precious ones while we were gone!