Birthday Party - Finally!

Ashley's been a busy girl the last couple of weeks: she turned 6 on the 16th, went to Hawaii, and lost her first tooth! We finally got around to having her birthday party today. She really wanted to have a pool party, so even though it feels like summertime around here, the indoor pool at the Athletic Club was pretty much the only thing open in March. I limited the number of friends she could invite, since I wasn't sure how we would keep an eye on too many 6 year olds. This was our 3rd or 4th party at LRAC. I like having them there because they do all the work - even the cake and the party favors. Today our "host" was not very helpful but the kids still had fun, so I guess that's what matters.

Hawaii Day 7: Already Planning to Come Back

Saturday morning, we got our final souvenirs at the Swap Meet at Aloha Stadium. I think it would have been more fun if we weren’t trying to cram it in on our last day. But, Jeff wanted to see the stadium, and Nathan’s spending money was burning a hole in his pocket.

Our flight didn’t leave until 8:40pm, so we checked out of the hotel and spent the rest of the day by the pool and on the beach. One thing I really liked about this resort is that they give you a “hospitality room” for an hour and a half on your last day to shower and repack your bags before the flight home.

Our week in Hawaii really could not have gone any better. We had an incredible time and incredible weather! Except for a few sprinkles here and there, it didn’t rain while we were there until we were leaving. On our way to the airport, we saw this beautiful rainbow. We were so thankful that we got to go, and we’re not ready to leave. We spent the whole week just on the island of Oahu and really didn’t see it all. Oh well! It gives us something to look forward to on the next trip! Aloha!

Hawaii Day 6: Going Out with a Bang!

We spent our last full day in Hawaii walking almost all the way down Waikiki Beach. The kids found this big tree to climb and play in right on the beach. (I don’t know what kind it was, but I wish we had one in the backyard.) We ended up stopping at the tree a second time on the way back. When we got to the east end (away from our hotel), the entire beach was being renovated. I’m so glad we did not stay near the sights and sounds of a beach under construction. Not exactly relaxing! That afternoon, Ashley and I took hula lessons before joining the boys for some paddleboarding in the lagoon. Later that evening, we went to Hard Rock Café and then made it back to the resort for the Friday night fireworks show.

Hawaii Day 5: Public Transportation - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

On our “Must Do” list for this trip was to snorkel at Hanauma Bay. Since we had already turned in our rental car, we planned to ride the bus. We had heard good things about the public transportation system on Oahu. On our ride out to Hanauma, we had a great experience. The bus was on-time, not crowded, and the driver was helpful and personable. Jeff chatted it up with a local the whole way there.

The bay was as beautiful as it had been described, and we saws tons of fish, urchins, and coral. Nathan and I saw a sea turtle, and Jeff saw a Spotted Snake Eel. (Apparently, they're harmless to humans, but I’m still glad I didn’t see it!) Ashley had fun playing in the sand and waves but didn’t want to give snorkeling another try.

On the way back, our bus experience couldn’t have been more different! It was running late and so crowded! I took the last available seat next to this big guy with disturbing toenails and quite possibly a case of tuberculosis. Jeff had to stand and held on for dear life near the exit door.

We made it back alive! Our first stop was another trip to Wailana Coffee House – easily our favorite restaurant of the trip. I read the reviews for lots of restaurants and made a list of the top contenders before we came, but we ended up not using it that much. It was easier to throw on our cover-ups and go somewhere casual near the hotel. It also helped that we started most of our days with a huge breakfast at Wailana. While the coffee was amazing, the French toast with coconut syrup was really the star of the show! Everything was reasonably priced, and the kids could eat for just $2.25. What a sweet deal in Honolulu!

Hawaii Day 4: Yes, The Water Really Is That Blue!

Today was our big day in Hawaii! For the first time this week, we struggled to wake up early. I guess we're starting to get adjusted to the time zone. We drove out to Waianae on the western shore and went on a dolphin-watching tour with Wild Side Specialty Tours. If you are ever on Oahu, you have to do this! If you love nature, it might be worth planning a trip just for a chance to go on this adventure. Since the tour company is small it costs a little more than some of the other companies, but it is SO worth it. Paul and Keiki were both just great! We didn't see any humpback whales and only a couple of sea turtles, but dolphins...oh, my! There were so many swimming under us at one point that I couldn't even count them all! They put on a pretty good show for us on top of the water as well.Most of these photos were taken by the tour company's photographer (Paulphin Photography), but Jeff took the one above of Nathan's flippers with our underwater camera. Really cool shot!Ashley was cold and scared in the water, but she loved being on the boat. Nate loved it all! He is really good at snorkeling and was the first one in the group to spot the second pod of dolphins.

On the way back to Honolulu, we stopped for lunch on the side of the road. What a great spot for a picnic!

Hawaii Day 3: I Guess We're Not Really Jeep People

By Tuesday, I was ready to get out of the city for a while. We rented a Jeep thinking that it would be fun to put the top down and drive around the island. What we didn’t anticipate was getting a big 4-door version. Trying to fold up the top on that behemoth was nearly impossible! There was no instruction manual in the rental, so we ended up watching a YouTube video. We folded it up as much as we could before we got frustrated with it, and then we rode around for the rest of the day praying the top didn’t fly off as we were driving down the road! (Sorry, no pics!)

Other than that minor technical difficulty, the rest of the day was fantastic! We went to Pearl Harbor and got tickets for the U.S.S. Arizona Memorial. We had a few hours before the next available ferry to the memorial site, so we drove out to the Dole Plantation about 30 minutes away. We went through the World’s Largest Maze and had some fresh pineapple and Dole Whip for a snack before we headed back to Pearl Harbor.
The kids were very well-behaved at the memorial. There is a short video about the attack before you go out to the memorial, and then you have about 15 minutes to see the actual site. That was just the right amount of time for us. Jeff and Nathan listened to the audio tour. I was most fascinated by the oil that still leaks out of the sunken ship more than 70 years after it was bombed. After that somber time, we needed an afternoon of fun! We headed up to the North Shore. It was so laid back and just the break we needed from the busyness of Honolulu. Everywhere we stopped along the 2-lane highway had something awesome: beautiful beaches, huge waves, even sea turtles! Our last stop was at Waimea Bay Beach Park in Haleiwa where Nathan jumped off of the famous cliffs. On our way “home”, we stopped for our first Hawaiian shave (not “shaved”) ice.