More Hawaii pictures

Here are more pictures from the Polynesian Cultural Center and the temple.














We especially laugh at daddy on the raft!

Hawaii

In March our family took a dream vacation to Hawaii! We had Ryan's frequent flyer miles to thank for the amazing vacation! (I knew all that travel last year had to be worth something!) We had to travel in two groups, so the girls left before the boys and arrived in Honolulu and rented a showy red mustang convertible! We picked the boys up at the airport and the fun began! We stayed at the Waikiki Banyan Resort on Oahu which had a kitchen and a great view of the beach from our window. We spent the first day playing at Waikiki beach, which was absolutely gorgeous and so much fun! The beach was not crowded at all, and boy did the kids love playing, swimming, and being in such a beautiful place. My favorite part about being at the beach was just watching the kids and not having to be anywhere or follow any schedule! What a way to relax after three months of preschool!

Our second day we went to Pearl Harbor, the temple, and the Polynesian Cultural Center. We weren't sure how much the kids would enjoy Pearl Harbor, but we all loved it! Jacob especially loved learning about the attack and the kind of torpedos used by the Japanese. It was fascinating to see the USS Arizona under the water from the memorial and even see the oil leak in the water. After seeing Pearl Harbor we spent the rest of the day at the PCC. We saw a Tongan man climb a palm tree and a man crack a cocout with his head! We loved the fire dancers and rode on a raft. Jacob jumped right into the water as the raft was nearing the dock! Kate looked so beautiful with the flowers in her hair. She and Jacob got tatoos and did the Haka too!

Next we went snorkeling at Hanama Bay, which was amazing! Ryan and I got to go out together and saw so many beautiful fish! We spent the whole day playing on the sand and snorkeling. Jacob even got to see some of the amazing fish under the sea. At the end of the day, we were lucky enough to see some whales in the distance! Thank goodness for an amazing camera!! We also saw a light house and some of the most beautiful scenery in the world!

Our next day we traveled to a resort called Ko Olina and spent the day on a private beach for touring some Mariott Time Shares, which some day we would love to own. The beach was one of our most favorite and it was just so beautiful. You know, we never did get tired of floating on the waves and playing in the sand. It was just so fun. Jacob especially wore himself out every single day swimming, and swimming, and swimming.

We did some shopping the following day at Aloha Stadium for some souvenirs, and Jacob had to be the winner of the best bargains! We gave the kids some money and he sure got the most for his buck. He was a good barterer (which he gets from his dad). Then of course, we headed for the beach back at Waikiki.

The next day we drove to the North Shore back to the temple and surrounding areas and found some very "local" beaches on the North Shore to enjoy. The waves were a little rough for my liking, but of course, Jacob loved them! This area was desereted and amazing!

Unfortunately, we couldn't stay on the island forever, the next day Kate and I drove Ryan and Jacob to the airport, then we got to spend the day at the beach and pool. Driving around Oahu was a nightmare for me, but we made it and were all able to safely arrive back home! It was definitely the vacation of a lifetime for me and something we will never forget!