Hawaii Wrap-Up

I can't believe I started writing about our June Hawaii trip in September, and now it's December and I'm just now wrapping it up. If I can get some momentum going and make some time, there should be lots of catch-up posts coming because some good stuff happened this year and I want to make sure we have memories to remind us why life is so good.

While we're glad we stayed in Waikiki for a couple nights, we especially loved the last part of the week when we stayed in a condo on the North Shore at Turtle Bay. I may have already mentioned that when we travel, we really like to have a kitchen because we like to do quick and easy breakfasts on our own. We also like the option of having a place to keep snacks cold and to be able to pack lunches/snacks for the day if we want to.

Our condo was more than comfy for the two of us. For whatever reason (maybe a more comfortable bed and not so hot), we liked sleeping in the loft better than in the bedroom and it was so nice to have two bathrooms because I don't really like sharing my space when I'm getting ready. We took full advantage of the opportunity to spread out and kick back in the evenings. It had been a long time since I had been able to sit in a chair for longer than five minutes without feeling the need to jump up to mediate an argument, to throw some laundry in the washer quick, or to respond to someone's call for me.

We loved the few hikes we were able to fit in and would have loved to explore more in that way, but one morning we sacrificed a hike to go kayaking. So totally worth it! We used glass-bottom kayaks and the guide who was teaching us took us through an area where the sea turtles hang out. Our guide stood up in his kayak so he could see the turtles, then he guided us through the motions that would send a sea turtle right underneath our kayak. Sea turtles happen to be one of my most favorite of God's creatures. It's not like I haven't seen them before or been mesmerized by their beauty and grace in the past, but when an enormous, beautiful sea turtle passed under my kayak, it literally took my breath away and I gasped. I could have stayed all day, but there were races to participate in (Jared of course was the big winner) and new skills to learn.

We kayaked to a shore where they took us on a little walk (can't call that one a hike for sure) along the beach and through some native foliage. The experience began to sour as they educated us about environmental issues and then proceeded to administer an oral quiz that I hadn't come prepared for. I don't know about most people who sign up for their excursions, but I didn't pay money to get a lecture and a quiz on my vacation. My saving grace was the mini bag of potato chips they passed out, which kept me occupied for about twenty seconds. While it wasn't really my cup of tea, Jared of course really enjoyed that portion of the excursion because it gave him a chance to discuss a book he had been reading about the domestication of animals - not really a topic he would have been allowed to discuss with me. They could have just pulled all my teeth out right there on the spot and it wouldn't have been anymore painful than listening to that conversation. But hey, there was something for everyone, right? Lecture and all, we both agreed that that excursion would forever be a highlight.

We also loved snorkeling at Hanauma Bay.

I don't think either one of us has snorkeled since our honeymoon in Cancun thirteen years ago, so it was about time to dive in again. My favorite part was holding hands and pointing out the pretty fish and other interesting underwater sites to each other. Cheesy, yes. But come on, it was a second honeymoon after all.

We had so much fun that we tried snorkeling again a few days later at Shark's Cove, which turned out to be a little disppointing after such a good day at Hanauma Bay. The waves were pretty big and strong and the lifeguard kept encouraging people to either stay close to the shore or to get out altogether. We're still glad we tried and it wasn't a complete waste even though we both got beat up pretty good by all the coral in the really shallow water.

We spent a full day at the Polynesian Cultural Center. My favorite dancer was this huge guy from Fiji, so of course I had to get a photo with him.

Every night when I'd talk to Brita on the phone, she'd ask me if I had learned the hula yet, so it would have been downright wrong of me to refuse the opportunity to learn. I'm so glad I took advantage of the free instruction, otherwise how would I have known that I'm a naturally gifted hula dancer? I actually thought I was doing a pretty good job of learning until a guy I'd never seen before in my life sought me out to make some, let's say, constructive comments about my dancing. At least I was good entertainment for someone.

Jared and I both tried our hand at the ukelele, but unlike the hula, I did not excel at that one. Jared, on the other hand, played as if he'd come out of the womb with a ukelele attached.

I don't know any guy who could walk away from the chance to throw a spear, and my guy was no exception.

Because we had gone to a luau a few nights prior, we decided to skip the luau at the PCC and just eat their buffet dinner. If we ever go back, we'll do the luau at the PCC for sure because even their buffet put the "Costco Special Luau" to shame. It was delish.

Before the evening show at the Polynesian Cultural Center (which was fabulous), we hopped over to BYU Hawaii and then to the temple grounds. There are no words, just pictures to describe the beauty of that temple...

We walked all through the temple grounds in awe of the surroundings. Jared is pointing to an area that we had hiked the day before.

We're so glad we took the time to see the temple and spend some time there.

We got up early on our last day so we could watch the sunrise at the beach.

Turns out, that was the perfect morning to be there. The waves were big and the even the locals were excited about it. One guy came over to talk to us just to let us know that it was very uncommon to get surf-sized waves that time of year. Later, I overheard that same man talking to another man who said he had to hurry and get out there so he could get some surfing in before he went to work.

Such a fun way to spend our last morning. After we checked out of the condo, we decided to spend our last couple hours at Pearl Harbor again because we hadn't explored the battleship there yet. The battleship was impressive, but we both liked the submarine better. I think it's because we were both surprised by the compactness of the sub. On the battleship, there was plenty of space to eat, sleep, and store weapons.

Well, maybe there wasn't ample space for sleeping.

But the kitchen and eating areas were definitely spacious, especially compared to the sub.

On the submarine, everyone and everything had to share space unlike the battleship where everything was more spread out. We don't think we'll ever see another place where men share their beds with torpedos. Even so, we're glad we toured the battleship and could spend our last few hours in such a significant place.

Later, as we flew high above the place we had just explored for a week...

...we recognized the blessing of the gift of a week. It was nice to be reminded of reasons that we got together in the first place. It was nice to focus on and love just each other for a short time. But we also realized that we didn't want that week to last forever because we were ready to get back to reality where our lives are enmeshed with our kids and with work and with activities. We were ready for the feeling of home where we could sleep in our own bed, feel little arms around our necks, clean up messes and tuck kids into bed at night.

As we talked about our vacation - what we loved, what we didn't love so much (Costcofest Luau), what went well, and what could have gone better - we realized that we would have only done two things differently.

1. We would have bought the smaller milk.
2. We would have bought the smaller orange juice.

I'd say that's the sign of a pretty darn good vacation. And now we know what to do next time we get to run away together (which I so hope is sooner than later).