Aloha!

I just couldn't get it together to post before our trip. But now we are back from our vacation in Hawaii. It was SO nice just to get away and enjoy some sun and warmth. We also got to meet up with our family over there- my parents, Shawn's mom, and my sister. The kids really enjoyed all of the extra attention.

Our flights were great. Direct flights from AK. Nicholas and Stella were perfect. Even on the way home there was a medical emergency in the middle of the overnight flight and the kids just slept through all of it. I love these guys! In Hawaii, we stayed at Ford Island one night (very nice, pretty area), Bellows four nights (perfect for the kids), and Hale Koa for the last two nights (absolutely wonderful).  Because of the time difference, we were up early every morning. We went to Anna Miller's for breakfast the first day. Soooo good. Shawn and Nicholas had the fresh pineapple. I had an omelet. Stella tried the green crayon.

Then we went to a little playground on Ford Island before we had to check out. Nicholas and Stella loved being outside and just running around.

Our days at Bellows was perfect. Everything was casual and convenient. Nicholas just loved digging sand in front of our cabin. Here is Nick outside playing one morning in his PJs.

On our last day at Bellows, he finally got to play in the big sand hole on the beach. He had been wanting to get in that hole since the minute we arrived.  There were some other little boys playing in it so I let him go play with them.
Stella was not a fan of the beach. She didn't like the sand, wind, water, sun. We moved her bed outside and she did love that!

We took a beach break one day and visited the Honolulu Zoo. Worthwhile. Stella napped most of the time we were there. Good morning, Sunshine!



And Nick enjoyed seeing all the different animals. Though the playground was probably his favorite exhibit.


Squeezed in 18 holes, too.

Before we left Bellows we just had to try their breakfast. That awful mess on the far right plate is Shawn's breakfast, the Local Mocco: scrambled eggs, two hamburger patties, gravy, rice, and a scoop of macaroni salad. Of course. Bleckh.

Shawn and I got to snorkel at Hanauma Bay and boogie board at Bellows. I lasted about an hour in the water. Those waves were just knocking me around too much. But it was fun.

This is a neat picture of my parents at Bellows.

Visited the Dole Pineapple Plantation.
**how do i rotate this??**

Stella making her very best fish face.


Here is Stella having lunch at Hale Koa. A little PB&J...a little shark.



Here is Grandma with our little Nick-fish at the Hale Koa.

Here's everyone at Duke's for lunch.

Nick LOVED the luau at the Hale Koa. He and Aunt Sarah chanted for the "red dancing ladies." Those were the fast-dancing hula girls wearing, red grass skirts. He does a pretty good impression of their dancing, too. And of course, he liked the fire dancers.


Here are the kids with Aunt Sarah. Boy are they going to miss her this week! They are picking up flowers. Nick filled his pockets with them.



Nice hat, Kate! Why thank you! This is one of the four hats I feverishly sewed before leaving for Hawaii. I sewed sun hats for all the girls and intended to get a picture of us all wearing them. But it just didn't happen. oh well. It is the Amy Butler Blue Sky Hat, in case you wondered. I love mine and wore it a bunch. I didn't want to get sun burned. Thanks to the SPF 50 I used, I did not. Well, except for a patch on my leg that I missed.

Here are a few pictures from our last day at Waikiki. We hope you enjoyed your vacation and visit. Aloha.