.: Hawaii Trip

So, we're back. We had a great time. Once Michael, Lyle, Joey and LeeAnn came over we kind of hit the ground running and didn't stop. We did tons of stuff and we're TIRED (could be the time change and it could be that it seems like we've been going nonstop since we came home with Sam starting school, LAUNDRY and getting back into the swing of everything).
Here are a few pics of our time there, and a few highlights. I'm sure I'm missing stuff, but for the most part here were some highlights.

Lighthouse hike. This was a great Sunday activity... got the kiddos out of the house to burn off some energy and it was beautiful. But it was a hike (Jeanna kind of made me think it would be more like a stroll with words like "paved all the way") But it was a hike. But worth it. Very beautiful, but very scary at times. I wondered if our kiddos might tumble off some treacherous edges into the water HUNDREDS of feet below. So, this pic is of our hosts/tourguides/nurse (for when I was violently ill) and we want to thank them for how incredibly generous they were. Jeanna and Lyle were great to let us stay with them. We had a great time! Can't wait to hear where you're moving to next :)

Michael and Lyle paid to go on a shark feeding excursion. They basically got in this cage and let them float out to sea and threw bait into the water. The sharks swam around them and Michael risked a limb and reached out and touched a shark.

Of course the BEACH! Some favorites were Shark's Cove (after we calmed the kids fears that there would not be actual sharks in the water with us) Hickham Harbor beach (or the airplane beach where we could see the airplanes take off and land) and of course Hanauma Bay.

Pearl Harbor / Ford Island Tour with our personal tour guide Major Swapp. Lyle got us on an incredible tour of Ford Island and Pearl Harbor hosted by the Navy. We were able to see a lot of things that regular tourists wouldn't

.
Polynesian Cultural Center - Ok, this wasn't a highlight for me. This was expensive and not worth the money if you ask me. But obviously it is for a lot of people because there were a LOT of people there. It's just not my thing. Except for these fire dancers, they were hot (wink wink - just kidding, that's a bad joke).

Shaved Ice - Ok, so I doubt that Mr. Matsumotos (sp? the name of the shaved ice place) is worth the wait in line or the increase in prices or eating it in a parking lot... but the shaved ice is good. And the kids loved their "colorful ice cream" (if you ever go... Melona is a yummy flavor).