We spent the last week in a little piece of paradise on the island of Oahu, Hawaii.
The view from the balcony of our condo (Airbnb) in Ko Olina.
We arrived in Hawaii on Saturday, December 6th. The next morning we woke up and got ready for church. Here the kids were eating breakfast while we talked about some verses from the Book of Mormon. We also discussed this week's "Come, Follow Me" lesson during our drives to various places during the week.
Taylor, Sam's sister, joined us on the trip to Hawaii. The kids enjoyed playing with their aunt.
We attended church with Sam's uncle and aunt, Richard and Kelly (on the right), who are serving a church mission in Hawaii.
We attended the Tongan Ward which meets in this unique church building, the Honolulu Tabernacle.
Douglas, Penny, and Diana in front of the Honolulu Tabernacle.
Uncle Richard has a great sense of humor. He took the photo above and turned it into these three funny videos.
I love the vegetation in Hawaii.
I met this Jewish LDS brother at church. He bore his testimony in Hebrew and English, in the Tongan-speaking ward. 😁
Following the church meetings, we drove up to a pretty cemetery overlooking the city of Honolulu, where we ate lunch and chatted for a bit.
We spent Sunday afternoon playing at the beach and in the pools.
I found a dead crab floating on the water.
The girls helped put sunblock on my back. We made it through the entire week without getting sunburns.
The kids really liked snorkeling.
Red marks from our snorkel masks.
In one of the three hot tubs.
Monday morning we drove across the island for a delicious breakfast at Ted's Bakery.
Following breakfast, we stopped to visit the Laie Hawaii Temple.
Penny and Douglas . . . a rare moment of sibling love.
We also stopped at Angel's Ice Cream to get some shave ice before spending the rest of the day at the Polynesian Cultural Center.
We got a quick Ukulele lesson.
Showing off our temporary tattoos from the islands of Polynesia.
Our guide, Moehani (from Tahiti), showing us how to make coconut oil.
Taking a boat ride as another guide tells us some things about the islands of Polynesia.
With Kap, a funny Samoan who is supposedly going to be in the upcoming live-action Moana movie.
Learning to play island games with sticks. Why do we buy toys for the kids? These games are fun and they only require sticks.
Saying goodbye to Moehani before heading to dinner, the luau, and the "Hā: Breath of Life" show.
The dinner buffet was delicious.
This is my favorite treat on the island. A fabulous piña colada drink inside a pineapple, with a bamboo straw.
Penny and Diana got to participate in the luau.
Richard and Kelly flew back to the mainland on Wednesday for a family event. So, we met them for lunch on Tuesday at a restaurant called Eggs 'n Things and then we spent the rest of the day playing at the resort.
Kalua pork eggs Benedict on a taro bun with a side of macadamia nut pancakes.
Douglas ate all 10 of his pancakes with Nutella.
Wednesday morning we went to the Aloha Stadium swap meet and marketplace to shop for souvenirs.
Then we stopped at the Honolulu Cookie Company to try, and buy some of their amazing shortbread cookies.
Wednesday afternoon we relaxed at the condo and played in the pools.
Goofing off in the elevator.
Every day at 8:30am and 4:00pm an employee comes out with a bucket full of fish food for anyone who wants to help feed the koi fish. These fish can live long lives! We were told the oldest koi on record was around 200 years old.
The kids liked feeding the doves as much as the fish.
This bird is always hanging around the koi ponds during feeding time. It hunts the tiny fish in the ponds.
"Feed me!"
Thursday morning we visited Pearl Harbor. We toured the USS Arizona Memorial and played inside an old WWII submarine, the USS Bowfin.
Back to the condo in Ko Olina.
Ko Olina is such a pretty area away from Waikiki and other busy tourist locals. Our condo building is located in a quiet area between the Marriott and Disney resorts.
We took a walk over to the Disney resort one evening.
Friday morning we hiked to Manoa Falls.
Yesterday morning we played a little more in the water and then we packed and relaxed the rest of the day before going back to the airport for our late-night return flight to Utah.
This was their first experience with a red-eye flight. They weren't too pleased about the lack of sleep. 😁 It's almost 1pm and the kids are still sleeping, and I'm having a hard time keeping my eyes open as I make this blog post.
What a trip! I miss the warmth and humidity, but it is good to be home.
Mele Kalikimaka! Merry Christmas!
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