I hope you have lots of time...
because you're going to need it!
As you know, we've had several visitors over the last month. Here are some pictures of what we did:
When John's parents and sister arrived, we went out to Bellows beach for a little boogie boarding. We love Bellows! Its my favorite beach. We only have 3 boards so we took turns playing in the waves. Its fun watching people learn how to boogie board especially when they finally are able to catch a wave. On this day, I just stayed ashore and watched Miss Fabulous and little Star and took pictures. Miss Fabulous is old enough to enjoy the waves on her own with a little help from the life jacket, so it was mostly just sitting with sleeping little Star and enjoying the breeze, sand, and beauty!
With quite a bit of coaxing, John's mom tried her hand at boarding. It took a few tries but she got it! Afterward, we went to Teddy's Bigger Burgers for some dinner. Yum!
John went with his parents and sister to Hawai'i (the Big Island) for some diving and to see an old friend of theirs who lives there. This is John's dad right before their dive.
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John's sister, Tina, swimming around. Diving is something John has loved since he was a kid and someday maybe I'll try it. They got lots of pictures of fish and turtles and sting rays (they did the night dive for sting rays) so I still get to see what they see but I know its not the same. The fish are so much brighter under the water and the turtles are amazing to see! For now, I'll just sit with the kids.
We went parasailing, something we pretty much do with anyone who shows an interest in it. This last time we went, there was this boat that had just come in from fishing and had caught a 1245 lb. blue marlin. It was huge! John had to get a picture (or ten).
So we went parasailing. John's parents went first, then John and Tina, then Miss Fabulous and I. Star (of course) was too little so we left her with a friend. John's mom and dad and MF and I got the regular dip in the water, but John and Tina got DUNKED and then dragged through the water. It was pretty funny and they had fun too!
Then the guys asked John's dad if he'd like to drive the boat back in. He sure did!
We stopped at the Dole Plantation on our way to the North shore after my sister flew in. We wandered around for a bit and went to feed the fish but there wasn't any fish food that day.
We stopped at turtle beach (still don't know the real name for it although I've read the sign several times. I just can't remember it!) and watched the turtles for a little while. I snapped pictures, as usual.
The next day, we went to Sea Life Park. For MF's birthday, John's parents paid for her to do the dolphin encounter with Tina. MF has told us that she wants to be a dolphin teacher when she grows up. She LOVES dolphins, fish, and any other water creature.
Tina and MF with the dolphin...wait...I think that one is the wholphin. Part whale, part dolphin. MF still isn't quite big enough to touch the platform and keep her head above water so Tina had to hold on to her.
Myself with Star, Joanna (my sister), John's dad and mom (Don and Debbie) watching Tina and MF. It sure was HOT that day!
Don and Debbie did the Dolphin Swim in the afternoon. I think they liked it! I ended up leaving early with the girls and Joanna because it was so HOT and there wasn't any shade. I was so worried about MF and Star getting burned. I'm glad John stayed and got some pictures of them!
John's dad really wanted to take a ride in a seaplane and, since they don't guarantee a flight unless at least two people go, I got to go too! Thanks dad!
The seaplane we flew in. It was an hour tour around the island in a Beaver (?). The man who owns the business has been flying tours for 53 years (20 in Alaska, 20 in another state...can't remember...and 13 in Hawai'i). He's also been in several movies...er...him and his plane anyway. It was interesting, but I just don't remember all that they told us. All I know is the plane ride was great! It was fun to see so many familiar places from the sky.
Downtown Waikiki and Waikiki beach. The water was amazingly beautiful and SO clear! We could see to the reefs on the bottom and where the land drops off!
Hanauma Bay. We've never been there mostly because we've been told how crowded it is and we are not really crowd people. Plus we can go other places and snorkel without paying. On this day, they had it closed for clean-up.
Why did I take a picture of this runway, you ask? Because I'm pretty sure I've been on a few planes that have left those tire marks on the pavement. One flight we rounded a corner so fast I thought the wing was going to drag on the ground! Crazy!
Don and I after the flight.
My parents flew in on the 4th of September and the next day we went to the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC). We like to get tattoos, MF insists on it! This was Star's first time!
Debbie and I (with Star) dancing the hula. Unfortunately, I didn't get many pictures that day and I didn't get any from other cameras either.
Little Star in her blessing outfit! My mom knitted the little dress for me for my baby blessing 30 years ago and I asked her to crochet little booties to go with it for Star. Both of these things will go in Star's box of keepsakes.
Sleeping Star!
The booties. They barely fit Stars feet, she is so big! They are so sweet though!
My sleeping girl!
As you know, we've had several visitors over the last month. Here are some pictures of what we did:
When John's parents and sister arrived, we went out to Bellows beach for a little boogie boarding. We love Bellows! Its my favorite beach. We only have 3 boards so we took turns playing in the waves. Its fun watching people learn how to boogie board especially when they finally are able to catch a wave. On this day, I just stayed ashore and watched Miss Fabulous and little Star and took pictures. Miss Fabulous is old enough to enjoy the waves on her own with a little help from the life jacket, so it was mostly just sitting with sleeping little Star and enjoying the breeze, sand, and beauty!
With quite a bit of coaxing, John's mom tried her hand at boarding. It took a few tries but she got it! Afterward, we went to Teddy's Bigger Burgers for some dinner. Yum!
John went with his parents and sister to Hawai'i (the Big Island) for some diving and to see an old friend of theirs who lives there. This is John's dad right before their dive..JPG)
John's sister, Tina, swimming around. Diving is something John has loved since he was a kid and someday maybe I'll try it. They got lots of pictures of fish and turtles and sting rays (they did the night dive for sting rays) so I still get to see what they see but I know its not the same. The fish are so much brighter under the water and the turtles are amazing to see! For now, I'll just sit with the kids.
We went parasailing, something we pretty much do with anyone who shows an interest in it. This last time we went, there was this boat that had just come in from fishing and had caught a 1245 lb. blue marlin. It was huge! John had to get a picture (or ten).
So we went parasailing. John's parents went first, then John and Tina, then Miss Fabulous and I. Star (of course) was too little so we left her with a friend. John's mom and dad and MF and I got the regular dip in the water, but John and Tina got DUNKED and then dragged through the water. It was pretty funny and they had fun too!
Then the guys asked John's dad if he'd like to drive the boat back in. He sure did!
We stopped at the Dole Plantation on our way to the North shore after my sister flew in. We wandered around for a bit and went to feed the fish but there wasn't any fish food that day.
We stopped at turtle beach (still don't know the real name for it although I've read the sign several times. I just can't remember it!) and watched the turtles for a little while. I snapped pictures, as usual.
The next day, we went to Sea Life Park. For MF's birthday, John's parents paid for her to do the dolphin encounter with Tina. MF has told us that she wants to be a dolphin teacher when she grows up. She LOVES dolphins, fish, and any other water creature.
Tina and MF with the dolphin...wait...I think that one is the wholphin. Part whale, part dolphin. MF still isn't quite big enough to touch the platform and keep her head above water so Tina had to hold on to her.
Myself with Star, Joanna (my sister), John's dad and mom (Don and Debbie) watching Tina and MF. It sure was HOT that day!
Don and Debbie did the Dolphin Swim in the afternoon. I think they liked it! I ended up leaving early with the girls and Joanna because it was so HOT and there wasn't any shade. I was so worried about MF and Star getting burned. I'm glad John stayed and got some pictures of them!
John's dad really wanted to take a ride in a seaplane and, since they don't guarantee a flight unless at least two people go, I got to go too! Thanks dad!
The seaplane we flew in. It was an hour tour around the island in a Beaver (?). The man who owns the business has been flying tours for 53 years (20 in Alaska, 20 in another state...can't remember...and 13 in Hawai'i). He's also been in several movies...er...him and his plane anyway. It was interesting, but I just don't remember all that they told us. All I know is the plane ride was great! It was fun to see so many familiar places from the sky.
Downtown Waikiki and Waikiki beach. The water was amazingly beautiful and SO clear! We could see to the reefs on the bottom and where the land drops off!
Hanauma Bay. We've never been there mostly because we've been told how crowded it is and we are not really crowd people. Plus we can go other places and snorkel without paying. On this day, they had it closed for clean-up.
Why did I take a picture of this runway, you ask? Because I'm pretty sure I've been on a few planes that have left those tire marks on the pavement. One flight we rounded a corner so fast I thought the wing was going to drag on the ground! Crazy!
Don and I after the flight.
My parents flew in on the 4th of September and the next day we went to the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC). We like to get tattoos, MF insists on it! This was Star's first time!
Debbie and I (with Star) dancing the hula. Unfortunately, I didn't get many pictures that day and I didn't get any from other cameras either.
Little Star in her blessing outfit! My mom knitted the little dress for me for my baby blessing 30 years ago and I asked her to crochet little booties to go with it for Star. Both of these things will go in Star's box of keepsakes.
Sleeping Star!
The booties. They barely fit Stars feet, she is so big! They are so sweet though!
My sleeping girl! John's parents and sister flew out that night after blessing little Star. We had a good time with them and are glad they were able to make it out to see us!
John loves surfing and sometimes goes to work extra early in order to get some surfing in before the workday starts. One morning my dad and I joined him in order to take some pictures of the early morning sunrise and a few of John (and his friends) surfing. The picture above is my dad. Every memory of any vacation or activity my family took, my dad has a camera around his neck. There are very few pictures OF my dad but we sure had fun looking at slides growing up! Anyway, I liked the one I took of him on the rocks. I'm sure MF and Star will end up with probably the same image of me...always a camera around my neck or tucked, within easy reach, in a bag. I would love to go to school to learn how to take pictures professionally. It would be fun! Anyhow...back to the surfing...
John surfing a tiny wave.
John and his friends, Josh and Sam. Riding the party wave.
Yeah...I think he likes me.
We walked up to Waimea Falls. Joanna, my mom (Leslie), and myself with Star...and a camera around my neck...haha! Waimea Valley is just beautiful with lots of little paths off the main one and so many different types of plants...all labelled. It was a nice day too...not too hot. Poor Miss Fabulous was running with some little sticks in her hand and tripped. Instead of letting go of the sticks to catch herself, she just let her knees and knuckles take the hit. Thankfully the lifeguards keep first aid kits and were more than happy to bandage my girl up!
John loves surfing and sometimes goes to work extra early in order to get some surfing in before the workday starts. One morning my dad and I joined him in order to take some pictures of the early morning sunrise and a few of John (and his friends) surfing. The picture above is my dad. Every memory of any vacation or activity my family took, my dad has a camera around his neck. There are very few pictures OF my dad but we sure had fun looking at slides growing up! Anyway, I liked the one I took of him on the rocks. I'm sure MF and Star will end up with probably the same image of me...always a camera around my neck or tucked, within easy reach, in a bag. I would love to go to school to learn how to take pictures professionally. It would be fun! Anyhow...back to the surfing...
John surfing a tiny wave.
John and his friends, Josh and Sam. Riding the party wave.
Yeah...I think he likes me.
We walked up to Waimea Falls. Joanna, my mom (Leslie), and myself with Star...and a camera around my neck...haha! Waimea Valley is just beautiful with lots of little paths off the main one and so many different types of plants...all labelled. It was a nice day too...not too hot. Poor Miss Fabulous was running with some little sticks in her hand and tripped. Instead of letting go of the sticks to catch herself, she just let her knees and knuckles take the hit. Thankfully the lifeguards keep first aid kits and were more than happy to bandage my girl up!
Joanna had to go back home on Sunday the 13th. We are so happy she got to come to Hawaii to visit! On Tuesday the 15th we got a message that our friends, Jaime and Jared, were coming out for the next weekend. We were happy to hear that since we hadn't seen them in about 4 years. They arrived on Saturday and John immediately took them surfing.
If only they had known. They are all smiles here but after you go out surfing with John, you may never go again. For one thing, its a LOT of work! Another, things come rather easily to John so he doesn't quite understand how hard it can be on mere mortals who've never tried it before. WARNING to anyone who comes to visit us...don't get talked into trying to surf unless you are ready for a little punishment! John, you know I love you...you also know this is so true.
If only they had known. They are all smiles here but after you go out surfing with John, you may never go again. For one thing, its a LOT of work! Another, things come rather easily to John so he doesn't quite understand how hard it can be on mere mortals who've never tried it before. WARNING to anyone who comes to visit us...don't get talked into trying to surf unless you are ready for a little punishment! John, you know I love you...you also know this is so true.Poor Jaime was done after 15 minutes and Jared came in not long after. It didn't help that they got up at 4 a.m. and had just spent 8 hours on a plane.
We went to a luau right after the surfing. It was our first time at this luau and we won't be going there again. For all their talk about it being a family show...it wasn't. We enjoyed the atmosphere of it being outdoors and right by the ocean and the food was decent, but it was definitely a show I wouldn't recommend for children and thus we feel like it isn't good for us either. Before I make that my last word on this luau...
they asked for male voluteers. John volunteered and was chosen. That's him there in the yellow. They called him Mellow Yellow and apparently they don't know what mellow is...or John doesn't anyway.
Yeah. I did marry him. This is the man who usually refuses to dance AT ALL. And he Volunteered! Hmmmm...
We went to a luau right after the surfing. It was our first time at this luau and we won't be going there again. For all their talk about it being a family show...it wasn't. We enjoyed the atmosphere of it being outdoors and right by the ocean and the food was decent, but it was definitely a show I wouldn't recommend for children and thus we feel like it isn't good for us either. Before I make that my last word on this luau...
they asked for male voluteers. John volunteered and was chosen. That's him there in the yellow. They called him Mellow Yellow and apparently they don't know what mellow is...or John doesn't anyway.
Yeah. I did marry him. This is the man who usually refuses to dance AT ALL. And he Volunteered! Hmmmm...Well, my parents left that Sunday to go home. Its a VERY long way for them and we are grateful they were able to make it out to see us and some of Oahu. We enjoyed having you here. Jaime and Jared headed home early Monday morning and my cousin, Sarah, and her husband, Matt, arrived that afternoon.
Matt and Sarah boogie boarding at Bellows.
Star got to dip her toes in. The water was so WARM that day and Star loved it! She is such a sweet baby! Matt and Sarah headed to Kauai on Wednesday for the rest of their trip. I wish we had been able to join them for a day or two but our car needed fixing and that was the end of any fun things we may have wanted to do. We sure hope they had a fun time in Kauai and are glad they were able to spend a few days with us!
Matt and Sarah boogie boarding at Bellows.
Star got to dip her toes in. The water was so WARM that day and Star loved it! She is such a sweet baby! Matt and Sarah headed to Kauai on Wednesday for the rest of their trip. I wish we had been able to join them for a day or two but our car needed fixing and that was the end of any fun things we may have wanted to do. We sure hope they had a fun time in Kauai and are glad they were able to spend a few days with us!And to finish off...
My first attempt at a diaper bag!
Comments
What fun! I bet you are tired though. Can't wait for our turn!
Star is beautiful! I love the blessing pics!
LOL!
Great pics. I Star is sure a cutie! I love her dark hair.