Hawaii

We had such a great time in Hawaii! First we visited my sister and her family in Oaho which was wonderful! I got to meet my 3 week old nephew Cole and catch up with my ever growing 4 1/2 year old Johnny. It's a good thing I gave Johnny his Thomas the Train swim suit because after that, Uncle Dan quickly became the favorite! I'm fairly sure Cole expresses his love in throw-up because he gave me (and only me) that precious gift five times. My BIL Wesley took Dan and I to his office on the Navy base which was really cool. He's an officer so everyone called him "sir" and saluted him which cracked me up because I'm immature and laugh when real life reminds me of the movies. Oahu is beautiful and while we were there we got to..
-hike Makapu'u
-climb rocks and find a private beach near Holana Blow Hole
-play in the ocean at Waikiki
-visit the Pacific Aviation Museum
-drive around North Shore and gasp at the beauty of the green mountains and incredible beaches
-have beach time at Kailua
-embarass Dan for his 25th birthday at Buca di Beppos
-love on our adorable nephews
-pay our respects at the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor
-catch up with Chels and Wes and see their cool house and neighborhood
-visit the NEX (Navy Exchange, I think...) which is basically an awesomely huge mall

Halfway through our trip, Dan and I flew over to Maui to visit my mom and Mike in their condo in Kihei! They have such beautiful sunsets and the best part of everyday was enjoying a glass of wine on the balcony as the sun hit the horizon. My mom and I cooked homemade pasta, vodka sauce, and biscotti! I finally got a copy of her highly coveted biscotti recipe--a family jewel to say the least. Apparently SPF 70 does nothing when you're basically on the equator and your fair skin has not seen sunshine (or a bathing suit for that matter) for nearly two years. Luckily, it rained a little so Dan and I were able to nurse our sunburns while we visited other parts of the island. The four of us got to see...
-Iao Peak which is beautiful and very special since I have pictures of my sister and I in my dad's arms in front of the peak when we were little girls
-Kaleakala and Upcountry which was a mass of beautiful green mountains and stunning vistas
-a cute little hipster town called Paia where we noshed on yummy Mexican food
-snorkeling in Kihei where we saw lots of fishies, including the bright Humu Humu Nuku Nuku Apua'a (Hawaii's state fish)
-a luau in Ka'anapali! I loved hearing the music and seeing the dancing as it reminded me of my Tahitian dancing days!
-shops at Wailea

It was so nice to soak up the sun and see my family! Hopefully we get to make another trip this next year once we're back on the West Coast!