Aloha e Como Mai to O'ahu

  

We just finished with spring break around here.  This year it was more of a trip for Rich and I and the kids got to spend time with Grandma Jan.  They had a great time with her, so much so that they did for get that we abandoned them and took off for Hawaii!

I really was not so excited to get on a plane and go.  I realize that is totally nutzo to not want to go, but you have to understand how extremely afraid of flying I am.  I took some anxiety medicine, and the ride on the plane was much better for me than the one eight years previous going to Vermont-- bad bad bad trip, in which Rich realized just how horrible my anxiety is toward flying.  This time, he was able to make it to our destination without bruises on his arms and legs from my gripping him in fear.

This is the view from our hotel room.  We could listen to the ocean all night long.  I didn't even need to turn on my Kindle for white noise (due to my tinnitus). 

Rich and I had tons of fun combing the beach, and we especially loved chasing the crabs.  We were like little kids-- and we kept thinking the whole time, "the kids would love this!"

Our little car.  It was fun to zip around the island in it. 

I loved looking at all the plants around.  There were so many different kinds, and I wish I had a book on the plant life so I could look them all up.  The one below is the bird of paradise flower- which is not hard to tell why it is called that.  There were lots of trees and plants that were similar to ones I remember in Spain. 

I LOVED the roadside shrimp.  It was caught fresh in the pools nearby where they farm it, and then they fried it up and put it with rice and charged and arm and a leg.  It was worth it though.

We went to several different beaches.  All so beautiful.

Chillin' at the poolside one night.  I really didn't wear the same shirt every day.  Or maybe I did, I can't remember.

We of course went to the Arizona Memorial and also to the Battleship Missouri.  They were both incredible and sobering.  My hats off to our servicemen.  I walked through that battleship and felt so claustrophobic, I don't know how they do it.  They are incredible.

I am the Captain of the Mighty MO!!!

Battleship MO. Where the Japanese surrendered at the end of WWII.

Here is Rich with Shawn Keli'i.  Shawn was a member that Rich knew when he lived in Pearl City.  On Sunday we drove from the North Shore to Pearl City.  I wondered why in the world we were driving so far to go to church when there are wards to go to in La'ie just a few minutes away, but Rich really wanted to go there.  When we got there, he recognized a few faces, but most of the families had moved away or their kids had all grown up and left.  Shawn came walking in and saw Rich-- then ensued the biggest bear hug fest I have ever seen-- and Rich is not a "huggie" kind of guy! Shawn said he had been trying to find Rich, looking him up everywhere.  It so happened that Shawn and his wife weren't even members of the ward, he was just speaking that day as part of the Young Men Stake Presidency.  We ate dinner with them a couple of days later, and then went to the temple with them on Friday.  Super great couple.

 Shawn's wife is named Nagmai (pronounced Nedge-Mae).  Her name is Arabic.  Her father was Philipino and her mother was half Portuguese half Arabic descent.  Nagmai was incredible-- so kind, beautiful, and super talented. She and Shawn have been married for 12 years, she has only been a member for 8.  She is the Stake YW Camp Director-- and told me about trying to get the Samoan girls to mingle with tiny Philipino girls, and the Micronesian girls, and every other culture that comes together as a stake.  Made my challenges in YW seem pretty minor! 

The night we went to the temple with them, when we arrived at 6:30, they told us there wouldn't be another session until 8.  We asked if we could do sealings instead.  We got started doing that, and lo and behold Shawn's uncle walks in with a stack of family names to be sealed.  He was excited to see his uncle there-- so Shawn and Nagmai got to do sealings for his own family.  

We loved the Polynesian Cultural Center. 

LL and SO saw this pic and asked if he was "available". Yes, but quite a bit older than you two, sorry!

We went to a place called Turtle beach and found.... Turtles!!

We saw at 4 on the beach and at least 10 more trying to get to shore out in the waves.  They were so incredible!

We took Liz Olsen out to lunch (Rich's cousin who he works with, Ray, is Liz's dad)-- she showed us a great burger joint the BYUH students love.  It was yummy.  I am ALL about the food when I travel!

Chinaman's Hat

We got stuck in traffic for a moment while a car was in flames up ahead of us.  It was a great place to be stalled.  We were on the Pali Highway heading for the Pali lookout.

View from Diamond Head-- so awesome!

Waimae Falls, sort of a let down, but pretty none the less.  I didn't feel like getting in the water with a sign nearby that says, "Do not go in water if you have any open sores or cuts..." uh, okay.  Not sure what kind of microbial friends are swimming around with you there.  The gardens were beautiful around the falls.

We also went snorkeling twice at Turtle Bay where we stayed.  It was so awesome! I loved feeling like I was in a fish aquarium.  A local lady working there told us to defog our masks with the naupaka plant-- it totally worked better than spit:) She also said you could crush the white berries from the plant if you get stung by a jelly fish-- glad that didn't happen.  I didn't want to find out if that would work or not.
 Naupaka plant. 
 So, now we have returned to the routine.  It was nice to have a little adventure and go somewhere so beautiful and warm for Spring Break.  Now I think we need to start saving our money again to go back. It only took us 15 years to go the the first time together.  That means I will be 54 the next time I go.  Or....maybe I'll save and take Rich to Spain, and any of you who want to come along to show all of us around more than just Malaga (Jared? Abby?) and could show us YOUR missions there, wouldn't that be awesome?   

Rich showed me the mission office and a few places that he lived. It was really cool to see where he served and mostly to meet some of the wonderful people.  Perhaps the biggest surprise was this, Rich wore shorts and a t-shirt in public!!!!!!