Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Aloha!

We survived June! We moved at the end of May, had my sister's wedding June 12, and just got back from almost 2 weeks in Hawaii. It's been really fun, but we are looking forward to some normal, around-the-house kind of life.
Tanza's wedding was BEAUTIFUL! It consumed my life for a good while, but everything turned out so great. The biggest nail-biter was the weather. We has rain forecasts that just kept getting worse and worse, so every day my dad was on the phone ordering more tents. The day before we had a forecast that said it would rain the 2 hours right after the sealing (picture time), clear up for a few hours, and then start again an hour before the reception and rain through the night. The day came, it clouded up, and NEVER RAINED! I heard it rained a lot in other areas, but where we were it was great. I am so glad. Tanza was such a beautiful bride and everyone had so much fun at the reception.
Mike, Tanza's husband, is from Molokai, Hawaii, and we were able to attend their reception there as well. His family is so sweet. It was great to meet the people there and enjoy the culture. Only 8,000 people live on Molokai and we both really enjoyed the laid-back style and friendliness of the place. Plus, our rental car was a jeep!
After the reception on Molokai we were able to spend a week on the North Shore of Oahu with my parents and brother, as well as Mike and Tanza. We has such a good time swimming in the pool, playing on the beach, and just relaxing. William likes to drink whatever he's swimming in, so he preferred the pool over the ocean "because it's too salty." We went snorkeling, ate an entire pineapple every day did a little shopping (the swap meet is my favorite!). Greg's favorite was Pearl Harbor. We saw the Arizona (the boat underwater with the memorial over it), the Missouri (the giant battleship), the Ronald Regan (a HUGE aircraft carrier that was at dock in the harbor, visiting), and saw a military submarine coming into port with the sailors all lined up on top. It was a lot of boats and guns, but it was pretty cool.
Overall, our trip was so much fun, but next time I think we'll leave the kids at home!

Nick, Greg, Will, Tanza, and Isaac at the Polynesian Cultural Center night show.

Tanza, Isaac, Mike, and my parents.

Ancient Hawaiian temple ruins by Pupukea.

Shave Ice

Iolani Palace, Honolulu

Why don't we live here?

Dole Plantation train ride with my mom

Breakfast at the Hukilau Cafe, Laie

Greg on the USS Missouri battleship with the USS Arizona memorial and Honolulu in the background

View from our condo window on the north shore

Tanza and Mike's announcement