Our long awaited family trip to Hawaii has sadly come and gone, and I already miss the sand and sun, but mostly just being able to spend time with my family.
The first day of trip was kind of a whirl wind. We caught the red-eye on Thursday night to Hawaii so we could get in bright and early to start the day. I thought the flight would be smooth sailing with the kids, well it was for one, but baby Peter was so excited that he didn't sleep very much. He kept talking (more like yelling), clapping his hands and wanting to touch everything. I guess that's what to be expected from a little 8 month old baby.
We arrived in Honolulu bright and early and tried to check into our hotel, but you know how that goes when you arrive at 5 am. So we had to hang out for a little bit, we ate breakfast at the hotel, walked around the beach, complained a little because housekeeping was taking too long, but in the end it was all worth it. The views from our hotel room were priceless. If you follow me on snapchat, you got more than your fair share of what the views were from our balcony.
Once we checked in we hit the beach, well the kids did, mom and dad disappeared and left us to get in their poke fix. The beach was perfection. Ava wasn't afraid, which was surprising, because she's afraid of everything. Baby Peter however was a little freaked out by the waves, but I think he was more tired than anything.
He stayed this way for a good two hours. What a life.
Oh, and look who decided to join us!
That night after spending a few hours at the beach we met up at Tropics Bar & Grill for dinner. We had the perfect view for fireworks on the beach.
Day 2 started bright and early. Me, Peter, Mina and PJ headed to Kahuku to do some zip lining. It was so fun and the views were amazing. If you're ever in the area you will definitely have to check it out.
Mom and dad spent the day with the grand babies and also took Ava to Camp Penguin. It's a camp that the hotel provides for kids. Ava got to meet kids from Japan and Australia, and she got to go to the Zoo. She talked about it all day.
Later that day we headed back to the North Shore and met up with Uncle Michael and Aunty Fiasili. We walked around PCC and had dinner. We were only able to catch Tonga and Samoa village shows, but Ava loved every little bit of it. If you see her, ask her what she learned at the Tongan village. We also got to see the night show and Ava was obsessed, she loved every island, but of course she's partial to Samoa and Tonga. Even baby Peter had a good time, he didn't even blink during the fire knife dance.
These two trying to watch the Western Conference Finals, while walking around PCC
Sunday we went to church in Laie and than we took, what was suppose to be a short leisurely drive further north but turned into a two hour drive, to get some shave ice. Dad kept asking if we wanted to turn around because the traffic was so horrible, and there was only one lane for both directions. But.. we were all in "when in Rome" mood, so we decided to just stick it out. Everyone was in better spirits after their little treat, and it was definitely worth the drive.
Monday, we only had a few hours in the morning to spend on the beach. We woke up super early and headed down to soak in the last of the Hawaiian sun. The water was warm and perfect for our morning swim. Everything was perfect, until.. Peter (my husband) got stung by a jelly fish. I did take a picture of his arm, but he would kill me if I posted it. I guess it was a sign that our little vacation was over :(
Views from our hotel room.
We had an amazing time in Hawaii, the only thing missing was my sister Fita and her family who couldn't make it from Samoa. I want to take this opportunity to publicly thank my parents, Enid and Peter, for their continual love and support and always making their family and the time we spend together a priority. Also, a huge thank you for making this trip possible for all of us. I truly lucked out in the parent department. They are the best!
Love, Laila
