T-Mac and the Boogers

We had a fantastic trip to Oahu this last week, it was fun and so nice to have the 4 of us hang out.  I know it seems crazy to take a 2 month old on a 5 hour plane flight, but when the lady in line to board behind me asked how many times before this Violet had flown… I told her I was crazy… just not that crazy.

When we arrived in Hawaii we hurried to our friends the Osteen’s house, changed and headed over to a fabulously kid friendly beach, Ko Olina.  We went at least 3 times and Sophie loved it, she could walk out without worrying… the current wasn’t that strong, the sand was perfect and the waves were teeny tiny.  I think I will just post pictures of related things, as we did several things more than once.  Here are some pics of us chillin’ at Ko Olina (mainly Sophie, as Jeff and I are opposed to being photographed in swimwear!):

Sophie spent hours running back and forth from the sand to the water “building” sand castles, and really, just destroying the ones I made with buckets of water… her favorite beach game ever.  We spent some time trying to get a good Christmas card picture, and I think I got some good ones, here are a few samples, just not the ones I used.  Then Sophie tried out my camera… not a bad picture, but in all honesty I don’t think a DSLR is 2 year old appropriate.  That last picture is a vision of what Violet did the majority of the beach trips.  At least she was in a gorgeous place!

We went to the Polynesian Cultural Center a couple times.  The first time for a luau and the night Fire Show.  It was cool, Sophie loved it, she kept asking for more dancing everytime it stopped.  We had a really good time, and I told Sophie that Grandma used to work there, and Sophie thought that was pretty cool.

Sophie loved the tattoo station, she also loved her passport, they had little stations at every island to collect stamps.  She loved it.  The middle picture is us on the canoe ride, both kids were a little cranky.  The last picture is after the torential rain, it was crazy, it drizzled a little, then is poured for 2 seconds, stopped and then just came down with a vengence.  Poor girls, it was wet.

Before the PCC we stopped by the Laie Temple, we showed the Osteens around a little, but the temple was closed for renovations, so it wasn’t a very long walk.  Hopefully they will go when there is the open house… it should be pretty fabulous.  Sophie keeps talking about getting married in the temple to her prince… she told her friend Lleyton about 20 times… he didn’t care one bit… the difference between a 2 year old girl and a 2 year old boy, I guess.

We took a hike up to Manoa Falls.  We took 2 2 year olds, a 9 month old and a 2 month old… it was pretty crazy of us, but a lot of fun.  The 2 year olds made it almost all the way up by themselves, minus the super muddy, slippery spots.  Laura and I carried the babies in carriers.  It was a lot of fun.  This was nearer the end of the trip, so Sophie and Lleyton had become friends.  It was nice.

We did a couple other little things throughout the week… we visited the Waikiki Aquarium, which was small, but Sophie LOVED it… she was totally into it the entire time.  We also went to the international market for a little shopping and awesome hot dogs.  Seriously… these hotdogs were surrounded by bun, except for one end… perfect eating for a person carrying a baby in the front carrier… no drips!  We also went to Hanauma Bay for some snorkeling.  Violet finally put on her swimsuit and got to put her feet in the ocean, saw some fish right off the shore, and Jeff carried an absurd number of towels the whole walk down to the shore from the parking lot!  Jeff also tried out surfing (he hasn’t surfed since high school.  He got up a couple times, but they were the times I was opening juice boxes or changing diapers, so I apologize to him for not getting a picture… but that is what happens when you leave me to baby sit on the shore!  We also stopped at North Shore to see the waves, pretty cool, not as big as they could get, but still impressive.

From L-R: Sophie at the aquarium, Sophie and Lleyton at the Koi pond, Vi chilling on the beach, Vi after finally getting in her swimsuit at Hanauma Bay, Jeff the pack mule, Dave and Jeff paddling out, North Shore.

Finally, on our honeymoon Jeff and I stayed at this hotel, and took a picture (that has disappeared off the computer) in front of these surfboards… here we are, 6 1/2 years later… we love our family!

Filed under: My crazy life, Sophie, Violet on December 9th, 2009