A PERFECT vacation

{Views from our hotel room}

If I could describe a perfect vacation, the one I just got back from would be it.
1. Perfect and beautiful place.
2. Gorgeous weather
3. Nice, friendly people
4. Very nice hotel
5. Paid for mostly by someone else
6. Lots of time spent all alone, doing whatever I wanted.
7. Lots of time spent alone with Steve enjoying one another.
8. A call to my Mom and children everyday to ask how things are going, and the answer always being, "things here are great!"
9. A call to Laura everyday to find out where to go, what to eat, or what to do, and her always there ready to give suggestions. She lived on Oahu for about 3 years, and knows that Island well. It was great to have someone to talk me through my vacation.

Could you really ask for more than that. I love, love, loved this 10 days we got to spend in Hawaii!

Now for the details:

MON.- Steve left about 6:30 for his class, and since I was jet lagged, I was ready to get out of bed too. I spent the first day going out to breakfast at "eggs and things", shopping in the cute little touristy shops, and then went out to the ocean. The water seemed SO salty to me, but maybe it was because I was just at Lake Tahoe. The beach was gorgeous and very relaxing though.
When Steve got home he brought snorkeling gear for both of us, and we went out to the water and practiced using our stuff. It was really fun and we saw some cool things in the water just outside of our hotel room in Honolulu.

TUES.- I got on the bus and headed to Laie to visit BYU Hawaii and to see the temple. I was able to do a session at the temple and the bus ride there took me on a road right along the coast so it was a beautiful drive.
{This street leading up to the temple is so gorgeous.}
After the temple I took the bus and meet up with Steve and his friend from work named John and we snorkeled at Haleiwa. We were swimming with a big sea turtle there which was very cool. This snorkeling experience kind of freaked me out though, because the reef was so close to the waters surface that you had to lay on it to get back to shore. I hated that, and kind of panicked when I was getting out, and scrapped my leg up. I didn't want the black spikey things to poke me! For dinner we went to Haleiwa Joes which had very good sea food.

WED.- I spent 4 wonderful hours at the Aloha Stadium shopping at the hugest flea market. It was so much fun, and I was all alone, so I could look at whatever I wanted and for as long as I wanted. Talk about Perfect. Steve met me there the last hour it was open and then we went back to the hotel for a nap. We had Jack in the Box for dinner that night, and just relaxed in front of the TV.

THURS.- This was the last day of Steve's class, so I just relaxed at the hotel and went to the beach. When he got home we went to Hanauma Bay to go snorkeling again. If you haven't guessed this was Steve's absolute favorite thing to do. Hanauma Bay was gorgeous and we saw lots of big fish and coral. It was here that I finally figured out that I think snorkeling makes me sea sick. Every time we went I came out of the water with a slight stomach ache and I couldn't figure out what it was. But this day I felt that motion sick feeling I have felt so many times in my life, and I finally realized that was the problem. It was so beautiful there though.

FRI.- This was my favorite day. We got to go to the Polynesian Cultural Center all day and I loved this place. It teaches you so much, and is so enjoyable as well. The dances are beautiful and unique from what I have ever seen, and the people are gorgeous. We got to go to the Luau there too and it was wonderful. We had a nice buffet dinner, and then went to see the show and I was amazed.
{Before we headed to the PCC we got to eat at our favorite place. I had to take this picture because while Steve and I were traveling around Europe, we told my sisters that our goal was to go to McDonald's in every country we went to. I think we just about accomplished that goal too. So, I thought I would let you all know that we continue that tradition with all of our travels. Breakfast was great by the way.}

{Our favorite guy at the PCC. He was doing the show for Samoa.}
{I had this horrible zit all day at the PCC, so I had to keep this hat on. I was trying to take a picture of it to see how bad it was. I showed Steve the picture expecting to get a response about how beautifully blue my eyes are, instead he asked me if I wanted him to erase it. Men!}
{These are some of the canoes in this canoe parade they did. It was amazing.}
SAT.- Guess where we went? Snorkeling again of course. Steve wanted to try snorkeling first thing in the morning, so that is where we headed on Saturday. I had had my fill by then, so I layed on the beach and read my book, while Steve snorkeled for 2 hours! He loved it, and I really enjoyed myself for the first hour and forty-five minutes. By the time he got out of the water, I was really ready to go. We went back to the hotel and rested and then went out to dinner at Red Lobster, one of our favorite places. Then Steve went back to the hotel to go to bed, and I went on a walk along the shoreline of Waikiki. I went about a mile down the beach and watched the sun set, it was very nice.
{Steve snorkeling out to sea}
SUN.- We went to the Pearl Harbor Memorial Sunday morning and rented the headphones that tell you all about it. We had a nice time there, and learned a lot about a tragedy that I did not know much about. I decided it was as devastating at the time for those people as Sept. 11th is for our generation. It does hit home harder when you live at the time that something like this happens.
After that we headed to church at the same ward Steve was born and blessed in. We really enjoyed our meetings there, and we also got an extra surprise. There is a family in that ward that had just moved in a month before, that I was friends with when we lived in Augusta. Suzanne and her husband Jared have 4 boys and live on Schofield barracks. She is such a wonderful person and invited Steve and I over for dinner on the spot. We went and had delicious BBQ hamburgers and really enjoyed their company.


MON.- Was Steve and I's 8th wedding anniversary. We have celebrated our last 4 anniversaries at a beautiful restaurant in a castle in Germany, so Steve had to make sure this anniversary was exciting since it would be breaking our tradition. And he did a fabulous job. We slept in that morning and then headed over to the north shore for some great Mexican food at Cholos, then we went to Matsumoto's to get some much talked about shave ice. It was really good, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I could because I was full from lunch. It was delicious though.
Then we decided we wanted to check out the Dole Pineapple Plantation. We went on a small little train ride around the plantation and learned a lot about pineapples. Then back at the visitor shop we paid $10.00 to open up an oyster and see what treasure we got inside. The oyster I picked had 2 beautiful black pearls in it, which are going to make fabulous earrings. What a great anniversary present from my dear husband.
That evening Steve had planned for us to go on a Sunset Cruise with a dinner buffet. So we got a little dressed up and headed out to the boat. It was so nice. The food was good, it was great to be there with Steve, and to go up top and watch the sunset was so peaceful and romantic. After the boat we went to a show that Steve wasn't sure what it was, and it ended up being a magic show. It was pretty cool. Not something that Steve or I love, but it was entertaining and we got to be there together, so I thought it was great.

{These pics are out in front of our hotel. The last two show our new love for the Hawaiian culture. (We are copying the statues in the back in case you are wondering)}

TUES.- the day we headed home. I woke up Tuesday morning very excited to go home and see the kids. A perfect vacation is one that ends at the perfect time too. I was ready to go home, but I wasn't so ready that I was getting antsy. It was just perfect. Our long traveling day got us home at 8:30am Wednesday where Mom and Tawna picked us up with Jacob and Brandon in tow. Brandon was so confused when he saw me. He had that look that said "I've seen you somewhere before, but I can't put my finger on it." He wouldn't smile at me, and was much happier with Mom or Tawna for at least the first 24 hours. In fact he preferred my Mom to me until we took her to the airport on Thursday. He has warmed up to me now though.

{ Back to good ole back scratches from 3 boys}So that is my wonderful vacation. I don't think it can ever be matched. I know I will travel a lot more in my life, but not when I am leaving so much responsibility behind. My Mom is truly amazing and has taught me so much and done so much for me. What a great example she is to do something so selfless and kind so that I could have a vacation. My kids were left in loving, capable hands, and I attribute most of my perfect vacation to that. Thanks Mom you are the BEST!

Last but not least is my wonderful sister "texting Tawna" :) This darling girl has only flown three places in all of her 19 years, and every time it was to come and take care of my darling boys. She is a one of a kind little sister and my sisters that are closer to my age and myself are thrilled to have her hopping from house to house. She is a joy to be with and does so good with our kiddos. We love you Tawna. (It's a bad picture I know, but it is all I got. Steve took it last night.)