96: waikiki

 A room with a view!

For the last weekend of our trip, we decided to stay downtown in Waikiki at the Outrigger Reef hotel. They asked us if we wanted to upgrade to a deluxe ocean view, of course I said NO! Good thing we didn't pay any extra because we had incredible views from our "partial ocean view" room! Ryder didn't want to come with us because he wanted to stay with Hannah and David. So Cindi kept Ryder and we took Rebecca and Stephen with us for the night! It worked out perfectly, except for the fact that Skyler got really sick and had terrible earaches. After dinner, he and Jim went back to the room while I took the others and ventured downtown Waikiki! We hit the International Market Place and loved seeing all the crazies! Stephen and Rebecca had never been down here so everything was new. I can't believe how much it has changed! I DO NOT like the feel of it! I quickly was missing the north shore and the casual, no fuss vibe!

95: pounders

Took a walk around campus this morning..good times!

 My old stomping ground...bikini beach!

 POUNDERS beach

While at Pounders, the kids took the fishing nets and had fun catching the little minnow fish. The boys had so much fun with their cousins exploring, climbing trees, and playing games.  There was such sadness when we had to leave! But that just means we need to be regular visitors!

94: a day at the bay

Hanauma Bay is and always has been a tourist trap..but it's a must for first timers. We drove up to the parking lot and it was full, so Jim dropped us off and parked a couple miles away and walked down. What a pain! They make you watch a conservancy video about the reefs before you can enter. This was Ryder and Jayden's first time. Jayden didn't have the greatest experience and Ryder rode on my back like a turtle. There were beautiful fish everywhere. It was one of the best times I have been. I loved having my underwater camera and not only took pictures, but video of the beauty that lied beneath. I was so glad that Rebecca could come with us because her and Skyler were perfect buddies! After snorkeling we had shaved ice in Waimanalo and then played a little at Lanikai beach. It was another fabulous day in paradise!

93: a hike up diamond head

 A rare moment of brotherly kindness!

 Lanikai beach...my favorite!

It was an adventure day! The cousins had to go back to school so we decided to explore the other side of the island. We hit Diamond Head first! 200 feet into about a 1 1/2 mile hike, Ryder began with his drama,"my legs are out of battery!" "I'm not going to survive this..I'm going to DIE!{drag out DIE for at least 10 seconds!}" "My legs need to be charged!" It was quite comical and we were giving the other hikers quite a show. Ryder lets you know how he feels and isn't shy about it! Miraculously, a little bit further into the hike, he got his second wind and began running to catch up with his brothers. His response, "my legs got charged!" I wish I could have found the same charging station. After we summited the crater we took a scenic drive along Hawaii Kai and Makapuu. We ended up in Kailua and Lanikai..in my opinion, the best beaches in Oahu! The sand is like white powder and the ocean is so clear! It's heavenly. I knew I needed to bring some sand home for my apothecary jars and I made Skyler do my dirty work!

92: a day of play

The cousins got to ditch school and hang out with us today! We decided to make it a North Shore day. Before the fun started, I had to get family pictures. It's never a welcomed event, but it had to be done! It was this very spot, 15 years ago, Jim and I took our engagement pictures. Who would have thought we'd be standing on the same stretch of sand with our 3 boys years later!

It was a perfect day..the waves weren't as big as the kids would have liked, but they made the most of it.  Stephen, Rebecca, and Skyler even went to jump off the rock. Rebecca and Skyler stayed on the lower portion, but not Stephen! He went full board.

A day on the north shore is not complete without a trip to Matsumotos shave ice! Jim and I tried to average at least 1 shaved ice a day..we only missed a couple days. After our treat, we drove to turtle beach and were not disappointed! There were sea turtles everywhere. A few even had come up to the beach to bask in the sun. We had an incredible day and wish the cousins could play the entire time with us!

91: i love to see the temple..especially in hawaii!

After sitting and listening to conference for 4 hours, we decided it was time to get out, so we took a walk up to the temple. It was a gorgeous day and the ground are so beautiful. The kids were especially fond of the huge banyan tree in the back. It was all fun and games until Jayden got hurt! As he was channeling his inner Tarzan and swinging from a vine, he hit the wall at 75 mph..that's his story and he's sticking to it! I had to carry him on my back all the way home. It was a miraculous recovery for as soon as he saw something that perked his interest, he had forgotten about his debilitating injuries, and ran to this new discovery!

90: animal farm

 Randomness for the day..chicken on the beach..only in Hawaii!

One of the favorite nighttime activities was going gecko hunting. Unfortunately, the geckos never made it through the night in their little make shift cages..the cats got to them..all that was left were gecko guts.

89: a history trip to pearl harbor

We decided to take a little trip to Pearl Harbor today..mostly because the boys got so sunburned on our first day and needed a little break from the beach. In my 3 1/2 years of living on Oahu, I had only been here once. I'm still quite amazed at the large amounts of Japanese tourists that visit the memorial. It's kinda weird seeing as it was their country that bombed us and created this devastation. I guess we can chalk it up to history and curiosity. 

88: laie..here we come!

 Of all the beaches in Oahu..Hukilau was one of the boys'  favorites{I think because it was basically across the street and easily accessible}. I never went there when I was a student but the boys loved the waves. Rebecca got to tag along with us a lot during our trip because she's being homeschooled this year. Her and Skyler were like 2 peas in a pod!

 Is it any wonder that 2 of the 3 boys ended up with ear infections by the end of our trip! They would be in the water for hours everyday!

Jayden preferred stepping back and drawing.

 This local had just been out and caught 5 octopus with his spear gun. Again..the boys were in heaven.

It still stands..the A-Frame..my home for 2 of my years at BYU-H. Such incredible memories were made here!

87: we're off on our family adventure

We had the whole row to ourselves..and dad got the aisle seat. Notice Jayden was the only one to read the safety instructions. He's just a very obedient kid.

The world of technology. 

One can't go on a trip without: iphone, ipad, 3 ipod touches, video camera, regular camera, underwater camera, and all the cords, chargers, and junk that goes with them.

{this doesn't even include all Jim's stuff}

86: stocking up

Stocking up on the essentials! This is my kind of food storage.

85: one must have pretty toes to go to hawaii

Now I'm ready to go!

84: rainy sunday

Wrapped in my snuggie, I looked out my window..and this is what I saw! A cozy, rainy Sunday..perfect!