Hawaii - Part 2

Day 5 - Beach Day

This day was a great beach day!  We jumped between two of the best beaches on the island and enjoyed some fun in the sun.

Luke was super proud of his sand castle.

Benjamin made sure Audrey was being protected from the rays. 

Just call me the "baby whisperer". 

Sweet beach moment.

The day ended with some pool fun!

Audrey and her mama.

Ben loved spending hours in the pool...

and hours walking with his Daddy!

"I love Hawaii!"

Day 6 - Falls

We headed to the water falls first thing in the morning.  The trip was filled with great views, fun hikes, and a yummy lunch out. 

After the falls, we went back to our Hawaii house.

While Luke enjoyed dinner with Judy and Bunny Bear... 

and Audrey was getting a bath in the pool...

Benjamin was having a major meltdown.

I guessed he missed the memo that he was in paradise.

Classic moment with my parents.

Me = taking deep breaths. Tula/Pop = dealing with crying child in the towel.

 Ben was quick to recover once seeing his Daddy come back from a run.

This...

boy...

LOVES his daddy!

Day 7 - Last Beach Day

Our last full day on the island started out with my Dad spending an hour cracking a coconut. Fresh coconut juice is super over-rated. 

Audrey was a little under the weather and enjoyed lots of TLC.

Just one of the guys.

The boys managed to look somewhat convincing wave surfing...

The Gibson Four.

... And the love birds that made it happen.

Travel Home

Our journey home was a long process!  Our departure flight didn't take off until 9:45 pm so we had a whole day to kill. Tula and Pop bought the kids cute Hawaiian outfits and they were a hit!

Surfing USA!

  We killed time visiting the resorts that were near the airport. 

There was great restaurants and shopping nearby.  Benjamin loved walking store to store.

Luke made some new friends...

Best Buds.

Amanda and I are so blessed!

My family of three.

My Hawaiian babe.

The Hawaiian islands have always been good to us.  We have loved being blessed by their beauty and culture. I am so grateful to have parents who are generous enough to bring us to place that God's presence is everywhere. 

I love the following picture because it embodies pure joy, pure love, and pure beauty.

Hopefully we will see you again Hawaii but till then...

Mahalo. 

Hawaii - Part 1

Well, all 474 pictures have been edited and ready to post.  I am going to do two posts so I can accurately document the most amazing vacation ever.  Don't worry only 470 of the 474 made the cut. 

Day One - Travel 

The kids did great on the airplane. I think traveling in general is harder on the parents involved than the kids.  They all enjoyed the ipads, constant flow of food, and naps on laps.  Will and I lucked out and the ride from LA to Hawaii the man sitting on our row decided to switch seats leaving an empty seat for Ben. YEAH! 

That's right. Curtis "The Hunk" Stone made an appearance at the LA airport.

Bucket list. Check. 

12 hours later...

We finally landed!

The kids were super delirious at this point. 

Day Two - Beach 

Soon after arriving in Hawaii, getting settled in, and stocking up on grocery's we all went to sleep.  We woke up super early (late FTW time) and excited to enjoy some coffee on the lanai.  Our house, "Hale Nali Loa" proved to be unreal.  I literally felt like I was on the Real World.  Go Tula and Pop! 

Sunrise = gorgeous. 

Pop had to represent with his UT mug.

"Here cousin, I will share my cheerios."

A vacation wouldn't be complete without a goofy/awkward sibling shot. 

Benjamin experienced his first beach and was clueless. haha. I have it documented so he can remember later. :)

While easy-going Audrey became an instant beach baby, Benjamin took his time warming up to the sun.

(Tutu = cutest thing ever!)

How cute is this picture of Amanda with her babes? Love. 

My mom and I have always enjoyed the shade more than the sun.

We got home from the beach, put the kids down for a nap, and enjoyed some adult time.

Benjamin was so happy to join in on the fun after his nap.

Tula fun.

By the end of day two, Benjamin was so sleepy.

Pop (as always) walking on the wild side with his grandkids.

God is so good.

Day 3 - Snorkel Day

The next day we all woke up and Benjamin was lagging a bit.  I allowed him a little Sesame Street time... how cute are his tiny headphones. 

We headed out to a local beach known for amazing snorkeling.  We were quick to learn that several sea turtles call this beach their home. 

  

  

After snorkeling, we treated ourselves with a yummy lunch before heading back to the house.

I love my niece! 

  

Everyday ended with some pool time and sunset watching.

Day 4 - Volcano 

This day was the longest car day of the trip.  As seen below, our 'kid car' was packed.  My normal seat was where Grant is so Amanda and I had some major bonding time.  We would crack up to see our shotgun sitting husbands enjoying the views while we were giving snacks, entertaining sleepy kids, and putting sunscreen on. 

(Note: Brian sat in the back on the way home while I sat in the front. Thanks Brian!)

We had so much fun seeing the only active volcano on any of the Hawaiian islands.

  

11 months going on 4.

Gibson Four.

Finally, Benjamin decided on top of the to show his walking skills. 

The volcanic area was filled with tons of beautiful trails leading to amazing views of the island.

I spy Audrey. 

My two favorite women. 

After a long day, the kids were super excited to get out of the car and enjoy some pool time.

Flying Luke.

Flying Audrey.

Flying Benjamin.

Close up of  tiny crack.

Close up of crazy Will face.

Awesome.

Grilled pork bruschetta, topped with sauteed veggies and balsamic vinegar. 

Compliments of Chef Rett. Yummy!

After dinner I decided to try to get an action shot of my Dad jumping into the pool.  It ended up being a very unsuccessful (but hilarious) photo shoot. 

 Shot 1.

Shot 2. 

Shot 3.

 I will end with a picture of our cute men.

Stay tuned for part 2!