We recently returned from a family vacation to one of our favorite spots, Hawaii. The kids were off track and we looked forward to getting away from the frenetic days that seem to be our lives lately, and just enjoy each other. We were not disappointed!
We started out our vacation in Oahu. We have visited this island before and enjoyed it. Our first activity on the island was a visit to Hanoi Bay where we went snorkeling. It is a clear bay where many fish come. It used to be the private bay of the kings of Hawaii and their guests. When the islands monarchy was overthrown by us, we turned it over the National Parks system and they now run it. They require that you watch a 10 minute movie about keeping the area clean before they'll let you on the sand. When the movie ended, Matthew let out a loud "Hooray!" and we headed to the beach. Our favorite thing about Hawaii is the beaches.
We enjoyed our day at this beach immensely. I must admit, I never cared for the ocean until this trip. I had eye surgery in the Fall which made it possible to swim without contacts or glasses. For me it was a miracle and I loved it. I was usually happy to sit on the side and tend the little ones, but this trip I was anxious to get in the water and swim. James was kind enough to accommodate and spent more than his share of time watching Matthew and Savannah on the beach. 
We did have an unfortunate incident at the beach. James and I trusted the older kids when they told us they had put sunscreen everywhere. Heather and Lindsey ended up with some sunburned spots that turned out to be quite painful. We learned a lesson as parents, put the sunscreen on for them.Our next visit was to the Dole Plantation and the Polynesian Cultural Center. We have been to the plantation before but we had to stop in and get some of the delicious pineapple ice cream.
It was better than we remembered! We decided to try the maze this visit. The plantation has a big maze made mostly out of hibiscus bushes. It is similar to a maze made out of hedges. The kids thought it was fun for the first half hour then they found a way out and decided we were done. I was grateful they chose to move on. Wandering through bushes is not my idea of fun.
The Cultural Center is always a treat. It is very peaceful and relaxing there. The shows are a lot of fun and there are many activities for the kids to participate in. Luke got called up onstage at the Samoan show to taste the coconut juice. Apparently the juice is quite bitter. Luke really hammed it up and we all got a good laugh. Savannah's favorite part about Hawaii is the Cultural Center.
Sunday we went to church. We visited a ward we have been to before. It is the ward our friends, the Rasmussens, attend. Everyone is always so welcoming and kind. Savannah enjoyed her time with her friend, Sarah Rasmussen. After church, we had dinner at Mick and Candi's. It is always fun to see the improvements on the house they are building and walking around Mick's garden. He has such an enthusiasm for the things he is growing, it's hard not to get excited about it too. Luke says his favorite part about Hawaii is visiting Mick's garden.
Later that day, we flew out of Oahu and headed to Maui. When our plane landed, we walked down the tarmac and ran into Santa Claus! That's right, Santa vacations in Hawaii on his off-season. He was heading back to the North Pole. He told us he had been in Maui for a month and was headed home to get started on the toys. We got a picture with him and he handed out candy canes to the kids. Savannah couldn't believe she had seen Santa, some of the others were not as impressed.
Maui is a beautiful island. It is very green and agricultural. I saw quite a bit of farmland as we would drive across the island. One of the first towns we passed as we left the airport was Lahaina. I immediately remembered the song we used to sing at girl's camp (some of you will remember). I taught it to my kids and they sang it the rest of the trip (I probably should have kept it to myself.) We actually ended up spending a lot of time in Lahaina. We went on a glass-bottom boat tour which gave an amazing view of the coral reef and the life surrounding it. We toured the older areas of the town and we got ice cream and icees a couple of times at the little corner ice cream shop.
There is a park there with a banyan tree that is over 250 years old. I had never seen a banyan tree before, they are amazing. As their branches extend out, they will send runners down toward the ground that form another trunk. It looks like there is a lot of trees but there is actually only one. We walked through the park one evening, and discovered it becomes the resting spot for hundreds of birds. There are so many, chirping so loudly, you can hardly hear yourself talk. It was quite an experience.
The Maui Ocean Center was recommended to us, so we decided to check it out. It is an aquarium with a big tank you can walk through and see the fishes and sharks all around you. Matthew loved looking at the fish and sea life. We got to watch the divers feed the sharks and the sting rays which was interesting. The favorite though, is the area where the kids can touch the creatures. We always end up spending most of our time there. At first they are always hesitant, but after they get over the fear, you can't get them to leave. They love picking up the starfish and crabs, etc.
We spent time at the beaches in Maui too. I donned the snorkeling gear and went out to explore. Heather liked going with me so we would swim around together. Heather says that was her favorite part of the trip. We hit one beach with strong waves that would wash the kids into shore. They love doing that. At that particular beach, Luke reached his hand down into the water and caught a fish. I think he was just as surprised as the fish was! The kids thought it was great and ran around with it, showing it off. They eventually through it back into the ocean-- we believe it's still alive.
One final adventure we had in Hawaii was visiting the top of the volcano. It is an inactive volcano on the island. It is over 10,000 feet up. I drove us up there. I will admit as we drove through the clouds, rose above them, and kept going I got a little uncomfortable. I realized my fear of heights was stronger than I knew. We finally made it to the top and what a view.
It was amazing to be that high up and too look down and see the clouds below you. The kids were not as interested as James and I were, but it was fun to see. 
As we began our descent we realized we were almost out of gas. James and I became anxious that we wouldn't get a gas station in time. We had a GPS and James got directions for the closest gas station. We coasted most of the way down the mountain then were directed to this tiny town. We followed the GPS directions up and down hills, across fields on narrow streets, all the while crossing our fingers that we'd get to the gas station. We breathed a sigh of relief as the GPS showed the destination just ahead, over the hill. As we descended the hill, we couldn't believe what was in front of us. An old, decrepit, run down station that was not open for business. If you could have seen the looks on our faces! Thank goodness, GPS knew of another station just two more miles away. It didn't look much better but it was open. We filled up and headed to the airport. We flew home through the night. The kids slept most of the way. We did have an incident where Heather woke up and then threw up. I had two sleeping kids on my lap so I sent Lindsey back to wake up James. He had been peacefully enjoying the journey. He was sitting by himself a few rows back, sound asleep. If anyone knows what a deep sleeper James is, you'll appreciate Lindsey back there trying to wake him up. She kept coming back to me and telling me he wouldn't wake up. I couldn't move because I was covered with kids, I had to keep sending her back to try again. She was finally able to convince him to open his eyes. I found it interesting the stewardess told him to clean it up. She was absolutely no help. Another steward finally came and brought James supplies and helped him. If we weren't so tired, it would have been funny. We landed back in Salt Lake City and back into our lives. The kids' activities and friends were waiting for them and the vacation became a memory.
