day 2 3 + 4

Day 2: Dole Plantation and Polynesian Cultural Center

i had been to both these place (11 years ago, holy cow i'm getting old) so it was nice to know what to expect and look forward to some of the things i remembered. the dole whip was as good as i remembered. this time though, i ate it in a waffle cone. i highly recommend it.

the pcc was a different experience this time because it only rained for five minutes, compared to raining the whole time the last time i was there. it was fun to be there with james and watch him experience it all for the first time. the shows are so good and food is amazing. james was definitely impressed. this is a must see if you come to oahu. 

(brooklyn's hawaiian name) 

day 3: pearl harbor, swap meet @ aloha stadium, and bellows beach

pearl harbor is a really neat experience. it was definitely not something brooklyn was stoked about, but the adults enjoyed it. there's a special feeling there. the museums are cool, i loved the movie, and being able to go out to the uss arizona memorial is just awesome. i remember bawling through the movie/documentary they show you before you go out to the uss arizona memorial when i was sixteen. something about it just really touched me. this time around, i think i was a little more prepared, and i didn't get as emotional. it was really special to be there during memorial day weekend.

we quickly rushed through the swap meet later on that day. we all got some goodies, including brooklyn. she has been a bracelet fanatic for the past month and has quite a collection going since we got here. james and i bought a spoon carved out of coconut, some bracelets, and these awesome shoes. i was not about to leave hawaii without them, and at $4 a pop, i should have bought four pairs!

after the swap meet, we went home to get our swim gear on and head back to the beach. we stopped at a fish taco stand on the way there and they did not disappoint. i'm sure we'll hit it up again before we head home.

the beach was more windy and cool than the first day we went. the men and brooklyn could have cared less. they had a blast. my MIL and i were a tad cold and trying to hold everything down in the wind. kinda comical. i loved watching brooklyn out in the waves with her daddy (i was a tad nervous, they were big waves!). she loved it. until he took her out of the water and she was freezing. we didn't stay long. we packed up, headed home, showered, and hunkered down for the night. we were pooped. 

(those awesome shoes) 

day 4: church

church here was really good. everyone was super nice and greeted us with alohas, hugs, and kisses on the cheek. brooklyn slept for a lot of it which was nice. the rest of the day was spent eating, taking naps, hanging out in the backyard and planning our day for tomorrow. we are loving our time here. it's going by super fast and we're trying to enjoy every second.

(view from my in-laws driveway sunday afternoon)

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