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)

a l o h a 

plane + day 1

aloha.

(sorry if you follow me on instagram. you're about to see alotta repeats.)

without getting too wordy (because i'm exhausted) our trip so far has been a blast. the plane ride? not so much. brooklyn really was such a good girl, but i really have a hard time being on a plane that long. i didn't sleep a wink and really really wanted to get up and do some jumping  jacks or something. my highlight of the plane ride was a cheese plate. A CHEESE PLATE. if you know me well, you completely understand the need for all caps. 

we arrived in honolulu around 2 AM (our time back in utah) and we were chipper and excited to finally be here. my in laws greeted us with hugs and leis and the whole nine yards. we slept like rocks that night.

our first full day here was spent at the beach. brooklyn was in love. she loved the waves, the sand, and chasing birds. she was in heaven. not a happy camper to have to pack and leave. and because you can basically see the ocean wherever you drive, she sees it and immediately starts whining that she wants to go 'wimmin'. her life is rough.

 we had our first hawaiian shave ice. coconut with ice cream. it did not disappoint. a-maz-ing. brooklyn wasn't super into it. she just wanted to get back into the ocean.

we drove up to the blow hole look out which was awesome. brooklyn was happy to just watch the waves. so that means, mommy and daddy were happy too. my MIL has been so good to let us see and do whatever the heck we want. she's been so accommodating and brooklyn has loved spending the time with her. 

james and brooklyn in the backyard (isn't it so tropical and dreamy?).

our first day ended with james grillin' us up some salmon (that was amazing), and a yummy dinner of quinoa with bacon and onion, corn on the cob, steamed green beans, and salad. brooklyn loved all of it. i ate way too much and am going to need to be rolled upstairs to bed.

we are loving our time here and can't wait for the rest of it. we're getting used to the time change and the heat/humidity, but this place is definitely a paradise.

aloha.