Dole Plantation

This was our big adventure to the other side of the island. Our first stop was the Dole Plantation. It was really neat to see how they grow all those wonderful pineapples that we enjoy. Don't think any less of me but I really had never given it any thought as to how pineapples were grown, so I learned a lot.
All Aboard!!!! Our train ride around the plantation.

They had this neat pond full of koi fish and the kids had a great time feeding them. It was amazing how far they would come out of the water to get some food.

We went to the other side of the island so that we could see the 20 to 30 foot waves. It was amazing to see the size of the waves. There were some brave surfers out there but not many.

The boys decided to venture onto the sand but stayed in the area that the life guards told them so that they would be safe, but we soon learned that the waves are very unpredictable. All of a sudden the wave was coming right for them. They had to run and leave their shoes behind. Poor Stefan was running as fast he could be it was coming too quickly and thankfully Mr. B grabbed him and ran. It came up a good 20 feet past were the life guard said it would. Crazy!!!

Lunch Time!!! Enjoying a good old picnic. This is the way we travel, we try and make our own food as much as possible to keep the cost down.

Mmmmmm......

When you are traveling with so many people you have to have two vans to get from a to b. LOL

We got a little adventuresome and decided to do another hike. This time it was to Wiamea Falls. It was so beautiful and the grandmas liked it because they could get a ride up on a golf cart while the rest of us walked. It was great to start off with until the rain started. And so when we got to the falls we all took cover under the only shelter around. LOL

There are those die hards in our group that were willing to go swimming. The rain felt fine because it was still warm but that water was not. LOL Keagan and Jamie were the only ones that swam to the falls.

Jamie is such a trooper. He was the only adult willing to go in with all the kids.

Mrs. B dropped her classes and so this was the look she was sporting after. LOL Love It.

Our hike down was just as much fun and maybe even more fun because there were a ton of puddles to jump in. There is nothing like getting wet when it is warm out. LOL

Later that night we went out to celebrate Mrs. B's birthday. Really it doesn't get any better than celebrating your birthday in a beautiful place like Hawaii. Happy Birthday!!!

You Win!!!

We didn't do very much shopping while we were away but this one day we decided to do a little bit and of course when you go to Hawaii you have to experience picking out an oyster and seeing what kind of pearl is inside. They had this neat little gimmick to draw you in and of course both grandmas had to do it. It was so fun watching them. Grandma Penni got a black pearl.
Grandma Hazel had a great time also. The boys were really intrigued by the whole process.

After our morning of shopping we made our way to the lagoon behind our hotel. It was so neat. It was a salt water lagoon filled with fish and surrounded by sand but there was so waves so the kids just play without getting "eaten". LOL Stefan body boarding. :)

Palying in the sand.

The big boys decided that they needed a little bit more of a challenge and so they went to the other side where the ocean was so that they could do some swimming. They walked out and then swam back with Jamie.

The mountain behind Keagan is Diamond Head the volcano that we climbed.

The little dots way out there are Jamie, Darien and Mr. A. This was one of our overcast days but not raining so it was very enjoyable.

Beach Fun

This was perfect. It took us a couple of tries to find a good beach to go to for the kids but in the end they had a ton of fun. There is nothing like being chased by the waves. You can't do this in Alberta. LOL
It is hard to believe that Mrs. B and I have been friends for such a long time. It really doesn't feel like that long ago that we were waiting for our missionaries to come home, then planning weddings and having our first babies. I am so thankful that we have been able to stay friends and to finally have a wonderful trip together with our families.

Love the action shots. Rylan running from the waves.

It is hard to see but Stefan got "eaten" by a wave. LOL He has a ton of sand in his hair.

I love this picture. There is something about the way that he is looking and the color that just work so well together.

This was Darien's first time body boarding and he loved it. There was no stopping him.

Our Journey and Day One

This is was our trip on the plane. Of course I am pretty sure that this is Jamie's favorite part of the trip. LOL This is our first time going to Hawaii and everyone was very excited. I was able to go there when I was in grade 12 for a band festival. (I know nerd LOL) but it was great to be able to go with our great family and some old time friends. (they aren't that old. LOL)
This was our first big adventure while in Hawaii. We decided to climb Diamond Head Volcano and it was amazing and very difficult. It was so great to be enjoying some amazingly warm weather.

This was a real hike a lot of winding and climbing but my mom was a real trooper and made it to the top before having to climb about 150 stairs which she couldn't do but she was still able to enjoy the amazing view. We brought up the rear with our little trooper Stefan. It never ceases to amaze me how far this little guy can push himself. He gets tired but he keeps going.

I thought that it was the cutest thing that we were able to find him his own little hydration pack for when we hike and he loves it. Of course he got a lot of attention.

This was the start of the stairs, everyone from our group was already at the top. Stefan made it up about half way and then I had to carry him because he was slowing down all the people behind us.

We all made it to the top. It was amazing. Very warm with a nice breeze. The boys thought that it was really cool.

Down we go!!!

This is us now going down the stairs. I decided to carry little man again just to speed things a long. It was a little intimidating because they were so steep.

It was so neat going through the tunnel that takes you to the inside of the volcano (crater).

My love. This is one more adventure that we can say we have done together and I look forward to many more. :)

Of course there has to be a prize at the end for all their hard work. Each of the boys got to enjoy some shaved ice.

And boy was it good. I wish that I had gotten one for myself.

Next time ;)

Brothers from another mother. LOL This is Mr. A. It is amazing what good friends these two are. They have seen each other every year since they were babies and it is as if they just saw each other.

Our adventuresome group. This was the start to a wonderful trip with some great friends that we look forward to traveling with again.

The Fun Park

This was day one of our trip to the coast and then heading to Hawaii. This was a great way to spend the day before heading to the airport. For Christmas the boys each got a gift card from their Uncle to play at Castle Fun Park. It is a great place to play all kinds of games and this is something that is right up their alley. LOL This is our thank you note to their uncle for the fun gift.
It was really interesting to see how each of the boys spent their money. Rylan loved trying every game and of course the gun ones. He was one of the first ones to be done his money. :)

Darien was very stingy when it came to spending his money. He really gets it because he is older. We had to tell him to hurry up and find some games to play because he had so much left when we were getting ready to go. I just hope that this money sense continues into his adulthood. LOL

Of course more gun games. Keagan was the next to have the most left. They had a great time doing this because it is something that we don't do very often. Jamie and I are not gamers at all. :)

I love this picture of Stefan he wanted to drive the car so badly. He could just reach the peddles. LOL Jamie helped him spend his money and we spent a lot of time doing the rolling balls game. (I can't remember what it is called LOL).

It was so fun just hanging out and using up our time before it was time to head to the airport for the next fun part of our trip.

Funny

These were some great rides and the laughter from the boys was priceless. I just had to include these videos.

3 Going on 23

Really can you tell that he is the youngest of 4. Stefan has discovered that Darien's stash and when things are quiet I know that I should go and see what our little man is up to and I had to laugh when I saw him. LOL
He is the funniest kid. Love Him.