: : Aloha : : {Part One}

I LOVE Hawaii.

I really love it.  After all, it was my home for 2 1/2 years while I was in college at BYU-H.  And it is so me: rainbows, reggae, sunshine, fresh air, humidity, jungle, natural, GREEN!, crazy awesome climbing trees, killer sunsets, warm weather, laid back, it's fine if you don't brush your hair for a while, playing, etcetera.

Now it is the home to my most favorite younger brother Mark.  It was awesome to see him, and meet his girlfriend.  Plus my parents went to visit him at the same time.  It was their very first time in Hawaii.  And Weston's brother Cameron and his wife Natalie went too.  It was very fun!

We left our 5 oldest with friends and took little Ollie.  It was his first time on a plane. 

His first plane ride was on that little plane in the foreground in the photo below (this was our layover in San Francisco): 

We got there just before it got dark on Saturday and went to Costco to get food and stuff (flip-flops....I mean "slippers" (Hawaiian terminology)).

The next day was Sunday...and it was

A GLORIOUS DAY!

a little surfer surfin'

First up...

Church.

Because that is what we do on Sundays, even in Hawaii.

The Sabbath is always the Sabbath.

It was fun because we went to the ward of one of our friends from our college days.  It was their Primary program.  Very cute.  All the kids were dressed in white and wore leis.

After church we took some pix.

And it just so happened to be my momma's birthday.

Weston with Oliver, me, Momma, Daddy and Markus

Cameron and Natalie were with us, too, and we wanted a picture together.  My mom was taking a picture with Cameron's phone and she had it backwards.  We could see her face in it with a "how do you do this" look on her face.  It gave us some major giggles.

I love my momma!

After church we went to Mark's house for a while, then went back to where Weston, Cameron and Natalie and I were staying in Ko'olina.

We tried to teach Mom and Dad how to take a selfie.

It was awesome.  

This is the result that Mark sent me from his phone:

Hahahahaha!!!! I love it!


Mark has always been, and always will be, a momma's boy!  And as #7 of 7 children, he's her baby.  A 6'4" baby.

Panorama with my phone:

Wow, how'd she do that. ;)

It was a gorgeous evening with a gorgeous sunset and awesome company.

I love my daddy!  He is a good, good man!

We watched a sailboat come into the horizon and were waiting to see who would win, the boat or the sun.

The boat won.

I think that it's safe to say that my mom loved her birthday.

Playing with silhouettes....

Mark and Lisa and Weston had fun climbing the palm tree.  Weston is a natural.  He used to do it all the time when we were in college.  

It had been a while since he'd climbed one, but he did a good job.

When it got too dark, we went inside and sang to my mom and had some cake (a yummy cake that Lisa made). 

Make a wish, Mom!

A warm, tropical birthday in Hawaii with your handsome hubby, and 2 youngest children?  

Wish granted!

Stay tuned for more on our trip.....

I'm sure you are on the edge of your seat.  :)