Apr 6, 2016

Hawaii 2016, TEN YEAR ANNIVERSARY

For our ten year anniversary we visited the happiest place on earth!  I love O'ahu and felt blissfulness and glee just bubbling out of me during the trip.  I absolutely loved sharing this special place with our kids.
At one point I found myself bursting with laughter with a homeless man after several failed attempts at putting my shopping cart in the cart-return.  He and I watched my cart roll backwards undoing all my effort, we looked at each other and roared with laughter.  I felt like I left the island with 20 new friends, including this man.


Lydia had a hard time on the flight (and 2 teeth broke through her gums 2 days later) but the girls did great once we were on Hawaii.  We stayed in a condo on Haleiwa, right on the beach and loved playing in the sand and water!
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My little globe trotter
The next morning we woke up early and drove to Waimanalo beach.  For years I dreamed of having a barefoot beach wedding, and I was a little let down by our temple marriage 10 years ago...  So we made my dream come true and renewed our vows on the beach. We had an officiate and a short sunrise ceremony.  Hawaii does not disappoint!  It was everything I hoped it would be: enchanting, romantic, sweet and genuine.
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Reverend Kermit
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Reading his vows
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Does Reverend Kermit looks like a random weirdo watching us?
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It's official: we're married (again!)

 
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My friend Nguyen took our family photos.  He's a talented photographer!
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I took these ones.  I love the pics of the girls!
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I love love love this picture.  Sisterhood summed up in a photo.
A few days into our trip I found this fantastic humongous tree and we took a few more photos. IMG_9268b IMG_9277b IMG_9288c IMG_9258b IMG_9327b
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Monster wave at our favorite swimming hole
 
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The waves at some of the beaches were huge- 15 to 20 feet (that's 30-40 feet faces!)
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Mermaids!
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I used to run from my house to this pier once a week during sunrise.  It's become one of my treasured memories of living on O'ahu.IMG_1974
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We spent one day on Waikiki.  Avery loved swimming in the protected pools!  I was excited to get back to sleepy Haleiwa.
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Banyan trees.  So cool.
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My favorite dessert of all time.  The Hula Pie at Duke's Restaurant
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Diamond Head view from anywhere on Waikiki.
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I got to surf every couple days right in Haleiwa.  Pua'ena point had great waves of all sizes, which is good for an out-of-shape Utahn like myself!  How can Utahns stay in surfing shape?  I was so wiped out after one hour on the water I could barely lift my head!
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It was crowded!
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I sure love this girl

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Avery's first "surfing" experience.  She got splashed and cried, lol
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Some day this will be a real wave!
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Lydia seemed to really love the ocean!  It must sound like being in the womb lol.
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Avery tried to snorkel at Shark's Cove but it was too cold.
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She spent hours exploring and playing on all the beaches we visited.
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This beautiful smiling babe came onto our beach to sun bathe.  Hawaiian Monk Seals are endangered, so we felt very lucky to have seen her!
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The semi-wild birds are such pests, always pecking and begging for food.
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Another "wild" animal
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Waiamea Falls.  The water was very cold, I'm proud of Avery for getting in with me!IMG_9050
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I really love this :)
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Avery wasn't impressed with Matsumotos shaved ice.  She picked around the beans, my favorite part.
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Lydia ate about 3 cups of sand.
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I ran out to Ka'ena point while watching the most incredible sunset.
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This was our sunset dinner on our deck to celebrate our 10 years together.
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We saw a lot of turtles, but didn't touch any! 
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Nay and Sparky snuggling
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Todd ran Ka'ena point and beyond.  He did one run that was 21 miles long!
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This photo is a real dream come true for me.  Combining my favorite people with my favorite place made me happy!