Aloha!

We are back from Oahu! What a wonderful vacation!!! The trip went well and the kids did great at home. Guess we will have to go again...just kidding, at least this year. Here is a run down from our stay in paradise (I'm going to be very brief on the description because I know the pictures will take at least an hour to download, the pictures say it all anyway right?)...

Day 1
Arrive in Honolulu and spend hours on congested highways trying to get checked in and get grocereies at Costco for the week, the crash at 9:00 PM Hawaii time 1:00 Utah time in our little hotel room.

Day 2
Hike Diamond Head early in the morning, then shopped at the stadium swap meet, then visited the Byodo-In Buddha temple, which was really gorgeous, and then hiked Waihee falls, then visited Kuaola beach, that was a packed full day!

Day 3
Visited Pearl Harbor memorial in the morning. Church at the Honolulu tabernacle in the afternoon, sunset on the beach in the evening.

Day 4
Hanama bay early morning (got in free because we got there before 7!), hiked to Maunawili falls and Jared jumped off some mild cliffs, went to Kailua beach, hiked Manoa falls (really high and cool!)

Day 5
Went to 8:30 session at the Laie Temple. Drove to Hale'iwa to get Matsumoto's Hawaiian shave ice. Stayed the rest of the day at the Polynesian Cultural Center, complete with Luau and amazing dance show.

Day 6
Scuba Diving (Snows) and parasailing (Schauers), Waikiki beach, and Honolulu zoo with live music concert.

Day 7
Laie Falls hike (took 6 hours of the day!), Ted's Bakery for shrimp, sharks cove (best snorkling of all!) turtle beach for the sunset, back to Matsumotos for more shave ice!

Day 8
Snows leave for Kawaii, Schauers stay one more day in Oahu, went back to Sharks cove, checked out of hotel, went to Dole Plantation and did the maze, the train ride and got pineapple whips, visited Honolulu acquarium, dinner at Zippy's, and made our way to the airport to go home.
























































































We really saved on food by having sandwiches for lunch and making breakfast and dinner every day at the hotel. We only had one weather issue on our Manoa Falls hike, we were soaked and muddy but the hike was still worth it. So beautiful! We liked the hiking excursions a lot and they were the cheapest thing to do! We kept covered in sunscreen and bug spray and slept well every night, so it was a pleasant and fast trip. And when we came home the kids were happy and the house was clean! We are so blessed!