Trip Hawaii

Serena put together a Mother/ Daughters trip to Hawaii. We spent a week there. It was really nice to go get some sunshine and hang out with family. Kyle stayed home with the kids all week, with the weekends up in Portland to take to and from the airport.

We left early Sunday morning, Hawaii is three hours behind Oregon so we got there right around lunch time. Which made that we were able to enjoy the day.

We went to IAO Valley State Park and saw the IAO needle.

This is a picture of the needle.

This is all of us with the needle in the background.

We all have jeans on straight from the rain and cold of Oregon.

It was about 85 degrees there and very humid, I love it-my skin was so soft.

We are walking the beach in front of our hotel.

Our room looked onto the beach and ocean.

Since we were still on Oregon time the next morning we got up at 3:30 am and drove to summit of Haleakala and watch the sunrise. A person that I was standing next to said that it was just to see the sun just get up, but the beautiful color show that comes with the sun. Which was true - the sky changed so many colors and the sun rose higher.

There are a lot of people that come out in the early morning to watch the sunrise, we were on the lower point because the upper one was already filled. (this is just was one side of the area of where I was at, there were a lot more people.)

Here is one picture overlooking the crater.

And another. I gave you a very condense version of the pictures I took of the sunrise. As the sun was ready to pop up a park ranger sang a chant, welcoming the sun. Pretty cool. On the other side of the sunrise you could see the moon setting...

After the sun had rose, Serena and I hike up a little higher so that we could get a better look at the crater and of the Island. The back ground of this has the crater that had clouds covering it in the sunrise pictures.

That evening we went to the west side to watch the sun set, wasn't to far just out our front door. We also saw lava rocks that made caves that the waves would come crashing in.

We did the road to Hana, which is a four hour drive one way, where the road should only fit one car on it but two do it. There are a lot of hair pin turns and many one lane bridges. Here is a picture of one of the one lane bridges as we yielded before we cross it. The drive is beautiful with the lush green and ocean all around. My mom did the driving, Thank you mom you did a great job!

When we got to the end of the road.

We got out and did a hike at the Seven Sacred Pools area.

I think we only saw two.

But on our hike we saw this huge tree, crazy looking.

Here is a picture of the crew halfway up the hike.

As we continue we came to this bridge that led to the Bamboo Forrest.

It was a pretty cool entrance I should of taken a picture of it.

Here we are walking thru it. It was a pretty neat thing, the bamboo would knock together and make like a wind chime sound. My niece (8 months old) who was with us, was trying to make the same noise- so cute.

After the hike, we took a smaller hike down to one of the pools to soak and rest our feet, so nice.

Another day we rented snorkeling gear and went to this really nice beach, it became our favorite. Just past Makena beach. Enjoyed playing in the water and drying on the beach.

Alycia had brought water air mats that we blew up and floated out in the ocean, it was so peaceful. Here Alycia and I just floating on the mat. When I went to Hawaii with my family 15 years ago that is what I loved doing. Plus when the wave would just bring ya one in. I thought wearing SPF 30 and 50 I would be safe and now get brunt. But out on the water you lose track of time; and I came back burnt (but you couldn't tell until later that night.) It did turn into a nice tan, but has since starting to peel off :0( . I was hoping it would last longer.

On our last full day there we went and spent at that great beach.

Here is a group shot us, sun kissed by the end of our trip.

It was a great trip, Thank you Serena, Mom, and Alycia,

I did bring back things for the kids and Kyle. Kallie had asked me for a Hula skirt and Jaron kept telling to go surfing. I didn't go- I can't see myself surfing.

I got Jaron a shirt that said surf Maui on it.

He put his swim shorts and showed me how to surf.

I got all the girls Hula outfits, so they hula the night away.

At least the two older ones did, Karlee kind of jumped all around.

Kind of like all the little birds in Hawaii they don't fly is JUMP.

(They reminded me of Karlee the whole time we were there.)

ALOHA!