Aloha 'Oe (Part III)

So I promised more pictures. And here I am, with a final few. There is a good one of nana-mommy and Zahra in front of the sand castle they made, but unfortunately, the picture is oriented sideways. I can't fix the images right now so I'll have to add them another time.

This is another picture from the day we went to the beach in Waimanalo. So Willie and I were talking and looking out at the ocean, just relaxing on our towels, and apparently, not being very attentive parents. I looked down and saw that Max had been playing in the sand and bringing his little fists to his mouth. Although it looks like he ate a bunch of sand here, I don't think he actually swallowed very much. Thank goodness for baby wipes and noticing this before it got too bad!

This picture was taken at the Pu'u O Mahuka Heiau, a state historical site. A heiau can be described as a Hawaiian temple. This one is located up on a hill, overlooking Waimea Bay, near the north shore town of Pupukea. I read that the wives of ancient chiefs gave birth here and there were also different types of sacrifices that would have been offered here. There was also a sign that reminded visitors that the stone formations are sacred to Hawaiians and asked that the stones not be disturbed or covered. (The kids were with us during this trip but we didn't get any family pictures together. Max was asleep in his carseat in the van and Zahra was running around somewhere nearby.)

Toward the end of our trip, we took a drive around the island. We took our local tour guide, Auntie Cissy, with us and it was fun to have her narrate and explain where we were as we traveled. We wanted to see some surfing on the big waves out on the north shore, but Auntie Cissy said we'd have to wait until Max was at least a year old, meaning that the best time to see the big waves that the north shore is famous for is during the winter months like December. So, instead we stopped for a break and got shave ice, which was really refreshing since it was really hot that day. I'll miss the driving and watching the pretty scenery go by.

The picture above was taken from the Pali Highway, as we returned from our trip to the north shore, back to Honolulu. (Not bad for being taken from a moving vehicle with the windows rolled up!)

When we returned from our drive, we had a small family gathering for dinner. Here is my mom and Auntie Cissy with their mom. Also, Mom and Auntie's cousin Keoki and his wife Paulyn came to visit.

(Left to Right) Paulyn, Keoki, my cousin John and his friend Tracy, and my cousin Shannon. The back of Willie's head and Uncle Hutch's knee are in the foreground. Not the best picture, but I meant for it to be candid.

On our last trip to the beach, we took my cousin Conor with us. Here he is with Zahra in the water. We went down to the beach at Kahala and went on to the private property of the hotel. No one seemed to notice or really care that we weren't hotel guests. (Was it obvious because we had brought our own beach towels and weren't using the white ones provided for hotel beachgoers?) We lounged on the beach chairs and played in the water a little. Maybe because it was our last day, but going to the beach this day wasn't as much fun as going to the one in Waimanalo.

Overall, we all had a great time in Honolulu and look forward to going back one of these days. Mahalo for listening to our stories.