Kevin and I got to go to Hawaii this week (the week of July 6)! It took most of the day Monday to travel. Our non-stop flight got cancelled but Kevin called and arranged a flight to San Francisco and then to Honolulu. It all worked out! We got to our hotel that night and had a lovely dinner at the pool which looked out on the Marina and then went for a walk along the beach.

The next morning, we went to our hydrofoiling lesson! I scheduled that about a month ago as it was something I had heard about and really wanted to try. Kevin was a good sport and agreed to give it a go, now he loves it! I think it's a lot like going on a magic carpet ride across the water. Trying to stand up, though, dunked me in the water quite a few times! You can also see what a beautiful spot we were in!

We got some lunch on the way back to the hotel, then after some showers, we decided to try our Shaka Guide App and take the rainforest tour. As we drove, the app used GPS to determine where we were and would tell us not only where to turn but also interesting stories about the places we were seeing. We wemt to a little cafe in the woods that used to belong to a girls' home on site. Then we went on a couple of hikes one through an arboretum and one to a waterfall! We stopped at a store for some portable food and then went to the top of a nearby mountain to picnic while taking in the view. It was beautiful!

The next day we had tickets for the Polynesian Cultural Center on the other side of the island. Since the PCC didn't open until 12:30, we started the day with another Shaka tour this one to the North Shore. We saw more beautiful spots including a Japanese temple, sheer green cliffs, and more beaches before eating at a famous shrimp truck and drinking out of a pineapple on the North Shore. We also used this time to visit the temple and it's visitor center and learn more about it's history which was so cool! We also drove through BYU-Hawaii campus.

We spent the rest of the day at the Polynesian Cultural Center which was SO COOL! The day started with dancing that featured each of the islands. I love the dancing! Then we walked around each of the villages depicting Tonga, Samoa, Hawaii, New Zealand, Fiji, and Tahiti and learned something about each of their cultures. We got to sample cooking, learn to weave with palm leaves, see a wayfaring canoe, and watch someone climb for coconuts. That night after eating amazing food at the buffet, we saw their show which was AMAZING and had more dancing! What a fun day!

The next day we took a Shaka Guide walking tour of Waikiki Beach which our hotel was on the very edge of. We saw some famous places, statues of famous people, and lots and lots of tourists also having Hawaii experiences! We had to switch hotels that day for Kevin's conference. This one was right on the beach and was a big resort. Once we got checked in, we enjoyed the pool and then went out to swim in the ocean. That night we drove to a nearby Indian restaurant for some mango lassies and dinner and also found time to visit Barnes and Noble.

Friday was the day that Kevin was the keynote speaker at the mental health conference for school counselors. I saw his slides and he had a great presentation. They needed him for the whole day so I entertained myself. I walked along the beach and into the city again. Then I came back and sat on our balcony listening to a book and trying to draw palm trees. It was beautiful. That night Kevin and I walked along the beach and into the city again and ate at the Cheesecake Factory. Yum! That night, there were fireworks!

Saturday morning, Kevin and I took the snorkeling gear we had borrowed and floated in the bay right outside our hotel. It wasn't a "snorkeling destination" but we still saw some really cool fish and lots of coral and sea urchins. We had to check out of the hotel that morning so before we headed to the airport, we did one more Shaka guide, this one around the east shore. We saw Diamond Head and lots more beaches and another amazing lookout point. It was a beautiful drive before flying home that night. Boy were we tired but we had aa great trip!

This week was Bethany's birthday!! She is 18! She's an adult ladies and gentlemen! Beth wanted to play games and go to Brick Oven for her birthday. So we brought the pizza to Kiwanis park in Provo. It was a beautiful day to celebrate a beautiful girl! We had so much fun! Beth got to play her favorite game, Betrayal in the House on the Hill, and the grandkids played and sporty people played pickle ball. We all loved the pizza and the strawberry shortcake. Yum!

We had fourth of July this week! Chey went to a family reunion with Tyler and we missed her! Cali had to work in the evening, so she wanted to do something on Saturday morning. So! We met at my house and Cali, Megan, and Sarah each brought a pan of German pancakes to cook. Then we topped them with blueberries, strawberries, and whipped cream. See? Red, white, and blue! After we ate, we played a Jeopardy game that Cali and Richmond made with July 4th trivia. It was super fun! After that, Beth had crafts prepared and we painted rocks, made bracelets, and drew pictures. It was super fun!

That evening, we were invited to Sarah’s inlaws (Papa Hatch’s house) for a barbecue and games. Savannah went to Peter’s family’s barbecue and we missed her! Sarah and her family was there and Megan, Ammon, and Micah, and Mariah and Evelyn and Beth and Ben. Chey even made it at the tail end. We ate great food and had fun playing with the kids and socializing. There was even a water balloon toss! All fireworks were banned in Springville because of the fire danger, but we had a ton of fun, anyway!

Tuesday and Wednesday of this week, we got to watch Micah! Megan went to YW Camp as YW president and Ammon had appointments in his rotation through Thursday morning. We all loved having him there! He is such a fun little kid! He loves to talk and laugh at his jokes even though its all gibberish. Also, he loves to wear other people’s shoes, explore, and dance!

On Friday, Cali and Sarah decided to hike the Grotto trail on Nebo Loop and I was free! So I went, too! Savannah also was free so with Sarah’s kids, we filled every seat in her car. She even packed a picnic lunch for us all. She is a rockstar. It’s a pretty little hike and Avery and Lyla did great! (Oliver, too, although he got carried!)