Games

The kids playing some games at one of the villages at the PCC. I think it's New Zealand/Maori. McKay is doing the poi balls. The dancers swing them around while they dance and it's pretty cool.

Coconuts

Believe it or not, this guy was the same guy that did this demonstration when I was there in 1994. He is HILARIOUS! It's about the coconut and all the different uses it had/has for the islanders.

Temple

The temple in Hawaii. We walked through the visitors center with the kids and they weren't too interested in looking at more flowers but the grounds there really are pretty. It's right next to the Polynesian Cultural Center which is where we went next.

Waimea Falls

We went to Waimaea Falls up on the North Shore of Oahu. Everything down by the hotel is so commerical and I wanted to kids to see some of what real Hawaii was. It's kind of like a botanical garden with lots of native flowers and plants and a few ruins from Hawaian Royalty who visited the valley and believed it had healing powers. There is a waterfall up in the canyon but the island was in a drought and there wasn't a single drop of water in the canyon. Seems strange that you can be completely surrounded by water and not have any on the island, huh. Sometimes when it rains there are just waterfalls everywhere and it's so pretty but we didn't see that this time. Anyway, the kids did a little craft and made a fish on a fishing line out of coconut leaves. I love, love, love the one of McKay's little hands making that fish. So cute!

Airplane

The REALLY long airplane ride to Hawaii. We didn't have seats together but did you know they have TV on demand on airplanes. I had no idea. The girls watched Hannah Montana and the Suite Life of Zack and Cody which are favorites at our house. It was nice. The kids did do good on the plane.

HAWAII

OK Ya'll......I get the hints about Hawaii. I have this huge bag of stuff and I never seem to be able to just sit down and do it, but here is a start. These are pictures from the hotel we stayed at, Hilton Hawaiian Village. It was beautiful with private beach access and several swimming pools. We combined our stay with one of those grand vacation time share things where we sat in on a sales presentation for 2 hours and got a week in Hawaii REALLY CHEAP. We took one of the young women from the ward with us, Caitlyn. She is in several pictures with the kids and I have to apoligize for my amatuer photography. Learning how to take better pictures is on one of my to do lists. One of the pictures with the kids was a penguin and turtle feeding at the hotel. They had a ton of stuff for the kids to do which was really nice, although all the kids really wanted to do was swim, swim, swim. I think my kids are part fish!

McKay Halloween

Maryn Halloween

Madalyn Halloween

Halloween

I wasn't planning on dressing up this year but Madalyn was feeling too grown up this year to do the whole halloween thing so I had to give her a challenge. I have some good ideas for next year. Maryn was Laura Ingalls and is wearing that poineer costume I wore when I was about 10 and we did "West in the Spring" while we were in Pittsburgh. Mads decided to be a rock star and McKay picked out a Darth Vader costume but wouldn't wear it. He's stuck on this spiderman costume that is way too small. He's not too thrilled about being dressed up but we got a picture.