Aloha!!!

Aloha! We are newly back from a 10 day cruise around the Hawaiian Islands. We really had a fun time. When we left home it was -25 below 0. When we got to Hawaii it was around 74 degrees. We flew in to Honolulu and had a day to explore the north shore. We were lucky enough to do a temple session at the Hawaii temple. It was a little different from home but still a good experiance. They are soooo much more laid back over there. A girl could get used to the low level of stress in Hawaii. We went to the Dole Plantation and had my first taste of pineapple?!?! I know 32 years old and yes it was my first taste and I loved it!!! I am so addictied. I eat, sleep and dream of pineapple. While we were at Dole we were eating lunch and these little birds would come and eat right out of your hand. It was pretty cool. We got on the ship and went to the big island (Hawaii) on the Kona side. We had rented a car and drove around the island a bit. Sooo different from Honolulu. Alot less people. Open fields and room to explore. Then we went to Maui. We have friends that live in Maui (Richard and Brittany Tomlinson) Hey Guys! They gave us a very local view of Maui. We visited Jaws (if you have seen pictures of someone surfing on a calander or magazine it was most likely taken at Jaws) It requires a 4wheel drive pickup to get to. And not good for pregnant girls. Brittany is due early March and was not feeling her best after this ride. But it sure was fun getting there. We also got up early and watched the sunrise on Haleakala Crater. I think that that was our favorite part of our whole trip. The only downfall was...it was sooo cold up there. I think around 34 degrees when we went. I can handle 34 degrees if I am dressed for it. Shorts and flipflops would not be considered dressed for it. but it was so beautiful. After Maui we tried to go back to the big island of Hawaii so we could explore the volcano but the ocean was way to rough and we had to stay on the boat for an extra day. We next went to Kauai and if we ever go back that is where I say we go! What a beautiful place. And the people were so nice on Kauai. We went on an innertube ride down this old irrigation ditch that has been carved into the mountain for sugar cane fields. We went through a few tunnels and really had some breath taking views. What fun!! Then back to Maui. This was our first day to just lay around on the beach. It was a fun day. Jaren's idea of a vacation is sometimes different than mine. I love to just lay around and do nothing. Jaren loves to explore. So for me it was a fun day. Then back to Honolulu!!!