Hawaii Day 1 and 2

Flying from Los Angeles to Honolulu. We didn't catch what size of plane we were on. It had 7 seats across.
Make a Wish had ordered a lei greeting for us. The orchid leis were very beautiful. As soon as we got off the plane Devree said "Finally I am warm!" It is such a shock to breathe in that hot humid air. I feel like we are breathing in water.
Marriott upgraded our room so we had 2 balconies. This is Diamond Head.
A sliver of Waikiki below. Waikiki has a nickname that Todd and I nicknamed it years ago. We call it Wackiki! Oh the interesting people we have seen already. We are on the 27th floor. Marriott gave us 2 rooms and the hotel it so huge it takes up a city block with 2 saltwater pools and about 6 restaurants and many shops. We got in to the hotel the first night at about 9:30 at night. We were all starving and had supper by the pool. The water felt so good.
We walked to breakfast at Duke's. It is up Kalakaua Street about 1/2 a mile. It is a one way street and parking is non-existant and so the walk was good for us. Devree got 2 blisters though.
Standing by a "rubber band" tree. This is the nickname for this tree where the branch's send down roots to grow.
By the Duke statue. Surfing was invented by Duke and his longboard.
Finally at the famous restaurant inside the Royal Hawaiian, or the Pink Palace as it is called locally, for it's pink exterior.
The breakfast buffet was outstanding. I told my kids to be adventurous and eat different things that they are not used to. Coconut syrup, bread pudding made with banana, pineapple and coconut and POG (passion, orange and guava juice) are now our favorites. The table they gave us was right on the beach. Too bad you can't see it. It was the most wonderful breakfast.
The Pali lookout. The sun is starting to shine. This is a lookout that told the history of the Pali trail to go up over the mountain on a small path that eventually became a highway. One missionary's journal is printed about "what a harrowing experience it was" The new freeway goes through the mountain for it seems like a mile.
We ran into 3 friends that we knew from going to Brigham Young University Hawaii. This is Don Carey who actually lives in Texas. He published a book about growing up in Laie. He was there for his book tour. He actually was instrumental in getting Todd his job in the computer lab there on campus. They talked computers 24/7 when we were going to school.

Our other friends we met were the Mahoni's. William and Tania. William is the artist of our sketches of People of Polynesia that hang in our office. They came to Fernley and visited us about 15 years ago. We had a standing joke that their oldest girl Pare (you pronounce it Pa rrrrrrre with two short vowel sounds) would be an arranged marraige with Noble. We hope to see them again with all of their children. They have 6 kids.
This is Devree at Hukilau beach. This beach is right across the street from Todd and I's first apartment.
I got sand in my eyes!
Todd wanted to take the boys to Goat Island but the tide was too high.
We had lots of fun anyway.
1st on the old cement pier.
Two on the tower!
Three on the cement tower.
Nobody is on the beach except us!
Building a city with a piece of driftwood and some net that washed ashore.
Braving the waves. The water temperature is perfect.

We arranged Devree and Shay to do baptisms. They accompanied a singles, ward. Todd and Noble did a session and Dane and I went to see "Gnomio and Juliet". Don't ask if I liked the movie. I slept through most of it.
A nice gentleman took our whole family picture. Dane was fascinated by the beautiful huge flowers that dropped off the trees. He put one like a boutineer
HAVING A HAWAIIAN TIME!