The Woolf's in Hawaii

I was recently so blessed to have some of my favorite people come and visit me here in Hawaii!  Anna, whom I've been lucky to have been best friends with her going on 14 years now, and her parents (my 2nd parents), Barbara and David.  They stayed with me for over a week and we had a BLAST!

Disclaimer:  We're not a camera shy people, and we did a LOT, so be prepared for TONS of pics :D

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Mon April 2nd

Anna has arrived after 12 hours of travel from NYC to Honolulu.  She looks so good for being on a plane for 12 hours!

Hahaha... This picture is for Andrea!  We took it to send to her because 1. We love her and wished she was with us and 2. She's a pineapple for all of our love of Psych :D

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Tues April 3rd 

After picking up Barbara and David from the airport, we started our adventuring of Oahu!

First stop, Aloha Tower!

Fishies!  Overlooking the pier next to the Aloha Tower.

AGH! Be careful!  In Waikiki apparently your bottom can just drop off!!!

At Waikiki Beach, loving all the cool trees!

Beware!  They attack!

What a beautiful couple! <3

Awww, besties!

Waikiki Beach with Diamond Head in the background

I LOVE this picture!

Hahahaha... Story time!  So when Camie and Joel came to visit, we went hiking.  I thought I looked too grubby for photos, so when Joel was snapping pictures of Camie, I was leaning back to make sure I was out of the shot.  Unbeknown to me, I was actually in the photo.  So there are a handful of photos of me looking like a dork (more than usual).  Now it's the cool thing to do! Hahaha

Wow, never knew I could be such a creeper! 

Us being... us :D

Waikiki at sunset

<3 <3 <3

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Wed April 4th

Aloha Swap Meet!  Anna trying on a SUPER cute hat!  She looks straight from the classy 20's!

Hey Geisha!

Mmm... fresh, cold coconut water!

Hey! Share with me!

Of course Anna could make a muumuu cute!

Anna, Barbara, and David were nice enough to take me out to a post birthday lunch!  Anywhere of my choosing!  I was pretty excited since I recently found out that there was a Black Angus on the island (well here they call it Cattle Company).  So we went there for a GREAT lunch!  And you can bet your boots that we got the Big Mountain Fudge Cake for dessert!

We're all soooooo excited to dig in!

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Thurs April 5th

Anna and I thought it would be fun to do a craft to decorate for Easter.  We saw this fun one on Pinterest and so we decided to try our hand at it! 

The pinner suggested we blend the flour and liquid starch in a blender...yeah only do this if you have a separate blender.  It was a pain in the you know what to clean this out properly!

Next time, we'll make sure to remove the excess liquid

Anna's so cute with her tongue out while she works! lol

Letting them dry!

Tada!

Headed to the North Shore today.  We stopped to enjoy the beautiful day and gorgeous scenery at Lanikai Beach :)

Another cool looking tree with it's roots exposed!

Look how high those roots are!  They're taller than Anna!

Next stop on our trip up to the North Shore, The Valley of Temples.

This is a super neat plant!  It's called an Autograph Tree!

Statue of Buddha

Chillin with Buddha

We've made it to the Polynesian Cultural Center!

Don't we look just like him???

PERFECT facial representations!

Anna is SUPER excited to try the Mochi she's heard so much about!

First bite...

YUMMM!!!

I'm a big fan :D

On a canoe trip around PCC

Ahhh! Don't fall overboard!

Standing next to a Fijian war ship

In Aotearoa, trying our hand at the Poi Balls.  We weren't too shabby!

In Tahiti, they had all the men stand up and dance.  I think David got a little into it... hehehe

Mmm... coconut bread recipe!

In Samoa, Anna learned how to hula with coconut shells

Woot woot! 

Beautiful people waiting for dinner!

Yeah food! We were so hungry!

Anna trying poi for the first time.  She wasn't a fan.  But then again, I've yet to meet a person who actually likes poi.  It tastes like... boring.  If boring had a flavor, it'd be poi.

Great photo!

Uh... how could there be a huge nose and us NOT pick it?!!?

Hehehe... We got a picture with our favorite performer!  Teeheehee

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Fri April 6th

We went to visit the Pearl Harbor Memorial

We were very lucky to have three Pearl Harbor survivors visiting while we were there.

I wish I'd been able to talk to them, but they were wrapping up to leave when I got over there.

Relaxing at my favorite place, Ko Olina Lagoon.

Ahhhh... this is the life.

We found the perfect posing tree!

Woohoo! Hey sexy lady!

Oooo! Sexy ladies!!!

Looks like stairs to the edge of the world!

So we went looking for lighthouses.  We came across the Barber's Point lighthouse and were... definitely disappointed.

It was right next to a landfill and the placed smelled like you stuck your head in a bag of dry dog food.  When we were leaving, we found out why...

Wait... are you telling me they make butter the same place they make dog food?!?!

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Sat April 7th

Back to the North Shore to visit the Laie Temple!

It was so awesome to go through the temple with my best friend!

After the temple, we change out of our nice clothes and went to Turtle Bay

We walked all the way to the edge!

Whoa! Check out those muscles!

Barbara and David hanging out while Anna and I went adventuring.

Thanks for visiting Turtle Bay Resort!

In hopes to see some actual sea turtles, we stopped at Turtle Beach.

We found one!  Do you see it's shadow in the wave???

We found another!  Here's it's shell.

And another!  It's cute little head is poking up out of the water just above that rock!

Getting splashed by waves was an alright price to pay for seeing cute sea turtles!

Having a much needed lunch at Halawa Joe's!

David looks so regal!

Mmm... Anna's delicious food

Mmm... my delicious food!

Stopped in for shaved ice!

First bite!

We shared a small (yes this is a small!) cone

BIG BITE!!!

ACK! Brain freeze!

Three flavors, cream, and azuki beans.  The beans were... interesting.  Tasted like kidney beans in your shaved ice.  Not awful, but for me, this is a "I've tried it at least once" time, lol.

Sorry for the pic Barbara, but David CRACKS me up, I had to post it!

So... The house behind the store was OVERRUN with cats.  Weird...

What is this magical place!?!?  Oh, it's Target! hehehe

Only in Hawaii would you find Spam on an end-cap and advertised as a great deal.  I'll pass.

Note: Need tidbit of info, we drove the entire island on this day!  Started at my house by Pearl Harbor and went counter-clockwise around all of Oahu!

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Sun April 8th - Happy Easter!

After church, we took Mozart to the dog beach on Hickam Air Force Base.

I hurt my back, so Anna and Barbara were nice enough to play with Mozart while I laid on a towel.

Moz had a great time!  He loves the beach, my little beach bum!

By the time dinner came around, I could hardly stand.  So Anna and Barbara were nice enough to cook, while I directed where everything was and how to make all the food I had planned.

It was delicious! 

Everyone thought so :)

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Mon April 9th

This day was a bust.  By Sunday night, I was in a ridiculous amount of pain and couldn't move.  Anna, Barbara, and David took time out of their vacation to take care of me.  And then to watch Liam when Amy had to take me to the hospital.  The pain was so bad, and I over did it on the ibuprofen, so I was vomiting past the point of dehydration and I still couldn't move.  Thankfully at the hospital, I got an IV, meds to stop the vomiting, and pain pills.  Happy times.

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Tues April 10th

This was Anna, Barbara, and David's last actual day on the island, so I tried to make up for ruining the previous day.

Anna and I hiked Diamond Head!  Yes, I know I'm crazy for hiking the day after I was in the hospital.

Made it half way!

Lots of stairs to climb

We are women, hear us roar!

Just below the very top

We did it!

Here's the view from the very top of Diamond Head

While we were hiking, Barbara and David walked around down town Waikiki.

David LOVES Subway, and was soooo excited to find one!  lol Needless to say, they stopped and had lunch here.

That's one big tree!

After the hike, we meet up and went to see the Diamond Head lighthouse.  We played around on the beach for a while.

Anna's quite the surfer girl!

Don't mind if I do!!!

 I love this girl!

On our way to Makapu'u Beach Park

That's Makapu'u Lighthouse 

 Like my pirate bikini!?! lol

ARRR!!!  Beware me hook, you scurvy scum!

Hmm... I think my pirate-stache is awesome.

Walking the beach

HELP!!! We're being attacked by a giant!!!

Halona Blowhole from a distance

It was pretty awesome to see up close.  I got some sweet pics, but the video is awesome!

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On Wednesday, everyone headed back to their various homeports.  

I am so grateful to know such wonderful people!  I'm so glad that they came to visit me and make fabulous memories!  I love them some much and miss them TONS!!!  Thanks for letting me be part of your great vacation! <3 <3 <3