hawaii - Hanauma Bay & exploring

On day 2 we went snorkeling at Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve. Hanauma Bay used to be a crater but over time it filled in with water and now there are beautiful coral reefs there. Chad and I had to take turns snorkeling because of Abby and so I was a little scared to go too far out, but not Chad! He went quite aways and saw 3 sea turtles! We also did some exploring of the island afterwards and on other days too. We pretty much saw the entire island except the northwest coast, where there isn't much to see anyways.

Abby and I under the umbrella at Hanauma Bay.

View of the Hanauma Bay from the vistor's center - from this picture it's pretty obvious that it used to be a crater.

Chad and an exhausted baby.

One of the southern lookout spots - we saw humpback whales spouting in the distance!


There were several plate lunch places - a plate lunch is one or two choices of meat, white rice and macaroni salad, served on a styrofoam plate (and cheap too). It was always really good!

This used to be a nice beach, still pretty but no one is swimming there now!

hawaii - the places we stayed

We stayed at 2 different places in Hawaii (on Oahu). The first was in Honolulu/Waikiki at the Hale Koa hotel, which we got super cheap because it is a government hotel. Our room had a queen and a twin bed so Abby got her own little bed. We had a partial view of the ocean and you could also see the city of Honolulu from our lanai. We went out to watch the sunset one night and I missed it because I went back to our room to get a sweatshirt, but Abby and Chad got some good pictures. The second place we stayed was out toward the north shore in the town of Laie. The place was really old but remarkably clean. However, since nowhere on the island is very far from anywhere else (there are freeways on Oahu), I would recommend just staying in one spot the whole time to keep from having to move all your stuff.

The sunset from the beach in front of our hotel.

I'm so cute in summer clothes mom!

Abby beginning to wake up in her twin bed.

View of the city from our room.

View of the water.

The second hotel we stayed in - Laie Inn.

hawaii - waikiki and diamond head

On our first day in Hawaii we took a walk down Waikiki beach and went out to breakfast at the Outrigger hotel. We then decided to climb up to the top of diamondhead crater before it got too late in the day. It was a little harder than I expected because it said it was only 1.4 miles roundtrip but it was a lot of elevation gain. I guess I didn't realize how little I've exercised since I had Abby! But the views were spectacular. We forgot Abby's hat so we had to keep her head under a blanket (not completely) and she got really hot and cranky!

Abby and dadda out at Waikiki Beach.

Walkin' along the beach to the restaurant recommended in our guidebook. Diamond Head Crater in the background.

View of Waikiki from the top of Diamond Head.

I found a concrete slab that was in the shade to feed Abby.

One hot baby who really liked it when I poured water on her head.

View of honolulu, notice cranky baby.

The very STEEP and long stairs we had to climb to get to the top!

hangin' with my cuz

Jamie and Sydney love playing together, which is nice when Carrie and I want to scrapbook together (although we usually don't get much done when there are 2 kids running around and another crying). Here, they are drinking "ba-ba's" together. So I know the doctors always say to take the bottle away by 1 year, but owell. I mean, do you know of any adults who still drink a bottle? Didn't think so. Actually, I haven't let him have one yet this week and he's done pretty well, only asking a few times and accepting a sippy cup instead. I told him only his grandmas are allowed to give him ba-ba's from now on. But he does look pretty funny drinking out that small little bottle with his big-kid hands, don't ya think?

Babby

These photos are over a month old now but they're way cute so I thought I'd share them. Abby is really a mover - she loves to kick her legs and flail her arms. She goes crazy when her mobile is going round and round. She also likes to sit in her bouncy seat and bat at the little giraffes but now she's actually getting better at grabbing them too!
Stay tuned for hawaii pictures coming soon!