We flew in before we could check into our hotel, so we toured around a bit. First stop, Wailua Falls. It was amazing to see people hiking down there and swimming.
We got some fresh coconut from a roadside vendor. It's a little different than we expected (not sweet at all, and a little rubbery) but still pretty good. 
We were lovin' our suite we reserved. It was right on the ocean, and big enough that we all had room to sprawl out. This is our dining lanai, and each of the other 2 bedrooms had a private lanai. Heaven!
Here is the view from our room. Can you believe how beautiful?!
The kids were more interested in swimming than anything else, so after unpacking we hit the pools. 
Masen loved the little toddler pool that had sand at the bottom. It was like his own private beach. 
After we wore the kids out swimming, we wanted to go explore this beautiful island a little more. I just wanted to drive around and take in the beautiful scenery. There is a reason this is called The Garden Isle. 
We ended up at the Kilauea Lighthouse. This is also a wildlife sanctuary, so it was cool to look down the cliffs onto the rocks below and spot a seal. I guess in the winter you can see whales too.
That evening we took a sunset walk on the beach at our resort....
and to our surprise, what did we see...
but a seal, taking a nap right there on the beach. He was roped off since apparently seals can get aggressive when provoked. Who knew?
Day two we explored in the morning. 
In the afternoon Corynn and Grandma went on a horseback excursion. The ranch was so beautiful. 
For 3 hours they rode horses into the mountains, then stopped for a picnic at a waterfall where they were able to swim and let the horses rest. What an adventure! 
Look at those cute cowgirls!
Day three was spent driving along the west side of the island up to Waimea Canyon, which was dubbed by Mark Twain to be the "Grand Canyon of the Pacific." 
Mt. Wai'ale'ale was beautiful from what you could see of it. The top is ALWAYS covered in clouds, thus the wettest place on earth. It averages 460 inches per year! One year when the island was hit with a hurricane the mountain received over 680 inches. 
This is the most you can see of the Na'pali Coast by car. The cliffs were amazing.
We stopped off for a picnic near Kokee Lodge. There were so many chickens, it was crazy! They were totally unafraid of us, and would come right up begging for food. 
Day four Chris surprised me with a helicopter tour over the island. Grandma stayed with the kids (Mahalo, Mom!) while we were whisked away over land and sea.
It became a game of "I spy another waterfall." Literally, there were dozens of them.
The Na'Pali Coast by air.
One of the pretty little coastal towns. 
After the helicopter ride was over, I told Chris that aside from getting married and the birth of my children, that was one of the biggest highlights of my LIFE!Day five we took a river cruise up the Wailua river to the Fern Grotto. It was a huge platform boat with a tour guide who spoke in such a thick Hawaiian accent nobody could understand what he was saying. After a while I just tuned him out and enjoyed the scenery. If it weren't for the the kayakers and paddle boarders on the river, I would have felt like we were on the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland. 
Once we disembarked the boat we went on a little bit of a nature hike to get to the Fern Grotto. It was hot and really muggy, with no trade winds. Dallin was complaining so bad I finally told him to take off his shirt. Dallin was so happy shirtless I took Masen's off too. Here are my two happy campers.
Day six was a blur of getting ready to leave the island and pack in just a few more things before heading to the airport. This little village is the one that was filmed at the beginning of the movie "Outbreak." 
Here is Chris at Opaeka'a Falls. What a handsome guy :)
Once we disembarked the boat we went on a little bit of a nature hike to get to the Fern Grotto. It was hot and really muggy, with no trade winds. Dallin was complaining so bad I finally told him to take off his shirt. Dallin was so happy shirtless I took Masen's off too. Here are my two happy campers.
Day six was a blur of getting ready to leave the island and pack in just a few more things before heading to the airport. This little village is the one that was filmed at the beginning of the movie "Outbreak." Here is Chris at Opaeka'a Falls. What a handsome guy :)
The canoe rides are one of our favorite things at this luau. We always head to the canoes first, because by the time everyone else realizes this is part of the luau, the line is crazy. If you are lucky you can see turtles swimming. No such luck for us on this day.
Here is 
They demonstrate how to climb a coconut tree to retrieve the fruit. Take my word for it, this is a TALL tree. I was a little scared for this guy.
This lady was our Poi ball instructor. I still can't get the hang of this game. Instead of swinging the balls, I end up hitting myself and anyone within a few feet of me. My family quickly learned not to stand next to me while I practiced :)
My mom and I had fun making a crown of flowers. It's almost like wearing a lei on your head, and the 
Isn't my mom adorable?
While waiting for the Emu (pig) ceremony, we were treated to this beautiful rainbow.
Sunsets at 
We warned my mom beforehand that the food is NOT the reason to go to a luau. It's OK, but I'm not a big fan of Hawaiian food.
After dinner the hula and fire dancers came out and performed amazing dances. Such a fun night, and the perfect send off for my mom. Aloha 'Oe Grandma Carol.
This is the government building where Chris worked at for the first of his two missions. It had much nicer working conditions than when he was in the Philippines (tents and run down class rooms). He used one of the offices as his dental clinic - no A/C, but at least he had a ceiling fan. 
These are the crowds of people waiting to be treated. 
Hard at work, showing his skills to the local dentist..JPG)
Chris and his assistant took a field trip one day to visit a dental clinic, and meet with a local dentist. 
Chris was having fun messing around with the optometrist. What was the diagnosis?
He needs these ridiculous glasses! Sexy huh?
Here is Chris with his assistant SPC Vestal and his translator (he was a Dermatologist). 
This is where Chris had his second mission site, another local government building.
Now, those of you with queasy stomachs, may want to skip this next part. Chris and some of his colleagues went out to eat a traditional Vietnamese dinner one night. Their dinner included some stuff that I find pretty nasty, like river snake, worms (he said they were really more like grubs - like that makes it any better!?!), and crickets. Eeewww. 
They were able to enjoy a some sight seeing before heading home. Here they are in Ha Long Bay, Vietnam.
This picture is taken from the entrance of the Ha Long Bay Caves. I thought this was just gorgeous.
The next day it was time to start heading home. They had one day to sight see in Bangkok, Thailand. Chris and his assistant toured the city together and were able to see many temples and the Royal Palace. They kind of got swindled by their taxi driver, who was also their unofficial tour guide, but I guess that's a risk you take.
They took a boat tour, and saw houses and shops built on the water. Kind of cool. 
I am so grateful that Chris is able to have these experiences at this point in his life. The only thing that might make it better would be if I could go too. Maybe someday when we are empty nesters. 
