Hawaii

At the beginning of November, Joe had to attend the AMA conference in Honolulu, Hawaii. This same meeting was held in Hawaii four years ago but after just having Jake a week earlier, I wasn't able to tag along. In desperate need of some R and R and husband-wife reconnection, I couldn't pass up this opportunity again. Joe and I have never been on a "vacation" without our kids since our honeymoon. (Unless you count the time I visited him when he was doing his 2 month sub-Internship in San Antonio, but he worked all day long and we house-hunted in the evenings.) Of course again he still had to work the first 4 days but then the leave kicked in and we headed out without extra baggage and snacks, strollers, and time constraints. It was so much fun just to be together and relax without a constricted schedule.

We stayed on the island of Oahu. We got to see Pearl Harbor and the USS Arizona Memorial, the International Marketplace and beaches of Waikiki, and the Swap Meet at Aloha Stadium. We hiked the crater at Diamond Head, went snorkeling at Haunama Bay, visited the Laie Temple, BYU-Hawaii, and the Polynesian Cultural Center. We also visited the Dole Plantation and drove around the entire island. We had such a great time and can't wait for the next opportunity to visit again.

Here are some pics of us on the beaches of Waikiki

The USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor

"Horizons" Night Show at the Polynesian Cultural Center