O'ahu Part 2 - North Shore

Bags and I are racing to see who can be the first to blog about our trip to UT/WY for Grandpa Hastings' funeral.  I have to finish O'ahu first.  Hence, I will lose, but I have to take a stab.

Friday we went on a whale watch cruise.  It was overcast most of the time and really cold, but it was fun to get out and see some wildlife.  Highlights were the view (the beach we looked back on was the beach they used a lot in the TV show Lost), the whale that slapped the water with its tail a bunch of times close to the boat, the spinner dolphins that kept jumping and spinning in the air for us as we headed back, and hearing the whales sing to one another when the crew dropped a microphone into the water.  Once, when Jim was sad (or fake sad) about something, he did a prolonged moaning thing that I told him sounded like a whale song.  We named it "the beluga," and it is now a Kringel tradition.  I tried to pay close attention to the whales we heard on the cruise so I could perfect my beluga.  I realize the whales we heard were not belugas, but I figure they must all sound pretty much the same.

Photos of the cruise mostly stolen from Shandra, with a couple from Pod:

Pre-cruise prep:  Betsy assuages Ever's fears. 

Betsy getting lubed up.



After the cruise, we had some delicious sandwiches and cookies from Waialua Bakery and Storto's (why limit yourself to just one restaurant?) in Haleiwa.  Dean shenaniquined in the parking lot before lunch.

Getting into position.

 

And there's the shot.

Then we went to the beach, where we non-surfers napped and/or relaxed while Jim and Christian had a fun little surf session.



Close-up of Mamo and Papo, straight out of Weekend At Bernie's (the one where they take the dead guy around and prop him up to pretend he's still alive)*:

And peaceful Dean:





The surfers:



Christian.

Jimbo.

After Dean woke up, she happily posed for photos in the nearby tree.





 Then Tristan joined the party.

 

The beach was pretty, and the clouds were cool.



Ever, getting in some alone time.

  

 



  Daddy loving on Ever:

After the beach, we went by the La'ie temple.  We were very confused at first because there were a bunch of cars there and people loitering around on the lawn and in the parking lot, including some cops.  We saw a lady from Christian and Shandra's ward who explained that it was prom night, and all the high schoolers go to the temple to take pictures before the prom.  It was bizarre.  No shots of the photo-taking teens, unfortunately, but Mamo and Papo posed for pictures, as did we:

 

We traded Ever for Tristan in this family photo.

We had a delicious dinner at Surfin' Tacos, the North Shore's answer to Cafe Rio.  Ever entertained the crowd with her vocal stylings. 

Ever had a fatigue-induced meltdown in the car on the way home and made Mamo cry.  It was really sad.  But we made it home and got her in bed, and all was well.

* Christian and Shandra came up with the Weekend at Bernie's analogy.  Gotta give credit where credit is due.  And in that vein, I generally steal photos from others.  In an effort to streamline my posts, however, I will not always identify the photographer.