Hawaii: The Beginning & The Freshwater Pond

On Saturday, December 19, we left for Hawai'i. By the time we got tickets, we couldn't find a decent direct flight. We had a layover in Honolulu both ways, which makes for an extra-long trip. Wrenzo is at a hard age for air travel. Ever does well when you let her watch movies on a laptop, but by the time we reached Honolulu, she was totally beat. She tried to boycott the walk to the gate for our interisland leg:

Once we reached the gate, Wrenzo enjoyed some time to roam. I put her on her belly and let her push herself backward. I had to fetch her when she got too close to the person sitting across from us:

She perused Jim's medical journal:

Ever finally gave up and passed out on the way to the Big Island:

Pod picked us up at the Hilo airport. We made a couple of quick stops in Hilo, including one at Baskin Robbins to use Ever's birthday coupon. We saw Mr. Perry (teacher and coach from HPA) and his girls' team at the ice cream shop. They were just getting back from a game.

We got to experience the new road on the way home, which was exciting for me. Then when we got to the house, I got super emotional. Jim saw me weeping and asked if I were OK. I said I thought it was just being home. Apparently I was really homesick after three years away. There's something so special about that place to me. It's sort of magical. I wonder if everyone feels that way about home? I think my motherland is extraordinary.

Wrenzo woke early on Sunday morning (like around 5:00). I enjoyed a beautiful sunrise:

That morning, Tutu had Ever help decorate the little Christmas tree ...

... and bring the advent calendar up to date:

Pod persuaded me to sing with the choir that day in church for the Christmas program. I went over the two songs with him and Mamo that morning, and then everybody but Jim and Wren (who got to nap before church) went early to the chapel for a final choir practice. Our early arrival meant we got to see the other ward as they were getting out of their sacrament meeting. I chatted with Nancy Levenson, Erin Lindsey, Dee Dee Bertelmann, and others. It was really fun to see these people I grew up with but haven't seen in probably 20 years, since the ward split. I started crying when I was talking to Dee Dee and telling her about my joy at being home. What a mess I am.

Jim wanted to walk to church, so he brought Wrenzo in the stroller. Ever chose to sit in the front row, and I kept turning around to watch for Jim. He rushed in all sweaty with Wren several minutes late and had to walk through the whole chapel to the front.

As we were getting out of church, it started to rain. Jim would not be deterred, however; while the rest of us drove, he ran home with Wrenzo. He was wet when he got home, but Wrenzo enjoyed the ride despite her headband's turning into an eye patch:

Monday morning we were up early with the girls. (Wrenzo woke later each day, so by the end she had adjusted to the time change.) We walked to KTA for doughnuts. They've changed their chocolate chip danishes, and I have to say they no longer make my dreams come true. It's still a really fun tradition, though. The morning was lovely, and Jim wore Wrenzo's blanket as a cape:

We stuck around the house that day and let the girls nap. In the late afternoon, we headed to Puako to look for turtles (we struck out there) and enjoy the tide pools. Tutu and Ever:

We saw several sea cucumbers. Jim and I were afraid to touch them, so Tutu stepped up to the plate. Thank goodness for Toots. Ever got brave enough to hold a small one:

We saw lots of wana (sea urchins):

Wrenzo's hair did amazing things as the sun went down:

Since we were down at the coast, I had the idea that we could stop at Cafe Pesto for dinner on the way home. I mentioned the idea to Jim but noted that Bags would be so mad if we went without her. She loves that place. One time when we were in Reno, Jim begged every day to go to BJ's for dinner. There was never a good time to go - until the night after he left. (He had to return home early to get back to work.) Turns out he has harbored bitterness about that all this time. He says it happened a second time, but I don't remember that so much. Anyway, he took Cafe Pesto as an opportunity to get back at Bags (not that she was solely to blame for the BJ's thing). Pod came down to meet us at the restaurant. When the food came, Jim took pictures of us enjoying our meals and texted them to Bags. She and Dustin were in L.A. or something on a layover. Dustin texted back at one point and said, "She is literally crying right now." I felt bad, but Jim went ahead and texted her a picture of her favorite dessert. Soooo mean. He did save a little of the dessert so Pod could take it to the airport for Bags to enjoy upon arrival. 

While we waited for our food, Pod and Jim practiced winking. Pod was working on winking the eye he has a harder time with, and he kept asking how he looked. It was sort of my favorite:

Bags and Dustin got in really late that night. Tuesday morning, Jim walked with Ever to KTA to get doughnuts for everybody. He figured surprising Coco with a chocolate chip danish might be a little penance for what he did at Cafe Pesto. I don't know that all was forgiven, but it was a start.

After we were all up and organized, we went down to Anaeho'omalu to do the freshwater pond. It is a really long walk over beach and lava for a barely-four-year-old, and Ever did it in slippers. The going was slow, but she did a great job.

The honu are always out at Anaeho'omalu:

We finally made it:

Tutu took the babe so the rest of us could swim.

Ever spent a lot of time running along the side of the pond. Somehow she never fell, which was amazing.

She also spent a lot of time throwing rocks in. She said she was feeding the fish:

And she waded:

I did take her all the way in a couple times, too, although she never put her head under.

I love swimming here so much. It is absolutely glorious. The water feels cold at first, but it's lovely and refreshing once you finally get in. When you open your eyes under water, it is amazingly clear and blue.

We swam, had a lunch intermission (Coco and Dustin had gotten bentos for most of us), and then swam again. It was so lovely.

Coco and Dustin beginning the walk out:

Tutu and Ever:

There was much stumbling by Ever, but she never went all the way down:

We stopped at some tide pools to play with more sea cucumbers:

Mamo hiked way ahead. We finally caught up to her on the beach. This is what we found - Mamo communing with her aumakua:

After all the walking, Jim wanted to let Ever play in the water for a while. Good dad:

Everyone else waited patiently:

Fun with the tongue:

The sun was going down by the time we got out:

That night Ever did some painting:

I think she was working on a nativity set Mamo let her paint. Tutu is so fun with her crafts.