Family Photos at Waimea Valley

Our friend Annette Bley is a BYUH photography student and in our ward. She was so kind to spend a few hours with us trying to get Quentin and Leilani to co-operate. It was no easy feat! I really think they like to make picture taking as difficult for the photographer as possible! Annette was a trooper and so pleasant to work with. Mahalo Annette!

Waimea Valley is on the way to North Shore. If you turn off Kamehameha Highway to the east, you go to the valley. If you turn to the west, you go to the beautiful beach. There is a HUGE rock people will jump off if the waves are not too big. At the end of the 3/4 mile walk through verdant botanical gardens, you reach a waterfall. Depending on the season, you can swim in the pool at the base of the falls. Waimea Valley is a place we liked to take visitors. There are so many picturesque views along the path.

(Some of the photos are doubles because of color or black and white. They are both too adorable to choose one over the other!)

Aren't those dirty feet adorable!?!

Captured Quentin being Quentin. So sweet!

SeaLife Park

We wanted to take the keiki to SeaLife Park before we left the island. It is like a smaller version of SeaWorld.  We all really enjoyed it! There was so many wonderful things to see.  Quinn's favorite part was the Bird Aviary and LeiLei's favorite was the playgrounds. The park is on the windward side of the island overlooking the beach just past Makapu'u.

There was probably well over a hundred Love Birds and Cockatiels in the Aviary. You walk through a couple sets of gates to make sure none of the birds can get out and they hand you a stick with bird seed on it. The "attendant" told us that if we wanted to feed a cockatiel, hold the stick to the ground in front of the bird. If you want to feed a love bird, hold the stick in the air and one will land on the stick to eat. The little love birds were very eager to eat! They would land anywhere on you as long as the seed stick was within reach. We had to go to the aviary twice because Quinn loved it so much! Every picture I took, he has that huge grin! Someday, I'm going to get him a bird. Sweet boy!

LeiLei didn't like it as much. She likes to look at the birds and feed them, but not when they land on her. She did a good job of trying to be brave!

Honu, the Hawaiian name for sea turtle. The keiki even got a chance to touch the shell of a juvenile honu and the fin of baby shark!

New and Old in the Best of Ways!

New talent!

What talent! He takes after his mama! Quinn found that this scares LeiLei and used it mercilessly for the first few days.

New activities enjoyed by the whole 'ohana!

A new tradition we started a few months before leaving the island was going to the Mililani Town Library. (Really, Leilani was now old enough to not make trouble at the library). We would get up Saturday mornings and get ready as family to go check out books and movies we wanted for the coming week. It was neat to see the interest in books grow in our keiki over a few short weeks. I didn't develop a love of books until I was older. I hope it continues even though our Army post english library is too far away. (I'm gaining an appreciation for shopping online. Bookstores at my fingertips)!

New ways to get pampered!

While we were in Arkansas this past summer 2014, Quentin needed a haircut. So he got his first professional haircut. Since then, he loves going to get his haircut! This one he especially liked because he says the guy had golden hedgehog hair. Somedays he requests his hair to be styled like a hedgehog!

New Year's celebration at Mililani Town Center!

Sorry LeiLei is blurry, she's always looking a something other than what you tell her to look at. In Mililani Town Center, they have an annual New Year's Celebration Pineapple Drop. The pineapple is about 7 feet tall and is lit with hundreds of twinkling lights. I can't remember if it drops at 8 or 9pm, but at a very family-friendly time. Hats, beads, noise makers, and other fun stuff is free for the taking. Food vendors and local shops have yummy treats to buy. Live local bands, games, dance off, and a huge confetti canon all ring in the new year!

New primary class
First Day in Sunbeams!

Quentin and Leilani have been so lucky to have awesome teachers at church! They love going to church and learning and singing and being with their teachers and friends!

"Old" Friends!

Just one of the many wonderful families in our Mililani 4th Ward! The Fernelius 'Ohana are new friends we made in Hawai'i, but are friends for life. That's why I call them "old" friends. We love them so much and know that we will see them again. (Hopefully next year in Germany!) Colby (Dad), Amy (Mom), Olivia (beautiful young woman), Henry and Tennison (the best big "brothers" Quentin and Leilani adopted), and Tommy (Quentin's best friend)!

Old nursery leader
(Only because Quinn moved up to Sunbeams)

Sis. Perez! What a wonderful woman! She was an awesome nursery leader, ward choir director, temple travel companion, adopted Tutu, crochet buddy, and disciple of Christ!

Old mentor

Bro. K, by the time I could pronounce his name, which really wasn't very difficult, his ward-given nickname stuck.  He was our Webelos and Cub Scouting mentor and go-to, family history genius, and friend! He and his gorgeous wife are so kind and friendly. They truly exemplify the meaning of Aloha!

Old chapel
(Last Sunday, our Aloha 'Oe)

Most of the LDS chapels on O'ahu are cream with teal trim. The first time I walked into the chapel I fell in love with the building. There are huge windows that make it so easy to view the beauty of God's creation. There was always beautiful exotic flower arrangements at the pulpit. Sometimes the arrangements were 4 feet tall and 5 feet wide! We truly gained so much while being there. Mahalo nui loa Mililani 4th Ward 'Ohana.  

I wish I had been smart and taken more pictures of our friends. That's my one big regret. So many people we love!  

I have 2 or 3 more posts about Hawai'i. This one was by far the most difficult to write. I can hardly see through my tears. I don't know how to express my gratitude to my Heavenly Father for blessing us with this experience. It is a time of beautiful memories that we will always cherish. Aloha

Aloha 'Oe Hawai'i

Finally, with the help of Tony, we were able to transfer photos from one reluctant computer to another. So now I can get caught up with our "goodbye" Hawaii photos and "hello" Germany photos. 

Aloha 'oe O'ahu

Shark's Cove

Makapu'u at sunrise overlooking Hawai'i Kai

Waikiki with Diamond Head

Waimea Bay (little trail near ancient temple ruins)

Leilani, our lil local girl

Hale'iwa Beach park at sunset (canoers paddled out to watch the sunset too)

Flying kites in the park near Mililani Mauka Middle School

USS Missouri Memorial

Random rice paddy in the middle of Pearl City

We spent the last two months in Hawaii trying to do and see everything we wanted before having to say Aloha 'oe. It was a bitter-sweet experience. In the past three years we all fell in love with Hawaii and truly feel like we left our home and family.  We are so very blessed to have lived in Mililani Mauka!  We were warmly welcomed into the Mililani 4th Ward 'ohana.  The beauty of the island and the people will forever be a part of our souls.  Mahalo nui loa, aloha a hui hou!  With love 'til we meet again.