S'hawaii!

Well our big huge trip to Hawaii or (S'hawaii as Lilly likes to call it) happened! Happy Happy 40th Wedding anniversary to Mom & Dad (the reason for this big family trip)!!

We left Grand Forks on Friday, Dec. 30th for Minneapolis - and for the first time this winter season we actually had snow! (that's right, it was a BROWN Christmas). Before we left for Minneapolis we made an emergency stop to the OB for some sharp pains I was experiencing - turns out it was nothing but we got another ultrasound of Baby Bingo! (see next blog)

Hawaii was fantastic! Lilly was an expert traveler and this time she had her VERY OWN rolling carry-on (compliments of Great-Grandma Bernie).

We were the last of our group of 13 to arrive in Hawaii so Auntie Reesie and Uncle Randy picked us up at the airport. Very big MAHALO to Auntie Reesie for arranging our accommodations for the week at the Kona Bay Estates - a fabulous "Bali" style waterfront home. 

It was great to be with our family and to see Lilly and Bear play together. Lilly was much more mature this time round with Mr. Bear and was a very doting cousin instead of a jealous cousin like in August. We did a ton of things of which I will now "copy and paste" from Kilmerville's blog!

From Kilmerville:

11 adults-- 2 grandkids-- and 1 more on the way. That's quite a group, but it's always a party when all the Tinaves girls get together! We covered a lot of ground and crossed a lot off our "To See & Do" list.. but I think we'll see the Big Island again at some point in the future because there is much more to explore.

Too many activities to list but I'll just mention some of the highlights from the week our group embarked on. Snorkeled, dived, swam and sunned ourselves on beautiful beaches.. even did some night swims to see the manta rays. Watched the sunset from above the clouds on Mauna Kea, visited the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park & Hawaii Tropical Botanical Garden. Took a 2 hour The Hawaii Experience --Paradise Helicopter Tour. Shopped the luscious farmer's market in Hilo. All the guys went on a guided fishing expedition set up by my friend Robyn's brother-in-law. He's one of the local fishing experts on the Kohala coast. Nothing like fresh caught Ahi & Onaga for dinner! The guys even got to see a whale breach while on their fishing excursion. Then we finished the week with an al fresco sunset Clambake at the Mauna Kea Hotel to celebrate the BIG 4-0 for the rents! Lobster, Dungeness crab, oysters, mussels, clams, shrimp, sashimi.. everything seafood you can dream of plus Prime Rib for those land lovers. Yumm.

BACK to "The Goodmans"

It was so great to be with family and have the big breakfasts that Tha cooked every morning and Thai food from Ba-Jim and Yai every night. There is a big time difference and Lilly was up and ready to go at 6am every morning. Thankfully she had the option of the pool or the hot tub right outside or she and Brian could walk down 1 minute away to a beachy tide-pool place perfect for little ones... not so perfect for beautiful white bathing suits that now have bits of black sand in the tush. Lilly definitely takes after me in that she was completely fascinated with the tour guide books - well really, the pictures of lava. She brought her copy of the tour guide book with her everywhere and would "read" it to everyone - showing them the maps and the hot lava juice coming out of the volcano..."like on Dora".

We were the last ones to arrive at the beginning of the vacation and the last ones to leave on Mon. Jan. 9. Because our house rental was up and everyone left in the morning, Brian treated Lilly and I to a hotel stay a little farther north in Kohala at The Fairmont Orchid. We have stayed there previously in 2006 as a Christmas present so we knew what to expect and knew that it'd be perfect for Lillybug. She loved it! We played on the beach, saw turtles and she got to "boogie board" and "surf". We even made a fish out of palm fronds during the craft hour.

Note: it wasn't all sunsets and shaved ice. Three things happened that we can now look back at and laugh:

1. Bubs was cited with a ticket bc Graham was not wearing a seat belt properly. That's a $92.00! CLICK IT OR TICKET.

2. The Sunday before we left the Kilmers, Lilly and I went down to Kona for the sole purpose of getting ice cream/shaved ice. However we didn't get the chance to get some before we had to pick up the parents from the helicopter tour. Later that evening, the Kilmers were headed out again (to clean out the car and to get ice cream). Lilly must have heard and chased after them bc she wanted her ice cream too. She came running back into the house and burst into tears bc they were "leaving" without her. So we chased after them and then we all went down to Kona. Outside of the shaved ice shop there were cutouts of shaved ice for photo ops. Lilly and I had already taken one in the afternoon but since Brian was here this time - we decided to take a family one. Poor Lilly stuck her head all the way through the hole and her bun got stuck. Panic struck. My poor kid.

3. At the Fairmont I had Brian hold my wedding and engagement rings while I sunblocked Lilly. I later asked for my rings back and that's when we realized that they must have fallen in the sand. So we spent a good 45 minutes looking for my rings.

Lessons learned: ALWAYS wear your seat belt properly. LISTEN to everyone - especially the little ones. (Lilly is very sensitive). DON'T stick your head all the way through a cut-out. LEAVE your rings in a zippered bag/container - not near sand and make sure your jewelry is insured.

The red-eye back to mainland was a fast flight since we slept the entire time and then there was the drive back from Minneapolis to Grand Forks - but it was all worth it to spend a great vacation with the family!

** these are pics from the second part of the vacation (Thurs. Jan. 5-Mon. Jan. 9). check out www.kilmerville.blogspot.com for photos from the first part - or come over and see them. I took a million and I know all my sisters did too.

Lilly & Ba-Jim

Kona coffee cherries

Rodney slicing up some of the tuna caught on the boys' fishing trip

Jan. 6, 2012 - Happy 40th Anniversary!

sea turtle at Black Sand Beach

Kilauea - active volcano at Hawaii Volcano National Park. Needless to say, Tha and Lilly were disappointed there was not lava spewing out of it.

from the Visitors Center of Mauna Kea - above the clouds

early morning poolside mani pedis for this topless princess

anytime is a good time for a game of Rummikub

lounging in the pool after snorkeling

Lilly & 2 of her best buddies

the Tinaves family (sisters, I hope one of you have a better photo than this super sunny one)

loves her little cousin/practicing for bingo

adorable Bear

a family photo as shaved ice... post Lilly's guillotine experience 

Uncle Brian w/the two darling babes (soon to be 3!)

surf's up

she "caught" a fish!

goodbye Fairmont Orchid!

asleep before we even made it through security on the way home in Kona