Porter Ohana in Hawaii part 1

What now seems like ages ago we went on a family adventure to paradise.  Hawaii.  This was a big deal because 1) Richard & I were invited - didn't get the invite to San Francisco a couple of years ago, but then we don't invite them on our trips either, so tomato, potato.   and 2) it actually happened.  When my mom first started talking about this family trip I think we all doubted that it would really go down.  It did, and it was awesome.  Not without a few bumps (what family vacation goes without those?  or any vacation for that matter!), but it was marvelous anyway!  Something we'll always remember as one of the best times we had as a family.  Here are a few pics from the first part of the trip:

I drove down to Las Vegas w/ my family to fly out on a the red-eye Friday night.  Richard had to meet us there the next day because his grandpa died and the funeral was the day we were scheduled to leave, but that's another post.  Even the ride to the airport was fun!

I can sleep just about anywhere...including an airport floor.  I just don't think about it too much, and then I'm out.  It's a gift, I know.

Finally there!  We look good, no?

We couldn't check in to our beach house until 4:00 pm.  Our plane arrived at 5:00 am.  We basically beach-hopped until we could beach-hop no more.  Even being in Hawaii, that was one of the longest days of my life.

We found this crazy staircase out in the water & had some fun with that.  Then we walked out (on coral reef, w/ bare feet) to a little island that was a bird refuge.  It took FOREVER, and it hurt like a mother, but I haven't laughed that hard with my sisters in a....well, maybe ever.  At one point I thought we'd have to wait for a rescue helicopter to come take us back to shore.  And on our way back, we could see my dad pacing back and forth wondering if we'd been eaten by the sharks that breed on the other side of the bird island refuge island we didn't know about until much later.  If I learned nothing else from that adventures with my sisters, its that with enough peer pressure we can get each other to do anything.  Mostly Chelsa.

Richard finally got there, and his first item of business was to hit the beach.  After lubing up with enough sunblock to protect a family of albinos.  I love this picture - my baby's having a good time!

Our BFF's Sam & Melissa Bates abandoned us to move back to Hawaii in January.  They found out they were expecting baby girl Bates just as they were leaving, so we didn't get a chance to give Melissa a baby shower.  That didn't stop me from delivering one to her, though.  I gathered gifts from some of our friends here in Ogden and packed them in my suitcase to surprise her with when we reunited.  When they came to have dinner with us at our beach house we surprised her, and she got to open the gifts right on the beach.  It was the best baby shower ever.

The boys keeping their "smooth" heads safe from the sun.

We watched the sun rise just about every morning.  And even though Richard & I got the  shaft and had to sleep on the hide-a-bed in the living room, we got to listen to the waves every night.  That was one of my favorite things (not the bed, but the waves).

This picture was taken approximately 2 seconds before the first of the cockroaches appeared...on the wall right behind them.

A friendly game of darts, played only hours after they capsized in the kayak and nearly drowned behind the beach house.  Classic.

The Dole Plantation.  Yummy ice cream.  Stoned sister.

Mutant coy fish that would fight to the death to be fed by tourists. 

We got our shave ice where President Obama gets his. 

Met up with family friends the Haagen's who are serving their mission at the Polynesian Cultural Center.  What a rough life.

Poi balls.  We're the best.

Norm Haagen pulled some strings to get my dad up on stage (against my dad's knowledge & will) in the village of Tonga.  It was one of the best parts of the trip.  Luckily we got it on video.

Me & Chelsa don't like crafting in Hawaii, either.

That night, the rest of the cockroaches showed their ugly faces.  Not cool.

More to come...