Day 10- Sunday, April 20, 2008:
Oh, what to do. You see, we realized we were running out of days. And unfortunately, we couldn't extend our trip. And couple that with the fact that Randy can't stand to sit around on a vacation (sorry Mom and Dad...) and he didn't exactly want to make an exception in this case. We compromised:
We went to church with my parents. The bishop asked my dad and Randy to pass the sacrament, along with Casey. He was very excited to have three generations pass together. He had never seen that before. It was neat. Casey did a good job....it was cute- he forgot the choir members :) There was no Primary (remember, this is a BYUH student ward,) and the younger kids barely lasted through Sacrament meeting, so we walked around BYUH while Casey and Hailey went with my mom and dad to Sunday School and Relief Society/ Priesthood. I was bummed that I didn't go with them, but I didn't feel like I could bail on Randy with four kids.
After church (this is where the compromise came in...) we took a drive around the island. We went as far as we could on North Shore. We saw a group of people kite surfing- they have big kite/parachute things hooked around their waist and then they strap into a surfboard thingy and let the wind take them. It was fun to watch! Then we headed to the leeward side of the island. It is definitely not as pretty on that side as on the windward side. Things are not as green and there are people camped on the beaches. I mean, they live there! These are people with jobs, they just can't afford a house. It really makes me appreciate what we have. We did find a nice 'lagoon' at a private resort. We just let the kids walk around for a little while, even though they would have loved to jump in, it was, after all, Sunday. The sunset on that side of the island was gorgeous! I was able to take some nice photos....so now I have sunrise, and sunset pictures!
Day 11- Monday, April 21, 2008:
Randy took the older kids treasure hunting. I don't mean to separate them like this, it just happens that Hannah usually doesn't care to go, Nathan is just difficult to handle with a ratio of 4:1, and Emma is too little. I hung out at home with my mom and did laundry (yup, on vacation, I still managed to do a load or more a day) while my dad went to the office for a little while.
They brought back some shells- the only ones really that we found.
The PCC opened at noon, and we were ready for it...but were they ready for us? This was the part of the trip I was the most excited about! When I was younger, I never really had a desire to go to Hawaii. Remember, I don't love water, and I guess you could say I hate sand. I know, I know. But the culture is so fascinating to me. I love it! It is just fun! The drums, that dancing, the flowers, the music, the luaus, and the people...I just love it. So this is why I have wanted to go to Hawaii.
We had a great time visiting the different villages. We enjoyed the 'show' in Samoa where the Samoan warrior showed us how to make fire by literally rubbing two sticks together, how to crack open a coconut, and get the milk out. Then in a matter of seconds, one had climbed a 40-foot coconut tree!!
We got 'tattoos' in Aotearoa (New Zealand), and attempted to twirl poi balls, and play Tititorea- a fun Maori stick game- kind of like the rhythm sticks we learned in 6th grade. Hailey really liked those.
The kids- especially Nathan- loved Tonga. Hailey and Hannah were chosen to be part of the drumming presentation, and we all got to try our hand at spear throwing. Nathan especially loved that part.
Casey has a habit of disappearing. My mom found him in a hut, carving a bowl. My mom said she has never seen anyone but the workers carving in there. Casey also has a way of talking people into letting him do things! :O)
There was a canoe pageant in the river that was fun to watch. There were canoes with dancers from each island. We met some of the missionaries my mom works with in the Hawaii Mission Settlement.
Tyler and I were called up on stage in Fiji because our birthdays are in April. Tyler was less than thrilled to be up there and be expected to dance!
After countless trips to the bathroom (I swear, Hannah's bladder is the size of a marshmallow...) it was time for the luau. By this time, Nathan was asleep. I didn't want him to miss it, but I also knew what would happen if we woke him up. 'Uncle Benny' was the host and he was really great. We splurged and bought smoothies in hollowed-out pineapples. There were a few little kids that performed- I was in awe at how talented they were!
After the luau, was the Horizons night show. Wow! It was so fun! We were hooked! It was all fabulous, but the fire-knife dance and the Tahitian dancers were amazing! I was sad to see it end...but we did buy the DVD if anyone wants to watch it.
Day 12- Tuesday, April 22, 2008:
Trying to squeeze everything in before leaving, we hiked to Waimea Falls before the PCC opened at noon. I was pretty disappointed that we had to pay $40 to hike! But the scenery was beautiful and we saw lots of cool lizard-y things! I felt like we were in the middle of the jungle. And there were concrete steps and paths everywhere covered in moss, It would have been a cool place for a wedding reception or family portraits. Too bad I couldn't get everyone together and pose for me. :) I did get some great shots, though. They were filming a made-for-TV movie at the falls; 'Flirting with Forty'. It took longer than anticipated to reach the falls, so we had to cruise back down so we didn't lose out on precious time at the PCC.
Back to the PCC for another fun-filled day. We were all over the place! Sorry, Mom. We didn't plan it well, but we wanted to catch all the presentations and we had to do what the kids wanted, when they wanted..or else! :O)
We went to another Tongan drum show and this time Randy was asked to participate. He was such a ham, it was awesome! I took pictures, but not a video, darn it! I wish I had it. The guy asked him to follow along. He would shout something and have Randy repeat it. At one point, he yelled something so unintelligible that Randy just responded with 'Aloha'! The guy stopped, and said, "This is my show!" Pretty funny! Randy was rockin' out on the drums, havin' a great time.
On to the village of Hawaii. Cousin Benny was there presenting. He was very entertaining and insightful! He demonstrated all the various instruments they use, and he compared them to other Polynesian islands. We talked to him afterwards about his daughter. He said when he was little, he became a fast runner because his mom used the split bamboo sticks for purposes other than music. :O) He figured he could make his kids fast like that, too. So when his daughter was little, he'd chase her around the park with the bamboo sticks- and she became a fast runner, too. When soccer came to the island, they signed her up and she is now the first Hawaiian on the U. S. Soccer Team.
We grabbed some lunch and watched part of the canoe pageant again. Nathan was dying to throw the spears again, so we obliged. He was determined to throw the spear into the little ring. We kept moving the ring closer until it was right at his feet and he dropped it in. That satisfied him enough that we were able to make it to the Tahiti village in time for the show.
I am amazed at how fast those girls can shake their hips! Wow! We all got to try to dance Tahitian style, though few of us were successful. I'll have to keep practicing! The kids tried their hand at fishing. Tyler caught a good-sized fish right off the bat, using bread dough for bait. Hailey also caught one, and Casey had a giant Koi on his line, but it got away! Randy decided he'd start using bread dough and paper clips for fishing from now on!
We rode a canoe to the other side of the Center and visited Samoa, again. That guy, Kap, was so funny (he is on the video, BTW. Mr. Scoutmaster (a.k.a. Randy) was determined to start a fire with two sticks and a coconut husk....maybe next time.
Time was running out :( We went back to Hawaii to learn to hula (I got some great black mail pictures!) and Casey returned to the Aotearoa hut to finish his carving. Hailey wanted to practice more with the Tititorea sticks, and then we went back to Samoa for an up-close fire-knife demonstration. Those guys are crazy- spinning hot knives with flames on both ends!
Sadly, our day at the PCC was over. But Randy arranged for my dad to watch the kids so we could go out for a few hours (my mom had a Relief Society meeting.) We went to Jameson's for dinner and had the best fish I have ever tasted. Afterwards, we sat on the beach across the street, on the North Shore. We drove back to Temple Beach and sat there for a while until I couldn't stay awake any longer.
Only two more days in paradise....
2 comments:
That sounds like so much fun my In-laws are jealous of your parents. It had to be awsome at the PCC. Hopefully some of those blackmail pictures end up on your blog for all to see.
I have pics of Kap and I... he let me drink the coconut milk, and I used his grass skirt as my napkin... when he asked if I was married or single, and I told him married of course, he asked who my husband was... Mer and Clint BOTH raised their hands... he's such a funny, quick-witted guy!
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