Jason took Danica on a early morning treasure hunt that ended up at the Black Bear Diner where Dale and I were waiting to have breakfast with them. She was surprised and happy to see us.
We drove up to Snow Canyon and hiked into the back of a cave.
We stopped at Tuacahn and checked out the Farmer's Market that was going on there. We saw some pretty neat wares and even a Lion Rabbit!
We also stopped at Kayenta (near Ivins) and checked out the art galleries and shops there.
We ended the day by going to her soccer game. It was great seeing her out on the field and cheering the team on. Happy Birthday Danica! It was a short trip, but well worth it.
Matt, Amie, and Mazin joined up with Dale and I and we headed out on an early flight to spend a week in Hawaii. Mazin was a good little traveler too. After we got our bags and hooked up with a rental car we drove to the north shore area, stopping for our first taste of truck food (which was VERY tasty) and to our home away from home in Laie. The view from our place was beautiful! Blue Ocean and beach!!
We picked up some groceries and then took turns doing a session in the Laie, Hawaii temple. A beautiful way to end the day and start out a week in paradise.
Day 2: We headed out to Kuala Ranch's Secret Beach. The water was great and the scenery was breathtaking. I even conquered paddle boarding. Mazin loved the water and was a good sport too.
Then we went to see the Waimea Valley and the North Shore area.We also got to visit Waimea Falls Park and swim in the pool by the falls. Pretty cool. I could get used to this place.
Day 3: We went to Sacrament Meeting in a Laie family ward and then headed to the Pearl Harbor area to tour the USS Arizona, USS Missouri and USS Bowfin. Even though I've seen Pearl Harbor two other times, it still tugs at my heartstrings to know all that those men and women went through and all of the lives that were lost for our freedom. History plays a big part of our lives.
We ended up topping off the day by watching a beautiful sunset at my favorite beach, Sunset beach. We live in a beautiful world, and are so blessed to feel of our Savior's love each day because of it's beauty.
Day 4: We saw sea turtles swimming around while looking out over the water from our place before breakfast! Neat, neat!! We hit our beach, Temple Beach, and did some boggie boarding and body surfing. We started getting the hang of it even.
Then we cleaned up and headed over to the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC) and walked around some. It started raining, but we didn't let that stop us from making the most of our time. We also ate at the luau and went to the Breath of Life show that the PCC puts on. I loved every minute of today.
Day 5: Amie and Matt went on the Jungle Ride at Kualoa Ranch and Dale, Mazin and I went on a Ocean Voyage Catamaran Tour. Mazin loved the ride even though it was a bit windy. We saw China Hat and a lot of ocean. We were hoping to see sea turtles or dolphins, but didn't get to see any. It was a nice relaxing ride though and full of sunshine.
We met up with Amie and Matt and headed to see the famous Dole Plantation. We took the train tour and walked around the beautiful gardens. We even took on the Pineapple Maze and had fresh pineapple whips. Another day full of fun. Heading back we stopped along the north shore and ate some more good food from the food trucks. Life is good.
Day 6: Dale and I went on the Jungle Ride at Kualoa Ranch while Amie, Matt, and Mazin went on the Ocean Voyage Catamaran Tour. We saw some beautiful scenery and some of the areas where Jurassic Park was filmed. We also went on a little hike into the "jungle". It was so pretty!
After we met up with Amie, Matt and Mazin and then went and walked around the BYU-Hawaii Campus. I was surprised that I remembered where some of the buildings were from when I went to school there for a semester about 26 years ago!!
From there we headed back over to the PCC to visit more villages. We visited the FIji, Hawaii, Samoa, and Tonga villages and saw the Hawaiian Journey movie, some island shows, and the parade of the canoes.We could of spent all day there. There was so much to see!
We went and walked along the beach after dinner. I love the ocean, I love the beach, I love Hawaii!! This trip has been so relaxing and fun.
Day 7: We went to Shark Cove and did some snorkeling. Dale was so excited to get into the water that he forgot to take his phone out of his pocket and ended up hoping that it would work again after sitting it in rice for a few days. (Never got the phone working) The snorkeling was awesome! I saw some pretty cool fish too.
We got cleaned up, cleaned up the place, packed up our bags and headed over to Sea Life Park where we saw people swimming with the sharks, a dolphin show, saw sea lions, sea turtles, jelly fish, and other tropical fish.
We also got to feed tropical birds. We'd hold out a stick with honey and seed on it and boy they loved it! They would come right up to us and land on our arm or head. It was pretty neat.
From there we stopped and watched the waves crash into the rocks along a rocky beach area and then we drove into Honolulu to check out the Waikiki Beach area, but it was CRAZY traffic and VERY crowded, and we couldn't find a place to park, so we gave up on that adventure.
We grabbed a bite to eat, turned our car in and said good-bye to Hawaii. We had an over-night flight. Mazin was quite the trooper, and slept most the way back. We did have a 2 1/2 hour layover in Los Angeles, so we grabbed some breakfast and landed in Salt Lake around 10:00am on Day 8. We all came back with some color and great memories. I'm hoping we can get back there soon. We all had a great time. Dale even said he could do a trip like that one again. Believe me, I'll make sure that happens.
Dale sang with the American Festival Chorus for their Halloween Show. I think they all had a fun time. Dale thoroughly enjoys singing with the choir.
I got into the Halloween spirit by being a witch at North Logan's Pumpkin Walk. It was fun to have the kids want their picture with you and then tell me what they were going to be for Halloween. Thanks Lindsay for doing my make-up and letting me wear your black wig.
A lot of people didn't know who I was until I started talking. I had a fun time, I hope to make this a yearly event for me.
Titan and Eloise, Andrew and Lindsay came to see me and I even got a kiss from Dale!
We helped Jorie celebrate her 1st birthday by going to Syracuse and spending the afternoon with Garrett, Zandra, the Dennis's (Zandra's folks and brother), Lindsay and kids, as well as friends. Jorie loved the attention and the idea of getting presents. We loved spending time with friends and family. Happy Birthday Jorie!!
Andrew got stuck in fog a lot at work, so he had quite a bit of down time until he got home.
Once home, Andrew and Lindsay announced they'll be adding another one to their family the first of May. That will bring our tally up to 8 grandkids. Congratulations! We hope the best for you. Lindsay's had some morning sickness, and with Andrew home he took the kids out for a Razor ride...............
........and the family to the American West Heritage Center. He also helped the kids make a playhouse out of a box. Fun times.
Andrew and Lindsay have also been making wooden furniture. Sofa tables, coffee tables, and dining tables and have even sold a few. Very nice, I'd say!
They also went on the Baja Cruise. Andrew gave it to Lindsay for their anniversary in July. Lindsay's first cruise. They snorkeled at Catalina Island, rented a car and toured Ensenada, CA, and went to Universal Studios.
I got to watch Titan and Eloise. We had some fun too! I took them to the Bounce House, we made sticker pictures, went and picked out pumpkins and painted them, and went to Hyde Park's Halloween House.
All had a fun time dressing up for Halloween. I got to walk around with Titan and Eloise this year when they went trick or treating. Fun times!
Dale and Andrew also got out in the hills to do some hunting, but they didn't see any animals, just fresh tracks and some great scenery.
Nate and Kim took a break and went on a trip to Cabo to get in some sunshine and fun.
Nate also went to Phoenix, AZ for a medical conference,
And of course he's still finding time to get outside and do his mountain runs. He ran Mailbox Peak, a 11 mile trail run. You've got to have balance in your life, right?
Garrett closed a loan for one of his good friends, Mike and Sarah McKnight as well this month. A win, win for both.
He also got to get his bike out and go for a ride with his friend around Antelope Island and enjoy the mild weather we've been having. Get out and do, when you can. That seems to be the motto this month.
Danica got a pet hedgehog and named her Willow. I know, a hedgehog for a pet? Go figure.
She also bought her a car!! A Nissan Versa. She's pretty excited about that, seeing how she's been riding a bike or catching a ride with friends anywhere she needs to go. Welcome to the big world D!!
Danica also went to the Red Bull Rampage that was held at Zions National Park and hiked the narrows with some of her friends. She too, is learning to make time for the great outdoors and taking advantage of the great weather St. George is offering. Hiking the Narrows was on her bucket list of things to do while in St. George. Check that one off!
Looks like October needs a standing Ovation considering all that was accomplished I'd say.
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