hawaii

(sorry for all the spacing between posts)
we are finally home from our trip to hawaii. while i was there i made a point to journal every night so i would remember all the fun things we were experiencing. i'm glad now, because there is no way i'd have remembered all the details or when we did things. and now all i have to do is copy my pictures in. this has got to be the longest post ever, so you'll probably just want to do what i do when looking at blogs... look at the pictures only!

day before vacation- hospital visit
it's monday... the day before we leave for hawaii. i was planning on calling the babysitter to come play with porter for a few hours so i could get all of the many things done for the trip- cleaning, packing, last minute errands. but instead i spent the day (and night before) throwing up every hour. i was wondering whether my anticipated trip was going to be cancelled. i made a call to my doctor and was told to go to the hospital to have an iv put in me. so babysitter plans and day full of getting ready went out the window, and i spent the day in the hospital with tubes stuck in me, still wondering whether i would be leaving the next day. jared had to take the day off work to play mr. mom and got texts from me at the hospital with directions on what needed to be done, and shopping lists to be purchased. by 7pm that night i was home and starting to feel better and finished the packing... but still knowing i'd wait to see how i felt the next day. luckily i felt good. funny comment of the day: after administering my iv fluids the nurse decides it is time for me to try and eat and drink on my own. i hadn't eat anything in over 24 hours by this point. i tell her that sounds good, and she considers it for a second before asking, "would you like some oreos?" i wish i could have seen my reaction before asking "um, how about some crackers?"

day 1- traveling
we arrived at the airport tuesday morning, and after checking in our bags we were told that our flight to san francisco had been delayed to weather problems in san francisco. by the time our flight would arrive, we would have missed our hawaii flight. after some sweet talking i got us switched to a non-stop flight leaving 20 minutes after our original time, and arriving three hours earlier in hawaii. sweet! the flight was seven hours long. SEVEN HOURS! WITH a two year old! he actually did amazing, but still, even we were getting stir crazy. i mean, we watched two movies and there were still five hours left in our flight! i was under doctor orders to get up and walk every hour for circulation and i think that was good for our toddler, too.

day 2- kalua beach
the first day we were in Hawaii we were dying to get to the beach. we went to one of the top rated beaches in the world on a less popular side of the island. it was beautiful. porter was excited to see and be in the water, and jared brought him out past the waves. he had just as much fun feeding the birds at the beach, and by the time we left he had quite a group of friends that had gathered around him. we also went to a lookout with an amazing view. it was so windy.


































































day 3 - turtle bay, polynesian culture center, lds temple
second day we spent the day on i believe the north shore. we went to turtle bay and saw these humongous turtles. you could see them being tossed around in the waves but two of them actually came out on the sand to sleep. porter developed his fear of the waves here, when the waves suddenly came up to where we were and covered him up to his waist in water. he was fully dressed and in his shoes, as were we. it was uncomfortable spending the remainder of our day in wet tennis shoes. we went to this famous restaurant for lunch that is the biggest hole in the wall but way yummy. from there we went to the Polynesian culture center. i've been to hawaii before, and was sure i must have been before but i hadn't so it was really a fun experience. the night show was out of this world. we also stopped by the temple while we were over there, which is currently closed for remodeling but the visitors center was open. it was a busy day. funny comment of the day: a father walked by with his crying baby and once he had passed porter told us, "the baby is sad."














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day 4- magic island, pediatrician visit, international market, waikiki
the third day we were getting worried about our little porter jay because he was seeming so fussy. we went to the beach that morning but then we ended up taking him to the pediatricians office fearing he might have an ear infection. but he was fine. we were just running him to ragged. he was waking up every morning at 5am, and by the time we left to go about our day he was ready for nap. he simply wasn't getting the rest he needed, and was being over stimulated. so we decided we needed to be more careful and aware of his needs. we pretty much took the rest of the day off and let him get some rest and have some time to just take it easy. jared's parents watched him for us that night while we went to waikiki for dinner at cheesecake factory. we also went to the international market, wakiki beach, and walked the shops downtown. they met up with us that night on the beach to watch fireworks. funny comment of the day: sitting close to the cliff at the beach, porter tells jared "be careful daddy, the sharks will get you."








































day 5- manoa falls waterfall hike, dole plantation, matsumotos
fourth day, we made it a point to get up and going bright and early and porter was kind enough to sleep in until 6am this day. we put on our walking shoes and hiked manoa falls. we were hiking in a full on jungle and it was so pretty. porter was content to travel on his daddy's shoulders, so i am certain jared got an extra big workout. from there we headed to the dole plantation where we took their tour. porter loved it because the tour took place on a train which was pure heaven for him. we also visited the famous matsumoto's in the nearby city of haliewa to try out the infamous snow cones. i have to admit friends that i was skeptical. snow cones isn't my preferred treat and really, how good could a snow cone be? but we weren't dissapointed, it was just as good as everyone told us it would be. jared's parents took porter out for the evening, and jared and i are on our own. jared has been napping for the last hour plus which has given me some time to start writing all of this down before i forget anything. funny comment of the day: as we were hiking down from the falls, jared is covered in sweat from carrying his two year old the entire time. porter is sitting on his shoulders enjoying an effortless ride, and tells jared "you're doing good."




























































































































day 6- swimming, church, beach
it's sunday. we took porter to the park this morning, and he happened to notice the pool nearby. he kept telling us "i want go swimming." we told him and showed him that the gate was locked and he replied "well, get the keys!" all he has wanted to do since we got here was go swimming, but the pool where we are staying is freezing. on the way back we decided to stop by the pool and let him get his feet in to see if he still wanted to go swimming. he did. he played on the first two steps the whole time with a ball. he was in heaven. we went to church that afternoon and he had fun playing in nursery. he didn't let me leave for 30 minutes but finally came and kissed me on the lips and said "see ya mommy" after church we went on a drive and ended up walking on the beach where we "put our feet in the water"... but really ended up getting pretty wet. it seemed porter started recovering from his fear of waves. funny comment of the day: at the beach there was a big cement walkway that took you out in the ocean. when we were almost at the end, porter said "whoa, watch out. be careful dad."


















































day 7- haunama bay, patio dinner
today we went to hanauma bay to snorkel. Jared was really skeptical about going, probably because our last snorkeling experience was a bad one. it was quite the task getting into the place- long lines, watching videos, etc. but when we finally got in we loved it. we saw lots of fish, and the water was really pleasant. our original plans were to stay for 1-2 hours but we ended up spending the whole day there. porter finally got a normal length nap in today, and wasn't irritable. he loved swimming in the water, and even got to see some fish himself. i had fun swimming around with him, and seeing a permanent smile across his sweet face. that night we went to a really yummy dinner with j's parents. it was a dinner they do once a month at their bishops house with the elder missionaries, couple missionaries, mission president, and investigators. amazing food, amazing company. porter had a friend to play with and was in heaven. note to self: wear "waterproof" sunscreen when playing in water. sunburn is bad, and a splotchy sunburn is worse. i think we might revisit hanauma bay once more before our trip is over. we shall see.































































day 8- kuloa ranch jungle expedition, shopping
j's mom watched porter today while Jared and i headed towards the other side of the island to kuoloa ranch. we went on a jungle expedition tour, in a 6-wheel vehicle. it was a fast and bumpy ride and i think the little boy inside me was wondering what in the world was going on. there were some pretty views, and interesting sights. the ranch we toured happens to be where Jurassic park was filmed, you me & dupree, 50 first dates, and the tv series lost. it was fun to see the sights where some of their scenes were filmed. on the way home we stopped and did a little bit of shopping. i was excited to find some winter boots i'd been wanting at Macy's for 75% off. guess the Hawaiians don't need winter boots out here. funny comment of the day: as we were getting ready to leave, porter began his goodbyes: "bye mom, see you later... bye dad, see you later," he gave me a hug and a kiss and then he told me, "have fun, mom!" it made me laugh. he burst into tears as soon as we walked out the door. so much for an easy goodbye.





































day 9- stadium swap meet, golf, swimming
today mickey, porter and i went to the stadium swap meet to look for souvenirs. i don't know that i have been there before and it was a fun experience. i was disappointed that with all the cheap jewelry they had the one i liked was $400. i obviously wasn't getting that "treasure". Jared and his dad went golfing. after lunch we met up with the boys and changed into our swimsuits and spent the rest of the afternoon swimming. porter loves the pool so much, it's not funny. jared is wondering what he is going to do when we get back to utah and he has to stay inside all day. this definitely is gearing me up for summer. funny comment of the day: porter was playing in a toddler park, and was inside a little tikes plastic house. he opened the windows of his house, stretched his arms out and said "here's your chicken nuggets and fries mom." he later distributed chicken nuggets, fries, and drinks to everyone else, and asked his daddy for money.






















day 10- north shore, volcome pipeline surf competition, waimea falls hike
weather is really weird here. in Honolulu it will be blue skies and sunny, but if you drive 10 miles it will be cloudy and raining. we had plans today to go to kailua beach to do some kayaking and paddle surfing, since we woke up to a beautiful day. but when we arrived it was windy, cloudy, and raining. we decided to hold off on our plans until better weather, but we still enjoyed the beach for a while. porter and i built sand castles, and played in the water. he is such a little water bug. he is almost enjoying the waves again. from there we headed over to the north shore where we heard there were 20-30 feet waves. there were, and there happened to be the volcom pipeline surf competition going on at the time. we watched the surfers for a while. you see it on tv and it's non-stop action, but in real life it's a bit boring. 30 minutes can go by before anyone actually catches a wave. i guess it's dangerous and they want to be careful. from there we over to waimea falls and hiked up to the falls. that place was really pretty. they had it landscaped all the way up to the falls, and porter walked most of the way himself. at the waterfall porter and i took a dip in the falls, and it was COLD water. porter is my water bug and was dying to get in. i swam out to the waterfall and there is seriously nothing cooler than seeing a waterfall right above your head. the nice thing about hawaii is that even with that cold water i was warm as soon as i stepped out. we saw some peacocks at waimea, and we learned that if you feed them they will be your friends. we couldn't get them to go away after that. porter was a little nervous around them. it was a fun day, despite our plans changing last minute. i am just hoping we get in our kayaking and paddle surfing before the trip is over. funny comment of the day: porter chasing birds away and saying "i'm gonnna get you! roaarrrrrrrrr!"















































day 11- kayaking, paddle surfing, beach day, ala moana mall
Today we went to the beautiful Kailua beach for a day in the sun. It was so much fun. We rented a two person kayak and a stand up paddle. Paddle surfing was so much fun. Porter loved taking rides in the kayak, in fact when I got back from a paddle surf ride he stood next to the kayak and said "I'm ready to ride in the boat, mom." It was so cute. So I took him for a short little ride and he fell right to sleep! Everyone tried out the watersports and loved them. This was definitely a day I'd repeat. I think we've been lucky, actually, because pretty much everything we have done I would do again or suggest to someone else. Tonight we went over to Ala Moana mall which is huge by the way. Almost 300 stores, and over 70 places to eat. We had dinner at Ruby Tuesdays, and watched the Friday night fireworks from the balcony after. A nearby restaurant had a huge stash of toys outside and Porter spent over an hour playing. He was acting very deprived of his play time. I am sure he misses all of his toys, and will probably be in heaven when we get back. funny comment of the day: (or perhaps sad?) we ordered porter his own meal at dinner tonight which we usually don't, he just shares with us. but he was chowing down on his chicken strips and fries. after every bite, he would lean in to me and say with so much enthusiasm, "thank you, ma!" It was so cute, maybe I should order him his own meals more often!

































day 12- birthday celebration, waikiki aquarium, shopping, benihanas
Today is my 26th birthday! What more can a girl ask for than to spend her birthday in Hawaii? Jared has been asking me for the last week what I want to do on my birthday and I'm like "hello, we are in Hawaii... everyday has been my birthday!" We spent the morning over at Waikiki Aquarium... it was a pretty small scaled aquarium, it wasn't somewhere I would return. After we took Porter to get some lunch, and then got him asleep for his nap. J's parents were off running errands so Jared and I actually got to nap too. When they got back we headed out for a night on our own. We went to the outlets and hit the jackpot. We were finding treasures left and right, it was too much fun. Then we went to Benihanas for dinner. Fun environment... a little awkward sitting with strangers. Especially when some lady showed up by herself, which I found odd. She was the most outgoing of the group though. It became even more awkward when creepy guy showed up by himself at the nearby table and started buying beer for the single lady at our table. He stared at her the rest of the night and she was sitting next to me, which made it even more creepier. Entertaining though. Mickey and Steve were sweet to get me a yummy cake and a cute new purse I'd been eyeing. funny comment of the day: While eating lunch with Porter at McDonald's he ate all of his apple slices. He asked us "more apples?" in which replied, "no, the apples are all gone." This repeated two more times, and then he said stubbornly "Porter SAYS more apples." We thought that was hilarious.























































day 13- church, park
it's sunday again. we went to an 11am-2pm church today... his block for nap time. but he was a champ. he loves going to nursery, but he isn't so good during sacrament; he'd rather run the halls. or in hawaii, the courtyard. he fell asleep almost before we could get out of the church parking garage, he was so tired. after having lunch, mickey and steve went for a drive, and j and i took porter across the street to the park. i wish i would have taken some pictures of him after playing at the park. his hair is soaking wet with sweat because he runs non-stop. unless of course there is another child nearby, then he will follow them around like a lost puppy. tonight he found a 15 month old little girl. her mom asked her if she wanted to give porter a hug and kiss. porter puckered up and leaned in, and this little girl got wide eyes and lifted her hand as if she was going to slap him. lol! smart girl, keep those boys away! during the evening we rented the movie Up! and watched it with J's parents. funny comment of the day: in nursery they begin with singing time, unlike our ward that plays first. in between every song, porter would yell "but where's the toys?"

day 14- haunama bay snorkeling
today we returned to haunama bay. it was much easier getting in this time since we didn't have to watch their video again. jared wanted to take me out deep this time. we went bast the buoys to the deeper water. i started freaking out a little, because the tide was quickly pulling us out deeper and deeper. i mentioned it to jared, and he said "yeah it's a workout getting back in." i wondered if i was strong enough to swim against the current for so long, and i decided to start swimming towards shore a bit to test my ability. i was face down checking out the fish, and swimming as hard as i could. the waves started getting bigger, and i focused on trying to ride with the waves. the waves continued to get bigger, and i was trying to focus on staying calm but it was making me nervous. next thing i knew there were a bunch of rocks in front of me, and the waves pushed me right into them. it pulled me back, and pushed me into them again. water was in my snorkel and i was trying to come up and breathe all while getting banged into the rocks. by this time i thought i was having a heart attack. i spotted the bald head next to me and grabbed on for dear life. oops, that was an elderly man. i got myself together and swam back out deeper water away from the waves and found jared. i escaped with just a scraped up knee and hand. i felt a dumb after observing what i did. i swam right into a cluster of rocks that were clearly visible from above water, but i kept my head down the whole time. even though i learned the do's and don'ts of snorkeling in the deep, i think i'll stick with the tourists in the shallow and calm water. porter had a blast with his bucket and shovel. he found a couple other little toddler boys and he followed them around most of the day. funny comment of the day: his favorite thing to do was to count to three, and then run into the water and fall down. every time he would laugh hysterically and yell, "this is SO fun!"

day 15- time to come home
aw, bittersweet day. we go home today! we had a pretty low key day since there was a lot of packing and getting ready to do. we always manage to buy way too much stuff on vacation and then have to figure out how to get it all back home! we ran some errands in the morning with jared's mom, and then when porter went down for nap, jared and i went on one last date. today i am tired. i'm ready to go home and not have to wrestle my little boy everywhere we go. i know he is out of his element and not sure what is going on, but he has been a handful at times on this trip. it will be nice to be home and back into our daily routine. our flight left 10pm hawaii time, and we arrived in los angeles at 4:20am la time (2:20am hawaii time). we were in la for a good three hours before leaving for utah. the red eye flight ended up working out good because porter slept through both flights. we didn't get to sleep that much, and were tired when we finally got home on wednesday morning. porter was so excited to be home. he played for five hours straight, and was in pure heaven. jared and i both were able to nap on the couches while he played and he was just loving being home with all his toys. he didn't take a nap (i think/hope!) but by 6pm he was pooped and fell asleep in my lap at the dinner table. it's dark, and i am assuming he is down for the night, and that this isn't his "nap". now i am just busy getting the laundry done, groceries bought, and some housework done before my mom flies in to see us tomorrow afternoon. what a busy 15 days it has been! funny comment of the day: once at home, porter was jumping and laughing. i was watching, tired. porter came up close to my face, and tells me "i'm so funny."
me "i'm so funny."