Hawaii 2010

Our recent trip to Hawaii was more than I could ever ask for.  I left with many beautiful memories that I will always cherish.  Four months ago, I was thrilled to hear the news that Henry’s cousin Jack would be having a destination wedding in Hawaii.  In addition, we were also informed that Henry’s father (who lives in Taiwan) would also be attending.  In all, this was the first time Jayden and I would be meeting him.  And to put the icing on the cake, during our time in Hawaii, Henry and I would be celebrating our 5 year anniversary.  Like I said, it was the more than I could ever ask for.

Our first day in Hawaii, we attended Jack and Lucy’s afternoon tea gathering at the Waikiki Halekulani Hotel.  This was the first of our meeting with Ye Ye (Grandfather in Chinese), it was very emotional and a happy occasion for  everyone.  Jayden warmed up to his Ye Ye so fast, it was a precious moment.  Here they are sharing a walk together hand-in-hand.

Later that evening we all headed down to a very traditional Luau.

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Jayden with daddy and Ye Ye…

Jack (the Groom) on stage having a blast!

Day two, we explored the Island of Oahu with our family members from Taiwan.  We went to visit the following locations:

First stop was the Dole Plantation.  The plantation was so colorful and such a cool place to visit.  It holds over 120 different pineapples and the worlds largest maze.  And let me brag about the pineapple ice-cream… Yummy!!

Here are some of our family members from Taiwan. Everyone was so kind and they all took turns holding Jayden.

Along the way we stopped at M. Matsumoto (what a surprise when my mom told me my great grandmothers last name was Matsumoto.  Yes, I have japanese roots) anyway,  the best shaved ice around…. Talk about sugar high on our tour!

Here as you can tell, Jayden and I were more interested in the shave ice, rather than posing for a family photo!

Our next stop was Laniakea Beach aka Turtle Beach.  What can I say “breathtaking!”  Here I took a few minutes to take out my Nikon and get some great shots with unbelievable colors and clouds in the water and sky.

Here’s the lovely cousins  Catherine and Fred.  They’ll be getting married this September in Taiwan!  I was so happy to meet the both of you, I am so glad we can KIT on Facebook , until we meet again…

Mrs. Chen looked so cute dipping her feet in the water, I just had to snap a few photos.

Banzai Pineline Beach:

The Byodo-In Temple:

Even though I love taking photos with my Nikon D300 camera, I didn’t want to focus the entire trip behind the lens, instead I put my camera down to focus on taking it all in with my family. Here are some “poloroid like” photos I took with my iphone during our time of exploring the Island.  I think it worked out just fine. Besides, handling a stroller, diaper bag, and a toddler running from one event to the next, the pocket phone/camera was so convenient.

One of my best friends Laurie (since elementary school), was on the Island  with her family as well, so we met up one  day with the kiddos at the beach!

Breakfast in Hawaii is fantastic, and when you add a flower to the plate, it makes it just a tad bit more…. Hawaiian!

And here’s the beautiful couple Lucy and Jack!  Thank you both for such great planning and wonderful memories!  Welcome to the family Lucy!

I have more photos coming soon of Henry, Jayden, and me on the last day of our trip. We hired an amazing photographer Alex Rapada for our 5 year anniversary /family photos! Check back soon… Mahalo!