The end of an experience is the beginning of another

Today is our last day here in Hawaii. As I was walking last night with Gillian along the beach, we were telling each other our favorite things that we enjoyed on this beautiful island. Here are my top ten things I won't forget about our vacation on the island of Oahu, Hawaii:

1. Fruit trees on the side of the road; palm trees providing shade at the beach.
2. Warm water, soft sand, and plenty of sunshine.
3. Flowers and birds everywhere.
4. Luscious mountains
5. Helpful and kind natives.
6. So much to do and not enough time.
7. How expensive milk was (we probably spent as much during this week on milk than we normally spend in a month.)
8. How hard Elijah and I worked on this vacation as parents - The older children were at a perfect age for vacation; Charlton wasn't. He really worked us hard.
9. Gorgeous sunsets on the beach
10. Perfect balancing of sunbathing, sightseeing and napping.

Elijah and I are already making plans for our next vacation to one of the other islands of Hawaii. Our plans involve no kids, a lot of snorkeling, submarine adventures under the water, helicopter rides in the sky, and waterfall hiking. Now, we just need to find a babysitter.

This morning we went out to the beach for one last time of sunbathing, swimming, and just relaxing.

Good Bye, Sun!
Good Bye, warm water!
Good Bye, fluffy sand!
Good Bye, serene walks!
Good Bye, hot tub!
Good Bye, luxurious hotel!
Good Bye, Hawaii!
Welcome, new adventures...

Sundays and sunsets

We had a relaxing morning today. After lunch we got ready for church. We walked about a mile and a half to get there. The building was pretty nice, and the chapel was enormous. My older children were very excited to attend Primary in Hawaii, and had a great time. Elijah took care of Charlton during Sunday School and I took care of him during the third hour. It worked out well.

We got back, had some dinner, and then Gillian and I walked along the beach for a little while. We just happen to be out as the sun set and the city lights were coming out. Our last night in Hawaii was looking beautiful.

Can you dance a jig?

We had plans to go snorkeling this morning. We also bought tickets for the Polynesian Culture Center. We so wanted to do both, but had to think more seriously about our children, especially Charlton. If we went snorkeling, we would have to wake up early, and then come back really fast to catch the shuttle that would take us to the Center. The activities there would take all day, and we would be coming back around 11 at night. It would have been more relaxing to just do snorkeling alone, but Elijah and I really wanted to show our children the diversity of the Hawaiian culture, the Buy-Hawaii, and the Temple, all located in the North Shore, about an hour and half from Waikiki. So, we opted out of snorkeling, and got ready for some dancing and singing.

The way to the North Shore was stunning. This highway we were in was a two-lane highway, and a few feet from the shore. As we traveled along this way, I told Elijah that this was the Hawaii I had imagined, the luscious mountains, the fruit trees on the side of the road, the Palm trees by the shore, flowers and birds greeting us, and not the high rising hotels or the expensive shopping centers. I was truly enjoying the ride.

The 42-acres Polynesian Culture Center is located in Laie, about an hour to an hour and half from Waikiki. It was founded by our church to help support BYU-Hawaii students with their tuition and fees, as well as support the Hawaiian culture by sharing it with the rest of the world.
We started our experience by taking a canoe tour of the Center. Beautiful trees and flowers, gorgeous waterfalls and bridges, tropical birds and good-looking dancers were everywhere.

The Center was beautifully built and organized. Its signature attraction was a group of eight villages and exhibitions where people from specific islands shared their culture with the rest of us. We started with the Fiji 'village' where we learned about their oral history through songs and dances.

We continued with New Zealand, Samoa, and Tahiti. Then, we sat and watched the Canoe Pageant, where each group danced and sang as their canoes kept flowing in the river. We were all mesmerized, and despite of the heat, we kept watching and enjoying it.

After the pageant was over, we took a shuttle toward the Temple. The Sister Missionaries gave us a tour of the Laie area, BYU-Hawaii campus, the Temple grounds, and then entered the Visitor Center, which was decked up with Christmas decorations. As we entered the area of this community of saints, one could feel the peace enveloping your heart and soul. It was truly a comforting feeling of serenity and simplicity.

While Elijah went to see if the temple was open, the children and I explored the beautiful visitor center. Upon Elijah's return, we strolled on temple grounds. Even the children could feel the peaceful spirit in this special place.

Near the entrance of the temple, Elijah showed me a beautiful relief of a mother pouring "the water of life" on her children, titled simply "motherhood." At that moment, I felt the spirit so strongly testifying to me that what I'm doing with my children, taking care of them, educating them, loving them, is truly a sacred responsibility and a blessing. I'm so thankful for my children and for this opportunity of giving them 'the water of life."

We left the temple grounds, and headed back to the Polynesian Culture Center. We had some dinner, bought some souvenirs, and then got ready to see the highlight of the Center, its show called "Ha: Breath of Life," an evening of customs and traditions expressed in song and dance by representatives of all the participating islands performed on stage. We all enjoyed the songs, dances, colorful costumes, and of course the fire throwers.

Here are two video clips giving you a little taste of the uniqueness of the Hawaiian culture:

Pearl Harbor - Standing in the shadow of heroes

This morning we woke up earlier than we wanted, but for a very good reason. We took the children to visit the historical site of Pearl Harbor. I don't know if it's my interest in history or the love for this country, but it happens that these kind of sights are the highlight of my visits anywhere. So, needless to say I was looking forward to this historical tour.

As soon as we got there, we were greeted by a beautiful rainbow highlighting the memorials and ships of Fort Island in early morning.

We started by watching a well done movie recreating the event that happened on this day of Infamy. On December 7th, 1941, at a time when America was trying her best to remain neutral in the war against the Nazisms, the Japanese sent an incredible air attack on the U.S. Pacific fleet in Pearl Harbor. Within two hours, this attack claimed the lives of 2, 388 military and civilian personnel and resulted in the damage or loss of 21 vessels and 170 planes. There was no way out of this for the Americans, except enter the war and make sure this didn't happen again. Before visiting the Memorial, we took our time reading and teaching our children about this unforgettable event.

We took a Navy-operated launch to the U.S. Arizona Memorial. The U.S. Arizona was one of the seven battleships that was totally damaged, and the one that lost the most men, about 1, 177. In less than nine minutes after the attack, the ship sank with most of her crew inside. Today, it still remains deep in the water with her crew buried in it. It is their resting place, and the Memorial stands over it to show respect for them and to remember that day and the freedoms we enjoy today because of them and many other who shed their blood to protect this country and what it stands for. I absolutely felt chills as we walked reverently inside the memorial and read their names. I was very glad I was able to bring my children to this historical place where they can appreciate and understand what makes this country special.


It has been almost 7o years since the ship sank, but to this day its oil is still leaking as a reminder of what happened here.
After we got back from the Memorial, we walked around the other sites. The children enjoyed looking and learning about WWII airplanes, missiles, and submarines.

We, then, decided to visit the battleship Missouri. Charlton was feeling a bit tired and not very happy, but the idea of standing on the ship that ended the WWII was undeniably tempting to Elijah and me. We got tickets and boarded the shuttle that took us across the island toward the battleship.

The 887-foot battleship - 5 feet longer than the Titanic - has secured its place in history as the site of Japan's unconditional surrender to the United States. We loved this ship. It was enormous and magnificently amazing. We climbed upstairs and downstairs, inside and outside. Our children loved looking at the 67-foot long guns that fired 2,700 pound shells. Elijah and I were amazed to walk the decks where General MacArthur and the Japanese representative signed the surrendering papers ending World War II. This was an experience to remember!

As we were leaving, Elijah spotted this funny letter on a display of a period World War II servicemen bulletin board. I thought I would share it with you.

We ended our day by having dinner at Roy's restaurant with the whole crew. The food was delicious, the company fun, and the desserts just divine. Let's not forget that Charlton made it through fairly well, or should I say we made it through with this energetic boy of ours. Either way, the evening was wonderful.