Friday, March 29, 2013

Aloha Friday - Catching Up


It has been FOREVER since I've updated the Aloha Friday posts.  Both the kids are napping so we'll see how much I can put together before forcing myself to click "publish."  So here are some photos of what we've been up to these past few weeks.  I'll leave it to mostly UNEDITED photos and little commentary because...eek, there aren't enough hours in the day!!!

1.  Makua Beach and Kaneana Cave.  We drove along the west coast of Oahu and fell in love with the amazingly peaceful and gorgeous beach at the end of the highway.  Literally...end of the road. 




And here are some photos of Benjamin in the back seat on our way back home.  What a ham!!





2.  Diamond Head.  The entire family FINALLY hiked diamond head.  I carried Benjamin in the baby carrier while Justin carried Charlotte in the Kelty backpack.  While Charlotte slept the entire time on our way up, she walked down all by herself.


A seriously stunning view at the top...
 


Charlotte LOVED sitting in that backpack!


  

3.  Waimea Valley.  You have to pay to enter the valley but the path to the waterfall is totally paved and stroller friendly.  There were also beautiful gardens to visit along the way.  

Charlotte had fun (in the beginning) trying to identify the birds.
 

Waterfall!!





4.  The Punchbowl - The National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific.  I'm a sucker for war memorials and monuments.  I studied them in college and graduate school and the topic of memory and commemoration continue to fascinate me.  The Punchbowl was a must see on our Hawaii bucket list and it definitely did not dissapoint.  And the view of the city is pretty spectualar too.




This quote is from a letter written by Abraham Lincoln to a mother who lost four of her sons in the Civil War.  Reading it gives me goosebumps every single time.


The memorial also incorporates these gorgeous mosaics of the Pacific battles. This mosaic of the Vietnam War was dedicated in 2012.




Peek a boo!


Okay, that's it for now!!  As always, thanks for stopping by!!

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