We decided that Mckenna was still young enough to take with us, and even though she was really good on the plane and even in Hawaii, it was hard for her because of the time change, and it limited what we could do, so if we were going to do it over again, Mckenna would stay home. All in all, it was still paradise and we had an amazing time together. Here are a few of our fun-filled adventures.
On the beach right before our big La'ua. Most of our week was revolved around the beach and the amazing food they had there. I don't think I've ever eaten so much seafood in my life but it was soo delicious. Definitely more pricey but worth it. The La'ua was great - right around 6:30 everynight Mckenna kind of turned into a beast - so our solution? Suckers and fruit leathers. Call us bad parents but it was well worth it to enjoy our dinner without a screaming baby. :)
I have never been to a more beautiful place. The contrast between the green island and the blue ocean was gorgeous! From this view we actually saw a bunch of dolphins and a couple of huge sea turtles.
At one of our favorite restaurants, Gaylord's. We went there on our anniversary and enjoyed a nice, elegant meal while Mckenna chewed on her fruit leather.
The sun in Hawaii seemed so much hotter than Utah. Combined with Mckenna's sensitive little skin we had to keep her in the shade constantly. At first she had an allergic reaction to one of the sunscreens we put on her, so the next day we decided to just keep her in the shade, but even then she got burned a little on her face. I felt so bad. We found some new sunscreen and used that the rest of the week but still kept her in the shade just to be safe. She was so good, though.
Mckenna really hated the ocean. Even though it was 80 degrees, I think it was still a little cold for her. This time she was tolerating it, but sometimes bigger waves would come up and scare her. You can see her just watching the water, she would not look up!
At a gorgeous lighthouse in Princetown. It was actually some type of bird refuge, but we saw most of the birds in the parking lot. Still pretty.
The two cutest dinosaurs on the island. Everywhere we went we kept on commenting on how it looked like a particular scene in "Jurassic Park". Ahhh!
One of the more annoying things on the island were the chickens and roosters! The first night we were there we were woken up at about 3 in the morning by a million roosters. They are everywhere and have no fear of humans. Jason was eating a PB&J and fed the rest of it to the chickens. They weren't scared at all to grab it out of his hand.
One of my favorite places was our drive up Waimea Canyon. They call it the Grand Canyon of Hawaii and it was incredible.
Another view of Waimea Canyon.
This was definitely the most gorgeous place we went. This is a view of the Napali Coast that can only be seen by air or by boat. Of course we weren't able to do either, but were lucky enough to see this. It literally was breathtaking.
At the Kiahuna Plantation where we stayed.
We were at the beach most of the day and traded off with watching Mckenna. Look at that hunk! :)
This is the hugest hamburger I have ever eaten. I'm ashamed to say, that yes, I ate it ALL! I thought when I first got it, there's no way I'm going to finish that, but yes, I downed it.
There were beautiful waterfalls everywhere. This one looked like it came out of a scene from once again, "Jurassic Park".
Because of airline costs these days instead of bringing a pack n' play, or renting a crib we put Mckenna in our suitcase. She actually slept better there than she does in her own crib. We were tempted when we got home to have her keep sleeping in there, but thought it might stunt her growth. :)
So that was our trip. I had an amazing time, but more than anything was so grateful I was able to spend that time with Jason. I really couldn't ask for a more loving, caring husband. He has made my dreams come true and I am so grateful that we crossed paths and were married 4 years ago. Definitely the best 4 years of my life. Thanks, honey!
