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| The view from BJ's apartment at night |
On the 18th of December we arose early at about 5:00 a.m. and went through our morning rituals and last minute packing. About 6:00 p.m. we realized that we could not call a cab as we had planned and so we called the moving Elders to see if they could take us to the airport. Luckily they were up early to speak to a seminary group near us and so they were able to come about 7:00 a.m. and we bought them and us breakfast at Taco Cabana and they dropped us off at the airport in time for check in and boarding and they also agreed to mail a package for us. We love Elder Hendricks and Elder White. They are such hard working Elders but they are also so fun to be with and it was fun to have them drop us off and see them before we left.
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| The view from BJ's apartment in the day looking at diamond Head |
We were able to upgrade to first class for the flight from SAT to Phoenix and so that was fun plus our baggage was free. We thought that we were going to be late for our transfer because the plane was about a half hour late in taking off in SAT but because of the time change we actually made it to our connection with time to get a snack for lunch.
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| The graduate |
It took us about 7 hours from Phoenix to fly to Hawaii so we spent much of the day flying but when we got to Hawaii it was only 3:30 p.m. because of the 4 hour time change. BJ met us at the airport with leis despite the fact that he had a final that afternoon at 4:00 p.m. but apparently it was a flexible time for the final so he was able to make it there with no problem after he took us to the apartment. He was close to campus so he just rode the bus to campus.
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| The Hawaiian ceremony group |
We relaxed and unpacked for the afternoon while he was at his final and Holly was still working. I really liked their apartment even though it was small. The bedroom had an opening on the lanai with a window wall and the living room also had an opening on to the lanai with a window wall. The had little air conditioning but because they live on the 11th floor it had a breeze going through the open door most of the time and it was a great view for the most part although the view of Diamond Head was blocked by all the tall buildings that they have built in the last 25 years since I was there before and Larry was there before that.
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| After the diploma |
BJ and Holly let us have their bedroom which I thought was very generous and they slept in the living room on an air mattress. I was worried about this because Holly is 6 months pregnant but their air mattress was like a bed. It even had a headboard type end and they had put their foam topper on it so I didn't feel so bad when I saw that.
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| The streaking Hawaiian |
We slept in on the 19th. Holly had to work and BJ had another final and needed to study for it so we told them not to worry about us as we needed to adjust to the later time schedule. They thought that we would wake up at 4:00 a.m. and not be able to sleep but we didn't have that problem. We did have the problem that the missionaries often called us at 6:00 a.m because that was 10:00 a.m. in San Antonio. We considered that a miracle though because they often start calling at 7:00 a.m. in San Antonio. I worked on getting the referrals updated that I needed to do before I could relax and Larry answered calls and watched Football most of the day. It was fun to have the time to just work at our own pace.
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| BJ and Holly |
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| Larry, June, BJ and Holly |
Saturday morning began bright and early. We had to be at the athletic center at 7:30 a.m for BJ to be there on time. We were able to get a good seat that way. We took a few pictures at the beginning because we got there before the doors opened. It was so fun to be there and I was glad we had come because we were the only family BJ had at the graduation.
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| Part of the graduation party |
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| The view from the overlook |
It was a typical graduation but with a little Hawaiian flare thrown in. I don't know what the ceremony that they had in old Hawaiian dress was for but it was interesting to see the costumes and watch. I was a little shocked when three of the men turned to walk up the aisle and had nothing on except a breech cloth in back. Later one of those who graduated in Hawaiian studies took off his cap and gown and marched off the platform with only his breech cloth on. Fortunately he was good looking. It caused quite a stir.
BJ bought himself a graduation present of an adjustable telephoto lense to attach to his phone so it made it easier for Holly to get some good pictures of him from where we were sitting. It also made it easier for him to get pictures all week long. It also made it possible to take pictures with BJ in the picture without another person.
After the ceremony we all went to one of the football fields to gather with others and take pictures. Holly made sure that BJ had a few leis and we gave him back the leis he bought for us so he wouldn't look too neglected as some of the Polynesians had leis up to their chin and beyond.
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| In front of the church |
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| At the overlook from the mountain |
After graduation Holly had planned a party with several of their friends there. They made hamburgers and had several salads at the pool. BJ and several of his friend dressed to swim but no one ended up going swimming. One of their friends was a lady originally from Bakersfield, California. When Larry asked her if she knew James Slaughter, our Mission President, she said that her brother was the one that had taken over his dental practice while he was on the mission. We concluded that it was a small world.
That evening we went to Waikiki and went to the Cheesecake factory for dinner. As we had to wait for about an hour we walked around for awhile and saw the area. As this was the area that we had stayed the last time I was in Hawaii about 25 years ago it was interesting to see how much it had changed. It did not even look the same. It had really been built up commercially and it was almost impossible to get to the beach unless you went through a hotel. The hotels also were much bigger and finer it seemed and a lot more emphasis on designer shops. It was all very nice but very expensive looking also.
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| Looking at the murals at the Punch Bowl |
We had a great time at the cheesecake factory. It is so fun in Hawaii because so many things are open air because the climate is so mild. We also ended up sitting next to the live entertainment. I don't know who they were but they were good at singing the songs that Larry and I grew up with and some other easy listening.
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| View from the deck at the Punch Bowl |
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| Going Hawaiian on the North West Shore |
Holly had to work on Sunday so we went to church with BJ. I was thrilled that he attends church in the same building that we went to when I was there before. Again it was fun because so many of the classrooms and the library and such are around an open courtyard. BJ was excited to introduce us to the missionary couple in their ward because the Elder was also the Car Czar for their mission. They had fun exchanging war stories for a few minutes. His wife was a mission nurse so we did not have much in common with our jobs but she was fun to talk to.
Before church BJ took us on a short scenic drive that took us to the top of the mountain there in Honolulu. It is a beautiful scenic drive and we took some pictures of the city down below. It is very wooded with different types of greenery and a beautiful place to be. It only took about 45 minutes for the complete drive including the overlooks that we got out and took pictures at.
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| At the Hawaiian Village |
After we had lunch, BJ took us to the Punch Bowl Memorial Cemetary in Honolulu. It as interesting to see all the plaques and different tributes that have been placed there. It was particularly interesting because back in the Fall we had gone to the Museum of the Pacific War in Fredricksburg, Texas so this seemed to be a continuation of the story. There are many murals that depict the battles of World War II and the Korean War. There is even some memorials for the Vietnam War. It was really interesting and it was a beautiful day to be there. They had some construction going on so some places were torn up but on the whole it was very beautiful and informative.
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| Benihanas- Our Chef |
On Monday BJ and Holly took us up to the North Shore on the West side of the island. It was a rainy day and so the water was very rough but we got a few pictures of us on the shore. We stopped at the Dole Pineapple Plantation and got some treats and looked at some of the information about the pineapple growing process and the founder of Dole. We even shipped pineapple to Nathan for Christmas as that is what he wanted but by the time we got there it was not going to be shipped until New Year's. There was a little trailer off to the side of the road further up from Dole that sold "a great shrimp dinner," BJ and Holly said, and so we got our lunch there. It was raining so hard that we had to to eat it in the car but the food was great.
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| Holly and BJ for her birthday dinner |
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| At the Visitor's Center with Maryn |
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| At the temple visitor center |
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| In front of the Hawaiian Temple in Laie |
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| June with a warrior from Fiji for my Mother |
As it was Holly's birthday we went to her favorite to eat that night, Benihanas. It was really fun. We walked around on Waikiki for a while and BJ took some pictures and then we went to the Benihanas in the Hawaiian Village by the Hilton there. It was fun. We got right in. The people sitting with us at the table were from Denmark and they spoke English fortunately and so we talked to them for a while and spent a lot of time talking to them about the church. This all started because I told them that my son BJ and all my children were of Danish ancestry and then we talked about BJ's mission to Italy. They took a "He is the Gift" Pass along card and we told them that they could learn more at that website. As usual the food was wonderful there and they brought Holly a special birthday treat in a little statue so it was a fun night all together.
On Tuesday BJ and Holly accommodated us and took us to the Polynesian Cultural Center on the Eastern side of the North Shore by Laie, Hawaii. When we first got there we went to the Hawaiian Temple visitors center. My niece Maryn Jenkins is serving a mission there and after a few minutes they found her and we were able to talk to her for a about 20 minutes and get some pictures with her. While we were waiting we took some pictures and saw a movie about the beginnings of the Church in Laie. It was a great experience. We also met the brother of my sister Annette's roommate, Carolyn Priday, who was there on a mission.
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| One of the many groups dancing on the canal parade |
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| A group from Samoa in the parade |
After the temple we were able to get into the Cultural Center. It is so amazing. I was so glad that BJ and Holly went with us because it has changed quite a bit since I was there last. We mapped out a plan and we were able to see just about all the villages and then we went to the Luau. It was a great luau. Much more impressive entertainment than we had 25 years ago. It has really gone to professional grade. After that we had a few more minutes and we got pictures with the Christmas lights and then we went to the night program for the evening. It seemed like the program was about the same but it was still amazing and the performers are so good. It was a late night by the time we drove home but it was a fun day and I was so excited that we were able to share it with BJ and Holly.
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| Tahitian Courting dance before the wedding |
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| Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay |
On the 24th, Christmas Eve, is was still a little cool but BJ and Holly wanted to go to Hanama Bay and go snorkeling, so we went. There was a really long line and we had to wait for the safety movie but once we got to the beach it was fun. It was kind of cold but BJ wanted us to try the snorkeling first and he had new gear that Holly had bought him for Christmas. We put the gear on but when we got in the water it was cold and I didn't want to get in but BJ just jumped into the water and said that you have to just go all in. Larry was able to do that and he was off and swimming. That was the motivating factor for me because the theme of the mission is to jump "all in" and I thought that President Slaughter would be disappointed if I didn't have the courage to go "all in" so I finally just dove in and tried to swim. At first it was hard. The fins were hard to use and I kept getting water in my air pipe. I don't think we used fins 25 years ago. But finally when I was having a hard time I said a prayer and asked Heavenly Father to help me to relax. I finally got into the frame of mind that when I felt like I was falling or I couldn't breath, I just relaxed and floated on my back and things were fine. I really enjoyed it and it made me feel good when BJ said that he was proud of me and Larry for trying it because some people that had come to visit would not even try it.
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| Holly, BJ, June and Larry at the Hawaii Bowl |
We had to hurry after snorkeling and we changed and made it to the Hawaii Bowl about a quarter late. It was fun to be there and the game was interesting somewhat but it was not a game that several hundred people wanted to be to as the stands were very empty. But we had a good time being with BJ and Holly and now I can say I have been to a bowl game!!
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| One of the many displays at the Honolulu City Grounds |
We had dinner at the apartment and then Holly and BJ were excited to go and see the Christmas Lights in Honolulu at the city offices. The have several big displays and the offices foyer is decorated with many different trees that the different departments in the city offices had made sort of like the festival of trees and they were all displayed. It was fun to see all the different displays and I guess for Holly it fulfilled a tradition in her family of going to see the lights on Christmas Eve. We went home and went to bed after reading the Christmas Story from the Scriptures.
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| Mele Kalikimaka at the Honolulu City Grounds |
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| The Albatross nesting |
Christmas Day Holly had to work. We slept in as there were no children excited to open presents and when we got up BJ wanted to know if we would like to go on a hike along the West Shore to the tip. Of course we were game and so we all got ready and started out. I was thinking that this was going to be a 30 minute hike the way BJ talked so I was surprised when it took from about 10 to 3 p.m. But it was fun. It was a beautiful day! There was lots of the lava rocks along the shore and it was so beautiful looking at the ocean. We saw a type of Albatross nesting and they were not even afraid and when we finally got to the shore on the end there was a mother seal with her baby resting in the sun. They are a type of seal that lives alone not in communities and are often found there. We ate the foods we had brought in an area away from them and then we went back and the Father was just returning from somewhere and trying to get onto the rock with them. BJ got some good pictures of them and they did not seem to be afraid of humans at all. The people were within 10 ft of them sometimes and they just laid there. We took lots of pictures and then headed back. I was really tired when we got back but I felt good because BJ had said that it was a 3 mile hike and we had completed it. When we got in the car BJ said, Mom I lied, it was a 5 mile hike." That made me feel good because Larry and I had completed it with no major problems. We went home and slept for 2 hours but we made it.
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| Father Monk Seal climbing onto the rock by the baby in white |
We all worked together to make dinner and then BJ went to pick up Holly at work. When they finally made it home we had a great dinner and then we opened presents. It was a fun evening. We had a good time together.
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| Merry Christmas Hawaiian Style |
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| Beautiful Beach day |
On the Friday the 26th we were supposed to fly out at midnight so we spent the last day seeing a few things that we had not seen yet. There was a beach that BJ and Holly wanted us to see and there was a place they liked to eat there so we went there for Breakfast. It was called Boots and Kimo's Homestyle Kitchen. We waited in line for an hour or more to get in but the pancakes were worth it. The had a macadamia nut pancake syrup that was to die for. The also had interesting ometlets like spam and other canned meats. Larry got an omlet, I got both and then could not eat it all. I got one with jalapenos and salsa and it was way too hot!
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| On the deck of the Missouri |
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| Symbol marking the spot where the agreement was signed at the end of WWII |
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| Larry and I getting into the spirit of the 40's |
After a wonderful breakfast they took us to the beach I don't remember the name but we got a picture there and the day was beautiful. It was a very picturesque spot but we did not have time to stay long. We ran some errands to get ready for us and BJ and Holly to go. We went to the USS Missouri for the last thing that we would see on Hawaii. After talking to John Trolinger it was interesting to see the ship up close and interesting to get a glimpse of what ship life would have been like. I also learned that their were more countries than the United States and Japan that signed the document for the end of World War II. I had never realized that. Larry purchased a book there about the Arizona and Pearl Harbor and the Missouri and we have read it now we are home and we have learned much more about that incident in history.
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| What is left above water of the USS Utah |
We all went home and packed and BJ took their suitcases to the airport with Holly and then he got their tickets while Holly came back and got us. We were able to get there and check in and see each other for a few minutes and then they had to go one way on their trip to Utah and we went another way on our trip back to San Antonio. Our flight went well and we made it home to Texas about 1:30 p.m. in the afternoon. The moving Elders were able to pick us up again and took us home. Nathan was there as he had arrived home the night before. It felt good to be home but we felt like we had experienced a wonderful vacation. Larry was saying it was the best vacation we have ever been on. I think I agree.
