2012 Carver Family Vacation - Oahu, Hawaii

Our Carver family vacation this year was April 27-May 6.  We decided on Hawaii (definitely the biggest vacation we've ever taken as a family) because more babies are on the way and it's harder (and more expensive) to travel as all our families get bigger.  There was also potential that Ady and Jono were going to move far away as Jono is looking for a new job, so we wanted to make sure we got in a great and memorable vacation with all of us.

It was nice to go somewhere warm.  3 weeks before we left for Hawaii, this is what it looked like at our house:

  

Brad and I left Thursday night and drove to Vegas for the red-eye to Hawaii (that flight is direct and WAY cheaper than flying out of Salt Lake).  Connor was great on the plane and slept most of the 6 hours. We got to Oahu early Friday, and hung out together, just the three of us until Saturday night when the rest of my family got there.  This is how our vacation went:

Friday, Day 1 - Took it easy (we were tired from the red-eye).  Drove the fishbowl for the gorgeous views, checked into our hotel.

View of Diamond Head from the top.

Saturday, Day 2 - Honolulu Zoo (so fun!), Waikiki Beach, another drive up the fishbowl at night, picked up the rest of my family at the airport.

They had so many species of monkeys, but our favorites were the spider monkeys.  They were climbing and swinging all over their cage.  I didn't get a picture of them though.

Gorgeous sunset overlooking Honolulu from the top of the fishbowl ridge.

Sunday, Day 3 - Pearl Harbor (USS Arizona Memorial and USS Missouri Battleship), and Hula Dogs.  

Connor sitting in the Captain's chair on the USS Missouri Battleship.

Same as Puka Dogs but mom and dad that owned the place split up, so they had to change the name to Hula Dog.

Monday, Day 4 - Sunset Beach and a small hike up the road from the house in Hauula where we stayed for the week.  

Tuesday, Day 5 - Temple session in the Laie Temple with my family, Polynesian Cultural Center.

Claire and Sterling stayed back to watch the kids.

Showing off Connor's ink.  They airbrushed it on him at the beginning of the day and he loved it.  He got some sun the rest of the vacation and when the turtle ink finally washed off, he had a turtle tan.  Awesome.

Our table at the luau/dinner was right up against the stage!

Wednesday, Day 6 - Hale'iwa Beach, Dole Pineapple Plantation for lunch and tour, Snorkeling at Shark's Cove (where we swam with our first sea turtle!).

Mom and cute baby Will.

Train ride at Dole Pineapple Plantation.

Feeding the Koi fish at Dole Pineapple Plantation.

Thursday, Day 7 - Snorkeling at Shark's Cove again, lunch at Giovanni's Shrimp Truck (garlic shrimp, and the most delicious grilled corn on the cob), then a pool party and BBQ at Jono and Ady's friends' house on the North Shore.

Friday, Day 8 - Breakfast at Papa Ole's, swimming at Waimea Bay (Brad, Ady, Jono, and Will - Connor fell asleep in the car on the drive there so I sat in the car with him, which was ok because it rained a lot of the time), Family Pictures at Sunset Beach.

Saturday, Day 9 - Snorkeling at Hanama Bay (lunch at McDonald's), shopping and dinner at the outdoor International Marketplace.

Brad, Connor, and I flew out Saturday night on another red-eye and Connor slept the entire 6 hour flight, and thank goodness because Brad and I were exhausted too.  We drove home from Vegas on Sunday.  It was a great vacation and we had a lot of fun with my family.  Since Brad and I went to Hawaii when I was pregnant with Connor, and now while I'm pregnant with baby boy #2, we joked that we would just have to make this a pregnancy tradition.  I don't think I would mind that tradition one bit, although I would prefer not to go when I am so hugely pregnant.