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. 

Back from blogging hiatus.........

So, I've been super lazy with my blogging these last 2 and a half months and the blog-worthy events have been piling up. I promised myself I was going to stay on top of blogging, but what can I say... I was doing so good for a while, until our big Hawaii trip in June (more on that still to come) which is a huge post that I just kept putting off.

So this post will serve for now as a no-we're-not-dead update on what we've been up to this last little while.

********************

In preparation for the significant free-time-reduction that will occur at the end of October, Brad and I decided to go on a big trip as our last hurrah - just the two (and a half) of us before we become 3. We got a good (not great - Brad's Masters class final conflicted with the great deal, bummer) deal on a 7-day cruise around the Hawaiian Islands for the beginning of June. We were in Hawaii for a total of 10 days (June 5-14) so, as a teaser for the more detailed post soon to follow (I hope), here is 1 picture for every day of our spectacular Babymoon, as we've heard it called:

Brad sitting at the deck gun on the Bowfin Submarine in Pearl Harbor - Oahu.

U.S.S. Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor - Oahu.

The beautiful Road to Hana - Maui.

Amazing black sand beach - Maui.

Kilauea Caldera Volcano - Big Island of Hawaii.

Waterfall inside Hawaiian Botanical Gardens - Big Island of Hawaii.

Absolutely breathtaking view from our helicopter ride over Kauai - it was so hard to choose just one picture for this! I love that you can see the reef so clearly in this picture and how gorgeous turquoise the water is.

At the Smith Family Luau - these two fine gentlemen are digging up our dinner. The piggy was DELICIOUS! - Kauai

Braddy and me in front of the Laie Hawaii Temple. The grounds are gorgeous - Oahu.

Our last day in Hawaii, we met up with my Uncle Mike and his friend Steve for breakfast on the back patio of a hotel on Waikiki Beach. It was fun to catch up, and the scenery was picturesque - Oahu.

********************

Father's Day was the first Sunday after we returned from Hawaii, and this is what I got for Brad:

Happy late Father's Day, Honey!

Also on Father's Day, we visited with my family in OC. And this is one thing I did while we were there:

It's a big change for me, but I love it - special thanks to my sister, Claire, who is a fabulous hair dresser! I cut off a total of 11 inches and donated it to Locks of Love.

P.s. Anyone in So. Cal. or OC who is looking for a great hair stylist - Claire's email address is clairedoeshair@gmail.com. She is amazing at doing hair - cut, color, weave, up-do, you name it! Her salon is in San Juan Capistrano.

********************

On July 20-26, Brad and I were in Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks with Brad's family for our annual Jeppson Family Vacation. We visited Yosemite for 3 days, Sequoias for 2 days, and then drove the few hours back down to our apartment in El Segundo where all 8 of us stayed for 3 more days. It was a little squishy, but it was a blast. This was the first family vacation we have had (while Brad and I have been married) with everyone home from their missions. The first 2 years, Brad's younger brother Brandon was on his mission in Russia; and Brad's next youngest brother Jordan just got home from his mission in Peru in April of this year. It is fun to see all the Jeppson brothers together again; we call them the 3 stooges. I don't have any pictures of our trip yet, I will have to get them from my sister-in-law Jen (Brandon's wife).

While we were on our family vacation, Braddy turned the big 2-7 (on July 22)!! And it just so happened that Jelly Bean was also exactly 27 weeks along on Brad's 27th birthday. His birthday present from me was the Star Wars movies 1-6 on DVD. Happy late birthday, Love!

********************

2 weeks after Brad's birthday (9 days ago, today) we had another fun day to celebrate. On August 5th, 2005 Brad and I were married in the Salt Lake Temple. 4 years and one baby bump later, we are happy, healthy, and so excited to have a little one on the way. Because our big Hawaii trip also served as our anniversary adventure this year, we kept our celebrations on the actual day a little more low key. We went out to dinner at El Torrito that night before I went to mutual, and the following Saturday we went shopping together. I can't believe 4 years has gone by already. We have so much fun together, and I'm excited to see where else life will lead us in the years to come. Happy late 4-year anniversary, Babe!

August 5, 2005

June 13, 2009 (This was in the Visitor's Center at the Laie, HI temple - I didn't take a picture of us on our anniversary and this is the closest I have.)

********************

Well, that should do it for now. I will post more about our Hawaii and Yosemite/Sequoia Trips soon. Thanks to all those who kept reminding me to update our blog!