Mom and Dad's Visit

I typed out a 28,000 word essay about what a great time we had with my parents, but then I thought that people might not read the whole thing, so I decided to post these 28 pictures instead. You can thank me later.

Sunday we all drove out to Laie so that we could be there for Evalyn's blessing. It was really nice. Matthew did a beautiful job. It was very nice to look up and see Matthew, Ryan, Wendell, and my dad all up there together (along with many of Evalyn's other important men in her life).

Then we went out to Walter's house for lunch.

Here we all are. Evalyn was smart to change into something more comfortable.

On Tuesday we flew to the Big Island. Mom and dad liked the hula dancers at the airport.

We visited a heiau built by Kamehameha the First.

And stopped in Waimea to buy some snacks. Parker Ranch is there so we had dad and Wendell pose by this statue.

We drove to Akaka Falls and hiked around.

It's a jungle out there.

Dad took this picture of mom and me, but then didn't think we were standing correctly, so...

He came over to show us how. I felt he needed a ginger flower behind his ear.

It adds so much.

This is one of the few places we actually got to walk down hill.

I just wanted to show that Wendell was really with us.

Here we are hiking through a lava tube. Mom was not at all sure she wanted to do this. She didn't like the term "lava tube."

Dad was fine with it.

We drove out to Halema'uma'u crater in Volcano National Park. Part of the crater floor had caved in a few days before so it was steaming. We could really smell the sulfer. mmm....

We also hiked across a lava field at night so that we could see where the lava flows into the ocean. This doesn't always happen, so we felt fortunate to get to see it. The pictures that we took didn't turn out, so I took this one off of the internet. We weren't this close.

We stayed at the Waikoloa Marriott (of course). This is the view from my parent's room.

The ocean.

Waikoloa Golf Course. We didn't play.

On the Kona side of the Big Island, as you drive along the road, you see names and messages that people have written with white rocks against the black lava rocks. Mom thought this was sort of interesting so we took a picture.

Mom and her great granddaughter. She doesn't really look like a great grandma does she?

He doesn't look like a great grandpa either.

Evalyn showing off her grabbing skills.