31 January 2018

Hawaii IV

Wednesday, 24 Jan 18
Sixteen hours of travel to Honolulu took us and our two exhausted kids to an extended problem with the car rental reservation.  We got to Liên's house ready to pass out, but it was only the afternoon.  A big hug from Thal (newly engaged to Julie), three fresh bowls of poke, and Liên's hot stone massages made us feel young again.  Mom and Dad flew in later that night.  I tried to wake up to greet them but acted anesthetized instead.
Pali Puka Hike

Pu'u Ma'eli'eli Hike, Kaneohe Bay

Showered & Petting Doggies

Thursday, 25 Jan 18
Jenn and Joe took us to the Sandbar, which was cloudy but still gorgeous.  Unfortunately, the afternoon was taken over by Dad fainting from dehydration and getting rushed off the the ER.  After a quick salmon dinner, we had our Christmas committee presentations and ended the night with our first Askinosie tasting.  Askinosie is a fantastic brand of chocolate that I would recommend to anybody.
Baby on a Boat

Joe & Drakeson

George & Kids

Cold, Mama

Bottomless Pit Picnic Monster & Bà

Watching

Frisbee

Sisters

Prequel to Smallville

Passed Out

Friday, 26 Jan 2018
Mom, Dad, and the Austin clan spent the morning at Kailua Beach Park.  Liên did our nails in the afternoon, and Dad, George, and I had a great time making dinner.  I helped Dad with his homemade mac & cheese with broccoli recipe while George grilled steaks.  We rounded out the evening with some ukulele playing and more Askinosie.
Mermaids

Playing

Sand

Merman

Beach Time

Playing Tag

And Winning

Little One & Superman

3 Generations

Mabel & Zoltan

Saturday, 27 Jan 2018
Dad liked cooking with me so much on Friday night that we started the day by making German pancakes called Pfannkuchen.  The rest of the morning was spent on the Aiea Loop Trail.  Lunch was udon at Marukame per Dad's request, finished with snow at Frostcity.  George made sausage and shrimp gumbo for dinner, and the evening ended with board games and Askinosie.  The games, ranked in order by popularity, were Codenames, King of Tokyo, The Oregon Trail, and Pit.
Aiea Loop Trail, Group 1

Aiea Loop Trail, Group 2

More Aiea Loop Trail, Group 2

Splashers Fans

Uncle Bill & Nephew Drakeson

Sunday, 28 Jan 2018
Julie is extremely proficient in aerial silks, and she organized a trip downtown for a beginners class.  Joe, Bill, Liên, Mom, and I were all brave enough to attend, and we were all glad we did.  Afterwards, we stopped by the mall to pick up many family favorites: takoyaki, musubi, and giant cream puffs from Shirokiya and poke from Poke & Box.  Jenn and Joe came over for an evening no less extravagant; in between board games and ukulele playing, we had a potluck dinner including kässpätzle, pork ribs, and a crème brûlée crêpe cake.
Silks Class

Julie at Koko Head Hike

Afternoon

The Oregon Trail

18 Crêpes

Crêpe Cake

King of Tokyo

Sharing

Ukuleles

George, Da, Thal, Lan, Milli, Drakeson, Mom, Bill, Mabel, Julie, Pixel, Liên, & Zoltan

Monday, 29 Jan 2018
Liên took Thal and my family on the short and beautiful Likeke Falls Hike, while Julie, Mom, and Dad went whale watching on the Makapu'u Lighthouse Trail.  We met up at Kalama Beach Park, which made for a very full morning.  I played in the waves hard enough to lose my prescription sunglasses.  Before the parents flew out that evening, Liên introduced Mom to the Vietnamese owner at her favorite smoothie shop, Smooth Tea.  We squeezed in a few more board games and Askinosie before saying goodbye.
Backyard

Likeke Falls Hike

Likeke Falls

Liên & Mabel

Drakeson

Liên, Mabel, & Zoltan

Austin Clan

Waterfall Watching

Getting Dirty

Kratzke Siblings

Climbers

Climbing Chat

Sisters & Mabel

Castle

Kalama Beach Park

Wave

Thal, Drakeson, Milli, & George

Beach Doggies
Sunday, 30 Jan 2018
My family left early in the morning, but the youngsters stayed until the evening and explored the Macadamia Nut Farm before their flight.  We arrived in Austin at 2300 and were in bed by midnight, where we stayed for a good 12 hours.
Macadamia Nut Farm

Friday, 26 Jan 2018
Kailua Beach Park

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