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
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
Waterfall Watching
Getting Dirty
Kratzke Siblings
Climbers
Climbing Chat
Sisters & Mabel
Castle
Kalama Beach Park
Wave
Thal, Drakeson, Milli, & George
Beach Doggies
Macadamia Nut Farm
Kailua Beach Park
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.
Friday, 26 Jan 2018
Sweet.
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