Mahalo, Oahu

Scott captured this incredible sunrise on Saturday, our penultimate day on Oahu.  At that moment, I was just being happy to be there.  It's so easy to be in the moment for me, in Hawaii, because everything feels as if it has clicked into place.  Like I'm a puzzle piece that just found its one unique spot and slipped into it, completing the vision.  I wish I could stay there forever.

On the way to Haleiwa for paddleboarding, we stopped at the LDS temple.  The grounds are look like the landscapers' job was to recreate paradise.

Cherie had told us about this place where you can rent a stand-up paddleboard for an hour for only $15, and it comes with a shave ice.  Sad as it is, I think it was the free shave ice that sealed the deal for us.  The river began at the edge of the sea and we paddled up into the lush greenery of Oahu.  The houses were pure Hawaii, and we caught glimpses of misty mountaintops beyond them.  Other paddleboarders passed by, going up and down.  It was like a party.  We all loved it.  Once in awhile, we laid down on our paddleboards, closed out eyes and took in the sounds around us.  Roosters, birds, kids in their backyards, insects, splashing...

We inadvertently matched our swimsuits to the paddleboards we were standing in front of.

Afterwards, the angels got their shave ice and we looked around the junky little gift shop for treasures.

Kalbi Fire was voted the best food truck, even with all the delicious competition.  It's really good Korean BBQ, with rice, rice noodles and macaroni salad.  It's lots of food.

Golda was trying to get a good picture for her missionary papers.  I think every picture of her is good.

Ruby posed me to look as young, peaceful, slender, happy and joyful on the outside as I do on the inside.  We were laughing so hard at how difficult it was to get a good angle.  So many problem areas to cover up!  But you know what, who cares? I have a whole blog post in my head about this, and maybe sometime I'll have a minute to jot it down.  The bottom line is, I am not my body.  It is interesting and sometimes sad to see it age, but it's not who I am.

We ended our last night in Hawaii at the Marriott's fire pit, and back at the PCC for some grub.  Golda was dreading leaving, and I took that as an indication that our trip was a success.  I wanted our children to see why I fell in love with Hawaii last year.  I wanted them to fall in love, too.  I think they did.  From what I saw, the spirit of aloha was a balm for their tired and troubled minds.  The landscape, so remote and so different from their day-to-day, was rejuvenating, if not healing.  It's not like their lives at home are terrible.  Their lives are pretty darn great.  They have every advantage a kid could ask for, compared to most of the kids in the world.  But their lives are a rat race, pure and simple.  Every kid is achieving, and you have to achieve, too.  You have to develop the skills and discipline to eventually find a career.  As some of my kids have learned, it's far more stressful to slack off and always have missing assignments hanging over your head, than to dig in and get things done.  It's just that there is SO much to get done.  The only way I can manage it is to step out of it every once in awhile so I can see from afar what's important and what's really not, and go back in with renewed determination.  Judging by these happy faces, we are ready for another semester of hard work, with our aloha tucked into our hearts to keep us afloat.

This is the guy who works hard with integrity and commitment, every day, without complaining.  Everyone who knows him professionally speaks highly of him.  I'm proud of Scott for carrying on my dad's legacy of paying tribute to the honorable legal profession through his work.

I definitely picked a good guy!

I don't know why Scott took this picture of me, but this is what I did the whole flight home.  Read my book.  I read a whole book on the way and a whole book on the way back, and if that's not pure relaxation...

Upon landing, we had a 7-hour drive home from Las Vegas, and it was 7 pm pacific time.  I love to drive, and enjoyed speeding through the night.  We arrived home at 4 in the morning, ready to be thrown into an outlandishly hectic week.  We were ready!