Giving the "babies" a haircut

After a slow start, Audrey and Kate's "dirt babies" they made at the Ag Fest finally started to grow some "hair" just before they left for Hawaii. The girls gave the babies their first "haircuts" today.

Hanging with the boys

After finally waking up at 11 after their long day of travel yesterday, the girls headed over to friend Jackson's house to play and meet Porter, the baby of Mama's friend Jeanie. They were joined by friends Kyan, Griffin, and Caleb. They kept up with the boys, playing with light sabers, Legos, and bugs. The kids all enjoyed hanging out in a tent and trying on a backpack.

Leaving on a jet plane

Thursday was a travel day for Audrey and Kate as they said "Aloha" to Hawaii and returned to Portland. The trip was uneventful, but not quite as smooth temperament-wise for the girls as the outbound trip, as there was some grumpiness and a few squabbles. Probably all the hub-hub and partying and staying up late catching up to them. They did enjoy the in-flight snack packs Mama and Dada bought for them. They had a short layover in Seattle, where they were fascinated by a large stuffed killer whale. GG came to pick them up in Portland and take them home. Still on Hawaii time, they stayed up until 11 and didn't get up until 11 am (!) the next day.

Winding down

Audrey and Kate had a fairly low-key day today. They helped prepare a breakfast at the condo for Dada's birthday. They spent most of the day with Honey and Honey Grandpa, who watched them so Mama and Dada could spend some time together. They helped Honey and Grandpa get settled in their new lodgings further down the road in Kona, and later went back to play at the playground they visited last week. They watched one final sunset in Hawaii, and when Mama and Dada got back helped pack up for the return trip to Portland tomorrow morning.

Luau take 2

Considering their late night of partying last night at the wedding reception for Uncle Keith and (now officially) Aunt Allison, Audrey and Kate (and their parents) were a little slow getting the day started today. They went back to the Kahalu'u Beach Park, where they hung out with Honey and Honey Grandpa and bought leis for the luau from a woman who was making them in the park.

A light sprinkle in the afternoon brought worries that the luau would be rained out again, but thankfully it stayed dry enough for the event to proceed. The girls got to watch the roasted pig being dug out of the imu. They thoroughly enjoyed the evening's entertainment, a showcase of Polynesian culture, clothing, and dances. Audrey's favorite part was a woman hula dancing in a pink dress, and Kate's was the fire-knife dancer. Later on they modeled their leis and shell necklaces and said goodbye to wedding guests who are leaving tomorrow.

Wedding day!

Yesterday was wedding day in Hawaii. Audrey and Kate went back to the beach in downtown Kona in the morning to while away some time before getting ready to go to the wedding. They hung out and had lunch with Honey and Honey Grandpa. They went back to their condo for some downtime, then got dressed and headed to the Old Kona Airport Beach Park for the wedding ceremony. The setting was beautiful, albeit a little hot on the black lava rocks. The girls watched the ceremony, then gamely put up with a long photo-taking session afterwards. Then it was off to the Royal Kona Resort for the reception. Dinner was on a stretch of sand overlooking the bay. The girls got to play in the sand with new friends Dylan and Kira (the best man's kids), drink fancy drinks with fruit slices and paper umbrellas in them, and enjoy a delicious dinner. They had so much fun the didn't get home until 10:00, waaaay past their bedtime. Kate was so tired she fell asleep in the car and didn't wake up as Mama took her out of the car, cleaned her up, and changed her into her bed clothes.

Hawaii day 7

The girls managed to fit in quite a few activities yesterday. It started with a dip in the ocean at the beach across from their condo. Then they checked out some tide pools north of town near the airport. They found a handful of shells and interesting coral pieces, and Audrey swam with some fish. Then they headed back into town for lunch at the Kona Inn and a stroll through a farmer's market and street fair. They got some cotton candy, which Kate had never had before, and she didn't want to eat it at first. They came back and rested for a bit, then went up to the big house for a barbecue and swimming in the pool. They had a lot of fun, staying in the pool longer than most of the other guests.

Hawaii day 6

The girls stayed in town on Saturday, as the day was dedicated to wedding events (namely, the bachelor party/"girl day"). Audrey and Kate went up to the big house to try out the pool. Later they met some of the wedding party in town for lunch, then walked around town for a bit. In the afternoon they went back to town for some ice cream.

Hawaii day 5

Audrey and Kate had another fun day in Hawaii on Friday. The highlight was a trip to Hapuna Beach, a postcard-perfect white sand beach about 40 minutes north of Kona. They got plenty of sun and surf. Aunt Marie came along and stayed for a bit before heading back to help with some wedding details. They came back and rested and then headed to a luau with the rest if the family and other wedding guests. Unfortunately, it started drizzling, and the pretty dresses the girls were so looking forward to wearing had to be covered up under ponchos. Then the sky really opened up and deluged the party just as the food was being served, so the luau was cancelled. The resort offered to reschedule, so we'll try again on Tuesday.

Hawaii day 4

Audrey and Kate headed south again today to check out a playground they had seen from the road yesterday. It had the largest, grandest play structure they (or their parents) had ever seen. It had three connected castle-like structures to run through and play princess in. There was also a wooden steam engine and a stone whale to climb on, swings, a great view of the coastline, and a replica of a native Hawaiian ocean-going canoe. For lunch, they traveled down the road to The Coffee Shack, a diner with a commanding view of coffee-tree fields and Kealakekua Bay. They saw several geckos while they ate, including a couple that came down to eat some jam from a container next to their table (the waitress explained it was the geckos' "paycheck" for catching bugs). On the way back home, the girls stopped to spend some time at the Kahalu'u Beach Park. They spent most of the time in a small wading pool someone had created by piling up a ring of rocks while Mama and Dada took turns snorkeling. They were wearing life jackets and goggles, and kept themselves entertained for more than a half hour bobbing in the surf and giggling when the waves wobbled them. Shortly after they got back to the condo, Aunt Marie arrived. After a quick dinner, they went with Marie up to see the rest of the family and friends who are staying at the big house. They cooled their feet in the pool and took a tour of the house before deciding to call it a night.

Hawaii day 3

Audrey and Kate had another fun day in Hawaii. In the morning they walked up to see the house where most of the wedding party will be staying. Then they took a trip to the Pu'uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park, which contains remnants of a native Hawaiian "city of refuge." They weren't much into the cultural and historical attractions, so they went and played on a small sandy beach while Mama and Dada took turns snorkeling. On the way back, they stopped at a coffee roasting facility. They had a treat while their parents sampled some Kona coffee. Then they explored a lava tube. They saw lots of pretty flowers and several geckos. When they got back to the condo, they rested for a bit, after which Mama painted their fingers and toes.

Hawaii day 2

The girls set out to explore Kona a bit today. Dada took them down to the beach while Mama went for a run in the morning. They saw a native Hawaiian historical site and lots of pieces of coral washed up on the rocks. A big cockroach freaked Audrey out for a bit. Then they went to Kailua-Kona, the main town and resort area. They played at a nice beach with tamer waves, then walked around to see the sites. They had lunch at a park overlooking the bay that also had a recreation/event hall, where they performed a little show for Dada. They stopped for a treat, then headed back to their condo. Mama and Kate went shopping while Dada and Audrey went back to the beach one more time. They watched the sunset while Dada cooked dinner, and shortly thereafter went to bed and fell quickly to sleep. The jet lag and time change -- Hawaii is two hours behind Pacific Time and also doesn't observe Daylight Savings Time, making it three hours behind -- has everyone a bit frazzled, but the girls seem to be enjoying themselves.

Aloha!

Audrey and Kate got up with the sun this morning to start their trip to Hawaii. Despite being awoken at 4:30 and a long day of flying (especially the five-and-a-half-hour leg from the mainland to Kona), the girls did quite well (to Mama and Dada's relief). They watched lots of shows on their DVD player, played with a lot of apps on the iPad, did a lot of drawing, and enjoyed lots of snacks from both the airline and a special stash Mama had packed for each of them.

Upon arriving in Hawaii, the girls helped Mama and Dada pick up a rental car and then went to White Sands Beach until they could check into the condo they'll be staying at. The water was cool but much warmer than back home. The beach is on the small side but the waves are still quite strong even in the shallows, as we all found out after the girls were toppled by the surf a couple of times. After a shower to rinse out the sand and a trip to Safeway for some provisions, the girls were ready to crash in their beds on the lanai.

Sunday parkways

Audrey and Kate took a break from packing on Sunday to go on the Sunday Parkways bike ride, which was taking place not too far from their house. They pedaled to Alberta Park, where they partook of some fun activities (including dressing up and posing for a free photo) and had lunch. It was quite hot, so on the way home they stopped to get a cold treat.

A busy Saturday

Audrey and Kate had lots to do on Saturday. They started with breakfast with Honey and Honey Grandpa at Petite Provence. Then it was off to help Mama and Dada do some last-minute shopping for Hawaii. Then they both got haircuts. Finally, they headed home to pack.

Audrey loses her first baby tooth!

This evening at 6:22, Audrey lost her first baby tooth. It had been wiggly for a few weeks, but over the last couple of days seemed especially ready to come out. Audrey finally dislodged it unintentionally while trying to use her teeth to pull a sliver from some bark mulch out of her hand. She was quite excited about it, and eagerly got it ready for the Tooth Fairy to pick up.

A visit to the rhododendron garden

Audrey and Kate went with Mama to the Crystal Springs Rhododendron Garden this morning. It was a pleasant day, and most of the rhododendrons were in bloom.