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.