I am finally getting around to posting pictures of the first half of our Hawaii trip. It truly was the trip of a lifetime! A second honeymoon of sorts. We were like giddy school children again. We lived in the moment and were so grateful to be in such a beautiful place.
What an wonderful break from our kids and a wonderful time to remove all stressors from life and relax and enjoy each other. My parents and my grandmother came to SA to watch the kids. They did so many things and were constantly on the go, they didn’t even miss us! I hated to break it to them, but the feeling was mutual :).
Honestly, we are so thankful to have people in our lives who will fly to come watch two toddlers for eight days and not bat an eye. It made our trip so easy and managable knowing our kids were happy and being well taken care of!
Steve was asked to stand up in a wedding for a close friend who is from Hawaii, which was the catalyst for this trip. Most of the trip we were on the island of Kauai, which we fell in love with. We were so fortunate to have both the bride and groom show us around the island for a few days before the wedding. We definitely had a local experience, which made the trip that much more special.
These pics are all from the Kauai/wedding portion of the trip.
WARNINGS:
1. There are SO many pictures. You won’t hurt my feelings if you scroll right through them! I originally started this blog thinking that my parents, sister, and 4 friends would read it. Now, I know a lot more people read (thank you) so sorry if this post is too much Larson for you!
2. There are several bikini shots. I apologize for this. 😉 I usually wear a tankini, but I thought, heck it is Hawaii, so I have to wear a two-piece! You will notice the color difference between my normal body and my stomach, which hasn’t seen the light of day since I have had Drew!
3. I think I have a beer with 2 limes in almost every picture. I am such a cheap date! I don’t do the fruity drinks. I’m so lame, I know!
Away we go! We watched 2 movies and played a lot of Angry Birds on the long trip!
So happy to be there!
Love this! We actually had amazing weather. A great time of year to go. It was breezy and cool in the mornings and evenings and 85 and sunny during the day. It would rain for about 10 minutes everyday, and it usually produced a rainbow. Magical.
We rented snorkel gear the second day. These cute little shops are all over the place.
Steve and the groom heading to the beach
This is a little bay where we snorkeled. It was my favorite spot on the whole trip. Having the mountains in the background is like pure heaven.
After snorkeling, we headed to another remote beach.
We stopped to take a picture of some taro fields on the way home
Birds of Paradise were everywhere
Yep, this pretty much sums it up!
All the Mainlanders that came for the wedding
The rehearsal dinner was at the bride’s parent’s home in Kauai. We had another delicious local spread!
The Hawkeyes played their first game while we were in Hawaii. There was a sports bar within walking distance from our hotel and they opened at 6am for us to watch the game! We are dedicated fans!! And yes, those are beers on the table. Vacation, folks!
I tan easily. I was getting out of control at this point!!
The wedding was outdoors in the gardens at the hotel. How cute are these chairs with hot pink bows and paper lanterns??
My cute hubby carried the lei for the families.
Kids? What kids? 🙂
Ashley was the most beautiful bride I have EVER seen!
Loving the simplicity and color of these placecards. Steal this idea for your next fall party!!!
The bride and groom live in DC. The groom works for the longest serving senator in the senate, Dan Inouye, from Hawaii. He made the trip to Hawaii and spoke during the wedding and reception. It was an honor to see him!
Squeezing my limes!
Even the water in Hawaii is perfect!
Are you eyes bugging out of your head? Sorry for the lengthy post! More pics of our adventure to Oahu to come! Kauai has not seen the last of the Larson’s!