Family Reunion--Hawaiian Style

Well, we've all just returned from a fun filled week on the island of Maui where we spent our Spring Break with all twenty members of my immediate family. It was the trip of a lifetime as I don't think that my family will do something of this magnitude for years to come. We thoroughly enjoyed the balmy, warm weather, the beautiful beaches, incredible snorkeling, adventures on the Hana Road, a private hula lesson, some excellent Hawaiian food, and sleeping to the sound of the surf crashing each night. Lia had the time of her life with her "friends" (a.k.a. her cousins) and fell in love with the pool for the first time in her life. Here is a quick peak of our week in paradise...

This is the view of the beach outside our window the first morning we were there. *sigh*

The Hartland fam enjoying the pool...a place where we spent many hours during our time in Maui.

Lia leaping off of the edge of the pool into the arms of one of her favorite people: her grandpa.

Grandpa and granddaughter as happy as can be.

Brynn and Kelsey working on their latest sand creation on the beach outside our condo.

Chris and Callie hard at work.

The sunset outside our condo one night.

Since four members of my family all have birthdays around the time that we were in Hawaii, we decided to celebrate one night while we were there. Here are three of our birthday people, my parents and Bryce, blowing out their candles.

We enjoyed a few walks along the beach in the early mornings. Here is Lia with her darling, older cousin, Kelsey.

Three generations of beach-lovers.

We spent a day exploring some of the sites of the infamous Hana Road. Here we are going around one of the many turns on this road!

This is what children think of the Hana Road.

This is what happens when bored children get a hold of a camera while on the Hana Road.

More camera fun.

Ron and Lia posing in front of a spectacular waterfall we stopped to look at along the Hana Road.

Another waterfall that we hiked to from the Hana Road.

The three of us cooling down in the waterfall's pool.

We arranged for a private hula lesson one evening with some members of our church from the Kihei area. All of the "little girls" participated and had a great time. It was one of the cutest things I have ever seen.

Lia taking the "Pearly Shells" hula lesson very seriously!

My little wahine doing the hula.

Near the end of the hour-lesson, all of the mothers decided to join in on the hula fun! Here we are learning the "Going to the Hukilau" dance. Please notice Lia getting down in the front.

Some of the girls exploring the glorious plumeria tree outside our condo.

Ron and Lia on a sunset walk.

Lia and her girl cousins!

A family pic at the "Dumps" before some morning snorkeling. Ron and I both saw several turtles and an eel and I even saw an octopus!

Brent and his fam heading out for some snorkeling.

Spencer entertaining Lia back on the shore while we were out in the water.

Ron and Lia at La Perouse Bay.

The Hartland Fam broke away from the group one night to attend a luau up in Lahaina. Here we are before diving into our feast!

A Tahitian dance performed during our luau.

A beautiful solo hula that was performed as the sun was setting.

Lia posing with two of the dancers after the show.

The three of us at a beautiful beach one afternoon in Makena.

Ron at sea.

Lia doing what she does best on the beach.

One day, we went to a beach in Kihei and rented some surfboards for the morning. Here is Kelsey getting the ride of her life. It was so much fun!

Mae Mae entertaining Lia while the surfing was going on.

No trip to Hawaii is complete without some 'shave ice' with vanilla ice cream. Here I am introducing this local delicacy to Lia out on our lanai.

The girls giving us a final pose on our last evening there.

All of the cousins lined up in a row (except Riley who was too busy throwing a tantrum). Oh dear.

We stopped at the infameous Ho'okipa Beach on our way to the airport on our last day there to watch the maniac windsurfers defy nature!

Thank you, Hawaii, for a glorious week!