Landon Pictures

Here are some cute pictures of Landon. He has been so good this whole trip and having a great time. Enjoy!

Landon loves the sand

having fun in the car
being cute
by the waterfall
Landon's new trick...
grabbing things (the camera) with his thumb & index finger

Sunday- Pearl Harbor

Sunday was spent at Pearl Harbor, visiting the USS Arizona. It was an amazing site! The memorial is a burial ground for over 900 of the 1,177 men who lost their lives on the USS Arizona. The memorial crosses over the hull of the Battleship. There are two buoys on either side of the memorial that show the bow and stern of the ship. In the back of the Memorial there is a marble wall that lists all the men who died. There are a few parts of the ship visible above water and even some visible just below the water's surface. You can even still see oil leaking from the ship.

The Memorial

Architecture of Memorial

Saturday- Hanauma Bay

After climbing Diamond Head, we were in need of some relaxation on the beach. We decided to head back to Hanauma Bay and spend the afternoon there. We were a little worried that we wouldn't get to get in the beach. Because it's a nature preserve, only 300 visitors are allowed on the beach at one time. We we lucky and got right in. There is also a 9 minute video that all visitors have to watch before they enter the beach. It's a great place to snorkel and view the sea life. Since the waters were so clear, we could see many fish from above the waters. We were afraid Landon wouldn't like the water, but he loved it! We had a great time.

The beach

Landon swimming with daddy

Landon playing in the sand

After a long day in the sun, Landon & mommy shared a blue shaved ice. As you can tell by the blue face, Landon loved it!

Some History of Hanauma Bay:

This "Curved" bay was declared a protected marine life conservation area and underwater park in 1967. This is THE BEST protected cove if you are new to scuba diving or snorkeling with a diverse population of marine life and a large, rich coral reef. Advanced snorkelers and divers can also enjoy the beauty of this bay as the reef extends throughout the cove into deeper water. The bay floor is actually the crater of an ancient volcano that flooded when the exterior wall collapsed and the ocean rushed in. (www.hawaiiweb.com)

Saturday- Diamond Head

Saturday morning was spent climbing Diamond Head. It's about a .7 mile hike which consists of switchbacks on uneven rock, over 200 steps (including a very steep set of 74), and a dark, narrow tunnel. Our hike ended up being a bit longer. There are only a certain allotted spots for personal vehicles and if that fills up, there are about 6 waiting spots. When we go there, both were full. We had to go back down park and then walk into the park. That was probably another 1/2 mile hike each way. The view was well worth it!

Landon & Andrew climbing the last bit of stairs.

All of us at the top

Landon at the top!

Even baby Made it!

Some History of Diamond Head Crater:

The most famous volcanic crater in the world is Diamond Head, located on the South-east Coast of O'ahu at the end of Waikiki overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It was originally named Laeahi by the ancient Hawaiians. The name meant "brow of the tuna" and looking at the silhouette of the crater from Waikiki, you can see the resemblance. The current name came was given to the crater by British sailors in the 1800's. When they first saw the crater at a great distance, the calcite crystals in the lava rock appeared to glimmer in the sunlight. The sailors mistakenly thought there must be diamonds in the soil. Diamond Head is a crater that has been extinct for 150,000 years. The crater is 3,520 feet in diameter with a 760-foot summit. When the United States annexed Hawaii in 1898, harbor defense became a main responsibility. One of the major defense forts, Fort Ruger, occupied the Diamond Head Crater. A battery of canons was located within the crater providing complete concealment and protection from invading enemies. An observation deck was constructed at the summit in 1910 to provide target sighting and a four level underground complex was built within the walls of the crater as a command post. A 580-foot tunnel was dug through the crater wall to provide easier access to the Fort. (http://www.hawaiiweb.com/)

Friday- Dole Plantation & NorthShore

Friday, We went to do some sightseeing on our own. We traveled north to visit the Dole Plantation (mostly to get some T-shirts) and the Northshore. The Northshore is known for it waves in the winter months and swimming and snorkeling in the summer months. The ride north wasn't as beautiful as the drive back south. On the way back we drove down the coast stopping at random beaches to get some amazing views. I couldn't get enough and want to go back before we leave.

The Dole Plantation

Northshore Sign

Chinaman's hat (we saw it from afar earlier, this was close up).

Pupukea Beach. It's a sanctuary for whales in the winter months.

one of the many Northshore beaches

Little Circle Island Tour

Today, Andrew was able to leave work early so we went on a small tour of the southeast corner of O'ahu. Our tour included:

1. views of Diamond Head

2. Kahala (the Hollywood of Hawaii)

3. Hanauma Bay (The bay floor is actually the crater of an ancient volcano that flooded when the exterior wall collapsed and the ocean rushed in.)

4. Blow Hole Lookout (it was a quick view from the bus since the parking lot was under construction)

5. Sandy Beach (the waves here were about 3-4 ft but get to about 6-8 ft, and less than 1/2 mile out the floor drops 2200 ft!)

6. Makapu'u Lookout (the newest part of Oahu is located here with the black rocks)

7. Nu'uanu Pali Lookout ( this is where the Battle for uniting the Islands took place. It was also hit on December 7, 1941 and a Japanese plane is still in the mountains)

It was great to get out and see the nature of O'ahu. It was absolutely gorgeous. We can't wait to see more this weekend. We will be sure to share our pictures with you all!

Aloha...for now!

More Hawaii

Just a few more random pictures...

The view from our room

The beautiful plumeria blossoms. You find many girls with them in their hair.
Us getting ready for our tour

(I chose to purchase a plumeria clip)
Had to get a picture of this...

Aloha, again!

I thought I would post some other pictures we've taken so far...

We have been waking up to this in the morning. He just learned how to pull himself up in the pack-n-play. He hasn't quite got the hang of this on other objects but he sure is trying. While on one of my morning runs, I stumbled upon this area. I was told that there was great shopping in Waikiki but I had no idea where. It's not too far from the hotel! You can't tell from the picture but the street is lined with high-end retail shops (Prada, Dior, Coach, Louis Vuitton, etc.) There are also some good places to eat. Needless to say, we've been back a couple of times!
Though none of us are surfers, Landon and I went to visit the statue of Duke Paoa Kahanamoku. He is considered the father of modern surfing. He was also an Olympic swimmer. His statue is located on Kuhio beach. He actually grew up and surfed the beaches in the area where the Hilton Hawaiian Village is located.
Andrew hasn't been able to get around with us much but when he gets back, we spend time in the pool or the beach.
I should have more to post later. Andrew is able to leave work early today so we can all go sightseeing. We are taking a tour bus to see the rain forests, the blow hole, Hanauma Bay, and much more!

Changes

So...I have been playing around with the blog again. I know...why am i doing this when there is sun to catch? Landon was sleeping in the room and I wasn't about to wake him, so I used the time to redesign the blog. Now he is awake and we are in the enjoying the sun and blogging!

Hawaii

ALOHA!!!!! Well...we made it to Hawaii!!! It was a long flight and having a mobile 9 month old didn't help! For the most part he was great. No major meltdowns and as far as I could tell no mean looks from passengers around us. Sunday was a long day. Our flight left DC at 8:30 am and we arrived in Hawaii at 2:30 pm (8:30 p.m.). By the time we got into the hotel it was about 4:30. We managed to stay up until 8:30 pm (2:30 am), even Landon.

Here's a picture of Landon while we were unpacking and getting situated. He's all ready for some fun in the sun!

Monday, Andrew headed to work and Landon and I walked the beach in the morning. Then, when the sun came out we played at the beach and at the pool! We ventured around the resort to see what all was there. There's plenty to keep up occupied.

This is Waikiki Beach, right outside our hotel. The water closest in the picture is a lagoon, then the beach. In the background is Diamond Head, which we plan to climb on Saturday!

Landon having fun on the beach. He still isn't a fan of the water but loves the sand. You can't tell in this picture but Landon had sand all over his face because he enjoyed eating it by the handfull!

Penguins in Hawaii??!! You bet! These Penguins are from South Africa and do well in Hawaii. The hotel has a few other animals around for the guests to admire.

Ma halo for checking in with us and we will have more to post!

Pillow

Today we had our last faculty meeting (YEAH!!). During the meeting, the school recognizes those with certain years of service, retiring, leaving, or had life events (engaged, married, children). There were about 10 babies born this year within the school, Landon being one of them. Each child was given a pillow made by one of the teachers in the school. There was a boy pillow and a girl pillow each a different color. I thought it was a thoughtful gift and super cute! Here's Landon's...

{Uncles...notice the orange and blue!}

Scholar Athlete

Well...Danny is in the paper (Florida Times Union) again. This time for being a scholar athlete. Congrats Danny!

From the Times Union:

Why he's a Scholar-Athlete: Maintaining a weighted 4.44 GPA, Daniel has been a standout runner throughout high school while participating in Boy Scouts and serving 450 volunteer hours in the community.

College: University of Florida, engineering

Achievements : Letters in track (4) and cross country (3); first runner from Bishop Snyder to qualify for state cross country meet, 13th place; three-time team MVP for cross country; all-district and all-region twice; district title in the 1,600-meter; 10th in 1,600-meter at the state meet in 2007.

Happy Father's Day

Since we didn't do much for Mother's Day, except travel, we wanted to do something as a family for Father's Day. We decided to head into D.C., by metro, and go to the National Zoo. It is an amazing zoo and it's absolutely FREE! We had a great time. We wish all the dads out there a very Happy Father's Day!