Our trip!!!

Caroline just settled for a nap, so I thought I'd update the blog! Beware, this is a HUGE entry and it's not completely in chronological order. And don't forget to check out the two videos at the bottom of this entry!

This is Caroline in her stroller. We were exploring the shops and sights along Waikiki Beach. Check out those meaty thighs!

She really liked Waikiki Beach!

A surf shop along Waikiki Beach, just outside of our hotel.

Little Miss Cutie Pie hanging out on our bed at the hotel.

Think she knows how cute she is?

Us at sunset on Waikiki Beach.

This is us at the Dole Pineapple Plantation. It's not the best picture of us but it's one of the only ones where we're both looking at the camera...

See what I mean? :) This is us in the botanical gardens at Dole.

I really liked this flower and it was absolutely gigantic!

See?! It was as big as my head!

Still in the gardens, still trying to get a decent picture, still failing...

Part of the Dole gardens...

This is what a baby pineapple looks like, growing on the pineapple plant!

My baby with Dole's baby. She wasn't super entertained...

But she loved the train ride we took through the pineapple fields! (And I loved the sweet smell!) She kind of loved the souvenir bag we received even more though, as you can see.

Caroline and I at Pearl Harbor. This picture was taken by Barb & Barry, two fantastic people we met and hung out with. Barry is a retired Navy C-124 pilot/airline pilot and his wife also worked in the airline industry. Thank goodness for them... besides being great company, we finally got some pictures taken without me holding the camera up and above us.

This is the USS Reagan parked in pearl Harbor. It was gigantic and had armed guards standing watch. They waved at us as we rode past on the boat that took us to the USS Arizona Memorial.

Here we are posing with the ship behind us.

On the windy boat ride to the Memorial site...

Approaching the memorial. I started getting emotional here! The memorial floats above the resting place of the USS Arizona and all of the men it entombs. You can see bits of the ship poking up above the water and oil still rising to the surface nearly 67 years after the attack.

At the actual memorial with the USS Arizona in the water behind us. I had a hard time smiling for the picture until Barry said that smiling at the memorial wasn't a sign of disrespect, it was a sign of respect and love for those who lost their lives and the freedom we enjoy because of their bravery and sacrifice.

This is a room inside the memorial that lists every person who lost their life at Pearl Harbor on the December 7th, 1941 attack. As soon as I walked in, I started to cry. Looking at the names and imagining the lives that were lost and the families that were left behind was very hard for me.

This is Caroline at the Honolulu Zoo. If you look closely, you'll see some giraffes behind her. She wasn't impressed. I really wasn't either, as a lot of the exhibits were empty and the animals they did have were very old.

However, I did like this cheetah. I took this picture with my arm up above the glass partition. When she looked at me though, I realized what it feels like to be prey!

A cool tree at the zoo. There were lots of these trees in Waikiki, even along the beach in places. Certainly not what I expected!

A neat tunnel we drove through near Pearl City in Hawaii. I had taken a wrong turn but enjoyed the drive so much that I didn't turn around for a while.

This is Caroline with my dad who lives in Austin. This was the first time he met her and I think it's safe to say that they both loved eachother very much.

My gorgeous sister, Katy, and her dance team. This was before our trip to Hawaii obviously! Anyway, it was Halloween night, hence the witch hats.

My best friend, Mandy, came to join us for the football game. We had a great time with her and everyone loved seeing Caroline in her costume.

Okay, so, this isn't Caroline's best picture ever but it's a good one of me and Katy. And we didn't plan to be wearing practically the same outfit but our family does bleed orange...

My lovely and amazing sister, Katy, and me.

Caroline sleeping with her Grandpa. :)

Waking up all smiles again! And see that burnt orange? Who couldn't smile at that? Well, besides Benjamin?

Still waking up!

Smiling at kisses from Grandpa!

Still smiling!

Grandpa and Caroline at Cracker Barrel.

Caroline modeling a headband and winter clothes! She'd never had a chance to wear them before our trip to Houston!

The inside of the KC-135 Stratotanker we rode home to Guam from Hawaii! That's the flight surgeon on his knees playing with the kids. He was awesome!

Caroline on the plane. The gal behind us was still wearing her earplugs but we had thrown ours out at that point. They really didn't help keep the noise out much at all.

Here's a video of our ride on the KC-135. Boy was that an adventure!


And here's a video I promised I would post for my mom. She had asked for me to put the phone to Caroline's ear and Caroline's reaction was so cute that I had to grab my camera and have them do it all over again!