We had the wonderful opportunity to go to Kauai in October for John’s niece’s wedding.  Hawaii + family = bliss.

Most days we woke up before the sun to hunt for shells and critters in the tide pools, sometimes in our pajamas.  As we made sand castles, we watched the clock, waiting for Starbucks to open.  We eventually forgot about time and soaked in every juicy moment.  There were crabs, sea cucumbers, geckos, fish, a giant toad, and breaks for shaved ice to top it all off.  Our back flips and diving skills were perfected and the whole family even went down the water slide.

One of our favorite days was an incredible hike up to Secret Falls with Uncle Roy, Aunt Patrice, and cousins Timothy and Jesse.  It started with a kayak trip down the river and then hiking for miles through mud … literally.  We finally arrived at the Secret Falls (which it turns out aren’t so secret) where we took a dip to clean off and enjoyed a picnic lunch.  It was a messy, magical day!

Of course the icing on the cake, was the wedding.  Emily and Jordan chose a special spot in the woods of Kauai where they had a lovely ceremony and were pronounced husband and wife.  Afterward, we all spent the evening at a beautiful dinner where Charlotte and Johnny got to act like grown ups (with their own coloring books) to celebrate the newlyweds.  We were amazed to see so much love.  It will forever be engrained in our memory.  We were grateful to witness such a special event.

Congratulations to the newlyweds and thank you, Hawaii, for all of your beauty!