Elder and Sister Mills

are home! I can't tell you how glad I am that they are home. Even though we were able to have two very nice trips to Hawaii to visit them, I missed them terribly. This year has gone really fast, and yet at the same time it was really slow not being able to see my parents every week like we had been used to in our first year of marriage.

I picked them up from the airport with my Step Sister and her cute girl's on June 21st and so far the time has flown by since they've been back.

They're homecoming talk was a couple sunday's ago and they did a spectacular job. We had a family party to celebrate their homecoming and it was quite a get together too. Thanks to all the family that came to celebrate their return, it was so nice to have you there and see you!

So glad my parents are back and that I can now go up and see them whenever I want. Welcome home Elder and Sister Mills!

Hawaiian Christmas II

The next day Jer and I set out to do the most tourist popular hike Diamond Head Crater because its just one of those things you have to do when you go to Oahu.

The broad, saucer-shaped crater now Diamond Head was formed about 300,000 years ago during a single, explosive eruption creating the crater.

The origin of the English name, “Diamond head” came from 19th century British sailors who thought the sparkling, clear calcite crystals were diamonds.

 
One of our goals was to go do things that the local's only know about, so after some research and advice from people who we knew that were natives, we had a long list of must do's for Oahu. One of them was this short little hike if you could even call it that. The spitting cave of Portlock, which was located on the south east corner just west of Diamond Head in a multimillion dollar residential area. However, the views and tide was just amazing. The spitting cave of Portlock is so named because its a little cave that has been hollowed out by the tide and when the surf comes in fast and hard enough, it spits out water and mist making it a spitting cave.

It was a little path that was covered by huge trees on both sides so that if felt like a tunnel, and then it opened out on this view which was just breathtaking. This wasn't exactly a well known 'hike' so it really wasn't marked at all. Not tourist friendly if you will.

And then of course, we had to go explore. We saw this super rusted ladder that had been bolted into the side of this little cliff and of course Jared was all for climbing down. I personally think I about had a panic attack.

Did I mention it was a REALLY far way down?

The surf was rather violent that day (it had been stormy) but even then I never did get a great picture of the blowhole in action. The native's say its a really rare thing, but when it happens its extremely unique.

Hawaiian Christmas I

So as many of you know we ventured far from home and sweet little puppy for two weeks to spend our Christmas holiday in glorious Honolulu, HI to visit my parents on their LDS senior couple mission. Since I took over 500 pictures, we of course will have to do some installments and since we did so many amazing things, I figured that would be easiest to break it down. Hope you enjoy!

We arrived late at night so it wasn't until morning that we got to see what a amazing view we would get to see each day

Our very first activity was going to see Pearl Harbor. Although it was so crowded and tourists were everywhere, the beautiful message and peace was still very potent. It's one of those things you just have to experience for yourself. Another check on the bucket list.

Many thanks to my sweet Aunt Kathy and Cousin Suzie for getting the tickets and coming along with my parents and us even though they had already gone about ten times themselves (Suzie and her husband Preston are stationed on Ford Island which is behind us in the picture above).