Making dreams come true.

WHERE: Maui, Hawaii
WHEN: December 2012
WITH: Mom and Diana
WHY: Because on all of our previous trips to Maui we always visited the Grand Wailea Resort and said that someday we would vacation there.  Diana, again being so generous (and mom as well) made this happen!  For some ridiculous reason Dad didn't want to come so we made sure we were home by Christmas Eve.

MEMORIES:
-It being a most-needed and perfect vacation.  I was in the middle of a particularly rough school year and boy did I need that relaxing getaway.  It really was probably the best vacation I had ever been on.
-The amazing bathroom in our hotel room.
-Walks on the beach.
-Mom and I took a particularly long walk into Kihei to eat breakfast at Kihei Cafe.
-Amazing, yet subtle Christmas decorations that were up in the hotels.
-Paddle-boarding for the first time.
-Doing nothing but lay by the beach/pool and absolutely loving it.
-Hotel's pool amenities (lazy river, water slides, water elevator, multiple pools, etc.)

Diana's coworker gave her these stickers.

Just arrived!

See, I could do it...

...but this is how I spent most of my time on it :)

Still Christmastime in Hawaii

Last evening in paradise.

Aloha!

WHERE: Maui, Hawaii
WHEN: August 2005
WITH: Mom and Diana
WHY: Why not go to Hawaii?

MEMORIES:
-Getting pooped on by a bird under the Banyan tree.
-Sitting a few rows back from Santana during a musical/dance show.
-Seeing where the opening scene of the movie "Jurassic Park" was filmed.
-Being in a particularly obstinate mood one afternoon and getting extremely angry/upset/scared of some peacocks that wanted to eat my lunch.

Seriously, though.  Those birds wouldn't leave me alone.

Aloha, Family

WHERE: Maui & Oahu, Hawaii
WHEN: March 1999
WITH: Family (Mom, Dad, Lanson, Amy, Kim, Mark, Darin, and Diana)
WHY: Spring Break

MEMORIES:
-1st time (for most of us) to Hawaii!  Lots of memories, we had such a great time...so many photos.  Memories will be underneath.

Waiting to take off!

Please note: Kim and Mark went tanning beforehand "so they wouldn't burn."

First time in the water - it was so warm!  Top 10 favorite family memory.

Being in Hawaii is tiring.

First time I had ever snorkeled.  Saw some great fish, and a sea turtle!  Made me feel claustrophobic breathing out of that tube, though.

Went sailing on a catamaran.  The guide, me, Kim, and dad went.  We sailed really far out and it scared me.  Then it was super windy and we almost flipped over the boat trying to turn around.  I was terrified at that point and couldn't wait to get back on land.

Happy to be back on land.  It was somewhat traumatizing for me.

Left to Right: Kim, Mark, Diana, Dad, me, Lanson, Amy, Darin, Mom

Darin climbs a coconut tree.

Whale watching trip - we were the only ones who wanted to brave the rocky boat.

Off of the Road to Hana

This ended up being our Christmas picture that year.

Shave ice.

Banyan tree in Lahaina.

I went through a horse-back riding phase...mom would find horse-back riding for me as often as she could when we went on vacations.  What a nice mom :)

Luau at Polynesian Cultural Center

Laie Temple

We went to dinner at Hilda and Roy Taguchi's home.  My parents knew them from when they lived in Okinawa.

I remember during the blessing on the food, Roy was so sweet and said, "we're grateful for this food prepared by the golden hands of Hilda Taguchi."  What a sweet man!