The Big Happy Island: Part Two

I can’t believe I got on this helicopter…Before we got there, I told John that I wanted to sit on the back row so that I wouldn’t be the first to die when it crashed, and where do you think they assigned me to sit?? Front and center! Whew! After just a few minor heart attacks, I started to have a good time, and I’ve very glad that I did it. An amazing life experience. The cone of a dormant volcano  Taken as we crested a hill and realized that there was a HUGE drop off to a valley on the other side…eek!!

  This valley used to inhabited until the tsunami of 1946 hit and killed over 150 people in this area. It was eerie to see abandoned houses still there in the valley.     We flew inland from the ocean, along a valley, through this V into another valley, and then turned to look back at the ocean through the V. Pretty cool.    Whew, good to be back on the ground.   Our last night, we ate dinner at an amazing place at our resort, overlooking the ocean at sunset. Best meal/experience of the trip. I didn’t want to leave that spot! Crème brulee served in a coconut shell…YUM  Our last morning on the Big Island, we hiked down from Polulu Lookout in North Kohala to experience a breath-taking black sand beach. We got awfully sweaty (which we weren’t excited about for our red-eye flight home later that day), but it was well worth it when we got to the amazing sight at the bottom.   Will and Hayley taking it all in    Leaving the beach and heading back into a really pretty glen One last pic on the way to the airport…sniff, sniff…but BABY GIRL is on the other side of two plane rides! Woooo hoooo! 

Our parents had a really great week with Helen Grace and are full of stories of cute or sweet things she said or did. I love seeing their ‘grandparent time’ cup full and overflowing. My mom said the only time she seemed to be sad we were gone was one time in the car when she said something about Mommy and got a little teary eyed. When my mom asked her if she was ok, she said “O-kay” with a little pout and then pulled herself together. When we got home on Monday afternoon, she was taking a nap, so Grandma brought her over to our house when she woke up. I, of course, met them out in the driveway (couldn’t wait for them to walk inside), and when she got out of the van and saw me, she shrieked and ran to me with her cute little arms up in the air and glued herself to me. My heart was just leaping for joy! She spent the rest of the night running and squealing between John and me, covering us with hugs and kisses. The time away was nice for John and I to spend some quality time together, but man, I missed my baby!!