This post has to be in three chapters because our October half term felt like three beautiful vacations in one!
Chapter 1 Oahu
There was nothing but joy heading to Waikiki to celebrate Corey D and May’s nuptials. We arrived for the welcome beach party and the keiki beach was perfect for splashing with cousins and big hugs with friends and family that we’d been away from for too long. There were aunties to reapply sunscreen, sisters to take someone for a poke bowl break, and older cousins to run a boogie board tutoring session. Our condo was in walking distance from keiki beach so gathered there at some point every day.
Between the beach, we sought out plate lunch and shave ice and tried the pool a few times though I preferred the ocean. Ted and Corey were an easy match and Livi and Daisuke were two peas in a pod. The girls became attached at the hip. Having my mom, Auntie Jo and Barbara all around was a gift, too. The jetleg couldn’t keep us from catching up any time we could.
On the Friday, Corey D and May hosted a welcome evening event at a local brewery where we headed after the kids went to bed. We caught up over local pints with Perry, Ellie, Ilana and Javi and shared our congratulations for their recent wedding as well.
On Saturday, we had the morning to get ready and then took the bus out to a beautiful local park in the neighborhood where May and Corey D used to live. The kids talked the entire ride!
Corey D and May put so much thought into their ceremony and it truly felt like their energy. May was stunning in her dress made from a kimono handed down from her mom from her coming of age ceremony. Her bouquet was broccoli and they had matching hair styles. Barbara gave a beautiful speech and their cocktails, food and piping hot malasadas were a hit! They broke the mold as my mom would say. The girls fell asleep on my at different times so we ended up driving back early with Ted and Eula but so happy for their big day.
Sunday was a picnic with bagels, lox, fruit and recapturing the night’s memories. I guess at this point I have to say that a picture is worth a thousand words. Each gathering was spent admiring each other’s kids and sharing our happy sentiments for Corey D and May.
I’m glad we got some pics with the newly weds before heading out for more Ululani’s shave ice – my new fave! Sunday night was one of my favorite memories of the trip. After cocktails with Eula and Miya, we sat on a bench outside our condo not yet ready to go back to our rooms. Corey D and May ended up walking out from the condo right at that moment and we got to catch up with them on the bench for another hour about their memories and their reflections of their special weekend!
Admittedly, some of the days are blurring together in the best way. I know we walked the main strip and I got a Mele Kalikimaka ornament. We ate ramen. We tried a local market and thought there wasn’t much there until we found a stall with bracelets that had peoples’ names on them. I remember praying for the kids to find their names but reminding myself that it would be very difficult for them all to be there. I predicted Emiko and Sachi but wasn’t sure about Saya and Daisuke…but each one found their name. Every. Single. One. My heart was bright and full. As the woman tied the bracelets on their wrists, Saya asked the woman at the stall ‘How did you know our names?’ The woman replied, ‘Magic’, and smiled at her. It truly is magic to find your name on a bracelet – to be included in this way, in this place- when you’ve never seen your name listed before.
On the final day in Oahu, we rented cars, plotted our lunch pick up at the Highway Inn and then feasted at a local beach on the North Shore. We ended up at a beach with two sides- one for body surfing which Miya wanted to try with Daisuke and one with smaller, calmer waves where we went to find shells with the girls. It’s here I saw my first sea turtle! I couldn’t believe it! Right up on the shore, and then a few more swimming around us. I ran to call Miya. I couldn’t believe it. During our first trip to Oahu, I made Miya drive the island from beach to beach in search of turtles and yet we never saw any. I already knew I loved the North Shore but this solidified it.
Could miss shave ice at Matsumoto’s (but the secret is out that Ululani’s is now my fave).
Eula and Ted were so generous and left us their seafood boil leftovers so that night we feasted on crab, shrimp, sausages and rice. It closed out this first chapter in Hawaii this October. It was all we wished for and more.
The coral above is in the shape of Trinidad. Eula found it at keiki beach so we know Marvin was there celebrating with us as well.
l o n d o n f o r r e s t 