Disneyland Beach

We didn't ever make it all the way to the leeward side of the island, but some of the locals told us we weren't missing out on anything spectacular, so we decided not to waste the last of our time there.
After we took Brashley to the airport we scoped out the Aulani Resort though and the Ko'olina lagoons. It is beautiful in Ko'olina and it is almost to the leeward side...

It is also right past Wet and Wild.  Kyle stopped and convinced them to give him season passes for $5!  He still had the receipt from when they went for George's birthday and they let him build off of that.  So the next day we loaded up the kids and snacks and the swimming stuff and headed back down the island. Kyle and the kids went to Wet n' Wild.

 and Matty and I went to the Disneyland beach- the lagoon closest to Aulani Resort.  There was absolutely nothing Disney about the lagoon.  The "cast members" were very nice there though and the sand was great.  The beach was boring, so it was perfect for me and Matty. 

 We were at lagoon 1. The wedding chapel bells rang every half hour for a while.  

We saw 5 Asian wedding photo shoots on the beach!

 Aulani itself was so so beautiful.  Behind that manmade cove there were some amazing pools and a lazy river.  Still not worth $500 a night, even with a lazy river!

 She looks like that beached turtle we saw at Papa'iloa.  She just couldn't move any further once she was beached!  Kyle and the kids showed up about 4 hours later and Kyle brought Matty some musubi. Last Sunday a little Samoan boy in Matty's primary class was sitting in front of us in Sacrament meeting.  During the meeting he walked back and handed Matty this strange food.  It was the size of a pack of cards but thicker and was warm and wrapped in plastic wrap.....She was so excited she couldn't wait to try it so she insisted on unwrapping it and trying it.  It is spam and sticky rice wrapped in seaweed.  She loved it!

This one has egg in it too! As if it wasn't disgusting enough to begin with!  She ate the whole thing!

We got home that night in time to run to the Farmer's Market at Waimea Valley. We left the kids home this time and just relaxed with our Sum Tum (Thai papaya salad) and fish sticks.

I love the monkey pod trees here.  These in the valley are incredible.  I sure wish they had monkeys in them!