Hawaiian Vacation, Dino Style

Here's another post I started and never finished.  Well...I'll finish it now. :)  Time to dream of getting "semi" caught up.  Greece deserves its own, rich blog. So I'll share this, maybe a few other quicky updates from the summer/etc. And then onto Greece.  (I can dream.)
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Well, this wasn't how I'd envisioned first writing about my trip to Hawaii with Nate this past April, but I as I look through all the pictures I find I just want to share them all.  It was such a wonderful trip; I'm still grateful (hopefully always will be) and holding close what I learned on that trip, and from Nate.  Not to mention it was gorgeous and a blast.  (It was Hawaii.) But perhaps that's why I'm still keeping it a bit to myself, not sure of how to sum it all up.  My journal entry about that darn trip is an unspeakable number of pages, yet to be finished. ha.  Well, so.  I'll get to the actual trip with my next entry/post (ugh, I'm months behind), but, to start out, you get to first see it through the eyes of some very special guests that Nate and I brought along to share in (and help create some of) our fun.  Just glad for the trip we had. And now--

Meet: the dinos.

We'll call them Rapt, Bronto, and... Egghead.

Before I left Ohio, and when Nate and I were first planning this trip, I'd come across this post, about a photographer who on a whim bought a toy dinosaur in Bolivia, and then snapped and shared a photo of it online--which instantly became a hit. Of course I thought this brilliant, shared the idea with my dear Mr. Mahler, and we both agreed to bring a toy dino with us on this trip.  We dreamed of taking photos--the last of which would be us at the top of an active volcano, and the dinos would finally meet their end falling into the lava, perhaps imitating (at least in some form) their ancestors' tragic fate by tar pits and fire. :) haha.  We aren't normally so morbid.  (At least, I'm not. ;) ).  While we never did end up buying them together while I was still in Ohio, we made sure to each buy one before our trip and to bring it along to carry out the silly, but brilliant, idea.  How could a vacation not be more fun by taking pictures of dinosaurs in a jungle setting?  You see my point.

Our photos aren't nearly so great as the guy's whose inspired this idea, but we did faithfully lug these guys around with us for the entirety of our trip to almost every location we visited, with a few exceptions.  They were just part of the team. :)  We didn't name them, but they were still dear.  I left the one I purchased as a parting gift to Carson (the son of our friends, Jimmy and Lisa, who we were staying with and visiting); the other I brought belonged to Kiara, but I kept him on my nightstand for a good many months after, just as a reminder.  He made me smile.

Before getting much into them, I should quickly share a funny story about these first photos:

Did you hear the one about the pilot and the Pterodactyl? ha ha 

Super excited for the trip, and maybe a little nervous about flying.

Nate and I both had our dinosaurs with us in our carry-on bags.  We met in San Francisco to make the major leg of the trip together.  When we got to our seats I think we both envisioned one of the pics that the photographer had done of his dino looking out the window, so I immediately brought out my dinos for show and tell ;) and we took our first few shots of them excited for the trip.  Nate's dino was stuck in his temporarily lost luggage, so mine got to be the stars.  The guy next to us in our aisle was from Norway (? I think) and traveling to visit his girlfriend in Hawaii.  He thought the toys were for some kids, but then wondered what we were taking the pictures for.  Nate and I kind of sheepishly laughed--but really weren't embarrassed--and explained what we were doing and a little about the photographer's pictures I'd seen.  He seemed to accept the answer without saying much about it.  As we got into the air and took another picture of them looking out over the clouds, he asked if he could take a picture.  We quickly moved the dinos, thinking he wanted a picture of the sunset over the ocean, but no--he then motioned for us to put the dinos back up in the window and asked if it was okay if he took a picture of them looking out the window, too. :) heh heh.  We had a convert.  So, that made us smile more, and was a fun way to start out the trip.  He must have thought we were crazy....crazy cool.  ;)  ha.  Right.

It's so beautiful.

Well, anyways.  That was the beginning of the dinos' trip, and of our's, and so without further ado, here's the rest of it, through their eyes. I suppose I should make it through "their" voice, too.  Corny, but it gives me the excuse to throw in a few extra pictures, so I might as well.  (AKA, can't resist.  I want to share ALL the pictures.  But don't worry, I won't.)
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Our trip to paradise (aka, the motherland)(but not really).  

We got in late, and so after a brief stop at Mc'y D's, we went back to the Leales and headed to bed while Tawna and Nate stayed up talking with Jimmy and Lisa.  However, in the excitement of being there, we woke up early--with the sun--and did a little exploring of our own from the guest room (which we graciously shared with Tawna, while Nate took the couch), while Tawna studied whatever it was she liked to read. It was beautiful outside, and, of course, there were palm trees.

                                     So luxurious.                    Couldn't wait for a peak outside in daylight

Once Carson (the baby) got up, we all ate and then went to hike Manoa Falls.  

Me in the middle, at the trail head.  Everyone wants a picture with me. 

The jungle was awesome, and crazy lush.  Just like the predecessors used to have it (or so I'd imagine).  Nate decided all the vines were obviously calling for some climbing and swinging, so he got to it.

And then he and Tawna went ga-ga over these amazing trees.  Like they'd never seen a tree before. I guess they wanted to make up for the lack of monkeys in the wild here.  Still, these trees were AMAZING!  So, we made sure to appreciate.

The wildlife.

In his natural element. (But probably just after some grub.)

I, on the other hand, decided I'd rather take a relaxing shower at the base of some small falls, along the way.  

Ahhh...refreshing. 

Once there, Nate missed the sign saying "don't go beyond this point," and headed for the base of the falls. 

So I soon followed suit.  

Taking in some serene ponder time.

I even offered to take their picture.

Those crazy kids.

Later, once we were back near the start, Bronto tried to offer taking a pic, but with his big feet he really does need some help...

I, on the other hand, did a much better job for them.  (It helps, having hands, if you ignore the fact that my arms are as short as a raptor's toothpick and I can't even scratch the top of my head.)

So that was that.  Now Bronto will check in.  
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Well, after that hike, Egghead wanted to relax, and Lisa figured she would stay home with the baby to get some things done, so Tawna and Nate and I took the car for a nice drive out in the country-side to the Dole Plantation.  They'd both been told by an old friend that Dole Whips were to die for, so they convinced me to come try one.  

Before leaving, however, I was excited to find some distant cousins hanging around outside in the stroller.  

Those crazy Gecko's... Geiko has made them so famous they feel they need to hide in all the strangest of places to escape the fanfare.

The Dole Whips were delicious, and I really enjoyed playing the tourist around the plantation with those two crazy kids. 

Enjoying a delicious Dole Whip.

Two of the right cutest flowers there.

I love the hula.  (Does this headdress make my face look fat?)

Well, that was day one.  Next day we ended up going to Hanauma Bay for some beach time and snorkeling for the bigun's.

He's not sure what to think of the approaching wildlife. 

After Tawna and Nate got back from a long and tiring snorkeling run, Nate decided it right proper that he be buried beneath the sand, using the snorkel to breathe through, and the goggles to block the sand from his eyes.  Tawna and Lisa thought it right proper to use the coconut shells and lays they found in the water to dress Nate up as a girl.  So, both sides had good ideas.

Standing as protector of her man/woman crush.

Things got a little hot there between Rapt and Egghead for a minute.  We had to keep reminding Rapt for the entire trip that friends aren't food.

Standoff, on the hill. 

Sheesh, you bite like a toy. 

Tawna taking things into her own hands.

She wins.  

Of note, Carson eventually really won king of the hill, and was placed on top of Nate.  Nate then preceded to slowly emerge like a creepy zombie.  That is, until Carson knocked some sand into Nate's mouth, and he had to come up sputtering.  :)  Have you ever seen a sputtering zombie?  But really, it was cute. :)

...That was as far as I got, but seeing as how I took the time to write all of that from the "mouth" of a dinosaur it seemed only right that I post it. Years later. Like... 6 years later. ;) So I can start fresh in India!