O'ahu with O'hana Day 5

Tuesday, we all slept in a little bit and Tanner made us pancakes before setting off for another adventure on the north shore. Our first stop was Wiamea Bay for some swimming. The beach was stunning and the water was so blue! The kids tried to boogie board but there weren’t really any waves. So we made our way up to Shark’s Cove and snorkeled for a little while. Tanner bought a bag of frozen peas which we used to feed the fish and got to see so many cool tropical species! We even saw a sea turtle! It was a little windy today so the kids were all cold shortly after we started swimming so we quickly got changed and ready and headed to the Polynesian Cultural center for a full day of education and entertainment. I’ve been waiting a long time to take the kids here and it lived up to every expectation. 

 There was SO much to learn and do but the highlights were: Jack learning how to prepare bananas in a cooking class in Samoa, watching the talented boys climb coconut trees, getting tattoos in Fiji, and taking a boat ride.
Randomly, we ran into Jack’s BEST FRIEND, Alec, and his family!! That was for sure a highlight! Was a crazy small world! And I was JUST saying how I loved it when we run into people we love! Isn’t that just nuts? We were all starving by the time we were done experiencing all of the islands and were stoked to partake of the excellent Buffett. The live music and offerings were perfect. Food makes me so happy. The kids loved the purple taro rolls, dole whip pineapple soft serve, and chocolate lava cakes. I loved the kalua pork, chicken teriyaki, and macaroni. The ulu was ono too! We were all a lot happier when our tummies were full.

The kids worked hard to earn stamps in their passport turning the day and we were able to earn a prize at the market outside the PCC. The girls got adorable light up flower crowns. I think the best part of the day was the Ha: Breath of Life show. The music and dancing was exceptional. It really brought to life everything we’d learned about throughout the day. And of course, everyone’s favorite was the fire dancing at the end. Ray’s jaw was on the floor. It was amazing! We thanked the performers at the end and now Ray wants to go to BYU Hawaii. I’m so glad we could spend so much time at the PCC. The spirit there is undeniable and the little town of Laie is truly something special.
We got home SUPER late- 10:30pm which is 1:30am at home. We were all so tired so I don’t even make the kids shower and we all collapsed into bed.