2016 Hawaiian Christmas

8 Jan 2017
First let me start by wishing everyone a very happy new year for 2017, filled with good health and many successes both personally and professionally!  (Since I didn't get around to writing a Christmas note for 2016!)  2017..it's hard to imagine that 20 years ago, we were getting ready to move to France...20 years...just doesn't seem possible!  Since then, we've lived in France, Romania, US and now China for almost 7 years!  I never dreamed that growing up on a farm just outside of Germantown, KY, USA (population 300)  that I would marry a wonderful man and we would have this international life, but here we are! 
For 2016, we spent our Christmas holiday in Hawaii with son's Chris and Matthew and their families. This entry is about this vacation...so if you are looking for China photos, skip this blog...however, if you are looking for some beautiful Hawaii pictures, keep going!

Rod and I went to Hawaii a few days early to get some tours set up and also just relax and get into vacation mode!  It worked!

Hawaii sunset from our hotel balcony

Hawaii...just the way we like it!

Hawaii sunrise on Diamond Head road

The Light house at Diamond head

Rod and Sarah at the Royal Hawaiian under the pink umbrellas..our preferred hotel at Waikiki.  She's an old one, right on the beach and just perfect for us!

Rod relaxing on the balcony of our room...ahhh... no bugs, cool ocean breeze...paradise!

We picked up everyone at the airport, and then the family fun began!! Below are just a few of the Christmas celebrations and sight seeing photos together.  A Christmas that will go down in our collective memories for a lifetime!

Nana Sarah picking up Olivia at the airport with a fresh lei

Matthew, Rodney and Christopher at the airport

Rod and Olivia catching up on the bananaphones

Sarah and Matthew sightseeing

One of the beautiful bays in Hawaii

Beautiful Hawaii

Sarah, Matthew, April and Rod at one of the bay's in Hawaii

The blow hole on Ohau

One of the banyan trees on Waikiki beach..I loved how the sun came through and looked like a heart in the tree!

Getting ready to go to the Arizona memorial at Pearl Harbor

The Arizona memorial in Pearl Harbor

Christopher, Olivia and Rachael on the Arizona

April and Matthew on the Arizona

The US flag still flies proudly over the Arizona.  The Flagpole is the only item on the memorial that actually touches the sunken ship below.

Rod and Sarah at the base of the flagpole on the Arizona

The oil still seeps from the ship below.  Some people say that when looking at the oil in the water, you can see faces of the sailors below.

Nana Sarah giving Olivia her first US National Park passport and stamp for the Arizona...hopefully we can visit many more National parks together!

Grandpa getting beat in Checkers, trying to distract Olivia with an important phone call!

Christmas morning in the hotel lobby for gift exchange!  That is a first! Rod and Matthew looking at their stuff!

Olivia and Rachael with their gifts

Sarah and Christopher with their gifts

Olivia and Grandpa and Nana Sarah with their gifts

April looking pretty on Christmas morning

Rachael looking pretty on Christmas morning too!

Matthew looking handsome on Christmas morning

Nana Sarah with Olivia on Christmas morning

Sarah and Rod on the bus to see the Honolulu Christmas lights!

Santa and Mrs Claus hanging 10 in Honolulu

Olivia and Grandpa seeing the lights together

Matthew and April under the Christmas tree in Honolulu

Nana Sarah with Olivia in Hawaii

Olivia and Rachael with the Christmas lights in Honolulu

Midnight mass at the St Augustine Church on Waikiki. 

The best part of the mass was listening to the Hawaiian Choir

April and Matthew at the Royal Hawaiian getting ready for brunch

Rachael, Olivia and Christopher getting ready for Brunch at the Royal Hawaiian

Sarah and Rodney getting ready for a wonderful brunch at the Royal Hawaiian for Christmas

The view from the Royal Hawaiian lobby...ahhh!

At the Dole Plantation, Matthew having fun with April (of course she doesn't know what he's doing!)

Olivia with a sea turtle on the north Shore with grandpa trying to get that perfect shot!

Playing on the beach at the North Shore

Eating shrimp on the North Shore

A Monk Seal (only found in Hawaii)...the way most of us felt after eating the big brunch on Christmas day!)

One of the high mountain passes ..very windy!

Grandpa holding onto Olivia so she doesn't fly away!

April and Matthew firmly on the ground!

Sarah with her new hat and feather lei in Hawaii

The farewell at the airport :-(

 Rod and I stay a couple more days after everyone else left and took in a few more sights and relaxed.  We had to fix a airline ticket problem due to a reroute (note, if you are traveling international, I do not recommend using Expedia...no help!)

Another sunrise on Diamond head road...where I took my almost daily exercise path

A nice way to relax after a good morning walk..Breakfast at Duke's!

Rod and Sarah getting ready to go on the opendoor helicopter

Waikik beach (the pink building is the Royal Hawaiian hotel)

Inside Diamond head

Punchbowl National Cemetery

The pineapple maze at Dole Plantation

One of the beautiful mountain passes...pretty even in the rain!

Beautiful Hawaii seen from the helicopter

The USS Arizona on the bottom of Pearl Harbor with the memorial now on top.  May they rest in peace

 This video is taken from the same perspective that the Japanese bombers took when they did the bombing.  Sobering.  It's raining, so the view is not perfect, but you can get the idea.

Selfie in the helicopter!  No, I am not a pilot..I got lucky and got to be in the co-pilot seat!  Highly recommend!

 So, that about does it for our 2016 Hawaiian family vacation!  We had some professional pictures taken too...but that will have to wait as they are not uploaded yet!  Other than an unplanned reroute due to  flight cancellation for our return, it all went according to plan. Makes us all remember, don't sweat the small stuff...and it's all small stuff!
We don't know what tomorrow will bring.  We wanted to have a family vacation together...our first time ever and I believe we can all say it was a wonderful success.  We are very blessed  and with this note, again, I wish everyone much health and happiness in 2017!  As the Chinese saying goes"  Attitude decides everything"! Let's make it a great year!

Rod and Sarah