Hope everyone is doing well!
We returned early this morning from Sierra's Make A Wish trip in Hawaii. It was an amazing, unforgettable adventure, and we're so very thankful for all those involved in helping make her wish come true.
Sharing some pics from the trip.
Pre-trip started out with about 80 of our friends and family coming out to celebrate at her Make A Wish send off party.
The following Friday, A limo van picked us up and drove us to Sacramento. Our flight was scheduled to leave around 9:30 the next morning, so we spent the night there.
We got to the airport at 7:30 the next morning for our 9:30 flight, only to find out that our flight had been changed to actually depart at 7:30. Somewhere the communication was lost, and neither our Make A Wish coordinators or us were notified. THANKFULLY, a part on the plane broke, and the flight was delayed till after noon, so we still made the flight. Only problem was, the flight was 6 hours, and we were supposed to be on the ship by 4, 4:30ish. Made it to Honolulu around 5 (Thankful to some good tailwind!) and rushed to the ship. We were the last ones on board, and barely made it....BUT we made it. 3 of the kids were able to meet the pilot and sit in the cockpit on this flight.
Fell asleep waiting for the plane to be fixed.
Made it to the ship. Barely!
First stop was Maui. Our first day in Maui started off a bit crazy, but ended up being a good day. Our original plan was to take the bus to Lahaina, HI to explore the rainforests, but we ended up going to the beach instead. Kids had a blast playing in the surf and finding coconuts. Second day, we made it to Lahaina. Seen some whales from the bus, got some Hawaiian Shaved Ice, played in the Banyon Trees, and did some shopping. On the ship, Ken and Kai'Lani started Hula lessons, and Phoenix learned how to make Kukui nut necklaces.
Bryce made friends with lots of locals.
Paia Beach
Second stop was Hilo. In Hilo, we got very close to several sea turtles in the wild. A giant one that was on shore waiting for the high tide, and about 9 in a smaller tide pool. The kids played in other tide pools, caught little crabs, and had a great time.
Next day was Kona. We took a tender boat to shore. Ken and the kids played on the beach for a while and went snorkeling. Found sea urchins, sea stars, and a lot of different fish. Sierra and I took a snorkeling excursion on another boat. Snorkeled over some beautiful coral, and seen some beautiful fish. Our favorite part was when a giant sea turtle swam right in between us, hung out for a couple minutes, and then swam back down. Didn't get very clear pictures....but you can see how close she came to us. About a foot between each of us.
Turtle swimming up with Sierra snorkeling.
Next two days was beautiful Kauai. We went up to Waimea Canyon, stopped at a fantastic coffee plantation, did some shopping, played with the roosters that are all over the town, played in the rain, and learned more about where Ken's mom was born and raised. Sierra performed with the live show the first night on the ship and Ken and Kai had a hula performance. Second day, we spent at the beach swimming and kayaking with the sea turtles, taking pictures, and went to a couple shows on the ship.
Pulling into port in Kauai.
The next 3 and a half days were spent at in Waikiki. Sierra had been fighting off some mild headaches the last few days of the cruise, but it hit full blown the first 2 days in Waikiki. Before her headaches hit, we spent the days at the beach, at the zoo, and exploring. On day 2, we were able to see Ken's brother and sister in law, and went to dinner with them. The following day, was Kai'Lani's birthday, so we celebrated with our family there, which was a gift in itself. We went to the Martin Luther King parade, the zoo, swam, had lunch and cake at the park and finished the day sitting on the beach watching the sunset and building sand castles.
View from the hotel.
On our flight back, the kids we're able meet the other pilots, we were bumped up to first class, and Sierra was able to give the announcements over the intercom for the flight. We were picked up in another limo for the ride home. So many people put their hearts into making this such a fantastic and memorable trip....not just for Sierra, but for ALL of us, there really are no words. From Make A Wish, Norwegian Cruise Lines, American Airlines, Reno-Tahoe Limousine services, our doctors granting her permission to go, our friends and family, our community, and so many others........we will be forever grateful.
Killing time while waiting to leave for the airport.
