Hawaii

Dave and I escaped to Waikoloa on the Big Island of Hawaii to celebrate 10 years of marital bliss. Now I am spending my days looking for job for Dave on the island.

Dave says that by putting the pictures in slide shows I don't appreciate them. Just so you all know I DO appreciate them we just have so many pictures.
We did so many things in the week we were there, I get tired thinking about how I am going to share it all.

We spent our first full day at Volcanoes National Park. We hiked across one of the craters and through some lava tubes. Part of the park was closed due to high levels of sulfur gas in the air but we did cram in all that was available to us. We then drove down to see the active lava flows as they flow into the ocean.
The beach near our condo was a sea turtle mecca. They were swimming and sleeping all over the place. It was AMAZING. We snorkeled and wandered down the sea shore searching the tide pools. We did run into an eel....gross.

We found dinner at King Kamehameha's island breeze luau. Good food, good entertainment and educational.

The zip line was also educational. Though our guide did tell us they are told to make up stuff if they don't know the answer so, I don't know how much of what we learned is accurate. We had a great time zipping through the rainforest, over waterfalls, lava tubes and sugar cane fields.
We watched several row teams practicing on both sides of the island. After canoeing out to the Captain Cook monument I don't know how they row that much.
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There are so many waterfalls to see in Hilo. Dave loved the ahi burgers on the way to the falls.

The gardens weren't as cool as we thought they would be but they were still beautiful. The main problem is the rotting mango smell and having to cover your head so you don't get hit by a falling mango!

Words will never do justice to Mauna Kea. Mauna Kea is the world's largest astronomical observatory. Dave and I drove our Chevy cobalt 14,000 ft up to watch the sunset. The most memorable sunset of our lives!

We went to the world's only seahorse farm. Again very educational. We got to feed them and hold them.

This beach had so many GROSS sea slugs. Dave kept telling me to walk to the edge to take pictures right as the waves crashed. He is so sweet!
We wrote all of the kids names in the lava rocks along the main highway!
This lava tube is unmarked off the side of the road. It went on for quite awhile. We had fun exploring.
It was such a fun week. I can't believe it has been 10 years since we were married. 3 kids, college degrees, and a mortgage payment later. We look forward to many more years together. I am so thankful to have my best friend by my side to help me everyday. I love you Dave!