Hawaiian memories

How wonderful these last eight days have been.  Here are just a few things I want to be sure to remember:

• Warm temperatures, but not too hot.  Always warmer at the lower elevations than up here at Schofield.
• Rain, practically every day.  But also at least a little sunshine every day.  Again, differences between the coasts and the higher elevations inland.  And rainbows!  The one while we were driving on Monday was the best; wish I could have gotten a picture of it.
• Three tries until we finally managed to visit the USS Arizona Memorial.  What a solemn and moving place.
• Hale'iwa, and the North Shore in general.  
• The traffic around Honolulu and Waikiki.  No fun, but we didn't spend much time there.
• Two tries to get to the Hard Rock Cafe, then a visit back right away to get the right shirt.
• Beach after beautiful beach.
• Laie Point State Wayside Park: stunning rock formations, the serpent, the wind, the awesome views all around it.
• Every turn in the road bringing another breathtaking view of mountains, beach or ocean, and sometimes all three in one turn.
• Finally immersing in the Pacific, 23 years after missing my opportunity to double-dip in the Pacific and the Bering at Shemya.
• The luau and show at the "Polynesian theme park" (I can't think of it any other way) run by the LDS.
• Lots of yummy food.
• Dancing with Teri on stage on our anniversary.
• Adequately clothed hula dancers (there are some advantages of going to an LDS facility).
• Fire dancers!
• Shave ice, first at Matsumoto's, and then even better shave ice (snowier ice, better flavoring, yummier coconut topping than the condensed milk) at The General Store; I'm glad we had it at the original place, though, too.
• Turtles just off the beach in the water off the North Shore the first two times we tried to see them, then finally one on the beach on the third try.
• Two lunches at places featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives:
• Hank's Haute Dogs, where Teri had a Hawaiian Dog and I had the best Andouille I've had outside of Louisiana.
• Sweet Home Waimanalo.  Cassie and I shared a vegetarian meat loaf sandwich and a tofu and black bean burger, and Teri enjoyed the pulled pork.  Cassie and I didn't miss the meat on either of them, and agreed that the meatless loaf was delicious, suffering only by comparison with the tofu and black-bean burger which was absolutely incredible!
• Wonderful time with our daughter and son-in-law, along with his mom and brother.
• But mostly great time with our precious grandchildren:
• Getting up with Hannah and Nic for school in the morning.
• Grandma going to read in Hannah's class.
• Doing the gingerbread house project with Nic.
• Emma shaking her head "no" when I told her I love her, just so I'd tickle her.
• Taking Emma to the Dole Plantation and riding the train together, then watching in amazement as she ate a whole Dole Whip cone.
• Madelyn ("Baby") finally warming up to us.
• Lots of hugs and kisses and "I love yous"