Mele Kalikimaka {Christmas with the Geigers in Hawaii}
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God bless my dad, who dreamed up a plan for all of us to travel to Hawaii over Christmas this past year -- and actually made it happen! he told us about his idea over Christmas 2017, and we all excitedly put it on our calendars. then, a few months later, Nick applied for the job in Rome, and as one thing after another fell into place and he accepted the position in last spring, one of my first thoughts was "what about Hawaii?!" amazingly, it all worked out to us to join the rest of the family during the week between Christmas and New Year's. it felt a bit surreal to drive back to the Pittsburgh airport on December 26 just a week after arriving from Rome, and fly another twelve hours west. there were no major mishaps on the flight, but by the time we touched down at the Kona airport, we were pretty exhausted. as i stepped off the plane onto the tarmac, i was in for a shock: it was hot! i had been checking the weather forecast for weeks so i'd know how to pack for our trip, but it turns out that when you search for the temperature in "Hawaii" it averages the temperature over the entire state, including the mountains. so i was prepared for temps in the upper 60s/low 70s, and packed long pants for all of us. well, the average temperature at the beach in Kona was more like 85 ... which was fantastic for swimming and relaxing, but i immediately felt like an idiot as everybody around us was pulling off their sweaters to reveal tank tops underneath. poor planning aside, all the stress of traveling melted away as we picked up our rental car and drove to our house!
Greta took this picture as we landed!
the first open-air baggage claim i've ever experienced! Cece was ready to head to the beach!
Dad and his granddaughters on the lanai
heading across the street to the beach!
first dip in the Pacific Ocean with Auntie Krista (...or Auntie Kira...)
much love from aunties!
that night, Uncle James gave a stunning performance as Cinderella, under the direction of Greta. and if a picture
is worth a thousand words, well, then, a video is worth a million!! (thanks Genesis!)
the next morning, the girls woke before sunrise, to the sound of birds chirping outside and the gradually lightening sky. the house was built with huge screened windows between the roof and the walls that stay open all the time. it reminded me of waking up early yet so refreshed on camping trips -- this was the best of both worlds, having a comfortable bed and a bathroom just steps away! we were excited to have our first proper excursion to the beach!
sunrise from the lanai
the early morning crew (can't remember why Greta was making this face!)
at one point one of Cece's arms started looking red (despite my regimented application of sunscreen!)
so Nick sacrificed a shirt for the cause. later, her skin looked fine, so i think it may have just been irritation from the sand after all!
fun with pool noodles (please note Kira's method of waterproofing the brace for her broken hand!)
we all came back to the house for lunch. each individual family unit took charge of meals for a day (including planning, grocery shopping, preparing and clean-up), and it really worked out well! we cooked our meals for the entire trip except the last day when we went out to eat. with a group of 17 people, it was so much less stressful (and less expensive!) to cook at home. i also appreciated not having to think about "what's for dinner" except on our day to cook!
enjoying a post-lunch beer on the lanai -- a Kona Brewing Company ale for Dad, a Corona with lime for me!
shortly after lunch, i saw what looked like a whale spouting water out in the ocean. just as i was saying "i think that might be a whale!", it suddenly leapt out of the water, prompting all of us to scream with excitement! this was the first time i'd ever seen a whale and it was absolutely breathtaking.
all the surfers stopped to watch too!
whale watch committee
the whole week fell into a natural rhythm -- breakfast and coffee on the lanai, heading to the beach mid-morning, coming back to the house for a late lunch, and then just relaxing. i had done a bunch of research on various activities to do around Kona (like visiting a coffee farm or the royal Hawaiian house-turned-into-a-museum or even the octopus research facility where you get to touch an octopus!) but when it came down to it, we really just wanted to relax and enjoy our time with family.
i finally went to Walmart and bought Greta this dress (and a pair of shorts for Cece!) so they
had other viable clothing options besides their bathing suits. Greta spent a lot of time
honing her interpretive dance to the Moana soundtrack!
at our favorite beach of the week -- Kua Bay!
Dad, fresh off a boogie boarding session!
Krista strikes a triumphant boogie-boarding pose
Kelli & Colin <3 <3 <3
we seriously need one of these swings!
on our last full day together in Hawaii, we decided to rent surfboards and try our luck on the waves. both Dylan and Krista had surfed before, but the rest of us were as green as they come. by the time we got down to the surf shop, lessons were over for the day, but the staff gave us a few pointers (essentially just telling us where to surf to avoid getting drawn out by the stronger currents or accidentally landing on the rocks in a deceptively shallow part of the bay) and we were off! my first impression of the surfboard was that it's a lot heavier than it looks! although it took much more effort than i anticipated to hoist it down to the water, i was grateful for its bulk once we actually got out there. the girls stayed behind at the little beach with Kelli, Genesis, and Grammie while we paddled out into the ocean. i don't actually have any pictures of the surfing expedition: suffice it to say that i was only able to get up to a half-crouching, kneeling posture a few times, and certainly did no actual surfing worthy of the name, but it was still so incredible just to paddle around on the board as the sun set over the horizon.
that night, we decorated gingerbread houses that Kira and Dylan had brought with them -- so festive!
this was the first face i got when i asked her to pose with her creation. goofball!!
that's more like it!
the next day was a whirlwind of packing and cleaning up the house. we had rented the top two floors of the house, which can also be rented separately, so the most challenging part of the clean-up was making sure all of the dishes, coffee mugs, chairs, and blankets got put back on the floor where they started! finally when all was spic and span, we headed outside so Genesis could work her photography magic and capture some group shots. (these first pictures are just my iPhone snaps!)
teaching Greta some photog skills!
Auntie Kelli striking a pose for Greta's benefit
cutest photobomb EVER!!!!
then this happened...
i have no words.
thank you, Mom and Dad, for the trip of a lifetime!!
love these two!
and here are the actual family portraits. we are so spoiled with a professional photographer in the family! thank you, thank you, thank you Genesis!
typical
siblings!
then it was time to say goodbye to Kelli and Colin (headed to California) and Kira and Dylan (bound for New York).
this picture makes me cry all over again!
John and Genesis had the brilliant idea to stay in Hawaii for another week on their own, so we all drove up to see their Air BnB. it was already ten degrees cooler up on the mountain side where they were staying, and the views were absolutely incredible!
the property was adjacent to a coffee farm!
view from the lanai
picking oranges with Grandpa
Greta could have spent hours on this swing!
we headed back into town for lunch at Umekes Fishmarket and Grill. since we'd been cooking for ourselves all week, this was actually my first foray into Hawaiian food and it was delicious! i had a poke bowl (essentially diced raw fish, served with rice!) and the flavor was incredible.
Nick ordered the Next Level Lau Lau -- fried pork covered in brown gravy and topped with a fried egg. it's one of Guy Fieri's favorite dishes on "Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives"!
after that, we naturally needed something sweet. at the recommendation of friends, we went to Gypsea Gelato, and it did not disappoint!
the rest of our afternoon was perfectly relaxing. we said goodbye to Mom, Dad, James and Krista, and then John and Genesis invited us to come hang out at their Air BnB until we had to leave for the airport around 8 pm. then they offered to watch the girls so that Nick and i could have a little date! so awesome. we walked around the little town of Holualoa and then ended up grabbing a beer at Sam's Hideaway before picking up some pizza to bring back to the house. it was such a great way to spend our last few hours on the island!
here's a highlight reel of our trip -- it already seems like so long ago! the memories are priceless. thanks again to Mom and Dad!!
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