Waikiki Beach with Maleigh 10-9-10

We enjoy going to Waikiki Beach and this past Saturday we took Maleigh (pronounced Molly) with us.  She was so cute wearing her pink safety vest.  She doesn't like the waves but seemed to enjoy swimming with Mike.  

All strapped in and ready to go!

 

 

 Keep paddling Maleigh you'll make it to shore!

 

Whew...she made it.

  

 She looks like she is thinking... never again!! 

You can't make me.  

  

 

 

Happy Anniversary

For our 11th Anniversary, Debbie and I went out to Hanuama Bay for some snorkeling and then went to dinner at Jimmy Buffets Margaritaville Restaurant.  We'll post the underwater pictures later once we get them developed, but the fish were fantastic and the water was warm.  No turtles though, maybe next time.

Family Retreat

Believe it or not, we went from one hotel to another last weekend for a family retreat with the unit that I'm assigned to out here in Hawaii.  As you can see the area was beautiful and the locals were pretty cool too.  Saturday night we went to a Luau and hung out with some folks from the "West Side."  The atmosphere is so much more laid back here.

Manoa Falls, Hawaii

Today we went hiking up to Manoa Falls.  The hike is about 0.8 of a mile long.  Located in a lush rainforest/valley.  The beginning of the trail crosses over a footbridge and then crosses a small stream through a grove of Eucalyptus trees.  The 0.8 mile trail gradually ascends through a lush rainforest ending at a viewing area set back from the base of the falls. 

Below are a couple of pictures that I took while on our hike. 

My Happy Bunch  :)

Tony is leading our hiking trek.

 This trail was very muddy. 

As you can see Cheyenne just could not stay clean.

Mike and I

Manoa Falls

USS Missouri and USS Utah

USS Missouri

After visiting the USS Arizona we went to Ford Island and viewed the USS Missouri.

For those of you that don't remember this is the ship that the Declaration of Surrender was signed on

ending World War II and was also active during Operation Desert Storm. 

This is the view from the USS Missouri Memorial entrance looking towards the USS Arizona Memorial.  Notice the lighter streak in the water from the USS Arizona Memorial to the USS Missouri this is the oil slick caused by the oil seeping out of the USS Arizona. 

View lookng towards the back of the ship.  You can see six of nine turrets. 

USS Utah

After viewing the USS Missouri we headed to the other side of Ford Island and visited the USS Utah Memorial.  In the picture below is the walkway out to view the Memorial. 

 

Mike viewing the Memorial.

The Memorial is on your right..but I couldn't resist taking a pciture

of the view is was gorgeous out here today!

I know this is not a part of the Memorial, but this flower was gorgeous. 

I believe it is called "The Bird of Paradise".

Pearl Harbor Memorial

Pearl Harbor Memorial

We had a wonderful day going through the Pearl Harbor Memorial for the USS Arizona.  It was a very sombering moment to look down at this ship in the water and know that so many Soldiers and Marines lost their lives in this ship, and to see the oil still seeping out of the tanks is profound.

On one end of the Memorial they have a marble wall etched with all the Sailors and Marines that died this day.

You could look down through an area of the floor and see the ship below.

Here is a picture that I took of the oil seeping out of the ship. 

This is a picture of what is left of one of the turrets. 

Here is the anchor of the USS Arizona.

Just a picture of Mike and the kids on the boat shuttle heading to the Memorial.