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cherjoy

Oahu, Part II

Day two in Oahu was JAM PACKED! We got in the car, turned on the Hawaiian tunes and were off. First stop was Pearl Harbor. Hearing the interviews, seeing the names. Wow. My heart still goes out to all the souls lost and to those who fought so courageously for our freedom.

Next stop was Olomana Orchids, and then Kailua beach for brunch, kayaking and dinner at the Farmer’s Market. I don’t know what was better, the guava chiffon pancakes or the macadamia nut-crusted chicken. Actually, everything we ate pretty much rocked. We just went from booth to booth, eating and trying different fruits and foods. Hawaiian Farmer’s Markets are SO different from California Farmer’s Markets. The community actually comes to eat dinner, then grocery-shop.

June 4, 2013 by cherjoy

Family

Weekend with dad

Daddy Joy came into Santa Cruz last weekend, and we had the best time. I hadn’t seen my Dad since Christmas, so I was counting down the days until he was here and we could hang and celebrate his birthday. My Dad LOVES attention on his birthday so we went all out.

{9 holes of golf in Corralitos – easy peezy!}

{steak & potatoes for his birthday dinner, with cake for dessert. We’re such Michigan folk.}

{shopping at the Boardwalk}

{lastly – 18 holes at Seascape Golf Course. I’m married to a walking advertisement for Coors Light.}

It was sad to say goodbye. I’m still getting over it. And, I’m pretty sure he wasn’t all that thrilled to go back to the 100+ degree weather in Phoenix right now. Dad, you’re welcome anytime you want to escape the heat! ;) Thanks for hanging with us. I love you.

June 3, 2013 by cherjoy

Giving Joy

Giving joy from hawaii

Olomana Orchids invites you to pick out your very own Hawaiian-grown orchid, and then they FedEx it to you, 2 days later! I had a special friend in mind to send this Hawaiian joy to, so we perused all the pretty variations of orchids and picked out the PERFECT one. Next time you’re on Oahu, consider sending a friend {or yourself!} a hand-picked orchid. It’s worth the $12 in shipping!

May 31, 2013 by cherjoy

Oahu

Oahu, Part I

Aloha my friends! Long time no talk! Well, we are back from Hawai’i and still obsessing over how amazing it was. The air, the lush landscape, the breeze. Everything. It changed our souls forever. Cheesy, I know, but I’m for real. Hawaii is where it’s at. The first part of our trip we spent in Oahu. Thankfully our trip overlapped with that of our friends, Michelle & David, so we got to spend most of Oahu with them. Michelle & David go to Hawaii every year and happily acted as our tour guides. They know the best attractions, pit-stops, restaurants and beaches in Oahu . . . we felt very lucky to have had such a wonderful couple to hang out with for the first part of our trip. The first day involved checking into our beautiful hotel and enjoying some celebratory mai tais — then we walked over to the Paradise Cove Luau. The best start to our Hawaiian vacay!

Not to mention that our hotel upgraded us to an ocean-view room for free. We had the best view of the ocean AND sting-rays pool! I don’t think we can ever NOT have an ocean-view now. Hearing those waves make all the difference.