This fall, Chris & I took the vacation of a lifetime. Hawaii has been on my bucket list forever & I have finally managed to get myself all the way there despite our busy schedules and having three young children. It's not everyday that your one and only brother gets married & of course, he did it big and got married in Hawaii. It was a little tough logistically to get everything set for the kids for a week while we were gone, but thankfully Chris' parents came & managed the kids like two champions:)
After twelve hours of flying & two layovers, we landed at the Kauai airport. And it really is amazing. My dad was already there traveling, so he picked us up at the airport & off to the hotel we went. We first stayed on the south side at Poipu Beach & it was beautiful. Hello first morning in Hawaii...
The first full day we were there was my birthday & what a perfect gift (although I really missed my kids and one day, hope to take them there once they are older & would be manageable on a 12 hour flight:)) It was truly a birthday gift from God to wake up to something so beautiful as this.
On our first day, we drove up to Waimea Canyon...awesome, awesome, awesome.
We headed back to the hotel in the afternoon for snorkeling before attending a true Hawaii luau with the family! First day, amazing. The next day, we woke up early & headed to a catamaran tour of the Napali Coast. This is definitely one of the top 10 favorite things that I have ever done in my life.
I loved, loved, loved it. I kind of think that in my next life, I will be the captain of a boat & live this life everyday. The waves were crazy wild (major swells) which means one super crazy ride. Many people headed inside to shelter from the sea spray & wild ride, but I loved every minute of it and everyone in my family stayed right in the front of the boat, even my trooper of a mom. On top of that, we saw so many wild dolphins (including babies) and got to snorkel along the coast. It's definitely a huge highlight of the trip!
After we finished the boat ride with my dad, mom, & Jill, we all drove north to check in to our hotel on the northern coast of Kauai. Andy got married up there which meant a long drive, but that means we got to see a lot of the island. Each side is very different & distinct and I am so thankful that we got to see so much in the short time we were there. We arrived in time for the rehearsal dinner with this beautiful couple. It was a simple but sweet rehearsal dinner from the local fish market. It included some of my brother favorites: poke & seaweed salad.
The view from our room was pretty sweet, I have to admit. We stayed at the St. Regis which is where my brother was staying as well. It was super pretty & the perfect location to enjoy a few days of relaxation. We spent the wedding day just relaxing & hanging out before the big moment.
Sisters ready for their brother to finally get married...
They got married at Tunnels Beach, which is just beautiful. It was a sunset wedding & here is the happy, happy couple.
We had the most awesome dinner after the wedding under this pop-up tent from a farm to table catering business. Everything was super fresh & super delicious. I loved that it was open to nature & a perfect night.
The next morning was our last day so we got up early and headed out to hike the northern coast. It was not an easy hike, but one of the best hikes that I have been one. So much exploring & nothing beats a day in the true outdoors. We didn't really go out too long because we wanted to make it back for lunch, but I would have totally loved a full day of hiking in this...
For views like this...
And then, sadly, we had to say good-bye to Kauai but it was time to head back to our kids and see these sweet faces. I was so ready to hug these three kids and hear all about life at home again. I missed them so much but am so thankful for this once in a lifetime opportunity to watch my brother get married & spend a week in one of the most beautiful places on Earth. Now, if only I could talk Chris into moving here?!?
I have so many more pictures on Chris' phone, but the chances of me downloading those within the next year are slim so I thought I better share what I have!
