Family Reunion

Tide Pools, a photo by Wayne-K on Flickr.

Our family has been in Hawaii for five generations now. Over the course of time, we've migrated to other states for college and careers, but Hawaii has always been "home." In the last twenty years, we haven't had the chance to get together very often as a family. Unfortunately, the last few visits have been for funerals. This year, we decided to make a family reunion a priority. We're all busy with work and family activities, oil (and airfare) prices are high, etc. but there's no time like the present to enjoy the company of one's loved ones. Tomorrow may not arrive for all of us.

We spent four days in a cabin on the beach at Bellows Air Force Station. It was wonderful to have the family together and especially fun to see the cousins playing together. Days were spent on base, playing putt putt golf, volleyball, and basketball, and boogie boarding in the surf. Evenings were spent relaxing, with the kids playing Risk, Monopoly, and other board games. It was the most relaxing and enjoyable vacation I've had in a long while.

After four days of family time, we spent two days installing wood flooring at Mom and Dad's place. It was tiring work, but it was nice to see the final result. Their home renovation is almost complete. While the siblings installed the floor, the eldest cousin, Samantha, was a wonderful tour guide and kept her cousins occupied with many fun activities.

Here are a few photos from Hawaii. The vacation's not over yet, so more fun is in the agenda and more photos left to be developed in the camera.