More From Wed. March 26th

So, lets see ... Wed. was the first day we had internet connection problems. I was able to post about M. and Papa's horse back ride Wed. morning, but then never got a connection again. A good friend of mine from elementary school and high school lives on Oahu, I posted about dinner at her house while we were in Oahu, but she and one of her sons decided to come spen 24 hours with us on Maui. They got in on Tues. night and we had a great time down at the pool and the beach with them on Wed. Here are some of the great pictures she took while down on the beach:















And here are a few from my camera:











And check out M's crazy beach hair after Wed. at the beach:

On Tues March 25th Papa rode UP the volcano

Papa rented a bicycle here on Maui ... can't ever go too long with out a bike ride, yah know. But the ride he took on Tues. was not your average bike ride.

He rode from the town of Kula(3500 ft elevation) up hill 22 miles, to the top of a volcano. The summit of Haleakala is at 10,032 ft. elevation. This ride is a big tourist attraction, but the bikes are usually rented and hauled to the top and the cyclists spend the day biking down the volcano. Not my dad ... he rode up! Grandma, Am., B., and R. and J. drove up to meet him and do a little hiking. A. & R. and the twins drove up, too.

Check out these link on Haleakala and the bike ride:

http://www.nps.gov/hale/
(info from the National Park Service)

http://www.haleakala.national-park.com/info.htm
(more about the volcano)


http://www.bikemaui.com/
(but keep in mind Papa biked UP, not down)

We made it home to MN!!!

What a great 10 days in Hawaii! And we threw the flowers of our leis into the ocean before we left ... a Hawaiian symbol that you will one day return. We certainly hope to.

I was unable to continue updating this blog the last few days because we could not connect to an internet service since Wed. But I will get it all caught up some time this week, if you just keep checking back there is lots more to see.

But tonight we are unpacking and dealing with the shock and grief that our dear little friend Anna lost her battle with cancer yesterday (about the time we were packing to leave Hawaii). Please Please keep her paretns, Nate and Lisa and her little brother Zach in your prayers. To read more abouth them and the beauty of Anna please visit her CaringBridge Site at www.caringbridge.org then enter annameg where it asks which site you would like to visit.
Please keep praying ... I'm amazed at how something so tragic can happen and yet the world continues ... I guess it seems so unfair.
Prayer can be a truly wonderful gift and it is very needed in the lives of all who loved Anna. Thank You!

This was Anna about a year and a half ago, before she was diagnosed with Neuroblastoma

Wednesday was M's day to go horseback riding!

Our daughter M. is in love with horses, and that is putting it mildly. So her and Papa signed up for a 2 hour horse ride. She can't stop talking about it. It was just her and Papa and this really nice guide, who by the way homeschooled her boys. Papa said Mikayla and the guide chatted about almost everything under the sun for the whole two hours :-)

Maui Ocean Center

After a few hours at the beach at Grand Wailea, we headed into town and spent a couple hours at Maui Ocean Center (click here to visit their website)


Trust me G. got happier ... he just looks pretty miffed in this picture. Z. fell sound asleep as soon as we arrived at the Ocean center.



If you click on this picture and see it bigger you might be able to find the red Coral Fish





We were glad Z. woke up to see the turtle pool

The Beach and Boogie Boards at the Grand Wailea

Lots happening over here on this Tues. morning. Aunti Am. and Uncle B. went out on a half day fishing excursion that left at 5:45 am. The rest of us woke up around 6 or 7 or 8. Papa was going to do a bike ride up a volcanoe. Grandma, Auntie Al. Uncle R. the twins, and 2 od Am & B,'s kids were going to drice up the volcano and see papa at some point but also enjoy a nice hike. Am. and B. were going to catch up with them after fishing. My family plus one of Am & B's kids left for the beach around 8:45, hoping it would not be as crwoded as the other day. There was a lot of people already out for 9am, but we found a spot with 6 chairs by the kiddie pool and the kids had great fun there. They enjoyed the lazy river and several water slides. Then we walked a little ways farther and enjoyed the beach for 30 minutes. Kids have boogie boards ... that was really fun. After 30 minutes there, though, they were ready for the pool life again and we went back to our spot by the kiddie pool. We headed back to our condo around nooon and are resting a bit while we have lunch, then we are going to check out the Maui Ocean Center, Hawaii's largest aquarium.