The Thomas Family comes to Paradise

Tricia, James and their kids arrived Friday, August 24th. The next morning, they came to the temple so that Dorothy could do baptisms. It was awesome to have them there.  Later in the week, Tricia and James came back to attend a session.

With such a beautiful family and  an awesome setting, we had to take lots of photos. Poor Violet had broken her arm just a couple of days before they came - she still had the temporary cast on.  Fortunately she had a waterproof cover and was still able to swim and do most of the activities.

I love this picture of Preston!

After we finished our Saturday shift and temple cleaning, we met them to enjoy an early dinner together at the Fish Hopper. The kids all ordered shrimp and ate every single one! They are seafood lovers already!

The next day, we attended church together. After church we ate dinner in our condo and then went for a walk around The Place of Refuge.

The kids spotted this big turtle!

Mother daughter moment!

It was great to be with their family and enjoy being in such a pretty setting.

We loved having a chance to spend time with these cute kids!!

Dorothy is growing up to be such a lovely young lady!

Next we stopped at the Painted Church. It was raining so we ducked inside. After our visit to the church and walk around the grounds, we returned to the condo for some dessert.

Monday morning we got an early start and headed for the Hilo side of the island.

Our first stop was the Boiling Pots and then we went on down the road to see Rainbow Falls. 

On our way to Rainbow Falls we passed this street sign! It would make for an interesting address for those living on this road!

Hurricane Lane had caused torrential rains, flooding and some landslides on this side of the island and we had never seen the falls with so much water power!  It was a beautiful sight!

Our next stop was - you guessed it - Ken's House of Pancakes for breakfast!

Awaiting our food! 

Dividing the huge Happy Sumo breakfast - we all were very full when we finished!

We had hoped to go to the Zoo, but the heavy rains made that impossible.  We then drove north to see Akaka Falls which was also huge after the recent rains from the hurricane.

It was raining but we walked the loop around the falls through the gorgeous jungle there. We of course all got wet!!

A wet but happy Thomas family!

Ruby started kindergarten this year and is growing up so quickly.

Even these little falls were bigger than usual.

We continued our travel north and then west to the Hamakua Nut Factory - they wanted to sample all the flavors of the nuts there!

It was a fun day together!

On Wednesday after our temple shift, we went together to Keoki's for fish and chips - it was delicious as always!

The three pretty Thomas daughters!

They had come from snorkeling and swimming and were all a bit sunburned and some still had wet hair.

Saturday, September 1st was Tricia's birthday so of course we had to celebrate!  We all went out for dinner at the Waikolo Beach Marriott's "All you can eat crab legs and prime rib buffet".  

All of the kids love crab and they were excited that they could have as much of it as they wanted.

 Preston was declared "The Crab Master" - he was really good at getting the crab out in one yummy piece. He got his money's worth of crab!

We all ate a lot of crab as well as many other  delicious things on that buffet!

 You can see the remains of all the crab we ate!

 The dessert buffet had some cute little parfaits that Violet loved!

Then just when we had eaten all we could, the waiter brought out a huge slice of mud pie for our "birthday girl" and we all sang Happy Birthday to her!

After dinner we looked around the Marriott Resort and took some pictures.

It was a beautiful Hawaiian evening and a good way to celebrate Tricia's birthday.

The next morning we all went to church together.  Our meetinghouse overlooks Kealekekua Bay and it was a beautiful day!  Tricia, James and the kids were disappointed that they didn't get to see the active volcano.  Fissure # 8 (the really active flowing fissure) had  slowed down after 3 months of pouring out hot lava  and poisonous volcano gasses and was only flowing into the ocean from an underground lava tube.  However, that meant that the thick, nasty VOG had also stopped and the sky was blue and the air was fresh and clear again.  It looked like Hawaii should look!
We were happy that the Thomas family came to visit and we had an opportunity to spend time with them!!

ALOHA!!

Sister's visits - Pam and Kay

I am blessed to have 3 wonderful sisters and all three of them have come to Hawaii while we are serving here!  Joan and Tom came first in May, Pam and Roger came in late July and into August and Kay and Ken came with their family in August also. It was great to see all of them and to spend time together!

Pam and Roger's Visit

They arrived Saturday evening about the time Evan and Kelly and the girls left on their flight for home.  We were on our way back from the dinner party with Walker's family in Waikaloa  and after a quick stop at the grocery store they followed us to our place.  They were staying in the condo just above us.

The next morning, we went to church together.  Our ward is so welcoming to everyone that visits.

After church we had lunch at our place - roast beef, mashed potatoes, green beans and a relish plate.

Monday morning, we headed south to see the sites in that area of the island.

Our first stop was Ka Lae - South Point - the southern most point of land in the United States.  People (mostly young people) come here to jump off the cliffs into the beautiful Pacific Ocean below.  This day there were several that we could watch as they took the plunge. The coastline on this part of the island is beautiful!

From there, we drove into Naiohinu - famous for the Punaluu Bakery.  We stopped and injoyed some of their yummy malasadas, cinnamon rolls and turnovers.  Everything was fresh a delicious!

Then on to Punalu'u Black Sand Beach.  This unique and beautiful spot makes a great backdrop for photos!

Roger mastered the panoramic shots which gives a view of the area.

Then we headed north back toward home.  

Following Isaac Fox's Route

We began our search for the places we could find that are mentioned in Isaac Fox's Journal from his first mission.  I have reversed the order of the stops we made to correspond with Isaac's order of events.

Here is how Isaac's adventures on the island of Hawaii begin. 

"I was glad when we landed, which we did at half past six in the evening, at a little place called Hoopuloa.  There was about six houses, a few coconut trees and a few native fishing canoes, about a dozen pack donkeys that the natives have to pack their poi on.  The rest was a mass of volcano rock.  The president of the branch, that we wanted to go to was there.  After we found him, he brought us a horse each and packed his donkeys with poi.  When he was ready, which took till seven o'clock to get ready, one of them went ahead with a lantern, for it was very dark.  But while we was getting ready on the beach, the greatest uproar I ever heard was there among the natives dividing poi." Dated Saturday, October 20th (1883) page 46 of A History of Isaac Fox  His Life, Family and Missions

 These photos show Hoopuloa Harbor (where Isaac first landed on the island)    as it looks today.  April 18, 1926 a lava flow from the Mauna Loa volcano destroyed the original harbor and village of Hoopuloa.

In recent years, Hoopuloa has been transforming with new homes built on the lava fields.

Pam and I with a panoramic ( but voggie) view of Hoopuloa and the harbor in the background. 

The photo below shows the lava and rocks that cover this area from lava flows. The clearer pictures were taken of this area when Hal and I made a previous visit  (February 19, 2018).

The photo above shows a narrow road that winds up the steep hillside above Hoopuloa.  Perhaps this is the route to Papa that Isaac describes in his journal:

"Well, we followed our guide that had the lantern along a narrow trail that wound along the side of the mountains through beads of black lava. It was astonishing how the animals found their way in the dark along the narrow trail over ledges and cliffs, for the lantern was of but little use, and it was very dark and the blackness of the lava made it much worse.  But we got along first rate, and as we got nearer the summit of the mountain, we came to timber, and by the time we got to the little branch called Papa. we was in a dense grove of timber, three miles up the mountain from where we landed, and it was nine o'clock."

Dated Saturday, October 20th (1883) page 46 of A History of Isaac Fox  His Life, Family and Missions

Fortunately, Roger spotted this sign just off the highway as we drove along.  We drove on once paved road into what once must have been a small village and development of homes. There was not much there now to see. Isaac writes this about his stay in Papa.

"We unsaddled our horses and went into the house.  It was a grass house about ten by twelve ft., with neither window, chair, or table in it.  About ten o'clock they brought in supper and I tell you, we was ready for it, for we was hungry.  But one small fish was not much for two hungry men.  But the poi looked nice, so we shaped ourselves for supper in Hawaiian style.  But lo, what a disappointment, the fish was bad and the poi - the worst I ever tasted.  I took three tastes of the poi and that settled me, and another or two settled Brother Cluff.  So we went to bed pretty hungry to dream of the fruits in the garden and wish ourselves with them once more. But we didn't dream."

Dated Saturday, October 20th (1883) page 46 of A History of Isaac Fox  His Life, Family and Missions

Another place that Isaac wrote about in his journal was Waiohinu - which is at the far southern tip of the island on Hawaii Route 11.  It is about 57 miles south east of Kailua-Kona.

Isaac records this about this area: "We traveled five miles from Makaka when we came to a plantation called Waiohinu.  Where there is a plantation, there is a little village, and this is like the rest.  It is a very nice little place situated close to the west side of a range of hills, that runs north and south.  There is one street runs through the village with a stone wall and shade trees on each side, three stores, two coffee shops, a prison and two churches.  The population is mostly Portuguese, Chinese and Norwegians. The steep side of the hill is covered with cane.  The mill is a very nice looking one.  It was not running, so we did not go in."  Dated Tuesday, November 20th (1883) page 53 of A History of Isaac Fox  His Life, Family and Missions

You can see the stone wall still standing that runs thru this village.

On our way home, we stopped at our favorite place for dish and chips - Keokis. 

Sister Shopping etc. etc.  

Salads at Sam Choy's restaurant.

We enjoyed having Pam and Roger come to the temple for a session.

After we finished our shift, we stopped at the outdoor market and of course went to Kona Kay's booth for some of her yummy candy.  She always loads us up with additional free things and that day was no different - she gave us limeade, cookies, dried pineapple,macadamia nuts etc. 

Then we went to lunch together at Island Ono Loa Grill. The fresh fish dishes were delicious!

The Saturday before they would go home, we went to the Fish Hopper and had another tasty meal together.

Sunday was their last day and we of course went to church together.

After church, we had tacos and macadamia/coconut cream pie at our place.  It was great to spend time with them and share some of what we love about serving here!!

Kay, Ken and Family come to Kona

Kay and Ken and their family arrived in early August just after Pam and Roger left for home.  They stayed at Kay and Ken's Time Share condos and had a full schedule of family events.

We were so glad that they all came to the temple for a session!  Hal was the officiator and I the follower with Kristen and Jared the witness couple.  The Hinton family made up the majority of the session so it was a special day for us. We hadn't seen Kristen and Jared for several years and it was fun to talk with all of the couples!

With a beautiful day and a beautiful family, we had to take lots of pictures!

With all the pretty colors, this makes a striking setting for Kay and Ken's picture.

We love the Kona Temple and we love to have our family come to share it with us!  We were pleased that they invited us to go to lunch with them.

We went to Sam Choys together.  It was a nice opportunity to have a chance to visit with Kay and Ken and get caught up on their busy lives.

On Sunday, Jared, Kristen Kay and Ken came to our ward.  The other couples had already gone home by then. We were so glad to have another chance to see them!

One last picture with the beautiful ocean in the background!

ALOHA!