Hayden dug and dug and dug to find this guy, who was so surprised that he jumped up and started running to the ocean as fast as he could while Rian and I stood there screaming.
The littler ones were easier to "collect".
After she had her fun, Hayden let them all go where she found them. We stood out in the ocean a bit and two sea turtles came within feet of us. It was incredible!
We attended the 5pm church service at the Kumulani Chapel in Kapalua. It took place in a little red barn on the golf course near the Ritz Carlton, with ocean views in the background. We couldn't believe it was Christmas Eve and we were in our flip-flops!
Jessie brought Kanani and promised that she would be on her best behavior (the doll, that is. Jessie doesn't typically make these kinds of promises about herself).
The service was wonderful. The singers' voices were so amazing that we all were moved to tears (that is saying a lot for Mike!) The message was powerful and we enjoyed listening to gospel by ukelele. The best part was the very talented hula dancer who danced to the entire song of "Silent Night"- her movements to the words were nothing short of beautiful, and many of the children stood up in the aisle to dance and sway with her.
There was the traditional candlelight service at the end and we all felt welcomed and took part. This is what Christmas should always be about... After church, we headed to Whaler's Village for dinner at the Hula Grill.
A Hawaiian Santa and his sleigh.
Jessie was tired and did her best to look cute so she could catch a free ride instead of having to walk on her own accord.
A humpback whale skeleton caught Hayden's attention.
Jessie spent her entire gift card from Grandma Thomas on a fancy Brazillian silk wrap that could be worn 40 different ways.
The girls enjoyed their first "real" Hawaiian shaved ice as an appetizer (hey, it was a long wait til dinner..)
Every night at Whaler's Village there was a free evening show. On this night, the performers all sang and danced to Hawaiian Christmas Carols- our favorite was the 12 Days of Christmas -where on the first day of Christmas "my tutu gave to me, a myna bird in a papaya tree".
We enjoyed a nice and relaxing meal at the Hula Grill and headed home to bed.
