Our day started early with a 3:30 a.m. wake-up call to catch a sunrise flight from Maui to Oahu. Flying with seven kids is always an adventure; once again, they didn't disappoint by being boring. My kiddos get super silly when tired and thought arranging themselves as if sleeping while standing while I was away using the restroom would get me to giggle. It did, along with the rest of the passengers, up early.
When we landed, everyone was starving, so a pancake house was the obvious choice and the only restaurant open that early in the morning. We accidentally ordered one too many breakfasts, and our youngest, Solomon, was thrilled when the waitress delivered him the extra stack of french toast. He didn't hesitate to dig in!
First on the agenda was a visit to the Pearl Harbor Memorial. It was a powerful experience, especially now that our older girls are old enough to understand the importance of that day. Walking around the military base felt oddly nostalgic since it's been ten years since Bill retired from the Air Force. We joked that the military probably wishes we were still in service—the young men in uniform couldn't stop turning their heads to sneak glances at our beautiful daughters, and they sure didn't mind.
During our lunch break, we met up with my cousin Wendi. We took a stroll down memory lane, reminiscing about when I got pulled over driving to college. I thought I was cleverly "keeping up with traffic" behind a cop until he slammed on his brakes and let me zoom past. Cue the sirens and flashing lights in my rearview. Peacefully asleep in the passenger seat, Wendi got quite the wake-up call! Sorry about that, Wendi.
Later in the day, we visited Iolani Palace, the only royal palace on American soil, and it was absolutely stunning. Hawaiian royalty lasted for many centuries before it became a democracy. What do you know? The first elected official was a Free Mason. All my conspiracy theorist friends just groaned; we know what that means. (Where's the eye roll and angry face emoji on a blog?)
Inside, we were greeted by an incredible 13.8-carat diamond that used to be set as a ring for the king. Later, one of the queens made his ring into a necklace. In either setting, it was incredible to see such a large diamond.
The real gem was outside: a massive banyan tree that looked like something out of a fairy tale. Its branches stretched wide, creating a large canopy you could imagine living under. The roots were twisted into this almost magical network, and it felt like the kind of place where you could lose yourself for hours. We left the palace in awe of its beauty and history, feeling like we'd just stepped back in time. It was quickly one of the highlights of our trip.
With just an hour to spare before our sunset flight back to Maui, we rushed back to the base in search of ice cream for the kids but came up empty-handed. Instead, Bill found a jeweler and surprised me with a gorgeous teardrop pearl necklace—my new favorite keepsake from the trip. The 21-minute flight back was incredible, flying over the islands as the sun set.
We finally made it back to the condo by 9 p.m. and collapsed into bed, but not before Bill and I snuck in a quick dip in the jacuzzi. Overall, it was a whirlwind day filled with memories, laughter, and a little chaos—how we like it.
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