Eunice's childhood friend Jerry and his fiance Emily provided the perfect excuse for us to head to Oahu. They had a beautiful outdoor wedding at the Waialae Country Club, officiated by the federal judge Jerry clerked for when he first moved to Hawaii. We had a great time catching up with old St. Louis friends, including Loretta, Anthony, and their two kids, Pat, Gloria and their daughter, Sunru & Anne, and Mamie.
We had the best accommodations imaginable on the island - at Eunice's cousin Susan & Steve's new 20,000 square foot home pushed right up against Diamond Head with views of the ocean. We've never seen Spencer happier than running around with his cousins Mckenzy and Hudson, playing on the swing set, throwing balls out on the basket ball court, swimming in the heated outdoor pool, getting rides in Mckenzy's "barbie" jeep, and chasing after their two huge Akita dogs!
We also had a chance to do a bit of island exploration. Highlights included a hike up Diamond Head with Sunru and Anne, getting a local-perspective on Hawaii from our friends Dave, Caroline, and their son Evan, eating a spectacular 5-course meal at Alan Wong's (a Hawaiian-Asian fusion restaurant), visiting a hopping farmer's market, and tasting local specialties like shave ice, mochi ice cream, Portuguese donuts, and pork/mac-salad plate lunches. :)
Last but not least, the bulk of our time was spent on the beach, whether at the fantastic Outrigger Club (where we had a guest memberships thanks to Steve & Susan), on the beaches of Waikiki, the lagoons of Ko Olina, or the wind-swept waterfront of the north shore. We watched Spencer go from being fearful of sand and salt water to gleefully running in and out of waves for hours and hours. What a perfect way to start off the new year!
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