Mark + Jess = LOVE

I know that I am notorious for posting multiple blog post in one day but... I have noticed that it is so hard to find the time to update my blog and by the time I do...so much has happened that I want to talk about. Sorry, but here I go again...

Not only did Dave & I have Melanie & the boys down this weekend but we also had a little party for Mark & Jess to celebrate their engagement. The weekend was filled with lots of boating, wake boarding, skiing, swimming, grilling, laughing, & of course drinking. Here is a clip of Mark skiing. Congrats Mark & Jess...we are so happy for you two!

Lake Fun

Friday night Melanie, CJ & Colby came to the lake and we had such a fun time! The water is still cold so the boys did not want to get in the lake...hopefully it will be warmer the next time they come visit. Last year they LOVED jumping off the boat! Here are a few pics.

So Long Hawaii

Today is our last day in Hawaii. I am DREADING getting back to reality but I know I must. We will be leaving tomorrow & will be traveling all night. Good-bye & Mahalo Hawaii....we have had so much FUN!

All Aboard!

The Maze:

Today we decided to rent a car to see the rest of the island. Our first stop was the Dole Pineapple Plantation. I am sure most of you do not know that the Dole Pineapple Plantation is the home of the largest human maze. We decided to give it a shot. Dave took this maze VERY seriously and we raced around as fast as we could.... I felt like we were on the reality tv show the Amazing Race! Our clocked time was 33 minutes. We thought that was pretty good....but were disappointed to see that the fastest reported time was 8 minutes!

The Train:

After the race we took the Pineapple Express train ride to see the rest of the plantation. Once the train ride ended we decided that it was our biggest waist of money this entire trip. FYI: if you ever find yourself at the Dole Pineapple Plantation... DON'T go on the Pineapple Express!! BORING!

Hang Ten!

Yesterday was a lazy day. Dave & I mostly sat on the beach and read books. Towards the end of the day Dave decided to rent a surf board to catch some waves. He reported that there were about 100 other surfers out there and it was a bit crowded...but he also stated that he caught a couple of 8 to 10 foot waves on Waikiki's popular beach break. I think that means he had a good time.

Sailing The Sea

Wednesday morning Dave & I woke up, grabbed our snorkeling gear and headed to the beach to catch the catamaran for a sail. Once on board they took us to Turtle Canyon (basically a spot in the ocean that has a lot of sea turtles). We snorkeled for a while and saw HUGE turtles. Once finished snorkeling they took us for a super FAST sailing ride. That was our favorite part of the experience!

Eating Out

Dave & I have been trying to save our vacation money by eating in & buying food from the grocery store. We did however eat out tonight. It turned out that the restaurant we chose had us cook our own meal! It was a neat concept... and we had fun doing it. Here is a picture of Dave cooking our ribs & chicken.

Pearl Harbour Memorial

Yesterday, Dave and I visited the Pearl Harbour Memorial. It was a great educational experience & makes the attack, and the fact that so many people gave up their lives for others, so much more real. Dave is a bit of a history buff & really enjoyed this tour. The picture above is of Dave in a submarine that was used in WWII.

Happy Mother's Day!

Happy Mother's Day to Mom, Julie & Melinda! Sorry we did not call but with the time difference and us traveling to Honolulu we were not able to. But, hope you all had a great day! Dave and I just checked into the hotel here in Honolulu. Thanks Paul and Julie it is beautiful. It is a bit of a culture shock coming from little Kauai to a big city like Honolulu...but I know we will enjoy it. Dave and I are heading out to go stock up on groceries...we are not sure what is on our agenda tomorrow. At some point this week Dave would like to get a skydive in. Mahalo, Ash

Full Day of Adventures!

Yesterday was a FULL Day! What can I expect, I did marry Dave Pederson! We woke up Friday morning and headed straight over to hike the Napoli coast trail. It was a BEAUTIFUL, but a little difficult hike. Two miles in and two miles back. The tricky part was the slippery rocks. But Dave and I made it with no injuries! After the hike we went and finished our last two scuba dives which means we are now certified divers!!! We have seen a total of 9 sharks on our dives. Pretty scary... Dave thought it was cool. The deepest we went was 60 feet. I was exhausted last night. Today we are planning on relaxing at the beach and snorkeling.

Zip Lining

ZIP LINING:

Last post I mentioned that Dave and I were going zip lining. Well, here are a few photos of that activity. We had so much fun!

Camping on the Beach!

After our Scuba Dive yesterday Dave and I set up tent on the Beach. It was an absolutely beautiful view. We had our little two man tent decorated with Christmas lights and with the ocean and the moon it was gorgeous! This morning when I went to take a shower I realized the shower was outside! It was pretty weird to be shampooing your hair and looking up at the sky! Dave told me it was the island way!! Now Dave and I are off to go zip lining. I will post another blog the next time we come across free Wi-Fi!

Aloha From The Pedersons!

After a getting up at 3:00 am and traveling for 13 hours Dave & I made it to Hawaii!! The long trip was well worth it. We were greeted by Dave's Aunt Cheryl at the airport with leis, Mexican beer & taro chips. What a great snack! The first night in Hawaii we stayed at Cheryl's house where she and her daughters Joy & Lauren waited on Dave and I hand and foot. I felt so guilty but they insisted saying it was our honeymoon. They served us sushi & wine while we sat in the hot tub taking in a BEAUTIFUL view. Once we finished the h'orderves Lauren insisted on a underwater photo shoot. We got some great shots! Thank you to the Claypooles for a great start to the Honeymoon!

I Do!

Well as all of you know by now... Dave and I officially tied the knot! We had a wonderful wedding weekend. The whole weekend felt very surreal to me. I find it amazing that Dave and I have so many people who care for us so much that they will spend their time & money to travel and be with us on our special weekend. We had friends and family from, Alaska, Hawaii, California, Florida, Wisconsin, and various other places. Dave and I do not know how to thank you for making our day so special. We are so blessed!

P.S.

I am sure many are wondering after my last post if it rained on our wedding day. Yes, it rained & poured all weekend long...but the rain stopped in time for us to have our ceremony outside. Someone was watching over us!