Sisters Trip 2019 at Imperial Beach

Our 2019 Sister's Trip got started out on the wrong foot.  Just a few days before we were to leave we got word that both Ruth AND Kathy were not going to be able to go with us.  That got each of us feeling a little down knowing how much they were going to be missed.

Monday started out well, except that I felt a sore throat and body aches coming on.  Our flight was scheduled to leave at 12:30 and we were having a pretty good snow storm.  We decided to leave by 10:15 to be sure to get to the airport on time.  We were all getting there separately.  Darrell was taking DeeAnn, Rick was taking me, Karen was coming in on the shuttle from Idaho and Lar and Darla were coming from South Jordan.  Well, just before we left the house I got a text from Southwest saying that our flight had been CANCELLED!  What??

We called and found that yes, it indeed had been cancelled.  I thought it was from the storm because I had heard that many flights throughout the US had been grounded because of the arctic storms that were hitting the country.  Come to find out later,  other flights were indeed leaving SLC all through the day so there must have been a problem with our plane.

Rick got right on the phone trying to get us on the next flight out of SL and after about an hour of working with an agent,  found out that we could not get us all on the same flight until THE NEXT DAY!  A whole day of our trip was snatched away just like that:(  But what do you do?  We still had to pay for that day's house rental and we weren't even there to use it:-(  Sad.

Anyhooo, the girls decided to make the best of it and got together at Kathy's for a day of fun (visiting over lunch, a fun chick flick, and dinner in Tooele) while I decided to make some chicken soup and rest.  I wanted to be in good shape for the rest of the week.

The next morning we were ready to go!  Physically, I felt a little better but not completely.....unfortunately it would hit full force the next day.

We got into San Diego without any problem and got our rental van and headed off.  To get to Imperial Beach our GPS took us through Coronado Island.  What an enchanting place.  We decided right then and there that we wanted to come back and explore a bit.

We got to our rental and found that it was a very nice place.  It sat right on the beach just a block from the pier.  There were always surfers in the water and it was fun to watch them.  DeeAnn and Karen took the Master bedroom which had a sitting area and a beautiful fireplace.  Lar and I had our own rooms with a shared jack and jill bath.  I was happy to have my own room because I was really not feeling well and had started coughing terribly.  Darla got the back bedroom that was nice and large but she had to go downstairs to use the main floor bath.  We were all happy with our accommodations and loved being so close to the ocean.

 We got there in time to see the sunset!

Our first dinner was at a Mexican place called El Tapatio.

I had the fajitas.  They were fantastic.

We got to sit outside but only one outdoor heater was working and it got a little chilly for us.

The next morning we did a little shopping.  

(Except for DeeAnn who stayed behind to get ready for the day.) 

We had spotted a Dollar Tree on our way in and I knew that's where I was going to find some surprises for my littles!  (I bought them some puzzles) Right next door to that was a Goodwill Thrift Store and the girls liked that as well. 

After getting back from shopping we took stroll down the pier.  We knew there was a restaurant at the end of it and thought we would have a nice lunch there.  Well, it wasn't really a nice restaurant at all but just a little walk up place with a few tables on the inside.  What a disappointment.  After all of these years seeing those Ruby's restaurants at the end of Oceanside and Huntington Piers and wanting to try it out someday, this was not what I was expecting.  

We made the most of it though and ordered our food and had a nice political conversation over lunch.   

Is there such a thing as a nice political conversation these days??

                                            Me having a little fun at the pier park.

After lunch we decided to drive into Coronado.  We drove to the Hotel Del Coronado and walked around admiring the premises.  It is a beautiful old hotel built in 1888.  I loved walking around taking in the beautiful decor.

The grounds were really beautiful!

Just outside the back of the hotel is a wonderful courtyard surrounded by restaurants and an amazing access to the beach.

What a fun place to stay this would be!

Maybe someday!

We stayed in Coronado that night for dinner.  We ate at an Italian place called Island Pasta. The food and conversation were nice.

We got home that night excited to watch a show together but discovered the dvd player didn't work.

What??  Bummer!

Here's Lar working on Daisy's blessing dress.  It's gonna be beautiful!

The next day was our temple day.  We got to the temple after the session had started so we decided to do our family sealings first.  Afterward, we went to a session which was really nice....except for my incessant coughing:(

The San Diego Temple is so pretty.  Karen said it is one of her favorites!

Afterward we drove the short distance to Old Town for a late lunch/early dinner.  We ate at Casa Guadalajara and the food was super delish!  Some of us got to order some fun drinks as well.

My salad was HUGE!  I only could eat half of it.

We didn't quite know what to do after dinner.  I think we all just felt like going back to the house and relaxing.  Knowing that the dvd player didn't work Darla suggested that we find a Walmart and buy a new one so we could enjoy a movie.

That didn't work either so we ended up just watching a few episodes of "Fresh Prince" and "Gunsmoke" and my favorite "Beat Bobby Flay".  While it was disappointing to not have watched a fun movie together it was still enjoyable spending time watching these other shows:)

The next morning it was time to pack up and leave.  We all felt that we could have stayed one more day but our time was up so off we went.  The girls headed to The Mormon Battalion and Old Town San Diego while I waited for Rick to come pick me up for the rest of the weekend.

More of that to come in the next post!

Hawaii Trip

Earlier this month Rick and me, Brad and Ruth, and Darrell and DeeAnn took a trip to Hawaii.  We left on Friday the fourth and land in Oahu for four days.  We stayed at the Sheraton Kaiulani in Waikiki.  It was a beautiful hotel a block from Waikiki Beach.  We had a room on the eighth floor and had a nice view of the ocean.  

The guys....

....and the gals.

The first night we had dinner together at the Sheraton's Buffet,

It was full of delicious Italian food.  We enjoyed a seat out on the patio next to the pool.

The next morning we all went to the Swap Meet out at Aloha Stadium.  We bought a few gems while there,  matching Hawaiian shirts for Rick and our grandsons as well as some new Hawaiian sandals.  I wear those all of the time at home.  They are so comfy.  I also bought a new baby quilt to keep at home for my new little ones that are coming this year.  

Here are D & D checking out the swap meet goods.  They needed to buy some beach towels:)

After the swap meet we all went separate ways.  While D & D drove up to Laie,  Rick and I wanted to spend time at the beach.  Waikiki was FULL of people but we added to the mix:)  We loved our time there.  Our hotel let us use their Tommy Bahama chairs and they were awesome!  I now want to get me a Tommy Bahama chair!  We enjoyed the water, lunch, reading, and a nap.  Not necessarily in that order:)  

Rick found us some delicious food...

nachos (him) and hawaiian chicken (for me:)

This picture looks funny.  

I thought I had my sunglasses on but they were my reading glasses:-0

We stayed until the sunset.  Oh. My. Goodness.  So beautiful!

I was nineteen years old the first time I saw a sunset on Waikiki.  

It is something that I will never forget!

It was even better standing there watching with my sweetheart!

                      That night we met up with the group and had dinner at PF Changs.
                                      You can never go wrong there!

 The next day was Sunday.  We headed up to Laie for church.  The drive was so pretty and church  was a wonderful!  After church we drove to the temple.  It is always such a beautiful place to stop.  Before the trip we were so disappointed to find out that the temple was closed for cleaning.  We all wanted to get to a session.  But we did enjoy visiting the temple grounds.  They are so beautiful!

After the temple we all went our separate ways again.  Rick and I found a beach up on the North shore and had a picnic lunch.  PB and J and chips.  Our lunch special:) 

We enjoyed lunch and then a nice nap on the beach.  It was quite nice!  

       Each morning at the Sheraton they provided us with a fabulous breakfast buffet.
                                   We always had a nice table by the pool.

That morning after breakfast Rick and I drove over to Pearl Harbor.  I always like to visit this historic place when we come to Oahu.  It is so important to REMEMBER our history and what others have sacrificed for the freedom's that we enjoy today.

After Pearl Harbor we drove over to Hanauma Bay for some snorkeling.  This bay never disappoints. It is so beautiful and the wildlife is amazing.  I only snorkeled for about a half an hour but Rick stayed in the water much longer, of course:)

 After spending a few hours there we took a drive around the point of the island.  Of the many times we have been to Oahu we have never been to this part of the island.  It was surprisingly beautiful.
We stopped in a small town strip mall and had some Hawaiian chicken.  Good stuff!

The next day we left Oahu and took the short flight over to Kauai.  It is our favorite island.  We were pleasantly surprised when the manager of Dollar Rental Cars upgraded our mid sized car to a 2019 Chevy Camaro convertible FOR FREE!! 

Rick was very grateful and was just about ready to do the happy dance!

Seriously though, we had such a great time in that car!

Isn't it pretty??

After getting settled into our beautiful rental home (right on a golf course and just a five minute drive to Poipu Beach) we decided on a place for dinner.

 Darrell and DeeAnn hopped in the back of the convertible for a quick drive to Koloa where we ate at La Spezia, a wonderful Italian Restaurant.

We started our meal with a huge charcuterie board filled with yummies.

We all enjoyed our meals as well.  Rick had some delicious chicken with fettuccine alfredo and I had the lasagna.  I could only eat half but it was wonderful!

The next morning we enjoyed some time at the house.

This is our view of the golf course off of our room.

In the late morning we we drove around exploring and found this cute eatery off of Poipu/Brennecke's Beach.  Of course, we had to stop!

Rick had some fish tacos and I had some Kalua pork tacos.  Good Stuff.

   We then drove to Old Koloa Town (my favorite town in all of Hawaii) for a scoop of ice cream.

We then spent the rest of the day at Poipu Beach, Rick snorkeling and me READING. 

My perfect relaxing day....reading on the beach!

Rick's perfect day....spending time with the fish:)

The next morning Rick wanted some Banana Pancakes.  He had noticed the menu of a little Mexican place right close to our rental.  They served banana pancakes.  We had to go!

.....And they were sooo yummy!

                     You can't go to Hawaii and not get banana pancakes with coconut syrup.
                                                                 Heaven on earth!

 I had scheduled a massage in Lihue for that morning so after banana pancakes we drove the 45 minutes north to get there.  During my massage Rick drove over to the beach and watched some surfers doing there thing.

Afterward we stopped for a shaved ice.  This shaved ice was a little different.  I think it was a health food store so it tasted just a little off.  Not quite what I was expecting.

That afternoon we drove over to Wailua Falls.  

A beautiful sight!

We continued our drive past Koloa over to Hanapepe.  I wanted to get to the Farmer's Market there.

The homegrown flowers in Hawaii are amazing!  Can you imagine growing this kind of flora in your own yard??

The market had all kinds of vegetables from kale to onions to papaya.  (I know, papaya is a fruit:)  

We ended up buying two of the LARGEST lemons I have ever seen.  I had to buy them.  They were so beautiful!  Why did I not get a picture of them?? We also bought a couple of mangos.

While in Hanapepe we saw the sign for the swinging bridge and had to recreate a moment from our first trip to Hawaii twenty seven years ago.  Thus, these two pictures.

On our way back to the house we stopped at the blowhole.  If there was a bench at that place I could sit and watch those waves for hours.  

That night we met the group for dinner at Keoki's Restaurant.

Dinner was delicious but we were too full for dessert and believe me that hula pie looked fabulous!

The next day was Saturday, our last full play day so we spent it at the beach.  Yep, pretty much the whole day we were AT THE BEACH.

You're not gonna hear me complain about that because it was perfect.  The weather was beautiful and I got another day of reading on the beach while Rick played in the water.

We finished the afternoon with some shopping and ice cream.

Later that evening we knew we wanted to go out to Lawai Beach because it has the perfect view for watching the sunset.  We tried to get a few different places lined up for dinner with a good view of the sunset but come to find out everyone wanted to do their own thing for dinner.  That was fine with us because we decided to order a couple of personal pizzas and eat them right there on the beach watching the sunset.

Like I said, the perfect day!

The next day we were able to get over to the Poipu Ward for church.

Half the people that were there were visiting.  The chapel was full and the cultural hall was halfway filled for Sacrament Meeting.  

Relief Society was jam packed as well.  

Both meetings were fantastic, though:)

That afternoon we had a nice bbq lunch with Brad cooking up some steaks and fish.

We added salads and fruit to go along with it.

In Relief society earlier that morning the teacher had us turn to the person next to us and talk about an experience that helped our testimony grow.

I loved that and thought it would be nice to do in our group. So we did.

After lunch we sat around and spoke of experiences that have shaped our testimonies through the years.  It was very enriching!

That was the last big hurrah for our group.  While Brad and Ruth and Darrell and DeeAnn were staying on for a few more days, Rick and I had to get packed up because we were flying out that night.  We had a grand baby coming and we didn't want to miss that!

It was a wonderful trip with wonderful people!

We are very blessed to have such good relationships with those who mean the most,

FAMILY.