Farewell Luau

We saved one of our most quintessential Hawaiian experiences for our final night on the island. Melissa, Bobby and Savannah joined us for a luau at Paradise Cove on Friday night. When we arrived, we each received a shell lei and a free tropical drink. Then we had plenty of time to wander around enjoying the view, refreshments, games and Hawaiian music while we waited for dinner to be ready.

Trying his hand at spear-throwing.

The guys in their Hawaiian shirts

Melissa and I got "Hawaiian tattoos"

At sunset, we took some fun family photos by the water.

When it was time for the official events to begin, they called us to the firepit by winding a long note on the conch. After some explanation of historical Hawaiian tradition, they unveiled the pig that had been burried and slow cooked under the sand. They call it kalua pork and it's SO good. It smelled so good it made our mouths water. We had to wait a while longer till they were finished preparing the food. But they kept us well entertained with some hula dancing.

The sunset was stunning that night! I couldn't get enough pictures. I stayed over by the water with my lens pointed at the view until it was too dark to continue and dinner was served. The Lord definitely saved His greatest finale for our last night in paradise!

After dinner, they put on a spectacular show complete with dances and music from many different Polynesian nations. My favorite was the fire dance!

To say that we had a great time on our Hawaiian vacation would be a major understatement. It was beautiful, memorable, relaxing, rejuvenating, a much needed retreat from our busy lives, and a valuable opportunity to catch up with old friends. Thank you, Bobby and Melissa, for showing us a wonderful time. We are truly blessed to have celebrated our anniversary in such a remarkable place.