Mark's 30th!

Last month we celebrated Mark's 30th (as well as our 10 year/3 year wedding anniversary)! He always jokes with me that I lump his birthday and our anniversary together, so I made sure I did something extra special to throw him off this year! We had dinner in Waikiki for our anniversary and I surprised him with a weekend on Big Island. If anyone knows me, they know it's nearly impossible for me to keep a surprise so I was quite pleased with myself to not blab until a few days before! Big Island has such a special place in our hearts- especially upcountry in Waimea which reminds me of Ireland.

We normally stay at the Fairmont Orchid when we visit Big Island, but we switched it up this time and spent the weekend in a suite looking over the dolphin lagoon and the ocean at the Hilton Hawaiian Village (it was for Mark's big 3-0 afterall!). The view from the lanai was amazing, which also made it nearly impossible to be motivated enough to leave the room. We spent much of our time sitting outside drinking wine listening to the waves and watching the dolphins cruise around in their lagoon. The resort was massive, even having a water taxi and trams running throughout the resort to get guests from one end to the other. With endless sculptures, paintings, and art displays it felt like a never ending art museum- which we loved! We also had a few pretty epic sunsets for our viewing pleasure. With all the exploring and relaxing at the resort it was hard to find time to leave to explore off property, but we did manage to.

When we first were on Big Island three years ago, we found a church in Kona that was beyond beautiful. The painted church is located near the coffee farms in Kona- and has been standing in the same spot since 1899! Outside the church is a small stand that sells handmade ornaments made from coconut leaves, crosses, pendants and other small mementos for a small donation which benefits the church. We love crafts like this to remember our trip all while helping the church. The church itself sits on a beautiful hill overlooking beautiful Kealakekua Bay (where Captain Cook first made contact with Hawaiians). The paintings inside the church are so beautiful and hand painted using nothing other than house paint. "This present church was erected in 1899 by Father John Velghe. Without any professional training and using house paint on ordinary wood he beautified the church with his paintings." When we first saw the church a few years ago there was a kitten sleeping under one of the church pews, we joked this time hoping we'd see one again and instead encountered a snoring "guard dog" sleeping at the entrance which made for adorable pictures.This church is a little off the beaten path, but once you arrive it's the complete silence and realization that you hear nothing but the birds chirping that leave you feeling even more spiritual. Each step up the stairs that lead into the church you hear the creek and cracks of the wooden floorboards beneath your feet and realize your in a rich, historic and beautiful parish built over 117 years ago.

Waterfalls after rainfall... one of my favorite things about living in Hawaii. With rain on and off for the week in Hilo (as usual) we were excited to check out Rainbow falls. It sure didn't disappoint with it's intense waterfall show. Later we got our fix from our favorite Kona coffee farm; www.greenwellfarms.com (our first stop after I crashed our Mustang in 2013-lol) visited Kona brewing company, and even hung out at our favorite beach at the Fairmont Orchid Resort.

When we were on Big Island for our honeymoon in 2013 I specifically remember Mark wanting to go to Waipio Valley or Valley of the Kings. Waipio translates to "curved valley". We weren't able to go then so we made it a point to at least go to the lookout during this trip. While we didn't get to go into the actual valley (hense cram The Big island into a weekend) we did get to view it from atop which was pretty incredible none the less. Guess we'll just have to make another trip to venture down into the valley-the road leading down is one of the steepest roads in the country fyi! From the lookout we had a perfect view of the black sand beach, a waterfall cascading down the side of the mountain and of course the beautiful ridges of the valley. Waipio valley is an extremely important place in Hawaiian culture as it was once the capitol and the home of many Hawaiian ali'i (kings). Currently within the valley there are taro patches, other farming, a small community, as well as many ancient Hawaiian heiaus (temples). Visiting the valley you could feel how sacred it was and how rich the history was within it to this day.

Also a few pics from mango fest at the Moana Surfrider this summer...yumm! 

Aloha! 

XOXO-

Mark & Jen

RIP to Char Alford who my family lost this summer. My (Jen's) aunt since I was born. She was one of my mom's best friends of almost 50 years and a dear member of our family. She was the sweetest and most soft spoken woman I've ever met. Mark and I cherish the memories of her, especially her involvement in our wedding. We miss and love you dearly Char.