Make-a-Wish: Trip to Hawaii Dec 2022

Check out Caring Bridge if you want to see more about the Make-a-Wish trip Marie was granted.  New luggage was included in the wish!  She was very excited and packed early!

Hummer Limo ride to the airport was a fun way to kick off the trip. 

 

Make-a-wish kid in the cockpit!

We arrived later afternoon and hungry, so ate the first meal at Rum Fire inside the Hotel Sheraton. 

The next morning, we headed to Leanord's for malsadas. 

Our first encounter of the feral chickens was somewhat alarming. Travis made a funny joke while this chicken crossed the road as he said "Why!?!?!  WHY!?!?!"  

I guess Chris has never met us. Because he took us hiking on doughnuts as fuel only.  I almost threw up. But it was an amazing hike at Diamond Head. 

Hawaii was one of Kelly Kuehl Ackerman's favorite places. Kelly Rae made her presence felt on Day 1. 

View from the top of Diamond Head. The Sheraton Waikiki is right behind the pink hotel. 

Marie's trip=Lots of pictures of Marie. 

Luckily, Chris had planned lunch at local place with BIG portions. Eva's burger actually disappeared 30 seconds after this photo was taken.  Not one speck of anything was left on these plates. Yummy food at the Rainbow!

This is how Marie's knees felt by the 3rd hike on the 2nd day. 

The beaches off the main strip of Waikiki were not crowded and were beautiful.  

We should've noticed as we were walking one section of the beach that all the tiny, little jelly fish we were seeing that had freshly landed were obviously coming from the ocean we were in.  Out of all the people, the one with PTSD from a severe allergic reaction earlier that year gets stung. The walk-in clinic was only a few blocks away. We made it into the lobby and told them why we were there. We were treated by all the people in the lobby. The nurse did run Marie's recent condition by the doc, just to be sure. But they (receptionist, other patients in the lobby) sent us out to get some benadryl/lidocaine cream and told us that the groin pain is common, as a sting "fires up" the lymph nodes. The people in Hawaii are just the nicest. 

North side of Oahu. Sunset beach. 

Someone's surgical site turned into swollen 

hamburger after all the hiking.

The edge pool was for 16 year olds and up. Close enough. 

Diamond head is the high point behind us. It's the edge of a former volcano. 

Fargo was pounded with snow while we were gone. Instead of taking 5 personal days off, I only had to take three.  There were 2 snow days while we were gone, so kids didn't miss much school either. 

Shaved ice was a snack-time fave. 

One of the excursions Marie requested on her wish was a dolphin encounter.  NO jewelry was allowed.  How many people does it take to remove Eva's nose ring? 

50 first dates was filmed here.  

There was a Bison playoff game while we were in Hawaii.  OF COURSE they watched it. 

But first, some cat TAILgating.  Hee, hee. 

Hawaii Cat Cafe!

Luke loves cats, in case you didn't know. 

These 4 tried some surfing.  Luke's feet were too messed up. 

These two ended up continuing to surf. Travis said he prefers downhill snow skiing where you don't have to be good at picking waves; The hill just goes down. Eva and Marie really liked it and were good at it.  

For surfing, she actually NEEDED a rash guard, so I could finally convince her to wear one. "Be careful with that port. If something bumps against if hard, it could break," say the doctors. Oh you mean like a giant, heavy surfboard as she's flipping over in the waves in with 100 other people and their surfboards? NOT a relaxing time for me while she was out there. 

We loved this hotel. This area is like the Las Vegas strip without the gross. 

One of our favorite things to do was lay in the hot and listen to Christmas music. 

There were also fun crafts at the hotel in the morning. 

OF COURSE this is the lei he crafted. 

The teens loved just hanging on Waikiki beach and around the pool.  We didn't see a single beautiful waterfall or lake or mountain on this trip. I think they were all happy about that. 

Make-a-Wish told Marie to take a picture at her favorite place from the trip. 

Crowded and fun Waikiki beach within steps from our hotel was her pick.  I agree; I loved it. 

The area around our hotel was all decorated beautifully for Christmas.

We had a day of snorkeling as the other other excursion Marie chose. We saw two sea turtles, but that was about it.  Still very fun and relaxing boat ride. 

Eva and I got up early and hiked koko head. You hiked up an old railway thingy that would take military supplies up to the lookout/pill box. All of the hikes ended in these lookouts actually.  

As the sun came over the mountain, all the feral roosters started crowing.  Ha! This was not easy. But the view was amazing. 

We had eaten a better breakfast than doughnuts before this hike, so we didn't inhale our food quite as fast. This loco moco (called a koko moco at this restaurant near the hike) was delicious. 

This was our room for the week.  Lots of lovely togetherness.  

Marie's (and mine too!) favorite place to eat was called Island Vintage Cafe. Travis thought the food was like Star Wars food and wasn't a fan.  We Hansons usually do not eat out every meal on a trip. We're sandwich people on trips.  Make-a-Wish gave us a real treat in covering the food for the entire week. We felt very spoiled!

 We had to check-out the last day by 11am, but didn't leave until 11:30pm.  That's okay, because the Vikings were loosing by 33 points at halftime....

Fun atmosphere to watch the biggest comeback in NFL history for these two fans: Vikings over Colts 39-36

 Half of this store was Oreo. Half was Sour Patch kids. These are Travis' favorite sweets? Who knew they were others as well!?!?

Marie was on a basketball team with Mallory last year when she was diagnosed. Mallory's mom, Anne, is a Make-a-Wish volunteer.  Fun to see familiar faces to welcome us home!