SATURDAY - 8-13-16 - VISIT TO LAEI TEMPLE WITH FAMILY.  START OF HAWAII CRUISE.  

I have some catching up to do with the blog.  On the cruise ship, I didn't have internet, so I couldn't keep this up.....  This picture up above is of the whole family at the Laei temple visitor center.  We had a great time together going through and visiting with the Sisters and Senior Couple that was serving there.  It's an amazing place to be and the spirit is so strong.  I saw a couple women in one of the rooms reading about eternal families and what we believe as LDS.  After they read some things, I saw one woman start to cry and the other one embrace her.  They looked like they were from China.  I know they were feeling the spirit so strong.  It's incredible the resources the Church puts into these visitor centers to allow people to feel the spirit of Christ and understand our Heavenly Father's Plan for them.  We only had about 20 minutes to be there, but it was a real honor to spend some time there.

The Sisters that are serving there.  The one on right is from Boise, Idaho area (Eagle area).  The girls (Makayla and Maddison) want to serve a mission some day like these Sisters.  I think it would be incredible for them and for their lives to be able to serve somewhere like these Sisters.

The family boarding the ship.  Our cruise ship is called, "Pride of America - Norwegian Cruise Line".  Everyone got Hawaiian Leis as we boarded the ship.  Some of the kids got headbands made out of palm leaves.  They make it an exciting experience.  This cruise line really did a great job giving a great experience getting started on the cruise.  The kids were so excited.  Everything is such a new experience.  Heidi and I thought it would be good to work and serve hard in Tonga and then spend a little family vacation on the Hawaiian islands before we head home.  

Cute Girls getting on the ship.

Logan, Makayla, Maddison, and Braden all bunked together on the ship in room #10669.  We were on the 10th floor of the ship.  They were all good sports and did well together being roommates (at least as far as Heidi and I knew)  :).  They were in close quarters, but did great.  Heidi, Ella, and I were in the other room in #10169.  We were right next to each other and it worked out very well.  

On the ship before we took off.  Honolulu is right behind us.  It was a lot larger than I thought it would be.  We boarded the ship around 2:00 or so, and we left the port later that night.  So, we had some time to get situated, eat at the "buffet" (they had great food), and enjoy the night.

The ship wasn't as big as other cruises Heidi and I have been on, but it was perfect size of the family. This was the kids first cruise.  Because this cruise line only goes in Hawaii, there was no gambling on the boat.  The experience with this cruise was great and it was very family friendly.

The kids wanted to go swimming right away later that night.  They got their swim stuff on and hopped in the pool.  There is no waisting time with these guys.

Braden joining perfect strangers in the hot-tub.  He's not shy!  He put on his goggles, made friends real quick, and had some fun.  Crazy guy!

After a little while, all the kids hopped in the hot-tub to soak it all in.

Braden living it up!  He's definitely one of a kind.  We love him!  The whole cruise, we were trying to find where he went.  He would turn up missing.  We had a rule that if the kids didn't stick with us, they would have to do "wall-sits" for a minute.  Let's just say that Braden had to do several wall-sits.

Braden was great for Ella.  They really are "Best-Friends".  They would sit in this little kid area and just laugh and giggle and have a great time.  They didn't eat too much of the food, but they had a great time together.  In fact, Braden would have the same food at almost every meal.  He would get a slice of pizza and sometimes a hot-dog.  We have to work on venturing out and trying new things.  Maybe it's just a phase.  He did start getting apples and bananas after a couple of days.

This is the administrative crew of the ship.  We were able to meet them the first night.  As you can tell, Braden loves to get pictures and meet great people.  The other kids are finding seats in the "Hollywood Theatre".