A Beautiful Reunion

 

Aloha my friends! Im finally home after experiencing one of the most beautiful and memorable milestone in my life. 

Before I share photos of my amazing trip I must first  THANK YOU for ALL for your incredible and supportive words of love and encouragement. I really appreciate the outpour of support and from several of you ladies that shared your personal experience of finding a long lost relative or loved one.

Please note….I am posting a lot of photos! I took over 600, so I've tried my best to weed thru them all and share only my best photos with you all.

From the time I first stepped off the plane it was a roller coaster of excitement and nervousness of experiencing a whole new world to me.

My beautiful half sister Kuulei and our father Keith greeted me at the airport. There were BIG BIG hugs and some very happy tears that were shared. This day finally arrived and I was seeing my father for the first time and meeting my siblings. 

WOW!!!!!!!

 

I was quite exhausted after the 12 hour trip. However, we decided to grab a quick bite to eat before I checked into my hotel.

They took me to one of the local favorites. Usually a line forms out the door. The local food is so good!

They are known for their Ramen noodles with fish, pork, and veggies. The bowl was so huge I couldn't finish it, but it was so delicious and full of the yummiest flavors. 

 

When I got checked in to my condo I had a very sweet surprise waiting for me.

 

My sister Kuulei who is FULL of  aloha spirit  surprised me with foods in my kitchenette that I love to eat for breakfast and snacks.

Sweet little note she left.

 

After a much needed good nights rest, my first day started out with me pulling back the curtains and seeing a huge rainbow in the sky. WOW!!! It had to be a good sign!!!

My Dad went out that morning and picked beautiful plumeria flowers for me.

 

Here's a little bit of info on my father.

He was born in raised in CA. He has spent the majority of his life in Kauai.

He is a champion longboard surfer and for many many years was a local known bartender and living his life and dream of surfing. His life is INCREDIBLY laid back and he's a total free spirit. I too have  a bit of the "free spirit" in me as well. Now I know where I get it. 😉

 

One of his several pride and joy surfboards.

   

The first morning of my trip I got to meet my other half sister Kaiu and her son Jaden for the first time.

So joyous!

 

Of course Auntie Jenn brought gifts for her nieces and nephew.

  

We spent the day site seeing and taking in the gorgeous natural beauty of Kauai. 

Stunning waterfalls!

(click on photo to enlarge)

See the beautiful rainbow.

 

 

 

There are so many scenic views all over the island. From the rivers to the highest mountains. I was awe struck a the natural beauty. Both my sisters kept rattling names of movies that were filmed on the island. One of the biggest one's was Jurassic Park.

 

 

Kaiu and Jaden

  

Fruits and vegetables grow all over the island.

My sister Kuulei has an avocado tree in her backyard. 

We checked to see if they were ripe. 

No such luck.  
 

 

Later that evening my sister Kuulei hosted a BBQ at her home.

I got to meet my half brother Kika and step brother Shawn. Both guys are hysterical and super cut up's. 

We had a great evening laughing, talking, and getting to know each other. I felt like I fit in with my family immediately.

It's crazzy how our everyday worlds are so completely different night and day. I really enjoyed learning about the Hawaiian culture and lifestyle.

My sisters and Kika were all born in Hawaii so they are full of knowledge of their ancestry and history.

 

Another yummy dish I must share with you is Poke. It's another favorite dish among locals. It's rare ahi tuna mixed with pepper, sesame, dried seaweed,onions.

It's not much to look at, but it's taste SO GOOD! I was hooked!

 

One evening we attend a luau dinner and show.

My sister Kuulei works some evenings, so she hooked us up with excellent seats.

Kaiu and our niece Kamalei

 

We had a fabulous evening. The show was unreal and the food was the best! I especially enjoyed the Mai Tai's!
 

One of my absolute FAVORITE days was when my sisters and I took a catamaran sunset snorkel boat cruise to the Na Pali coast.

The Na Pali coast is 15 miles of rugged coastline. The mountain cliffs are breathtaking.

(click on image to enlarge)

 

There are waterfalls inside the mountains.

 

The three of us had a BLAST!!! It was truly the BEST BONDING time ever!!! 

  

 

We got to snorkel. So much fun! The water is crystal clear.

It was our LUCKY day!!!!!

While snorkeling we saw THREE giant sea turtles swimming.

We were squeeling with delight while wearing our mask and snorkel gear. hee! hee!

Not to sound super corny but we took it as a sign that we saw three sea turtles and there is three of us. 🙂 Kinda cool!

 

Yes…..Im the dork…the only one wearing a life preserver. LOL!!!!

We had no clue who was swimming behind us. hee! hee!

 

 

Lots of fishy's surrounding us.

Shortly after snorkeling we cruised around the island and had the incredible opportunity of seeing spinning porpoises riding along side the boat and jumping out of the water.

What a treat!

 

    

The rest of the late afternoon we had a yummy buffet dinner, drank cocktails, and watched the sunset.

 

Stunning!!!!

 

What a spectacular view for a memorable day!
 

Hawaii has the best and freshest sushi. One evening we went to the local favorite Kintaro.

 

Kaiu and Makaia.

Me and my precious niece Kamalei.

   
 

On Sunday we went to the North Shore and spent the day in Hanalei where our father lives.

 

It's very tropical and lush in Hanalei. Natural outdoor beauty everywhere.

My sister Kuulei asked me if I had ever heard of the song "Puff the Magic Dragon". Well of course….I think we all know the true meaning of the song. hee! hee!

Well, she explained to me that the song was written after this shaped piece of land in Hanalei.

This is his head and pointed snout. The brown spots are his eyes and you can see the point at the top of his head.    
 

This is his back. You can see the bumps that go up his back.

Pretty cool huh?

 
 

We spent the day hanging out at my Dad's local spot called "Blackpot". This is ONLY for locals. NO tourist as my Dad explains to me. This spot has been around for ages. When my siblings were younger they would spend their weekends camping at this site. Blackpot is a very special place for my family and my father spends most his days there with is friends BBQ and hanging out.

They play horseshoes in this little spot.

 

Dad firing up the grill. 

 

I got to meet an incredibly special lady.

Her name is Barbara Poor. Her husband Randy use to go to high school with my father and Randy and Barbara are like an aunt and uncle to my siblings. All super close.

Barbara was who I first spoke with on the phone before I talked to my father. Barbara is the lovely person who called my Dad to tell him the amazing news that I had called.

Barbara is so kind, funny, and full of amazing energy. We got to hang out, talk, and get to know more about each other. What a sweetheart she is!!!

 

We chilled by the beach, ate yummy BBQ, watched the children play in the water, and took in another amazing sunset.

Chris (Kuulei's better half) and their daughter Makaia.

Gorgeous Hanalei sunset

Family photos on the beach.   

 

 

Ok, Im going to share a photo and story with you that's pretty funny. My Dad (believe it or not) does not own a computer. So I feel pretty confident he WONT see this post. 😉 If he did…no biggie…he has a great sense of humor.

Our Dad is much like the hottie Matthew McConaughey. He doesn't wear deodorant and prefer's au naturale.

Regardless if you took a shower, it's only a matter of time you are going to sweat and have a mild unpleasant scent about you. (can you tell Im trying to be kind and gentle about this. hee! hee!)

So being his daughters we wanted to help him out a bit and drop him a BIG *HINT* that he needs to wear deodorant.

This was taken late a night and Kuulei and I are sneaking the deodorant into his van. Hoping he will discover it. hee! hee! He did say something the next day not knowing who put it in there. He actually thought it was our other sister Kaiu who did it. hee! hee!

 

The week slowly came to an end. After an incredible week with my new family I was ready to get home and see my family. I was really starting to miss my children and husband.  I filled my suitcases loaded with toys and souvenirs for family and friends.

I couldn't resist purchasing these adorable Hawaiian pin up postcards.

So fun!

    

My last evening we had another family dinner at the fabulous Hukilau Lanai restaurant.

What a perfect way to end a vacation.

My brother Kika and his girlfriend Leana.

 

I love these beautiful girls! Spending all this time with them was so surreal. I can't believe I am their BIG sister. Amazing!!!

They sadly lost their Mom two years ago. She was their rock.

  I hope my sisters know they can always count on me to be there when they need to talk about things big or small, and life in general.

 

This trip was so memorable in more ways than one. Not only did I reunite with my birthfather, I formed a fast relationship with my siblings and it all feels so incredibly natural to me.

I got to visit the gorgeous island of Kauai for the first time, and I look forward to it becoming a second home to me.  Im also excited for my next trip and bringing my husband and children to meet the family.

I appreciate you stopping by and allowing me share my story with you all. Thank you again for your love, support and encouragement!

Mahalo!

XOXO,