Berg Twins: Summer Vacation in Hawaii

On our second week in Hawaii, we unfortunately had to say good-bye to Evan. It was time for daddy to go back to work for two weeks, before coming back to enjoy another week in Hawaii and then flying us home at the end of the month! The two weeks while daddy wasn't with us, the boys suffered major separation anxiety. I think Evan leaving us in an unfamiliar place confused the boys. Before Hawaii, he'd only left us at home when he would go on business trips. So, even though we had fun and got to see a lot of beautiful places, the boys had a rough time while daddy was away. They were practically glued to my side, and anytime I was out of their sight, they screamed and cried for me. Even their grandparents, who they usually have no problems being alone with, couldn't pick them up without either of them screaming or crying for me. It was rough and exhausting, but we survived and still managed to have a good time! :) Here are some of my favorite pics from our second week in Hawaii...

This first one was taken the morning Evan left. The boys didn't have many toys to play with in the rental house, so they got their hands (and bodies) into many things they shouldn't have out of curiosity and boredom. This wicker chest was one of those things...

The rest of Evan's family were still in Hawaii for another few days, so later that afternoon, we checked out another beach we hadn't seen before. As you can see, the Bergs do not travel lightly...

The next day, we took a trip to the volcanoes. The boys had fun in the visitors' center...

It was surprisingly very cool at the volcanoes, so we had to bundle up in sweatshirts...

Here we are with opa right before entering and after exiting an incredible lava tunnel...

Opa and Ben walking together...

Next stop, beautiful Rainbow Falls...

The next day, we spent the afternoon at an amazing Hilton resort and enjoyed their pools...

The boys loved the fountains...

An action shot of Benjamin in mid-jump...

They decided to play a quick game of checkers...

Gabrielle came to join us at the fountains...

We then moved on to the lagoon, where the boys found their cousins' swimming goggles and insisted on wearing them...

Benjamin checking out the lagoon...

Audrey and Ben splashing oma...

A cruel momma forcing her boys to sit for a picture...

The next day, we went to check out Hapuna Beach because it was rated one of the best beaches in the world. It was really pretty, but there was very little shade!

I loved this sign!

I got to snorkel for a little bit and saw four sea turtles...

Gabrielle in action...

It was Eric, Alisha, and the girls' last night in Hawaii, so we all went out to eat at a fun restaurant with live music. Here are the boys enjoying some fries with ketchup with the band playing behind them...

The boys sharing a cup of orange juice on the deck the next morning...

The owners of the house we stayed in gave us a list of places he thought we might enjoy during our visit. On the list was a beach that the owners said they loved because it was never crowded and great for snorkeling. So, that evening on the way back from driving around the island, we decided to make a quick stop just to see it. Oma waited in the car with the boys while opa and I walked the 1/10 mile down the bumpy path towards the beach...

The path led us to the prettiest little beach I've ever seen! It was so picture perfect that it could've been a movie set. And, sure enough, it was very quiet and empty... we only saw one couple with their two kids on the entire beach.

So, the next day, we excitedly put on our bathing suits and drove back to the picture-perfect little beach. After that visit, we ended up coming back many more times. It was definitely my favorite beach and the boys' too!