Day 6 (Molokai and Oahu)

 Hey look, kids! It's the 6th day of vacation! And, today you only have to be up at 6am! Y'all could probably hear the moans and groans from wherever you are. My baby people are TIRED. But this morning is special. For 10 years, we've attempted to see the nation by graduation. We've experienced so many unique modes of transport. (1940s Bush Planes, Hot Air Balloons, Dog Sleds, etc) But, we'd been saving the helicopter.  It is a splurge, but something that 4/5 Bullingtons have never done. Mr. Bullington Fancy Pants has ridden in a Blackhawk, so he trumps us. We piled into our chopper with our sweet captain Kirk. Yes, his name was Captain Kirk. We flew over West Maui to Molokai (another island) that is home to the highest sea cliffs in the world.  They are 3000-4000 feet high and when you approach them from the top and the whole world drops out from underneath you it's fun to feel how many of your body parts you can clinch at once.  Because I was new to helicopter flight, I didn't know how very close you could get to the side of a mountain, so close you feel like you are moments away from crashing into it and meeting your heavenly father. I am not certain that I drew a breath for the entire 45 minute tour and I am fairly certain that there were moments that my heart stopped beating. It was truly amazing and I would do it again.....with a Xanax. Note the pictures I was prepared for and those that Mr. Bullington captured while I was unawares, perhaps a more realistic capture of my terrified self. After we landed and I peeled my white-knuckled hands from the back of the seat in front of me, we were off to the other side of the airport to catch our flight to Oahu. 

Mom is so fake excited!

I'm glad everyone else is feeling all hunky-dory while I contemplate the afterlife

Breathe in, breathe out

The relaxed faces of naivete 

We checked into our resort in Waikiki and I was encouraged at the sight of beautiful water, blue sky, pool boys that will bring me drinks, and most of Japan and Canada. Waikiki is crowded, y'all. Strange mix of tourists. I would say that 90% of the people we met were either from Japan or Canada. Bit of a language barrier with my Japanese friends, but those folks from Vancouver are a fun lot! We (I) decided that in order to bring my blood pressure down from this morning's dance with death, I should probably just lie here and drink a MaiTai or two. 

We cleaned ourselves up and headed out to First United Methodist of Honolulu for their Ash Wednesday service. The 6:30 service was a blended English/Tongan service. It didn't look that different from what we were used to except their church is open air so the wonderful Hawaiian breeze blew through the sanctuary. And, half of the congregation was Tongan and dressed in traditional Tongan clothing.  A unique and wonderful worship service for our family.

Then it was off to Dinner at Duke's! This iconic Waikiki spot was named after Duke Kahanamoku. A famous surfer who surfed the same wave for 1 1/8 mile in 1929. He's enough of a legend that they named a restaurant after him. And it was enough of a tourist trap that it trapped us.  It was actually a lovely little place that felt very "Old Hawaii". We dined looking over the beach while being serenaded by a live band featuring, of course, a Ukulele! We finished off our dinner with a slice of Duke's Hula Pie that is like a slice of delicious Diabetic Shock, if it were to be served in pie form. And you eat it with a Spork! Long live the Spork!

This picture's purpose is not only to showcase the pie and the spork, but also the fun game that the children have invented that I've named, "Sneak up on Thomas and make him be in a picture with the sisters".  You see, fair reader, teenage girls love to be in pictures of themselves, teenage boys....Not so much. So the Bullington girls devised a plan to sabotage Thomas all day long so he can be in awkward pictures with them. We shall file this under "A study of the awkward 13-year-old boy being loved on by his sisters" There's a chance it won't age well.