Sunny Does Hawaii: Beach Pictures

The three of us had a PERFECT first trip to Hawaii together a few weeks ago. We spent special time with family, introduced Sunny to warm beaches, fresh pineapple, surfboards, geckos, turtles and fish you can swim with....it was so much fun. We stayed at Palehua with Papa and Omi , and Auntie Jessi, Uncle Dean and cousins Halle and Sebastian. The cousins had an especially fun time together. Uncle Josh and Auntie "Echo" stayed nearby, so we had a big, fun gang to play with. We also got to see relatives nearby...and meet new ones. We'll be going back soon. Until then, Sunny's newly completed front yard sand box should help sustain her sudden obsession with shovels, going to the beach, and digging holes in the sand. She takes her shovels everywhere. There's a yellow one, a blue one, and a yellow & pink one. It's actually a great way for her to be learning her colors. She even sleeps with a shovel when she remembers to ask for it. I have lots of photos to share, so I'll be uploading them by "theme." We'll of course start with the beach pictures...
From left:Uncle Dean, Daddy, Auntie Jessi, Mama and Uncle Josh

Sunny's parents ride the wave together!

Thanks for cousin Rocky, we got to play with kayaks for an afternoon. We all paddled out to see sea turtles right off the shore. Sunny said, "Wow, see the turtles? What are those turtles doing?"

Our beach routine quickly evolved: we started with the creation of a large hole (thanks, Max, for most of the digging labor). Then Halle and Sebastian would jump in and out of it, Sunny would sit in it playing with her shovels, and Max and I would work to keep the water in...or out...or whatever the kids wanted.

Sunny wasn't shy about the waves. She was already comfortable with water in her face and soap in her eyes (we don't use tear-free), so she was curious and trusting around the ocean. By the end of our trip, she was walking on her own out into water as deep as her thighs.

I was so happy that Sunny didn't get any sunburn...nor did I. I guess I should have been wearing baby sunscreen (spf 50) my whole life, and reappplying every hour, like we did this trip.

Lovin' her hole at the beach. "Bring the shovels!" she'd cry. "Know why? Going to the beeeeach!! Dig a hole!" Those were Sunny's lines every morning.

Sunny caught her first wave with Daddy. The folks at the beach had been pointing and talking as Max carried her and the surfboard out into the water. (I guess I would have been a skeptical or concerned onlooker, too, if I didn't know that Max is an excellent surfer and swimmer...with swift water rescue training/experience and a past job as a lifeguard training instructor.) Her face looks a little scared in this picture, but she didn't fuss. She wore a huge smile as they walked back up onto the beach. You can tell Uncle Josh was impressed! He'd been waiting in the shallows in case they needed help.

Max was an extra proud daddy after Sunny's first wave!

She continued to surf on the shore for the rest of the afternoon...