Tonga - Part 1

This trip was probably the most exciting yet.  Tui's youngest brother was coming back from California where he'd been serving as a missionary for the church for 2 years, and everyone was coming home for it.  Tui and his siblings haven't all been together for almost 13 years so this was worth every cent we spent on getting there.  It was Lani's first time to Tonga, first time meeting everyone, the first time for everyone to meet Vili.  The kids had 2 new cousins and a new aunty to meet.  So it was an exciting trip.

The airport shuttle and plane ride were almost the most exciting part of the whole trip for the kids.

 

 

Lani thought the remote was a phone and spent a good 20min talking on it. lol.

What did we do the first day? Go to the beach of course!

 

 

Malachi was reunited with his cousin Kingston.  They haven't seen each other for 3 1/2 years.

 

 

While at the beach we ran into one of Malachi's little buddy's from Hawaii Kilika.  I used to babysit him while his parents were in class.  Small world.

Vili and Kanani, the curly haired devils.

Little cousins, they had such a great time together.

At the blow holes.  Our children were hot and mad that we made them take (another) photo, and Lani kept pointing tot he water that she wanted to get in.

After that photo was taken, on the drive home Vili and Lani threw up, second apart, all over me and the car and everything.  And thus began 3 days of them, plus me and Malachi, having food poisoning from drinking the water, and having the most horrible vommiting and dihorrea.  It was so bad, I almost changed our tickets and went home.  Lani ended up in hospital she got so dehydrated.  Luckily though it passed, but it sure was a bummer way to spend 3 days of our vacation.

The day the missionary came home was super exciting.  The kids made signs (although they were sick of holding them by the time he actually came out so I don't think he ever actually saw them).

 

   

 

I'm so glad the boys got to be there for all the excitment of a missionary homecoming.  There will never be a shortage of bad examples for my sons, showing them how not to be, so I'm thankful for Siope being an example to my sons, showing them how putting the Lord first in their lives can make them happy.