-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Christmas and New Years were especially fun for our entire family.  We spent the entire holiday visiting Mommy's side of the family in a far off place called Hawaii. Our vacation started on December 22 which means that we got there a few days before Christmas.I know that we had to take a long plane ride there. It was even longer than when we go to Grandma and Grandpa's house out in the sticks because I slept a REALLY long time when we got onto the airplane and we STILL weren't there yet.  Mommy tells me that I actually took a 3 hour nap which was great for them since I didn't complain or anything.  When I woke up we had a little more time to go before we could get out of the plane.  There was a little boy sitting behind us that I could play with for the last part of the plane ride.

When we finally landed it was about time to eat lunch but we wanted to get to our hotel before doing anything else.  So Mommy, Daddy and I got off the plane and got our bags.  After Daddy got our car, we were off to our hotel.  Mommy told me that we were staying in a hotel that was like an apartment and very close to the beach.  Our hotel was very tall-we stayed on the 34th floor. 

I've never counted that high!  It was great because I got to watch the elevator numbers change all the way up to our floor.  The room faced what Mommy calls "Waikiki Beach".  It was very pretty and there was SO much water!  Daddy said it's like a very, very big bath tub.

The day after we arrived in Hawaii, Mommy and Daddy realized that I still didn't have my Santa picture taken so we went to the mall on the other side of the Waikiki Area.  It's a huge mall 4 stories tall called Ala Moana.  There they had a Hawaiian dressed Santa taking pictures with all of the little kids.  Santa's toy shop was actually a scene from a locally written and printed Hawaiian Santa story.  So we entered the 'Menehune Toy Shop' to see Santa.

There was so much to see inside the shop and it kept me busy for a long time.  This was a good thing because there was a long line to see Santa.  When I finally did get to see him, I was ready to go.  But something happened.  I turned to see who was holding me.  Then I got nervous and started crying.  I don't know what happened.  He was a very nice man, but I just got scared all of the sudden.  I don't think I should have turned around to see who it was.  So, in the end, this was my Hawaiian Santa picture.  Last year's was better.  Oh well.

That was so much activity for one day and we were tired.  We went back to our temporary home, the hotel, for the night and ate dinner in.