Aloha, Maui!

Chris and I went to Maui for John and Mae's wedding! It was six days of seeing one miracle after another: pure, pristine paradise and the miracle of two people committing their lives together.

About the two people committing their lives part - presenting John and Mae. Here they are at the luau they hosted for us at the Wailea Marriott:



Congratulations, you two! I love you guys! John is a wonderful friend marked by generosity and humor. Mae is just a beautiful friend and I'm impressed by her wisdom towards God. A great deal of our old school friends were there. In fact, the fabulous John was our roommate (yes, he's available, all inquiries can be made through me):

... my old neighbor from Rieber! Elgin and his wife Carole:



... Berube .. (yes, available):



.. Barone and wife Kristin (not available, what are you thinking, homewreckers!)



... Jimmy with Mae's mom ...


Here's the UCLA crew. John's sister, next to me, also went to UCLA. Go Bruins!



Maui is made up of two volcanoes. Its lava flows have filled into the isthmus making it one island. Amazing how much time that took! (Like millions upon tens of millions of years).

We spent our days waking up late, eating out, always with beach gear in tow. Sitting out in the beach, playing frisbee, eating out some more, taking strolls, reading, laughing, curing our sunburns and then repeat. That's vacation.

We had an amazing sunset day one at Po'olalena Beach in Wailea, southern Maui.



Chris contemplates the universe:



The water is crystal clear. While snorkeling Chris saw turtles! The visibility is as though you were in an aquarium.





Chris and I took a trip out to Hana, which many tourists do. Its a famous drive along the northeast side of the island which includes sheer drops into the ocean and an amazing coastline. One of the greatest things about Hawaii is that random plants abound in the most unsuspecting places. Such as this beautiful work of God:



Its incredible to think that days after we left Maui that an earthquake would hit. I heard on the radio that the "Road to Hana" which is HWY 36/360 was closed with mudslides. As nature sort of has its way, I'm sure that things will be back to normal no time. We smelled the pure fragrance of guava fruit along side the road where they freely grow.

I miss our vacation very much! It was a fulfilling time with great friends, weather, Christopher and realizing that the forces of nature are truly supreme. Everything from the waves that can sweep you underneath to the gravity (yes, exceptional gravity!) pulling you down the side of a bike ride from the top of the volcano (oh, such another story - but it was very fast!) reminded me that God is bigger than ourselves. One of the biggest blessings of Maui was that billboards have been banned so as to preserve the natural sights of the island. Wow! Someone's onto a great idea ... Maui is a reminder that our lives can be lived simply if we allow nature to withstand man's own somtimes crushing endeavors.