Our Vow Renewal and Capt. Howie

If you have been reading along for the last couple weeks, this is out of chronological order, but we just got our photos back from the professional photographer.

Back on April 6th, we did our vow renewal in Waimanalo Beach on Oahu. Originally we had planned to do a sunset ceremony at a place called Pirate Bay on the North Shore, but it sprinkled off an on all morning and by noon it was pretty clear that their was not going to be any kind of sunset that night.

No sweat - Capt. Howie called us and suggested we move the ceremony to his place and the Beach at Waimanalo. When we first decided to do a vow renewal in Hawaii, I researched several options and stumbled across the folks at Above Heavens gate. They seemed like they were just a little different than everyone else out there with a renewal service and we were not disappointed. A bit quirky, but the nicest guy in the whole world, we met Capt. Howie when we arrived at his compound. He has an amazing house and back yard with a waterfall. The grounds are meticulously groomed and he has a coy pond with some of the biggest fish I have ever seen.

We were lucky enough to have our good friends the Ott's and the White's as well as my beautiful girls with us and the photographer shot some very good pictures in the yard. Capt. Howie then took us across the street to the beach and performed an amazing traditional Hawaiian ceremony, complete with the blowing of a conch shell that Dizzy Gillespie would have been proud of.

I don't think I could have asked for anything better. It was exactly what I had hoped for and by the end of the ceremony I was teared up. The photographer, Fernando caught some amazing moments. Thank you Rick and Diane, Marty and Lanette - It meant a bunch to us that you could share the moment with us.

Capt. Howie's little place.

Before the ceremony

The Fam

All of us

With Capt. Howie

Blowing the shell

During the Ceremony

With our best friends

Reading our vows

Here's to another great 20 years!

This is my favorite shot.  I am blessed to have such a fabulous life and family.

Aloha!