Aloha!

This may be a long post, because I could talk about this forever (yall know how much I love this stuff) but I will try to make it short and sweet. Maybe I'll just dedicate another post to MAW altogether and just wear yall slap out then...anyway.....so on to this weekend....and the crab explanation....

Lauren is one of our precious Make-A-Wish kids (not really a "kid," she's 18 now) and her wish is to go to Hawaii with her family! She leaves this weekend, and like always my "wish partner" Haley and I like to do a little send off party for the family before they go. Well, in this case what better party is there than a LUAU to send her off in style!!

(the hilarious pink flamingo was the welcoming committee of course!!)

We had food galore!! Pink lemonade with umbrella straws! My mom's delish fruit pizza! Ham and cheese tray! Fruit fruit and more fruit (straight from the islands right?) And there is Mr. Crab above. Along with a hanging parrot, the welcoming flamingo, fish, beach balls, a palm tree, and anything else we could find to blow up and make it feel like we were on vacation!

AND the most FANTASTIC cake from Columbus Corner Bakery, who I cannot give enough props too ever. They put so much special detail and love into our MAW cakes, and refuse to let me pay a dime.

Now. All the admin is over, you've seen the decor. Check out this precious kiddo and her cute fam as they walked up the stairs and we "lei-ed" them!

(Lauren, Mom, sis Morgan, Dad)

Oh uh--look out....before we knew it grandparents started spilling in too! An unknown (but welcome!) surprise! They were precious!!

And we had a few surprises of our own too for Lauren! See these cute "Hawaiian" ladies? Well, they actually live in Jacksonville, FL, and came up 'specially for Lauren on Sunday! You see, Lalee, in the middle, is an 83 year old professional dance instructor of Hawaiian dances such as the hula, who is so fabulous (and of course so humble so I have to brag about her!) that teams are sent from her studio to Hawaii each year to compete in national hula competitions! What?!?! Anyway, Haley got her hands on them and they were so sweet to take time to travel up to Columbus and Lalee taught her some hula moves!!

Lalee teaching all the ladies some hula, baby! We were so clueless. And she was SUCH a dance teacher! "Straighten dos arms la-dies! Pop dos hips!" "Look at ma-ma go now!" Too stinkin' cute!

Mom, Dad, and Lauren. We had our mini-luau at the new marina at Lake Oliver in Columbus, which I didnt even know existed until last week, and I'm so glad one of my Bunko girlfriends filled me in! It's beautiful! Perfect place for sunsets and pontoon rides and picnics...and luaus! Me, Lauren, and Haley - This cute chick has been waiting a long time for her wish to come true, and we are so grateful to have been a part of it! I hope she has the very best time in Hawaii, swimming with dolphins, relaxing on her spa day, snorkeling, and at her family's private luau! I cant wait to see all the pictures when they get home! Love you Lauren!! E pili mau nâ pômaika`i me `oe ! !!

(Means "Best Wishes!" in Hawaiian!) :)

**For more pics of Lauren's big day, click here!