I’ll bet you’re wondering why on earth I would take time away from my Hawai’i vacation to write a stupid blog.  I should be sipping a Pina Colada and hanging out at the beach.  I’m practically doing that now, believe it or not, and using my laptop to let every one know that Kelly said YES!!!  She came to Hawai’i as my girlfriend, and will be leaving as my fiancee.

Here’s the quick chronicle of how it came to pass:

   On the first whole day in Hawai’i, Kelly and I drove to the lip of the Waipi’o Valley, parked our car, and descended into it.

Here’s the view from the lookout:

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   We walked down the steep trail (which is a 25% grade, aka 45 degree downangle), and made our way to the valley.  At the bottom, we took a left, and followed the estuary down to the black sand and rock beach.  There we saw an amazing water fall flowing right into the ocean.  We even walked up to the base of it and got soaked.

Here’s Kelly and the waterfall:

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   After seeing the waterfall, we sat on the beach and had a snack.  I proposed and Kelly said Yes!  I wasn’t sure if she knew it was coming, but afterward she said that she was totally shocked.  And me, well, I’m just lucky to have Kelly by my side, let alone have the promise of a wedding in the future.

   That night we went out to eat at a restaurant overlooking Kailua Bay.

Our first meal as an engaged couple:

Click image to enlarge