We would like to invite you to join us on our adventure to paradise! Our intention was to add to our blog each night during our trip. Each day was filled to the brim with activities. When we returned to the hale (house) we would do our reading, write in our journals and fall fast asleep. Therefore the blog didn't go quite as we had planned. Nonetheless, here it is. Albeit a little late, but we wanted to share our dream come true adventure with all of you who helped make it happen. Naturally if you want to take the journey with us in the order it happened, you will have to start with the first entry way at the bottom. 

We want to take this opportunity to thank each and every person who came to our fundraising events. The countless movies, cake walks, bake sales, bingo games, carnivals, snow cones, and all of the other things we did - Thank you! We wanted to put a thank you add in the Nome Nugget, but it was a little expensive. There were over 240 people, businesses, sporting teams, and organizations that helped us reach our goal. We raised over $28,000 with all of your help. We could not have done it without each and every one of you. To our families - what can we say but Quyannukpuq a million times over. 

We hope that by accomplishing our goal and making this trip happen, it will inspire other children to believe in themselves and make their dreams come true. Every step of the way I told the students "God will reward you for the fruits of your labor." On the third day, McKenzie told me "Wow, God really is rewarding us for the fruits of our labor!" I told him "Remember, if you want it, and work hard enough for it, you can do anything you want in life." These ten children now believe and know that in their hearts. This was a life changing experience for us all. In the future, when life seems to be getting them down all they have to do is think back on this trip and know that if they did it once, they can do it again. Thank you every one. 

Lynda & Gary Bekoalok

(These two pictures are of us on Alaska Airlines on the way to Hawaii)

Back to the snow and cold of Alaska. It was good to be home, but we will miss our new friends and the warmth of Hawaii. Aloha!

We can never thank Jim and Ferno Tweeto enough for all they did to help us get to Anchorage on time to catch our flight to Hawaii. They even stored our winter gear in their hanger for us. Quyannukpuq!

 Are you ready to go home? "No way!" they said. It was Mother's Day and everyone was anxious to see their families. Each child had a fresh pineapple to take home to their family, but a big piece of their hearts were still in Hawaii.

Tired kids

We had some tired little kids by the time we loaded the plane to Unalakleet. I think most everyone slept. Well, almost everyone.

When we left 11 days earlier we only had small backpacks as luggage. When we returned we checked 22 bags at 408 pounds! Now that's shopping! We watched them load our luggage on the Era/Frontier plane headed to Unalakleet. 

We were able to spend the day with family or friends in Anchorage. Then we all met at Sour Dough Mining Company to eat supper. Jeri Geer, Paige Blake, and Kelly Daughtery (all former Shaktoolik teachers) also met us to eat. Cody Knoll also met us. It sure was fun seeing people.

Definitely back in Alaska. Where else do you find a chocolate waterfall and a moose. Not to be confused with Chocolate mousse. LOL

The plane ride home was cold. Alaska Airlines doesn't give blankets anymore thanks to the H1N1. The boys (Nathan, Levi and Donald) found ways to keep warm. 

Ashley and Anikan decided to bring some Hawaiian air home with them. They held their breath all the way home - joke!

The time to say goodbye to paradise and our new family finally came. Uncle Bruce was so kind he put all of our luggage in the back of his truck and drove it to the airport for us. This saved us big time so that Amanda and Lynda could return the vans quickly. We sure do miss the Ah-Chong family.

What a great way to end our trip. The water park was so much fun. Our new Hawaiian counsin Ku'ulei was able to get out of school and go with us. Tymmie and Bruce joined us later in the day. It was so much fun we didn't want to leave. But alas, the plane home was waiting.

The big surprise was a day at the Wet'n'Wild Water Park!!! The kids were soooo excited when we told them. There were huge water slides of all kinds. There was even a wave rider which Everson got quite good at riding. He and Levi had fun trying to body board on the fast wave. The wave pool was a favorite too. Every 20 minutes big engines push water out of the end of the giant pool and make waves. 

No, it's not a massacre. It's called some very tired children. We spent our last night at Tymmie and Bruce's house. The kids were exhausted from their adventure. Little did they know the surprise that was waiting for them the next day.

Hanama Bay is one of the best snorkeling places in all of Hawaii. But when we got there is was just closing. It is a very pretty place though.

On our way back to Honolulu we stopped at The Tropical Farms Macadamia Nut Farm. There were hundreds of flavors of nuts to try. They were so good. The people from this farm had sent us a box of things to use as prizes during our fundraising. When we walked in the gift shop the manager came over to Gary and said "Are you the group from Alaska?" How did she know! They were so nice to us and gave us big discounts on everything we bought there. It was a lot of fun!

While Donald, Gary, Amanda and Reuben were on their trail ride, the rest of us got to see other animals. We got to pet a pot bellied pig, a donkey, a pony, and a chicken. We then saw an ostrich, a talking parrot and a spider monkey. It was way cool. The kids didn't really like the odor of farm animals. I told them where I come from that smell is called "money!".

Horses!

I just realized we never posted  the last two days of our Hawaiian experience. I apologize, so here it is.

When we left the condo we took the students to the Kualoa Ranch to see the horses. What happened was beyond our expectations. We had hoped to at least pet the horses, but the people that run the ranch met the kids and were so impressed with what they had accomplished that they arranged a 5 min. ride for each of the younger kids, and for those 13 and over (Donald, Amanda, Reuben and Gary - I grew up on horses so I wanted the others to have that experience) they received an hour long trail ride. What an experience! To see all of their faces was priceless. 

This is the group with Paul Comeau. He owns the condo we stayed at. He is real nice and gave Lynda a plumeria lei from a tree in his own yard. That is his little blue sports car in the background. The kids were real impressed with it. Paul use to be a teacher and then realized he could make a lot more money dealing real estate. I don't know too many teachers that own condos and sports cars. I guess he made the right decision.

The condo

Our condo was big! The pictures on the internet website do not do it justice. The view on one side is the ocean and the other is the mountains. It was a penthouse on the 8th floor. WOW!