So Doug's youngest brother Scott married Kix in the Laie temple on December 18. His parents flew me out and let me stay with them so I be there for the family gathering and to do their wedding photography. It felt surreal that I was even there as I had just come from Utah's snowy 20 degree temperatures to Hawaii's 70 degree tropics. I was blessed to stay with some friends of a friend in Mililani the first night I arrived and went to church with them the next day. Their church building was next to the one I was baptized in, so of course I had to take a little stroll over there to reminisce.
That afternoon Doug's sister Jen and brother Ben picked me up after they flew in and we headed to Turtle Bay Resort on the North Shore where we stayed for the next 3 nights. It was a one king bedroom with 2 queen bed loft. There was a kitchen opened to the living room and a screened in deck. It was pure McArthur style as 8 of us slept on beds, couch, air mattress on the deck with luggage sprawled throughout and of course late night conversations with hopes of sleeping in the next day.
I was the only non-blood McArthur there and thank goodness I feel comfortable around the clan otherwise it could have been awkward. We skyped with Doug and his siblings/parents were happy to see him. Poor Doug, he really had a hard time and was quite emotional as he really wished he could be there. I didn't realize how much it meant to Doug's brother Scott that I was there until the reception when Scott got emotional saying how thankful he was that I was there representing Doug. I guess I did represent that to the family as Mom and Dad made a similar comment as well. I'm glad it made them happy I was there. It was nice to have some girl bonding with Doug's sister Kate and Kim as we enjoyed Turtle Bay's beach/pool one evening despite the down pouring of rain that seemed to be consistent during our time there. We did admire the beach from the car while it rained outside and just enjoying the palm trees. I love Hawaiian food and especially loved drinking out of coconuts, the acai berry bowls from the local venders and oh the glorious pineapples. I love Hawaii and reminisced of Doug's and my last journey there and how romantic it was reunited after 9 weeks apart. I can't wait to be reunited with Doug after our 9 months apart!
When we pulled up to the temple for the sealing, there was a beautiful double rainbow that landed right on the temple. The sealing was the best part of the whole trip as the spirit was so strong and the love that filled the room was almost tangible. I looked around the room and saw Doug's dad and mom smiling at each other in love and each then Ben, Jon, and Lar all looked like they were thinking of their wives and missing them in the moment. Jen leaned over to me and whispered how much she missed her husband and they've only been apart for a few days. She said she admired my strength to go months without Doug. I of course was missing Doug and wished his hand was there intertwined with mine. But once again, the Lord was my strength and I felt an abundance of peace.
Being in the Hawaii temple was a full circle experience for me as I used to roam the streets of Laie as a little girl and would often find myself laying in the super soft grass at the temple, or wading in the fountains (pretty sure that was not legal, but they never said anything to me), or watching Mr. Kruger's Christmas at the visitor center. I've always loved being on the temple grounds there and to be inside the temple was just heavenly!
Scott and Kix were awesome to let me have free reign over the photoshoot after they were sealed. We spent a good hour and half at the temple and then the beach. And it only rained on us for about 20 minutes at the beginning. I felt like that was a tender mercy as the moment I took the last picture on the beach, it began to down pour again.
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