Hawaii

It's hard to believe that about this time last year I was busy preparing for our trip to Hawaii.

Several times in the last few months, my husband and I have made random comments about our desire to go back.

A personal photo from the beach at the

Hilton Waikoloa on the Big Island

(November 2010).

And next week, some friends of ours are moving there.

We are really sad to see them go; but so excited for them.

I mean, how can we not be excited for them? It's Hawaii. It's paradise. It's incredible.

And part of me is secretly hoping that it might be in our future, too. To live there.

So we invited our friends over tonight and I am so glad that we did. I had no idea that they were already living in temporary housing and that the last three nights they've been eating out.

We wanted to send them off with a little taste of Hawaii in Nebraska so we made Hawaiian Chicken with brown rice and cilantro, a Hawaiian fruit salad, and dinner rolls.

I searched high and low for King's Hawaiian Sweet Bread, but nobody carries it. I know I've seen it in Nebraska before so I am thinking that it must be a seasonal thing, for holidays and such. I also wanted to serve Mauna Loa Chocolate covered macadamia nuts, but they too must be seasonal offering. So we did brownies a la mode.

I don't think you can go wrong with brownies and ice cream.

But it was so much fun to visit with them one last time before they depart for their new home approximately 4,525 miles away. We're so thankful for their friendship and hopeful we'll see each other again some day!