Emil and Nancy's
30th Anniversary Luau

About the Luau

As long as I can remember, my mother wanted to have a luau at our house. She went to Hawaii twice in a month in the 1970's. When we were kids, my mom had a few packs of bamboo skewers that my sister & I would want to use to roast marshmallows. We'd always be told told "No, they're for the luau!"

After my father spent several months in the hospital that year, I decided that we should celebrate my parents' 30th anniversary and my father's 70th birthday with a luau. My parents' anniversary wasn't for a few more months, but winter isn't the best time for a luau. My dad's birthday was earlier in the year, but he couldn't enjoy it because he was in the hospital. We totally surprised him by having a cake and celebrating it at the luau which he thought was only for their anniversary.

After 2 months of extensive planning, weeks of watching the weather forecast and 3 days of cooking, the party went off without a hitch. We turned the shed into a Tiki Hut, decorated every inch of the yard and I cooked a full menu of Hawaiian dishes.