Hawaii Adventures (part 2)

Okay. So I just have to get the rest of our vacation recorded so I can move on. When you invested so much time and money into a trip, you feel a bigger responsibility to make sure you journal it..at least I do.

Kauai was breathtaking. I don't think there is a single square foot on that island that isn't beautiful in some way. It is full of fabulous hiking, waterfalls, deep and expansive canyons and green, green mountains. We did a little bit more relaxing on this island than on Maui - it wasn't a constant go go go 24/7.This was partially due to the fact that a lot of the really scenic areas require hiking and that can get tricky with a 1 and 2 year old.

The first day we hit Po'ipu beach and did some snorkeling. Jane and Alli got a big kick out of all the roosters running around. That's one of the things that I think is so funny about Hawaii - all their wild animals are actually farm animals - wild pigs, wild chickens, probably even wild cows...didn't ever meet one though. All the cousins buried themselves in the sand and Jane helped with her little bucket. Allie just ate more sand.

The next day we hiked to a little secluded beach on the Nepali Coast. We had Allie in the baby back pack and Jane rode on various shoulders. The beach had a little inland pool that was freshwater which made a perfect place for Allie to play. She went crazy in the water and eventually we had to strip her down to her birthday suit. She was in heaven. I was too until I had to hike her back out and it was so dang hot!! We rewarded ourselves with more shave ice in a little town nearby. Day 3 we took a little easier. We went to a beach in Kapa'a where we were staying that again, had a little bay without any waves. It made a perfect beach for the little ones. This one was really cool because the bay had fish it in but it never got more than 5 feet deep so we could carry Jane out and let her do a little snorkeling of her own with her goggles. This was also the day we discovered where we could get the VERY BEST fish tacos in all of Hawaii - they were sold out of the back of big orange van. Dang - they were good.

The next day was one of my very favorites. We went to Waimea Canyon, otherwise known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. It was so incredible - it really looked like a green, lush version of the Grand Canyon. We took a hike here as well, enjoying the canyon views and ending up at another waterfall that dropped off below you 100 feet. Jane made friends all along the way. All throughout the trip, she would say Hi to ANYONE within speaking distance and then ask them their name and age. It was really funny. The crazy thing is she would remember their names! During this hike, she met a man named Thomas who was fifty. They talked for a minute before he passed us on the trail. On the way back, hours later, we passed him again and Jane instantly called out to him, "Oh! Hi Tom!" He was really surprised and so were we. He got the biggest grin on his face...it was so cute. She was notorious for doing this at the pool as well and had all kinds of friends. Her favorite thing was to go over to the hot tub, stick her feet in the water, and chat it up with whoever was in it at the time. Once, while playing with her in the pool, a man walked in through the pool gate and she instantly yelled out "Hi Charlie!" He responded, "Hi Jane! How ya doing?" "Good". She then turned to me and said "Mom, do you know how old he is? He's firty free." Wow. Jane you are a nut. Anyway, random tangent....Waimea Canyon was incredible..the pictures don't do it justice. At one overlook I got tears in my eyes, feeling so grateful that God had created such a wonderful place and I was lucky enough to see it.

The rest of the trip consisted of more snorkeling and more beaches. One morning, my youngest brother and his sweet wife told us they would take our kids for half the day while we went snorkeling. It was so wonderful to be able to snorkel together for as long as we wanted. We really appreciated the time to just be alone too.

The last day was the highlight of our whole trip. We got up at 5 am to take an ultralight ride across Waimea Canyon and the Napali Coast. It was incredible. In case you may not know, an ultralight is basically a big hang glider with a propeller. Jevan and I each flew our own with an instructor. It was just the coolest feeling ever and the views were unbeatable. We saw beaches and coastline that are basically unreachable by land or boat and even were able to fly down close to a herd of dolphins, a huge school of tuna, and a bunch of sea turtles. If ever you go to Kauai, we strongly encourage you to do this (unless you get motion sickness or have a fear of heights...it might not go over so well for you). It is an experience you will never forget!

We had mixed feelings as we flew home - sad to leave such a wonderful vacation and at the same time excited to get back to our own space and to our own routines, to give our completely blitzed children naps and regular bedtimes. They really were exhausted by the end, with Jane a little bit out of control! All in all, it was fabulous and we feel lucky we were able to go for so long and spend quality time with my family. I love them.