Waimea Canyon

 Luke planned our day this morning while we ate breakfast on the Lanai. He said we’d go see Waimea Canyon, then go to Poipu Beach, then get shaved ice to eat with the turtles on the beach during the sunset. So that is exactly what we did! And it was a really good day.

It was still cloudy but Waimea Canyon is stunning. It was also 10 degrees colder up there but we did enjoy exploring the canyon. And when we got back we headed straight to Poipu Beach. There was a Hawaiian monk seal laying on the beach and while we were hanging out on the beach we saw another seal make its way to the beach from the water. We also saw several turtles on the beach and whales in the ocean out in the distance.

Kade and Tenley played in the waves and Ryder and Luke played in the sand. Then we had dinner at home, picked up some delicious shaved ice with macadamia nut ice cream on the bottom and headed to see the sunset and all the turtles coming onto the beach. Luke knows how to plan a good day!

Pool Day

 A big storm rolled in last night. It was windy all night and this morning we got a lot of rain. The forecast made it seem like it would rain all day. I thought we’d end up inside playing games and maybe be able to sneak out a few times to jump in the pool but it didn’t rain much after the morning. It was definitely windy though! We went for a walk along the beach and the waves were fun to watch. The path led through a fancy resort and the kids seemed quite jealous of the beautiful pools there. It was a nice walk. When we got back we went to the pool thinking we’d get rained out eventually but we stayed until dinner time. The kids had a blast playing games together and

having a belly flop contest. Luke definitely won!

Hanalei Bay

 We headed to the north shore this morning to take in the breathtaking mountains and scenery of Hanalei. It is gorgeous! I cannot get enough of the mountains. I want to hike in them and enjoy them more. We will have to come back when the kids are bigger. For today I just enjoyed looking at them all day from the beach. The north shore is usually rainy but we enjoyed a rain free day. The sun even peeked out for a while. The kids loved watching the surfers and had we found a way to rent a surfboard I think Kade would have given it a try. Another reason to have to come back! But the kids did boogie board and build a lot of sand sculptures. As we left the beach a couple who had been sitting behind us most of the day said, “You have great kids. They all play so well together.” It was such a nice comment and he was so right. They play so well together. Kade and Tenley will boogie board together while Ryder and Luke build sand sculptures, or Kade will allow Luke to plan a scavenger hunt for him while Ryder is out boogie boarding with Tenley, or they’ll all build something together or play in the waves together. We have really great kids.

We found a restaurant with fish and chips because Kade and Tenley love them. Brad got some delicious yellow fin tuna and I stuck with chicken haha. But it had some delicious pineapple salsa on it. I loved it. 

A big storm is heading in and we’re expecting a lot of wind and rain tonight and tomorrow. Luckily we thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful day!

Hikes in the Jungle

 We started the day off with a hike in the jungle. We were looking for waterfalls and a got a little lost traversing through the jungle but it was a fun detour. We finally found both waterfalls! Kade and Tenley jumped off a cliff into one of the falls. They’re so brave. Kade said the water was colder than the lake in Montana is on the first weekend of boating season. After I heard that I had no desire to make the jump. But I’m glad I got to watch my kids do it!

We then found a beach that surprisingly wasn’t crowded at all. I was cold and just soaked up the sunshine but the kids played in the water most of the time! 

We came home for dinner, dessert, and the BYU basketball game and Luke fell asleep on my lap. He still isn’t used to this time zone.