Thursday, February 28, 2008

Thursday - Na Pali Coast

Today we had another spectatular day. It was not as sunny - but still 78 degrees. We decided we should spend some time in the northern section of the island - the Na Pali coastline. We started after breakfast and our first stop was the Kilauea Lighthouse. This was the most northern point from the main Hawaiian Islands & was just gorgeous. We saw MANY whales playing in the ocean - some of them coming right out of the water. There are no words to describe the beauty - this is when the real meaning of the word "awesome" comes to mind when you think of the fact God created all of this.

We drove past the "unnamed falls" on our way to Anini Beach. This is where many of the rich & famous chose to build their homes as well as one of the safest places to swim because it's protected by a long reef.

We stopped to take a picture in Hanalei where taro fields were layed out in picture perfect fashion. This is the valley where most of the taro is grown - the staple in Hawaii's past. We haven't eaten any yet - we'll keep you posted. But we did stop in Hanalei for shave ice - Paradise Shave Ice was supposed to be the best. We stopped at the "dry cave" & tasted a chilled coconut a man was selling from the back of a pick-up. I warned the kids they wouldn't like it because I remembered my reaction in Indonesia. I was right... As we drove along the northern coast we saw soooo many gorgeous beaches - each one more beautiful than the last.

We ended at Ke'Ke Beach which is as far as you can drive on the northern shore. We hiked in a bit along the rocks & caught a glimpse of the famous Na'Pali coast. We had driven for 5 hours & we were ready to go back - the kids were getting a bit silly & annoying... We caught a quick hula show across the street at the plaza while our lasagne was cooking in the oven.

Wednesday - Snorkeling Day

Early this mornning we went to Snorkel Bob's to rent snorkeling gear. We stopped by Hilo Hattie's for souvenirs & continued on to Lydgate Park which is a great place for beginner snorkelers. All of us managed to figure it out quite quickly & snorkeled for an hour or so. We were amazed at the beautiful fish we saw - another world exists in the ocean. We drove up to admire a beautiful falls - Opaeka'a Falls. We returned to our condo & swam & snorkeled nearby for the rest of the afternoon.

Tuesday

We went to the beach soon after breakfast - the weather again was beautiful. After lunch we hauled the kids away from the water because we were all looking a bit red. We checked out some parks and drove around to admire the monkey pod trees in Koloa nearby. Again, we were very tired & just hung out in our room in the evening & went to bed early.

Monday in Hawaii


This was our first full day of enjoying the warm weather. Henry & I went to Costco after breakfast and the kids went to the pool & ocean. We picked up the supplies we needed - food, boogie boards, etc. and came back ready to join them in the sun. We had warned the kids about the ease of burning & they took our warnings seriously. Lorelle made sure everyone had LOTS of sunscreen on. We returned just after noon - I didn't take myself as seriously as I should & burned worse than the kids. We saw a monk seal and a sea turtle beached on the sand today as well as several whales playing in the distance. What an incredibly beautiful island this is! We were so tired from the sun & water that we all crashed soon after dinner.

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Kaua'i Here We Come!

After counting down for several months, Saturday morning was finally "the day"! The kids were sooo excited and after last minute packing we were off to the Seattle airport. Our plane left on time - and we settled in for a 6 hour flight to Kaua'i. Normally the flight is more like 5 hours but we had head winds slowing us down. We enjoyed 2 seats in first class (Henry had upgrades) and 4 seats right behind us in regular class. It was nice to share the extras & freebies with the entire family. We arrived at Lihue Airport at around 9:00 pm Hawaii time - and after waiting a bit for a rental car we were off to our hotel. The temperature was around 70 degrees - a great start to our vacation. We arrived at our first hotel - a tight squeeze with kids sleeping on the floor. We woke up early Sunday morning and all of us got ready to go to Kaua'i Reformation Church in Lihue. This is a URC church plant from the Oceanside URC church in California. We heard Rev. Hossink from Hudson Valley URC in Warwick, NY. Their services are 9:30 and 11:00 with refreshments in between. It was nice to be there and socialize with the members there. The room was quite full as they had quite a few visitors from the "mainland". Later that day we were able to check into the hotel we were to stay at the rest of our vacation.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Spring Has Arrived - or has it?

Today was a day off from school in order to celebrate President's Day. The weather was just perfect. After a long, rainy winter this is just what we've been praying for. Memories of many a gloomy day have faded in an instant - when the color of the first crocus is peaking through. I spent a few hours weeding and trimming away dead stuff in my front garden. Things are starting to look really nice - but we're never quite sure if we'll get one last snow storm, wind storm or cold snap. But, we'll just be thankful for today's beautiful sunshine & warmth. I think the gardening bug has bit....

Valentine's Day











This past Thursday our highschool leadership team hosted their 2nd Valentine's Dinner. This year the theme was Italian and on the menu was caesar salad, minestrone soup, spagetti & meatballs & dessert. They did a fabulous job - the gym was used for a formal function for the first time. The proceeds will be given to Mission Brazil - specifically to a christian school there. We had a very nice time and are proud of all the hard work & organization that this took. (The second photo show L & J performing on piano & violin - it added to the romantic theme....)

Saturday, February 02, 2008

Another week...

This week brought an unexpected snowstorm - it was a pleasure this past Tuesday to wake up to realize we could all go back to sleep because school was cancelled!! The snow didn't stop the kids from hopping on the four-wheeler to pick up a few friends that live close by. The next day it was snowy but school was not cancelled - lots of long faces at the breakfast table.

My normal weekly routine would include Wednesday working in the school library but it was my day off. Instead, I volunteered to teach art to Miss K.'s 3/4 class on Thursday. The kids all managed to draw a rather handsome penguin that closely resembled the example I had given. I love this age group!

This past Friday evening we finally managed to have family photos taken as well as individuals. It had been several years since I'd purchased school photos or had a family picture taken. I now understand why - my least favorite thing to do. The following day (Saturday) Henry and I were booked to take a CPR/First Aid Training Class so we could be recertified. DSHS requires this certification to be a licensed foster care provider. We now remember what we learned 2 years ago. We hope we won't need to use it but are more confident we could respond if we had to.

Have a blessed Sunday & enjoy your day of rest!