Underwater Livin'

You know my girls could have been born with webbed feet given how much they love being in the water. What's interesting about it all is that when my oldest was five or six, no matter what I did, I couldn't get her to get her face wet let alone put her head under water.

 

Let's just say she's come a long way beyond getting her face wet.

 

I enjoy the natural beauty of the water and the calming effect that waves have as they roll into shore.  On our first trip to Kauai I became a fan of snorkeling and each time that we return I'm always willing to give it a try to see if I can see a few underwater creatures. This time around I took our GoPro Camera with me to capture a few shots.

 

Yellowfin Surgeon Fish

 

Saddle Wrasse

 

Sergeant Majors

 

 



Unwrapping a hidden gem

Just when you think you've ventured to every possible place on Kauai, you uncover a new hidden gem. Yesterday we spent most of the day indoors, just relaxing. Hunger pains started to hit us all so we headed to Hanalei to grab a Bubba Burger.

After we all got our bellies full we decided to make a drive to the end of the island on the North Shore. The road's end landed us at Ke'e Beach. Hubby and I have been to this beach on past trips, but we've only taken a peek at it. The trail head of the Kalalau Trail is positioned at the entryway to Ke'e Beach and has distracted us really from embarking out onto this hidden gem. 

As we walked out onto this beach the backdrop of the Napali Coast took our breath away. What a beautiful scenery God has painted here. As the waves rolled towards the shoreline, they get trapped into the bay area creating waves that roll along the shoreline sideways. 

Ke'e Beach...an amazing hidden gem

Trey's Aloha

It's been such a joy watching my little guy experiencing the "aloha" of Kauai.

He had a adventurous journey to the island that started with me scooping him out of his bed at 130 a.m. to head to the airport. He was a trooper on the long car ride to the airport and then surviving airport security. The airport had a little play center that kept him occupied over the hours that we had to wait for the first of 3 flights.

He was a complete angel on the first flight, falling off to sleep before the plane even took off.

After the first flight with him sleeping the entire time I thought that I'd be crowned "Flying Momma with Toddler" of the year, but the 2nd and 3rd flight wasn't as pretty. The toddler apps and gift wrapped dollar store toys lost their baby luster halfway through the 2nd flight and the journey to keep my little man content began.

I praise the Lord that we survived all the flights without being threatened to disembark the plane. Once we arrived in Kauai and I witnessed his awe and wonder of God's beauty, it made the journey all worth it...

Kauai - A Walk Down Memory Lane

Kauai 2012 - Love having her first shaved ice

Kauai 2012 - Mom & Girls

Kauai 2010 - Napali Coast

 

Kauai 2010 - Secret Beach

Kauai 2012 - Love & Lea's first Kauai Beach Experience

 

Kauai 2012 - ATV Tour

 

 

Kauai 2013

 

Kauai 2012

 

Kauai 2013 - Hula Pie

 

Kauai 2013

The Great Escape... continues.

Our Great Escape has continued on the island of Kauai. We've tried this time around to do a lot of, well, nothing. There is so much to see and do on the island, so it can be tempting to fill the day with lots of activities.

There is the Napali Coast, an amazingly beautiful shoreline, with striking cliffs and valleys to see. The coastline can only be seen by foot (an 11 mile hike), air, or by sea. We were fortunate enough to see the breathtaking views of Napali in 2010 by helicopter. We've hiked into the trail that meanders along the coastline with the girls. One other way to see part of the coastline is to venture up through the Waimea Canyon to the Kalalau Valley Lookout. We always make a trek to the Waimea Canyon on the western side of the island to see the Pacific's Grand Canyon. Another treat on the island is the Spouting Horn, a sort of blow hole that the ocean shoots up through, creating a loud, swishing noise as the waves crash against the coast.  In addition to these amazing sites there are numerous hikes to embark on, waterfalls to gaze at, off road adventures, horseback riding, zip lining, and snorkeling. We've been blessed to be able to see all of these sites and engage in most of these activities on past trips.

This time around though, we're trying real hard to simply... chill.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Simple Things

One of the things that we love about Kauai is the simplicity of it. There is so much to see and do without having to fork out a lot of money. One day I will share my tips on how to vavction in Hawaii on a budget.

Our most favorite activity on the island is beach hopping and the only expense is gas to get us from one beach to the next. Hawaii's beaches are breathtaking and many of them are secluded.

Little man had his first beach experiences as soon we arrived on the island. He was just as happy and content sitting in the sand with a stick and watching the waves crash over and over again on the shore.

Big Sisters gave him a few tips on digging sand holes and filling them with water.

My girls are easily entertained by the waves, just letting each wave chase them, teasing them to get a little closer and get wet.

Sometimes its just the simple things...

THE GREAT ESCAPE

We made an escape away from home Friday morning, in the wee hours of the day to voyage to our beloved Kauai. We were scheduled to leave out on Wednesday, but our flight was cancelled because of the expected inclement weather. We watched 8 inches of snow fall down, wondering if we'd ever get out and be able to make it to the airport.

Hubby getting our Get Away Car Ready

Once we reached the airport, we found more snow and an airport full of people. The flight scheduled to leave before our flight had been delayed and concern started to lull in our thoughts if our flight would even be able to take off.

Airport Parking Lot

We were thankful that our flight was given the green light and after 3 flights across the United States and the Pacific, we reached our beloved Kauai.

The island of Kauai holds a very special place in my family's hearts. My husband and I were blessed to celebrate our 10th anniversary on the island back in 2010. I was in tears after that first trip as we packed to prepare to come home. Not because I didn't want to get back to my family which consisted then of our two daughters. I was so emotional over experiencing the beauty of the island, the memories that had been made there, and wanting more of my family to experience the same.

Two years later we were blessed to return with our daughters, and then a third time with my in-laws and the kids again (with Trey in tow growing in my belly). On this fourth trip it's sweet to see my little man here in the flesh, putting his feet in the sand for the first time, and seeing my big girls still having the desire to frolic in the waves just as they did when they were still my littles.