kailua pillbox hike

No more school!!

Hooray for Summer break!

Our friends invited us to join them on an "easy, kid-friendly hike" on the Windward side today.  Since Mitch was working, I decided to give it a go! So, I packed up the kids and Kaden's backpack and we drove out to Kailua. 

All the guide books said that the Kailua Pillbox hike was short, easy, and good for kids.

They had it 1/3 right.  It was fairly short...but it was NOT easy, nor was it very kid-friendly!

It was very rocky and hot with several areas where we were literally scaling rocks!

I was SO scared and nervous for my kids! Not to mention myself, with Kaden strapped to my back in the carrier.  Many prayers were said that day, that's for sure!

However, despite all my whining and freaking out...we made it to the top and the view was absolutely beautiful!!  I suppose you could say it was worth the effort...especially since we survived to tell about it!  But, I doubt I will be doing this hike again.  At least, not with the kids, anyway!

Me and the kids.  And while I was literally freaking out the entire time, the girls were super troopers throughout the hike!  Except Jolee.  She was very scared and whined and semi-cried all the way up and down.  I never would have made it without the help of my friends, that's for sure!!

They helped hold Jojo's hand, guide them over and up the steeper parts, and even helped carry my carrier on the way back down while I had to hold Kaden (since I was too off-balance with him inside the carrier).  

 Look at all these smiles!  The truth is, we are almost done with the hike and the kids are super excited to be done and hit the beach. :)

I am SO very proud of these girls!  For braving the heat and cliffs and pushing through to the top and bottom with very little complaint (except for Jojo, but she's forgiven since even I was sort of freaking out too!)

And, after the hot hike, we drove down to the beach and played in the big waves on the Windward side.  Bigger waves than we are used to, but Kela and Anna loved it!  At least until our friend's little girl got stung by a man-o-war.  Then it wasn't so fun anymore because they were paranoid about getting stung as well.  Which they didn't, thank goodness!

Before we left, our good friends helped Kela and Anna ride some waves on the boogie board.  Here's a shot of Anna riding the wave back to shore.  She did great...until she wiped out at the very end and did a nose-dive.  She was pretty stunned and shook up about it, but still managed one more ride and was better for it.  Very grateful for good friends to enjoy our summer days with!

koko head hike

This morning, I went on one of the scariest hikes I've ever been on.

A few friends and I hiked up to the top of Koko Head Crater.

It's less than a mile up...but it's STRAIGHT up the hill. About 1000+ steps up, that is.

Plus, there is a small area where the tracks span over an open cliff area.  

Nearly lost my nerve there, but we survived it!  

And the view was absolutely breathtaking!

Well worth the near-death experience of walking up those steps! Ha!

And after the hike, we swung by a friend's house to take a dip in her pool and take a short walk to see China Walls.  Plenty of surfers and cliff jumpers at this famous surf spot...but we just looked today.

Maybe one day, I'll be brave enough to take the plunge.  Or, maybe not.  It's still a pretty high cliff!

While I was hiking, Mitch took Kaden and Caleb to Magic Island to ride bikes around the bike path.  How cute are these two?

So grateful for friends who challenge me to do hard (but exciting) things...and for a husband who takes the time to entertain the little ones so I can get away now and again!

memorial day

Memorial Day was spent at the beach with cousins.

We mixed it up a bit and hit Waikiki Beach for a change...Aunty Elika was there with their friends so we joined in on their party and the kids had a blast.  

Waikiki has a bit more waves than what we are used to...so I was a tad nervous, but since Daddy was with us, we divvied up the responsibilities of watching our little ones and it turned out to be a lots of fun for everyone.

Daddy and Kaden...

 Jojo hasn't quite mastered the art of swimming, but since she has gotten pretty brave with her floaties, I just followed her around while she swam around. 

 Me and Jojo and Knox.  Knox is also very adept with the floaties.  Makes me a little nervous seeing such a little boy swimming in the deep water, even with his floaties on...so I pretty much trailed him around the whole time.  

Me and Jojo.  

Kaden also loved riding the waves on the boogie board.  Had a couple of wipe outs, but kept going back for more.  

  Anna...sort of standing up on the boogie board.  

Riding waves with cousins.

The best way to spend the day off of school!

rainy day shenanigans

What does one do on a rainy Sunday afternoon when your parents are taking a nap?

For our girls, the answer is to take some old orange boxes and build a dollhouse!

  

Complete with a staircase...

A kitchen and dining table...

And even some paper dolls.

Followed by floating some plastic boats (really, just sand toys upside-down) down the "dirty river" made by the rain along the road.

Disgusting, I know...but nothing some soap and water and a hot bath can't cure, I'm sure.

 

And when Kaden woke up from his nap, he joined right in with them.

Umbrellas and sand toys for boats...

Happy rainy Sabbath day to you all!

mommy's new toy

After what feels like months of begging and begging, Mitch finally relented and let me buy a GoPro camera.

I knew that with the many cousins and family visiting this summer, we would need a good camera for the beach and pool. He argued that we don't need a new camera, but in the end, I prevailed! 

And we got ourselves a brand new camera!

Wahoo!

I absolutely LOVE these underwater pictures.

And even pictures like this out of the water...I don't have to worry about accidentally dropping it into the water.

Or it getting splashed on when the kids jump and do their flips.

 And the kids absolutely LOVE posing underwater for the camera.

Underwater pictures are so much fun!!

Oh yes, this was a good investment, for sure!

Bring on Summer!!

daddy's new wheels

Mitch has been talking about wanting to buy a scooter for many, many months.

Granted, I understand the convenience of it, I do!

It's small, gas is cheap, zipping through traffic is quick and parking is free and plentiful!

BUT, it's also super dangerous! Cars often can't see you and if you happen to get into an accident, there is virtually ZERO protection for you!

I've always said, NO, no, no...but finally caved in and told him he could get it.

He found one just this week and is very happy with his find.  He says it's a good bike.  He has also promised me that he will always wear a helmet and avoid driving on the freeway.  

It still makes me super nervous, but I am happy that Mitch is happy with his new toy. 

And the kids are absolutely loving the short rides he gives them up and down the street. 

This also makes me very nervous and to be honest, I don't like it one bit...but it's hard to deny the smiles on these kids faces when he lets them go for a short ride.

Please, let's hope he never has to experience the dangers of riding a scooter on Hawaii's crowded streets! 

mother's day

  This is my mother.

I am SO happy that my mother happened to be here in Hawaii with us for Mother's Day this year!

She has been here helping out with some of my siblings during busy workdays and such...and while I sort of feel bad that Dad is all alone in Seattle during Mom's stay in Hawaii, we are so grateful for these special times we get to spend with her.

Plus, the kids absolutely LOVE having Obachan come and visit.  She's a wonderful example to me of what kind of Mother I want to be.

For this special occasion, we got together with the cousins again.

Here are the 3 Musketeers...or 3 Rascals...whichever you prefer to call them.

They are all the same age & like to run around creating a ruckus with each other.

It's always a party when these three get together, that's for sure!

This time, Obachan brought funky sunglasses for all the grandkids as omiyage.

I must say, it was quite a sight seeing all of these kids sporting their cheapie shades.

I am so grateful for my children-who have given me this great gift of motherhood.  When I was younger, I was never overly fond of children.  I didn't quite know how I would raise my own kids since I didn't know if I had it in me to love a child enough to sacrifice everything for them.

But when my first born was placed into my arms, those fears instantly melted away.  I've never known greater love and fulfillment than having a child rely wholly upon me and the love and nurture I can give them.  

Motherhood is a gift, given to us from Heavenly Father.  He has entrusted in us the blessing and responsibility to care for His children here on Earth.  I know that I fall short many times, but I am grateful for the many wonderful examples of stalwart and faithful mothers that have taught me what I can do to be better.  Starting with my own Mother.

And so, Happy Mother's Day to all you Mothers out there!

planting tomatoes

When we moved into this house, we noticed this hole in the back cinderblock wall of our property.

It was filled with rocks and hardened cement bags and rubbish.

Mitch decided it would make an excellent planter box and so after clearing most of the debris out, we added some potting soil and had the kids help plant a few tomato plants.

  

Honestly, Anna's the only one that actually eats tomatoes, but since everyone was excited to plant SOMETHING, we decided to keep it simple and stick with a plant that we know is relatively easy to take care of.  And so tomatoes it was.

  They each took turns turning the soil and digging a hole for Mitch to insert the plant into.

Voila!  Our very first little garden.

One day, hopefully we can have an actual garden with a bit more space and variety of herbs and vegetables...but for now, we are pretty happy with our little tomato plants.