Two in a Row...

Wow, I must be inspired or something, as I have completed posts two days in a row! Actually I am under the gun to get my vacation recapped before I head off for China. And speaking of China, I am going to do my best to blog each day. However, mystery firewalls, internet connections (or lack thereof), and pure exhaustion don't always allow that to happen, so please be patient. The past couple of years I have been unable to post photos, so I have emailed those to Mike in the states, and he added them to my journaling. The snafu in that is that with our main computer down, and me taking the laptop, Mike doesn't have easy access. So he will attempt to use Joshua's new laptop we got him for graduation, and see how it goes. Again, patience....

So where did I leave off? Oh yes, we are on to Thursday. We started this day by venturing out on our own to do a little snorkeling in the morning. We found a nice beach with easy shallow snorkeling. It was way better than what we had experienced off the catamaran. So many fish in an assortment of colors (and some without any color) within reach. Mike couldn't get enough of it. And there was entertainment on the beach too, as two endangered Hawaiian Monk Seals made their way onto the beach. Evidently they beach themselves while they digest. Since they are endangered, and the beaches of Kauai are one of the few places they inhabit, the occupied area is immediately roped off from the public.  This happened at two different beaches we visited.

The rest of the day was low key, unless you count the unbelievable helicopter ride we took around the island!!! Now we added perspectives from the air to our list of land and sea views.  We got the chopper with the doors off for even more breath taking views. It is hard to explain, but I don't think I have seen so many waterfalls in my life! We flew through Waimea Canyon, along the Napali Coast, and into the wettest place on earth, Mount Waialeale.  And we thought the rain was bad in Seattle...this place averages 452 inches a year! My favorite view was within the crater, as we were surrounded on three sides by lush green scenery and waterfalls. But wouldn't you know it, the battery of our camera went dead then. Sound familiar? We got a new one for the trip, with two batteries. Mike was shooting so many photos and video from the sky that the first battery died, and the backup was back in the car.  Here are just a few of the beautiful views he did manage to capture...

Open top sea cave we had seen from the water a couple days prior.

Around the bend is the area we hiked the first day.

Four in this photo. I think the two in the middle were called Twin Falls.

I recommend this indulgence to anyone traveling to Kauai.

The next day found us back in the water again, only this time in the form of a river. We kayaked two miles of the Wailua River, then hiked a fairly flat mile back to, you guessed it, another waterfall!  However, don't let the flatness fool you, as you had to watch your step due to roots like this...

kayak parking lot

No, remember, no snakes in Hawaii. Just a really cool vine!

 The waterfall was about a third of the size as the one from the first day, so this one we could swim under.  It served as a beautiful backdrop for our lunch, before we kayaked back (but into the wind this way).

We did some more snorkeling on the way home, then enjoyed the tastiest Hawaiian Shaved Ice ever! Okay, maybe not ever, since this was my first time ever having it. It was shaved so finely it seemed to melt in your mouth, and served over the top of Macademia Nut ice cream! Yes, I ate the whole thing myself...

Not the best shot; taken by iphone, but you just had to see it!

Mike woke early the next morning with a bug....the bug to go snorkeling again! He went for a mile run, stopped at a beach and was the first snorkeler on the water. Once there he nearly ran into a sea turtle, and the two swam together for about 10 minutes.  He said the experience was exhilarating. For lunch we ate at Puka Dog, which for this girl who doesn't eat hot dogs, it was delicious! They only serve two items, and I chose the vegetarian dog. Next you choose which relish you want, so I selected the star fruit relish. Mike had the mango version. The bun is completely wrapped around the dog. Even the Hawaiian mustard was worth mentioning! The place is just a little hole in the wall that we happened to come across, but evidently it is world renown...

For our last full day we chose to do some zip lining. The first three of six zip lines were in the trees, so we weren't able to take in much scenery, and the mosquitoes were making meals of us. Overall I have to say the excitement was a little anti-climatic for us, since we had done more "dangerous" adventures previously. So we challenged ourselves by tandem zip-lining upside down!

Other views from the day....

The sleeping giant, made famous in many movies. See his head on the right, hands folded over his chest.

This is right before the wave washed up and he got all mad at me because he got wet!

It was so hard to select what pictures to post, because there were so many beautiful ones to choose from. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit, and look forward to bringing the kids back some time. I will leave you with a few random pics from the trip...

Break between the six zip lines.

No, not us renewing our vows! One of five weddings we walked by on the beach Saturday.

But the best view was this on Sunday....

Twenty-five and Counting...

I guess I extended my hiatus a bit longer than I planned.  We inadvertently left the camera battery and its charger in the outlet of the hotel in Hawaii! Fortunately security found it and are sending it to us at no charge. I am just hoping they get it to me before I head to China on Wednesday.  My other excuse(s) are that I still don't have a "real" working computer, plus I have felt quite lazy overwhelmed with laundry and packing for China that I just haven't gotten around to it until now. I will recap the highlights of each day.

First of all, the reason for the trip in the first place was for our 25th anniversary. Before we even left my parents house, they gave us a low key dessert party. In my mom's typical fashion though, the decor and desserts were delicious. My parents, brother and sister-in-law had this adorable sign made for us.

When we arrived at the Kauai airport, we found our friends had arranged for this warm welcome...

The other welcome we got in Kauai was that of wild roosters and chickens all over the island, and we mean ALL OVER!

Here was the incredible view from our hotel room. We started our day off every morning drinking coffee on our deck, and finished with this view every evening. The hotel would shine the lights on the breaking waves until 10:00 every night, which made them look as though they glowed.

Our first full day was probably our toughest days, that of hiking on the Hanakapiai Trail to Hanakapiai Beach, then another two miles to the gorgeous Hanakapiai Falls. It was muddy and a tough hike, but so worth it for the gorgeous views. Here is Mike on the hike to the beach. Don't let the flatness of this area fool you. Note the red dirt...anyone who touches it takes home a little of Hawaii in their shoes, clothes, etc. You literally can't get rid of it!

We began the hike at sea level, climbed up and down for a couple miles, then came to this gorgeous beach.  Swimming is definitely not recommended here.

Now the hike got super slippery, rocky, etc. What made it even more dangerous is that you wanted to look around at all the incredibly colorful flowers and scenery, so that you increased the likeliness of tripping as you hiked. This photo is the first glimpse of the 300 foot waterfall we were heading towards.

Breathtaking view! The water was so powerful coming over the falls. It was loud and windy; note the water on the lens from the mist.  The hike out was much quicker, but hotter too. A stop for local bbq on the way home finished off a great day.

The next morning, which was our actual anniversary, we headed out for an early catamaran trip.  Fortunately neither of us had any ocean troubles, and we could enjoy the trip and food. Unfortunately for some families, they wasted a lot of money on a trip they never got to enjoy. The trip went up the west side of the island, along the beautiful Napali Coast. We got to see the area we hiked the previous day, but only this time from the water side.

We also stopped and did some snorkeling along the way. We were entertained by Spinner Dolphins several times. One time there was easily over 20 of them. They would swim right in front of the catamaran. The photo is not very good, but you can see how close they were to us. They get their name from when they jump out of the water and spin.

We continued the celebration that night with dinner at Keoki's Paradise. It was a beautiful setting and just a short walk from our hotel.  We also got free dessert for the second night in a row!

The next day was the most low key of the entire trip. We did a little shopping, rented snorkel gear for the rest of the week, then headed north for a luau. Another gorgeous spot on the island (but then again, what isn't), as the luau took place at a botanical garden.  Since the actual dance part was at night, and I was too cheap to pay $20 for the professional photo they shot of us and some dancers as we walked in, I only have some photos from the gardens.

Dinner???

So only three more days to recap, and I will do so in another post. Stay tuned for more exciting photos, and an especially thrilling video. I know you can't wait!

Hawaii Hiatus....

I haven't forgotten my blog, but rather, just taking a 25th anniversary Hawaii hiatus! We are having an incredible time here. Didn't bring my laptop, and blogger won't allow me to post photos from an apple handheld device, so for now you will just have to take my word that the views from air, sea and land are amazing. Check back in a few days for a recap. Mahalo!

The Love Shack...

Remember the 80's song by the B-52's? Well we have passed the Shrimp Shack for 20 years now, but never stopped until this Father's Day. So now we can say we Love the Shrimp Shack! It was a beautiful day and the food was fresh and delicious.

In fact on our way back to the car, the owner was boiling shrimp, then putting them on ice. He let the girls each hold one, which was pretty funny. Check out the expressions on each of their faces...

This was taken seconds before Kaia dropped hers on the ground!

Not so sure about this...

Before we headed off island, the kids gave Mike some hand made cards and gifts. Plenty of silliness took place too. That's one of the reasons why they all love their dad so much.

Mike has been wearing this cervical collar to relieve his back pain, but it looks cuter on Jaelyn! The glasses do accentuate his beautiful blue eyes though.

Pucker up son!

We topped the day off with Cold Stone Creamery and a trip to Costco. What says "We love you Dad" better than free samples?  Just spending time together is always a great time.

Crescendo...

Crescendo; the climatic point or moment in such an increase.  That's a perfect definition for this past weekend. So bear with me and stay for the crescendo at the end of this long post.

Flashback to last Friday, where Josh received some high honors at the senior awards assembly. First was the Cliff Gillies Award, given to a high school student from each of the District 1 schools in the state of Washington who exemplifies scholarship, citizenship and participation in school activities. Next he received Male Athlete of the Year honors, along with his dad, who got coach of the year award.

At the Senior Scholarship night that evening, Josh received two local scholarship awards, along with his WSU honor.  He received one a scholarship from the Oak Harbor Education Association, as well as one from the Oak Harbor Sports Report.

Josh's girlfriend is the color guard captain and performed at both the awards night and graduation.

After Jaelyn's final soccer game of the season on Saturday, Josh was honored by many friends and family for his graduation open house.

Sunday was baccalaureate at our church.  It was a great service, ran by the students. We were once again proud of Joshua as he gave the closing prayer. We had a bit more time to snap photos that evening than we knew we would after graduation, so we took advantage of the moment, since they were already in their cap and gowns.

Josh walked with his friend Kenneth in both the baccalaureate and at graduation

Monday turned out to be a gorgeous evening for graduation. The sky was blue, but note the scarves and gloves some are wearing! In typical Whidbey Island fashion, the wind whipped through the stands.  The procession was lead by the teachers, followed by the 344 graduates.  Rebecca led the color guard in.

Here's the last shot I got before my camera died! Scholarship award winners were asked to stand. And no, that's not Lord Voldemort, that's Mike sitting in the black robe, front row!

So while Kellen videoed Josh actually getting his diploma, I missed the moment while wrestling with my camera. Fortunately some friends of ours just happened to be sitting on the 50 yard line in the stands, and they emailed me these photos they snapped of Josh as he walked down the ramp after getting his diploma. 

Don't recognize their move? Don't worry, neither did I. Evidently it is called the Fusion Dance, from one of their childhood shows "Dragon Ball Z."

Here's the video Kellen shot. Dad's advantage of working at the school gained him the privilege of being the first to congratulate Josh...

And the first to get a selfie photo with him, while the graduation was still going on...

These photos were all captured post graduation on my ipad...

These four all went through eighth grade together in Coupeville, so was fun to have them all together at graduation.

I told you that this post would be long, but the finale was worth it! Now to finish out school for the rest of us, then on to our fun-filled summer!