Na Pali Coastline

On our final day in Hawaii, we enjoyed a zodiac tour along the Na Pali coastline.
Although a little bumpy, it was a really fun way to take in the view:

The water was an amazing turquoise color:We were even able to stop and snorkel for a bit on the ride back to shore:
It was the perfect way to end a perfect vacation.

Nothing beat coming home to our babies though who were excited to see us but also acted like we had just been gone for an evening. I am so proud of how well they did without us and attribute that mostly to the loving care provided by my family...specifically Grandma Didi who catered to every whim and whimper night and day. Thank you so much for keeping our babies safe and happy!

Snorkeling...

Looking to enjoy something a little more relaxing then hiking, we headed to the beach to do some snorkeling.

The beach was breathtaking. As was the view from the beach:
And the drive to the beach was anything but painful on the eyes:
Our day of snorkeling was great. Lots of different fish and 7 sea turtles we enjoyed following.

We had so much fun we found another beach to explore the following day:
This one was great because it it not only had pristine water, it also had some lovely shade on the sand. Eric and I can be wimps about hanging out in the sun so we love to find shade to cool ourselves after a sunny swim.

Everything was perfect until I glanced over in the sand next to where I was laying to find a little friend:
I only like crabs when they are served with warm butter, so this guy had me heading for the car.

Luckily we returned to our hotel just in time for a sunset dinner on the beach:
A wonderful few days of vacation, following our own pace, that we will always cherish.

Stay tuned for the final vacation pictures....a trip on a zodiac to see the Na Pali coastline.

Aloha

Not too long after we arrived in Phoenix, Eric and I bid our spawn adieu and traveled to the land of palm trees and Mei tais, Kauai.

Eric spent our first few days in Hawaii attending a work conference and I spent the first few days doing this:
Our hotel had a beautiful pool area that made it easy to lounge the day away:
And a water slide if you were so inclined (I wasn't but it was fun to watch others partake):
Truth be told it was difficult to be away from the kids for the first few days...everywhere I looked I was surrounded by motherhood:
(Kauai is known as Rooster Island with wild chickens EVERYWHERE).

Luckily every time I called to say hello to Analise and Emery they chirped with excitement over all the swimming they were doing and pancakes they were eating. And as none of the "when are you coming home" and "I miss you" words came out of their mouths, I began to ease into the joy of spending time reading books and eating 2 hour meals at a restaurant.

By the third day, Eric was finished with his conference and ready to replace the loafing around the pool and beach plans with plans to hike:
...so hike we did.

Our first hike in the Waimea Canyon was a bit daunting in elevation change but worth every sore muscle with the expansive and impressive views.


Next post...snorkeling.

Quick catch up...

Like I often do when I am on vacation, I haven't been posting. Although I usually enjoy the break from everything normal during vacation (including blogging), I inevitably am upset with myself for not doing a better job of documenting our travels. So, in hopes of not getting too far behind in my posts, I want to take the opportunity to show you what we have been up to.

We were very lucky to not have to drive to phoenix, AZ this trip as Papa Bruce came to pick us up!
It was great, we had wonderful views:
Plenty of room on the plane:
And I can't even begin to tell you how excited Analise and Emery were knowing that they were going on a plane being flown by their Papa Bruce:
Thanks Papa, we loved every minute of it!

Once we arrived in Phoenix there was lots to do as we entertained ourselves visiting with Grandma Didi, Papa Bruce, Uncle Alex, Aunt Manda, Uncle Dereje, and cousin Saba Waba. Now that it is so hot in Phoenix, we spent most of our time doing this:
Analise is becoming quite the swimmer and I am sure she will be a seasoned mermaid by the time we leave AZ.

One morning Eric and I used Manda's Children's Museum pass and took all the kids to play for a morning.

There was grocery shopping to be done:
Lentils to measure:
And, our favorite, a trip through the noodle forest:

Swimming Lessons

A week and a half ago, I took Analise to her first swim lessons (well, not her FIRST lesson but her first lesson that did not involve me or Eric donning a swim suit and getting in with her). I was nervous about what Ana would think of the whole affair and was pleased when she planted herself next to her friend, Noah, and never looked back at me. They splashed, jumped, played, blew bubbles, put their heads under the water, and even swam back and forth between two teachers. I sat back feeling cocky and started moving my thoughts from "I wonder if Ana will want to do this" to "I wonder if Ana will learn how to swim in a couple of weeks."

The next day Analise took 10 minutes to even get in the pool. From the moment we donned her swim suit her only words were "I don't want to put my head in the water", "I don't want to swim between the teachers", and basically any other "I don't want to..." she could think of. We talked by the edge of the pool ad nauseam about how much fun swimming was and how the only way we have conquered fears before is by trying to do what we fear and then it won't be scary anymore (I know my friends with 3-year-olds are shaking their heads at my mantra...if that kind of logic EVER worked with 3-year-olds, we would have much different days).

The only thing that finally worked was practicing saying "No Thank You" when faced with an activity she didn't want to do. Part of me can't believe it worked but for some reason armed with the power of "No Thank You" she was willing to participate. That second day of swimming class Ana used her "No Thank You" in response to any request that had to do with anything that did not involve sitting on the side of the pool kicking her legs. My dreams of her swimming in a matter of weeks were quickly deflated.

But I am proud to say that after a week a half, Ana does participate in every aspect of swimming class and today she even willingly put her head under water! I am so proud of her for even being willing to partake in swimming lessons outside of the comfort of her parents' arms that I just beam when I watch her.

Luckily for you, I even thought to bring my camera the other day....

Here is Ana and her friend, Noah, waiting for their class to start:
Here they are on the side of the pool practicing their kicks and paddles:And here is Ana going around the pool with her teacher, Danielle, who has been extremely kind and patient.
And who knows, maybe with lots of pool time this summer we will get this child closer to swimming on her own.

Officially the coolest kid house on the block.

Guess what Eric finished building this morning?
Just in time for our turn to watch our friends' children while they enjoyed date night.

We even ate dinner on the picnic table:
And after dinner, we played, and played, and played:


Thanks again Papa Hugh and Abuelita for such a wonderful gift. We love it!!!

The kids worked up a sweat that could only be cooled by playing some wii:

Yeah, officially the coolest kid house on the block.

Silent Wings Museum

Today, after Spanish class, we took the kids on a field trip to the Silent Wings Museum where there was a special event commemorating the upcoming 65th anniversary of D-day.

The Silent Wings Museum is a whole museum dedicated to the history of the WWII glider program. So today we were able to view lots of different gliders and watch different planes take off and land.
There was even a kids area where the kids colored replicas of posters popular during WWII like Uncle Sam's "You can do it" and a woman collecting supplies saying "Yes we can."
There were lots of planes outside to look at and pose next to:

As well as a chance to go into a plane, see the cockpit, and sit in jump seats:
The kids even had a chance to take turns sitting in a small glider:
Then came Analise's favorite part:
Relief from the Red Cross:

Guess

Anyone want to guess what is going on at our house?
Come on, I know you wanna guess.
Even though Eric might call it a headache-inducer right now, we will all love the finished product. If you guess correctly (and live in the area), you can look forward to some fun playing in the near future.
And even if you don't live close by it will be an added incentive to come visit!

Hopefully I can reveal the answer in a few days (Eric says in a few weeks).

Medal ceremony at tumblebugs.

Last Tuesday was the last day of tumblebugs (toddler gymnastics) for the summer. It has been such a joy to watch Analise go from being shy and reluctant to participate (her teacher held her for the majority of her first class), to a little girl running into the class without me and enjoying every minute of it.

Ana's friend, Noah, is in gymnastics class also which provides the added bonus of not only being physical, but being physical with a friend.
Since it was the last class, parents and siblings were invited into the gym during class to watch the kids participate in their "olympics."

Ana started her tumbling routine:
With guidance from her teacher:And finished the routine with a jump:Then it was on to the trampoline where Ana and Noah enjoyed jumping:
At this point, the little kids couldn't resist the pull of the equipment for one moment longer:
And quickly found ways to amuse themselves:After the "olympics," there was an award ceremony where the kids received medals. I couldn't quite catch what Analise got her award for (something about a stand up/drop on the trampoline), and she was very proud:
It was a fabulous way to end a fabulous activity. Many thanks to coach Amanda who was a very patient and kind teacher.
We can't wait to go back in the fall!