Hawaii!!!

Okay, so I have some catch-up posts to do from the summer. (yes, technically it's still summer, but school has started so that means 'summer' is over, if you know what I mean.) This is the first of what will be a several posts (hopefully, if I get to them in a timely manner), that let you know what adventures we've been up to this summer.

Anyway, while this blog is mainly for the kiddos, I had such an AMAZING adventure this summer, that I have to share a few pictures from it. I got to go to HAWAII, by myself(!!!!) to meet up with 4 of my friends from college. A gigantic thank you to Jason, Grandma, Popop, and Grammy for helping out with the girls so I could go. It was wonderful. I won't bore you with too many details, just some photos, mainly of the lovely landscapes and places we played. And maybe, if I can convince Jason to share, I'll be able to share with you some of the blog he put together for me to keep informed about life at home while I was gone (entitled, while Mommy's away.)

Anyway, the pics:

I was 'lei'd' by my friends when I arrived after a 15 hour journey.

This is Haena beach, or Tunnels. we could walk to it. that mountain ridge was used as Bali Hai in South Pacific I think!

gorgeous valley view

sunset on our beach

group shot as we watched the sun set

view while hiking to Queen's Bath

turtle in the water near Queen's Bath

Queen's Bath, we had a blast swimming here!

 

giant mollusk on the path to the beach

river that we paddleboarded on (so fun!)

can you spot the waterfalls? this is up in the mountains near our beach

our linai, the best spot on the house. We ate here for every meal we were home.

shave ice! Yum! (tried it a different day with macadamia nut ice cream underneath. surprisingly delicious!)

the Napali coast - where we did an awesome hike

happy (hot) hikers

we hiked down to that beach

at the beach. there was a fresh water river (in front of the cairns), boulder hopping, and a lovely beach.

rainbow at Hanalee Bay. This is where we took a surf lesson (not in the harbor part).

I think this was Secret Beach - and there were more lava pools and a water fall nearby that we loved.

our beach as rains from Flossie roll in

We pretty much stayed on the North Shore and had a great time. But on our last day there, when Adie needed to catch a plane around lunchtime, we headed to the south side to hang out before the rest of left in the evening. We did our best to fit in as much sight seeing as possible - we even managed to shower! 

Lumahai Beach, where South Pacific was filmed (in much better weather!)

 

Opaekaa Falls (I think) - just drive up and look at it! no time for hiking near it

spouting horn on the south side. fun to watch.

view near where we showered at a public park shower before heading to the airport

 And that captures just a little bit of my wonderful trip to Hawaii. I had a blast and would love to go back again, though I doubt it will be any time soon. The girls like to ask it we might all go to Hawaii sometime. I know they would have fun, but it'd be a very different trip! Hopefully someday!

one final view of our beach; yes, yes I enjoyed my time here!