June 4

Today, we decided last night, would be Waimea Canyon day, which meant we'd drive up the canyon road, stop at all of the lookouts, take an easy hike through the forest, and finish with shave ice at one of our favorites, Jo Jo's.

And that's what we did, but as usual there were some bumps along the way. As it happened, the selected Kaluapuhi Trail wound up being very, very muddy in spots; as in our shoes quite often made sucking sounds as we cautiously moved along the relatively narrow and verging-on overgrown path. Abby wasn't thrilled by the dirt, but Isaac and Brady had a grand time figuring out clever ways to avoid the mud, and their gleefulness made me smile. 

Self-appointed navigator Brady did his best to warn us about exceptionally moist areas and gave suggestions for avoiding them, but I still had mud all over my shoes and up my legs by the time we hit pavement (which was, for the record, the Waimea Canyon Road, which has no sidewalks and is narrow and winding. We walked up a near-45 degree angle heading back to the car because there was no way I was going to slog through the mud again). Knowing that I would struggle with the incline, Isaac dropped back and walked with his hand on my back, making racecar noises to spur me along. I love that kid's ingenuity.

Anyway, we survived the walk along the road and got back to the car to find that the Kalalau Lookout was socked in, so Adam and I opted to continue along the closed-to-cars, pothole-ridden road to the final vista point for a looksee. The kids chose to stay by the car, assuming we'd only be gone for a short time. We both unfortunately underestimated the distance --which was closer to a mile one way than the anticipated quarter mile-- and were touched to see the three of them in the distance walking the path toward us as we headed back. We waved at them, and then they immediately turned back toward the car. I guess it was enough to know that we hadn't fallen off a cliff or been parent-napped by a lunatic so they didn't feel the need to catch up and walk with us. But Adam and I were heartened by how they stuck together.

And then it was back down, down, down the mountain behind what had to have been one of the slowest drivers in Hawaii. (Even Brady was groaning by the time the car finally turned off.) The Jo Jo's treats were as good as I remembered (at least mine was). I opted for the coffee-with-cream selection, which involved a cream-capped coffee shave ice atop a scoop of macadamia nut ice cream. Mmm, mmm, good.

When we got back to the house, we had time to shower and rest a little before heading out to Burgers, Brats, and Bourbon night by the Club pools. The food was great, as was the cocktail I had; I can't remember what it was called --something Sunset-- but it was crafted using Hawaiian-made bourbon. I'm not sure I'd had bourbon before but the drink was tasty enough that I opted for a second. I felt a bit toasty afterward, but it was a happy-toasty and Adam said I was acting fairly normally so I'm cool with it.

So that was our Tuesday. It wasn't perfect, but it was good nonetheless. And I am grateful to have new memories to look back on.

June 3

Today we got up early (and by early I mean 6 AM and not my usual "I'm a night person" brand of early), donned our swim apparel, and drove to the port at Eleele for our big adventure: a 5-hour sail and snorkel cruise along the Na Pali Coast aboard one of Captain Andy's 55-foot catamarans. 

Although neither Brady nor Isaac particularly enjoyed the snorkeling stop --neither could quite master the concept of mouth breathing-- and Abby and I opted out of it entirely (we took vibe'y photos of each other instead. I deliberately excluded those from the college), the rest of the voyage was a hit. The boys (including Adam) had a blast sitting in one of the bouncy hammocks in the front and got soaked repeatedly. (At one point Brady even moved out of the usual wet-zone and got smacked with a significant firehose-like blast of water that went between Adam and Isaac to get to him.) We got to see several dolphins, some just a few feet below, and Captain Lynn did an excellent job of sharing local lore. And the food served, especially the house-made coconut pineapple muffins and the white chocolate macadamia cookies, was excellent. 

The Na Pali Coast was, as anticipated, absolutely stunning. The sky was a bit overcast, but the magnitude of the bluffs and the height of the cliffs and the greenery and the waterfalls and the caves and the private beaches were intensely beautiful. I kept thinking "wow, God made all of this" and the thought re-amazed me over and over again. I stood there clutching the handrail, trying to take in as much of the scenery as I could as the boat traversed the waves. Save one moment when I lost my balance and my foot came down on some poor girl's toe (and fortunately she was extremely forgiving), my sea legs (and stomach) were surprisingly steady, which gave me hope that my early-stage plans for a cruise some day may pan out.

After we disembarked, our damp, salt-crusted selves headed back to the house, where Abby and Adam's mom decided to make banana bread and Adam, and boys, and I went over to the club pools. I'd had more than enough water for the day, but I did enjoy sitting under an umbrella while watching them do their aquatic thing. (It's a good thing we have a pool at home because they are total water boys.) Following pool-time we all realized how sun burned we'd gotten (well, except for Abby) and cringed over our red knees (because somehow several of us missed our knees, of all things) and faces. A little later, dinner was chicken and rice, and then, well, then it was about 8:30 and we were all pretty tired.

It was another lovely day on Kaua'i, and I am thankful for the hours and for the blessing of seeing the beauty and majesty of God's creation up close.

June 2

I'm recalling now just how incredibly difficult it is to boil an entire vacation day down to a handful of meaningful photos. Phew. But I tried.

When I got up this morning, I checked in with folks at the main house before heading over to the Clubhouse to procure a cuppa joe. I've been dreaming about the coffee here since our last trip was back in 2019, and sadly, it seems that they've changed to a different kind because the taste just wasn't the same. But don't get me wrong: It was still good and I still enjoyed sitting on the porch watching the ocean in the distance and making snide remarks to the cute little red-headed cardinal that showed up to steal whatever food I brought to the table. (He failed.)

Then we headed to a church in Koloa that my mother in law enjoys for a Sunday service before taking a quick grocery run. (Well, my in-laws went in for groceries. The rest of us walked around Koloa while we waited.) Following lunch back at the house, we sunscreened ourselves and piled into the car to go on our adventure. We bumpity-bumped our way down a rutted road and parked near start of the Makauwahi Cave Trail, which we'd actually never taken before. We saw the cave (which required a quick scoot on the knees to enter) and heard about its history from the docent on-site and then continued on to Lida's Field of Dreams, which is a sanctuary for wild tortoises. While there we encountered and interacted with several giant tortoises. (Fun fact: despite the reputation of the average turtle, these suckers can move pretty quickly! It was cool to watch them scooting along.)

From there we walked over to Gillin's Beach (which is a section of the broader Mahaulepu Beach). Our plan was to just walk along the sand and perhaps let the waves graze our toes, but the second Isaac and Brady felt the ocean water it was game on. Brady, for some reason I don't understand, decided that he wanted to plank in the water, so he did that. Not to be outdone, Isaac too began planking. At some point they were both smacked with waves. They were soaked and had pockets filled with sand by the time we left. It was messy for sure, but the joy on their faces as they splashed and threw fistfuls of sand into the ocean and maniacally laughed as the water rose and fell made me laugh. That joyfulness is priceless.

And then it was to Mango's for shave ice (cherry and pineapple for me, if you're keeping track), and then back to the house to shower and settle in for the evening. We dined on nachos and enjoyed the sound of wind ruffling the trees in the yard and on the golf course. 

All in all, it was a beautiful day. And I am grateful for it.

June 1

We arose early this morning, piled into the car, and drove to Oakland while munching on Mickey D's McMuffins. Our final destination: Kaua'i, following a brief stopover in Honolulu.

We've had some doozies when it comes to travel experiences, so I feel very blessed to report that both of our flights were on time. In fact, the first leg actually touched down 45 minutes ahead of schedule. ("Dogs and cats living together" kind of stuff right there.)

Anyway, our bags came out mercifully quickly and we headed out to the curb, where Adam's dad picked us up and shuttled us to the house lickety split. We hung around admiring the view for a little while before the boys changed into their trunks and we strolled over to the Club pools. I walked around for a short time checking to see what had changed since we were last here in 2019 before joining Abby and my in-laws beside the pools.

After Isaac pursued a chicken (center image) I enjoyed a lower octane version of one of my father-in-law's famous mai tais before we all sat down to a dinner of ribs and corn on the cob. Then after dinner we headed over to Uncle's Shave Ice for our first icy treat of the trip. As usual, I chose my trusty cherry and vanilla combo. Also as usual, the boys picked the most disgusting-sounding combination the could think so and then scarfed them down.

I would and could say more, but truthfully, I've fallen asleep twice while typing just this much. So for good travel days and for the week to come, I am thankful.

May 31

Today was the last day of sophomore year for Isaac and seventh grade for Brady. So this Fall we'll have two juniors (since Abby will also be in her third year at Wheaton) and an eighth grader. It'll be the return of the big fish!

As is our custom, I took Last Day of School door pictures before we left this morning. They pretty much confirmed what I already knew: Brady's grown a LOT since August, while Isaac held steady (for the most part. He may have gained a half inch or so. It's hard to tell. I just know that I have to tip my head back pretty far to see his face these days). 

It's been a year of ups and downs, but I'm very proud of both of them for persevering. And I'm looking forward to having them both around more during the summer (as long as the wrestling matches are brief and don't result in injury) because they're great boys and being their mom is a blessing.

(I'd be remiss if I didn't touch on Logan today as well since he's my other wonderful boy. He would've graduated from high school tonight had he never gotten sick. I've shared my thoughts on the subject over in my old blog. You can find the entry here.)

May 30

Abby sent me a video this afternoon but I was busy picking up the boys from their second-to-last day of school, so I didn't watch it right away. After I got home, popped a Benadryl to calm my flaring allergies, and sat down on my bed to rest, she plunked down next to me and told me I should watch that video. So I did.

As I watched the clip --which was about parents who go into their rooms to have some alone-time only to have their teenage children join them one by one-- Brady sauntered into the room and flopped onto the bed next to his sister.

I chuckled at the irony.

I love these two. And I love Isaac. And Logan. And I hope they know that my door is always open to them, even when I'm tired. And even when it's literally closed. (Just knock first!) Because they are among God's greatest gifts to me.

May 29

The bros had a TVBR game this evening.

To sum it up, they fought off a late rally by the other team to hold on to a one-run victory. After the post-game meeting, I noticed from my perch beside the bleachers that they were assuming the standard Team Formation. And I was gratified that someone other than me had a) noticed that all 16 boys were present for the first time, and b) wanted to take a photo to commemorate the occasion.

I'm quite often the primary picture-snapper, so it was a blessing to me to find that someone else assumed the role. And that he shared his images, too. Sweet days, these are, and I'm glad to have images that can help jog memories down the line.