So, we just got back from two dream weeks in Kauai! Nate and I honeymooned there and it was really fun to be back again. There was so much more to explore. My parents treated all of my side of the family to the vacation. It was quite the fun family reunion. I highly recommend it! There are a lot of pictures, but it was hard to cut the hundred or so that I did to just get down to this many.
Roosters run wild there. Annoying little buggers that crow all day long. Ben tried to chase one down. Too bad he didn't get it.
Every day or every other day we would go on an "adventure". This one is of us hiking in the jungle. We rented kayaks and came to this spot that we hike in a mile to a secluded, although busy with tourists, waterfall for swimming and snacks. It rained hard on us coming back, we were all a muddy mess. Nate and I thought the jungle smelled like spices as it rained. Ben thought it smelled like poo. We had a talk on looking at the positives in life.. :)
Ben and Emily start school in a few weeks. They are going to be telling stories of jungle hikes, playing with frogs, geckos, snails, and roosters. They are going to talk about picking wild mangos, coconuts, and other tropical fare. I think their teachers are going to think they have wild imaginations. We were just really lucky to experience this dream vacation when we did.
Ben and Deven became boogie board junkies. The ocean was the perfect temperature and this popular boogie boarding beach was in a short walking distance from the house we stayed at.
Emily and her cousin Brianna brave the waves. It's a good shot of Brianna before the tumble. We were shown many times the ocean was boss...
We hiked into a place called Queen's Bath that was a very calm place for the kids to snorkel and explore the sea life. The kids and Nate caught this crab that became the entertainment for awhile.
This picutre was taken at the hotel we spent the first night at. It had gorgeous grounds. I didn't really see an ugly place over there though.
Now this hike was not for sissy's. I about had to turn back. The Waimea canyon is like the grand canyon. We hiked to a waterfall we couldn't see without hanging over a cliff (hence all of us but Nate didnt' see it) and then back to a smaller waterfall we could see and enjoy.
Here's the hike from the road. That bare brown spot to the left of the waterfall is where we took the previous photo. Just gorgeous. Nate called this place "eye candy".
The only regret from the honeymoon Nate had was missing out on a helicopter ride. We let Thain (my sister Jill's husband) talk us into Inter Island helicopters. They are the only ones to use a helicopter without doors. I thought it was crazy, but went along for the ride. WOW! What a trip. We landed at this secluded waterfall (the island is full of them) for a picnic and a swim and then finished the ride. It really got the adrenaline going. On the way back Nate saw skydivers jumping out of a plane. He decided that was next on his to do list. There was no way I was going to do it, but he did, and he loved it. By the way, the rocks were mossy and the slide nice and soft.
A family photo on the beach at sunset. My one wish was to see the famous green sea turtles on this trip. They ended up being at this beach near us almost everyday.
Here Ben is at Tunnel's beach. Breath taking beautiful beach, with amazing snorkeling.
This is me on the last day, if you look to the right of me you'll see a spot in the ocean. That's one of my turtle friends. My favorite part of the trip was snorkeling with Cris and Colby. We swam with three of these guys. They are so fun!
No, Nate did not fall of this waterfall, he dove. In fact, Emily, Ben and Deven jumped off this 20 foot waterfall. I was the only chicken in the family. I just couldn't make myself do it. Anyway, what a trip. It's a once in a lifetime event, but we hope to get back there someday. We loved it so much. Thanks Mom and Dad!!!!
I would post some little video clips, but I can't figure out how to reduce the size so that they will post. Any ideas anyone?
