kaua'i with my guy.

todd & i went to kaua'i. yes, you read that right, just todd & i went to kaua'i. no kids. after 7.5 years of him trying to convince me i finally caved. and i'm glad i did. i missed my babies so much it hurt but there's nothing like a little alone time with the hubs & the ease of two adults traveling. it was a totally foreign experience, no carseats, no diapers, no whining (ok, maybe a few little complaints escaped during the final mile of our na pali hike). the boys stayed on maui with my parents & were totally spoiled with every single one of their favorite things. i swear, they were so busy having fun & being catered to that they didn't even miss us, well until the last day of our trip. true to his word, cooper was totally content with his new caregivers until day 4 when he had enough fun & just wanted his parents home. funny, because i felt the exact same way. we were at the airport extra early just to ensure nothing would interfere with our pending reunion with our boys.

every piece of kaua'i either met or exceeded our expectations. this was todd's first trip to kaua'i & the perfect way for him to complete his journey to all 6 of the main hawaiian islands (my 6th & final island was lana'i when we visited last summer). we love comparing the islands. we've been asked many times which island is our favorite, i think it's obvious…maui no ka oi. but every island is pretty incredible & offers it's own unique features. kaua'i is no exception. every town (except lihue) is full of character & charm. the aloha spirit is strong & dare i say, the people are even kinder than the citizens of maui (although i still think moloka'i lives up to it's name & is the friendliest isle). the grindz are so ono! every thing we ate was delicious. and every piece of the island is stunning. like, jaw droppig gorgeous. it was the perfect place to spend some quality time with my main squeeze. the entire trip was incredible but the best part was the quality one-on-one time with my honey. we were parents long before we were husband & wife so we skipped a honeymoon & we've never really taken the time to focus on each other. we are always so busy being mommy & daddy that we forget to be sara & todd. more so lately than ever before. between todd's work & school, my church callings, preschool assignments, & mom duties, cooper's school, rugby, ukulele, & baseball we spend every spare minute engaged in family time which leaves little energy left for todd & i. this trip was the perfect start to putting our marriage first.

in true watkins form we spent every day cramming in every hike, beach, site, & eatary possible. we covered every side of the island in our short trip. luckily, we had a beautiful & comfortable hotel to crash at every night. i will forever be grateful to the marriott for their hot tub & pool side waiters. we biked the ke ala hele makalae trail. i love biking. it's really my thing. (but we live on a mountian & maui is the least bike friendlly island so getting on two wheels is  a rare treat.) we snorkeled at po'ipu. would you believe me if i told you that this was the first time todd & i snorkeled together? well, it was. and i much prefer snorkeling with him than without. we were shocked by how friendly the fish were (obviously, kaua'i doesn't have the same no-feed-the-fish policy that maui stands by.) on our first snorkel together i found a heart shaped coral. coincidence? i think not. oh & on our first hike, the maha'ulepu trail, we steered off the beaten path & randomly came across a heart shaped hole in the rock. definitely a sign from above. 

we bumped in to a few monk seals. there aren't many on maui so we really enjoyed scoping out the foreign species. we drove all the way to spouting horn & stopped at just about every beach along the way. my favorite was glass beach (no big surprise there-i'm a beach combing fool.) the surroundings are junky & the beach not so great but the sand is incredible. it's an entire beach made of tiny flecks of glass. it is truly phenomenal. 

we scoped out waimea canyon. definitely one of the most spectacular spots in all of hawai'i. the canyon is full of the most vibrant colors almost too beautiful to be true. we drove all the way to polihale to catch the sunset. another unforgettable moment. we had the entire place to ourselves. just imagine miles of golden sand & a glowing sunset with no one but your honey anywhere in site. it was magical. (while here i stumbled upon a honu nest which is another rare & rather lucky find.)

we stopped by the wailua & opaekaa falls, the waialeale (the wettest place on earth) lookout, a few of the heiaus along the wailua river, & the kilauea lighthouse. we checked out queen's bath & the secret beach lava pools but the waves were to high to enjoy either (just gives us something to come back to). we rented paddle boards (we wanted to kayak but neither of us had the patience for a 4 hour tour moving at a tourist pace) & went up the wailua river to the fern grotto & hiked up to secret falls, another one of kauai's many treasures. 

it was a true test of my upper body strength paddling the 3 miles down river against the winds. especially since we spent the whole day prior hiking 13 miles of the na pali coast. i can honestly say this was the most incredible place i've ever been. like ever. the views are breathtaking. and the trail is breathtaking too, but in a totally different way. imagine hiking thousands of feet up, just to hike thousands of feet down, just to hike another couple thousand up, again & again, for miles on end while navigating a wet narrow (i'm talking 12 inches in many parts) trail with sheer cliff in either direction & the only rest you have are the multiple river crossings. it was intense. both, physically demanding & emotionally gratifying. we planned to soak ourselves in the hanakoa falls but it was too cold for our thin skin. so we soaked up the beauty of the place instead. over the past decade todd & i have done a lot of things together, but this trumps them all. and what greater relationship builder then 8 hours of alone trecking through the great outdoors. 

i was most surprised by the quality of mexican food on kauai. best i've had in all of hawai'i nei. i may move there for this very reason. our favorite grindz were da crack, al pastor tacos, chicken in a barrel, puka dogs, & pink's creamery. all so ono. oh, & the shave ice at hee fat was pretty legit. it's no ululani's but their real fruit syrups were a close second to our family fave. 

lana'i

i've been dying to go to lana'i for years now. it's the last of the six accessible hawaiian islands that i stepped foot on. so you better believe when todd called me on his way home from work last friday & suggested the idea of island hoping for the weekend i jumped all over the opportunity. i packed up our gear & we were out the door two hours later. we rushed to lahaina, todd unloaded our bags & the kids, i bought the tickets & parked the car, & we literally ran on to the ferry just in the nic-of-time. i was so nervous that we forgot something in all the haste (ok, so maybe we forgot to pack one day's lunch & replacement batteries for our dying headlamps, but it all worked out just fine in the end)  the second the ferry departed & we were out on the open ocean my nerves were quickly comforted & our beautiful journey took a peaceful start. the boys love boats so right away they were excited to ride along the waters. we spent the whole ride standing at the rail admiring the water & searching for marine life. i was surprised by lana'i from the get-go. it really wasn't at all what i suspected. it was so much more. from eight miles away on maui you really can't get a good perspective on all lana'i has to offer.

lana'i was gorgeous. every color seemed more vibrant on lana'i & everything was so pristine. maybe it's because there are so many fewer people & buildings to distract from the view. 

we opted to camp (yea, i know, our third camping trip in a month. what else is summer for?) the boys love snuggling together on our air mattresses & i love the freedom that comes with living in a tent, on a beach. the lana'i campgrounds were the best kept i've ever seen, i mean, the bathroom had automatic soap & paper towel dispensers, most campgrounds don't even offer such bare amenities! 

my favorite place on island was most definitely the tide pools next to hulopo'e beach. they were unlike any other. the water was crystal clear, the waves were gentle, the rocks were easy to maunuvere, & there was a giant pool that was perfect some swimming. it was shallow enough in most parts that the littles could stand & deep enough that we could all enjoy a good swim. i love salt water pools (in fact, most of my favorite places in hawaii nei are salt water pools-the natural lava pools on big island, olivine pools on maui, make horse pools on moloka'i) but this one takes the cake. i guess you could say the best was saved for last. i was also a huge fan of the fisherman trail. so many rad archeological sites.

the boys loved swimming on hulopo'e beach. the waves were incredible. they reminded me a lot of napili bay. they were perfect for our favorite water activity, what we call body skimming. it's a cross between body boarding & skim boarding & it requires the perfect combination of waves & beach, & hulopo'e was that perfect combo. tj, coop, & i bodied skimmed for hours & only stopped due to sheer exhaustion. hulopo'e was perfect for crab hunting. we found some gnarly monsters every night. between those beasts & the giant frogs my heebie-jeebies were at an all time high. todd loved snorkeling around the beach. he passed some giant lobsters, would have made a great dinner had he have brought a spear.

coop & i are beach combers by nature. we love strolling the sand in search of treasures. blue beach glass, & solid shells are like gold in our family. shark's bay was perfect for scavengers like us. i have never seen so many unbroken & unoccupied shells. it was unreal. we came home with handfuls of such gems (free souvenirs!). the littles loved playing in the caves & catching hermit crabs in the little tide pools. mylo has a major fascination with crabs. todd loved snorkeling in the bay he said the waters were clear & the fish vivid. 

lana'i was exactly the vacation we needed. so chill. so beautiful. so peaceful. so perfect.

moloka'i

todd has wanted to visit moloka'i from the moment he first heard about the island. when we first moved to maui he had a few students from moloka'i & they constantly raved about it. in fact, my friends that have visited all the islands say that is the most amazing of all the amazing hawaiian islands. molokaians say that moloka'i mo bettah. although, i was more than a little interested to see check out moloka'i for myself i was terrified of the getting-to-moloka'i process. you see, you either have to take a teensy little 1 engine 10 seater plane or cross the second worst channel in the world via ferry. neither of which sounded appealing. i conceded to the idea that as much as i wanted to visit moloka'i it just wasn't itn the cards for me. so for todd's 30th birthday i gave him a weekend solo on moloka'i. after his 31st birthday had come & gone & countless times encouraging him to go he still hadn't made it to moloka'i. he said he wanted us all to go experience it together. so i talked to everyone i knew, i read every review & i finally agreed to take the ferry. and that is how our moloka'i adventure went from a dream to a reality.

 todd found a great deal on mokulele so he, cooper, & mylo flew to moloka'i. todd said the flight alone was worth the trip. they had gorgeous views of the island & the pali coast. tj & i had a boat date on the ferry. it worked out perfectly. the crew said we had abnormally smooth conditions & we even passed a pod of dolphins along our way. we spent the next few days covering every possible inch of the island & taking in all the incredible beauty. it amazes me how i can live on maui & honestly know it like the back of my hand, yet, i can visit other islands & literally have my jaw drop in amazement. every side of the island was gorgeous in it's own unique way. there were plants & terrain i've never seen before. there were so many vibrant shades of blue, green, & brown that made the whole island feel alive. moloka'i definitely lived up to it's reputation as the friendly isle. the people were the kindest i've ever experienced. the whole island is full of aloha. it was incredible to see the moloka'i lifestyle. the sign outside the market reads, "aloha spirit required. if you're not ready to share it than please come again another time." we should all follow that mantra every time we get out of bed.

we loved every inch of moloka'i, because every single inch is breathtakingly gorgeous. and we covered every bit of the island that we possibly could in our few days. we visited the east side, west side, north side, south side, & every spot in between. my favorites were halawa valley, the make horse tide pools, & being relieved from photography duties. todd loved the pali coast & cinnamon butter hot bread. cooper loved finding treasures among all the rubbish & finding an awesome cave at mo'omomi & ono dragon fruit. tj was super excited to drive around in a truck & hunt for treasures on mo'omomi. mylo loved the park at one ali'i, & moloka'i pizza.

halawa valley

 kalaupapa

mo'omomi dunes

papohaku beach

fishponds, kamakou preserve, dragonfruit (probably the only thing that costs less on moloka'i than maui.)

make horse beach & tide pools

mo'omomi

we opted to camp since we could easily bring all our gear on the ferry & the boys have been begging to bust out the tent all summer. i definitely, recommend taking any & all food with you. the selection is very limited & so overpriced. we wanted to try a night at each of the different campsites but due to torrential rain upcountry palaau was ruled out at the last minute. camping at papohaku was gorgeous & felt like real forest camping even though one of hawaii's biggest beach was only a few yards from our tent. our favorite was one ali'i. it is so centrally located at close to kanemitsu's so it makes for an easy late night hot bread run, which is a total moloka'i must. at one ali'i our tent was only feet from the beach & we had the most gorgeous views of maui & lana'i. the first morning we woke up a huge fever of stingrays right outside our door. it was incredible.

 the boys loved camping. i mean, what little body doesn't love tree climbing, crab hunting, flash lighting, marshmallow roasting, & late nights in a tent. it was like heaven. i was shocked with how well they slept. but i guess when you play hard you crash hard. cooper was the best little helper. always gathering wood for fires, building the tent, or finding any other need he could fill.

our moloka'i musts are: kalaupapa, halawa valley, kamakou preserve, mo'omomi, phalic rock, kanemitsu's bakery hot bread, pali coast, make horse beach.

oahu

since we will be in california for todd's 30th birthday i opted to give him his first present early-a trip to oahu. along with this present the boys & i gifted him with a gopro hero 3 with all the bells & whistles. he was more than excited to put his new toy to good use while on our trip.
the boys i & flew out early friday morning & todd joined us later that evening after work. i was a little nervous about flying solo with 3 rowdy children but everything worked out better than i could have hoped. we were blessed. i completely forgot just how beautiful oahu is. if it wasn't for the run-down homes & buildings  packed in every spare square foot of the island it would be perfect. i'd have to say that maui has my heart but oahu has my soul.
after landing, i took the boys to north shore & we spent a mommy-sons day at pcc, byu-h, the lds temple, & tedd's bakery. it was perfect. i loved showing my boys around my old stomping grounds. the were truly amazed by pcc (who isn't?). we spent the next few days in true watkins fashion; go-go-going from sun up to sun down. we drove through every part of the island, we walked through waikiki, haleiwa, laie, & historic honolulu, & we hiked diamond head & makapu'u point. we visited hanauma bay, china man's hat, waiamanalo, laie point, hukilau beach, sunset beach, pipeline, pali lookout, turtle bay, mount tantalus, waimea bay (where todd & i made multiple jumps off the tower of waimea rock), shark's cove, pearl harbor, matsumoto's, boot's & kimo's, ono steak & shrimp, & many random beaches along the way. despite our best efforts we only scratched the surface of all that oahu has to offer.

the highlights of the trip for me were re-visiting laie & the onolicious pancakes at boots & kimo's & the ono pies at ted's. todd's favorite part was snorkeling shark's cove. cooper loved china man's hat, pearl harbor, & waimea bay. t.j.'s favorite was the tongan village & canoe ride at pcc. mylo loved cruising the streets of waikiki. i honestly, cannot wait to go back.

less is more

a lot of our friends & family have been asking for the details of our hawaii lifestyle. in case you were wondering, it's like living a vacation. for real. it's a dream. now understand, your idea of a dream & my idea of a dream may vary greatly. so let me explain how my hawaiian life really is my dream come true.

sunset from our pad

1. i have little on my plate. i really have very few obligations (by choice). and it is awesome. while todd is at work the boys &  i go for walks, sometimes we stop by the beach or a park or some of the local shops. we go to the pool, have picnics, & playdates. or we just stay home & chill. it really is the most cruise life imaginable. 

2. we have simplified. to the max. we stored 99.999% of our belongings in california (including our cars & home) & only brought 7 bags of clothing & 1 bag of toys & our golf clubs on the plane. we bought the essentials to live comfortably out here (beds, couch, chair, table/chairs, tv, tv stand dressers, linens & basic kitchenware). and one car (we are shipping another car that will be here in 14 days!). that's it. i have 3 throw pillows, 4 vases, & a table runner. that is the sum of my home decor. we spent more money on 1 t.v. back in our home in california than we have spent furnishing our entire living space here on maui. and you know what i've realized. i am comfortable. all that stuff i thought i needed was really just unnecessary (& i wasn't the type to hoard even back in california, i was constantly donating & downsizing, but apparently not enough.) it's amazing how much one can accumulate. i brought one bag of toys for the boys. all the boy basics: superheros, legos, duplos, army guys, dinos, & cars. i figured we would purchase plenty of toys once we arrived on the island. but you know what. we haven't & they haven't asked & they really don't care. i bought them beach toys, pool toys, books, & more legos (for coop's birthday). that's it.  i am happy without the clutter. we are happy with the little we have. honestly, i feel like we may have too much already.

3. we live simply. on the mainland it seemed like there was always so much to do. i wasted so much time getting ready, shopping, & decorating. i've come to find that all of that was completley unnecessary. now, part of that has to do with the fact that i have a year around tan (no need for much makeup) & i am constantly on the beach (no need to fix my hair). nobody cares what you wear. in fact, you can wear a swimsuit & cover up just about anywhere & you will fit in. actually, i pretty much live in a bikini. oh & the more trendy & glamorous your apparal the more you are assumed to be a tourist. honestly, all that just isn't necessary here. as for decorating, i'm never home. why would i waste time fixing up a space that i won't enjoy.

4. we live cozy. we have a teeny condo. literally, it is about 1/4 the size of our home in california (and the electricity is somehow a third more, go figure). talk about downsizing. and i love it. we have more than enough space for our little family & meager belongings. it forces us to be close. which i love more than words can say. coop & t.j. share a room & they love that. they are always asking when mylo can move in with them. it's like a private clubhouse to them. oh & did i mention that i have very little to clean. now all you moms really are jealous. for real, i spend about an hour a week deep cleaning (compared to the hour a day i did in california).

5. we enjoy maui to the fullest. we spend 5-6 days a week on the beach. some of the most beautiful beaches in america. we want to see everything that maui has to offer. so we sightsee a lot. but since we live here & we aren't on vacation we are in no hurry. we take our time getting from a to b & we enjoy the ride. it is amazing. one of our favorite passtimes is sunset beach barbeques. we also have the opportunity to enjoy the most glorious sunsets from our lanai.

if you enjoy big cities, shopping, cold weather, anything fast pace than this would not be the place for you-at least not long term. but if you are like me & love the island life than come on over!

(in the sake of honesty i will confide in the few negatives of our living arrangements: no backyard, sharing walls with neighbors, carpeted floors, questionable neighbors, shipping hastles, lack of chipotle, target, cookie tree, amici's, & del taco.

hawaii: again

our life on the island has yet to slow down. hence, the sporadic blogging. after yet another full day i am running out of mental energy so i will keep the typing to a minimum & let the pictures do most of the talking. so prepare for the photo overload. in the last few weeks we have swam, snorkeled, bougie boarded, fished,  hunted for crabs, & played in the sand on countless beaches all over the island. we have explored dragon's teeth, hiked iao valley, visited some historical churches & the sugar museum, attended the maui county fair & parade, & even rode a submarine. we celebrated white sunday at a local samoan church, toured the maui ocean center plenty, made many stops by the library & our pool, & have had plenty play dates. we have enjoyed a lot of shave ice & barbeques on the beach. in homeschool we've studied boats, sharks, waves, turtles, & sugar cane. and the amazing thing, despite all of our activities we have barely scratched the surface of all that maui has to offer. i love this place.