ward camp 2014

i'm pretty sure that the 3 days we spent at ward camp were the highlight of my boys summer break. there is something special at ward camp that really can't be summed up adequately in words. the ohana feeling is strong, the grindz are ono, & everything is real chill. since we live a pretty fast paced life i think we all appreciate the break we get at ward camp. boys love being surrounded by some of their most favorite friends while at the beach 24/7. and sleeping in tents, the boys love sleeping in tents, especially when mommy invites their friends in for sleepovers. we chill by in the grassy areas surrounded by so many of our wardmates just playing horse shoes or washer toss, or we explore the trees & cliffs, or we play at the beach & in the water. i love that i don't have to cook & we are just down the road from home so i can take the babies back for naps (& real showers). i love that i get to know our ward members better & meet some people for the first time (i spend most of church in nursery with mylo or subbing in primary so there are a lot of people i miss.) the boys truly play all day every day & i just sit back & supervise (it actually reminds me a lot of my lifeguarding days-i often find myself counting heads.) we really are so blessed to be part of the wailuku ward ohana. 

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.

big island

during my parents annual january visit we opted to spend part of their vacation on the big island. let me just say, if i wasn't already totally head over heels with maui i would most definitely up & move to kona. did i mention it has a target? gah! i miss that store almost as much as i miss descent mexican.  for reals, though, big island is rad. i would have to say it's tied with oahu & kauai as my second favorite island (get it?). the place totally lives up to it's name. it is huge. we spent more time in the car over our few days there than in the past 3 months on maui. thankfully, the island is saturated in beauty so you don't mind long drives staring out the window. there really is something for everyone on big island. there is just so much to do & despite our attempts we barely scratched the surface. we are already building an itinerary for our next trip.

we each had our own highlights from the trip. cooper loved exploring the lava tubes, checking out the volcano, & swimming in the hotel pool. tj loved ahalanui but he really loved the plane & shuttle rides. mylo was happy anytime he had a little space to run free. todd enjoyed seeing all the different parts of the island but i think his most favorite was waipio valley. as for me? gosh, i really can't decide. i loved the natural lava pools, the active volcano, & sunset at anaeho'omalu bay, but the best part was having two extra set of hands to help with the kids. nothing beats not having to crawl in to the back of a minivan to strap babies in to carseats or turning around every 48 seconds to hand something to someone. tj still talks about big island on the regular, like daily. every time we get in the car he asks where we are going, then it's always, "oh, is that on maui or big island?"

pu'uhonua o honaunau

punalu'u black sand beach

kaumana caves

natural hot lava pools

waipio valley

waipio valley

rainbow falls

anaeho'omalu bay

puako petroglyph park

pu'ukohola heiau national park

volcano national park & steam vents

volcano national park & thurston lava cave

pu'u o'o crater, kilauea

akaka falls, kealakekua bay, old kona airport

coconut island, banyan tree drive, painted church, ahalanui pool, hapuna beach, 

mauna kea beach, crater rim drive, kilauea iki overlook

ward camp

i moved to hawaii for three reasons: the beach, the weather, the people. i've mentioned my love for the physical aspects of polynesia about a zillion and a half times. it's time i say something about my love for the polynesian culture, history, & people. more or less, i love all things polynesian. i've felt connected to the culture from the moment i met it. i cannot get enough of the food, dance, arts, songs, lifestyle, & more than anything, the stories. i could sit & listen to people talk story all day long. basically, i should have been born brown. alas, i was not so i am left with no choice than to embrace polynesia as much as my haole body can. and my ward (church congregation) is a great place to start. 

the majority of my ward is polynesian & comes from long hawaiian lines. they are truly wonderful people. i had the amazing experience to spend 3 days camping with my ward. we stayed on the waihe'e refuge. it is a beautiful piece of reserved land on the windward side of maui (only 4.5 miles from my home). the refuge was once a thriving hawaiian village & the heart of much of maui's agriculture. it is also the spot where king kamehameha first attacked in his conquering of maui. there are still remnants of the ancient hales & fish pond on the reserve. i am fascinated by all things pre-contact hawaii so these sites just a few hundred yards from my tent were a rare treat.

we stayed right on the beach & i made sure to reserve a spot with a view. there was hiking, crab hunting, swimming, surfing, body boarding, rope swings, row boats, horse shoes, hammocks, seashell & beach glass scaveging, a kid carnival, s'mores, tide pool exploring, fishing, a service project working deep in the beauty of the reserve, poi ball making, a talent show, testimonies, talking story, heaps of food, & some of the best people out there. it was awesome. each of the boys had their own little groups. coop was in heaven playing shirtless & shoeless all day everyday with the other kids. honestly, i barely saw him. they were at the beach, in the trees, on the swings, & in the jungle. since it was reserved land with no public access i had little fear. plus, coop is a pretty cautious kid & i can trust him to never go beyond his ability. (i loved his wild independence. it reminded me so much of my own country upbringing. except, you know, it was at a beautiful beach in hawaii not the ditches & orchards of yuba city.) tj & his friends loved playing in the tents & on the swings. mylo's crew was enthralled with the dirt. and sticks. and rocks. they were pretty easy to please.

coop was counting down the days until camp would start & could barely contain himself when we passed throug the gate & drove through the stream to enter the grounds. tj was a little dissapointed. for some reason he was under the impression that grama, papa, kam, & rylie would be joining us & he was quickly distracted by the awesomeness of our tent. i loved just about everything about camp. the food was ono, the people delightful, & the scenary beyond beautiful. all-in-all, i'd say the weekend was a success.

(excuse the photo overload. i haven't busted out the dslr in awhile so i may have gone a bit overboard.)

carnival gaming

tree climbing, tent playing, & rope swinging

tide pooling

that's our tent in the middle, the view from our tent, ruins just down the trail

swimming, exploring

crab hunting, horse shoeing, playing

hiking, stick fighting, our bathrooms, play doughing, brick throwing

california (part 2): the bay & yuba citay

after enjoying a week in southern california we headed north. the drive was brutal. the longest drive we make on maui is 40 minutes so 6 hours in the car was torture. but we made it. we spent the next 3 weeks (todd only stayed for 1 week-he had to get back to work) playing all day every day. between my parents' pool & hot tub, being spoiled by all their aunties, & having their best friends (their cousins) around the boys were in absolute heaven. we made a couple little trips to places like the zoo, & the park, & the river but mostly we just stayed home, binged on our favorite foods, & played. 

coop fell right into place the second we arrived. tj was a little hesitant at first but with a little encouragement & bribery he was quickly over it. mylo took a little time to warm up but i was shocked with how well he adjusted. cooper's favorite part of the trip were swimming & cousins. tj loved his aunties & grandparents, & the constant array of treats. mylo was obsessed with all the dogs, especially maddy. my favorite part was the constant help with my boys-being able to run to target or grab a bite to eat sans children is a luxury i don't often have. i also loved eating at all my favorite food spots & the abundance of fresh fruits & veggies in my mom's garden. 

we loved going back to the mainland but there was no better feeling than returning back to maui. i made the flight with the 3 boys solo! i was dreading it for weeks but everything turned out just fine. not one of them fussed. of course, i was constantly on the go rotating snacks, activities, & toys every 5 seconds doing everything possible to keep them from getting upset, but that's the job of a mother. tj was adorable, he wanted to be in his carseat the whole flight. he kept telling me that it was dangerous to get out of his carseat because he might fall out of the plane into the ocean & a shark would eat him-makes sense to me. we were all so excited when we saw our little island pop into the window. we just couldn't wait to be home.