Surfer Dudes

This morning the older boys had an opportunity to take a surf lesson, which is something they have been looking forward to forever. In fact, I think when we first put Hawaii on our agenda almost two years ago, they put surfing on their list of things to definitely do here. They were naturals, and they had so much fun! They're hooked, so I guess we'll have no choice but to continue traveling to places where they can hone their skills. I'm willing to make that sacrifice for my boys, because that's just the kind of selfless mom I am.

First, the land lesson!

Ready to catch some waves!

A perfect day for surfing!
(Lanai, which we haven't had a good look at all week,
 even decided to come out from behind the clouds!)

The instructor was great with the boys and gave them every opportunity to succeed,
including pulling them along through the water on their first trip out.

Max was a rock star on the board!

Weston gives this activity two thumbs up!

Meanwhile, this little mess was trying to ensure that
we take as much of Maui back to Texas with us as possible!

Independence Day

We were among the last Americans to celebrate the 4th of July, but, boy, did we have a good time! The Westin resort where we're staying really did it up right, and we had such a fantastic day! It all started with the pool being completely filled up with red, white, and blue beach balls for the kids to play with and take home. We also received patriotic leis and frisbees and little flags to get us in the spirit.

There was supposed to be a flower drop in the middle of the morning, but there were technical difficulties and the flowers didn't actually drop. However, the nets were later ripped open and orchids were distributed throughout the crowd. There were also several fun lawn games, which the boys thoroughly enjoyed playing.

Around noon, the boys participated in watermelon eating contests. Weston was the clear winner of the 6-12 division, but Max also won a prize. And, everyone in the 5-year-old division got a prize for participating.

Later, Clay participated in the hula hoop contest. When I was walking him over to it, he asked what you were supposed to do in a hula hoop contest. I told him he just needed to keep the hula hoop up around his waist. "That's easy!" he said. "Oh," I said, "Are you pretty good at keeping it spinning and not letting it fall to the ground?" "Well," he replied, "That part is hard."

After a lunch of footlong hot dogs, the older boys got in on the pie eating contest, which Weston saw as personal challenge, possibly the event his whole life has been building up to. He took it seriously and came out with one of the top prizes. We laughed and cheered and had a wonderful time.

And, then, we had shave ice. Because, that's what all the prizes had been throughout the day. And, because it was the 4th of July. And, what's an American celebration without a fair amount of gluttony thrown in?!

Before leaving the pool deck, we played three games of BINGO, but, though we were often this close, none of us managed to raise the victory cry. But, by then, we were all in a sugar coma, so the disappointment rolled right off our backs. Besides, we had a table at a Mexican food restaurant on the beach with our name on it, and chips and salsa can cure a whole lot of hurts.

After dinner, we walked down the beach to catch the spectacular fireworks, which were launched from a barge in the ocean. There were many that were quite unique, and, as always, we were dazzled by all of them!

Independence Day is one of our family's very favorite holidays, and this one was particularly fun, even though we definitely missed having Ruth with us. We may just have to give it another shot next year so she can join us! ;)

Having a ball on the 4th of July

Lawn games

Showered with flowers

Watermelon Eating Contest

Hula Hoop Contest

Pie Eating Contest

Shave Ice

Some beach time before the fireworks

Happy Independence Day!

Maui Fun

We left Hana this morning and made our way over to Kaanapali, stopping at the Maui Brewing Company for a tasting and Cheeseburger in Paradise for lunch. We spent the rest of the afternoon just hanging out at our lovely resort.

Choose-your-own tasting flight at Maui Brewing Co.

Cheeseburger in Paradise, all dressed up for the Fourth

"It's All Good" Burger

This Westin resort is absolutely beautiful!

Tamer of the poolside frog

Maui Sunset

Hamoa Beach

We spent several lovely hours at Hamoa Beach today, where the boys had a ball on the boogie boards and in the sand, and Jeff and I relaxed under the shade of the giant sea almond trees.

Hamoa Beach

Excited to try out the boogie board

Wipeout!

Once Weston got the hang of it, he didn't want to stop!

There were lots of smiles at the beach today!

When Clay tired of the boogie board,
he decided to become one with the sand.

It would take a lot of this to kill a person!

The Road to Hana

We arrived in Maui this morning and soon began making our way down the Road to Hana, one of the most famous and beautiful drives in the world. We took our time and had plenty of stops along the way to allow ourselves the opportunity to take in more of the loveliness around us. We did a short, very muddy hike through a small bit of the jungle, and we stopped at the Garden of Eden botanical garden to stretch our legs and enjoy the sights. The pictures definitely don't do the drive justice, as it was infinitely more beautiful than what a camera could ever capture!

The Road to Hana

We really love the rainbow eucalyptus trees!

Garden of Eden, featuring a view of  Keopuka Rock (top, far right),
used in the opening scene of Jurassic Park; a 100-year-old mango tree (bottom, far left);
and countless beautiful plants and amazing views.

Gorgeous waterfalls dotted the Road to Hana. 

Fern Grotto

The last couple of days we've been hanging around the pool and playground, and not doing a whole heck of a lot, though we did manage to work in two trips to Walmart. Because we're living the fancy island life. We did get out for some sightseeing today, with a river cruise on the Wailua River, which culminated in a visit to a beautiful fern grotto. And, we still managed to snag some pool and playground time. There are a ton of little boys staying here, so our boys have been having a ball with all their new friends.

River Boat

Wailua River

Rollin' on the River 

Pretty river debris

Beautiful fern grotto

Missing our girl, but enjoying our day

This house was used in the John Wayne movie, Donovan's Reef,
which we just watched in honor of our visit to Kauai.
It used to be on the beach but was later moved up on a hill overlooking the river.

So many things

First: As you can see, I'm experimenting with a new look and name for the blog. I would really love your feedback! Feel free to tell me what you like as well as what you don't like.

Second: A huge piece of my heart just walked out the door to catch a plane to New York. I'm so proud of my girl and excited for the opportunity she has to attend a special camp at Skidmore College during the next three weeks, but the letting-gos are always a little hard on a momma's heart.

Third: Yesterday morning, I published the third Geography Explorer book, Explore Thailand. If you have a kid in your life who might be interested in that part of the world, check it out.

Fourth: Yesterday afternoon, we continued our explorations of the island. We visited the Hanapepe swinging bridge and Glass Beach, which is partly made up of a huge deposit of sea glass. We also popped into the Kauai Chocolate shop, before boarding our Napali Coast tour boat. We spent several lovely hours cruising around the island and taking in the stunning scenery of the Napali Coast. We also had appetizers, drinks, and dinner aboard the boat, and ended our tour with an amazing Kauai sunset.

Hanapepe Bridge

Glass Beach

The less glassy side of Glass Beach

Kauai Chocolate

Napali Coast Cruise

Sneaky Rainbow

Can you guess why they call this Kong Point?

Find the owl hidden in the rocks.

The lovely Napali Coast

There are two sea caves at the base of the brown mountain in the center.
These were created by lava tubes, and they are constantly growing.

The entrance to an awesome sea cave that has no ceiling

Another beautiful rainbow

A mother monk seal and her pup catch some rays on the beach

Sunset at sea