It's a Wrap

We have been home for almost a week now. We have gotten through the going back to work and school doldrums and we have conquered the jet lag. As always, home is my favorite place to be. I was watering my plants today and pulling off the dead leaves, turning them toward the light, etc. and I smiled to myself thinking of how much I love the little, simple home things. 

I sneaked into the room the girls were sharing on the final morning in Kauai to see if they wanted to go see the sunrise with me. One said yes, one said no. Eliana and I walked out to the beach just as the sun was rising and it was well worth the "yes" of getting out of bed and going out. I knew there was a reason I hauled my crystal ball all the way to Hawaii!

Our last day in Kauai we went to Spouting Horn, where waves spout up through a hole in the lava rocks that forms the coastline. The effect is that water is forced up through the hole when waves roll in under the lava rocks. It causes a spout that is quite impressive to see.

Then it was off to the airport. The airport was open to the outdoors where you could see hibiscus blooming. 

Having perfected the art of sleeping on airplanes, I'm not sure how the flights were, but I do know we made it home safe and sound.  I did wake occasionally to drink some water, but that was about it. I was sitting beside Eliana and she is a fantastic little traveler. She settles in and entertains herself for the entire 6 hour flight. There was no seat back entertainment, either. I've been seat mates with adults who did not do as well.

We arrived home on Annika's 15th birthday. We had picked up a necklace and earring set we saw she liked in Hawaii and had asked Freeland to have a cake here when we arrived home. It wasn't the usual birthday celebration, but it did come at the end of a pretty great trip.

Eliana was sick when we arrived home. She is now on antibiotics and is getting better, but she has not yet gone back to school. 

As soon as we arrived home we wanted to see our other kids and our grand baby, but Douglas & Kayla & little Riley had gone to South Carolina to visit Kayla's Pappy. We were pretty happy when they came to see us Sunday afternoon after just getting home early Sunday morning! 

Riley loves saying what the dogs say, Woof!, and she looked so startled every time one of our dogs barked. She would blink her little eyes, point, and say WOOF!! It was adorable, as is everything she does. We may be a bit smitten. 

So, I guess that is a wrap, I blogged through the trip. I think I'll keep going. Probably. We have some other pretty amazing things coming up this summer and I just don't want to miss it.

Helicopter Tour

Wow! The sights we saw today are still just boggling my mind. We lost count of the number of waterfalls we saw, but we also saw the red striped formations I generally associate with desert climates. We saw wild, uninhabited country. We also saw farms. And all of it, every little bit of it was so, so breathtakingly beautiful!

We took a helicopter tour of the island today. We were in a helicopter with no doors, so the views were stunning. And I was a little bit terrified the entire time. My fingers were numb from gripping the seat for the whole hour that we were in the air. 

But that did not keep me from taking pictures. I wished I had my 35mm lens instead of my 100mm, just in case any photographers need to know that. We went so close to everything that I actually wished for a shorter focal length. 

Also, when they tell you to dress warmly, listen. I made sure the kids had jackets, but I had on a t-shirt. It was cold up there with the wind whipping through!

It was all worth the incredible views. I think this ended up being the favorite excursion that we have done.

 

All I can say is that the One who created all of this beauty in the middle of the Pacific Ocean has a love for beauty for the sake of beauty and an unparalleled imagination. Everywhere I go on this big, beautiful world I am more and more impressed with the greatness of God. 

Easter Sunday in Kauai, Hawaii

This morning we started off with another delicious and healthy breakfast. Half a papaya with yogurt and granola in the hollowed out area? Yes, please! And a Lavender London Fog tea with that? Perfection!

We then attended the Easter morning service at Kapaa First Hawaiian Church. They were very kind and welcoming. The service was in both Hawaiian and English, which was interesting. I sneaked one quick picture of the cantor. He lead all of the music. It was an old church building with photos of almost all of the ministers that have ever been leaders there on the back wall. It was a good experience and the preacher spoke earnestly about the women who discovered that Jesus had risen. I know I'll treasure the memory of sitting there with my crew, the wind blowing through the open doors, listening to the Lord's Prayer in Hawaiian. The Lord is risen indeed!

This afternoon was a quiet, restful one. Eliana and I went to the beach just down from our apartment, but the wind is blowing hard today making the waves a little too boisterous for us. We ended up in the swimming pool, which was nice too. 

I need to record a bit about yesterday since we have some gorgeous photos I want to post. The kids and I went on a 5 hour boat tour of the NaPali coast. It was amazing! The waves were rough and Eliana experienced motion sickness for the first time. Thanks to one of the other passengers who gave her a Dramamine and some tips on what to do to feel better she perked back up and was able to go snorkeling and enjoy the rest of the tour.

The NaPali coast is wild country! It is only accessible by water or air. We saw where the opening scene of Jurasic Park was filmed and also parts of one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies. We saw dolphins and waterfalls and sea caves. It was so beautiful! No whales, but with everything we did see I couldn't even be disappointed.

Tomorrow is our last full day here. I do not want to think about it on the one hand, but I always love going home. So we will enjoy the rest of our time to the fullest, but be happy to get back home when the time comes.