Paradise and Beyond - Day 4

The bugs were pretty intense on this side of the island and mommy forgot the bug spray. I don't know why but my kids always get big reactions on their faces. This picture is Will with a bite under his eye and between his eyes. Taylor got several bites on each leg and we ended up buying her her own bottle of calamine lotion so we didn't have to hear about them the rest of the trip.

Papa would open coconuts for the kids we would find lying around on the ground.

Taylor standing on the back porch of the little cabin we stayed in.

The one thing I really wanted to do while on Maui was hike the Pipiwai trail that leads to Waimoku Falls. It is about a 4 mile round trip hike. The rain just kept coming down and I was unsure how we would manage it with 4 kids on a muddy trail. My mom volunteered to stay back with Lyndsee and my dad came with us. The rain slowed down as we came to the trail head and didn't start again until we were done. I was so happy because we even did the whole hike which I wasn't sure we would do. It makes me so excited just to type about it as I remember the spectacular scenery and the beautiful trail that took us through an incredible bamboo forest. Its a must do if ever you are on Maui!

The first waterfall we came to a half mile up the trail.

These crazy Banyan trees can be seen around the island of Maui. This is one along our hike.

A bridge taking us over the river to the entrance of the bamboo forest.

This bamboo forest was awesome and was the main reason I wanted to do this hike. The clanking of the trunks of these trees against each other as a breeze blows through was musical. Its a similar experience to hiking in a narrow slot canyon. Kind of eerie too because you can't see through to "the other side" of the bamboo forest leaving you wondering how far it goes on and how lost you could become if you wandered too far into it. Taylor was such a good hiker and seemed to appreciate nature at its best just like her mommy. As we made our way down the trail, I started to worry about Nana and Lyndsee back at the Visitor Center. I didn't want to leave them for too long for fear they would get bored but this trail was drawing us farther in and none of us could find the will power to turn around and go back.

We ended up making it to the end of the trail where we were rewarded with this magnificent waterfall. And once again, because of the rain, it was at its very finest with other small water falls coming down around it.

We didn't dare get any closer than this because we were feeling its spray from here and would have to cross a second more fierce water way. I loved this hike and it was one of the highlights for me of this trip. Thanks to my mom for hanging back with Lyndsee, to my dad who can still pack a child on his shoulders (Reagan), and to Eric who hauled Will (not quite the hiker we would like him to be YET) through most of the hike.

When we got back, we couldn't find my mom so we waited around taking cover from the rain that started falling. A little while later, Nana came off a trail having been on a hike with Lyndsee. They went to see Ohe'o Gulch. Way to go Mom! Especially without a backpack!

Wet after her hike with Nana. She could have cared less though.

Ohe'o Gulch

More of Ohe'o Gulch. People swim in these pools usually but not today because of the fast running water.

After our hike, we continued around the back side of the "Road to Hana" taking in all the beautiful scenery, waterfalls, and ocean scenes as we went.

The scenery was very diverse and we ended up in areas that looked more like home (desert like) at times and mountainess (pinetrees) at other times. Loved, loved, loved the Road to Hana and everything beyond it!

On the Road to Paradise - Day 3

We left our condo at the Worldmark Kihei on the dry and sunnyside of the island for the very wet and rainy green side where we would spend one night. We met up first with my mom's cousin Shannon and her husband James. Shannon is a tour guide in Maui though she and James raised their family in Reno and still live near there part of the year. James grew up in Hana and so they would give us a lot of personal insight on "the road to Hana" we were about to experience.My parents actually ended up in Shannon's car and we followed from behind.
Our kids were actually really great on this part of our trip. Reagan loved playing with her princess magnet set and she and Lyndsee snoozed a lot on the winding road. Taylor and Will must have been taking in the beautiful landscape as they were pretty silent through our drive.
The Road to Hana is about 52 miles but you don't ever go more than 15 miles an hour. You pass so many waterfalls and they were gushing on this day because of all the rain. It was one of the positives of going on a rainy day. There wasn't any traffic either which I've read can get to be a bit much. There are 46 one way bridges along this road so thats a really good thing it wasn't crowded!


Lunch stop where I had a fish taco
We gave up one night in our timeshare to stay at this little one bedroom cabin at Wai'anapanapa State Park. Not nice AT ALL but we went into this trip knowing this would be like camping for us and also knowing you couldn't beat the scenery we were surrounded by. The crashing of the waves and all the rain we received that night made for a sleepless night and me wondering in my paranoid state if we might be the victims of the next big tsunumi. Morning time in all its splendor in this part of Maui made it all worth it however!

Taylor with Papa in the background
I loved the contrast of the black rock with the bright green.
Reagan on the hike to the black sand beach from our cabin. (if you're starting to wonder why a bunch of my photos are of Reagan, its because she will look and smile for the camera when my other kids won't always)
Beautiful black sand beach
Hiking back to our cabin along the road. I love this picture!

We enjoyed the evening spent out on the deck eating and having birthday cupcakes to celebrate Lyndsee's first birthday. It was a truley heavenly day in paradise.

Not Everything Can Go Perfectly - Day 2

Lyndsee got us all up our first morning in paradise at 5am. She would continue to be our ever faithful wake-up call at 5am for the rest of the trip. I've learned that family vacations are far from relaxing but that's OK because of all the other qualities they have to offer (fun, adventure, seeing and learning new things, and just being together with Daddy fulltime).

We were looking forward to getting out for the day when I realized we were missing a suitcase--MY SUITCASE. It was still pretty early so Eric and I left the kids with my parents while we ran to the airport to get MY SUITCASE. When we got to the airport, we could see it behind a locked gate but the baggage claim office wouldn't be in until the afternoon so I would have to wait. Ugh! Wearing yesterday's clothing a second day in a row on what I wanted to be a perfect birthday in paradise was not what I had had in mind. I also realized that my travel bible (Maui Revealed), I had left in the pocket in front of my seat on the airplane. You'd think we were in a hurry to get to our condo the night before or something. We never did recover my book and try as I might, it was at times an issue (to me only) as I didn't have all the carefully planned out info at my access anymore. I would have to be a little spontaneous! I tried to get over it and off to the Maui Ocean Center we went.

The kids taking in all the different specimens there were to see at the aquarium.

I was amazed at all the different creatures I have never seen before. Some of them made us laugh, gag or just stare forever at. This fish below is called a frogfish and looks alot like coral. I wouldn't call him beautiful but just so strange, I had to show him off.

Sharing a shaved ice

After the aquarium, we signed up for a boat ride for Saturday at the Pacific Whale Foundation, ate some Hawaiian fare at Da Kitchen for lunch, stocked up on supplies at Costco (this was the only place we faced big crowds) and back to the airport for my suitcase. Now that I had my swimsuit, we could check out the beach across the street from our condo and so we did. My mom was planning on watching the kids so Eric could take me out to dinner for my birthday but we were so tired, we all went to bed by 8 o'clock.

Eric, kids, and Papa and Nana

Getting There is Half the Fun - Day 1

How do you take the 1,000 pictures you have to choose from and condense them down to something manageable to blog? Of course, we took a ton of scenery pictures that will never do the real landscape justice and a ton more trying to get the kids to look at the camera so that will eliminate some, but blogging this trip is definitely going to take some time. This is our family's record and I want to keep some of the precious memories and wondrous times from this family adventure alive. So here is my attempt.Our trip really began at the airport because the kids couldn't wait to get on the airplane. They even got excited to get on the train at the airport to go from one terminal to the other. When we got off the short train ride, Reagan said with disappointment, "This isn't Hawaii".
This would be a long day of simply trying to get there. We had a layover in LA where we met up with my parents, Nana and Papa and were able to fly with them from there. By the time we got to Maui, it was 8:30 (11:30 our time) and everyone was pretty tired but anxious for morning and daylight to show us the beautiful place where we had arrived.

My Baby Has Grown Too Fast

Its amazing for me to look back on only one year's time and see the growth that has occured in Lyndsee. I love watching all the first steps my children take in their lives but it saddens me at the same time that they have to grow up.

Lyndsee at 2 weeks old
Two months old


Four months old


Lyndsee was a lucky girl and got to celebrate her birthday, along with her Mommy, in Hawaii.
Enjoying the fishies at the Maui Ocean Center

Eating a mini birthday cupcake on the evening of her birthday at the little cabin we stayed at for one night in paradise.

Wet from all the rainfall at O'heo Gulch in Haleakala National Park

Going for a boat ride.

We are thankful to have this little princess in our home. She has been intimidated about trying to walk but I imagine she will be doing that in no time. Last month she had tubes put in her ears and a procedure to unclog her tearducts (which is appearing to have been unsuccessful in one eye). She has recently started waving hello and good-bye. Her siblings can get her giggling better than anyone else. She loves them and they love her. She was probably one of my harder babies but has really been a lot easier over the last couple of months. I love my baby girl and she will always have to settle for that title--my baby girl. Happy Birthday Lyndsee!

Halloween Fun

Our Halloween Babies

Lyndsee the Witch

Reagan as Cinderella

Will is Ironman

Taylor - Cleo Patra

Reagan loved the stage when her dance class performed in Halloween costumes this past week.

Taylor and her friend Abi are pros on the stage.
Saturday night we went to Boulder City for some trunk or treating where Reagan had a meltdown and we had to leave early without watching the movie in the park. We actually had to put long sleeves under the kids costumes this year as it was only in the 60s verses the 70 degree temps of years past.

You Gotta Check It Out!

Have you ever seen Hoover Dam from this vantage point? Not unless you've been on the recently opened by-pass bridge.