Kite Surfing on the North Shore

One of our favorite ways to spend an afternoon is heading up to the North Shore and watching the kite surfers. These guys (and one girl is usually out there as well) are incredible! This video does not begin to show how cool it is. First of all, I am terrible about letting the camera drift off while I watch! So, there was one guy who was just amazing. Jumping like crazy, flips, etc. Unfortunately, I miss half of his jumps because I let the camera move too much while I watched! Bummer. Anyway, I was able to focus on one---unfortunately for him, he wipes out on this one. But, is was a rare moment for this guy. He was awesome.

Anyway, it's something to see....

Waimea Valley

Just wanted to share some pictures with you of Waimea Valley. It is a botanical garden area on the North Shore that is breathtaking! At the end of the hike, there is a waterfall----you can actually swim in the lagoon on clear days. On our particular day, it was really muddy from all of the rainfall in the mountains so we were not able to swim. On the positive side, it made for a raging waterfall that the kids loved watching!

Probably the funnest part of the day...and I think the family would agree.....was the Ultimate Jumping Challenge between Whitney and the kids. Really funny to watch! The challenge was to jump from one rock to another--getting extra points for height, style, etc. This lasted for a while was hilarious. Even Greta gave it a try. Needless to say, Whitney took the title by jumping over both kids---they loved that!

Another funny moment was during lunch. Peacocks roam wild here and were not shy about visiting those enjoying a nice meal. Grason's hot dog was the goal for one particular peacock. First, there was a stare down---peacock, then there was a peck to Grason's backside (which brought the house down with laughter)---peacock, then a jump to the table---peacock, then the hot dog was taken from his plate-----peacock. So, Grason 0- Peacock-4! He laughed about that all day.

Anyway, we hope you enjoy the photos!

Easter Blessings

First of all, we hope you had a wonderful Easter. Beyond all of the commercial appeal...what a wonderful reminder we have of our blessing of eternal life. I would like to share with you, through a camera's view, our experience on Easter. We are so blessed to attend a church that is so genuinely joyful and grateful for God's blessings. That in itself is much to celebrate. Now, combine that with the beautiful Hawaiian culture.....an Easter morning that will stick with us long term. I wish we had more video. Better yet, I wish you were here with us. Until then, may God's blessings and protection always be upon you. Enjoy....