Big Island Trip 2010

Troy was working over on the Big Island quite a bit this summer and one weekend
we got to go and visit him and play!
The kids and I flew into the Hilo Airport, got some Taco Bell and then headed towards the volcano and found the funnest, free, zoo! It was the Pana'ewa Rainforest Zoo. It is free to get in and it has a white tiger, ant eater, deer and lots of strange reptiles which Ethan loved and lots of other neat animals.

Looking at the Tiger

Namaste

Ethan didn't get to hold any reptiles, but he did catch a baby chick.



Then we left the Zoo, got into the cool air conditioning of the van and headed to the volcano!

We could not see the lava, but the kids thought that all the smoke and the steam vents were so cool!

After our fill of the Volcano, we decided to head to Kona side. A 2 hour drive give or take some. We did drive through Hilo town and I had forgotton how beautiful the Japanese park, river and little harbor was. I would like to stay over there some day!

The drive is beautiful. Very lush and green all the way to Waikoloa where the landscape drastisticly changes to brown, dry and lava fields. It is quite a change. Painful on the eyes after all the green beauty.

We made it to Troy in time to go to dinner at the Macaroni Grill. It was yummy, but the best part was seeing Dad and going to our fun hotel. One day we went to the Hilton Waikoloa and did all the fun things at that resort. Troy and I had not been there since Sydney was about 2 years old.

There are these great vintage boats that take you around the resort property.




One of my favorite things is watching the Dolphins. There was even a 3 week old dolphin that we got to see nursing and swimming with his momma.


Then we decided to play in the lagoon. There are kayaks, paddle boards, bike boats, paddle boats, snorkels, and sand. We all had alot of fun trying everything out. There were turtles and lots of other sea life in the lagoon. Ethan and I even saw an eel out swimming!


The Lagoon...Sophie and I are sitting out there on a paddle board. Ethan and Sydney are swimming.
Sydney on a paddle board.

Troy and Ember on boards.

Ethan loved the kayaks.

Troy and Emmy on the bike boats. Ember could barely reach but she did it. She did get down on the side and try peddling with her hands on a single bike!



Sophie love it all, but she is also happy in the sand.


Sydney on a bike.

Ethan charging the waterfall.


Cycling with Daddy

There are so many neat statues!


So that was the summer 2010 Big island trip...can't wait for the next one !!!

I love Thanksgiving!

Thankful Tom the Turkey

Every Thanksgiving we make a Thankful Turkey. This year I decided to name him Tom. We hang him in the window and on Family Home Evening we write things we are thankful for on some feathers and make Tom a nice colorful tail.


So what is written on the Feathers? I will tell you:

Sydney writes:
I am thankful for - My family for all they do for me and teach me (sitting up straight) and all the fun times we have together.

For the light of the sun, moon and stars that let us see to do all of our sports and fun past times.

I love having the opportunity to have in education and go to school.

Books and the storys they tell me and the adventures they wiske me away on.

Ethan writes:
Animals
Pets
Sun
Earth

Ember writes:
I am thankful of the world.
I am thankful of ym bed.
I am thankful for my family.
I am thankful of ym frers. (not sure what this is...I will ask her later)

Sophie told me to write:
Jesus
Candy
Momma
Family

Troy writes:
I am thankful for trees, scriptures, bicycles, water, chocolate, agave, family, motorcycles and fruit.

I am thankful for my wonderful, beautiful, hardworking, pretty, patient wife.

I am thankful for my nice, funny, and happy kids.

Amy Writes:
I am so grateful for so many things in my life.

First I am grateful for the knowledge I have of my Savior Jesus Christ. I love knowing that he is my brother and that because he loves me, he gave his life to atone for my imperfections. I am grateful for the chance to achieve a place in heaven. I am grateful for my free agency and the ability to make decisions. I am grateful for a mind that allows me to think and weigh the consequences of my decisions.

Second I am so grateful for the love of Troy. I am grateful to be married to a man that sees me as his equal, his friend, his confidant, his support, his advisor, his help meet, his wife, his eternal companion. I travel down this road of life in good hands.

Third I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a mother. I am blessed with 4 different and amazing children. I am also grateful to the goodly parents that brought me up with love and kindness. They showed me how to be the parent that I have become. Grateful to all the generations before that shared love with their posterity, a beautiful legacy to pass down.

I am grateful for the beautiful world that we live in. For each new day and the surprises that it holds.

I am grateful for friends and for all the amazing people in the world that have crossed my path and made me a better person.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Jaws

No Sharks, Just really big waves. In the winter, Maui's north shore gets epic size waves. There is a famous break in Peahi called Jaws. We went out with Sydney's school (there are only 13 kids, so field trips are a breeze) on Election day to vote for our favorite wave. Ethan, Ember and Sophie came along.


Viewing the waves at Jaws takes some determination and some local knowledge. Off the Hana Highway there are two roads that offer some viewing options. The first is Hahana Rd. The other is my secret. Hahana road gets lots of traffic, its crowded, and sunny but a good fun place to view the action. Both spots require a hike through a pineapple field, unless you know someone willing to lend you a key to the gate. Both are amazing places to watch the awesome feats of the daring surfers that charge these enormous waves.


The waves move so fast that you cannot paddle onto them, so the riders are towed in by an experienced jet ski driver. These ski's are the pull as well as the life guards. It is fun to see them work together to do a rescue when a surfer gets into a bad place. They make it look easy, but I know it takes a lot of skill. To date no one has lost their life at Jaws.


Ethan was truly impressed by the size of the waves and the bravery of the riders.


Sydney liked climbing the trees with Lexi.


Ember was hungry and Sophie wanted to pick all the Amaryllis flowers.


I could have brought a chair and watched for the better part of the day.