Hawaii Part 1

So this post will definitely be a picture over load. After Christmas we went to Hawaii with my family from the 27th to 6th and home over night flight morning of the 7th. It was in lieu of our 2014 summer family vacation that we usually have every 2 years. Paige was getting home from her mission so we decided to post pone our vacation till later. Which I wasn't complaining about we love Hawaii.... well maybe I complained about the flights a time or two.  

 

So we went to the Big Island. We stayed in Kona or close to it at the outrigger. We all had our own condos which made it nice with little kids to have our own kitchen and rooms. My parents surprised us last year and planned this whole vacation and provided flights and accommodations so we are very grateful to them.

 

The Big Island is a lot of rock. I think because it's basically a volcano. And their aren't nice beaches well sand beaches everywhere you look. There are definitely nice ones to be found you just have to drive a bit depending where you stay.  Which we didn't mind doing. We just packed a lunch and went for the day.  I'll explain more with the pictures.

So the trip almost started out with Jason having one tooth. He has a cap well it's most his tooth but it started getting wiggly on the 24th and actually came out that night. I could barely look at him. Anyways thankfully we were in Cardston and it's a small town where I think it was easier to find someone to help you out on the 26th. So kind and grateful to that Dentist that fixed it.

 

 All fixed!

Eventually he'll need to get an implant.

So we drove home the 26th, unpacked Christmas stuff well put most of it in the laundry room and packed up for Hawaii. It was crazy but less stressful than Id thought it was going to be.

 

Next morning we were on our way to the airport in a taxi. Jace was pretty confused and disappointed our taxi was blue!  

 

We got to Kona late Saturday night. It was like 11 pm (which is 2 am our time). So the next morning we went to sacrament meeting then off to Costco and Walmart. The temple there is beautiful. Don't mind Jason's flip flops with his pants... shoes would have weighed to much!

There's not as many trees and lush palm trees here since it's a lot of volcanic rock but there was some beautiful trees around the temple. Loved it.

 

 

We weren't right on a beach but right on the ocean. Couldn't swim off of our place but the view was amazing. Beautiful sunsets, whales, and fun to watch waves. Also condos were really spacious and the pools were fun enough for the kids. 

Just walking around the condo/ resort area getting to know our way around. This girl definitely is not camera shy.

I wish I could tell you all our beach names but I'm horrible at that.

 Since there's a lot of volcanic rock you do have to drive and find some beaches. We weren't staying near the north side which had the beaches so we packed a lunch most days and made our 25 minute-1 hr drive to beaches.

 

Monday we had tried to go to Lagoon or something at the Hilton but found out they don't let public people in anymore. So we found this beach pretty close to the Hilton, Waikoloa Beach. Waves weren't crazy and seemed to have ok snorkeling. The kids loved it. The sand wasn't super soft but the kids loved it! And their was beach chairs for the public! Bonus!!! It's a smaller beach but by the big hotels so you could buy lunch if you wanted. We packed a lunch in our fold up cooler bag that we brought from home that was sooooo handy!

 

We've been struggling with this boys tantrums and what we believe to be his extreme desire to have attention at home. BUT being at beaches and outside and busy he was just great. It gave me such joy to see him happy and not upset. I just love this boy so much and when things come together and life is just easy for him (and me ;) ), makes me happy.

He could play outside all day.

 

Uncle Blake, Talia, and Uncle Dave

 

This girl loved it as well. Was a little worried about "sharks" but for the most part just loved playing in the sand. 

 

Maybe who shocked me just as much as Jace was Penny. This girl would just play from the minute we got there to the time we left. She'd miss most of her naps and slept in the car and just loved it. Back when we went to Portland in April 2014 this girl hated the sand! Now she had it in every crease and she even ate a lot of it. Didn't seem to mind. Had a lot of sand one day in a particularly poopy diaper.

 

I love this beach bum.

 

 Also these two became friends! Penny has been rather mean in the past but they actually played a lot and often would be laughing in the condo's in their own little world. Now since we've been home and Colby's been here on Monday, they still love each other. So fun to see. Penny calls him "Baby".

 

Well after every beach day and after being rinsed off at the beach they still needed to be freed of sand.

Love this picture.

 

One day the Heavenors, my parents, and Paige and Richard all hiked into some beach. Not sure of the name. I don't think the walk was to hard but it was over rock and a little too long (35-45 minutes I believe) for our three kids and me being pregnant. Hirsches also opted out with Colby being a bit young for that as well.  Blake and Lindsay were on a surf board mission so they didn't go as well.

 

We decided to go to Hupuna. Hapuna is a popular beach their and gets busy but it's a big beach. Usually the waves aren't crazy but today was pretty dangerous for kids. They couldn't even stand ankle deep where the waves just come up on your feet because of the pull. Terrified me. And Penny LOVES the water which made it worse because she would just go for the water on her own. We did well watching her until....

we lost Penny for who knows 5 minutes? We only knew about it for a minute or 2 but it was the worst feeling ever. I've never felt so scared as she loves the water and kept trying to go on her own earlier. Waves were big and the beach was busy my panic was high. All three kids were playing just beside me with toys and when Talia and Jace walked in front of me I turned to find Penny. She wasn't there. I immediately yelled to Jason, "Penny!!!!" We both just jumped up he ran to the water I ran to the life guards... (who were jerks!) Anyways I was panicking to them when I saw Jason wave down to  me that he had found her.

A nice lady was walking holding her hand and Jason found them. The lady was so kind and never made me feel bad. She just knew how fast toddlers can be and got it. Even if I didn't deserve her kindness. I feel truly blessed because 1- penny didn't go to the water and 2- penny was protected. This lady was my angel on earth today. Worst parent moment loosing your 20 month old!

As for the life guard one was about to announce on his mega phone and the other basically just looked at me and said you need to watch your kids. You think??? I was and obviously should have been better but at that moment probably didn't need to hear that. Wonder if he had kids?

 

Blake and Lindsay joined us for a couple hours and were so great with Talia and Jace. My kids love sand castles!

Since the wind was still about the same as the day before we had heard about a good beach that was great for kids. So we went to Spencer beach the next day. It was really calm. No real waves and I could just relax especially because I was still a little anxious from loosing Penny the day before. If you're just with adults and want more of a beach for boogie boarding or body surfing this is probably not the beach to go to. But it wasn't busy at all, sand was soft, and the water was so nice. Decent snorkeling as well.

 

Grateful she was still with us and loving life.

This girl loves her sunglasses and wore them 95% of the time... even inside.

 

These cousins got a long so great. It's fun having cousins.

 

As long as this boy had water wings on he was so brave. Swam (at waist deep) on his own, and would jump in the condo pool all on his own. He just loved it. Amazing the security these $2 water wings brought.

My merMAN!



 

These dug out chairs are part of my bringing up. My Dad ALWAYS made a beach chair with a head rest and all any beach we went to. Would lay his towel out and just relax. Jace tried it out for a bit but wasn't as convinced. 

 

Head rest, towel, coke, and tunes... what more could you ask for? Such good memories. 

Family beach picture. Crazy we're all (well almost) married. That's 18.5 people in total so far.
Jace was too tired to stand. We were wearing this boy out!

 

Either that afternoon or the day after we went to the market. We got shaved ice. Which was a gong show with 2 kids and Penny. Shaved ice juice everywhere and what felt like chaos. But it was sure delicious. Next time we go either it'll be just Jason and I when I'm not pregnant or our kids will be older and not over tired. So good!

 

 

Jace by the early evening was dead tired. So when we went to whoever's condo night was having dinner Jace usually ended up asleep on my lap or back to our condo with a bit of a meltdown and out like a light in bed. As you can see he has pants and a hoodie on... some ones tired!

 

 

Hawaiian kids

 

View from our condo.

 

Another beach/ cove we did venture out to that I can't seem to find pictures of was right in Kona, called Kahuluu. When I got there I wasn't sure as it was mostly small rocks type of sand, small and a lot of reef. BUT it was great snorkelling and again the kids did enough themselves. You can't really swim there, it's mostly for seeing fish, playing in the little pools of water between the reef and snorkelling farther out. My kids don't love snorkelling yet (maybe too young) but my sisters kids 3 and 6 both tried it and loved it. If you're near Kona or more on the south side it's something to check out.

 

More wonderful post beach baths! 

 

We're only half away through.. well maybe a little more than half so stay tuned for the next half