a day around hanalei. . .

today was a perfect mix of fun in the sun and surf with shopping and a farmers market. we got up at a decent sleep-in hour and worked out then packed for a day trip to and around hanalei on the north shore here in kauai. it was raining in poipu where we are staying but we knew that weather on this island is different every mile you travel so we took our chances that it would end up being a perfect weather day up north. we were so on the mark. it was as sunny as it gets. last time rod and i were in hanalei it was two years ago and the rain was torrential. this time we were able to see so much more of the beautiful north shore. we stopped in lihue to pick up essentials at walmart (life jackets for the boys, snorkel fins for mom and dad and a duffel bag to bring our extra gear home on the plane). i think i got my inspiration for our halloween costumes while i was in walmart by the way...sorry, have to wait till then to find out but if you guess i am sure you could figure it out.

we drove straight to ke'e beach at the end of the road on the north shore. ke'e parking is always a trick but this time rod pulled all the way to the very end of the road at the turn around on the beach's edge and i unloaded all of our gear and the kids. a car was there waiting for another car to come out and once the waiting car saw us with our kids and gear the driver told us to go ahead and take the parking spot. he and his family decided that their kids were older and could walk from a further parking spot down the road. can i just say----BLESS THAT FAMILY! what a wonderful gesture that was! we could literally not have parked closer unless we had been on the beach sand itself. we were able to snorkel brilliantly with jack and morgan. they loved seeing all the colorful fish so close to their feet. i felt so much safer having life jackets on them and then they had a little flotation blow up ring each that they slipped over their heads. it made it really easy to float around with them. they don't use a snorkel or a snorkel mask. they have over sized goggles that i bought at a sports store and the nose is not covered-only the eyes. so they just do like they do when they swim--hold their breath and put their heads down in the water to see the fish. i wish i had a video camera to capture their eyes when they pop their heads up out of the water after seeing a 2 foot fish next to their faces!

we filled the bellies with some not so great food in hanalei. the plate lunch place we expected had changed ownership and was now named the panda hut or something--but it served its purpose and we washed our pork and chicken down with lapperts ice cream after wards. the day was perfected by a stop at a tiny local farmer's market (cold coconut milk from the nut itself + two tiny cocktail umbrellas = 2 very happy 3 1/2 year olds.) we picked up fresh grown mangoes, the best bananas ever and a zucchini. the drive home was easy and quiet with two sleeping boys. baths to clean off for bed and a little snack to fill the tummy and jack and morgan are set for bed. they go to sleep so easily it makes me thrilled. i live for that moment when we put their clean little selves in the beds and kiss them goodnight. with heavy eyes and smiles on their faces they say "g...o....o...d   n...i...g...h...t, m...o...m" and drift off to sleep before my eyes. just another wonderous day for them from which to draw upon for their night-time dreams. and mine as well...ALOHA.

does this dude look like the kinda guy who scales trees to get the coconuts then cuts them like this with his macheti or what?

this woman who sold us the fruit told me her brother and sister-in-law on the island had 3 sets of twins! all naturally. they were a big story on the island when the kids were younger. and my thoughts upon her telling me that?-----wow. great. i mean. wow. holy cow lady that is not something you tell a mother of twins who is struggling with the thoughts of having more children! hehe. cool story but can you imagine? we already get the most attention when we go somewhere with these two boys because of them being twins. three sets of twins and you would really throw people for a loop trying to figure your family ages and # of children out! hehe.