Big Island - Day 1

Thursday, June 10th 3:00a.m. my alarm goes off.  Time to get ready to catch our 6:00a.m. flight

to Kona.  We arrive in Kona at 7:00 a.m. pick up our rental car and we are on our way.  

 

First we head to Hilo.  We decided to do a little circle island tour.  I am really sad I didn't have my camera out and ready or my video camera out and ready to capture the ride from Kona to Hilo.  It is amazing.  You first start out in black volcanic rock.  After about 45 min. your scenery turns to greenery, than it is farm land, pastures, cows, horses, you feel like you are in another state, shortly there after you are in the mountains, mountain driving, trees, once again you feel like you passed over into another state, then you hit like a tropical rainforest, with the palm trees, it is so crazy!

After arriving in Hilo, we headed straight to the Hilo airport and traded our car in for this.

The first car we had rented started acting up when driving through all of the mountain area.  So they gave us this car which we were grateful for since it had ALOT more room!!

Our first stop in Hilo was Rainbow Falls.

and as you can see, sadly not much of a falls :(

Next stop Akaka Falls

In songs were they talk about the ocean meeting the sky, they are talking about the Big Island, it is so beautiful.  The different shades of blue.  I couldn't stop looking at it.

This falls was beautiful.  440 foot falls.

After the two falls we headed over to Volcano National Park.

SADLY :(  it started raining and I did not get any pictures.  Thinking we would go back on another day, I was not too concerned.  That day never came :(

Volcano National Park

So much fun.  We first stopped by the steam vents, pretty cool.  Then we saw Kilauea crater.  It was huge with lots of steam shooting up in the distance.  While we were there they were doing a ceremony of some kind.  I am not sure for what though, it was cool.  Lots of chanting and dancing and music.  It looked as though they were giving an offering to the crater.  Something covered in taro leafs.

Then we went to the lava tubes.  Kali's favorite.  They are huge tunnels in the ground created by lava flow.  So you get to walk through them.  It was  beautiful walk down full of ferns.  It looked like Fern Gully.

After Volcano National Park we headed home.  We got to our hotel at 6:00 p.m. and we were exhausted and ready to go to sleep.

This was the view from our balcony.

 

We had a good day!!!

coming and going

I feel a little like Jocelyn right now with every body moving and vacationing.

Melissa and Kaiya have been gone visiting family in San Diego and the

Williams just left for an internship in Salt Lake City and will be gone until the end of July :(

We get to spend four days on the Big Island this week for out ward temple trip and a little vacation, that is something to smile about.

Hillary look you can see all four of Jocelyn's teeth :)

Jocelyn is just TOO CUTE!!!

The E building girls minus Melissa (in San Diego:)  

We will get another pic of all of us when we all return :)

This was just to hold us over for a few months so we don't forget what we all look like :)

AND for Hillary to blow up and frame on her wall in SLC :)

Hot Fudge Sundae

It seems as though this is our little routine lately when we need to just get away because the kids are going crazy.  It usually happens in the afternoon every once in awhile both the kids start to get crazy and freak out so I started going on drives with them, having no destination, just getting away for a little bit, talking and listening to the radio usually relaxes these little ones.  

On one of our drives Kali really wanted some ice cream, so we headed to McDonald's for their $1.00 hot fudge sundaes, then I decided to go to a beach somewhere to eat them.  I decided on pounders since it was close and the walk from the car to the beach was not far at all.  And now this has become our little routine on a rough day :) 

 On this particular day, Brylie came along on our outing.

Krew dumping the ice all over and enjoying playing with it

The girls spent their time practicing cartwheels and then playing fetch, trading off who got to be the dog.

GOOD TIMES!!!

Gymnastics performance

Kali and Taylor did an awesome job at their gymnastics performance!

Kali practicing her handstands.  

She has been working so hard on her handstands and cartwheels.

A group picture of all the different girls that performed.

This is how the kids entertained themselves while waiting to perform at their next events :)

One of the coaches showing how many gymnasts he can clear doing a dive forward roll.

Kali with her metal and riboon.

her lei from mom, dad and Krew

and nothing finishes off a hard day of work better than a cookie 

Beach Days

We have been enjoying the nice weather and soaking up the sun.  We have had several beach days in the last few weeks, and have found some ideal spots for the little ones.  Kali and Krew are enjoying their own little ocean pool :)