Upper Pe'epe'e falls

 Above Pe'epe'e falls on the Wailuku river we went through the guava grove...

(It may look idyllic, but the mosquitos were ravenous and the stench of rotting guavas was putrid)

 Between two waterfalls...

(It was pretty tough on the parents lifting the children over logs and jagged lava)

Saw endless pools and waterfalls...                                                                    (The kids were now "starving", falling, crying, and nearly hitting each other with rocks)

Then went back through the guava grove...                                              (We went a lot faster this time) 

Nice hike!                                       

(Nice hike!)

Flowers at the New Place

We have taken some pictures of the flowers that are here in our yard at the coffee farm house.

Amaryllis

Heliconia

White/cream Hibiscus

Roses

Aloha Hovland Grandparents

A few days ago we said aloha to the grandparents Hovland.  A big mahalo for visiting, it was nice to have family around during the holiday season.  Also, thanks for all the games of bridge and leaving the nice weather here after you left.  Glad to hear your travels went well aside from dealing with the Vegas airport.  A hui hou (until next time)!

Tidepools

 



photos courtesy Grandpa Hovland

On their final full day on the Big Island we took the grandparents Hovland to the tidepools of Kapoho.  We had wonderful weather, again, and essentially perfect snorkelling conditions.  Grandma Willy remarked that it was worth the trip just to see the coral, but the fish were great too.  Grandpa Dave thought that it was better snorkelling than what we had done in a crater off of Maui, which was pretty amazing too.  Anika spotted an enormous red sea cucumber, which was a first for us.  All in all we had a great day!

Grandparents day at the beach

With all the great weather, we decided to take the grandparents on a driving tour of the island.  That way they could see most of the 12 climate zones home on the big island.  After we passed through the gulches of the Hamakua coast, the ranchlands of Waimea, and the lava desert of South Kohala, we stopped at sixty-nine beach to play in the white sand and surf.

Found It!

RAINBOW CONNECTION
Kermit the Frog

Why are there so many
Songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side
Rainbow's are visions
They're only illusions
And rainbows have nothing to hide
So we've been told and some chose to
Believe it
But I know they're wrong wait and see

Someday we'll find it
The Rainbow Connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me

Who said that every wish
Would be heard and answered
When wished on the morning star
Somebody thought of that
And someone believed it
And look what it's done so far
What's so amazing
That keeps us star gazing
What so we think we might see

Someday we'll find it
That Rainbow Connection
The lovers the dreamers and me

Have you been half asleep
And have you heard voices
I've heard them calling my name
Are these the sweet sounds that called
The young sailors
I think they're one and the same
I've heard it too many times to ignore it
There's something that I'm supposed to be

Someday we'll find it
The Rainbow Connection
The lovers, the dreamers and me

A rainbow spotted in our backyard with some "truffula" trees (1/2/12).

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

We rang in the new year with family, snacks, confetti poppers, mimosas, card playing, and good old Dick Clark's Rocking New Year Eve "live" even though it was after midnight in NYC.  We have gone through much change in this year past.  We are falling into place here in Hawaii and have enjoyed our changes and experiences of 2011.  Here are a few of the highlights for 2011:
Henry became potty trained, started talking more, met his first friend, and gained an appreciation for tropical fruits.
Anika started school, Kindergarten, reading, writing, snorkeling, swimming on her own, first haircut, riding a two wheeler, and becoming more independent.
Racheal started a new job and resigned from her comfort zone.
Lance quit a job he liked, started a new business, and is learning to surf. 
When Racheal first decided to take on this job her school that she had worked at for 9 years granted her a leave of absence; however, they were unable to find a "suitable" replacement and she had to resign.  Now Racheal and Lance will start the job hunt again but to be honest we do not know if we want to work in the schools due to the governor's "bright" ideas of public education.  We wish everyone a happy 2012!