rollin +choco bananas= true love

when it rains, it POURS!

This week the weather has been absolutely amazing. We've spent the days at the beach. Saturday we hit the farmer's market and were at the beach by 10:30. When we got in the car to leave it was 5:15. I don't know how I could be productive living here when there is so much natural beauty to be enjoyed, but I'd sure be willing to give it a shot :)

Kauai does have its share of rain, mostly in the winter months. In fact, I think it rains the most on Kauai compared to the other islands...but as quick as the rain hits, it is gone. And the north shore is so lush. There is even a noticeable difference when you drive further south to Poipu. It's much drier. There are some downpours which are awesome and energetic and very exciting, especially when they happen at night. Last Sunday we had a crazy rainstorm! It felt like there were waterfalls coming off the roof all over. It lasted an hour or so. Zig and the kids decided to go for a swim in the rain. They had an absolute blast. It still baffles me how it can rain so hard and hours later everything is totally dry.

Hiking and Snorkeling

We hiked a portion of the Na Pali Coast. Views were breathtaking. Cliffs were stressful, especially when Rollin thinks he is a lizard who can leap up the trail. With four kids, this was not the time for photos, but I did get this one when everyone was away from the cliffs.



Snorkeling at Anini Beach again




Nature's playground




Hanalei Bay



We bought a truck and had it shipped over from the mainland. Now I want one back at home. It's been awesome to throw all our gear in the back and head out and it's much roomier than my Landcruiser. I'm pretty proud of myself, I chose the color and the rims. Zig moved mountains to get that thing on the boat and here in time for us to use it this trip. It arrived 2 days after we did. The kids love it and got to ride for a short distance from the Farmer's market to the beach this weekend. They were pretty stoked.

Valentine's Day

Backtracking a bit. Valentine's Day we celebrated with the Fairbanks, Colburns, and Spencers. The guys organized the whole evening, with most of the work and advance planning done by Tom Fairbanks. My favorite part of the evening was the amazing dinner prepared by the guys.....just kidding...they actually had one of the best chefs on the island cook for us. Apparently he was approached by the food network for a show but his English is not perfect (he's from Uruguay) so he's working with a tutor. I thought he spoke very well. He was a doll and kept chuckling at  our conversations all evening. He was so fun and passionate about food and the meal was incredibly healthy and nourishing. None of the dishes were super complicated, but it's amazing how simple recipes can be extraordinary when made from local, fresh seasonal ingredients. All the ingredients came from Kauai...except the truffle oil used on the fish. Oh my gosh. It was incredible. For appetizers he prepared spinach wraps and this delicious beef and vegetable dish. Usually I'm not a big meat eater, but this was so good. We had a quinoa salad,  cumin roasted sweet potatoes, a salad with all kinds of greens veggies and a cashew dressing. And then there was the locally made chevre. The dish I most would like to learn to re-create at home was the fish. It was young Ahi Tuna, melt in your mouth delicious. I told Zig one of my culinary goals for this year is to master fish. I want to nail it every time...moist perfectly cooked fish, there's nothing better. For dessert, he made this raw dessert with some kind of macadamia nut crust topped with a chocolate mouse and fruit.






After dinner we went to the living room where the guys had gifts for each of us. They were boxes of famous love letters from artists, writers, kings, poets, etc. The guys each read one and it was pretty funny! Not sure it was meant to be but we had a good laugh. Then we played this game that everyone else seemed to know well but Zig and I had never heard of...the hand game. Each of the guys were blindfolded and tried to see if they could pick out their wife's hand. It seems like it would be easy but it must have been tough. Zig was able to pick my hand pretty quickly though. Tom was sure I was Debbie.




Debbie opening her gift.

Tom thought for sure I was Debbie. And they've been married the longest :)

And the guys couldn't resist playing a little joke on Chris!

We played some other games and laughed until our stomachs hurt...at least mine did. Definitely a Valentine's Day to remember.

We didn't get a picture on Valentine's Day, but here is a blurry picture of my Valentine. Love you, Zig!

Exploring

We discovered a new beach just down the road from our house. There were rocks to climb and lots of exploring to keep Rollin happy. And no other people. A few surfers trickled in as we were heading out. It's pretty sweet to have such a big, beautiful beach all to yourself. Tuesday we went to Anini beach and snorkeled. Anini is calm enough for Sela to snorkel and she LOVED it. She saw three huge turtles. Oncen again, Rollin spent his time climbing trees. He loves the pool and trees more than the sand and ocean. Luckily there are lots of trees near most of the beaches so everyone is happy.

weekend fun

We had a relaxing weekend. Well, duh. It rained hard on Saturday so we went to Poipu where it was sunny and took care of some errands. Sunday was beautiful and sunny. We also went to the Hanalei Farmer's Market on Saturday and the kids were happy to meet up with the friends they made in October. The market is medium sized and everything goes pretty quickly. I got the last bunch of kale :)

The fruit is incredible, naturally. And I had this ginger- cucumber slushie that was so unexpectedly delicious! Unfortunately, once I let Evan try it, he didn't let go of the straw until he had sucked it dry! What a little piggie he is! Zig and I each had a couple sips and that was it. I ran around the market and was able to round up all the ingredients (mint, ginger, cucumber, lime, ice and honey) to make it on my own at home though. And on my first try, it tasted just like the one at the market. woo hoo!



I almost forgot to take a picture so this is after it melted a bit. It has the consistency of a slushie before it melts.



We've spent a lot of time just driving around checking things out. We found this beach tucked down a little dirt road.

There were several rope swings.

Not much has changed since our visit in October. Evan is still 100% my little attachment. Most pictures of me will include him. He's never far away :)

A new day, a new little creature.

Zig and the kids after church. The Hanalei church was awesome. Laid back, welcoming, ahhh, such a breath of fresh air. The kids are never going to want to go home. When we picked them up from their classes, they had pineapple cake in one hand and bags of valentine's chocolates in the other. Chocolate was freely passed in the adult classes as well. The people, lessons, all of it were great!


More evidence that the chickens rule the island. This is the Home Depot parking lot.

And speaking of chickens, Zig has scored exactly 0 roosters to date. He's definitely a California boy!  I may be picking up the bb gun before long.

Aloha!

The windows and doors are all open. The warm morning rain is coming down. The birds, frogs, chickens, and other tiny creatures are together making a beautiful, lively sound. It feels like we are in a tropical rain forest. February in Kauai means rain showers a couple times a day, especially here on the north shore. But it's warm. And the sun follows the rain. Yesterday during a brief afternoon shower, the kids and I went on a little hike around the house. The natual beauty is breathtaking. We were soaking wet and covered in red dirt when we came back so we washed off...this red dirt is pretty stubborn...and jumped in the pool.




We made a quick trip down to Hanalei yesterday to get some fish tacos and play on the beach. I'm happy Evan still has some hesitation about getting in the ocean, because he has none with the pool, and that keeps me on my toes. Zig and Rollin made a trip to Walmart yesterday to get Evan a perma-lifejacket. They came back with a slingshot and BB gun as well. I think I mentioned the chicken population that runs wild on Kauai after our visit in October. We thought it was pretty neat when we were here last, and we still love the chickens, but the roosters waking us up at 3 am are about to meet their maker. Well, that is, if Zig's aim is good. There are no natural predators on Kauai for the chickens so they are everywhere. Since our home is adjacent to 15 or so wild undeveloped acres, the roosters are abundant. And they think morning starts at 3am. Our housekeeper and her husband caught 25 or so  in the past couple of months and relocated them (uh huh). Anyway, always an adventure. Every time we order free range chicken over here, we wonder...


Stay back, kids!

Last night when we pulled in the driveway, we couldn't believe our eyes. In the headlights of the car, we could literally see dozens of frogs hopping all over the yard. Amazing! I love frogs and even though we hear them at night in Seattle, we don't see them much. The ones we do see are the little ones. These were medium sized toads. The kind that are fun to catch. Well, until they pee in your hand, as both Sela and Nina quickly discovered. We have also seen egrets, many beautiful colorful birds, big snails, 2 wild boars, a swan, ducks, and fish. The koi in the front pond are keeping the kids entertained and have all been named, of course.







When we finally touched down on Wednesday night, I had a sore throat, an earache, and a throbbing head. I was totally spent. In the days leading up to our trip, Evan, Nina and I had ear infections. Several of the kids were coughing and mildly congested. Nina had to get some urgent work done on her teeth...more about that later. I had lost my voice and had a sore throat, but there wasn't time to really rest. I just kept thinking, if I can just make it to Kauai, then I can rest. Evan slept with us that first night and he and the roosters kept us out of anything near a deep sleep. First thing on the agenda Thursday morning was getting Evan a crib. We found one on Craig's list and had it set-up by mid-morning. None of our kids have ever slept well in porta-cribs so we didn't even try that route. Zig and I agree that a crib for Evan is money VERY well spent :) For a couple hours a day and all night, we know he is safe and confined. And I had a good night's sleep last night. Yes! The sore throat, headache, and earache are all gone. Mahalo!