January

Dan failed to mention that Brady learned to walk in December!!

There's no stopping him now!!!!!

Mega Bloks Dump Truck

Budding Artist??

"How do I get Grandma on this thing?"

Cheese!!!!

 

"I can stir too Mama."

Brady LOVES to help!

He even helps with laundry...............

Just keeping in real Folks!

And in Other News

A few weeks ago we bought a new car. We are now the proud owners of an 2009 Honda Odyssey. Everyone seems to enjoy it. Of course, Coda did yak the first time he rode in it. Thankfully I have gotten really good at catching it in a bag! He was able to hold it down for his second ride and even seemed to enjoy sitting in the "front" : )

For A Change of Pace

After Brady was born the content of the blog has changed a bit. Maybe the blog needs a new name...maybe "Life with Brady" : ) Our intention wasn't for the blog to turn into everything baby and parenting, but life with Brady is the most exciting thing going on in our lives. However, I did seem something in the yard on Tuesday that made me very very happy

The first bloom of the year!! It's a crocus! I planted a bunch of them last fall and am so excited to see this one!! Unfortunately, this is the only one that has sprouted and bloomed. I think I may have planted the others too deep....

The butterfly garden in the back yard is starting to show signs of life also. Spring time makes me happy : )

11 Weeks

Our boy is 11 weeks old today and...
- likes to suck his thumb/fingers.
-will lay on the activity gym and be entertained
-enjoys the bouncy seat more than the swing
-poops two big poops in the course of 24 hours
-makes cooing, gooing and ahhing noises
-is either sleeping or eating when ever Dan comes home from work
-loves bath time
-melts my heart with his smile
-hates tummy time
-is getting better at holding his head up
-makes funny faces
-is fussy in the evenings
-slept though the night!!

New slide show pictures coming soon..I Promise!

34 Weeks

Had my 34 week OB app this morning. Blood pressure was as good as we can expect at this point. Still under orders to rest. I'm sure I'll be on this modified bed rest the remainder of the pregnancy.

My New Favorite Song

Ok, if you watch as much TLC as much as I, you've probably heard this song featured on a couple of commercials. Specifically for TLC's Monday night lineup of family shows. For some reason this song speaks to me. I'm assuming it's because I'm pregnant and am in constant amazement of what's happening in my uterus, the fact that the commercials have all these cute kids, AND there is one commercial for Jon and Kate renewing their wedding vows in HAWAII on MAUI, my favorite place on earth.
So without further ado:

Beautiful Life, Fisher
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rL6hlyVAX2Y

Hey child up and go
Big world is out there waiting for us to
live in every day

Outside you will find
there is love all around you
Takes you, makes you wanna' say
That it's a beautiful life
and it's a beautiful world
and it's a beautiful time
to be here, to be here, to be here

The sky's blue
just us two
Side by side
we'll see the world that surrounds us
Hey, seize the day

Each road - every mile's a photograph in motion
to astound us,
carry us away
into a beautiful life

'Cause it's a beautiful world
and it's a beautiful time to be here, to be here
Leave all your cares behind you
The sun is rising
Turn around -it's right in front of you
and it's a beautiful life
and it's a beautiful time
to be here, to be here, to be here

And just a tidbit of information: The resort Jon and Kate stayed at while on Maui is the resort Dan and I went to for our massages.

Very Long Pregnancy Post

Obviously I haven't been writing the most regular or detailed updates. I just wasn't sure how much info was too much. And it seemed like things were the same week after week. But after reading a pregnancy blog of an acquaintance from Rose, I instantly regretting not keeping better record of the pregnancy. So, if my brain will cooperate, I'm going to do a 'catch up' entry.

Even before Dan and I were married, we decided on the Five Year Plan for children. It is pretty self explanatory. We'll wait 5 years before we start trying. Aside from giving us time to settle in to marriage life, enjoy one another and travel, it is a great response to the "so when are you guys having kids?" question.
We knew that 2008 would be it, but we opted to not really announce when we had decided to begin trying. We basically planned it around our trip to Hawaii. Mostly because I didn't want to be so sick that I wasn't able to enjoy it.
So April was our first month to try and we were off to Hawaii. While in Hawaii, it was in the back of my mind, but I really didn't think we would conceive on the first try. Looking back on it, there were a few signs that something might have been going on.

-I was very tired while were were there and needed to nap in the afternoons. But we both thought it was because we were so active, along with being out in the sun and water.

-There was the whole puking on Haleakala. Which we both thought was a combination of the ear infection, car sickness and fish that causes gastrointestinal issues.

-My inability to eat scallops or ceviche at the luau.

-The fact that I basically passed out on every flight home before the plane hit cruising altitude. Again we both thought it was because it was a very active vacation.

Once we got home and I realized I should have gotten my period on our last days in Hawaii. On Tuesday April 29th I tested and it was positive!! My reaction was, and I'm not kidding, I laughed out loud. The pregnancy was confirmed by the doctor on May 2nd and due date of December 30th.

Spreading the News:

I tried to find a cute 'Daddy' onesie or bib to give to Dan as a gift, but didn't really find anything.So I just showed him this when he got home

We were going to wait until after the 12 week mark to tell everyone. But Dan's mom and dad were going to be in Indy for Mother's Day weekend and we thought it would be really special to tell his mom on Mothers Day. Of course we couldn't stand to wait until Sunday, so on Friday we gave her a "Grandma" Mothers Day card. We did wait until 12 weeks to tell everyone else though. My 12th week happen to coincide with the week following Fathers Day. I traveled to Terre Haute to see my Dad under the guise of wanting to give him his gift in person. It was a "Grandpa" Fathers Day card. I told my sisters by saying that I had gifts for them from Hawaii. But I had actually wrapped up a box of Tampax for each of them. They were quite puzzled until I said that I wouldn't be needing them for about 9 months. : ) And the rest of my family we told

like this:

Changes:

July 17, (16 weeks 2 days) I felt movement for the first time

Aug 17, (20 weeks 5 days) I was able to feel and SEE movement on the outside.

Around 24 weeks I noticed a definite sleep/wake pattern. As the baby has gotten bigger, I feel more rolling movement than kicks.

In early October I felt hiccups for the first time. Dan and I were laying in bed when it happened, so he was able to feel it too. We both thought it was very neat and it remains one of my favorite parts of pregnancy.

I had a pretty easy first trimester. I was extremely tired and was nauseated through out the day, but only threw up a few times.

I craved (and still do) ice cream and pizza. Thankfully not at the same time.

I had major adversions to chicken, mexican food and spice smells, and veggies. I can eat veggies now, and chicken sometimes, but only a fried version. I haven't even attempted mexican, nor do I want to!

I have been slightly more emotional than usual. Especailly when Brett Favre did that first press conference as a member of the Jets team. My husband came into the room and found me with tears streaming down my face. I'm pretty sure he thought I was crazy!!

Lately I've been a more grumpy and cranky than usual. And would really like not to be, but I just can't help it!! And when Dan says things like " You just need to chill out" I honestly want to ring his neck.

We have had alot of people ask of how we think the pets will react once the baby is here. We aren't sure. The cats have reacted to pregnancy. Moxie is much more lovey to me and wants to me near me. He is even letting me hold him, which he barely tolerated before. Lance on the other hand has quite literally became a pissy cat. As soon as we were home from Hawaii he started spraying in the house. It has progressively gotten better. Only about once every two weeks at this point. As for the dogs, time will tell. But I think they'll be fine.

Right now I am at 33 weeks and things are going well. I am measuring 2 weeks ahead, which means we don't have a small baby : ) The blood pressure is still an issue that we're dealing with There is still a possibility of the early induction.

33 weeks and Counting

My husband has been hounding me for two weeks to do another pregnancy post, so I thought I'd indulge him.
Last month we completed the "Expectant Parents" class at the hospital. It was the typical child birth class educating parents on labor and delivery. From the beginning, when asked about pain management, I was all for the epidural. But we were taught some great techniques for natural pain management and after learning about how the epidural may affect the progression of labor, I've opted to wait as long as I can before asking for the epidural, if at all.

At my 30 week OB appointment, my blood pressure was very high. So in an effort to keep this little one incubating as long as possible, I've been instructed to take it easy. I'm not on strict bed rest, but I do have to make sure I take things easy and rest during the day. There has been discussion of a 37 week induction. But nothing is set in stone. We just have to wait and see how my blood pressure goes.

Other wise, things are progressing well. At this point I'm still enjoying pregnancy, but am torn between ready to have this baby here and a little anxiety about becoming a parent.

Because we aren't finding out the sex, everyone has an opinion on whether it is a boy or girl. Currently we have more guesses for girl. . And a handful of family members have said I'll probably have the baby before Christmas. Make your own guesses at right for both the sex of the baby and when he/she will be born.

Pregnancy Post-27 weeks

Over the past week, I've had quite a few people who do not live near us ask how the pregnancy is going. So I thought I'd do an update.

Everything is going great! I feel good, have energy and am feeling good in my body. Dan and I both feel so blessed to be having such an easy time and are enjoying every minute of it.

The baby is moving like crazy these days! One morning around 4 am it seriously felt like there was a party going on in my uterus and I could not get back to sleep for about 2 hours. Any other day I would have been upset that I couldn't sleep, but instead, I lay there and enjoyed the moments in the dark, snuggled up to my husband feeling our baby explore. I wish Dan had been awake to feel it too. Often, the times when the baby is the most active Dan is at work. When we are together, I feel movement and kicks and when Dan touched my belly it stops.

We have a few names picked out, but noting definite yet. We have decided to wait until after the baby is born to decide. So not only will the gender be a surprise, so will the name!

And for your viewing pleasure.....a picture of me, 25 weeks pregnant.




Sure I've looked better, but I get home before Dan and change clothes as soon as I walk in the door.

A Pregnancy Musing

My morning caffeine has been replaced with Prevacid.
My evening wine by Colace.
Hearing the baby's heartbeat strong and clear makes me tear up.
And feeling him or her move and kick is absolutely priceless.

Per Jamie's Request

Aww Sweetie... I don't have the blog space, time or memory to list all the wines I've tried. And at this point, it took 3 days and Google to get the names of those that I do enjoy on a regular basis. Why?? Well, because I haven't been able to enjoy them on a regular basis. I've been to busy gestating. But I have very fond memories of the types/tastes I like, so here we go....

REDS-
Goat-Roti 2002--Shriaz from South Africa
Sabastianai 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Casillero Del Diablo Cabernet Sauvignon
I'm a big fan of reds that are beefy and spicy...you know, have substance. No wimpy, watery red's for me!! I typically gravitate toward Shriaz/Syrah.

WHITES-
I tend to enjoy creamy, medium bodied whites.
Columbia Crest Grand Estates Chardonnay
Gewurtztraminer is quite tasty. Other wise Pinot Grigio if I'm in the mood, it tends to be fruity.

Overall, I don't like super fruity or super sweet wines. I will make an exception when it come to Eiswein (ice wine). But Eiswein is a dessert wine, and that's a whole other ball game.

And there is no way a Blush or Rose would find it's way into my house : )

Food Snob???

So after having a humorous discussion over the weekend regarding if House and I are food snobs, I came across this entry on another blog and decided to give it a go.
You're supposed bold the items you've eaten and to cross out things you haven't (or would NEVER), but since I don't know how, I'll just keep them w/out bold.


1. Venison - makes a mighty tasty burger
2. Nettle tea -I'm all about teas, but I don't think I've seen this
3. Huevos rancheros - I believe a variation of
4. Steak tartare - no, but since I like me steak to be near moo-ing, I'd give it a try
5. Crocodile - not even appealing to me
6. Black pudding -had the chance and passed...wish I'd at least tasted it
7. Cheese fondue - ummmm....runny cheese that tastes like beer or wine....my mouth is watering
8. Carp -
9. Borscht - no thanks.
10. Baba ghanoush - hmmm looks interesting
11. Calamari - YUM!!
12. Pho -I like noodles and beef, so I'd try it
13. PB&J sandwich -for real?
14. Aloo gobi --Not a fan of cauliflower and why ruin a perfectly good potato
15. Hot dog from a street cart, meat on a stick - yep.
16. Epoisses - I had tried many many different cheeses in Europe, I'm sure I've tried it and described it as Peter Gunderson would --dirty dish rag--
17. Black truffle - only a sliver as garnish.
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes - well yes, but grape is best
19. Steamed pork buns - no, but if they showed up at my local Buffet I'd give it a try
20. Pistachio ice cream - not my favorite.
21. Heirloom tomatoes - of course!!
22. Fresh wild berries - of course!!
23. Foie gras - eww
24. Rice and beans - blah
25. Brawn, or head cheese -NO!
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper - no, because I'M NOT INSANE.
27. Dulce de leche - does Dulce de leche cheese cake count??
28. Oysters - so good!! Raw w/ lemon!! YUM!!!
29. Baklava - LOVE it.
30. Bagna cauda - nahh
31. Wasabi peas - not great
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl - In the San Fransisco air port...along w/ my $4.00 water
33. Salted lassi - doesn't even sound good
34. Sauerkraut - yep!!! Even while in Germany
35. Root beer float - ummmmm
36. Cognac with a fat cigar - eww to the cigar, but I'd try cognac
37. Clotted cream tea - nope. Sounds good, though.
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O - hello, I WENT TO COLLEGE
39. Gumbo - ymmmmmm
40. Oxtail - ?? why??
41. Curried goat - no
.42. Whole insects - nope
43. Phaal - I like curry, but I'd pass
44. Goat’s milk - a tiny taste
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more - nope
46. Fugu - nope.
47. Chicken tikka masala - nope, but I'd try it
48. Eel - yes. Sushi.
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut - MANY.
50. Sea urchin - nope.
51. Prickly pear - no
52. Umeboshi - no
53. Abalone -no, but I have some jewelry
54. Paneer - no
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal - no, if you know me, you know I don't really do McDonalds
56. Spaetzle - oh yes, YUM.--another while in Germany
57. Dirty gin martini - tastes like you're eating a Christmas Tree...yuck
58. Beer above 8% ABV - Oh Germany--how I miss you.
60. Carob chips - no desire
61. S’mores - well of course
62. Sweetbreads - ok, not what I thought it was and no I wouldn't try it---I have issues w/ eating glands/ organs.
63. Kaolin - Is this even edible??
64. Currywurst -- nope
65. Durian - no
66. Frogs’ legs - no
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake - yes, please!
68. Haggis - no, eww
69. Fried plantain - best when served sweet w/ chocolate
70. Chitterlings, or andouillette -no
71. Gazpacho - no, but I've wanted to make it
72. Caviar and blini - no
73. Louche absinthe - nope.
74. Gjetost, or brunost - now
75. Roadkill - WTF?
76. Baijiu - nope.
77. Hostess Fruit Pie - many many moons ago
78. Snail - no, I think it would be too chewy
79. Lapsang souchong - no
80. Bellini - no, but I want to!!
81. Tom yum - no
82. Eggs Benedict - not my favorite way to have eggs
83. Pocky - yep
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant - LOL
85. Kobe beef - nope, but I'd give the American version a try
86. Hare - if this is the same thing as rabbit, then yes.
87. Goulash - yes.
88. Flowers - yep.
89. Horse - not to my knowledge, no.
90. Criollo chocolate - no
91. Spam - sad to admit
92. Soft shell crab - I'm not a fan of crab.
93. Rose harissa - no
94. Catfish - fried catfish!!!
95. Mole poblano - no
96. Bagel and lox - no
97. Lobster Thermidor - no, I'm a purest when it comes to lobster
98. Polenta - yep.
99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee -nope
100. Snake - eww!

Well, seeing that I had to Google a good number of these, I'd say I am not a food snob......well maybe only about the foods I enjoy. : ) : ) And now this pregnant girl is craving sushi and unpasteurised cheese............

Baby Householder : )

Today was an amazing day. Dan and I got to see our little one for the very first time!! I honestly have no words to describe the feelings I experienced while looking at the life growing inside me. I was in awe, absolutely amazed and blessed. Here are some of the images we got to bring home. We were also able to record it via VHS.

Profile.

Face

Feet

Peek-a-Boo (baby was hiding behind my belly button)

Even a wee little smile

We haven't really blogged about the pregnancy. So, to catch you up:

My due date is December 30, 2008. (And yes we are hoping to get the tax break this year!)

We opted to keep the pregnancy a secret until my 12 week appointment. We also decided not to find out the sex. I honestly can't complain about the first trimester. I was nauseated alot, but never prayed to the porcelain gods on a daily basis. I was very tired in the beginning and in the past two weeks finally started to get my energy back.

I'm 20 weeks and 1 day today. Baby measured right on track during the ultrasound

All in all things are going well. I'm ready to paint the nursery, but we're opting to wait until the fall and the weather is much cooler.

And now that it's 10:40 and my normal bed time is 9:00 my brain is mush...so if there is anything you are dying to know, just ask.

Vacation Prints and opinions of digital printing sites

As of today all of my vacation prints have arrived. Truth be told, I had hoped to have a scrapbook of our Hawaii trip finished by the time we went to Washington DC. But, I realized that if I waited and combined everything I could get a better deal. I had prints made of Hawaii and DC (obviously) a few old pictures of my grandma and a handful of family pics that I scanned.

Soooo I have 445 prints from 3 different companies for a grand total of 37.52. (Includes tax and shipping)(and two 5 x 7's) For an average of .11 per print. Now, I could have paid 5.99 less, but I chose an faster shipping option on one order. But all in all I'm pretty happy with the deals I was able to score.

I've ordered from the two of the companies in the past. Snapfish and Winkflash. New to the mix was Shutterfly(50 free prints to new customers) All 3 sites are pretty easy to use and navigate. All give you finish options. All print nice looking photos (but that might be my nifty camera with 12x digital zoom)

My only true complaint about all 3 is that your photos to do not upload in order. Which annoys me. But Shutterfly and Winkflash both print the picture name on the back. So if you number your photos, like we do, it's fairly easy to put them in order again.
Shutterfly and Winkflash both print on Fujicolor Crystal Archive paper. Snapfish prints on Kodak paper, which feels thinner than the Fuji paper.

All of my orders got here pretty quickly. With Shutterfly being the fastest. Ordered on Friday, received Monday. I chose faster shipping on one of the Winkflash orders and it arrived in the same amount of time. Having used Snapfish the most in the past, they are nortourious for being slow. Their website states it may take up to 10 days depending on your shipping method. I've personally have had it take up to 12 days for my prints to arrive. This time it took 8 days. Had I not had credits left over, I would have avoided Snapfish all together. And will do so in the future.

So that's my two cents. Hope it helps someone.

I've HAD IT with Comcast!!

Game Show Network was the first to go, then the TV Guide channel, followed by a handful of channels we don't watch....then yesterday CMT was gone!!! All over to the realm of Digital Cable. You'd think Comcast might lower the price of our package, since, they deleted 10 channels from it, but no, we're paying the same amount. We've been dragging our feet with the whole digital cable thing. Due to both cost and having multiple televisions in the house. Because CMT is a channel that I watch on a regular basis, and Dan semi-regular, hopefully, this will be enough to jolt my husband into shopping around!!! And my vote is for ATT just on principle alone!

Back in the Swing of Things

Well now that you've read all about our vacation in Hawaii, I thought I'd fill you in on what's been going on since we returned.

-I finished teaching for the school year and had an performance evaluation. I've said it before, but I really do love what I do and it shows : ) My evaluation was great!!!

-Dan ran the Indianapolis Mini-Marathon. We both did it last year, and Dan was nice enough to stay with me. This year he was able to run and was much happier

-Dan stripped wallpaper in our dining room and painted it. We also stripped and painted the downstairs bath. Then we finished up by painting the kitchen and living room, which had been white since we moved in nearly 5 years ago.

-We got our vegetable garden planted. Lots of small green tomatoes right now.

-We are leaving on Tuesday to visit Mr.Steen in Maryland

-And the most exciting news of all.....We are expecting!!!! I found out the week we came home from Hawaii and my due date is December 3oth.

Day 11 - Last Day

Last day in Hawaii, and only a half day at that. Our flight out of Maui was for 8:30PM so we had some time to do stuff in the morning, but then we had to pack and get ready to go.

We decided to try a new beach that was supposed to have tons of sea turtles in the morning, Maluaka Beach. We got there and the waves were the highest that we had seen them and there wasn’t really a good place to enter the water. We got out there (partially because we thought that we saw turtles playing…. Stupid rocks) and were kind of disappointed. I don’t know if we didn’t go far enough left or far enough out, but we didn’t see much of anything.

We decided that we couldn’t end our trip with that disappointing snorkeling, so we headed back to our old stand by of Black Sand beach. We got in from the shore this time which was kind of difficult due to the higher waves. We hadn’t really wanted to climb over the rocks to the private beach, but I think it would have been just about as easy. We again saw plenty of fish and corral.
As we were getting ready to head back to shore, Shawnna was adjusting her mask above water and I was exploring a little further from shore. When I came back towards her, there was a huge sea turtle swimming right by Shawnna. Shawnna was just barely able to see him as he swam away.

Then, as we were heading back to shore, we found another turtle snoozing under a rock. We waited him out and he finally came to the surface and then swam right between us. We got some great pictures and a perfect end to the snorkeling. Dan really wanted to go in, but I convinced him to be patient. And out patience paid off. He came so close to me that I had to move to keep him from touching me. It was such an amazing moment for me. We spent a little time back at Po’olenalena and got to catch some waves on the boogie board. Shawnna even caught a couple. Then, unfortunately, it was time to go back and pack. This beach was by far my favorite beach to hang out and swim in the ocean. The sand was so light and beautiful. The water was crystal clear with no rocks or anything to step on. I really didn't think I wanted to boogie board. But Dan made it look like so much fun!! Honestly, the first time it happened was by accident. : ) We were out in the water, I was lounging on the board and Dan said "there's a big one coming, hang on" He wasn't kidding!! It took me all the way to the beach!! And it was so much fun!!!

We got packed, ate lunch at Pupu grill – excellent fish and chips. Spearfish (hebi) was excellent. This meal completely made up for last night. I wanted to stop buy LuLu's to get another haupia (coconut) shake, but I forgot : ( We got our water camera’s developed at Costco so we wouldn’t have to carry them home ( cheap at only $4.00 per roll) stopped at K-Mart to buy some souvenirs and then got to the airport.

We really didn’t have much luck with flights on this trip, and it continued on the way home. We checked our bags all the way through to Milwaukee from Maui, this was nice, we thought we were going to have to pick them up in Honolulu and check them again. But the ticket agent said that they couldn’t print our boarding passes for Portland to Chicago, which we didn’t really think too much of.

Maui to Honolulu to Portland, no problem. Got off the plane after flying all night and found out that our flight to Chicago had been cancelled. We go all the way to the United check-in area, wait for like 35 minutes and are told that we have been rebooked for a flight at 1:00PM (current time 7:30AM) to get into Milwaukee at 10:30PM. We had noticed a Northwest flight leaving at 8:30AM to Milwaukee and asked about that. We were told they had seats available, but that they could only give us a voucher. So we went to Northwest, got boarding passes, but no seat assignments, we had to go to the gate to get those. By this time, it was almost 8:10 and we needed to get to the gate. Got to Security, surprise surprise, special security. Everything taken out of our bags, air puff machine, swiped all electronics with special cloth etc. As we are finally heading to the gate we see that they are almost done boarding. We do manage to get two (last two?) seats, begged the gate attendant to let us grab two muffins since we hadn’t eaten in like 18 hours and board the plane seconds after the last call announcement.

Turns out that our Portland to Milwaukee flight actually stops in Minneapolis (airport number 7 for the trip) and then on to Milwaukee where we arrive only 15 minutes after we were scheduled to arrive from Chicago. And with that the vacation is officially over.

Day 10 - North/West Maui

Almost our last day. We had decided to spend the last full day on the north side of the island. We had intended to drive the loop around the West Maui section of the island but after the Road to Hana we were tired of driving. So, instead we were going to snorkel, go to the Whaler’s Village in Kaanapali, and then to see the torch lighting at Black Rock before going home.

As we were driving that morning we realized we had forgotten the Maui Revealed book. So we sort of remembered where the first place (Honoloa Bay) to snorkel was. We finally found it and there were a ton of cars there. Once we got into the water it felt a little more crowded than some of the other places, but not bad at all. We started on the left side and it wasn’t bad, ( I don’t think that we went far enough) but then we decided to swim across the bay. As we did, we saw a small stingray. He got away pretty fast but we were able to get a decent picture before he was gone. He was only a foot or so across, but had a 5 foot long tail. Seeing a sting ray was freakin' awesome!! He was small, but holy cow.. a sting ray!!!

When we got across the bay we ended up in the middle of a school of fish. This was really cool. The completely surrounded us and then all of a sudden two large tuna type fish came flying through and the school of fish went crazy. They were swimming in a circles and darting around us as they were chased. It was like swimming in a Discovery channel show. The rest of the snorkeling was very good and the corral just kept getting better as you went further up the right side.

After a couple of hours of snorkeling, we went to the Whaler’s Village (it's a mall on the beach)and looked around for awhile, had lunch at Leilani’s on the Beach. The food there was excellent. I got the fish tacos and Shawnna got fish and chips. Both were great, the fish tacos were huge for the price. A great bargain and great food.

Next we went up the road to Kahekili Beach Park. I did some quick snorkeling but there was a strong current and breeze that made it a little more difficult. Otherwise, we just relaxed on the beach. The beach had some nice facilities so we were able to change before we headed back to the Whaler’s Village to watch the torch lighting at sunset. It is pretty cool as he walks out to the Black Rock point, lights the torch, throws the fire into the ocean and then dives from the 25 ft high rock. After this we had the kind of long drive back to Kihei.

We ate dinner at Fred’s Mexican Café after everyone in the condo guest book raved about it. But, we weren’t really that impressed with either the food, or the service. By this time it was late and time for bed before our last day in Hawaii. This place was packed every single night we were there. We thought it must be good if it draws that much of a crowd. It was terrible. We waited forever for water. Had it not been so late, we would have left right then. Waited forever for food. We've been to plenty of packed mexican restaurants and have never had to wait so long or had food that bad. I honestly didn't know you could mess up a burrito that badly. A pretty disappointing last dinner.

Day 9 - Relax and Luau

Ready for another day of relaxation on our Southside beaches. We started our day off at the black sand beach and Shawnna and I hiked to our “private” beach over the rocks and started our snorkeling. Again we saw a wide variety fish and coral, but the highlight was Shawnna finding a sea turtle. He was taking a nap underneath a rock. He had tucked himself under a rock and was just laying there. We watched him for a little while until he came out, went up to the surface, and then went back under his rock. Unfortunately, we didn’t get any pictures because as we had been taking pictures, I noticed the camera had filled with water. Evidently, dropping an underwater camera is bad. This was the first sea turtle I was able to see while snorkeling. It was amazing. Especially since I was the one that spotted him. I fell in love with sea turtles today.

We went back to Ahihi Cove. Nothing really new and exciting there. Then by this time, it was about time to head back to get ready to go to Lahina and our luau at Feast at Lele.
We wandered around Lahina for a while before the luau. Shawnna got her picture taken under the huge Banyan tree and we browsed around the shops downtown. When it was finally time to be seated, we were surprised to be seated at a table for two within 3 ft of the stage. We also go a fresh flower lei and a mai tai as we walked in.

Feast at Lele is a little different than the typical luau. It is a four course dinner representing four different Pacific ethnicities, Hawaii, New Zealand, Tahiti, and Samoa. They would serve a course and then do a small show, such as a hula or other native dance. Our seats were awesome since the show was right in front of us. Shawnna discovered her new favorite drink, a Lava Flow, which is a pina colada with bananas and strawberry puree’. The food was excellent and we had a great time. We got some great pictures of the fire dancer which was the last performance of the night. All in all, it was an excellent time.
I am so happy we chose Feast at Lele for our luau. It was so nice to have our own table and to be served instead of having to go through a buffet line. The cost is a little more than some other luaus, but worth every cent!

Day 8 - Road to Hana

Road to Hana. We tried to get an early start today to try to beat the crowds but we weren’t real successful. We started the approximately 60 mile (from Kahului) drive to Hana and at first it wasn’t too bad, but eventually we started getting to the real curves. We stopped along the way, first at a small farmer’s stand for banana bread and my favorite, raw sugar cane sticks. The Road to Hana is a road that follows the eastward (windward) coast of Maui, and when I say follows, I mean follows. The road is known for having approximately 620 curves and 46 one lane bridges.

After this our first real stop was at Pulalau Falls. This is back off of the highway a little ways and we got to hike on a pretty nice boulder stream bed. Unfortunately, we got back to the falls, there wasn’t much of anything flowing from the waterfall.

Next was Upper Waikani Falls, aka Three Bears Falls, which was very pretty, though it was only flowing a little. This turned out to be the theme of the trip. Lots of green, lots of curves, but very little water. The next two falls were Hanawi and Makipipi Falls.

Then we drove down to the ocean via Nahiku Road. It was even greener than the road to Hana. The views of the raw coast line of this side of the island are amazing. Black lava rock getting pounded by the surf. It really made the couple mile drive down well worth it. We ate lunch down by the shore, which was supposed to be normally pretty deserted but there were quite a few people there. One of the issues with following guidebooks.

We then made our way to Wai’anapanapa Black Sand beach. The beach itself is actually smaller than the name, but it is a true black sand beach, made from pounded lava rock. From the beach, you could also see a sea arch of lava and walk into a lava tube cave.

Next was the actual town of Hana, which doesn’t really have a whole lot of anything. But, we did take a quick hike down to a Red Sand beach, but just as we got there, it started to rain.
I should tell you that you can't move real quick on the "trail". There's a reason that there is a "No Trespassing" sign. But that didn't stop us LOL. So we didn’t get all the way down to the beach, but it is pretty cool because there a small sheltered cove is formed by a red rock wave break.After Hana, the next stop was Kipahulu State Park with the 7 Sacred Pools. This is a series of waterfalls and pools that are supposed to have healing powers if you bath in each one in series. Just as we started back, we saw a rainbow, very pretty.

Then, was the unfortunate drive back which took almost 4 hours to get back to the condo. By this time, we barely had time to grab some dinner at Da Kitchen. Good local Hawaiian food, good price and huge portions. Then time for bed.



OK, I have to come up with something positive to say about this..... well, the coast line was very beautiful. The true black sand beach was neat. I just didn't enjoy spending all day in the car. Folks say, "It's not about getting to Hana, it's about the drive there"...well the drive lasted ALL DAY. I would have rather been spent the day in the water. Dan agrees. Maybe it would have been more enjoyable had the water falls been flowing.