Day Five in Hawaii

Another low key and relaxing day. Basically we walked, ate, read our book on the beach, ate again, read our book on the beach again, swam in the wonderfully warm water, swam in the wonderfully warm pool, watched a beautiful sunset and ate again. We are sad the trip is coming to an end. We have had a great time. Lynn and I would be happy to turn 40 again if it meant coming to Hawaii again as well.

We will be soaking up the last few rays of sun tomorrow morning and on the road in the afternoon. The trip was just amazing!!!!! A big thanks to my husband for taking such good care of the girls. You are the best Honey!

Aloha!

******
Dear Keara and Kailei,

I saw a sea turtle and a bunch of seals today. Mommy also swam in the ocean. The waves knocked me over quite a few times but it was fun. It was great talking to you today and I can't wait to see you both. Be good for Daddy. I love you. Remember your kissing hand.

Hugs and kisses,
Mommy

Day Four in Hawaii

Fairly low key day. After our morning walk we went to the beach and read our books until lunch. It sprinkled on us a little but it passes so quickly that we didn't mind. We did get to see a monk seal that was resting on the beach so that was exciting.

After lunch we took a helicopter ride...yes, you read right...we took a 50 minute helicopter ride around the island. So much of Kauai is inaccessible by car so this was one way we could tour this amazing island. It was fantastic. I thought I might get sick but I took two dramamine and was fine. A couple of other people said they felt a little blah at times but I was fine so I was grateful the meds worked. They did however make me very drowsy and I've been trying to get my head together ever since. The dramamine made me so tired I thought about taking it tonight when I go to bed. :)

Anyway, we went to Tidepools Restaurant for dinner over at the Grand Hyatt which is just an amazing place. Great food and atmosphere. I'm still sleepy so will sign off and head for bed.

*********
Dear Keara and Kailei,

Mommy is coming home soon. I'm bringing you both home a hula skirt and will show you how to hula dance when I get home. You would have loved the beach I was at today. I miss you. Be good for Bailey the next few days.

Big hugs and kisses to you both.

Love, Mommy

Day Three in Hawaii

So if you want a whirlwind tour of Kauai, Lynn and I would be happy to escort you. We were busy tourists today.

We started with a brisk walk down the beach which included both rain and sunshine. We then decided to drive up to the North Shore. If you follow the road, it eventually ends at Kee Beach. We then walked up the Kalalau Trail which in on the Na Pali Coast and experienced a spectacular view. After hiking back down the trail we took a peek in the Waikapala'e Wet and Dry Caves. All that hiking left us hungry so we grabbed lunch at the Polynesian Cafe in Hanalei.

Princeville is home and a popular vacation spot for the wealthy so we drove around town and dreamt about where we could stay if we were millionaires. Dreams are always fun, right?

The Kilauae Lighthouse attracted our attention so we zipped over to this state park which is also a bird sanctuary. In the winter months it is a popular spot for humpback whales. Oh, how I wish we were here a few months later since I would love to see the whales. It was spectacular view anyhow with the waves crashing against the coast.

We stopped to browse artisans at a local craft fair and then headed off for a quick trip to Opaekaa Falls and Waileu Falls where we sipped coconut milk from a real coconut. We then went to the Lydgate State Park which has another beautiful beach.

We did a little more shopping at Coconut Grove, ate dinner and came home. Whew! I think beach and relaxation is in order for tomorrow.

On another note, Zeb is attending the World Series tonight with his brother Curtis. I know how excited he is (like a kid in a candy store). Hope the Rockies due well. Cross your fingers.

************
Dear Keara and Kailei,

Hope you are having a nice weekend with Daddy. I know you spent time with Grammy and Poppy today. Mommy is thinking about you every day. I miss you and Daddy tons and love you very much.

Day Two in Hawaii

So today we took our books and headed to the beach. The trade winds were blowing hard but the wind is warm and still enjoyable. We spent most of the day just hanging out which has been relaxing.

Tonight we attended a luau. It was fun too. Lots of beautiful dancing and of course the traditional Polynesian fire dance.

I'm hoping to sleep tonight. Bought some ear plugs. ;)

*******
Keara and Kailei,
So nice to talk with you both tonight. Please be good for Daddy. Mommy will be home soon. I love you and think of you lots. Sweet dreams girls. Love, Mommy

My First Day in Hawaii

Oh my goodness, how beautiful this place is! Wish you all could be with me.

I believe I'm now jinxed in terms of travel. Our plane was delayed in Denver, we missed out connecting flight and we arrived with no luggage. Sound similar to the Virginia trip? I feel like it was but we won't dwell on that day and will focus on the days to come.

Since we arrived late at night we were unable to see anything so the first thing we did was tour the grounds and see the glorious ocean. I would love to be able to send you pictures but you will have to wait to see those when I return.

After walking around a bit Lynn and I then went to Spouting Horn which is a hole where water comes through some rock kinda like old faithful in Yellowstone. We were surrounded by the local wildlife which around here are roosters and chickens...they are everywhere. Cracks me up.

We then decided to drive to Waimea Canyon which is similar to the Grand Canyon and just breathtaking. It was well worth the drive. I got a little car sick with all the twists and turns in the road but I think it would have been worse if I had been the passenger. Lynn handled it fine though.

After viewing the canyon we piddled through some small towns, stopped at some little shops, and went to the Kauai Kookie Factory.

We then headed into Lihue to do some more shopping since it was a little cloudy. We found charms for our charm bracelets which is a traveling tradition and picked up a few souvenir items here and there.

Traffic gets pretty heavy at rush hour so we stayed in Lihue and went to a Kilahuna (?)Plantation. We actually crashed the tour group that was there and joined in the fun. Most folks were there for a luau but since we didn't have tickets we took a horse drawn carriage ride around the place and ate a restaurant on the grounds. Lynn and I were both underdressed but what can you do. We laughed a lot about crashing the tour group and went with the flow. I had prime rib and enjoyed every bite.

Lynn is snoring quite loudly so my sleep has been hampered. I'm hoping to catch a nap today at the beach.

Having a great time. Will try and blog more later.

********
P.S. Big hugs and kisses to Keara, Kailei and Zeb. I love and miss you guys.

Colorado Weather

Well, yesterday was a beautiful fall day and today marks the first snow of the season. Colorado's weather is very unpredictable but that is what we love about it. It should be back up into the 70's later in the week. Go figure.

Halloween with Horses

Yesterday, we spent another beautiful fall day attending Halloween with Horses. It is an annual event here in Parker which seems to grow larger and more expensive every year. Regardless of the cost it is quite fun to be out on this beautiful horse park taking hay rides, trick-or-treating in the barn and watching the horse costume contest. The Archer's were out in full force and some of my mom group friends attended as well. It was a little windy but we still had a good time.

To view some pictures follow the link...

http://picasaweb.google.com/carcherdavison/HalloweenWithHorsesWeb

The Best Secret Ever

So Kailei quietly knocked on our door at 5a.m this morning. She opened it and came around to my side of the bed. "Mom, Mom...I have a secret for you." Groggy and weary eyed, I asked, "What Kailei?" "I love you.", she replied. "And I love daddy too!" And with that said, she trotted off and back to her room. What a great way to start the morning.

Busy Saturday

Another busy Saturday for the Davison's. We started by taking Kailei to Chinese. For some reason I just realized that I have not been practicing the language like I should with her. We are supposed to review all that she learns throughout the week and somehow I just plain forgot that was an expectation. Bad mom. I'll try and be better. I promise (now, if I could just find the cd and lessons....).

We headed north for a haircut after Chinese class. It takes the majority of the day to get a haircut for the girls in this house since we travel 1 1/2 hours by car to Greeley to get it done. I know you think I'm crazy but it is worth the drive to Greeley to have my friend Shari cut my hair. Having curly hair is a curse and one has to do what one has to do to look half way decent. In my case it means driving to Greeley. Shari has been cutting my hair since college. She has been there through college graduation, marriages, births and I love her friendship. No one can say I'm not devoted. It has actually become a great girls day as Grammy joined us a few years ago and makes the trek with us. Keara got a special hairdo as she had a glamour birthday party to attend.

So then we drove home, had Keara change clothes and headed west to the birthday party. Since Keara was tied up and we didn't want to drive all the way back home only to have to turn around again, we took the opportunity and went to church. We then took Kailei to Gunther Toody's for dinner which is a 50's diner. Kailei continues to surprise us with what she will eat and so she had some catfish fingers for dinner. She loved the tarter sause and was licking the bowl when we left.

After we picked Keara up I got a bee in my bonnet and decided to pierce Kailei's ears. Keara got hers done when she was four but for some reason today I had the urge to get Kailei's done. We were near a store, Zeb was with me, there was not a line and we had time to kill so the cards seemed align to get it done. Kailei was a trooper. Obviously she cried but it was short lived and the pain seemed to lesson with purchase of a princess notebook and calculator.

Both girls crashed on the way home from their busy day. Shortly after putting them to bed, their parents crashed too.

Fall Fun

The Dentist

Well Keara and I had a dentist apointment this week. Keara absolutely loves to go to the dentist. Perhaps it is the tradition of visiting the donut shop right next door after our visits (yes, I'm ashamed to admit it) or maybe it is the trinkets she gets afterwards from the dentist, but what ever it is, she loves to go.

She has a tiny cavity but they really want to bring her back to seal her molars and pull some teeth. She currently has four loose teeth rattling around but an adult tooth is coming in behind a baby tooth and the dentist doesn't think there is enough room for it so she would like to pull the loose tooth and the one next to it. I once told her about getting a shot in my mouth to make things numb and she had quite the meltdown just thinking about getting one in her own mouth one day. I fear Keara might not like the dentist after she has some teeth pulled but guess we will wait and see.

Unlike Keara I hate the dentist and struggle with keeping a positive attitude in front of the girls. I had my teeth cleaned and it turns out I have to get another crown. Ugh! I swear they always plan to do it around the holidays when money is tight.

Guess I'll have more to write about the dentist sooner than I thought.

Bedtime

As I put the kids to bed tonight I'm reminded of their quirky, yet endearing bedtime and sleeping habits. Keara likes to sleep on top of her bedspread with a small, green blanket covering her. In all honesty, I think it is because she doesn't want to make her bed in the morning but who knows for sure. She likes to pick her clothes out the night before (a good idea to avoid "drama" in the morning) and always asks Zeb or I what the weather is supposed to be. We have to keep up on the latest for she always asks. She always has us read to her and will occasionally read to us but since she has so many books for school she prefers to just listen at night. She will inevitably end up with the cover off her in the morning as she tosses around like a fish out of water. While she often has a difficult getting herself to wind down enough so she falls asleep (like her mother), once there she is out cold (like her father).

Kailei likes to have books read to her as well. Zeb and I often have to divide and conquer during bedtime. If one of us is gone, then group reading tends to be a better idea or bedtime gets to be too late for one of the girls. Of course, getting a toddler ready for bed is a chore in and of itself. They are on their own clock and it certainly is not the clock I'm on. Kailei likes to sleep with the light on, not a nightlight but her bedroom light. How she sleeps like that is beyond me but any efforts to turn the light off lead to hysterics. Kailei also likes to sleep on her back. She is often found lying with her arms behind her head head as if she was gazing at the clouds on a summer day. My bizarre mom thought as I look at her is wondering what she will ever do if/when she gets pregnant and the doctor says you can't sleep on your back. Lord knows why that thought pops into my head but nevertheless it does and I wonder. Because Kailei is always on the go, I enjoy watching her sleep as she looks so peaceful, calm and quiet. She is a light sleeper and we struggle with her getting up in the middle of the night, or her waking up to start her day at 4:00am. She doesn't appear to need as much sleep as her sister and can be heard late at night reading books to herself.

I'm not sure why I write this. I just found it interesting tonight.

Sweet dreams everyone.

Race for the Cure

So, every year since Zeb's mom passed away I've been doing Race for the Cure. This year I decided to ask Keara to walk with me. I was unsure how much whining would occur so I opted for the 1 mile walk. That was indeed the right choice as is evident of the pictures. A wide range of emotions was experienced and expressed during that 1 mile. Keara did say she enjoyed it (unsure if that was the walk itself or the goodie bag) but I think she felt good telling Daddy that she was walking for Grandma.

The Wedding

So, we attended a wedding tonight. Susan was actually a friend of my sister's from long ago and she sang at our wedding years ago. I write mostly to share the pictures of the girls as they looked so cute.

Kailei was a handful. I can remember back when Keara was three and it was the hardest age for us. I fear the same is coming to be true for Kailei. She can be a real turkey. We may not be able to take her in public if it gets much worse. I tried getting a sitter but had no luck so the girls had to come with us. I was certainly pooped by the end of the evening. I think the girls had a great time though. Kailei especially loved the dancing. She was really burning the floor. She was dropping down into the splits, learning John Travolta moves (which she came to call "the finger dance") and was quite the entertainment for those nearby.

Keara enjoyed the dancing as well but as is typical with Keara she spent most of the time watching everyone else.

The Harvest Festival

While windy in the Denver area today, it was still warm so we still decided to head to the Harvest Festival at Four Mile Historic Park. Grammy, Nic and Sydney came with us and we had a great time. Hay rides, mining for gold and the pumpkin patch were just a few of the highlights but I'd have to say the most fun we had was watching Nic in the pie eating contest. With a little push, we convinced him to go for it. Two minutes without arms or hands eating as much pie as possible. I believe the contestants had a choice of flavors and Nic chose apple. We got quite a bit on video and I will post that with this blog entry. I was cracking up. Poor Nic looked like he was going to throw up. From ear to ear on Nic's face was apple pie. He wound up getting second in the youth division. Needless to say he didn't want lunch. He said he needed to burn all the calories he could after eating that much pie. Oh my gosh, I haven't laughed that hard in quite a while.