Days 4, 5 and 6

Again same story on both Kallee and JJ's

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Day 4

A good day and a tough day. We started with my 42nd birthday and a great card from my mother and father in law. It was written so well and made me feel appreciated and loved I was very happy to get it. My parents were also impressed. My mother made me tacos for lunch and we went to a flea market at the community college. It was a lot of fun and I bought myself a few hats and a shark necklace.

Jayden had a tough time because he wanted a toy and then when he spent his own money for it he found it needed batteries and we would not go buy them. He had a breakdown. We saw a spoiled boy who did not understand how much he is given. He is a really great kid, but he has some things that with his parents help, he is going to have to work through. He is at times trying to raise himself and has trust issues…

Grandpa took the kids to the park and they had a wonderful time. We then went to a miniature golf course with lots of things to do. Jayden looked like he was having a wonderful time as he tried to golf in a left handed push way. Mommy tried to help him but he always reverted back to a very interesting stance. Kallee did not understand all the fuss and she just went over to the hole and dropped the ball in. Problem solved. They both got to do rock climbing and then Jayden did some trampoline extreme bouncing. But then gave another pouting face when he saw daddy and Kallee on the water bumber boats without him. He did get to ride it but he literally looked like a kid who did not get to do a whole bunch of fun things in the past three days. Hopefully in the next few days we will sit down and have talks with Jayden and get him to understand how enjoyable life is and he should be thankful for what he is given.

Day 5.

It was a day of ups and downs, literally. The Family took their one (and maybe only in my lifetime) trip to the top of Haleakela. I cannot tell you how lovely, awesome and enormous the volcano is. It is truly a once in a lifetime sight. It has so many colors of lava rock and the crater is so big. It is hard to explain to Jayden that the Crater is “the hole” at the top of the mountain. He was expecting a Cartoon like hole, but he got the concept of it. Jayden and Kallee and Alison have now been to a real volcano and back. They have a plant there that is found nowhere else in the world. It is called the silver sword. It is a beautiful plant… Amazing. The view was breathtaking as you could see forever. You were literally on top of the clouds and I took many pictures. It was also breathtaking because you could to a walk on a lava rock trail and go to one of the peaks. We did and Jayden and Alison made it all the way to the top. I was short of breathe a lot trying to chase Jayden down as he was flying up and down the trail. He had a great time and so did we. Kallee loved being there as well and we tried to find the Nene Bird. (State bird of Hawaii), but decided it must be sleeping…

The down side was the road. OMG,.,,, it was a 10 mile twisting turning gut wrenching trip to get to the state park… then you had another 11 mile trip to the crater… I was sick, Jayden was sick, Kallee was a little sick and so was Alison….. That part will make this a onetime only trip. Unless they make a really large escalator.

We also hit the winery in Upalakua. Alison love the pineapple wine… The kids had a great time exploring the grounds with Grandpa and Jayden got to play on a cannon. I was still sick and found tums and real ginger ale and black licorice… I survived.

We also got to see some great memories. We did some shopping at the same store that my mother used to shop at when she was a little girl. I got to see the hospital that my grandma and grandpa worked at. And Jayden and Kallee saw the house that my mother grew up in when she was a child. It still looked pretty good. It was great trip for me to see things that were part of my mother’s history. Jayden and Kallee ate at the restaurant that my mother used to have Chinese food at. (It now serves sandwiches and great desserts.) This was in Kula. The store is called Fongs Store and they were the riches people on the island… It is still called Fongs Store… History is still alive.

To see my mother talk about her past brings up so many good memories about how people have lived when they were young. My father’s house in Minnesota and Qunicy. Connie’s house in St. Josephs and the colleges that she and Dick went to. I want my children to get to see these places. To know what life was and is for their grandparents and how truly lucky they are that they get to see them this much and talk to them and to feel their love. Blessed is how I feel, and I know my children feel the blessings the get not only from us, but from their grandparents and cousins and aunties and uncle, and and the Grandma Aunties and Uncles. Jayden really likes Uncle Roy and loves playing with him. Kallee just wants to ride on his cart.

Day 6

This was a day at the beach again day. We finally got to the point where the burns were not so bad. It was a good day to hit the baby beach. We stopped and picked up snorkeling gear and watch fishes and coral underwater. I am hoping that the underwater camera that I got took good pics as we tried to chase down a few tropical fish. There were a few really cool ones plus a sea cucumber or slug… or whatever it was. Colorful tropical fish and some minnows that I tried to chase towards Jayden and he tried to jump on, but he kept missing. Jayden wanted to stay in the water the whole time changing from his snorkel and fins to fins to boogie boarding to fins and boogie boards. Kallee did do some great swimming kicks in the water.. But definitely like playing on the beach the most. I was snorkeling most of the time. Alison and I then took the kids to Front Street and had a wonderful time as Jayden and Kallee climbed the world’s largest banyan tree for a long time.

The fourth of July was so nice for us as Kallee kept singing happy birthday. She is just a happy little girl. Kallee just seems to be happy all the time, except when she does not get her way. She usually then just falls asleep.

It was a good day to celebrate the nation and our freedom. A freedom that we benefit from all the time. God has given us a wonderful family and we are blessed to be Americans… and we celebrated this Maui Style.