The kids and I were home for about 24 hours from Bentonville, Arkansas, before we boarded our next flight. We were super excited for our trip to Kauai. We couldn't wait to get some beach time in.
Aaaaand we're off!
The kids asked if it would be ok to sit the three of them on one side this time. They were really excited when I said, "Sure." I think the people behind them were nervous to have three kids in front of them, haha. They rocked that long flight though! The people behind them actually told them how great they were when we were getting off ;) #proudmommoment
We got off the airplane and I had to take a pic of these beauties. We made it! We also randomly ran into the basketball player, Blake Griffin, in the airport. That was a fun little treat. We didn't get a pic, but the kids thought it was pretty cool. From the airport we grabbed our car and headed to Subway. We were ready to fill our bellies. The kids LOVE Subway. It's a go to fast food stop for us when needed.
After Subway we stopped at the wonderful Costco. Filled up our cart with yummy foods and headed to our condo for the next two weeks. We were all stoked to begin this adventure.
One of the first things we did was check out some locations that my friend recommended for when I was shooting. The kids were up for a drive. Plus, promising shave ice was a help ;)
We found a pretty sweet secluded beach. The path was lined with palm trees. It was beautiful.
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Cute little models :)
I feel like I can hear and feel this picture. The waves crashing into the shore, wind on my skin, with a touch of salt in the air.
Anytime we are near ocean, the kids have to get in :) Running from the waves has been a favorite thing to do since they were really little. They laugh and have the best time being chased by the waves. Judging whether or not they are big or will crash before touching the backs of their legs. Being a kid is the best!
What a view! Driving home we stopped to capture this stunning landscape right in front of us.
Shave ice was calling our name! And boy did we answer ;)
As promised, we stopped for this sweet treat on our way back from scouting locations. I think everyone won on this one ;) I found some great spots and the kids enjoyed their reward for being awesome!
This ended up being our favorite shave ice place on the island. It's called Honu Shave Ice. So dang tasty. We may have become regulars while we were there.
Can you find the turtle head poking up out of the water?
We couldn't have asked for a better beach day. Watching the turtles surf the waves and riding the waves into the shore was perfection. What a joy it is to be beside an ocean. We legit went to the beach almost every single day.
Quinnie loving life.
Joy.
Long ocean days call for long sleeps ;)
Since it was going to mostly be the kids and I, we had a one king bed apartment. Some nights Jack slept with me and Q and B slept on the couch. When Aunt Britt joined, the kids slept like the above with fans blowing on them through the night. They slept so good and so did I ;)
Everyone had the opportunity to pick out a new puzzle before we left. I loved mornings like this. We would have breakfast and enjoy drawing, puzzles, coloring, reading, or playing card games. It was so fun!
Each of the kids had a puzzle and I picked a bigger one that we could all do together. We would put them together on our own and with help. It was a great way to pass some time but feel productive. We'd listen to music and just hang out.
Because digging holes at the beach is the best! Brennecke Beach is our family favorite. We tend to stay close to this beach every time we come to Kauai. The waves are perfect for boogie boarding and the swimming is really fun. There are always turtles to spot and one time we saw a huge pod of spinner dolphins.
Gorgeous day for some sunshine, water, and sand.
We spent every single day at the beach and/or pool.
True Kauai way! Chickens and the ocean.
Quinnie picked me this beautiful flower on our walk to the beach. I loved sitting and listening to the waves and laughter all around me. One of my happy places!
Jumping in and riding the waves all the way in.
I took one book with me in hopes to finish it in Hawaii. That is what it turned out to be, hopes, haha. I finished it when I got home, but it was SO good. I would highly recommend this one. It'll have you laughing, crying, and thinking about life.
Beckham really enjoyed the ocean but he LOVED the pool time. We would do our best to do both in a day. Some days we would just do the pool and just the beach depending on what was on the agenda. Either way we were in some body of water every single day.
1, 2, 3 JUMP!
Soaking in the view while the kids play Marco Polo!
Littles with goggles kills me. I think it's funny every single time.
Quinn showing me her skills as an otter.
Love
One of the joys of having a big brother is that they will cart you around, haha. Beckham would carry Quinn from one side to the other. These two are hilarious.
Sunset from our balcony...oooo ahhhhh.
We tried out another pool. Our resort had three...WOW! We met a fun family from upstate New York. The kids all played together while the adults relaxed and chatted. It was lots of fun getting to know the families vacationing at the same time we were.
The joys of a pool, sunshine, and palms.
Jack completed his puzzle all on his own. He wanted to make sure to document this sweet milestone :)
Our last pool to test out ended up being our favorite. We came here every day. They had a hot tub as well, which we all enjoyed. Bathroooms were close by, the lounge chairs were a plenty, they had lots of tables with umbrellas, and we loved how quiet the pool would get at times.
Love this view! My cute littles playing and taking in all things Hawaii while I read.
A little screen time so Mom could get some work done.
Our table always seemed to have a puzzle, crayons, drawings, books, or games on it. We loved our time together.
FaceTiming Preston before he took off for Young Men's Camp. He was going as one of the leaders this year while we played in Hawaii ;)
We were beyond excited for Aunt Britt to join us. We counted down the days to her arrival. Having a little one on one was what we needed. Spending four days with just the four of us was so fun but we couldn't wait to break up our norm with some more family time. After getting Britt from the airport I had to grab some groceries so we stopped real quick. The kids wanted to hang in the car and update Britt on all of our adventures so far. I was sent the following pics while shopping, haha.
Killin time.
Best goofie faces...GO! Haha.
Welcome to Kauai Aunt Britt!
Of course we had to hit the beach first thing! We took a walk down and showed her our favorite places. Since Britt hadn't adjusted to the time change just yet, she would wake up early and stroll the beach. Quinn was always willing to go along with her. I think they both enjoyed that one on one time.
My little Hawaiian flower.
The kids took it upon themselves to teach Aunt Britt the ways of riding the waves. They laughed so much.
One of the things that Britt asked me to think about was a hike. She really wanted to do a small hike somewhere. We found a really cool hike close to home that ended with a cave. Everyone thought it would be a good idea to check it out so off we went.
Adventurer Beckham and Voyager Quinn
The views from the trail were gorgeous.
Love these three kiddos of mine.
Makauwahi Caves
We made it!
The tree of life ;)
To get to the caves we had to crawl through this hole. It gave me a little PTSD from when I did the Nutty Putty Caves in college. This was much more open and set up for people to actually use, haha.
We found a cool tortoise on the property.
"Mom, take my picture."
The secluded beach we found.
It was dreamy. Looked like a great beach for kids. We were too hungry for lunch that we didn't test it out.
Heading back!
Our lunch view.
We stopped at the near by golf course restaurant. They had incredible food. I think we were all surprised. The shrimp tempura was incredible. I got a poke bowl with fresh mahi mahi and it did not disappoint.
Beautiful course.
That night we talked to Preston and he told us all about Young Men's camp. He had a really good time and even went white water rafting! I think it's safe to say that he really enjoyed himself.
The leaders were in one raft while Bishop, who is also a guide, took the youth in another one. So FUN!
Off to Hanalei!
Love this picture of Beckham boy. The sunscreen, the hair, the pose, everything. This kid has my heart.
The kids actually didn't care for this beach as much. They preferred ours. The waves weren't as fun. So, they decided to soak up some sun and build a masterpiece out of sand.
Britt and I enjoyed the rays and views, while watching the kids enjoy building and digging in the sand.
Beckham ran in circles around us to get out his energy.
And Fred came to life! Haha.
More Shave Ice!
Not sure what Beckham was doing but I know he was happy with his choice, haha.
Spouting horn.
I call it the sleeping giant. It sounds like a giant sleeping when the waters pour in and out. It's super cool to hear.
After checking that place out we wanted to try out another beach. We hadn't given Poipu Beach a try even though it is quick walk from Brennecke's.
We decided that Poipu Beach was calm and great for snorkeling.
These cool dudes came ashore to say hello and rest from their journey.
We snorkeled for a little while but then headed back to Brennecke to finish off our beach day. After dinner Britt and I slipped a way to check out Shipwreck beach which was only a mile from home. LOVED this beach for pictures!
I had another cute model ;)
Our first Sunday we enjoyed our Hawaiian church experience with Britt.
Beckham boy and Aunt Britt. Making memories!
Then off to Waimea Canyon!
We packed a lunch and headed to the top of Waimea Canyon. This trip and view NEVER disappoint. It is such a gorgeous landscape. The Grand Canyon of the Pacific will always be a place I remember.
God is good!
Pictures do not do this place justice. It is absolutely breath taking!
Sisters...love!
Even MORE shave ice! Haha! This time we stopped at the famous JoJo's for a cool treat.
A morning walk with Aunt Britt.
Love that they would go and watch the sun rise.
Palms at the pool were blowing so hard. It was fun to watch them sway in the breeze.
One more beach day before Aunt Britt heads back to reality.
Saying good bye to Aunt Britt.
Britt was seriously such an incredible addition to this trip. She watched the kids when I had shoots, took them to the pool so I could edit, made dinner when I was in a zone and trying to finish things. She was an incredible sounding board for my own life's questions and concerns. The kids LOVED laughing and playing with her. We were spoiled to have our very own one on one time with Britt. So grateful she made the long journey to join us on a crazy photography adventure that will forever leave a lasting impression on my heart.
While Aunt Britt was in the air we headed to the pool in her honor. We played Marco Polo, dove for toys, and enjoyed the time. We only had a few more days before heading back home ourselves. Plus, it was fourth of July so we wanted to celebrate in true summer style.
Pool Days!
The boys made some friends the last few days we were there. It was so fun to watch them all play football and enjoy the friendships that were beginning.
Aunt Britt helped us start our BIG puzzle and Q and I finished it. We had to show her that we did it!
Sunsets in Hawaii are incredible!
Just as the sun dipped I took this final shot. It was such a perfect feeling of happy and grateful for our time spent in Kauai.
The boys didn't care to celebrate Fourth of July down on the beach so Q and I went. We enjoyed this island style celebration.
Happy Fourth!
Creating their very own Jurassic Park before church.
We were so blessed to be in Kauai when we were. Elder Renlund from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles happened to stop by at church that Sunday and spoke to us. He bore testimony of the Savior and the importance that repentance plays in our lives. Not to focus on past mistakes, but to think more about where you are now, where you are heading, and how to get there. How if we focus on the Savior He will direct, lead, and guide us into becoming the very people He knows we can become. It was a beautiful testimony of the Savior and His true character. He was in Hawaii checking on those that had suffered from the fires on Maui. After Maui he visited the other islands to check in on the people. Such a cool church to be a part of. No one is forgotten or goes unnoticed. The Lord knows His people.
One last trip to Costco to return a few items and enjoy a cheap dinner before heading home to pack.
What a view to take in!
I think it's safe to say it was a tasty dinner! Love these three kiddos.
Ended the night with a little night swimming.
One more FaceTime call home to Pres and we were packing up. We also sent this pic to Aunt Britt to let her know we missed her :)
I woke up on our last morning to finish packing up our stuff and clean the condo. Loved this sweet site.
After two weeks of pure enjoyment and fun, we were ready to head home to Pres. We really missed him this trip. We wished it would have worked out for him to join us at some point. Next time ;)
The car was full of gas and loaded with all of our luggage. Time to head home! We felt it was appropriate to finish the trip how we started it. With subway and full bellies. Then, to the airport we went.
California here we come!
Hawaii, you will forever have a special place in my heart. I tend to learn many lessons while I am on the isles of Hawaii. I hope to see you again soon Kauai. Meeting the sweet families and people I did was incredible. It was so fun to photograph family sessions on the beaches of Hawaii. So grateful to my friend Hannah for helping me check off that bucket list dream. Dreams do come true!
We took a short break after getting home from Hawaii before ending our Summer vacation with one more quick trip to celebrate our favorite guy's birthday!
