Kauai 2014--Zip Zip Zip!

Zip-lining in one of the most lush environments in the world?  Sure.  OK :)

Brik and Jake just barely squeezed by when it came to being old enough to do a little zipping.

These girls did it last year... so they were pros.

Momo was the sweetest and decided to have a play date with Luke so Joe and I could both be with Kate and Jake for the experience... and Jen and BG and Matt and Brett, Be, Gracie and Brik :) 

We rode up to the starting point on a big yellow "banana bus" they used in filming the latest Jurassic Park movie.  The kids were feeling pretty, darn, special.  

And Jake's first Kauai ride alone.  This was the shortest one, so they said he could go solo if he wanted to.  Otherwise he would be tied to me on the rest of them because they were such long rides!  It was so much fun!!!

Albatros...Orangutan...whatever you'd like to call it... that's me and my wing span.

Sometimes I forget how small 6 years old really is until I see Jake in a picture like this.  And then I think... he is still just a little boy!  In my mind he's older than he really is.  I'm not wishing time to speed up at all, I just am grateful for moments like these to stop and remember and reevaluate my expectations when it comes to certain things with him!  Because before I know it, he'll be huge like that handsome kid sitting next to him ;)  

Waiting for our turn

It wasn't just all day in the tree tops.  They made us hike a bit too!  Didn't mind a bit with all of the scenery.

The girls LOVED being tied together.... until they got stuck on the last ride because they didn't weigh quite enough.  The guide had to monkey climb out on the line to rescue them :)

Joe definitely won in our group for coming in at top speed.  We were worried at times that the guides wouldn't be able to stop him!!!!

Love my girl

Gorgeous

What an awesome day.  Minus a couple of Jake's wire-burned fingers, it was PERFECT.  (But he was a stud.  We bandaged him up and he kept going on the rest of the runs instead of giving up completely  and quitting half way through.)  Love my family.  So. Very. Much.

A Few Randoms Thrown into the Bunch

 Dining at it's finest-- Chicken in a Barrel-- we hit it at least once every year

 Love Love Love this place

 Just Cute.  Love seeing them together.

 The girls

 My boys.  This killed me.  I walked into the hotel room and found Jake and Luke "helping" Joe get his morning routine finished up.  

 Kate and Gracie LOVED their silly straw glasses from Jen.  Made every dinner out a memorable one ;)

 Spent plenty of time here wandering the aisles, sighing heavily, and packing as much into our cart as possible as we lamented on how much we miss Costco :)

 Some of us like to shop and some of us like to squeeze into small spaces and wait it out ;)

 Church-- always more fun together!

 Making friends wherever we go

 And eating these whenever we can :)  Hot malasadas are like nothing else.  Such a cute mom.  

The beach babe is worn out

Time to hit the Swamp!

Not what you would imagine hearing in Hawaii.  But Jake was finally feeling better.  It was Joe's turn to take the kids on a hike with BG.

My turn to sleep in with Luke :)  They were up at 5am, pumped for the Alakai Swamp hike.  Jen and I did it with Dad last year and loved it so much that Joe had been itching to get up there.

Dad's philosophy is always a good one.  

Get going before the sun comes up so you'll be back before it gets unbearably hot.

Takes my breath away! 

 I absolutely LOVE all of the pictures that were captured on this adventure.  Thanks, Dad.  Definitely not a walk in the park, but it looks like the kids held their own and loved every second of it.

 The changes in terrain really make this an incredible hike.

 The kids reported 641 actual wooden steps that they climbed along the trail.

 Shirtless and feeling good he made it to the lookout :)

 They can do hard things! 

 I am so proud of them!!!

 And so grateful for these truly incredible men that they have to look up to.