Kauai: Part II The Queen's Bath, Secret Beach, and Kayaking

Kauai: Part II The Queen's Bath, Secret Beach, and Kayaking

6.12.2016

^^View of Hanalei Bay at sunset on a rainy day^^

The rest of our week in Kauai is a giant blur of exploration, food, and good old fashioned fun. If you know Bron very well, you know he likes to go-go-go!  He wore me out.  After the sun went down, I passed out in our king-sized bed by 9PM every night.  (I blame pregnancy for that too.)

We stayed in a one-room apartment at the Hanalei Bay Resort where there were pools and a hot tub, tennis courts, and a fire pit with a view.  Sooo relaxing!  It was located on the north side of the island where it rains a lot more often, but is other-worldly in its greenery and beauty.  Plus, we kind of fell in love with the quaint little town of Princeville where we shopped and ate most of our meals.  The people were so friendly and it just radiated a vibe that made us want to move there and stay forever!

On Tuesday morning we searched out The Queen's Bath, a natural tide pool made of lava rock.  We knew it would be low-tide and therefore most likely safe for us to swim.  It was just a ten minute hike past some waterfalls and across lava rock... and it didn't disappoint!  The Queen's Bath was so cool!  The tide pool was deep enough to jump into.  And every once in a while a big wave would crash over from the ocean and into the pool.  But the best part was all the little fish we could see and swim around with!    

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Kauai: Part I Kalalau

Kauai: Part I Kalalau

6.10.2016

How do I even begin describing our trip?  It was literally full of rainbows, countless waterfalls, and chickens.    

It all started back around the new year.  Finances had lined up and it just seemed like the right time to book that vacation both Bron and I had been dreaming about and make it into a reality!  In all of Hawaii, Kauai has the reputation as the adventure island: plenty of hiking, kayaking, and places to explore.  It wound up being a perfect fit for the way Bron and I like to vacation!  The island was unpopulated and quaint with cute little shops and local restaurants and beaches with hardly anyone on them!  It was very laid back and stunningly beautiful.

In fact, the very stunningly beautiful Napali coast line is exactly where we began our vacation adventures.  Steep green mountains jut out of the Pacific Ocean creating a primitive eye candy scene like I've never laid eyes on before.  We hiked it, all ll eleven miles in to a gorgeous and historically sacred beach area known as Kalalau that cannot be accessed any other way.  No boats.  No planes.  Only on foot.  (Unless one breaks the law, which we actually saw happen.)  But since we're law-abiding citizens, we procured a permit and began our hike the morning after we flew in.

We flew in on a Saturday night after the sun had set and rented a convertible mustang.  Woohoo!  (Apparently, everyone rents those while in Hawaii.  Haha.)  We couldn't see a thing as we drove along the dark coastal highway, but I could smell the salty ocean and feel the humid breeze.  The blanket of night was such a tease!  I was sooo excited to SEE what was the island had in store for us the next morning.  I wasn't disappointed.  In fact, I was awoken by a rooster's crows just as the sun began to rise.  The whole island is overrun by wild chickens!  Such a funny surprise.        

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A Day in the Life 2016

A Day in the Life 2016

6.07.2016

Welcome to the fourth annual "A Day in the Life" post!  Though it may have been late in the month, I still managed to document a fairly typical day around the Nelson home before May was over and school got out.  Whew!  Pregnancy morning sickness has been kicking my butt, but I knew documenting a day would be worth it.  These yearly posts have come to mean a lot to me because someday I'll forget; someday I'll forget what life was like with just my two little boys when Jed was in kindergarten.  It's been a wonderful school year for sure and I'm anticipating that next year will look completely different!  So please, take a peek at what Wednesday May 25, 2016 looked like here on the home front.

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Rub a Dub Dub. Twenty-One Kids in a Chlorinated Tub.

Rub a Dub Dub. Twenty-One Kids in a Chlorinated Tub.

6.06.2016

Summer has officially arrived!  Finally.  That last week of school (okay, maybe almost the entire month of May) was a killer.  Why do schools even bother to stay in session past Memorial Day?  I'm telling you, it's dumb.  The routine.  The homework.  I was ready to throw it all out the window because the sunshine, water, fresh fruit, and popsicles were calling!

I know I wasn't the only one who felt this way because all of us neighborhood moms were on board to the idea of a summer kick-off party on Friday afternoon.  Dani kindly hosted the rumpus in her backyard.  Everyone wore their swimsuits and brought water guns and towels.  There were even some water balloons!  And of course, snacks alongside an endless supply of popsicles.

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Memorial Day Weekend (Baby's First Ascent!)

Memorial Day Weekend (Baby's First Ascent!)

5.31.2016

^^Our racket enjoying some homemade chocolate chip cookies on the bridge!

Ryan, Owyn, Oliver, Addy, Levi, Lorren, Kendra, Jed, and Abram.^^

The big holiday weekend and kickoff to summer couldn't come soon enough for both Bron and me!  We had a long week here.  Bron had a work trip in Denver while I held down the fort by my pregnant self here at home.  Wednesday felt more like Friday for both of us but we still had two more work days to endure!  In fact, I don't remember what we actually did on Friday night.  I'm pretty sure we just crashed after putting the kids to bed.  However, the party began first thing Saturday morning and we played hard all weekend long!

Saturday morning I agreed to run "shuttle service" for both Bron and his friend Aaron.  They rode their mountain bikes down Third Fork.  The little boys and I hiked and explored around the bottom of the trail until they arrived back.  In fact, the trail was in such amazing condition, that the guys decided to run it TWICE!  I was dyyying of jealousy.  This whole growing a baby thing requires some sacrifice, you know.  Of all the things I miss most, getting on my bike for an adrenaline pumping ride is near the top of the list.  "Next year," I keep chanting to myself because safety trumps risking injury.  But the whole morning was a win-win for all of us after all, I think.  I truly enjoy getting out of the house and into the sunshine with my little boys!

Afterwards, I was the one who came home and napped for two hours!  Sounds a little backwards, right?  Totally.  Bron took the boys with him to the hardware store to buy a long-awaited weed whacker while I snoozed at home.  Thanks, Honey!  He's great.  I think I'll keep him.  :)

Then that night we enjoyed a barbecue with the Horsleys and roasted marshmallows over a fire in the backyard.  Annnd to top it all off, my friend Amy and I got to sneak to the store for some late night shopping.  Pretty perfect day, right?  Absolutely.  But that was just the beginning...

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Baby Bump Ahead!

Baby Bump Ahead!

5.21.2016

 ^^Posing with baby #3 in the evening at 11 weeks and 6 days.^^

The rumors are true!  And I'm so thrilled I want to shout it from the rooftops because just when I thought it would never happen again... it is!  Baby Nelson #3 is due to join our family somewhere around November 19, 2016.  I'm already head over heels in love.

It's been a perplexing and emotional two year journey to get this far.  We've wanted to add to our family since around February 2014.  But for no reason in particular, I've had trouble getting pregnant.  Hormones?  Stress?  The will of God?  I suspect the reasoning is a combination of all three of those things.  When I sadly miscarried a baby last April, my world was turned upside-down.  That was something I wasn't prepared for at all.  I had high hopes of conceiving again, but as the months passed by, I began to doubt.  That unfulfilled desire for a baby ate at my heart and soul.

I guess you could say the last two years have been a quiet trial for both Bron and me.  I've learned a lot though: from gaining more compassion for other women who struggle with fertility to gaining more faith to trust in my Heavenly Father's love and timing for me.  And fortunately, I've never felt completely alone.  There are plenty of women in my own circle of friends and family who can relate--even in some small way--and their smiles and words have brought comfort.  I'm grateful for that.  I'm very much looking forward to putting this all behind us in November and moving on to some new challenges!  :)

Anyway, the new year found me making big plans: plans for the second bedroom, plans for another big bike race, plans for an epic trip to Hawaii!  I finally came to terms with the idea of "just" raising two healthy little boys and being completely content with that.  On my visit to Arizona in March, family asked several times if I was pregnant.  I responded, "Nooo!"  Apparently, I was in for a big surprise. I was already pregnant; I just didn't know it yet.

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