Labor Day Weekend!

We got to spend time on Maui this weekend (last minute) and every time we go, it always seems too short! Levi has been developing more of a personality and has been starting to take steps. We wanted Darin's family and our friends to see his growth. We got to spend some time with the Yamada Ohana and also got to eat lunch with Makana, Jenn, Kahikili and meet their newest addition, Hawanaolu. Tobi also got to come along for the ride... he hates airplanes and gets so scared during take offs and landings, but we know he would rather be with us, than be at home by himself! Plus, Aunty Traci and Grandpa Kent love Tobi too!

The rest of August...

The rest of this month just flew by for me, probably because it was transitioning for both me and Levi. Since I was going back to work full time this year, and also starting at a new job (teaching at KCC!), Levi also had to start day care with Aunty Lilane. We both had to acclimate to new environments and some days were easier than others. Levi is doing better at the sitter, but still has a little bit of separation anxiety. Hopefully he will get used to Aunty Lilane soon enough!

Loves playing with all his toys!

Starting to stand up and take steps, not completely walking on his own yet, but getting there!

Levi with Aunty Jenn at Koa's 3rd birthday party

 On Wednesday, August 21st, we brought Levi home from the sitter and he wasn't using his arm. I first thought he was getting sick again or that he was teething because he was grouchy. Aunty Lilane said he was sad that day but didn't notice him not using his arm. We went to the ER and the doctor thought it was Nursemaid's Elbow and tried to pop it back in twice over a period of 2 hours. With no improvement, the doctor ordered some x-rays and after 3 grueling hours at the ER, we left with no real answer to what was wrong. On Friday, our friend (Aunty Jenn in the above pic) and also Orthopedic Nurse texted me to see how Levi was doing. She asked me if he was still in pain and actually wanted to see him that day. We brought him to see her and she saw that his elbow hurt when I just bent it slightly and ordered a cast for precaution. There was no break that showed up in the x-rays, but she believes it to have been a growth plate fracture (the bones are not solid yet because they grow so much at that age that the fracture wouldn't show up on the x-ray anyway). So Levi was in a cast for 1 week. He managed just fine and still slept well considering he couldn't suck that thumb!

Oh no!

Healthy baby?!

Levi's pediatrician, Dr. Wotring was one of the judges and he just laughed when he saw Levi's cast!

Got some free goodies, but no win, shucks...

Time to take off the cast!

Since Levi couldn't go to the beach for 1 week, we headed straight there after the doctor's office. Doctor told us to just keep a close watch, and it would take 2-3 weeks to completely heal. Levi was in heaven and was so happy to use both of his arms again, especially at the beach! Tobi even got a little bold and went in the water without us carrying him in (only up to his ankles, but that was a first for our 4 year old doggie!). I guess an old dog can learn new tricks!

Kiss daddy!

Andy wanted Hanna to not be so afraid of the Satta's two sausage dogs so he became Cesar Mulan.

Shaelyn, Aunty Stacy and Levi.

Kalalau

Jed has hiked into Kalalau 3 times within the past year, and has brought 3 different groups of people. This time, his friend Jose gathered a group together and planned it for August 4-7th. Hiking into Kalalau has always been on my bucket list, so I told Jed I wanted to come! Jed wanted to kayak it in, and so did another friend (Aaron). Working out the logistics of borrowing the kayaks, having my dad's truck be used, and also the drop off and pick up at the complete opposite ends of the island were challenging (North Shore, Ke'e Beach, and then West Side, Polihale Beach). We were able to get kayaks, but the scary part - none of us did the kayak part before! Jed is an avid waterman, and both of them are Eagle Scouts... I was more worried about me! Jed said to be prepared to hike or kayak. If the conditions weren't perfect, he would rather me hike. We checked the weather forecast a few days before, and it looked good, so I decided to kayak into Kalalau with Jed and Aaron. The kayak took us 3.5 hours to get to the beach. We took our time exploring the sea caves and waterfalls. When we got to Kalalau beach, Jed shouted, "This is SO EASY! I'm never hiking it again!"

Jose and his crew (8 people) hiked it in, and met us that day. We arrived at 11:30 am and rested until they came (around 5:30 pm). We spent 3 nights in there, and I had such a great time that I already want to go back next summer! Getting away with no cell phones, no electricity, and just living on the simplest of things... where a piece of fresh fruit made someone's day... Life was simplified and brought us closer together. Instead of viewing what other people were doing on Instagram and Facebook, we were in the moment and making memories that would last forever.

Kalalau Beach from the kayak

We made it!

Setting up camp

Jed and Jose on our first evening watching the sunset

Waterfall pic with the brother

Waterfall @ Honpu Beach

Honopu Beach: A burial zone is back in the shrubbery area

Honopu Arch - We had to swim around the bend to reach this isolated beach.

The Honopu Arch

Boulders that have tumbled down from the Napali

Picking Ophihi!

Yum!

This cave had water dripping from the cavern and it created a fresh water pond in there.

 

Lunch time!

Hiking deep in the Kalalau Valley

We found Big Pools! After looking for a tree with an "X" on it and hopping across "4 streams" and turning where there is a large 4 ft boulder (there were many of those)... We were about to give up, but we found it, and it was amazing!

Jed being silly and holding up the water

The whole group on the second night

The Pyro at work!

Went back to Honopu and played in the cliffs

Ophihi! Now where's the kimchee sauce?

The place we camped was in the trees slightly to the left.
Above is the ridges called The Cathedral.

K - A - L - A - L - A - U

Yeah, I kneed Nick in the butt as I tried to scramble up to the top!

This was a set of about 10 sequence pictures and it included the army crawl and Daryl jumping on Boy-San's back.

Everyone's faces are so classic!

Final sunset in Kalalau, for now... hopefully we will be back next summer!

There was a new moon, and after we ate dinner, we all just laid on our backs and star gazed for a while. I hardly ever see shooting stars, but that night, I saw the longest shooting star in my life! Great way to end an amazing trip!

 

Our adventure still wasn't over though! We got to kayak around the bend and see one of these beauties - Jed calls it God's toilet bowl, others may call it the blue hole. Still pretty cool no matter what the name!

It took us 4 hours to kayak to Polihale. We then headed back home, dropped of Aaron at his dad's workplace, and then washed out all the kayaks. I was tired and ready for a good shower, and to sleep in my nice bed!