Back to the Big Island.

Almost exactly one year ago Rusty and I went to the Big Island for our tenth anniversary. We made the trip back from May 6th to the 11th with Merrill, Nancy, Steve, Mike, Holly, Naiya, Kyleigh, Katelyn and Ridge. Our family does not "vacation" on vacation. Every second is packed with fun. Here is the jist on what we did...

Friday-
-Mike, Holly, Russ, and I went to the Kona temple. Merrill, Nancy and Steve watched the kids for us (THANKS GUYS!).
-Went to a farmers market for some fresh fruit and vegies.
-We did some big city shopping at Ross and Target. You can not know how exciting this is for Holly and the big secret is that Rusty loves Ross as much as Holly. The secret is out.
-A trip to Costco stocked us up on groceries for the rest of the trip. Nama bought those really delicious chocolate ice cream bars for everyone. Kyleigh and Katelyn talked Nama into buying them their own. Someday I'll be a Grandma and do the same thing.
-We drove around the South shore of the island to the house we rented in the town of Volcano. Steve arranged for the house and it worked out so well. It was nice, new, clean and just big enough for all of us. It was so nice to have a place to cook good meals and sleep comfortably. We had a fire in the fireplace at night and a big screen T.V. to watch movies.

Saturday-
-We made it through the Thurston lava tube, dark side and all.
-We tried to go see the lava flow. Yes, it was flowing on the surface. The radio said it was open from 2-10. The people driving back on the road were telling us you could walk right out by the lava. We got out to the right spot about 2:15, 15 minutes after civil defense set up their barricades and wouldn't let us out to see the lava. Running with the rebels that I do, we backtracked and took a wide circle around the barricade. I got to poke red hot lava with a stick. The stick caught on fire the second you poked the lava. We went back towards the road and got caught by the civil defense man. He yelled at us and told us he could call the cops. We asked where the signs were that prevented us from walking around like we had. He grunted and left.
-On our way back towards Volcano we stopped at a natural hot springs pool. It is hot fresh water mixed with ocean water that comes in and out through an inlet. For those of you who have been to Challis Hot Springs, it is alot like that with ocean water coming in and out. It is a public place and free for anyone. I planned on holding Ridge on the side and watching everyone, but the water was too nice. I ended up swimming in my clothes and Ridge swam in his birthday suit. It was his favorite part of the trip. He didn't make a peep for over an hour while he was enjoying the hot water. Note: You can always tell a tourist on Kauai because they get upset about naked babies in the ocean. Nobody else cares. It is not uncommon to see a 5 or 6 year old running around naked.

Sunday-
Kilauea Iki Hike- We did the 4 mile Kilauea Iki hike. This was one of my all time favorite hikes. The 4 miles seemed more like 1 or 2. It was a nice rainforesty descent into the bottom of the crater. One man stopped us when he saw us coming down into the crater to warn us that it was a four mile hike. We get that alot. People see our little kids and think we don't know what we are doing or that we are plain crazy. Kyleigh hiked it without any problems and Katelyn hiked well over half on her own. A majority of the hike is across the barren floor of the crater which was dotted with steam vents. We stopped for steam facials in some of the holes. Steve jumped in a hole for a whole body steam bath. The ascent out of the crater was very steep, but very quick. It finished with a fairly level walk back through more lush rainforest to the cars. Everybody had a great time.
Jagger museum-We made a trip to the jagger museum. I think the most interesting part of that museum is the display of clothes from the volcanologist who fell into flowing lava (and lived).
-We also made a trip down chain of craters road.

Monday-
-Rusty, Mike and Steve decided they hadn't had enough time playing with hot lava so they made a trip back to see the flowing lava really early in the morning. They poked it with a stick, and helped shape the earth by manipulating the quickly drying lava. They brought back a few rocks wih poke marks in it. They also went to some steam saunas.
-We all went to the lava tree state park. When the lava hits trees it sometimes drys around the tree and then the tree burns leaving a hollow mold of the tree that was there.
-We went snorkeling at some tide pools that were a great place to see fish and interesting reef formations.
-Because we had enjoyed the hot spring pool so much we made a trip back. This time I brought along mine and Ridge's swimming suits.

Tuesday-
-We took a self guided tour of the Mauna Loa chocalate factory. Best part-eating samples.
-We did a self guided tour of all of the waterfalls in Kona, and went through another lava tube.
-A few hours were left to kill so we went to the movie theatre and watched how to train a dragon.

All too quick our vacation was over.



Living room at the house we rented.

The group in front of the Kona temple.

The crater floor.

From rainforest (in the background) to barren crater floor.

Steve's steam bath. Kyleigh thinks he is crazy (he kind of is and we love it).

Map of the big island.

Classic Steve taunting the kids.

Red hot lava setting my stick on fire.

Feeling the heat from the flowing lava.

Inside a lava tree.

Outside of a lava tree.

Naked Ridge kicking back.

Rainbow Falls in Kona.

May 18, 2010 must go down in the history of RM Cook fam as the day Kyleigh officially became a bike rider. She can start, stop, turn and ride on her own. WOO HOO!

At first I wanted to post this picture because Ridge looks so much like Kyleigh. When I looked at it again I almost thought he looked like a doll. His smile is so dollish and his skin is so clear. What do you think?

Russ and Ridge.

Bubble Monsters!

This is what happens when you mix bubble bath and jets. Bath time heaven.

Ridge's first beach trip...

We bit the bullet and took Ridge to the beach for the first time. He was very happy to be there... for a minute. Maybe two. I caught him smiling during the happy minutes.


It has been so long since we've been to the beach the girls had to get in and play with Daddy right away. Rusty took them snorkeling. Ridge stayed in the shade of his stroller. By the time they got back the happy minutes were gone. Ridge was already snuggled in my arms under the shade of his blanket (100% bamboo fabric blanket, the absolute perfect material for this weather). Ridge didn't get any water time at the Saturday beach day.



Katelyn loved snorkeling on Rusty's back, though.

And Kyleigh is all practiced up for our trip to the big Island. We are hoping to catch the dolphins near Captain Cook's monument again.

Plus she found a huge sea cucumber. Sea cucumbers are an instant kid attractor at the beach and Kyleigh is an amazing hero with her find.

I ventured out to the beach again the same week. Just me and the kids. I waffled back and forth before finally getting the courage to try it alone. I kept telling myself that I have to start if it is going to get any easier. We had a great time. I found that I need an umbrella and the stroller is key. Ridge did get some salt water exposure and loved it. Every day beach weather is around the corner (no, it is not beach weather every day) and I will be ready!

Nasty!

Once again Ridge looked cute in his Sunday clothes. We were trying to get a good picture and he kept looking down. Kyleigh reached over to lift his chin up to look at the camera just as he looked up and spit up in her hand. Her reaction, "NASTY."