Helicopter Tour!

Almost 20 years ago, on our honeymoon, Bob surprised me with a longtime dream of a hot air balloon ride over Keystone, CO. Today, it was Bob's turn to fulfill a lifelong dream of flying in a helicopter, and what better way to fulfill that dream than in Kauai? The ride was amazing, and the pictures speak for themselves, so ENJOY!



After our adventures in the air, we drove to a really neat little town called Old Koloa Town. Strolled the streets and wandered through gift shops. Spent the rest of the afternoon at the Po'ipu beach, reading, people watching, and swimming in the warm Pacific Ocean. Ahhhh.

Dinner at the best pizza place on the island (so they say), Brick Oven Pizza.

Tomorrow, kayaking the Wailua River.

Day Two in Kauai

We awoke today to a beautiful morning. We took our time getting moving, enjoying the sounds of tropical birds and roosters while eating our breakfast. It's never silent here, either the birds and roosters are keeping things lively, or the crickets are chirping at night. I love all the sounds!

After getting ready, we stopped in at the Kalaheo Coffee Company. I was just going to grab a cup of coffee to go, but when we went in, I knew we had to stay a while. I loved the atmosphere, and the coffee was great. Bob got a hot chocolate and a Banana Sour Cream Coffee Cake. Oh my. So good! We sat outside on the big covered porch and enjoyed conversation and the view. We will definitely be going back there for breakfast this week, and I'll take pictures next time!

We spent the next couple of hours doing some shopping...souveniers for the kids, coffee for me, and shoes. I didn't bring my hiking shoes (long story...), so I had to pick up a cheap pair to get me through the week.

After shopping, we stopped at the BBQ Inn and got a traditional Kauai "plate lunch" to go. The plate lunch consists of rice, salad, and meat of some kind. Our plate had a fried fish and chicken. Really good. We ate it at the top of Waimea Falls. Breathtaking.

We took a little time and visited the Kauai Museum for a little history lesson. It was interesting, but not terribly exciting.

Headed back "home" to cook dinner. Here is Bob grilling our chicken. Yes, that is a sunburn!



After dinner, we decided to head up the hills to catch the sunset. Not spectacular, but fun anyway!
Tomorrow is our helicopter tour! Stay tuned for some incredible pictures!

just for you, mom...

We made it! We arrived in Lihue, Kauai last night, around 7:00 p.m. Flying in was amazing! I can't wait for the helicopter tour after the little we saw yesterday evening. Here we are in the Jeep...



We stopped by the grocery store on our way to the condo, then crashed by 9:00 p.m., which was really 1:00 a.m., Denver time!

Breakfast this morning consisted of fresh pineapple and papaya, with some Kona coffee. We are getting into this whole Hawaii thing pretty well!
This was our view as we ate breakfast and sipped coffee this morning (I sipped the coffee, Bob sipped his orange juice...)

It rained off and on at the condo, so we decided to head to the West shore, where the forecast showed lots of sun.

Scenes along the drive...
In the town of Waimea, we stopped at this little coffee shop. The owner insisted she made the best coffee on the island.
This is the only coffee I've had on the island, but so far, it is absolutely THE BEST. Iced Mocha. I don't think I've ever had a better one!

After the town of Kekaha, we turned onto a VERY bumpy road. The road seemed to go on forever, but finally we came to the end of the line. And all the bumps were worth it! It began to rain when we first got there, but it was a short shower, and this is how we spent the rest of the day...We read books, walked the beach, bobbed up and down int he waves. It was the most relaxing day. I think I could do this again. Soon.

By 3:00, we had had enough sun. (Actually, we had enough sun long before that, we just hadn't realized it. Bob and I are both burnt. Cooked. Well done.)

After returning to the condo for a shower and a quick dinner, we jumped in the Jeep to try and catch the sunset. We were a little late, but were still able to enjoy the last few minutes of the beautiful sky.
We had planned to backpack in the Waimea Canyon tomorrow. But our shoulders are sunburned, so not sure how the backpacks will feel. We'll see how we feel tomorrow. We may hike. We may not. I love vacation.

this, that, and the other

Just some random silliness from the Schwarz home.



Cheyenne Mountain Canyon hike on a beautiful spring day. Micah went with the entire 6th grade for a fun day out.

Goofing around

Relaxing with friends.

We didn't order a yearbook for Caleb this year, so during the yearbook signing assembly, Caleb decided to not be left out...

the big bash

Well, my boy is 16. It is hard to believe that Nate is 16, but so much harder to believe that I can possibly have a 16-year-old son. Really. How can I have a son that's 16 when I remember so very clearly being 16 myself? Weird.

Anyway, we went back and forth on how to celebrate this momentous occasion, and ended up throwing a big party at our church, complete with dancing, karaoke, and crazy games. Here is a sampling of some of the fun times...

Ummmm, yeah...

Nathan playing DJ, taking requests

Rock stars

I had the help of a fabulous friend in planning this shindig (thank you, Eileen!!!)
We planned a wild game of The Amazing Race, and even though the pictures didn't turn out great, you can get an idea of the craziness from these pics...

The party was so much fun! And Vanguard Church was the perfect place for a bunch of partying teens to hang out!

This was Nate's favorite part (NOT!). I plastered the walls with pictures of him through the years. He was so stinkin' cute!

Caleb has begun planning his 16th birthday party. He is determined to out-do Nate's.