4th of July Get-Together

I love hanging out with friends... I love making special memories like those on holidays... Here are just a few pictures of our 4th of July, spent with some of our closest friends, the Bomar, Co, and Wiens families.

Grace's Rage

 We arrived from Maui in San Jose, and then had to still drive home to Fresno.  By the time we got in, it was about 1:30am.  Grace's Rage team had a tournament in Selma the next morning and she was supposed to be there at 8am.  We decided that after all our travels, it'd be better to sleep in.  We did join up with her team later in the day.  It turned out to be a scorcher- it was 113 degrees for the last two of her games.  We are still so impressed that she didn't complain once about getting out there.  She played again that Sunday, and her team went on to win the tournament.  

Grace had such a wonderful experience playing all-stars this year.  Since it was 8U, it wasn't too bad of a time-commitment.  She learned a lot and we really loved her coaches! 

 For her end-of-season party, Grace and I made these softball cookies for her teammates.

Thank you to everyone who has supported Grace this season!  Your help through purchasing car wash tickets helped our overall costs significantly!

Shave Ice!!!!

Okay, so I'm finished recapping our Maui trip, but I just had to designate one entire post to one of our favorite Hawaiian treats: shave ice!  Locals told us that in Hawaii, it is known as shave ice, not shaved ice.  Ummm, I'm drooling as I recall each shave ice that I got to have.  We must've averaged one a day!  Aside from getting to choose syrups made from Hawaiian cane sugar and fruit juices, a shave ice can also be served with a scoop of ice cream underneath, and topped with a condensed milk mixture known as a "snow cap."  Another authentic addition is to get adzuki beans underneath... That was my favorite combination- lychee, green tea, and coconut shave ice with adzuki beans... YUM!!!

Our bank was having a Customer Appreciation Day a few weeks ago and was giving away free shave ice.  I had been craving it since we left Maui and was so disappointed that the shave ice we had was more like a snow cone.  Wonder if there's anywhere in Fresno that sells shave ice that is truly "shaven?"  If you find a place, make sure you let me know! 

Last Day in Maui

Before heading out the airport, we had enough time to stop off at 'Iao Valley State Park since it was along the way.  We took a short hike to see the 'Iao Needle which is a natural rock pinnacle that stands in a valley and is surrounded by the walls of a crater.  Hawaiians consider this valley to be a very spiritual place. There is also a botanical garden there that highlights plants that are native to the area.

We are so thankful to Jason's mom for blessing our whole family with this trip.  So many wonderful memories were made!

Don't know when we'll get to return to Maui, but ALOHA!  'Til next time...

Maui Day 7

For our last full day in Maui, we decided to head out to do some boogie boarding.  It was suggested that we try a place the locals call, "Grandma's Beach" (its actual name is Papalaua Beach between Lahaina and Kihei).  It was a perfect day that included boogie boarding, swimming, playing in the sand, catching and seeing a crab up close... It was so relaxing, several of us actually fell asleep while we laid on the beach!  

Maui Day 6

We were determined to find a better snorkeling area, and after asking around, we decided to try Ulua Beach.  Several people said it was a good beach for kids.  It's located in a very nice area in Wailea, and it was hard to find since there was construction happening nearby.  However, it was a wonderful beach!  Even in the shallow waters, you could see fish that would swim around our ankles.  This certainly motivated Jeremy to use his snorkel gear.  It was exciting to explore and find fish.  There were also some fantastic tide pools in which we found all kinds of sea life.  Jason swam out further and was able to see a turtle up close.  After spending a good amount of time snorkeling, the kids played in the sand while the rest of us relaxed on the beach.  What a great time!

Maui Day 5

Along Maui's eastern coastline is the "Road to Hana," described by many as the last remaining unspoiled Hawaiian paradise.  Much of its 60 miles is one-lane and includes over 500 hairpin turns (I'm not exaggerating!).  Along the way, those who travel it are able to take in beautiful waterfalls, radiant pools, and lush rainforests.  It is certainly a road less traveled!  Well, since I easily get carsick, despite the amazing descriptions, this did not appeal to me at all.  Luckily for me, there were several other factors that led the family to decide just to stop off at the first waterfall.  It was a lovely hike to get to Twin Falls.  We were definitely in a rainforest because it would sprinkle every so often, and the trail was very muddy in some places.  From the end of the trail, we had to wade in through the creek to actually get to the falls.  I volunteered to stay behind and watch all of our stuff.

On our way back, we stopped off at a swimming hole along the trail.  There was a cliff that was perfect for jumping off of, so of course everyone wanted to do that.   

After we left the Twin Falls, we decided to try going just a little further on the Hana Highway to see if we could find a scenic place to stop for lunch.  Six windy miles later, we stopped off at Huelo Lookout and decided that'd be as far as we'd go.  Here, we got some fresh smoothies and ate lunch before turning back.