Mike caught this of the Milky Way last night out on the lava.  Seriously, the stars are insane out here!

Our last full day on the island.  I am not going to lie.  I don’t want to come home.  I am not ready.  The kids, however, (all but Dan) are ready to come home.  Especially Bodie.  That poor boy has had a tummy ache, been hit in the foot, and today he was stung by a bee on the way back from watching the surfing lesson.  Less than 24 hours from now we will be heading to the airport to board a plane home.  It will be interesting to see if they seem to be bothered by the cold dreary weather that awaits us back at home.

Today, however, Mike and I were up and out our favorite coffee shop by 7:30 for my non fat latte with mocha coconut powder (I will really miss that when I get home) and his “estate of the day” special blend black coffee.  We relaxed at our condo with again, another wonderful Hawaiian continental breakfast before driving to the Fairmont for a surf lesson.  Dan, Turner and Luke were all excited to get out and see what they could do.  The moms in Paige and I were concerned about the especially strong surf they were expecting today.  In fact, the winds and conditions are so strong on this side of the island today that the kayak trip Mike and Dan had planned out to Cook’s Point in Kealekekua Bay had to be cancelled, which the company says NEVER happens!

I gave Dan extra helpings of ‘overprotective mom’ about being careful out there in the surf on the long walk to the surf spot; a walk by the way, that I would NOT recommend if you have slow girls like ours.  Kids with Down Syndrome can be a bit slow physically; walking, running, navigating stairs, etc. and today we experienced that in spades during the 1/2 mile trek over sand, lava rocks, and coral.  What would take a typical kid 10 minutes took us probably 25.  I’m not gonna lie — sometimes patience in us parents of kids with special needs is tested.  In fact, I would say it is tested almost daily for various reasons.  Today was no exception.  But the upside was this – both girls were pleasant and happy while patiently waiting and watching their big brothers hit those waves.  They sat quietly and never complained once while their older siblings surfed for a full hour before tiring completely and heading back to shore.  They really are such sweet girls and, most of the time, a joy to be around, especially Shelby.  Casey likes to exhibit typical 15 year old annoyance toward her father and me these days, but today, Casey was happy and pleasant. She even mentioned at one point, “Mom, you seemed worried, are you ok?” (cue heart melt!)

Meanwhile, the boys looked like they knew what they were doing out there.  They got up on the board a lot but were definitely exhausted by the time the lesson was over.  I was most impressed with the instructors.  Swimming without any flotation devices but fins and wet suit tops, they pushed the kids’ boards to help get them going and then treaded water in 6-7 foot waves.  Those are serious skills.

A turtle resting on the shore near our towels.

A coral in the shape of a heart.

Our sweet, but slow, girls. We love them to death and they love each other like the sisters neither of them has.

Paige and I left with the girls to start the long trek back to the Fairmont for lunch and by the time we got back, the boys weren’t too far behind.  We snagged another awesome table at the oceanside lunch spot and enjoyed another delicious lunch. Bodie nursed his bee sting and was happy to get some food in his tummy.  He was especially happy when he talked the dads into stopping at the ice cream/smoothie parlor for another chocolate macadamia nut milkshake.  We all decided to tag along to see what the hype was about with this particular treat.  Bodie was right, it was heavenly.  I need to learn how to make one at home!!

We are off to Nui Italian in the Hilton Waikaloa Resort for one last dinner and sunset tonight.  But right now, I am going to get out there for a walk and soak up this amazing weather before I can’t anymore.  I am going to try to absorb as much of that salty, flowery, clean air, and the sounds of the birds happy to have such a beautiful place to nest and mate.  And I will be incredibly grateful for this fabulous vacation that we have been able to enjoy with such great friends.

Author: Angela

I'm a mom living in Texas trying to find the aloha spirit in everyday life with my husband and 2 teenagers. Until I can retire in Hawaii, I will continue to love good old fashioned walks with my dog, dabble in home decor, and pretend to play the ukulele. I am passionate about my family, music, and supporting other families, like ours, who have kids with Down Syndrome.