Fountain Fun

We have this awesome park downtown that has fountains for the kids to play in. For free. The girls had just as much fun here as the water park that we shelled out $20 to go to last week.

Both of the girls had a ball in them this year. I like that the water keeps them cool on hot days but I don't have to worry about drownings.

Kiran & Sienna with their friend Mattie Joy who came to play with us

Sienna had no fear

I remembered to bring buckets this time and they were a huge hit.

Plus I found a list: 175 things to do in Spartanburg. And I like lists!
#82. Take the children to play in the interactive fountain at Barnet Park.
Check.

An Impromptu Day Trip

Jonathan indulged my restlessness yesterday....for an impromptu day trip.

We headed out yesterday morning heading to the Farmer's Market and the Indian grocer. Only. As we headed out the door, Jonathan asked if I wanted to take the camera and I said no, of course not. We're just going to the Farmer's Market and the Indian grocer. I love our Farmer's Market but it only takes about 10 minutes to get through it all. We did get the blue cheese butter than we love.

After stocking up on Indian food, we decided to try out the bbq hole in the wall just up the road from our house. When we got there, it was closed. We figured if we drove some of these country roads that we would stumble upon one.

And we did! We ate at Big Daddy Hawg's BBQ and it was delicious. Afterwards, we had an open afternoon so we hoped the girls sleep in the car for their naps. We picked a road and starting driving north. We eventually ended up in Lake Lure, NC where Dirty Dancing was filmed and just past it in Chimney Rock, NC. We stopped at a playground to let Kiran play (Sienna has finally just fallen asleep!) and enjoy the mountain air.

We took a different way home stopping for ice cream on Main Street in Rutherfordton before heading home. Ah my restlessness has been indulged...thank you husby.

Restless

Do you ever get restless?

J & I laugh about our one-year itch. After one year of marriage we moved from SC to the mountains of NC. After one year there, we moved to India. We managed to stay there almost two years although we did move houses during that time. We've been in this house for almost exactly two years. Hum....

Thankfully we live not five minutes from windy country roads that feed my restless soul. The girls and I play games like we turn the opposite way out of the Walmart parking lot, take the third real road on the right and see where it takes us. (We have lots of not "real" roads out here and I'm terrified of ending up being chased by someone with a shotgun at the end of one of those so I avoid them. Real roads to me equals lines painted on the asphalt.)

Kiran always complains at first. But we always end up in a fascinating game of "I Spy" and her saying, "I'm so excited to see all this!" Its days like today that I just want to drive up 221 until I hit Blowing Rock and find us a place to live with a view of Grandfather Mountain. Why am I restless? I love my little life here- my cute house and fenced in backyard and the nearest Target not being 45 minutes away. But I still get restless.

What do you do when you get restless? Or am I the only one?

Front Porch Swing

Sometimes when Sienna takes a long afternoon nap, I join Kiran outside on the front porch swing for her daily popsicle. I take my current novel out even though I know I'll be interrupted every other sentence. I refrain from asking her not to drip her popsicle on her dress because she's two. And if she can't drip a little popsicle on her dress when she's two then I'm not the kind of mother I want to be.

She's wearing the bright blue dress today. She tells me everyday that the flowered dress is her favorite but personally I think this is the best one. There is something in the bright blue that makes her look incredibly tan. And the tan skin sets off the 34 different shades of blond in her hair. Hair that is a little bit wet and matted from the nap she actually took today.

She asks me what I see and we talk about the mosquito, Mommy's book and the trees. I don't tell her that I see the stubbornness of her mother and the inquisitiveness of her father and the protectiveness of being a big sister peeking out from her bright blue dress. Then she's ready to go inside, to get her milk and her string cheese. To grow up and be three and learn to pour her own milk and read her own novels. We play tug-of-war; Kiran sprinting ahead to the future she eagerly embraces and me digging my heels in making this time last as long as it possibly can. Maybe Sienna will take a long nap again tomorrow...

Hawaii Day Seven: Aloha Hawaii

Our last day in Hawaii (also last Hawaii post!)! We got up and headed to Queen's Bath- another bigger lava pool. We passed this beautiful little waterfall on our hike there.

Queen's Bath may have been my favorite place. It was so clear and full of life. I just loved sitting on the edge watching the fish in the bath and the sea turtles in the ocean.

Queen's Bath

On the hike back

Old Hanalei Bridge- can't handle heavy machinery so it naturally limits development in Hanalei

Wai'oli Hui'ia Church in Hanalei

We had time for massages on the beach before catching a plane and flying back to our sweet, sweet girls.

We stayed at the Jungle Hideaway which was a guest house about 10 minutes past Hanalei. It was wonderful and we highly recommend it for anyone heading to Kauai. The owners were wonderful- taking care of all our needs and making our trip very special. Plus it had an outside shower which might have been my favorite part of Hawaii.

And that is the end of Hawaii '09. I have no idea what I'll blog about now.

Hawaii Day Six: Surfing, Lighthouse and Sunset

We woke up Monday morning and thought, "Why not learn to surf while in Hawaii?" So we went to Titus Kinimaka's Hawaiian School of Surfing and they had a class starting in 45 minutes. Perfect. We used these big huge boards and the instructors were fabulous and we were both up and surfing on our first try.

Does anyone else see the board getting ready to attack me?

One of Jonathan's runs...you can click on it to make it bigger

Our view as we were surfing into the beach...it was much more beautiful in person. There's the tallest waterfall in Kauai right in the center. I promise.

Surfer Dude

After the surfing lessons, we finally actually went to the lighthouse. The gray blob right in the middle under the rocks is a monk seal. Yeah I thought it was a rock too.

View south from Kilauea Lighthouse

Double rainbow in Hanalei

We went to see the sunset at Ke'e Beach but it was behind the clouds.

I know its blurry but I still like it.

Hawaii Day Five: Hanalei Bay and Secret Beach

Out first three days in Hawaii had been a whirlwind. We came home from Oahu and slept almost 12 hours. I absolutely cannot remember the last time I did that. I'm sure it was pre-pregnancies and pre-babies. We got up, picked up burritos from Red Hot Mama's, and headed to Hanalei Bay to picnic. Hanalei Bay was ranked #1 beach in America in 2009 by Dr. Beach. And its easy to see why- beautiful sand, crescent bay, mountains and waterfalls behind you. It was simply beautiful.

Supposedly Puff the Magic Dragon

We were determined to read and relax on the most beautiful beach in America. And we did. For about an hour. Then we went exploring.

We went to Secret Beach which has secret lava pools and a great view of the Kilauea lighthouse.

Roughest waves we saw

We decided to hike over the lava rock to the secret lava pools. It was maybe 600 yards and it wouldn't have been bad at all- if we were wearing the right shoes. Unfortunately in our determination to rest and relax, we both wore our flimsy flip-flops. We made it but the way there and back would have been much simpler with proper shoes.

There was a waterfall by some of the lava pools. We climbed down near the waterfall to get in the lava pools at the bottom.

We are standing next to one of the lava pools. They were about 6 feet deep and so calming to just sit and relax in. Definitely worth the trek.

We drove down to Kilauea for pizza and ice cream (that's where we heard Julia Roberts was in town) and then found a spot to watch the sun set.