Li'keke Falls

It was SUPER awesome starting almost every day with a hike.  I really appreciated Scott being willing to go hiking with me.  I realize it's not for everyone and it was super fun to have my buddy along with me.  When we were looking at what hikes to do there was one that really caught my eye.  Li'keke falls said it was an adventurous hike through dense rain forest with gorgeous views and a 30 ft waterfall with a cliff you could dive into the lower pools.  That totally sounded like my kind of hike.  So we got up early and headed out.  

It was a little rainy and overcast, but still beautiful. 

The start of the hike includes going PAST a ROAD CLOSED sign and other signs telling you to not go any further as there are often falling rocks which can cause serious injury or even death.  Scott mentioned he didn't even see any rocks at all and told me not to worry about it...and then we came around the corner to this big guy waiting in the path for us.  

Needless to say we stayed VERY aware of our surroundings and were constantly looking and listening for falling rocks.  

The trail was beautiful and the view amazing.  

The sun coming up over the mountain was awesome.  

This hike was very adventurous.  

We had to climb under overpasses and crawl through tight spaces.  

It was very exciting.  

The trail would get very dense at times and it was a really fun adventure.  

We were following the directions on a website and somehow missed a step and could not find these stairs they listed on the website.  It specifically said the stairs went down and we could only find stairs that went up.  

We walked along the old road for sometime looking for these stairs and even asked a local and he didn't know where to find them or how to get to the falls.  It was getting late in the day so we gave up and headed back to our room.  

Karma repaid me for laughing at J getting pooped on by a bird. 

The whole day Scott and I kept thinking about those stairs and how we didn't make it to the falls...so we researched the hike some more and found a video of the hike and realized the other website was wrong and the stairs that went UP were the stairs we needed to take.  

So the next morning we got up again and made the hike again.  We wanted to do it super early as to not cut into the other activities we already had planned for the day.  So when we got to the start of the hike it was PITCH BLACK.  A little scary anyway, but add in the possibility of rocks falling at any moment and it added to the intensity of the hike for sure.  

It was super neat to watch the sun come up again

And eventually we found the path that eluded us the first day and we were on our way to the falls.  

I was so happy we went back and did it again.  

The falls were awesome.  

And the view back was even more amazing.  

The sky was clear and the sun was out and it was awesome.  

The hikes this trip were unreal and definitely some of my most favorite.  

Koko Head

On our tour of Oahu the very first day of our trip, our tour guide took us past a neat looking volcano named Koko Head.  As he was telling us about the hike up the side of the crater and he mentioned that only crazy people do it.  I knew I HAD to do it.  The trail is only about 1.5 miles, but it increases in elevation by 1,200 feet and consists of 1,048 stairs.  The views from the top are well worth the effort.  You get a 360 degree view of the east of Oahu.  

It was a difficult hike - but so worth it!!!

The railroad ties that make up the stairs for the trail were once part of an incline tram system during World War II.  They used them to haul military personnel and supplies to the top of Koko Crater.  The area used to be part of the Koko Crater Air Force Station.   

This part was scary.  You can't tell very well from the picture but these stair are actually pretty high off the ground and it was nerve racking crossing this part. I had to not think about it and just do it.  

This was about halfway up.  

I took this pic to try and capture the incline.  

One panoramic view from the top.  You can see Hanauma bay, Diamond Head, and the eastern coast.  

The other view of the island.  There were all kind of WWII remnants at the top that were cool to look at too.  The top was amazing and even though my legs were sore for the rest of the trip, this hike was truly awesome and I was so thankful I got the chance to do it.  

July Fun

July was another fun month.  

The summer days are just flying by and I wish they would slow down a little.  

Berklee is the cutest little friend and we love when she comes around.  These three have been together a lot this summer.  They are very cute friends.  

Kylee and Cannon both took golf lessons over the summer, which meant Kylee had to have her own clubs.  She loves them and they have been worth every penny.  We love to go shoot the short course by our house.  It's a fun family activity we have had a lot of fun doing together.  

We have also loved hiking a lot this summer.  

We always love when the Keller's come.  

We've seen some pretty sunsets on our hikes.  

We love having baby H over at our house. 

Kylee loves being my big helper and is getting really good at feeding the baby.  

She is the dang sweetest thing and these two are great friends.  

I love this baby.  

I got BRACES!!!!

I've needed them my whole life but never really had the money for them growing up.  

Emilee is working for an Orthodontist and got me a great deal so I decided it was time to take the plunge.  

I really HATE them.  

But I'm really excited for the change in my bite and to have better alignment in my mouth.  

I'm sure the next 741 days will just fly by and they will be off before I know it.  

I do love the excuse of having a reason to go see Em at work once a month though.  She is a sweet person and the best little sister.  

We have found plenty of time for bike rides and trips to the park. 

And are trying to cram all that we can the last few weeks before school starts.  

We watched the parade on the 23rd of July in Bountiful

And then watched Uncle Tucker ride with the UHP motor squad in the 24th of July parade on TV.  It was so fun to see him on our tv.  We kept rewinding the tv and watching it over and over again.  

This picture made me laugh.  My little tan girl has the best tan line.  We really have had a great summer full of sun and fun.