After a little more resistance, he begrudgingly agreed to give it another try. We started slow, leaving my hands and my back sore. But I was happy to see him begin to have fun and see the possibilities. We made a deal to give it another try the next night.

The second night he made some great progress, learning that speed was his friend. It was the third night when he really started to take off – I was able to let go for about 3 meters before he got a little too wobbly! On the fourth night, with a bit of inflated confidence, he almost took out Meg and her car. So on the fifth night, we headed over to the community center parking lot. It was here, that without the narrow sidewalk and regular obstacles, he could just go. With me running close by, he was able to ride like the wind. At one point exclaiming “I’ve never felt so free!”. Well Nate, you’re right. Riding a bike gives you the freedom and we are so proud that you did it.

Finally, on the sixth night (tonight) he couldn’t be stopped! Well, almost. He did have a few good spills but they didn’t deter him from the fun he seemed to be having. He got right back up and continued to bike.

The world is now his to explore!

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With his two bottom teeth, the adult teeth were coming in behind and not removing the roots correctly. So we had the dentist pull those out. And he was a champ! But the laughing gas didn’t hurt.

Although these top teeth were stubborn and held on for way longer then we expected they both popped out with little resistance. The first on the way to school, and the second at school. He was excited for the one at school because the office gives them a little treasure chest to keep it safe.

Just another milestone reached for a growing little boy.

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Another year had passed with so many changes and accomplishments. In my (somewhat) biased opinion, Nathan is one of the most sophisticated and inquisitive kids I know. His love and knowledge of animals never cease to amaze me. I am no longer surprised when I fact check something he says and prove that he was right all along.

During this past year, he has followed in the footsteps of both Mom and Dad and become a little fish in the water. Once he figured out how to dunk and hold his breath underwater he hasn’t stopped. He has continued to get better and better and trying new things in the water. He even performed a front flip with ease.

This past year he has also started to become quite a little skater. Having completed two separate sessions. I can’t wait to get him on the ice this fall. Maybe even start learning to play hockey.

It was quite a year and I know this coming year will be even more eventful.

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Well, Nate and his Kindergarten classmates did just that last Friday night at the Guelph Storm game. Funny thing was they were playing the Kitchener Rangers. So cheering was a little difficult…

They had been practicing at school for a number of weeks, and he would come home singing the anthem. Each time finishing with a bigger and bigger flourish.

With exciting at an all-time high, we set out after school for the Sleeman Centre in Guelph. After a quick Subway dinner and an M&M cookie for dessert, he was ready to go. For us parents, this was all a little very overwhelming. But for Nate and his friends, it seemed like it was just another day. Zero nerves.

With the kids waiting at ice level, and the parents ready to watch their little ones proudly sing our national anthem. The players hit the ice through music and smoke. Then Nate and his friends squeezed onto the red carpets and this is what happened.

It didn’t come through in the video, but you could faintly hear the crowd singing along the last few lines. It was certainly a pretty cool moment for the kids. And I’m not even sure they even understand it yet.

After the singing was done there was a game to watch. Lucky for us all there were a number of goals, and most of them happened at the end we were sitting at. Nate actually surprised us both and was quite interested in most of the game. But maybe it’s because his friends were there.

What was even better is Nate and a few others in our section were the lucky winners of a random Mr. Lube foam finger. Maybe that had a reason for him wanting to stay longer… Certainly a great night.

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Instead, we listened to our favourite tour guide – Gypsy Guide. He said one of the things you must see while in Kauai was the Waimea Canyon. Also known as the Grand Canyon of the Pacific. We decided to take a gander and compare it to our experience at the actual grand canyon. It certainly didn’t disappoint! The biggest difference was the amount of vegetation in the Waimea Canyon, unlike the Grand Canyon which is fairly desolate since it’s in the desert. The Waimea Canyon, in contrast, is near one of the wettest places on earth, Mount Waialeale.

On our way to the canyon, there was one other stop we had to make first. The Wailua Falls. Perhaps the most famous in Kauai. Mainly because they were used in the show Fantasy Island. Personally, I found it okay – there were a LOT of people with very limited vantage points and you couldn’t get too close (without risking your life).

We finished this last adventure back in the town of Waimea, famous for being the port that Captain Cook first made contact with the Hawaiian (Sandwich) Islands. Our timing was perfect and we were able to have one of the famous pulled pork hotdogs from the Porky’s food truck (it did NOT disappoint – three menu items, Meg had #1, I had #2 and they were both amazing!). 

It was certainly a great way to end an epic trip.

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After a tough week of being sick, Nate bucked-up and got out on the ice for his first skating lesson.

He fell a few times but showed so much determination getting back up to try again. Each time getting up faster than the last.

I was quite surprised at how quickly he adapted and showed great balance. Both Meg and I were grinning ear to ear with pride watching him shuffle from side to side. It will only be a matter of time before he turns running on the spot into real skating!

More updates will come as he progresses and starts skating circles around Mom and Dad.

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This is a clip from Raiders of the Lost Arc. Skip ahead to the 1 minute mark where Harrison Ford uses a vine to swing into the river. I had the chance to channel my inner Indiana Jones and take a swing for myself!

The perfect finish to our ATV tour was to take the plunge into the refreshing cool water in a waterfall pool.

On the tour, we talked to our guide about how we had hoped to see some green sea turtles on our trip and were disappointed to not have seen them on our snorkeling trip to Molokini. He mentioned us to a few spots, but thought Poipu Beach might be our best bet.

With this knowledge in hand we turned back to our trusted Gypsy Guide. Along the way to Poipu we would learn more about the history of Kauai and King Kamehameha.

I think the most amazing thing about this trip to Poipu Beach was how lucky we were with our timing. No more than 10 minutes at the beach, we walked along the shore and something caught my eye. After a few more looks I tapped Meg and said “Look”. No one else was around and she had no idea her dream was about to come true! When she finally realized it was a green sea turtle (and not just a floating rock), her jaw almost hit the sand. I was so surprised that this massive turtle was able to make it to the shore undetected by the numerous people swimming and snorkeling in the water.

Knowing that we might just have hit the jackpot, we needed to go and rent some snorkeling gear nearby.

When we went to Molokini we knew there were going to be fish – it was a protected area. However, we did not expect to see as many fish as we did once we ducked our heads under the water at Poipu Beach. Meg even let out a soft squeal once we saw how many and how closely the fish were swimming with us. There may have actually been more varieties there than on our snorkeling tour.

Although our Molokini tour was amazing, it was hard to beat the price of renting our own snorkel gear and going just meters off the shore.

After snorkling for a bit on our own, we took a short break seemly having missed the opportunity to swim with the turtle. There was a small island outcrop from the main beach area that we decided to swim out to. Our timing was impeccable yet again when I heard faintly someone say “turtle”. I immediate sprang into action as Meghan fumbled to get her water-shoes back on. Not knowing if I actually heard them right I dove in and was instantly rewarded. The one thing we had wanted to see was right there in front of me.

It truly was a magical day! Perhaps the best of our vacation. Enjoy our video recap, we sure did.

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The beauty that is the Hawaiian islands was created by the volcanic activity that formed them. Maui is no different. It was created by the eruption of two shield volcanoes; the West Maui Volcano, and Haleakala. Our hotel was located on the west part of the island, and Hana is on the other side of the Haleakala crater on the eastern side of the island.

Hana is only about 52 miles (83km) from Kahului which is in the middle of the island where the airport is. And it’s pretty easy driving for the first 16 miles. Once you pass mile marker 0, you start to find yourself in the rainforest (yes, the rainforest) the roads get narrow and very curvy. Along the journey you make you way around 620 curves. If that wasn’t enough there are also 59 single lane bridges.

As with our drive up to the top Haleakala, we were aided by our friend Gypsy Guide. It provided us with many great tips, historic stories, geology lessons and let us know when to stop for the must see spots.

Around every corner, there is usually another corner, but sometimes there were nice surprises. Even some delicious BBQ ribs! Have I mentioned yet how the BBQ in Hawaii is everywhere and it’s amazing?

One of our favourite places was Waianapanapa State Park. There they have a beautiful black sand beach and powerful waves. It was something we had never seen before.

Follow our journey to the Hana and then beyond to the Seven Sacred Pools at O’heo. It was incredible.

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Through word of mouth we heard that the one to check out in Ka’anapali was at The Westin (just a short walk from the Ka’anapali Beach Hotel where we stayed).

The show was funny, beautiful and amazing. Especially with the fire portion of the show! And don’t get me started on the kalua pork. The BBQ all over the island was great and this luau was no exception.

We would certainly recommend this show if you are in the area. But here is a little “taste” of our experience.

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Hawaii has some of the most beautiful golf courses in the world, and they can be very expensive. But there aren’t many places in the world where you can play so close to the ocean.

With our pick of the litter we decided to play the Royal course at the Ka’anapali Golf Course which we could see from our hotel in Maui. It certainly lived up to the reviews.

On the island of Kauai we actally joined the locals and played a beautiful municipal course called Wailau Golf Course. The first 3 holes run right next to the ocean with some amazing views.

When we plan to golf on a trip we usually travel with our golf clubs. But this time we decided not to and rent when we were there. In Maui we found some great clubs through Jimmy’s Maui Golf Rentals.

Ok, that’s enough talking. Here is a video of our two golf outings on our vacation.

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