Christmas Eve we hiked White Road to the back of Waipi'o. Apparently this hike was in a guide book a few years back. The trail got crazy crowded, people got upset, and they closed the trail. Bags had inside info that it's doable again, so we decided to brave it and just try to be discreet.
We didn't get out as early as we wanted to, but I don't think we could've avoided the crazy fog anyway. It was an incredibly wet and muddy day, which made for a nice adventure. Coco was kind enough to wear Wren on the way in:
Climbing fences is a little harder with a babe strapped to you:
Jim was walking with Ever and narrating as Dustin approached the horses and tried to feed them grass. "Oh, he's walking right up to them. He's some sort of mountain man!"
Unfortunately the horses were uninterested.
After we'd crossed both fences with their "No Trespassing" signs, we saw two government vehicles heading toward us. The first was driven by a super-friendly local guy, who greeted us warmly and told us to enjoy the mud. A white-haired haole guy was driving the second truck. Dustin greeted him with a "Merry Christmas." The man replied in kind. Then he asked how far we were going, and Bags said, "Just to the lookout." (I realized later that we were incredibly far from the lookout and the lookout is as far as one can go.) The man hesitated, and it seemed as if he really wanted to tell us to turn around and get out of there. In the end, though, he let us go. Was it Dustin's "Merry Christmas," Bags's downplaying of the length of our journey, or Ever's "I ♥ BI" shirt? We'll never know.
Tutu and Ever:
Sisters:
I made Jim and Ever pose by the root system of this amazing toppled tree. Sad that the picture didn't turn out better:
So much mud. Ever had to be carried at times:
I love this picture:
Wrenzo woke:
This was the view as we headed to the others at the lookout - nothing but fog:
Cornyee made Dustin selfie (I made that a verb) anyway:
I always want to see what's a little farther on. This "Area Closed" sign did not dampen that desire, but we turned around nonetheless:
On the way back, I took Wrenzo, Coco took my pack, and Dustin helped with Ever:
Toots and mud:
I loved this tree:
Ever posed with this really long, freaky hammerhead worm on the moss wall behind her:
Unfortunately the actual hammerhead isn't really visible in the picture:
We took some taffy so we could encourage Ever with the magical "taffy power." It really made her take off at one point:
Wrenzo loved the gate climbing:
We were a muddy mess afterward, but it was a fun hike. We went home, cleaned up, changed, ate, and then headed to Mauni Lani for some beach time.
Ever glammed it up in my glasses:
Pod got decked out in snorkel stuff and happily posed for a photo:
When I showed that picture to Mamo, I said, "This is what you married." She replied, "That is not what I married." Pretty funny.
The snorkeling was highly enjoyable. Turns out Jim loves snorkeling and was upset I'd never taken him before. Dustin, too, was a big fan. It was a lovely afternoon.
We'd planned to get pizza from a new pizza place for Christmas Eve dinner, but the restaurant was closed. We got take-out from Pau instead. Thank goodness they were open.
Then it was time for the traditional festivities, beginning with the singing of Christmas songs. Ever was adorable and had to make sure she was on the right page for every song. If I hadn't known better, she might have tricked me into thinking she can read:
Pod dazzled, as always, with his piano stylings. The key changes of "Do You Hear What I Hear?" are always one of the highlights of my Christmas:
Mamo favored us with her heartbreaking rendition of "The Happy Prince." I don't know if that story makes me a better person, as it should, but it sure makes me weep.
The lovely tree:
The incredibly tired four-year-old with her snacks for Santa and the reindeer:
A perfect Christmas Eve!
