This lovely elk enjoying a drink of water in morning’s dawn is what we saw, exactly one week ago today.  When my two big sisters, Carrie and Peggy, and I when we arrived near the trailhead where we would begin our two-day hiking adventure.

Knowing what we now know, I do believe this elk was trying to tell us to make sure we had enough water, and get our tails on the trail so we could get down to the river before we ran out of water.

After piddling around (definition of piddling in this instance; leisurely taking your time), we made it to the South Kaibab Trailhead ready to start our hike down to the bottom of the Canyon, and Phantom Ranch.  In hindsight, I discourage piddling.

It was so beautiful as we began our decent into the belly of the Canyon that we could not help but stop and take photos.  And our sister, Peggy had just recovered from a December knee injury, so was taking it slow and not pushing it.

I was the fittest of the three sisters, and designated myself our “sweeper”.  My purpose on this hike, to be the cheerleader, provided any needed encouragement along the way, and to never leave either sister behind.

“Ooh Aah Point” lives up to its name.

By this time, several hikers had passed us, making their decent.  We overheard some mention of getting pass Skeleton Point before it got too hot, but we continued to take it slow.  Big mistake, I suggest to haul your boots down that trail at the fastest speed you are capable.

A very nice man, came down the trail, and said,  ”I’d love to take your picture”, and took this pic of us.  Then as we passed a plastic bag filled with stinky poo that some un-thoughtful hiker left behind, he admirably picked it up with the end of his hiking pole and continued to hike it down to the pit toilet that was more than a mile away.

And here it was the first pit toilet along the trail.  I was really happy that nice man was able to relieve himself of that stinky bag of poo.

We piddled here for a while too, taking a pit stop (ha ha), munched on snacks, drank some water, took in the views, and took more pics.  Again, I strongly recommend making your pit stops quick on this trail.

Here are my sisters, about to take on Skeleton Point’s very dry, very hot, and very steep switchbacks.

This is the point several young day hikers turned around.

Occasionally along your hike, you will be required to pull over for the mule train.  Too bad this first encounter there was not shade for us to pull over.

After hiking for nearly five hours in the heat, Boat Beach on the Colorado River came into sight, giving us a boost of encouragement for a short time.  The thermometer was now well over 100 degrees.

From this point that looked so close, it took us another three hours to get to the river.  And because it took us so long to descend, soon all three of us had completely run out of water.  We were each carrying more than the recommended amount. (Did I mention there is no water on this 7.5 mile trail?)

Both of my big sisters had pushed themselves to the point of heat exhaustion.  Admittedly, I was scared for my sisters’ safety during this time.

So after the eight hours it took our slow-moving threesome to meander down to Phantom Ranch, we finally arrived in what felt like no less than Shangri-La.

If you make your own journey to Phantom Ranch, my personal recommendation is to order their oh so refreshing, Lemony Lemonade, and to purchase a tee-shirt that you can only find there, as your badge of courage.

Our planning more than a year out paid off, and we were lucky enough to score our own Phantom Ranch cabin for our one night stay.

Two bunk beds, one toilet, one sink, and the most luxurious thing we had seen all day, our very own air conditioning unit.

So stone Cabin Number 7, was our sanctuary for the night, where we would recover from a very long, oppressively hot day on the South Kaibab Trail, re-named by us that day as the South KaiBAD trail.

The dinner bell rang (really, they ring a very loud dinner bell), and hikers and some folks who had rode mules in, or river rafted in sat down in Phantom Ranch’s rather small cantina, and ate together family style.

Here is what our “Hiker’s Stew”, cornbread and salad looked like.  Before I devoured it all, followed up by a slice of chocolate cake.

The Grand Canyon Mules haul more than people who aren’t into hiking.  They are the single source of hauling all the supplies, mail, and trash, in to and out of the bottom of the Grand Canyon’s Phantom Ranch area.

Dig the mailbox (mailbag).

At 5:00am the next morning (no bell ringing for breakfast), we were back at the Cantina enjoying a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, pancakes, peaches (the canned kind I used to have as a kid), orange juice, and coffee.

Feeling as recovered and rested as we were going to be, we were off to begin our hike to the rim, more than 4000 feet above us.

You start out by crossing what is known as the “See Through Bridge” over the Colorado River.  The mules won’t cross this one, they cross a solid bridge up river.

And on the other side of the mighty river that carved out this masterpiece of a canyon begins the Bright Angel Trail, the trail that will take us to the top of the rim.

The trail continues alongside the Colorado for about a mile or so.  At first the ascent is gradual, then steepens at Devil’s Corkscrew towards Indian Garden, which is the halfway point.

Our second day we were much smarter, having a plan to get through Devil’s Corkscrew and to Indian Gardens, where there would be water and shade, before the sun began to scorch the trail.

No words can really describe how beautiful this Canyon really is when you are down in it…

Or surrounded by it…

Once you arrive at Indian Gardens, an oasis of lovely greenery, and a mostly flat trail greets you.

We made it to the halfway point up in four hours.  Then had our lunch here in one of the stone rest houses.

The next 4.5 miles would be steep, but today we would find water and shade every 1.5 miles.  This is BY FAR, the kinder trail to go in and out of the Canyon on.

The next 4.5 miles were a series of steep switchbacks, slowing our up speed down dramatically.

The imprints of sister Peggy’s hiking boot reminded us of two leaves.  And sister Carrie found encouragement in trekking our middle sisters footprints when the uphill got tough for her at times.

Big sister Carrie takes a much deserved break, as we near the finish line, now less than a hundred feet above us.

Climbing this trail challenges even the young bucks on the trail, so I can not begin to tell you how proud I am of my two big sisters.  They rock.

Twelve hours after our start from crossing the Colorado River, the three sisters crossed the finish line, with tribal howls of victory.

During our two days and 20 hours of hiking, we left behind lots of sweat, 17 miles of footprints, and some of sister Carrie’s toe nails…

And what we took away…

Six sore calves, three proud spirits, strong sister bonds, an amazing sense of accomplishment, and memories that will last a lifetime!

Every morning at 6 am our kitchen comes alive to the sounds of our blender, blending up a batch of fresh green smoothies to start our day.

And I have to say, I am absolutely in love with them.  At first it started as a way to sneak fresh green veggies into my anti-veggie eating boys.  But now they are a part of our everyday lives, making us so much healthier because of them.

Not too long ago, my youngest daughter Jadah, and her friend Jen, founded Simple Green Smoothies.  Their common passions to raise world-changing kids in their young families, and educate others about healthy choices, has made them both rockstars of green smoothies and ambassadors of healthy living.

Once Jadah encouraged me to start making my own green smoothies, I ditched Jamba Juice, because I found by making your own green smoothies, not only do you save money, but also you are in charge with what goes into them, making them tastier, fresher, and even healthier.

Many of our family and friends have been around us enough to know about the Jonah household’s morning green smoothie ritual, and many now subscribe to the same ritual in theirs.  

But if you’ve never tried making green smoothies on your own, here’s a great way to get started. Join Simple Green Smoothies 30-Day Challenge.  Your body and taste buds will be so happy you did.

In the words of Simple Green Smoothies‘ founders…”Peace, Love and Leafy Greens.”

All photos courtesy of simplegreensmoothies.com

2012 brought in my 51st year.  During this year I found myself extremely grateful for the life I have, and for finally letting go of any regrets I was still holding on to.

In 2012, I learned that by living life with a loving and forgiving heart; subscribing to the belief that everything happens for a reason; and giving every moment the best efforts I am capable of…

The reward is a happy life that carries with it no regrets.

Here are the posts that highlighted our favorite moments of 2012…

Over the Mountain and Through the Swamp

Love on the Beach

Happy Trails

Surfing the Pufferfish

Splashing in Sunny California

City by the Bay Day

Cozy Cousins

Hometown…Sacramento

Beyond Fifty at Turtle Bay

Bansai Pipeline and Hale’iwa

Wet n’ Wild to Lanikai

Friday Night Lights at Hanalei Bay

ATV Kauai = Dirty Fun

Camping Hawaiian Style

Endless Summer…Hawaii

Boys Just Wanna Have Fun

A Legacy of Kindness 

Tennessee Girls Go Hawaiian

Catching Up

Castles in the Sand

Festive Fun and Apple Pie

Aloha means good-bye and hello (and love too)…

As we bid Aloha to 2012, our thoughts and love go out to dear friends and family members who passed on to rest in peace this year, and to those who struggled with hardships or ill-health.

We also send our love and gratitude to all of you in our lives, who make this world such a wonderful place to call home.

Aloha 2012…Aloha 2013

Love, Happiness, Health, and Luck in 2013 to All!!!

Another year has passed, bringing with it many blessings, including the gift of time spent with amazing family and friends.  And for being loved another year for being the persons we are.

We also just received a very large, green gift from the winter bright harvest that is taking place in our yard right now.

The Avocado Gift.

After three years, our little avocado tree gave us its first two avocados ever.  The first one was harvested a couple of months ago.  It was normal size and very tasty.

But take a look again at the size of the avocado Max is holding in that first pic.  When it had finally fell from the tree yesterday, it measured near 8 inches tall and 5 inches across.

This avocado is a true gift of the bounty.  And we happily accept it.

I took a stroll around our yard to share pics of other bountiful gifts growing in our yard right now…

Bananas…

Coconuts…

Papayas…

Ruby Red Grapefruit (see one of my favorite cocktails, the Greyhound, inspired by the Ruby Red’s from this tree, The Giving Tree: a Fresh Squeezed Cocktails)…

Oranges (Screwdrivers:  Fresh squeezed orange juice and good vodka.  Yes please)…

Meyer Lemons…

Tangerines…

and Thai Chiles ( I use these chiles in Fresh Cilantro Hulba Recipe, yum).

Hmmm…just add rum or vodka to any of the above (maybe not the Thai Chiles), and…

Cheers to a Fresh, Bright and Bountiful 2013!

It’s Christmas Eve….Michael, Max and I send our warmest wishes to all.

The boys and I will share a quiet holiday, reflecting on our many, wonderful family and friends who bless our lives each and every day.

Here’s our just completed driftwood wreath.  It’s really beautiful, and will hold a welcoming place at our hale all year round.

Here are the DIY instructions to make your very own Driftwood Wreath…

Start with collecting, slightly curved pieces of driftwood.

Here are the tools you’ll need.  A piece of plywood; a jigsaw; Gorilla Wood Glue; a measuring tape; a pencil; (not pictured; sand paper; sting; and safety goggles).

Lay out your shape with some of the larger pieces of driftwood.  Then measure to find the center.

Mark the center; and using a makeshift compass, draw the interior circle and an exterior circle with your pencil.

Using your jigsaw, cut along your drawn lines, both inside and outside of the circle.

You will end up with this.  You only need the ring for the wreath.

Sand the plywood ring edges until smooth.

Using Gorilla Wood Glue, begin attaching pieces of driftwood onto the plywood ring.

It gets a little messy.

But the glue dries clear, and looks great once done.

You will be attaching the driftwood in segments.  Leaving time for each layer to dry in between the next.

Be creative, there really is no right or wrong, and somehow the peices of natural driftwood seem to find the right fit.

Once the plywood ring is covered by the driftwood, and the glue has dried…

You may leave it natural, or adorn it with whatever you desire.  As seen in the first pic above, I used small natural starfish and a couple of glass floats for ours.

Max has began tracking Santa at NORAD’s Santa Tracker.  Our magical little island of Kauai is Santa’s very last stop each year.

We have baked and decorated a colorful batch of holiday cookies.  Some for Santa, some for friends, and some for us.  Max will leave cookies, along with carrots, for Santa and his reindeer to enjoy tonight when he pops in for a Jonah family visit.

Ride safe Santa…

And Mele Kalikimaka to all and to all a good night!

This past week I traveled off island and landed in the middle of some festive fun in Northern California.  Where I visited my daughter, Jadah, son-in-law, George, and granddaughter, Zoe Joy.

The evening I flew in was slated as Northern California’s storm of the year.  So, the next morning we headed to shop at Target (Target shopping is a huge treat for a shop-starved Kauai resident).  Rain boots were at the top of my list, and I found a cute pair with a herringbone pattern, and put them to good use immediately.

The kids live in the beautiful town of Walnut Creek, just a couple blocks from an outstanding commercial district.  So we walked everyday to shops, restaurants, and even to the local Theater for the Arts to enjoy the Nutcracker Ballet.  It was Zoe’s first Nutcracker Ballet, and I hadn’t been in nearly two decades, a really special time.

Sister Peggy drove in from our hometown, Sacramento, for the weekend.  (Sorry you were caught blinking in this pic sis, but it’s still cute of you.)

And the four of us had a fun girls day planned,  starting out with a delightful afternoon tea.

Followed by a stop at the most festive, holiday trimmed garden nursery I have ever seen.

And it was there, resting under this spirited tree, that I finally found my new little garden gnome.  Who happily now lives in Kauai with us.

Monday morning, the skies turned to blue, and we took off on a drive to the countryside in search of the kids Christmas tree.

After following Zoe through the woods, she found their perfect Christmas tree, and Zoe Joy’s daddy, George, gallantly cut it down.

Frosty Lane was where their tree was growing, and since apple orchards surrounded the tree farm, with each tree, the tree farm gave out a free bag of apples too.

Jadah is really into Mason jars, and we were handed this beautiful bag of apples, so she thought it would be a great idea for us to make apple pies in jars…

Well did, and they were super cute and mighty tasty.  (Amazing what a free bag of apples can inspire.)

Here’s my tweaked, Easy Apple Pie in a Jar recipe…

Easy Apple Pie in a Jar

4-6 short, wide-mouth, glass canning jars (depending on jar size you can make 4-6 pies)

Piecrust Dough:

• 1 cup, plus 1 tablespoon of all-purpose flour (plus a bit for dusting)
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of brown sugar
• 6 tablespoons of cold, unsalted butter (cut into small cubes)
• ¼ cup of ice-cold water

Apple Filling:

• 6 medium apples (core and slice into ¼-inch slices, leave peel on)
• 2 tablespoons of fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 2 tablespoons of brown sugar (plus a bit for sprinkling on top of pie crust)
• 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• A dash of ground cloves
• ½ teaspoon of pure vanilla extract
• 1-½ tablespoons of butter

Directions:

In a medium size bowl mix together flour, salt, and sugar.

Drop in cubes of cold butter, and combine by cutting together with a pastry cutter or backside of a fork.  Continue cutting until mixture looks like large crumbles.

Drizzle in ice-cold water, and then stir together until moistened.

Gather dough together into ball.  Place on a sheet of plastic wrap that has been dusted lightly with flour.  Press and flatten into a disc shape, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and prepare the apple filling.

In a medium saucepan, combine apples, lemon juice, brown sugar (reserve a little to sprinkle on top of crust after assembling pies), flour, salt, cinnamon, cloves, and vanilla.

Heat over medium heat, stirring frequently, until apples begin to soften.  Approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

To assemble the pies, spoon apple mixture evenly, into clean and dry glass jars.

Roll out chilled piecrust dough to approximately ¼ inch thick*. (*Tip…I roll the dough right on the plastic wrap, and add a top piece of plastic wrap when rolling).  And then, cut rolled dough evenly into however many jars of apple filling you have.

Divide the 1-½ tablespoons of butter into however many jars you are using, and then add the dab of butter over the apple mixture in each jar.

Fit the piecrust dough over the top of the apple filling, pinching the sides to cover the apples.  It doesn’t have to be perfect (a rustic fit is fine here).

Sprinkle top of crust with just a bit of brown sugar, and place jars on rimmed baking sheet.

Bake for approximately 15-25 minutes until crust is slightly golden brown, and pie filling is bubbling.

Cool for at least 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy your fun and yummy pies!

We ate pies baked in jars, we decorated the tree, and then the girls joyfully danced around it…

And that memory of the two of them dancing around the Christmas tree was my own very special gift to take back home.

Hoping your holiday season is filled with tons of comfort and JOY!

The weekend after Thanksgiving shopping was successfully avoided, by being crafty with some beachy objects that will become holiday gifts this year.

It all began with earlier walks along our lovely beaches.  Collecting things that had washed up and weathered themselves.

Here’s my DIY on how to easily string driftwood into art…

Start with your collection of driftwood, and/or other found objects, like these balls.  I think they are some sort of seed pod?  I like to call them beach balls.

I like to use pieces that are shaped and sized by nature, not a saw.

With this project, I choose to use pieces that were similiar in shape and size, but contrasting shapes and sizes would be nice too.

Besides your beachy collection, here’s the equipment you’ll need.

A power drill with a small drill bit; flexible wire; wire cutters; safety glasses; and piece of scrap wood to drill on.

Start by drilling small holes through the center of your collection of driftwood, beach balls, or whatever you’re using.

Push the wire through the drilled hole.

Continue drilling holes and stringing each piece, pushing them on to the wire so they are lined up next to each other.

Once you have it the length you want it to be.  Make a sort of knot, and twist the wire around to make a nice loopy on the top.

Do the same thing to the bottom, twisting the wire around to make a nice loopy on the bottom too.

I choose to finish this one off with a pretty piece of different shaped driftwood, making sort of a dangling end thing.

And to add a touch of where the gift came from, I wrote “aloha” in pencil.

I then sweetly asked my talented wood burning hubby if he would burn the “aloha” with his magnifying glass in the sun.

He agreed, and proceeded to burned the word “aloha”  in about five minutes with the help of our Hawaiian sun. (See how Michael does this in my post, One of Our Favorite Gifts of the Season ~ the Punana.)

And here is the finished Beachy Art.  Our first gift of the season.  I love it.

Total time to make this project was about an hour.  Not including the gathering time spent on the beach.

This is a fun and easy project, and beats shopping on the busiest shopping weekend of the year anytime.

Stayed tuned for more beachy art gift ideas, I have a few more inspiring thoughts running around in my head.  In the meantime, here are some inspiring ideas from my past posts…

How to Turn a Memory into a Masterpiece

Under the Tree Pretty

The Punana

Driftwood Menorah ~ the how to

Deck the Hale

I have a feeling that the special persons in our lives that are about to receive this gift, are going to know who they are when they read this post…

If you know who you are…peeking is allowed this year!

Each year when our beloved Turkey Bob makes his appearance, it means its time for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is one of my most favorite holidays of the year.  To me, it is about being thankful for the wonderful family, friends, and food that bless our lives.

To reacquaint yourself with Turkey Bob’s history, check out my last year post, Thanksgiving Menu Planning…Oh What Fun.  (You’ll also find a few other tips, and my Sweet Potato Praline Casserole Menu there too.)

Here’s our menu that twelve family and friends will be sharing at our Jonah Hale next Thursday.  I have made a few changes from last year’s menu that I’m excited about.

If you’d like to take a look at our menu from last year, just go to my post, Turkey Brine = The Turkish Spa.   (You’ll find my foolproof turkey brine recipe there too.)

Wishing you a warm and wonderful Thanksgiving…

May you be surrounded by much of what makes you smile and give thanks throughout the year!

Since relocating to Hawaii nearly eight years ago.  The boys have mastered the fine art of building castles in the sand.

We welcomed Big Daddy and Luci on Thursday, and today three generations of Jonah boys created quite an impressive sandcastle at Hanalei Bay.

Here are a few insider tips of how to make a fun, and Dr. Seuss-like castle in the sand of your very own.

Start out by finding a nice spot along the shore, where the highest wash of the big waves come up…and start digging a hole.  Piling up the sand from the hole.

To get those Dr. Seuss-like towers, grab a handful of wet sand, and let it drool out of your fingertips just above the top of the mounds.

You can be totally creative with your towers.  Oh, and balls are another nice sandcastle feature.

Remember to take cooling off breaks, and catch some fun wave action.  (Can you spot Max boogie boarding on a wave behind the castle?)

Strategically place moats and levees to capture the occasional big wave that will fill up your castle’s moats.

Because to the rewards are priceless.

Oh, and don’t forget…

When your beach time is up, be sure to leave the keys to your castle for others to enjoy!

Let me start by apologizing to my loyal followers for not blogging in several weeks.

It’s time to fill you in on our busy happenings since my last blog, Slow Down, This Ain’t the Mainland.

We joined lots of family and friends in Arizona for the fun, beautiful and memorable wedding of our adorable cousins, Ashlee and Jared (who were engaged here on Kauai last summer).

Max was a ring bearer, and although he tossed his cookies throughout most of the wedding day, due to a wedding crashing tummy bug.

He made us proud, by keeping himself upright just long enough to walk the ring pillow down the aisle, because he promised Ashlee and Jared he would.

We arrived back on the island just in time to welcome our nephew, Alex.

Alex’s time spent with us, included cheering on the Giants sweep of the World Series, and hiking to Honokapiai Beach, where there was still a bit of summer’s sandy beach left for him to enjoy.

Winter waves are on the way, so the next hike to Honokapiai Beach, the sandy beach will be underwater, and it will look like this.

I tagged along with Michael to Waikiki for a few days.

While my hard-working hubby attended meetings, I hiked to the top of Diamond Head Crater for the first time; enjoyed some culinary delights; and experienced Forever 21 shopping.  (How did I not know about that store before?)

At Max’s school, I joined with other school parents and local chefs for a successful introduction of Farm to School lunch day.

We celebrated Max’s 9^th birthday.  His party included 9 of his favorite buds, plenty of pool fun, capture the flag games…

And some hilariously entertaining dance moves by the boys, Gangnam Style.

After bidding Alex our fond “Aloha a Hui Hou” last Monday, this past week I have played catch up on just about everything.

And now as we get ready for our next house guests, Big Daddy and Luci, who arrive this later this week…

The boys and I consciously slowed our selves back down, with some easy beach time this weekend.

So, we are all caught up, just in time for the beginning of the busy holiday season.

But, during this busy season, I am making a mental reminder to slow down and enjoy the special moments as they come!