Our New Floors!

We arrived home to beautiful new floors - very exciting!

Last stop - Visit to LA

Visiting friends and family in LA. Mike and Julie were considerate enough to have Zack 3 weeks early, just so we could meet him ;)

Meeting Zack (1 day old) at the hospital


Catching up with Brenda


Spending time with Andrew's Cousins Don, Lily and their daughter Lynn and grand-daughter Allison


Mike and Julie on thier first outing with Zack

A quick excursion to Tahoe

Kayaking by Dave & Jeanine's place


Emerald Bay


At some falls on the way home


Mandy getting bigger by the day

Return to San Francisco

Another trip back to visit friends in San Francisco. This time we got to meet a few new additions!

Heuga and Abigail


Steve and Jack (a new All Black fan)


Mandy tanning her belly


Dave, Jeanine and Oliver


A sad farewell to Tina and Lennart - who are moving to Sweden (not on the annual mandrew vacation route)


Catching up with the Thompsons - these girls get more gorgeous every year


Back in the hood - Arlington Ave with Amelia


Kiera and Aidan


Sage


A great day on Angel Island with Wiggen, Jim & Janet

Cohens in Maui

Martin and Susan met us for a relaxing week on the beach in Maui.

Lunching by our beach


The view from our Lanai


Andrew with his bike, ready to ride down Haleakala Mountain (8000ft vertical) in 30mins


Andrew above the clouds, going about 30mph


Cohens by the Crater at the top of Haleakala Mountain (10,000ft)


Looking up to Haleakala Mountain - hard to believe it's 10,000ft


Mandy showing off her belly from the Lanai


Susan making friends with another Slovak, who was born on the same day as her!


On our snorkel trip to Molikini


The state fish of Hawaii - Humuhumunukunuku Apua'a


The last supper

Kayaking Kaua'i - Day 3

Our last day of paddling. We left paradise pretty early, just in case the surf came back up. We took our time paddling south down the coast, stopping for snorkelling, short hikes, swimming with turtles and whatever else took our fancy.
We had lunch at Nualolo Aina - a historic site, and got a guided tour by the crazy care-taker - lots of walls and terraces made out of rocks. Then did a little snorkelling inside the reef.

At afternoon tea (yes, it is all about food), we did an impressive beach landing (and re-launch) at Miloli'i - surfing in over the roughest part of the beach (with sharp black rock reef beneath us). We were getting pretty confident with the whole kayak/surf thing. We went for a hike up into the valley behind through long cutting grass, and finally got to our destination, a waterfall where we cooled off.

Our final paddle took us to Polihale the long sandy beach (our take out point). There were surfers out (never a good sign for kayakers) - but we were prepared.... We watched wiggen as he skillfully surfed his kayak in. We sat in what we thought was a safe spot, ready to start timing the waves - but we were too late and too close to shore, a massive wave was right on us, and we paddled hard to stay pointing forward and upright for awhile - until finally it dumped us and we were out!!! The most embarrassing part was that the guy from the kayak store was there to meet us, and he watched the whole thing! Our first capsize of the entire trip.

Snorkelling at Nualolo Aina

Heading through a big cave


In the lava tube


The lava tube


Swimming with Turtles


The waterfall (after our hike through long cutting grass)


The end

Kayaking Kaua'i - Day 2

Woke up to find that we were still in paradise.

The boys decided to head into the valley to check out a waterfall, but preggy mandy decided to rest from her big kayaking effort from yesterday.

In the afternoon Andrew and Mandy decided to swim to the nearby beach, while Kevin paddled along side us. The neighbouring beach was deserted with a sheer cliff (probably 1000ft high) at the back of it, and at one end was a huge cave which you could walk through to access the next beach along. We wandered about enjoying the scenery (including a waterfall at the next beach), and then "swam" back (Mandy actually rode most of the way on the back of kevin's kayak).

We prepared yet another gourmet meal, made the neighbouring hikers jealous and met some local hippie chicks who actually played music for us (it's amazing that these woman hike topless, with barefeet, but still manage to carry in a guitar and bongo drum!).

It was a super hot day - and we cooled off and filled up our water bottles under our local waterfall. Just heavenly.

A view down the beach


Andrew enjoying the waterslide up Kalalau valley


Wiggen/Gandalf on the way back from the falls


Wiggen scaring the locals


The sheer cliff at the neighbouring beach


Mandrew swimming


At the cave


Caves made to fit


The 3 Marlenas on the swim back


Mandy catching a ride home


Yet another gourmet meal


Mandrew in Paradise