Kamaole Beach

While in Hawaii we spent a portion of most every day at the best beach ever.

Just a few blocks from our hotel was Kamaole Beach, which quickly became our home away from home.

While Kaeden loved everything about beach life,

Carter spent every beach outing either in my arms, or like this:

He was afraid of the water and absolutely hated the sand.

I was able to get him to compromise and spend a little bit of time off his chair on the boogey board, but that ended shortly after these shots when a lone wave washed all the way up to him and knocked him off his perch.

In the meantime, Kaeden played, and played, and played in the waves.  I was surprised at his lack of fear.  His favorite thing to do was to jump over the waves until he got a little way out into the water, and then let the waves crash over him and drag him back to shore.

One time a wave crashed over him causing his whole head to go under water.  Standing right next to him I grabbed him right out of the water and was expecting a full on freak out since he freaks when his face gets submerged in shower water.

But no, he looks up at me and yells, "That. Was. AWESOME!!!!"

Oh that kid.

Jeff spent his time perfecting his boogey boarding skills.

And that's pretty much how afternoons on Maui went.

But one day, late in our trip, this happened:

And then this:

Which quickly escalated into this:

This:

This:

And this:

Carterbabes had FINALLY found a new appreciation for the beach!  But it wasn't always sunshine and surfboards.  He still had a love/hate relationship with that sand:

What a great way to relax.  Sunshine, warm water, and watching your boys have the time of their lives.

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Kaeden doing what he does best:  Drawing pictures of everyone he loves holding hands.

Did I mention that Kamaole Beach even had a vacationing Santa?  Just kidding.  That's my cute grandpa.

I wish I would have had my nice camera one particular day on the beach.  My grandma, who struggles with an equilibrium issue, had spent most her beach days sitting on the lounge chairs with Carter.  But suddenly she decided she wanted a go at that salty water.

I snapped picture after picture on my phone of the two of them out in the water.  My grandpa helping my grandma and always holding her hand.  I love these two.  I loved seeing them together like this and wondering what they were like and how they interacted 20, 30, 40, even 50 years ago.  I bet it was amazing.

Each beach day ended the same way.  Both boys stripped down to their underoos riding in the backseat with the windows down and the warm breeze drying them off.  Our car filling up with even more sand each time we ended a visit.

It was seriously the best.

We will miss you Kamaole Beach!