Kauai

On Friday, October 26 we flew from a frosty, 24 degree Coralville (only 22 minutes from home to the airport) to Kauai under sunny skies and 81.  The 6:12 am flight to Chicago, then to LA and then to Lihue, Kauai was an easy three leg journey.   We will spend a week in Kauai at The Cliffs and a week in Maui.

Our "home" for the week in Kauai

SATURDAY, Oct 16
The Iowa football game got Don up early (6 AM game time here in Kauai) but he didn't manage to log in and watch until half-time.  What a game!  Iowa won in OT 17-10.  We packed a lunch and headed to Hanalei Bay Resort to park and walk to the beach there for the afternoon.  A bit overcast today but nice to relax there.  After the beach we land in our pool and hot tub before getting ready for supper.  Tonight we head to Hanalei to the Blue Dolphin.  Don had ono and I had mahi mahi.  YUM.

Don watching the Iowa FB game

Then off to Hanalei Beach down the path from
Halanei Bay Resort

Beach, then pool, then hot tub!

SUNDAY, Oct 27
We've committed to walking every morning and with the time difference of 5 hours we seem to get up early here.  Our walk involves parking the packed-for-the-day-at-the-beach car in the small lot for Hideaways Beach.  What a beautiful 7 AM walk we had.

7 AM and 74 degrees we are out for a walk!

We parked the car at the small lot for Hideaways Beach
and walk back to The Cliffs.

Beautiful morning!

Back to the condo for a breakfast of omelets.

The trail begins to Hideaways Beach

And down and down and down we go

Down the steep jungle environment

To the beautiful beach!

Back at our pool after beach time.

MONDAY, Oct 28
Tunnels Beach is our destination for today.  We rented snorkel gear but didn't use it as the warnings were out for high surf and the water was choppy.  Oh, well.  We enjoyed the sunny beach day reading and relaxing looking back at the start of the Napali coast.  The lane of parking was full so Don dropped me off with all the beach gear and parked further down at the state beach.  Supper down in Hanalei at The Kalypso.  I had hula hula chicken and Don had mahi mahi fish and chips.

The entrance to Tunnels Beach.

Lots of beach and not very many people.

The waves further out were huge!
Many surfers were trying them out.

The beauty of the mountains.

TUESDAY, Oct 30
Ke'e Beach, one of our favorite Kauai beaches, was our destination today.  So we were on the road by 10:00.  The drive to the end of the road crosses many one way bridges and through curves of the road.  We lucked out and got a parking place and put on our hiking shoes.  What a beautiful hike - probably about 3/4 mile each way.  After about 1 1/2 hours of hiking we relaxed on Ke'e Beach.  NO snorkeling again today due to the high surf.  Oh, well.

The hiking begins!

Ke'e Beach view

NaPali Coast view

Ke'e Beach

Shave ice at the Wishing Well

WEDNESDAY, Oct 30
Off for our morning walk and I turned my ankle!  But that didn't keep us from finding Anini Beach and enjoying the afternoon there.
Since it is our last evening in the Princeville area we went back to the Blue Dolphin for supper.  Don enjoyed pink snapper and I had shrimp.  With stuffed mushrooms first then a big bowl of their salad and we were very satisfied.

THURSDAY, Oct 31
We are moving today from The Cliff's to the Marriott at Lihue.  It truly is one of our favorite places to stay.  We fly to Maui tomorrow so we'll have just one night here and we'll spend the entire afternoon at this gorgeous pool!

View from our top floor room.

The view from our pool chairs!

An afternoon at the pool!

THE MOVE!

So here's the story of THE MOVE!  In the spring of 2012 Don was hired to coach the boys' basketball team.  We put our Wellman house on the market thinking that we'd move to IC/Coralville.  The house didn't sell that spring or summer so we commuted into IC for City High practices/open gyms/games/etc.    It worked - 40 minutes and 21 stoplights from Wellman to City High.  In the spring of 2013 we again listed our house and it SOLD when we were in Mexico and we had about 6 weeks to be out.   Within 24 hours we purchased a house in Coralville (I had looked at it earlier and Don walked through on his way to Washington DC).  So while he was in DC with the USA 3 on 3 teams and I was in Indy helping with the new baby we purchased 2417 Biltmore Lane, Coralville.

Monday, October 14:  The movers load and move our things from Wellman.

Good bye to our home in Wellman after 24 years.

Tuesday, October 15:  The paperwork is accomplished on both homes and the movers arrive with our stuff in Coralville.  Melissa stops in, drops off supper and helps unpack some of the kitchen.

Wednesday, October 16:  Three painters paint all day in the kitchen, all three bathrooms, and our bedroom.  Landscapers are working out front. Darrel and Janet stopped by with lunch!   Pizza arrives in the evening with a visit from Judy, mom and dad.

The painters came on Wednesday painting bathrooms
blue, kitchen the neutral, and accent wall in bedroom.

The kitchen turns from the sage to the beige to match the living/dining room.

Don in the office!  Yikes!

Judy, mom and dad came with pizza Wednesday night.

Mom and Judy unpacking and arranging the china cupboard.

Thursday and I am off to Kansas City for a the national MOPS convention through Saturday night.  On Friday Don heads to Des Moines for the fall IBCA convention.  While I was away at convention the new stainless steel kitchen appliances were delivered and installed.

From white appliances to stainless steel.

We settle in after our weekend away, unpacking, rearranging, enjoying our new home.  One week in our home and the Kahlers come to see the house and have supper.  Since it is a Tuesday (Melissa's day off) she picked the boys up after school to come and Scott drove over from West High.  What a blessing to be close enough to them now for that to happen on a school night.

The Kahlers on their first visit to our home.
The little boys loved the home theater and we are planning
a movie night as soon as possible!

Papa wrestling with Landon and Owen

We invited family on Wednesday, Oct 23 to celebrate my mom's 83rd birthday.

Happy birthday, mom
And dad on Nov. 1  

Photos of 2417 Biltmore Lane

New landscaping!
The old, builder grade bushes were pulled out.
Now - dwarf lilacs, weeping mulberries, grasses, day lillies,
golden sumacs, and ground covers.

Garage doors will soon get some decor handles.

Fall decor by front door.

Gas fireplace at the end of the living room.

Screened porch off the living room and our bedroom.

View of living/dining room from the fireplace.

Entry and dining room.
Walls are still bare as I'm hesitant to make nail holes yet.

Front office