We decided to take a few days off and have some fun.  So, we rented a "cabin" at Bellows Air Force Station.  They are really nice--right on the beach with two bedrooms, bath, and kitchen.  Surf was great for boogie boarding and even John gave it a try!  Guess what?  He actually enjoyed the beach for the first time ever!!!  We were so excited for him and it made it more fun for the rest of us. 

 

We packed up our bicycles (living on our mountain, we don't get to bike much) and went riding on the trail along the campgrounds with glimpses of turquoise sea through the pine and palms.  A game of mini-golf was very entertaining.  Ethan aggravated Daddy by hitting the ball too hard and making it fly off the green.  Two holes later...Daddy's ball flew into a flower bed.  We were all in stitches.  Two holes after that, Ethan's ball bounced off an obstacle and pinged him on the head!!!  Morgan could not contain herself to wait her turn and went way over par almost every time.  She hardly ever held the club in the right direction and swung wonderful breezes our way while her ball stayed still.  Still, she got really lucky on a few holes and even beat Daddy on one.  (Daddy was not pleasant at that point)

 

On our first evening, the kids came running out of their bedroom screaming, "My bed shook!"  They have officially lived through their first earthquake.  A 4.5 shook the windward coast and had Mommy worried to death.  It happened at 8 p.m. and Mommy had to keep walking down to check that the water was not receding until 9 p.m. when the news finally announced that Tsunami warnings were not needed.  Boy, did I miss my mountain shack during that hour!!!  Johnnie slept through our first earthquake in the Netherlands even after being thrown from the bed onto the floor.  So, he is very happy he remembers it this time.

 

On our final day, I was taking our things off the line and shaking the last of the sand off when a 5 inch poisonous centipede flew out of John's surf shirt and landed inside the cabin!  It ran right for the kids' room.  I chased it with a broom and lost it.  I was very glad it was our last day there! 

 

Other exciting things that happened include John losing his new sunglasses when he got tumbled by a wave and Ethan being pinched on the foot by a crab and thinking he got stung by a man-o-war.  The lifeguard said it could be a sting and Ethan pointed out to me that the lifeguard knows more about these things than I do!  Pinch marks aside, I had to admit Ethan was right. 

 

Today, we went to Hawaiian Waters, the water park.  John and I took turns riding big, exciting slides with Ethan and swimming with the ever more daring Morgan in the wave pool and Keiki (kiddie) pool.  We are now exhausted and lazing around.  Hopefully, we will be recovered by tomorrow when we have to go SWIMMING (again) with the homeschool group.  Sigh.

 

Enjoy the new pictures in Bellows Beach Vacation album!

Love

Kathy