T.I.M.E.: Grandma and Grandpa Chase Hurricane Lane

A couple weeks ago, Hurricane Lane was headed our way.  Labeled a Category 5, it was the biggest threat to Hawaii in decades.  Locals who have lived through the two major hurricanes that really did hit make sure that the rest of us take threats seriously, and water, toilet paper, and fuel are were sold out in many stores days before Lane's arrival.

Zachary brought his most precious possessions from his room to take if we had to evacuate.

When the threat declined all the way down to a tropical storm, we busted open the hurricane snacks.  Within hours, the M&Ms were gone from the trail mix and we made a tiny dent in our 36 boxes of mac and cheese.

Rain was heavy for a few days, resulting in mild flooding for our island and 52" of massive rainfall for the Big Island.

With several days off from school and all activities, the kids were stir crazy and finding ways to entertain themselves in the puddles and mud.

Mom and Dad Nufer watched the weather in anxious anticipation for their trip to Kauai.  After dropping off Anna at college, they celebrated their brand new "empty nest" status with a trip to what they hoped was sunny paradise and grandkids.  Luckily, the effects of Lane tapered dramatically as they arrived and very little evidence of flooding remained.

They brought Janece with them, who recently returned home from her mission to the Phillipines due to the sudden onset of Type I Diabetes.  She is learning to manage her blood sugar with her insulin pump, and deciding what to do next in her life.  She made a point to bond with each of my kids on this trip.

Our first adventure was walking the cliffs of Shipwrecks, followed with gentle waves at Sheratons.

Owen wanted to be part of every picture.

Janece told us later that afternoon that Hawaii was lost on her--she was not a fan of water or sunshine.  My dad, on the other hand, has an insatiable appetite for waves.

Saturday morning, we hustled over to cheer on Kate in her first soccer game of the season.  I am lucky to be the assistant coach and encourage the girls who are playing their second season together.  They all kick the ball the right direction this year and they won the game easily.  Kate scored the first two goals of the game and supported her team by willingly playing defense without complaint for the second half.

Meanwhile, on the other side of Koloa, Zac and Owen participated in the annual Keiki Race for the Kauai Marathon.  Every year, Zachary misses his chance to do Saturday races with soccer conflicts.  Unfortunately, HYSA plays all their games on Sunday in the fall, and AYSO dropped their U12 and U14 soccer programs for the south side this year.  He is really disappointed but making the best of it with bike rides, more trips to the beach, and dribbling his basketball all over the neighborhood on roller blades.

We had no intention of signing Owen up, but Brady could not resist when he learned their was a 2-4 year division.  Owen told me on the phone, "I ran so fast and chased the chicken!"  Every keiki race is against an adult chased in what must be a blazing hot chicken suit.

That afternoon, we spent four gorgeous hours at Waiohai after Dad changed my flat tire.  That night, we spent the evening watching BYU beat Arizona in a close football game.  I have lost interest in watching four hour games, but watching them with my enthusiastic family made the experience more lively.

Sunday morning, we were forced to sleep in and attend church late due to road closures for the Kauai Marathon.  I made us a few more minutes late, insisting on a few photos.

We ate salmon bowls and key lime pie, then went out on a beautiful walk/scooter ride along the golf course.

Lucky kid had many adults willing to read to him during that week.

Mom and I finished off the night playing the piano for hours.

Labor Day meant a day Brady could join us, so we took off for Hanalei, along with the Clark and Ellis families.  On the way up, we introduced the family to Banana Joe's sugarloaf pineapple freezes, made completely of fruit but tastier than ice cream.

The waves at Hanalei were small but the day was sunny and beautiful.  Dad boogie boarded for hours and showed determination paddle boarding.  Mom loved floating and swimming.  Janece played in the water, too, despite her claims to dislike sand and water.  Kate showed off her skills surfing (for a bribe--she was cold, hungry and tired), and Zachary played on his board and in the sand.  Owen hung out on his boogie board in the water intermittently, and so far, hearing him exclaim, "I want to get in the water!"

Owen loves Heidi so much.

Tuesday, I took Mom, Janece, Dad and Owen to the Kapa'a bike path.  It was a hot, muggy day, but I loved the sunshine on the water and riding with my mom.

Wednesday was a long trip to Waimea while I took my kids to piano lessons.  I was coming down hard with a goopy cold, and spent the better part of the day thinking that cold medicines were 100% ineffective and hoping I would not spread the love.

Thursday was the last day together and we made the most of it--leaving early for Kealia Beach to boogie board the eastern swell.  It was my favorite time with my dad.  We spent an hour there, then took off to Waiohai to enjoy the deep, crystal-clear waters and give Mom a chance to soak in the final day of sunshine.  Janece called it quits on the beach before this day, but spent time that afternoon connecting to my kids and playing games.  I was so grateful for her efforts.

 "In family relationships, love is really spelled T.I.M.E."  -Dieter F. Uctdorf. Living far away, we do not get face-to-face time very often, which makes weeks like this that much more anticipated and treasured.