Spring Birthdays
After the very stormy winter and just before the spring weather arrived in LA, Koa turned two years old. My parents flew all the way from Tokyo to attend his grand 2nd birthday party. Thinking about the size of our house, I felt I invited too many people but it was just about right. Just as we expected, it was a rainy day but the house was warm and filled with gifts and guests.
The birthday preparation was a big team effort. Nicolai blew up a lot of balloons so we could make garlands. My dad assembled the construction car themed banner and the table decorations. My mom and I cooked bite-size Japanese croquets. We catered coffee and Danish pastries from our favorite Copenhagen Pastry. Sticking the flags of three nations in the food, we were ready for the party.
The birthday party preparation was exhausting for the parents (and the grandparents) but overjoyed Koa had his best day. He was surrounded by his favorite people and received so much love he couldn't handle in one day. We were on the other hand very relieved that the birthday party was finally done.
Back to the Big Island
In May, we were back in the Big Island of Hawaii to celebrate Nicolai's birthday. The Big Island is different from Kauai where we visited last year. The nature is more dynamic and everything feels grander. They are famous for their volcanos and Kona coffee. We stayed on the west coast, a relatively dry side of the island.
Our rental was beautifully decorated, equipped with a beach kit, and had an amazing ocean view. Local flowers were presented nicely in the rooms by the most friendly and lovely hosts, who were also a family of three with a child around Koa's age. They played together on the first day while the parents had some work to finish.
Since the LA weather hasn't been so great to us this year, the tropical air felt so nice and comfortable. Our beach trips included driving through a field of volcanic rocks where wild goats in the same lava color were seen everywhere. The ocean water was like a heated pool. Once you were in, it was hard to leave. Koa ventured around the beach with his little shovel and a boat shaped bucket. When we got tired, we energized ourselves with some apple bananas and macadamia nut chocolates. It was the vacation we needed for a long time.
In the evening of Nicolai's birthday, we made a reservation at the restaurant called Ulu Ocean Grill at Four Seasons. The architecture of the main building was beautifully designed with a mix of wooden construction and lava bricks. Luckily the cloud drifted away, we were able to end the dinner with the perfect sunset. The table was by the beachfront and Koa saw some crabs crossing by. The next moment, he was showing off his 'crab walk' (walking side ways.) It was quite a memorable moment seeing his silhouette against the pink and purple sky.
As the only coffee lover of the family , I planned a trip for three of us to drive up to the foggy mountain of Hualalai to visit the Mountain Thunder Coffee Plantation. The tour guide gave us brief and concise information about Kona Coffee and how it was made. I personally think coffee grown in Hawaii tastes the best of all the coffee I have tried in my life. Sunny mornings, rainy afternoon, and the rich volcanic soil make great coffee trees. I did my coffee tasting and bought home my best pick, Vienna, the medium roast.
Akaka Fall is situated on the other side of the island, roughly 2 hours drive from where we stayed on the west coast. I was impressed by how far Koa was able to walk on his own on the hike trail. He barely walked last year when we stayed in Kauai. It is amazing to think of his progress he made in the past years from only being able to wiggle to crawling and now walking and running.
Our happy feet could tell we had another incredible time in Hawaii. Good times always fly by so fast. Koa played well with his miniature surfer van and rubber tropical sea creatures on the airplane back to LA. Coming home was exhausting especially with the toddler but we picked up our miss Uni on the way and drove back to our life in LA.
Greetings in Japanese
冬の嵐が去った後、そして春が訪れる少し前、我が家のコアくんは２歳になりました。大きくなったようでまだ小さいような、色々分かるようになったようで、まだ謎な行動が多い２歳児。冬から春にかけてあまりにも雨が多いので、お誕生日会は家で開催しました。日本からはグランパパとグランママが、わざわざこの日のために日本から来てくれました。プレイデートでよく遊ぶお友達、やさしいご近所さんや私たちの知人に囲まれて、楽しいバースデーを過ごすことができました。
5月にはニコライの誕生日があり、家族3人でハワイ島に行って参りました。通称ビッグアイランドで知られるハワイ島はその名の通り、大自然が魅力的で火山でも有名ですが、今回私が楽しみにしていたのはコナコーヒー。霧がかかった山道を運転し、標高の高いところに位置するコーヒーファームを訪れました。コーヒーテイスティングだけではなく、フリーのツアーもあり、コナコーヒーがなぜこんなに深みがあって美味しいのか今回初めてじっくり学ぶことができ大満足です。
ニコライの誕生日当日には建築が美しいフォーシーズンズのレストランでサンセットを背景に家族3人でお祝いしました。食後に薄暗くなった海辺でカニさんの真似をしてはしゃぐコアくんを眺めながら幸福感に浸りました。これからも家族が末長く健康でハッピーでいられるようにと心の中で思いました。