Eight months

March 27, 2012


I don’t want you to get the title of the post “Eight months” confused with me being 8 months pregnant…

because sadly….this is how i felt when we all got together to do these family photos back in November.

Today marks our 8th month on the island of Kauai.

The time is flying by faster than you can say…..

“i’m sitting in bed blogging with a glass of wine on the nightstand”.

For some reason these last few weeks i’ve been getting emails from readers asking me my opinion on

up and moving away for a year and how it’s working for us…

so i thought now would be as good of a time as any to just lay down the facts for you.

There are 2 different sets of people in the world.

The doers and the watchers.

It’s okay to be a doer but sometimes in the back of your mind you wish you could just sit and watch.

It’s also okay to be a watcher because it means you are safe.

The watchers are content in their life.

The doers are content as well…..but they feel like there is something else out there.

Something next.

If you know our story….you know that we are not watchers. We tend to move around every 4 years or so….

but we were pretty content living in Illinois till Bryan lost his job….and once he lost his job….

well….the doers in us decided we needed a change.

Change is good. For us at least.

Not everyone needs change.

I had never met anyone {personally}that just up and moved somewhere for a year or two on a whim….

but because i blog….i knew of a few bloggers that did just that.

Up and move for a year or two.

One of the blogs i read is {oh happy day} and they up and moved to France for a year.

The other blog is {design mom}. Yes..they are sisters…and they both moved their families to France…

{and yes i did email them asking them if they need another sister but they declined my offer}

I would have loved to move to France…..but because we were somewhat realistic in what Bryan could do

for work…..we decided on the island of Kauai and living a beach life.

I’ve known people that move across the country….but to me that’s safe.

Get a job. Sell your house. Move across the country.

We rented out our house….put everything in storage….sold a car…shipped a car…

and here we are…on month 8.

{not to be confused with being 8 months pregnant…thank you very much}

It’s one thing to up and move somewhere completely different if you have a job transfer….

vs.

up and moving on a whim because life gave you some lemons and you decided to squeeze them for all their worth.

The cold hard facts:

*We have no money….and by no money…i mean…

NO MONEY

*what used to be weekly date nights back home means we have lunch dates while the kids are in school

so we don’t have to get a sitter.

*People always asking when are we coming home.

Well….we will come home if and when bryan gets a job that will pay our mortgage..but till then

we plan on staying here like planned. That means through the summer….

and it might mean we are here for a little longer. A job waiting tables is better than no job at all.

*Finding a job is going to be hard.

If you don’t have funds to get you through till you {or hubby} finds a job…then that might

give you a heart attack. Lucky for us Bryan found a job {he has 2 right now} within the first month.

*Insurance.

This was the most important thing for us. We needed to have benefits but there were 2 months that we didn’t

and that was really scary.

*No one understands.

I am only saying this because i know first hand what it’s like. People tend to think just because we live on Kauai

that we are drinking Mai Tai’s on the beach every afternoon.

Okay….i drink wine from a box…….and my left brake light was out on my mini {van not cooper} for

a month before i could get around to taking it in to get it replaced and not only that but my kids had

to call me to come get them at school because they were denied bus privileges because i was late in paying

for the bus fare. {yes….we have to pay for the bus here}

On the positive side:

Everyone’s life back home is still the same….our friends are still doing the same thing…..

and will still be there when we get back.

We might not have a whole lot of money….but we are living a different LIFE for a year.

The kids made new friends.

We have a new appreciation for what Simple means.

I can really live with only one pair of knee high boots for an entire year.

We’ve gone hiking….i’ve taken the kids camping….my kids have learned to surf…..they play the ukulele….

i train with Gabby Reece…..we spend Friday evenings on the beach…….the kids don’t wear shoes to school…..

we’ve made friends……we eat better…the ocean is in our backyard…..the kids have been stung by jellyfish and survived.

We always wanted a french bulldog but we have gecko’s instead.

This is living . To us anyway.

And who needs a DVR anyway! I watch television in real time.

we sneak into hotel hot tubs

{and since i’ve never mentioned the story on the blog….i might as well finish it.}

Remember at the beginning of the month

when the kids were home because of all the rain we’ve had? Well… we sneaked to the Hotel next door {with friends}

and the rule in hot tub land is that kids should not be in them. There was a balding {not that it matters..} man in the hot tub and he told my friend and i that our children should not be in the Hot tub. It was stated in the rules.

So my friend and i so gently told our well behaved kids that they would need to get out because of the invisible Hot Tub rules that said….

no children in hot tubs.

So……

once they all got out of the hot tub….i made sure to pee in it.

I know what you are thinking……..

Kasey sneaked her kids into a hotel hot tub and then she pee’d in it when a man asked her kids to vacate.

HELL YES I DID.

Okay….i’m sorry….i’ll never do it again. I promise.

Pinky.

Three fingers up in the air. The Hungry Games solute.

Please don’t leave rude comments on my blog because i’m

still trying to get over all the comments from the wedding crash of 2011.

Sheet.

How did i get off topic people?!

It must be the wine on the nightstand.

Damn you fine boxed wine.

Anyhoo…..i just want to say that we wouldn’t change a thing….we made a decision to

do something different and i can happily say that it’s all been worth it.

Every single day.

{comments are now closed. Thank you.}

Tagged family, Kauai, life, style Filed Under family, life, style, Uncategorized

girl and the goat {beach version}

March 16, 2012

It’s probably hard to believe……

but i’m going to say it really quick to give you a minute to absorb what i’m about to tell you.

Are you ready……

okay….them maybe you should sit down before you read the next line.

I took the kids camping.

I’ll let you sit on that for a minute…..while i go and grab another glass of fine boxed wine.

Are you hyperventilating?

Just take a deep breath……and grab your own glass of fine boxed wine.

Bryan and i aren’t your typical camper-type people….i tell you this because

my idea of roughing it is staying at a Hotel that has changed the H to an M.

We actually…..and don’t freak out here when i mention it….but we did camp once for an entire week

back in our courting years …..which is a good 15 years ago…..and we borrowed my brothers truck to

drive up to Wyoming where we camped Devils Tower…..then over to South Dakota where we camped

Mt. Rushmore.

We even did a few one nighters

{not to be confused with swinging…}

in and around the mountains of Colorado back when we lived in Vail.

So….anyhoo….what i’m trying to say is that ……i have been camping before…..

it’s just been a very long time.

Funny how things work out….because not once did we ever think of going camping while we lived

in Illinois….and the one time i mentioned just getting a tent to throw in the backyard so that the kids

could have fun pretending like we camped….

all i could think about was that would be the night some serial murderer was on the hunt in our town.

Fast forward to Kauai…..the year that the Buick family up and does something off the radar.


What i’ve figured out so far this year…..

is this:

You don’t up and move to the island of Kauai if you don’t like to be outdoors.

period…end of story….because if you don’t like to be outdoors and active…then pack up and go home.

I don’t have anywhere to pack up and head back to…..so i jumped on the train that is taking me the

route home that i never thought i would be on.

Luckily for me…..my friends here are all very outdoorsy…

they surf

they hike

they swim

and good thing they like a good glass of fine boxed wine as well.

{at least we have ONE thing in common}

After 2.5 weeks of raining…..and i’m not kidding when i say that even the long time Locals were

starting to freak out…..that we started seeing a little sunshine and my friends and their families

decided to pack up {it’s Spring Break here this week} and drive to Polihole beach.

Bryan had to work…..and because he doesn’t have a flexible schedule….and the fact that after all the

rain we’ve had…..he couldn’t take any time off because every dollar counts these days….

he just wasn’t able to join us camping.

{yes you read that right…..Bryan did not get to go…….}

So….here we are….

the night before everyone is heading out to go camping…..and all i’m thinking about is

do i go or not….

yes or no

feather pillows or duvet

fine boxed wine or freshly squeezed green juice

{obviously…the fine boxed wine won}

and since we have no tent or sleeping bags…..we had to stop by my favorite place on earth….

Walmart

where i bought a 4 person tent…..and a few foam pads so that i could lay my feather duvet on….

and we could all sing

kumbaya… at night.

Thank goodness at last minute i grabbed some bars of soap and wet wipes ….{thank you inner girl camper}

because it’s little things like that …..

that make you not vomit when the kids crawl into the tent with black hands and fingernails all ready for bed.

{i would like to take this moment to officially thank the maker of wet wipes……}


Polihole is on the completely opposite side of us….as far as you can drive….and the driest side of the island.

You can only access Polihole beach by driving 8 miles on a dirt road that is so filled with divots and pot holes

that you really think you will get a flat tire and have to hitchhike the rest of the way in.

{if you have a rental car….it is HIGHLY advised that you don’t try it…..so be safe and rent a jeep or a 4×4}

But lucky for us…..we relied on good ole mini {van not cooper} to get us in and get us out.

We made it in and the kids helped me put our tent together……

which i would like to state the fact that it is so easy bake oven easy

to take that tent out of it’s package and put together….

but does anyone ever take the tent down after camping…only to get it to fit right back into

the little zip up case like it came?

Or can we just all agree that the tents all come home from camping in a garbage bag tied with a

rubber-band?

Can i get an Amen?

After putting up the tent….we made our way to the beach.

{which is where i am going to add……it’s the only type of camping i’ll do from now on}

We……{my three kids and myself} had only planned on going for one night.

The reason for one night is actually a smart plan if you ask me….and since you just asked….i’ll tell you why.

One night is great because if you don’t sleep well…..

or you have nightmares that there is a tsunami……

or hear mountain goats when you should be hearing crickets….

{and you know i love me some goats….}

then one night is the perfect answer to pack up the next day and head back home.

But…..even though i heard the mountain goats….

i dreamed of tsunami’s….

and i felt like i slept on the ground instead of a mattress….

we stayed an extra night.

red wine in glass jars with sunsets help of course….
and happy children.

Very happy children.

Children that keep telling you they had the best time ever…….

even though they are filled with mosquito bites and you are pretty damn sure that

your head itches not because of lice but because of sand…..

and going to the bathroom in the middle of the night while carrying your own roll of toilet paper….

because it’s all worth it in the end.


Tagged family, Kauai, life Filed Under Uncategorized 16 Comments

I am across the street if you need me

February 21, 2012

My MIL arrived a week ago….and she leaves tonight

I love my MIL. Her legal name is Judy….but the name she goes by is Traci…..

she grew up in Ohio {hence being named Judy} ….

then moved to Florida in her early 20′s {hence changing her name to Traci}.

Her oldest son {Bryan’s only brother} lives in NYC…..and and her youngest son {Bryan} lives as

far West as you can go in the U.S…..the island of Kauai.

These are a few thoughts about this last week.

{what i heard..} * The kids hair is so blond and growing like crazy.

{what she really said..} * I don’t mind taking them to get a haircut while i’m here.

…..

{what i heard…} I’m going to go upstairs and rest a bit.

{what she meant…} *My daughter in law just erupted like Chernobyl ….so i’m going to hide in my room for a week.

…….

Luckily for me she only hid for one night….and reappeared the next morning….

she was nice enough to try my freshly squeezed green juice only once…….

she really loved hanging out at the hotel where Bryan works……

she is hooked on Hershey kisses with macadamia nuts in the middle….

she got to see whales breach off the coast and they sounded a whole lot like her daughter in law

trying to bend down and wipe up the floor after a circuit training class.

{sorry….is that too much info}

Anyhoo……I believe she had a wonderful time with us….and i know for a fact….

that we thoroughly had a wonderful time with her here.

{even though a child might or might not have hidden her reading glasses}

Here are some photos taken in the last week…..

it’s not too often that you walk by a sign hanging on the front of a shop that states the way you feel….


This sign pretty much states everything.

the end

over and out

i’m having one made for my front door and back door…because you just never know who will knock

at the back door….and i might even get one for the bathroom door.

We drove to the other side of the island last Thursday and drove up to Waimea Canyon….and as you can see….

a certain third child tagged along with us that day.

Does he look sick to you…..because he certainly does NOT look sick to me.

Third child …..no other words needed.

Mason had his 11th birthday party on Sunday….it was a fishing party on the Hanalei Pier.

I was warned from one of my friends that RSVP’ing here in the middle of the Pacific isn’t a priority….

but i thought i was lucky when i got one parent calling me to RSVP.

Then three other boys showed up…..and that was the way we rolled this year.

1. Mason caught the biggest fish.

2. The boys at the party.

3. Mason fishing.

We found some swings hanging from a tree while out driving around.

{don’t hate me if i come back here in 2 weeks and shoot Fin’s turning 7 birthday photos….}

I promise i’ll change his clothes and style his hair.

It’s not Friday night if you don’t have a group of ladies that come up and want to pray for you.

{hey…..they offered a bbq of hot dogs and burgers on the beach …}

1.No…that is not a glob of KY Jelly on the beach….it’s a jelly fish on little bits of Sea Glass at Glass Beach.

2. Wailua Fall.

3. Kilauea Lighthouse.

We drove to the end of the road {northshore} on Saturday…….

1.Kalalau trail…..no…we did not hike it….but they sure looked good under the sign.

2. Fin’s footprints in the sand.

3. The Napali coast {which the Kalalau trail follows for 11 miles in}

Mason heading along the beach at sunset.


Mason and friends version of snowboarding.

Lola and one of her besties Anya.

{Anya and her family came for vacation and ended up staying……yup….it happens}


This all happened in one evening:

2. It was a Monday evening….Bryan was working…..so i packed up dinner and we hit the beach.

3. I saw a girl walking on the pier in an ANTHRO dress….so i jumped up…and stalked her followed her.

{anyone that shows up on the pier in an Anthro dress…..well…..they deserve to be followed…..}

cough cough

1. As i was following girl in Anthro dress….a cute girl who was visiting from California

came up to me and introduced herself as a blog reader.

{…i was still in my workout clothes …..had no make-up on and i might have been carrying a hidden margarita

in my hand….so i’m pretty sure she flew home to her family and complained that i smelled like i looked…}

hey….she was in workout clothes as well…..so there….but what are the chances that fate brings a blog reader

and a blog writer together on a Monday night at the Hanalei pier.

{Thank you Anthro dress wearing Canadian independent film editor girl on her way around the world….}

1. Our very first Valentines night out in 11 years.

11 years ago {plus two days}……which was 2 days before Mason was born….

i put on my black PLEATHER maternity pants and we dined at Kincaids.{Bay Area…}

{I was cool back then……pregnant 26 year old sporting the pleather}

Seriously….didn’t we all wear black pleather pants back then?

I might have had to cut the pants off at the end of that night because if you did not know….

{but now you do…..}

sweat and black pleather {plastic leather} don’t mix very well.

2. Playing tourists at Waimea Canyon lookout with the oops baby next to us.

1. I took my very first ever yoga class in the history of the life of kasey.

2. Green Juice. What i drink every single morning in lieu of breakfast.

{and down 15 pounds since November}

well…..the exercise helps too…..all 6 days a week of it.

what a beautiful winter evening looks like…

and the only organizational sport that the kids are playing at the moment…

and it included water.

well…..that and writing 200 times that they will not ride a bike without a helmet.

Real life.

If you need me…..i’ll be across the street.

Tagged family, Kauai, life Filed Under etsy, letters, styling 22 Comments
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