We snuck away for a quick camping trip to celebrate the birthday of our good friend and fellow crossfitter, Mat (of Mat & Tiara). Not only were we the only group to set up camp in Sugi Grove, but the clear and cloudless night sky coincided with the 2012 supermoon! The trip was a great way for us to unplug from our normal routine, slow down and enjoy the company of our friends, plenty of great food and the surrounding beauty of Koke’e State Park. Signs of summer are definitely in the air.

Gearing up for their Kauai wedding, Brittany and Jeff arrived a little early with an agenda to explore as much of the island as possible. Right after they landed we hit the South Shore in search of sea turtles, and despite poor visibility, we lucked out with a great snorkeling session! Then we wiped the sand off our feet and changed into dinner attire on the side of the road. Jeff and Brittany insisted on treating us to dinner (the first of many lavish meals during their stay!) at one of the newest and nicest restaurants in Poipu, Red Salt. After narrowly escaping multiple food-comas, we all woke up early the next morning for a day hike to Hanakapi’ai Falls. There’s no better way to catch up with great friends than hiking all day together! Swimming in the icy pool under the falls, then eating lunch on the warm river rocks was the perfect reward and recharge for the hike back. It was awesome experiencing such an incredible waterfall for the first time with Brittany and Jeff. We were also lucky enough to spot a couple rainbows as we headed home! Below is a conglomeration of pictures from the day… Photo credit shared – all the best ones were from their camera

Many mahalos to Brittany & Jeff for such an incredible time spent together. Stay tuned for their gorgeous wedding photos, coming soon!

Art students finally had the opportunity to choose their own subject for this Scratchboard assignment. They were instructed to create an etched drawing that demonstrates an understanding of texture and value.

Every student began by researching a design idea on the Internet, and then created a preliminary drawing on paper. The pencil drawing was then transferred and etched into black scratchboard with sharp tools.

We had an awesome visit from our good friend Scott! He dedicated his Spring Break from UCLA’s School of Law to endure a crash course with us at Kauai Crossfit while also motivating us to try adopting his vegan diet for the week. Scott did an amazing job for a first-time crossfitter, and we were mediocre at best in maintaining his diet (backyard eggs and Portuguese sausage are nearly impossible for us to live without). Between the workouts and each carefully prepared vegan meal at home, we trekked from north to south hitting a few of the island’s highlights and hanging out in luxury at the best resorts. It was great catching up, sharing stories and exploring the island together! Thank you for all your generosity, Scott… our doors are always open and we really hope you come back soon!!!

CLICK HERE for an inside look at Maria and Jay’s big day at Shipwrecks Beach on Kauai’s sunny South Shore. We arrived at the Sheraton Poipu for Maria’s “getting ready” photo session as the final details came together in their tropical ocean-view room. Shortly thereafter we all headed to the beach for the main event. Maria looked stunning while Jay couldn’t have appeared happier when they both stepped out of their stretch-limo. From the limo, Maria and Jay walked through a jungly path to their secluded corner of the beach where the soft evening light cast a warm glow throughout their ceremony. As the sun moved towards the horizon we ventured to the top of Shipwrecks bluff to take advantage of the spectacular views and capture a few romantic moments. It was the perfect storybook ending to a warm and beautiful wedding day on Kauai. Congratulations to the newlyweds, Maria and Jay, and mahalo for sharing your delicious wedding cake… yum!

KMS Art students wrapped up the end of 3rd quarter with a Pop Art Printing project that featured a self-portrait of each individual. The lesson was inspired by the graphic and colorful prints created by Pop Artists in the 1950s. Students were briefly introduced to the artwork of Roy Lichtenstein, Claes Oldenburg, Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns and Richard Hamilton. Our main influence, however, was derived from Andy Warhol’s iconic images that define the Pop Art movement.

“Everyone will be famous for 15 minutes.” -Andy Warhol

KMS Art students worked on this art activity alongside the Pop Art linoleum block printing assignment. After exploring the artistic themes and subjects of the original Pop Artists of the 1950s and 1960s, students brainstormed a list of popular icons and products that would be good modern Pop Art subjects for their own generation. I chose a handful of images from their list to print and xerox, making enough gray-scale copies for every student to color.

Students used colored pencils to imitate the Pop Art style, emphasizing bold solid colors, sharp-edged lines, repetition and enlargement. Several middle school students (not in my classes) got wind of this activity and came in to ask for their own copy to color… evidence that our Pop Art themes were spot-on!

If you are looking for a rainy day activity, or just want to see some fabulous artwork by Kapaa Middle School Students, visit the Kauai Museum during the month of March to check out the “50th Anniversary School Art Exhibit!”

A variety of KMS student artwork was entered for consideration. Everything including, ceramic masks, copper repousse, drawings, and paintings are currently on display for viewing. The following students received ribbons (in the order pictured above): Chloe Matsuda, Kahiwahiwa Davis, Katie Spaethe-Peterson, Maile Miyake, and Mainei Kinimaka. Congrats!

What rocks and rolls, and brings music education to people all over Kauai? It’s the BANDWAGON! KMS Media students are in for a wild ride as this mobile music machine takes us on an adventure with the destination to create Kapaa Middle School’s first school song! Students will have the opportunity to learn the technical side of music production in addition to writing, performing, and recording a song that celebrates our school.

Jeremy Hartshorn, the “Wagoneer” for the Bandwagon, is a professional songwriter, music instructor, and producer. Please show your support by checking out his website and spreading the word! If you live on Kauai and are interested in music instruction, “Mr. J” is your man!

This year for Christmas, Julia and I picked up a couple used kites with the intention of learning how to kitesurf slowly, cautiously, and with the help of our experienced kiting friend, Jerome. The first few sessions involved set-up and safety procedures, but lacked the right wind conditions. When the wind finally picked up enough to actually launch our smaller kite, I felt ready to give it a try behind the controls. One common kiting term used to describe wind-enduced disaster is “Kitemare“. You can see how this lesson ended… kite in a tree, cutting down a tree, Chris in a tree, but thankfully minimal damage in the end.

Rumor has it that Kapaa Middle School’s Elective Night was the best school event of the year thus far! We packed the house with students, parents and faculty who came in support of our elective classes. The evening’s events included a television broadcast demonstration and introduction from our G.T. Media students, choral and ukulele performances, a gallery of student artwork on display, delicious cookies made by our Home Economics students, videos and graphic design by the G.T. Media class, a “Doodle Wall” art activity, and a silent Art Auction.

A special thanks to our PTSA for supporting our programs and helping to organize the Art auction! The money we earned will go towards purchasing more art supplies for our growing Art classes!

Every year our cats get a tad fatter, a little happier and a lot lazier. When they’re not terrorizing us for midnight snacks, morning back rubs or water from the tap, they’re usually either snoozing or terrorizing some other nonthreatening creatures. Late in the afternoon they can be found keeping a watchful eye over their hunting grounds while most likely planning their next ill-fated crime.

Normally, midday on a Saturday is a popular time for surfers to enjoy the waves. This day was no different with most of the well known surf spots jam-packed with paddle boarders, body boarders, short and long boarders. Our recent summery weather has brought the crowds to the beach and we’re all happy to take advantage of the postponed rainy season. We were lucky enough to find a more secluded corner to ourselves with the added benefit of a photographer onshore that randomly decided to grab a few shots of our session together. Needless to say, we had a great day “somewhere in Hawaii”.

CLICK HERE for a look into one of the most impressive pieces of property in Aliomanu Estates on the Eastside of Kauai. Nestled beneath Mano Mountain’s breathtaking view of the King Kong profile, this lush four bedroom three bathroom plantation style home sits upon four acres of beautifully manicured landscape. The list of amenities includes gated entry, sweeping ocean views, wrap around lanais, exquisitly modern kitchen, separate guest quarters, large two car garage plus additional storage, upstairs master suite with upgraded bath, outdoor shower, and much more. This dream house was designed to enhance the natural beauty of Kauai’s surrounding paradise… move in ready!

It was a surprisingly warm winter vacation in Washington, filled with lots of Wagner family traditions, great meals together and fun walks in woods. Instead of roasting chestnuts on an open fire, we cracked homegrown Kauai coffee beans by hand and roasted them in an air popcorn popper. With lots of beginners luck and a little research, the coffee was a success and we also got our open fire in the yard thanks to Big Daddy Wags. We took advantage of a couple sunny days strolling around the harbor and venturing into Seattle. On the way to David, April and William’s house, we made a really fun stop at the Experience the Music Project Museum where Ben snapped the coolest picture of us pretending to be rockstars…

After getting our fill of vintage guitars and Seattle’s music history, the famous Dick’s Drive-In was next on the agenda. We had the best deluxe cheeseburgers ever made. Definitely on the top of our do-it-again list for next year. Before our trip was over, we enjoyed time with our nephew William, made a few extra shopping trips, tested our awesome GoPro Christmas present, cleaned numerous buffet plates of dungeness crab and tried to make our dollars last on the slot machines at Tulalip Resort Casino. Many mahalos to the Wagner family for making everyday together special. Happy New Year!