Happy New Year

It's hard to believe that 2009 is coming to a end. I really feel like it kind of snuck up on me. After Thanksgiving I guess everything seems to accelerate. This year has been very challenging as a mother for me. I think I am getting better at this thing but I can tell I am on the slow learning curve. Brock is such a good little boy. He makes all my challenging days worth it. Wishing you and yours a Happy New Year and like my friend Dwayne says " Grant me the senility to forget the people I never really liked anyways, The good fortune to run into the ones I do, and the eyesight to tell the difference. May we all be so fortunate!

What a difference a year makes

We took Brock to go see Santa at the Fashion Island Mall. Imagine to our surprise that he was the same Santa from last year. Brock didn't cry but he definitely tried to escape Santa's lap. He is now 17 months old and into everything. I was a little nostalgic about how fast this year has gone by. I dug out his first picture with Santa and boy how he has grown.

2009

2008

We spent Christmas Eve at family friends house for dinner. That would be about how festive our Christmas became because later that night Brock got the stomach flu and then passed it on to mommy over the next few days. We decided to stay home and not see family. I am sure they did not want to get sick like us. I also was looking forward to seeing my friend Janet over the holiday which just didn't work out with our illnesses. We hope that everyone had a very Merry Christmas and spent it celebrating with family and loved ones.

Brock's First Haircut

It's official: The "curls" are gone. We had been debating as to when to cut Brock's hair. I was really hoping to wait a little longer. I guess I still wanted him to be my "little baby." He is only 17 months, but he has been growing so fast. The last we measured he was 38lbs and 36 inches tall. He squirmed in the chair and did not want to sit still, but she managed to get the job done. We kept him entertained by handing him lots of toys.
He was crying because he wanted to play with my keys.
Daddy ended up giving the keys back to him. You can tell I am more of the disciplinarian in the family.

Christmas Card 2009

I managed to get our family Christmas cards out a little early this year. I must give props to Dave and Michelle who's card I received the day after Thanksgiving (our 1st card of the season). Of course we took like 30 photos but this was the best Brock would do for us. Facebook has been fun reconnecting me with a lot of old friends. I apologize if you did not receive one. I either do not have your address or simply accidentally passed you over. Merry Christmas!

Our journey to see family and find DOG THE BOUNTY HUNTER

We went to visit Scott's aunt and uncle, who are temporarily staying in Honolulu for medical treatment. We are happy to report that Auntie Tupu is now well enough to go back home with her husband "Brownie" to American Samoa in about 2 weeks. They have really missed being away from home as they have been here for almost a year now with her 3 hip surgeries. Tupu is Epi's older sister by 2 years. They were kind enough to allow us in for a quick visit and as Samoan culture would have it their daughter graciously fed us lunch as we sat and chatted. We also GPS'd our way to the Honolulu office of the (in)famous Dog the Bounty Hunter. It's my addiction, my guilty pleasure, to watch his television show each week on A&E. I didn't dare go inside, so I snapped a quick shot of the business.

The Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC)

We went to visit the Polynesian Cultural Center, best known by the acronym PCC. This was my favorite experience of our island visit. For more than 40 years, the PCC has been dedicated to preserving the cultural heritage of Polynesia. For more detailed information, refer to the website http://www.polynesia.com/. I know that Scott was really looking forward to the food .... we attended the Ali'i Luau. The food was fabulous and my favorite was the Kalua Pork. It reminded me of our rehearsal dinner luau prior to our wedding. Of course, one of the villages we visited was Samoa. They had a great show complete with tree climbing for coconuts and starting a fire from rubbing sticks.

During our visit, Scott was designated by the PCC war council as Te'o Tafiti -- The "Samoan Warrior." It was Scott's proudest moment of the trip.


This was the host; he was full of jokes.


This is a small clip of the "fire dancing".... I was nervous for him.




Just a glimpse of the dancing from the night show called Ha: Breath of Life.

Our day trip to Lai'e to the LDS Temple

We took a quick tour of the Visitors Center of the Lai'e Temple. Our guides were two sister missionaries from Japan. The center was gorgeously decorated with many Christmas trees donated by the local wards. The temple is currently closed for major renovations and is expected to re-open the summer of 2010. It's always amazing to visit the House of our Lord.

Happy 3rd Anniversary

Aloha! Scott & I are celebrating our anniversary in Hawaii this year at our timeshare condo located in the Hilton Hawaiian Village of Honolulu. It's been a fountain of pure joy these past few years with the love of my life, Scott. I have been so blessed to have such a good man by my side. I love my family and we have been so thankful for the 2008 arrival of our son, Brock. I love being a stay-at-home mommy, the hardest job I have ever done. Thank you for a fabulous vacation and the much needed rest.