current faves

Favorite Day of the Week

Thursday and Friday since those are Wayne's days off.  We always take advantage - this week we had a family date to the Bean Museum one day and another family date to get flu shots on the next.

Kina was definitely the bravest child when it came to getting a shot.  She was happy (almost) the whole time.

Favorite TV Shows

One reason I love the Fall is because of all the new shows!  I get my fix on Hulu because we don't have cable.  The shows I watch almost weekly are Biggest Loser, Modern Family, Dancing with the Stars, Glee, The Office and Project Runway.  What can I say? I'm addicted! 

My favorite couple on DTWS this season is JR and Karina. Watching this show SO makes me want to learn how to ballroom dance.

Favorite Treat

This one's easy - YOGURTLAND. The frozen yogurt is SO yummy!  I crave it ALL the time.  Plus, it's reasonably priced so it doesn't break the bank AND fat free so it won't break your diet either.  My personal favorite is cheesecake, strawberry and pistachio flavors with granola and fresh strawberries for toppings. YUMMO!

Favorite Song

Beyonce's "Love on Top" - it's on replay in my head all day, everyday. Loooove it.

Favorite New Hobby

Baking bread!  Wayne's mom, Vai, just taught me last week how to make her famous Polynesian bread and I've already made it a couple times.  It's so yummy!  The girls and Wayne LOVE eating it and I love having something to give away to my neighbors/visiting teachees etc.  Love it!

Favorite Little Girl who isn't Potty-trained yet but insists on wearing Panties OVER her Diaper

This one's easy.

Tali.

jack-o-lanterns

I think I've mentioned before how much I dislike carving pumpkins.  It was never part of our family holiday traditions growing up so when I finally carved my first pumpkin as an adult I was totally disgusted by the goo inside and the mess it makes everywhere.  HOWEVER, I have a little four-year-old who was DYING to "cut her pumpkin" (so much so that the moment she came home from the pumpkin farm with her daddy she ran straight to the kitchen and grabbed one of my huge knives to start the process . . . she ended up with a small cut on her finger and a resolve to (impatiently) wait till nighttime when we could all do it together).  So, of course I swallowed my pride and we carved pumpkins!  Honestly, it wasn't that bad. . . it was actually kinda fun - especially cause Malia did all the dirty work.  Happy October everyone!

Kina and Daddy

Of course, Tali tried to eat her pumpkin

Some hard at work and some hardly working
Ah. I crack myself up. 

I hope it was everything she dreamed it would be. . . I think it was.

malia's prayer tonight

Dear Heavenly Father,

Please bless Daddy that he can go to work and make money for our Disneyland.

Please bless Tali that she can be born from Mommy's tummy.

Please bless Kina that she can be brave when the doctor cuts her mouth at the hospital.

Please bless me that I can be a nice big sister.

Please bless Mommy that she can make our food and be a good cooker guy.

I love this little girl!

***

And in other news, today was Malia's FIRST primary program in church.  Her part was, "I can follow Jesus' example by obeying my mom and dad."  She said it PERFECTLY AND smiled the whole time she was up there.  We were so proud.

After the meeting was over I told her how good she did.  She asked me, "Was I loud and clear, Mommy?" "Yes" I said. After a pause she asks, "Mommy, what's 'clear'?" 

good game, good game

Whew! We had a busy and fun weekend.  On Saturday, Wayne and I went to the BYU/Idaho State game and watched the Cougars demolish the Bengals 56-3.  Obviously, it wasn't a very exciting game (and I actually kinda fell asleep for a bit during the second half), BUT it was fun to watch Michael play (AND he got a touchdown! Woohoo!)  We took some pics as a family after the game.

We wanted a sibling pic, but David wasn't there sooo. . . we asked cousin Doug (who's pretty close to David's build) to step in and make the photo complete.

The whole group!

Goooo Cougars!

word of the day

wal-low verb /walo/

1. to revel
2. to become or remain helpless <wallow in their ignorance>
3. to indulge oneself immoderately <wallowing is self pity>
4. to immerse yourself into the chaotic clutter which surrounds you and blatantly ignore any and all urges to clean (ie. what Mary sometimes does when her house is beyond-cleaning messy)

                     

Okay, yes, I kinda made up that last one by myself. . . but that's what I call it!  Wallowing.  Okay, you know those days when you wake up totally motivated and energized to get your house clean and get things done? You quickly brush your teeth and put real clothes on (ie not sweats/pajama pants) and get your kids ready for a day full of chores, errands and multitasking energy? I know those days too - and I love them! - but these past few days haven't quite been those.  This is the OPPOSITE of wallowing.

No, since the end of last week I was wallowing.  I'd get up, look around at the dirty laundry pile downstairs, the clean unfolded laundry pile upstairs (taking up a full couch mind you), the dirty dishes, the sticky juice-dried floor, the messy kids rooms, the it's-so-bad-it's-embarrassing master bedroom, the un-vacuumed floor and the filthy bathrooms and just accepted it as the way it was going to be for the day.  I though about the energy that would be required to clean it all, get tired just thinking about it and so do nothing.  Honestly, I thought about hiring a cleaning service, but it was at a point where I'd have to clean up before they arrived. haha Those days I felt very unproductive and just really gross. I HATE the feeling when my house is in that state, but it's like, I just give up and wallow in the terribleness of it all.  

Well, the awesome news is (and the reason I'm blogging now and not yesterday or the day before) that I am wallowing no more! Mid-week I finally had enough and felt totally motivated and energized to take on the challenge. I was a woman with a mission!  I washed and folded like, a gazillion loads and now have not one dirty item in the house.  My kitchen is now spotless as are all the rooms. My room (the master bedroom) is now clean, organized and peaceful.  Plus, I went grocery shopping and made delicious meals for my family for two nights in a row.  Needless to say, I feel grrrrreeeeat! I love this feeling! I love a clean house!  I'm happy, feeling fresh, motivated and excited for tomorrow - it's amazing how a clean house can make you feel like that!  I. am. at. PEACE!! I love it, I know Wayne loves it, and I know the kids love it.  I'm totally energized to keep it like this for as looong as possible.  When it comes to cleaning it's so much easier to prevent than repent.  So, here's to my clean house!

Wallowing no more.

Yes!  

Peace OUT.

a week's worth

Since Wayne is working his new shift at Delta (which starts so early he has to leave everyday at 5 AM!) and teaching his piano studio (which recently gained a couple new students), I feel like I'm always running around solo.  I'm constantly saying to myself, "So THIS is what it's like to be a single mom!" (haha).  No, it's not that bad - I actually really enjoy doing some things on my own sometimes - and we totally take advantage of his days off and time at home for family time.  It's all good.

Kina's tonsillectomy was this week so we were all slightly stressed and busy (I've lost count how many slurpee runs we've made so far), BUT we still had a few other fun things go on (and since these are the only pictures I took, these are the only things I remember).

Wayne's little sister Kina (not pictured above unfortunately) is getting married November 19 and we threw her a shower.  We all gathered to decorate the gym the night before the event - it was so fun for me to hang out and laugh and talk with all my sisters for a few hours.  The shower went beautifully and we are all so excited for Kina and Konner's upcoming wedding.

Wayne and I went to lunch at Firehouse Subs in Provo.  It was my first time there and I TOTALLY recommend this place!  The sandwiches are SO good and pretty decently priced.  The other highlight of the place was the electronic drink dispenser. I kinda felt like I just stepped out of my DeLorean and into the future. Pre-ty coool!

On Saturday, all the Alisa's gathered at David and Shan's house for a game and a meal.  We had so much fun.  Michael played a great game (and got a touchdown!) and we all got to hang out, laugh and talk a lot.  Shan made these DEE-licous turkey burgers (which all the boys were hating on cause they weren't "real" meat UNTIL they tasted them) and Wayne brought some yummy Tongan food from Amalani's birthday party that was going on simultaneously in SLC.  It was a great Saturday.  I don't get the Sunday paper (or any paper for that matter), but some nice people made sure I had a copy of these two front page pics of Michael doing his thing.


And that was our week in a nutshell!



**Something I want to remember - Today at church I was sitting in the foyer with the girls waiting for the next meeting to start.  The ward before us was just ending so people were passing us on their way out the door.  A friendly-looking elderly man with a white hair and a nice suit was walking very slowly towards us looking at Kina.  Kina was doing her "Kina stare" right back at him, not saying anything.  When he stopped in front of her and smiled, I nudged her and told her to say Hello.  "Hi!" she says. And after another moment of her staring at him she asks, "Are you a prophet?"

tonsils out

I remember once a couple years ago while we were on a vacation, our little family all slept together in the same room.  I woke up in the middle of the night because of a loud noise - somebody snoring.  I nudged Wayne so he'd roll over and be quiet.  He immediately woke up. . . but to my surprise the snoring continued.  And that's when I realized how loud Kina snored. 

Kina has breathed and snored loudly for as long as I can remember.  She snores really loud and every now and then her breathing pattern stops or changes, kinda like sleep apnea.  After a tip from my Aunt this summer (thanks Aunt Judy!) I went to have her tonsils checked out.  The doctor couldn't believe how big they were and recommended we take them out.  So, on Thursday, Kina and I went to the Utah Valley Hospital at 7 AM to have a tonsillectomy.  She was such a trooper!

Before

I have to give a big gold star to the hospital.  They really made it as nice an experience as possible for Kina. While we were waiting, a girl brought over some pages for her to color and then helped her make a beaded bracelet (pictured above).  They gave her stickers, cool hospital pajamas and even had a princess crown waiting for her on her bed.  It was great.  We had been talking as a family about Kina going to the hospital for a while, so I felt she was somewhat emotionally prepared.  Also, her bear "Lisa" (who Grammy bought for her as a hospital buddy when she was here) and her blankie from home helped her feel happy and calm.  

While, Kina was comfortable and relaxed, I was actually very anxious and nervous.  I don't know, I just hate the need for anesthesia - so many things can go wrong.  I  prayed for Kina that she would be alright and as comfortable as possible and for me that I could keep it together and know how to comfort her.  Very quickly, her surgery was over.  She did great.   

After

These past couple days, she's been recovering beautifully.  You know, it's little experiences like this that just remind me how precious my children are to me.  I care about them and their welfare so much.  Their little bodies and spirits are so special and so important.  I feel so so blessed that I am their mother.  I love my Kina - she is such a trooper!

**Something I want to remember - While we were waiting for Kina to be taken to the surgery room, she asked where Malia was.  I called Wayne and asked him to put Malia on the phone to talk with Kina. This was their conversation.

Malia: Kina?

Kina: Hi Lia.

Malia: Kina, are you at the hospital? You have to be brave, okay? You need to be brave.  

Kina: Okay.

Malia: The doctor is going to cut your mouth and it's going to hurt a little bit, but you just be brave, okay? You be brave and when you get home you can sleep on my bed with me. Be brave.

Kina: Okay Lia.

It was on speaker phone and Wayne and I were giggling at how many times Malia said the word "brave".  Honestly, I 'm really not one to get emotional over small, routine surgeries like this, but hearing my four-year-old trying to encourage and comfort my three-year-old at a "scary" time like this just got to me . . . and that's when I started to cry.

em vee pee

Oh my goodness! Michael had the GAME OF HIS LIFE last Saturday.  He'd been told he'd be getting some touches on the ball and he totally made the most of it.  He ended the game with 16 carries for 91 yards and to add frosting to the deeelicious cake the Cougars beat the San Jose Spartans 29-16.  Oh my goodness, Michael was SO good! (do I sound like a proud big sister? haha)  He was so fast and strong - he was breaking tackles left and right and pushing through several players on each run.

He ended up as the game's MVP.  We were all so proud!

After the awesome game (which we watched at David and Shan's house cause it was soo cold and soo late), we stopped off at the stadium on the way home to congratulate Michael and give him a lei (which we made on the way in the car, but still good yeah?).  

me, Michael, Tali and Joseph

Mom has been here for three weeks to watch Michael play. I'm so happy she got to be here for this particular game.

It's been so fun reading all the awesome articles written about Michael and the game.  Everything is so positive and encouraging.  I especially loved listening to the interview Michael gave after the game.  He was so humble and gave all the credit to the O-line for making holes - I love that.  I know he'll stay that way.  I love my little brother so much and am sooo grateful he was given a chance to show his talent and passion.  I'm one proud big sister!  Goooo Michael!

And before I go, wanted to share this -  LOVE these shirts from my mom and LOVE seeing my little girls get in on the Cougar fan action!

randoms from september

In September, I got to see and catch up with my good friend from Timpview Highschool, Robyn Henstrom.  We met when my family lived in Provo and she was later a missionary companion to my Hawaii friend, Miki Akoi.  What a small world, huh?!  It was wonderful to see her and her cute daughters.

Malia is getting more and more comfortable writing her name.  She LOVES to do her homework - since her school only gives her one page of homework a week, I had to buy a workbook from Walmart to keep her busy. Her favorite things to do are color and write her name.  This little blank page sketchbook from my mom reminds me of the ones I had when I was a kid.  Since my dad's an artist he didn't really believe in the whole coloring book thing, I guess.  I gotta agree! It's so much more fun seeing what children will draw if they're given the freedom to do so.

Wayne received a little sales incentive so we took a all expense paid mini trip to Park City.  It was so relaxing and SO AWESOME!  The suite we stayed in was amazing - my favorite part was the huge jetted tub.  I got my relaxation on and had a WONDERFUL time.  Thanks Wayne! 

And in other news, Tali is officially weaned!  The image of Mel Gibson's Braveheart yelling "FRREEEDOM!" is totally stuck in my head.

i heart general conference

I really look forward to general conference.  It is such a wonderful time to listen to leaders preach and teach the word of God.  It's also a wonderful time for me to feel motivated and encouraged to get my life on track and my butt in gear.  

This year we spent the weekend in Salt Lake City with Wayne's family.  It's become a tradition that we completely enjoy.  Thanks to our sister Leo's job at the Marriott, we got to stay in hotel rooms at very reasonable prices - it was very nice (Thank you Latu family!).  I love being in Salt Lake during conference weekend - it feels like you're right in the middle of it all. I especially love walking around temple square during the breaks - it's so beautiful.  This year, we also visited the church museum across the street.  There is a huge interactive Book of Mormon exhibit made especially for kids - they LOVED it.  We attended conference then went back to the hotel to hang out - it was great family time and the spiritual boost that I needed.

I'm really looking forward to reading the conference Ensign and watching the Sunday sessions online again - unfortunately, Malia got sick on Sunday (food poisoning?) and we had to come home earlier than we'd planned so we missed some of the talks.  I hate that - I think we'll watch them tonight when the girls are sleeping.  I know there are more nuggets of gold waiting to be found!  I love conference!

Wayne and the girls at the Salt Lake City LDS temple

**Another reason I love attending conference at temple square is the people you reunite with - I always see someone I haven't seen for a while. This year I ran into Chief So'o Tufaga - the PCC fire knife dancer (After we visited for a bit, we were saying goodbye and he goes, "I'm glad I saw you. It's always nice to see pretty Tongan girls from Laie" Uhhh. . . . I didn't have the heart to tell him so I just smiled and nodded).  I also ran into Sariah - my friend from Taiwan who served with me in the Relief Society presidency in my BYUH single student ward - and Bettsy Afane - a girl from El Salvador who I met on my mission.  It's a small world in the church.  So fun! Love these girls!

another cougar win

This week, Michael and the Cougar's played Utah State.  I went to the game with Tali, Mom and my cousin, Reenie.  It was a pretty uneventful and depressing game up until the last quarter.  BYU was losing and we weren't doing anything especially well or exciting.  Then, in the fourth quarter, they changed the quarterback from Jake Heaps to Riley Nelson - and the game took off!  It was so exciting!  BYU marched down the whole field for a last second touchdown and won the game! The crowd went crazy and rushed the field.  I love games like this!

Gooo Cougars!

P.S. Last Wednesday, Tali was at my house and we decided we wanted to have Michael shirts to wear to the game.  She quickly whipped a design up and we sent it out.  Get this - not only were they done early Friday afternoon (less than 48 hours after I emailed in the order), but they only cost about $7 a shirt! For everything!! - (shirt, silk screen, set up fees etc.) We were so happy.  The place is Image Wear in Provo (you can find their website at this link) - I'm definitely going there again and will totally recommend them to anyone.  I know this picture is crimz (I wasn't ready! haha), but Waddaya think?

surprise maddox!

Last Friday, my mom and I decided to throw a little surprise birthday party for Maddox at my house.  He was going to turn three on Saturday and his party had been cancelled because of busyness issues.  So we told Shan to come over for a playdate, decorated the house, made some cupcakes and had a fun small surprise.  The kids had fun painting, playing outside and decorating cupcakes and us girls just hung out.  It was very low-key, but I think Maddox had a blast. 

Happy Birthday Maddox!