Introducing...Eden Molly Litioa

Hey! So...I'm just a tad bit...um...well...actually about 7 weeks late in getting this post out. Cut me some slack people, I JUST had a baby. Well...ok, I didn't "just" have a baby. It's been nearly 2 months...

Honestly, it's been my toughest adjustment so far. I tried to come home and hit the ground running and I've stumbled quite a bit along the way. I finally had to slow everything down and just take it a day at a time and I think I'm starting to find my footing.

Enough talk. Let's get to the good stuff. PICTURES!!!

We were lucky enough to have our friend Ashley Smiley take these pictures of us when Eden was just days old.

Sa was headed to Qatar that evening so it meant the world to us that she would come down before his big trip.

She was born Sept 15, 2010

6lbs, 14 oz

100% perfect!

Welcome to the family little Eden.

You complete us!

Settling in!

Hey friends and fams. We're in Florida and getting all settled in. It's been quite the adventure but the most important thing to know is we're safe, healthy and happy! I only have a quick minute but I wanted to show you what Reedy came up with today. We brought very few toys with us and have bought very little since being here, but we have kept many many boxes from our furniture purchases for the kids to play with. It's been SO fun to see all the fun ways they've been using their imagination to entertain themselves. So here's Reed's latest project: a lego starwars diorama!

Brothers

Links I Love!

Since temporarily moving in with my mom, some aspects of my life have SERIOUSLY gotten ignored...my google reader to be exact! I'm SO behind on so many of my favorite blogs. I've spent some time tonight catching up on a few and holy smokes, thems is some good good posts! Here's some of the links off my blogger that I love.

This "tough guy tee" from iammommahearmeroar is adorable, but what I love most is here bleach technique. I just have to give this a try!

Even while living at Grandma's house, summer boredom occasionally sets in. I love this "Mom, I'm bored!" jar from skiptomylou. While you're at it, check out her homemade cupcake wrappers made from a cricut machine. Seriously, you'll want to throw a party just so you have a reason to make them!

Lookin' to spice up your marriage but have a budget you have to stick to? Look no further than Love, Actually. She has the CUTEST ideas for dates and simple things you can do to woo him all over again. I'm looking forward to being back with Sa so I can give this idea a try. Since you're there, you might as well take a peek at this idea...I DARE you to make one!

And of course, anyone with any ideas about homeschooling, feel free to drop by my other blog, howdoihomeschool...I could SERIOUSLY use your help.

Calling all Homeschoolers!!!

Hey friends!

So, I've created a new blog.

It's dedicated to the many homeschool adventures I have yet to have.

BUT....

I NEED YOUR HELP!

what do you say?

Can you check it out?

Wanna follow me over there too?

Wanna impart your wisdom?

http://howdoihomeschool.blogspot.com

woah

Is it silly to be mesmerized by a bookshelf?

click to get the full spell-binding effect

May Day!

Oh, how I love May Day!

It was wonderful

I was tearing up the whole time

realizing that this is the last one my kids will be in for a while.

Seriously though,

She is BEAUTIFUL

My boys getting ready to go

Here's Reedy as Hurcules!

(I can't get it to rotate, so you have two choices...

you can turn your head,

or turn the computer

mmmkay?)

Elijah's class did England

Wonderful Aquarius and of course

the BEATLES!

He's the one in the yellow looking at the ground...

Brooklyn's grade did New Zealand

Did I mention I think that she's beautiful...

missing teeth and all.

It's decided.

Ok, so most of you who are my facebook friends already know this. I've been avoiding blogging about it because as much as I feel good about the decision, I am also so sad. Maybe if I don't write it down then it won't happen so soon.

We're moving to Tampa.

Sa's accepted the job.

It's going to be great, it really is.

This is a HUGE opportunity for him.

It will give us time to be just us.

We will get plenty of this

and this

possibly even see a few of these

YIKES!!!

Oh, and I SO hope we see one of these

Why Hello, Barbara Manatee...

But

Every day that the move gets closer

I find myself realizing how much I'll miss this

and this

not to mention this yummy little heaven

The part that gets me the most though

is

the

people

Oh my friends...

you are all SO wonderful.

Will I find friends like you?

and family

i can't even think about it

without

tears.

life with out these crazy wonderfuls

we share the bonds only sister in laws can understand

and her...

Seriously though, the ONLY thing making it ok to leave her is that she's moving in June too.

And these two...

Well, I'm just not ready to even think about leaving them.

I just can't do it with out crying.

It comes down to this...

Ok, so I can tell you for certain

We've decided to take the job and not the house

Or

We've decided to stay in Hawaii and take the house

Or

We've chosen to take the job AND the house

Or

We're staying in Hawaii with out the house

Hmmm...but this I promise you

It's one of those.

Ok, back to the big decisions...

So, I've had people wondering what's up with these big decisions...I don't have an answer to any of this now so don't expect some major conclusion at the end. Some of my sister in laws are waiting on pins and needles for what we're going to do. Sorry ladies, I can't tell you yet because we don't quite now. Let me set the stage...

First of, you know we're going to have 6 kids in a few months right? Ok, just making sure we're all on the same page here. Oh, and we're living in a 2 bedroom place...

Back in December, Christmas Eve to be exact, we put in the paperwork to start the process on a little house we found. For any of you mainland friends...when you're living in a place where $550,000 is the median home price, you have a distorted view of what a good deal is. So, 6 kids in 2 bedrooms, needless to say we NEED something bigger! So, offer gets approved, we move on with buying the house. We set the closing date for Feb 5th. Roadblock. Date gets moved back to March...oh wait, the roadblock is still there. Move the closing date to April 16th...wait, wait, wait.

The loan we're getting is for 0 down (thank you jase) but here's the hitch, the loan expires at the end of April. We would now have to come up with 11g's just for our down payment, not to mention the extra for the closing costs...Not nearly as thrilling as a deal. The whole time we are going through the process, part of me is thinking it's just not going to happen for us and we won't get the house.

Then last week, Sa gets an email with an AMAZING job offer. I can't even begin to say how incredible this would be for him. First off, rediculous pay. Second, experience he won't get here, so SUPER resume building. This would be a HUGE launching pad for him. So, he sends in his resume, they are smitten with him and set up a time to interview. Here's the thing, it's in Tampa. Yup. Tampa, Florida...way, way, waaaaaaaaaaaaay across the globe. This would mean a huge change for us. Almost all of Sa's family is here and my folks/sister live barely 10 minutes from us. They are all a big part of our lives. The way of life in Hawaii, you can't describe it unless you live here, so much of it speaks to my soul. I love it, love it, love it. But again, an incredible chance for Sa.

Right after we set up the interview time, Jase calls us and tells us that we're finally past all the roadblocks and we can finally close on this house any day now! WOOHOO...oh, wait a second...

aaaand, we all could use a distraction from big decisions...

Ok, so just the title of that last post was enough to freak me out and immediatly sign off. I'll get back to it, I promise. Just let me get my thoughts all in order and my head to stop spinning. In the mean time, I present to you "Bad Analogies".

I just read this from a mommy forum I belong to.

I was laughing so hard, I woke up my husband. (true story)

Oh, and I've also been up since 2 am, it's now 5:50 am

and I went to bed at 10 pm.

(again, totally true story)

These are genius. I'll go ahead and highlight my favorites,

because well, they're my favorite.

Now...how to work these seamlessly into regular conversation...hmmmmmm

Analogies and Metaphors Found in High School Essays A large portion of these, if not all of them, are the results of the Style Invitational contest from week 310 (http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/style/invitational/invit990314.htm). This is a humor contest, which asked participants to come up with the bad analogies Her face was a perfect oval, like a circle that had its two other Sides gently compressed by a Thigh Master. - Sue Lin Chong, Washington His thoughts tumbled in his head, making and breaking alliances like underpants in a dryer without Cling Free. -Chuck Smith, Woodbridge He spoke with the wisdom that can only come from experience, like a Guy who went blind because he looked at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it and now goes around the country speaking at high schools about the dangers of looking at a solar eclipse without one of those boxes with a pinhole in it. -Joseph Romm, Washington She caught your eye like one of those pointy hook latches that used to dangle from screen doors and would fly up whenever you banged the door open again. -Rich Murphy, Fairfax Station The little boat gently drifted across the pond exactly the way a bowling ball wouldn't. -Russell Beland, Springfield McMurphy fell 12 stories, hitting the pavement like a Hefty bag filled with vegetable soup. -Paul Sabourin, Silver Spring From the attic came an unearthly howl. The whole scene had an eerie, surreal quality, like when you're on vacation in another city and "Jeopardy" comes on at 7:00 p.m. instead of 7:30. -Roy Ashley, Washington Her hair glistened in the rain like nose hair after a sneeze. Chuck Smith,Woodbridge Her eyes were like two brown circles with big black dots in the center. -Russell Beland, Springfield Her vocabulary was as bad as, like, whatever. -Unknown He was as tall as a six-foot-three-inch tree. -Jack Bross, Chevy Chase The hailstones leaped from the pavement, just like maggots when you fry them in hot grease. -Gary F. Hevel, Silver Spring Long separated by cruel fate, the star-crossed lovers raced across the grassy field toward each other like two freight trains, one having left Cleveland at 6:36 p.m. traveling at 55 mph, the other from Topeka at 4:19 p.m. at a speed of 35 mph. -Jennifer Hart, Arlington The politician was gone but unnoticed, like the period after the Dr. on a Dr Pepper can. -Wayne Goode, Madison,AL John and Mary had never met. They were like two hummingbirds who had also never met. -Russell Beland, Springfield The thunder was ominous sounding, much like the sound of a thin sheet of metal being shaken backstage during the storm scene in a play.-Barbara Fetherolf, Alexandria The red brick wall was the color of a brick-red Crayola crayon.-Unknown He fell for her like his heart was a mob informant and she was the East River. -Brian Broadus, Charlottesville Even in his last years, Grandpappy had a mind like a steel trap, only one that had been left out so long it had rusted shut. -Sandra Hull, Arlington The door had been forced, as forced as the dialogue during the interview portion of "Jeopardy!" -Jean Sorensen, Herndon Shots rang out, as shots are wont to do. -Jerry Pannullo, Kensington The plan was simple, like my brother-in-law Phil. But unlike Phil, this plan just might work. -Malcolm Fleschner, Arlington The young fighter had a hungry look, the kind you get from not eating for a while. -Malcolm Fleschner, Arlington He was as lame as a duck. Not the metaphorical lame duck either, but a real duck that was actually lame. Maybe from stepping on a land mine or something. -John Kammer, Herndon Her artistic sense was exquisitely refined, like someone who can tell butter from I Can't Believe It's Not Butter. -Barbara Collier, Garrett Park She had a deep, throaty, genuine laugh, like that sound a dog makes just before it throws up. -Susan Reese, Arlington It came down the stairs looking very much like something no one had ever seen before. -Marian Carlsson, Lexington The knife was as sharp as the tone used by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.) in her first several points of parliamentary procedure made to Rep. Henry Hyde (R-Ill.) in the House Judiciary Committee hearings on the impeachment of President William Jefferson Clinton. -J. F. Knowles, Springfield The ballerina rose gracefully en pointe and extended one slender leg behind her, like a dog at a fire hydrant. -Jennifer Hart, Arlington The revelation that his marriage of 30 years had disintegrated because of his wife's infidelity came as a rude shock, like a surcharge at a formerly surcharge-free ATM. -Paul J. Kocak, Syracuse The dandelion swayed in the gentle breeze like an oscillating electric fan set on medium. -Unknown He was deeply in love. When she spoke, he thought he heard bells, as if she were a garbage truck backing up. -Susan Reese, Arlington Her eyes were like limpid pools, only they had forgotten to put in any pH cleanser. -Chuck Smith, Woodbridge She grew on him like she was a colony of E. coli and he was room-temperature Canadian beef. -Brian Broadus, Charlottesville She walked into my office like a centipede with 98 missing legs. -Jonathan Paul, Garrett Park Her voice had that tense, grating quality, like a first-generation thermal paper fax machine that needed a band tightened. -Sue Lin Chong, Washington It hurt the way your tongue hurts after you accidentally staple it to the wall. -Brian Broadus, Charlottesville _________________

Big decisions

Best dad EVER!

When my husband was very little, his dad left the family. He has played a very, very small role in Sa's life and even though the only lives a few blocks away from us now, we only see him a few times a year. Sa rarely talks about him, but on occasion, when he's really frustrated about it he'll say, "It's HIS fault I don't know how to be a dad!"

Every time he says this, I'm stunned. Sa is the most AMAZING father. In everything he does, he tries to involve the kids. Take today for example...

This morning we decided we needed to run into town to grab some things and we wanted to leave pretty quickly. We send the kids to go get dressed then Sa turns to me and says, " Babe, you go ahead and shower and I'll get breakfast together." That was music to my ears! I happily run and jump in the shower. After taking far too long in the shower I return to the kitchen. Reed is cutting up portugese sausage and Sa is doing the dishes while instructing Brooklyn how to crack and scramble eggs. He even stands over the kids while teaching them how to cook everything! Could he have done it faster on his own? Absolutely! Was the extra time he took to teach the kids worth it to him? With out a doubt.

We've had an awesome day! We went shopping, took the kids to swim lessons and then to the movies with my sister's family and my mom.

When we get home Sa tells me, "Go ahead and start dinner while I change the oil in the car." While I fix dinner, I hear the kids outside talking and I figured they were just watching Sa. When I go outside to call them in to eat, I am greeted with this picture...

The kids weren't just watching Sa, he was letting them help! I walked out in the middle of him saying, "Now, when you go to buy the filter, you need to make sure you tell them the make, model and year of your car..." They each took turns screwing, tightening, placing the oil box, examining the filter...what ever job that needed to be done, they were doing it. Did I mention that the three out there are 9, 6 and 3? He even let them each pour a quart of oil.

Did you notice it's dark outside? It was getting late, we've had a busy day and you'd think he'd just want to get the job over and done with so he could finally relax! Instead, it was more important to him to have the kids out there helping and learning and slowing him down. This is the kind of father he is and he didn't need anyone to teach him that!

Breaking news...

OK, so yes, once again I've been absent in the blogging world. I have the perfect way to break my two month silence: CHARLOTTE WALKS!!! ok, well it's actually past tense. She walkED. Seems like she'll only take steps during "The Freeze Dance" song. I really want to see her do it again, but I don't want the song to get played out before she has a chance to show off for Grandma and Grandpa. (You hear that, Mom??? You need to be boarding a plane any day now.)

So, I know I have you all on the edge of your seats screaming, begging, and praying that there's a video of it. Never fear, my loves. I've got it covered. I present to you, with out further ado, a little ditty I like to call "I'm walking, I'm walking...Kapow!" (featuring Eli and Deacon as back up dancers)

Watch all the way to the end and then the title will make perfect sense

*edited to add : don't worry folks, she's fine. Didn't even leave a mark!*

happy little pea

things around here have felt heavy lately.

thick and heavy.

it's been like drudging around in sludge.

and then I found this...

and I like it.

and it's light and fun and sweet

and exactly what I need.

Of course it makes me think of Sa.

"noone's made me feel so much like me

now I'm a happy little pea"

I quickly sent him an email at work with a link to the video in it.

Cause we do those things,

send music videos to each other to get us through our day.

We're cute.

Knowing him, he'll have the piano part figured out by the time he gets home

now where to get a tamborine...hmmmmm

and apparently spelling lessons because i don't know how to spell tamborine.

Happy Little Pea from The Panic Room Videos on Vimeo.

Gotta give a shout out, I found this here.

if you have a minute, take a look around.

be forewarned, he swears a bit

but his writing is beautiful

and his photography is stunning.

ps...when I found this, I felt like Steph R. or Diana. you know how cool they are.

Head's up: Spiritual Content

I've been holding off on posting this.
I don't know the words to use or what even to say.
On Jan 7, little Gavin passed away.
He was born to an AMAZING mother and father.
For the past few weeks we have been earnestly praying for a speedy recovery for him.
Through her blog, Natalie has reached thousands
with her testimony of Jesus Christ.
It seems as if her testimony has only gotten stronger though this all.


I...
I have been questioning
I've been trying so hard not to question
but the little nagging voice is there
"Why?"

In finding answers to help me stop questioning and put my trust in Him
I found this




It helps.
It helps me at least.
Somethings are just too big for me to understand.
I must always remember His timing and not mine.

And I must be grateful.
We have the Savior.
We have the opportunity to be with our family FOREVER.

As Natalie says
"God is Good."

Oh Natalie.
My heart breaks for you.

Prayers. Now. PLEASE

I know it's late in the game
but right now, a little boy NEEDS your prayers.

He is fighting for his life and he needs you.
Seriously.
Now.

NatalieNortonPhoto.Blogspot.com

At this very moment

my husband is washing the dishes, listening to his ipod and singing at the top of his lungs, completely free on any inhibition. At times like this, I am quickly reminded of how much I am absolutely in love with him.