Our Christmas Eve Visitor!

By the time Christmas Eve rolled around, Sa and I were getting a bit overwhelmed with all the things to do, so we decided to take a quick breather and go down to the beach. Living as close as we do to Alligator Pond, it's easy to run down for 20 minutes and come back home totally refreshed and ready to face it all! So, we take all 5 youngin's down there and look who was there waiting for us:

Look at him, sunning his belly!

I LOVE it!

4 day's till CHRISTmas!!!! WOOHOOOOOO!!!

8 kids + 10 cans of shaving cream =

SOOOOO MUCH FUN!!!!

We've been lucky enough to have Brandi's kids over at our house a lot lately and so I've been trying to think of fun ways to entertain all these kids. My mind flashed back to the old days in Biazza Ridge and the super fun shaving cream fights we would have on the last day of school. Memories...

Well, the next generation loved it just as much as I did.

Kainoa and Reedy

(Is it just me, or does Kainoa's head look photo shopped onto his body here?)

Brooklyn and Teija

Teija, LOOK OUT!!!! Toa's got THAT look in his eye!

AHHHHHH!!!!

Such a good sport. Still happy after all that hair yankin'

Deacon and Kati (the Mr. and Mrs.)

Reed and his shaving cream bomb.

I'd hate to be on the receiving end of that bad boy.

Good ol' Eli. Making that face that just get's me every time.

Seriously, how can you NOT smile when looking at him...

and also wonder what he just did

or what he's about to do...

the damage...

While cleaning, I came across a note book that one of my kids uses to draw in. Since it's supposed to be a secret, I won't say who. I'll translate for you.

Dear sekrit (secret) book

Ihavea crase(crazy)

Brethr(brother)and his

nam(name)is Deacon.

(amazingly, Deacon is spelled right!)

Apparently, that's some super duper secret...as if we don't already know he's crazy. Well...Eli's probably more crazy.

Goin' to the chapel

Super busy day, but I just wanted to pop in and let you know that last night I got asked to do a cake for a wedding...a wedding cake y'all! That's ME making the cake!!! I'm super excited. I've never done a cake before for anyone other than family. Wish me luck!!

Hello, Hello, Hello, Is there anybody in there? Just nod if you can here me...Is there anybody home?

AAAAAAAANNNNNND I'm back! I know, I know, I don't even want to THINK about how long it's been since my last post. First our internet went down, then our computer went down, and then my camera went down. So far I've fixed 2 out of 3 of the problems. No good camera yet, but I've got my video camera that takes pictures...lame, grainey, fuzzy pictures...which may not seem like a big deal to some of you, but if you've seen some of my friend's blogs with their AMAZING picture taking skills, well, let's just say it's a wee bit intimidating! Life has been so busy that I haven't had more than a few moments to my self lately. BUT, I'm changing that. I'm taking charge! I'm simplifying everything around me so that I have more TIME. I've taken up sewing again and I'm in love with it all over. I have a special project I'm working on and I'm all sorts of excited about it. Here's a preview...

I'll post the final product later.

So, long story short, I'm back. I. AM. BACK.

ps...bonus points to my peeps who can tell me what song is in my title...come one...if you're my kin you've got to know this one...

A woman's worth

Do you know this woman?

You really should. She's smart, funny, amazing, creative, thoughtful, classy, honest, loving, gracious, beautiful and she's my mom. I am one lucky girl, I can tell you that.



She has been on my mind a lot over the last few weeks. I saw this and it really got me thinking.

Actually, it got me more than just thinking, I was crying by the end of it. I actually felt like I'd been struck by a brick with the realization that this summer marks the 10 year anniversary of my mom being diagnosed with breast cancer. That's right. My senior year of high school my mother was diagnosed with cancer just a week or so before I graduated. I have been through some scary times in my life, but not knowing if you would lose your mom or not is right around the top of the list.


My mom is such a strong woman. If you saw her, besides her little bald head, you'd never even guess the battle she was fighting. She had such an amazing spirit about her. All of the doctors adored her and the nurses would often come into her room to relax because of how soothing it was to be in there and to be around her. She was strong for us and it was what I needed to badly to get though it all.

It wasn't until watching that video that I really sat and thought of what she must have been going through during it all. She was always so positive and confident, it saddens me to think of what she must have been going through behind closed doors. Was she scared too?

I am so grateful that I still have my mom.
I speak to her almost everyday and often calling my mom is one of the first things I do for the day.

She has always been there for me and she helps me to be a better mom.

There are many times as a parent where I find myself asking, "How would mom have handled this."

My kids are head over heals for her and they would all move in with her in a heart beat. She really is an amazing Grandma.

She never does anything half way. Everything she does is spectacular, down to the tiniest detail. She has such an eye for decorating and party planning. She thinks of things most people wouldn't dream of and she always finds a way to pull it off.
Every time she cooks it's the best meal ever.



She is so generous and loving. She has taken in SO many people to live with us over the years, with out even really knowing most of them, just because they needed someone to help them, love them, and show them the way. She has always taught me to leave things nicer than you found it and she truly lives that way. She has a way of helping people be better than before they met her. She only sees the good in people and would never speak ill of anyone.

I am so grateful that I still have my mom. I'm not done needing her yet.