Hug them a little tighter tonight!

Today has been such a blah, twilight zone kind of day.  And yet it has been so wonderful.  My heart has been aching since I learned this morning that baby Gavin passed away.  I have felt so numb, quite exhausted emotionally, and yet so grateful.  Gavins mom has a way of writing that is so deep, so real, and I have literally felt her pain from one mommy heart to another.  I cannot pretend that my faith would match hers and I have been so touched by her testimony of Christ and eternal families. 
It ended up being a day for me of reflection.  Not anything I planned or any time set aside for reflecting, but more of just a peace and comfort while doing homework, and during bathtime, and even when Shalye diarrhead all over the floor.  I just could not tell my kids enough how much I loved them.  I was smothering them I am sure!  I was just so happy to be able to have them, and hold them, and tell them I love them.  And then my heart would ache again.  Deeply.  For Natalie.  It pained me to know that she would not be able to do the same with Gavin.  For now.  I pray for peace to her broken soul.
I am so grateful for the blessings I have in my life, especially the little ones that cause me to lose my temper way too often.  Tonight I was just feeling blessed and soaking up every little minute.  So tonight everyone, slow down, hug your little ones and tell them you love them a million times.  And even your big ones too!

Pray for baby Gavin

As I am writing this I am bawling my eyes out.  I am not crying just cause I am desperately sad and scared.  I am crying because I cannot imagine as a mom watching your little baby go through so much pain.  But I believe more than that, I am also crying because of the testimony and faith of this beautiful family.  Nothing has touched my spirit so deeply in a while. Although I do not know them well, I have always admired them.  They are kind to everyone, they are humble, the are so funny, and they need a miracle......and lots and lots of prayers!  So please pray for this baby and this family.  http://www.natalienortonphoto.com/

Wheres Shalye??

I realized I have been writing much about the other two, and not so much on Shalye.  Until about the last few months she was the silent angel of us all.  She was so peaceful, happy, loving, and would sleep through the night.  Things have changed.  Aside from gaining fifty pounds the last two months, she has also got quite the fiesty personality.  She has this thing lately where she insists on being the most irritating that she possibly can.  For example Malia was sitting on the floor reading a book today in sacrament meeting while Shalye insisted on walking over the book like a bridge.  She stepped on Malias lap over and over and just laughed the entire time while Malia was screaming at her.  Another example is that if you are laying down, Shalye will just come and lay right on your head with all of her weight and wont budge.  Malia in particular freaks out and screams bloody murder when she does this. 

I know we say it all the time but Shalye is definately Tevitas mini-me in every way.  They look exactly the same and have that same boldness and determination.  The one thing that is different is that Shalye does slow down a bit and loves to cuddle at the end of the day.  She is so perfect and I love watching her just admire and adore her older siblings.  They love to play "Make me Laugh" with her and she always ends up laughing first.  Happy 18 month birthday baby girl.  I love you!

11.22.09 -- Jacquie and Peter's special day

These two are a match made in heaven.  I just love and adore them both.  I have been lucky to have known them over the last three years, but have been even more lucky to know what great friends they have been to my sister.  They have such a special place in my heart cause I know how much they have done for Sharon.  A few weeks ago they finally tied the knot.  The wedding was phenomenal!  Jacquie looked so stunning and Peter just stared at her with those adoring eyes all day long.  It was so sweet, and beautiful, and just so dang fun!  I was so honored that they asked little Malia to be their flower girl.  She took this job very seriously and practiced weeks before the big day.  Malia is just like me though, a little nervous and a bit uncoordinated too.  I was a bit worried how she would do at such  a task, but she was perfect.  Sharon walked with her down the aisle, just a few steps behind.  Malia could not walk and throw at the same time so she would take a few steps, stop and throw, then take a few more steps.  When she got to the feet of the bride and groom she stopped, waited for the photographer to get ready, flashed her huge grin and threw flowers at their feet.  My favorite part is that she continued throwing flowers all the way to her seat and then threw some at her chair before she sat down.  She is such a dollface. 

Happy Thanksgiving

I know this is so long overdue, but I really hope that every body had a great Thanksgiving.  I know I did.  It was a wonderful, relaxing, beautiful day.  Tevita and Tame woke up and rode bikes to the ward Turkey Bowl, while me and the girls stayed home and prepared food for the get together at Kalisis house.  We met at Kalisis around noon and enjoyed food, family, and football!  The weather was beautiful and the cousins always have such a great time getting together. 

After eating we came home and Sharon came up for the afternoon.  We just hung out, completely stuffed adn I think we all took naps.  That night I put up the christmas decorations since I was kindof bored and we got a new TV so we had to rearrange our living room anyways.

This year I even made a pumpkin pie from scratch!  I was not really feeling Halloween this year, so after we went to the pumpkin patch our pumpkins sat in our garage for over a month.  I have no idea why we still had them sitting in our garage the last week of November but we did.....and I was so glad.  The pumpkin pie was so good and so easy I ate the entire thing by myself in a day, and then made another one and ate that too!  I will never make pumpkin pie from a can again.  I swear!

I have to take the time and just write a few of the things I am grateful for.  I feel like I have been kind of negative lately, not for any particular reason, just negative.  So here goes for the many things I am so grateful for.  First is my family.  I have a wonderful husband who loves me and loves his children.  I have five step children who I love very much and am so proud of them.  I never tell them enough.  I am grateful to Tevita, Malia and Shalye, who on a daily basis teach me, love me and make me laugh so hard.  I have been blessed with such perfect family and friends.  Sharon has been my rock in so many ways, and I am so thankful to her for loving my kids as much as I do. 

I am grateful to have a house and a job, but more grateful to have my freedom and my health.  I am grateful for the gospel and the peace and guidance that it brings to my life.

I am so blessed!  I am so grateful!

Turkey Trot

For those of you who live in LAie, you know what a huge deal the turkey trot can be, so I've heard.  Well this year due to furloughs and such they have decided to hold it after school, and have made the kindergarteners run optional.  I was asking Tevita if he was interested in running and this is what he says, "Well, what do I have to do mom?  Do I have to ride the turkeys or eat the most turkey?".  I laughed so hard.

To My Daughter-

Dear Malia-

You brighten my day every single morning with that fro of yours and a squeaky "It's a beautiful sunny day today" while you grin from ear to ear.  And your laugh.  I love your laugh, especially the one with your eyes closed and your mouth wide open.  Your laugh is contagious.  It is impossible to not join in when you are laughing.

I want you to know how much I love you and how I adore watching you learn.  You love books and I hope the passion you have for reading stays with you forever.  You know all your colors, shapes, most of your letters and even some spanish and chinese.  You have soaked so much into that little brain of yours and just impress me with the things that you understand at your age.  When you see a letter you always identify it with something like an S for Sharon or Shalye.  And you love to sing, but hate when anyone joins in.  But you dont just sing, you let it all out at the top of your lungs and I crack up every time.

I love when we play hide and seek and you will say something like this, "Mom I am over here, under your bed, behind the blanket.  You will never find me." 

I love that you  care so deeply for your brothers and sisters.  You always feed Shalye and you are Tevita's number one cheerleader.  You watch Tevita intently and you learn from him. You get so excited when we look at pictures of Kalisi, Late, Elia, Tame and Sheila.  When I told you Elia was going to Alaska on his mission you asked me if that is where the polar bears live.  When I said yes your eyes lit up as you exclaimed "I LOVE polar bears, Elia do you love polar bears?"

I love watching you practice your ballet moves, with so much pride and thought.  And I think my favorite part is that you will not practice your ballet moves unless you are wearing the blue ballerina dress that Grandma brought back from Greece.

I love the way that you line up your stuffed animals so meticulously, the same way I used to do.  You tuck them into bed, kiss them, prop them up so they can see the computer, and change their diapers.

You are so stubborn and sometimes I call Grandma and vent.  She laughs and tells me that I used to do the exact same things that you are doing now.  You are stubborn and determined and will not back down.  You insist I tickle your back when you fall asleep, yet I have to do it in the exact right way with your foot in the palm of my hand and me rubbing the top of your foot.  Lately you have wanted me to go from rubbing to tickling back to rubbing, then from your foot to your chin to your back to your stomach until you fall asleep.  And I swear once you fall asleep you will wake back up if I even slightly stop moving my hand.  You will thrust your body into the air and grunt/mumble "tickle".  Nothing gets under my skin more than this and that scream of yours.

I am sure in years to come that we will butt heads many more times to come, but I hope that you know that I love you very much and only want the best for you.  I hope that you will forever be laughing and smiling, which will make all those around you do the same.  And I hope that you will never, ever forget that I think you are special and beautiful and unique just the way that you are and pray that we may forever be best friends.

I love you,

Mom