Blessed.

As I sit here with my husband, I reflect on the past year.  It's been a year.  Up. Down.  Good. Bad. Ugly.  And every step of the journey has been worth it.  I like to say that I have no regrets.  I like to go through life experiencing everything.  I can't regret what has made me the person that I am today.  I can't.

Today we finished the holiday baking.  It was a long time coming.  It started at the beginning of the month.  Then life happened.  As it always does.  Why does it work like that?  I had intentions to finish and I lost my motivation.  I'll do it tomorrow.  Then tomorrow turned into to yesterday.  And before I knew it, December 23rd was here and I had only done one batch of holiday baking.  How could I finish my Christmas goodie baskets if I didn't start another batch of goodies?

I enlisted the help of hubby.  I love cooking and baking with him.  We have a groove in the kitchen.  An unspoken code.  I don't have to tell him what I need, he anticipates my next move.  Just as it is in every aspect of our life together.  It made me realize that I am very lucky to have that.  To have that person who is the other half of me. He completes me.  In every cheesy sense of the statement.

As I head to bed tonight, I send love and light to those who are feeling sad and alone this holiday season.  I pray that they find peace.  And I say a prayer of thanks for the blessings in my life.

I'm a lucky girl.

Gifts from the heart

This year has been a tough one, not just mentally/spiritually/emotionally, financially as well.  It brings me back to my roots.  Growing up as a family of seven, we didn't have much.  What we did have was a LOT of love.  I learned that the spirit is in the giving.  And gifts from the heart are just as special as the gifts you go to the store to buy.

I've decided that I'm going to do what we did during my youth.  I'm making gifts this year.  I know it's last minute.  I'm always late to the party it seems.  But, most of the handmade gifts are done.  And ready to be shared with my loved ones.

Remember to share a smile with everyone that you meet.  You may be the smile that makes their day that much brighter.  The holiday season is tough for a lot of people.  Share your Aloha spirit.

Finding that Christmas Spirit

Our house is decorated for Christmas, but it still doesn't feel like it's the Christmas season.  Maybe it's because our family is split this year? Last year was the first year that we had all of the kids together.  Add to that a newborn.  We didn't have much money.  But there were gifts under the tree and lots of love.  Being a blended family means making new traditions.  The question is, do you follow those traditions even when you're not complete?  I think so.  

We're almost done with the gift shopping.  My favorite part of gift shopping is for the stocking stuffers.  I don't know why.  I think it's because I can get the cute little funny things that my family loves without it seeming too cheesy.  I went to a holiday faire at the Blaisdell center.  I thought it was supposed to be a craft fair. It was a lot like the swap meet at Aloha Stadium.  I found a Hello Kitty lanyard for Annika, peppermint soap from Filthy Farmgirl and a keychain.  Cute stuff for stockings.  I'm too excited to wait for Christmas!

After the faire, we went to Ala Moana.  Ala Moana is a huge outdoor mall in Honolulu.  Amber had to pick up Star Wars cookie cutters from Williams Sonoma.  While I was there, I picked up a gift for Travis' that I know he will love! Of course I went to BBW while we were there and I got more anti-bacterial gel as a stocking stuffer. I'm addicted.  We ate lunch at Bubba Gump.

It was a fun girls day out that I needed!  I think I'm finding that Christmas spirit in a different way.  Traditions are what I make of them and it isn't up to anybody else to get me into the spirit.  Traditions are adaptable.  Life isn't always perfect and if I have the mindset that it has to be, I will be disappointed.  

Life is exactly as it should be.

A great start.

After our baking spree on Saturday, we used Sunday as our day of rest.  We had a lazy morning.  Spam scramble for breakfast.  Lazing around before hitting the shower.  It was perfection.


On Sundays we have a standing ice cream date.  I think that we've missed it once or twice in the time that we've done it.  It's not much, but it gives us a chance to get out and spend time with each other.  After eating our ice cream we browsed the BXtra for Christmas gift ideas.  I found some cute stocking stuffers so I sent my lovebugs away so I could buy them. We finished the afternoon with my favorite Christmas movie, "White Christmas."


Today I ran to Fabric Mart with Amber and Dorothy.  I have never seen a fabric store quite as big! I found some scraps of "Hawaiian print" fabric for my mom.  I think that she will enjoy it.  I'm hoping that she can incorporate it into a quilt.  We ate lunch at Banditos.  Yummo!


It was a busy day and Lo napped when we came home.  Hubby and I snuggled and watched a movie while A played in her room.  It was a nice end to the day.  Tomorrow is 'brunch with the girls' day.  And we're coming up on Winter Break! YES!


Live for this moment. <3

Thank you, Pinterest!

Today I was determined to bake.  I've been putting it off for a few days.  I don't know if it's because I've been feeling "scrooge-y" or just a lack of motivation.  Perhaps it is a combination of both.  I wake up in the morning and I say to myself. "Self, today you are going to be a baking fiend." Then, I get A ready for school and Lo some breakfast.  I'm spent.  I think I need a nap.  And I go to lay down and read.  Is this depression or exhaustion? I don't really know.


But, I figured today was going to be different.  I slept well.  I woke up feeling pretty good.  And I was determined while I made the grocery list.  I can do this! I will do this! With the help of my lovebugs today I will succeed in baking!


We made a trip to the Airman's Attic.  Were we nuts? Would it be mass mayhem? Thankfully, it was not.  In fact, we found a few cute toys for Lo and books for A.  After the Airman's Attic, we had to go to the NEX and commissary.  This could be a problem.  It's Saturday.  It's going to be crazy busy.  What were we thinking? We were pleasantly surprised when the trip took less than two hours.


After getting home, A and I got to baking and making.  We made Cheesy Ranch Chex Mix.  Eh.  I'd rather not do Chex Mix in a microwave from now on.  Thank you.  The next recipe that we tackled was Candy Cane Blossoms.  Another flop.  My cookies were NOT light and fluffy like the picture.  They looked like... well... let's just say it wasn't pretty!  The final goody that we made was White Chocolate covered pretzels.  Another recipe fail! WHAT?  That's a blow to my ego.  I didn't want to proceed.  Cuz, well, ya know... It's a bad sign.  And, it's a sign to put it to bed and try again another day.  


And that's okay.  We had fun.  I accomplished my goal: to make goodies completely from recipes that I had pinned to Pinterest.  That, my friends, was a success!  It was just a pleasant day with my lovebugs.  I live for THIS moment.

Life. Goes. On.

The holidays are here.  And, I'm trying to get into the Christmas spirit.  It feels like I'm just going through the motions.  I get excited.  I get ideas.  Then, weariness sets in.  Depression hits.  I know that I'm not the first to feel this way and I won't be the last.  My grief is MY grief.  How can I compare it to the grief of another? I can't.  I shouldn't.

I didn't intend for the blog to take this direction.  Not now.  That's the funny thing about life.  It has an agenda of it's own.  It doesn't ask me for MY opinion.  It doesn't look at my hopes; my dreams.  It. Just. Goes. On.

Why? Can't I just stop for a moment? Wallow in my grief? Let the tears flow without fear?

Today as I was running errands with my lovebugs, I saw a rainbow in the distance.  It was vibrant.  And as we drove closer to the mountains it got bigger. And then it became a double rainbow.  The rainbow followed us around the valley.  Everywhere I turned, there it was.  It reminded me of the basis of my faith.  A faith that I'd been missing. Rainbows are God's promise to us.  And on a day when I needed it most, God sent a rainbow. The sunshine through the rain.  And I knew that my Dad had something to do with it.  Thanks, Dad! I needed that today.  <3

Life goes on.  And so will I.

A belated birthday wish to Lola!

Happy birthday baby girl! I'm blessed and honored to be your Mama.

You have made us laugh, uncontrollably.  We've cried in frustration.  We've worried about the coughs, the sneezes and the fevers. It's been worth it.  You are fun, spunky and you are entirely unique.  You laugh loud, you love bigger.

I love you!

On 30 November 2010, I gave birth to a baby girl who completed our family.  She is wonderful finish. I'm sad that I'm not going to have more, but I know that this is what it's about.

Enjoying my heritage

Last week, A was given the assignment to choose a food that is important in her culture.  It brought back memories of lefse at Christmas.  It's a fond memory.  It was a happy time.  It's one of the reasons that Christmas is my favorite holiday.  The scents.  The sounds.  I looked forward to it all year.  Lately I have been struggling with finding the happiness of the season.  Perhaps it's that I've let life get to me.  Or maybe it's hard because I'm thousands of miles away from family.  Whatever the reason, it's been hard for me.  Sad.  Lonely, but not lonely.  I realize that's a contradiction of terms but it's truth.

So, when she brought this assignment home, I knew immediately what I wanted to do.  Lefse!  It's the first thing I think of when I think of my Norwegian heritage.  And lutefisk.  No way am I making lutefisk, though!  The first place that I searched for a recipe is AllRecipes.  Surprisingly, there were very few lefse recipes.  In the interest of saving time, I found one that was a flour base rather than a potato base. I don't have a potato ricer, either, which would have made it easier I'm sure. The recipe was a success, and it was similar to potato lefse, but different.  More importantly, we were making memories together.

I'm looking forward to going to the Culture Cafeteria!

Thankful for... life, love and happiness

In rough economic times, I am thankful that my husband has employment.  Employment that allows us to live in an exotic location, if only for just a time.  Employment with medical and dental benefits.  Employment that allows me to be a stay-at-home-mom.  We have truly been blessed.  I know that not everyone has the same blessing.

I'm thankful for life.  It's much too short.  Too short to hold grudges.  Too short not to live it to the fullest. Death has been a sad reality for me lately.  With the passing of my father, I realized how close to home it could hit.  My dad was a wonderful man.  Noble, stoic, and loving.  He fought for justice for those whose voice could not be heard.  He is my inspiration and I learned a lot from him.

I'm thankful for love.  The love of my husband, who loves me in spite of my faults.  He loves me far more than I deserve.  He is patient, he is kind, he is firm and he is gentle.  He completes me.  The love of my children, biological or not.  I am humbled everyday by how much they admire me. My family.  My friends.  Love surrounds me.

I am thankful for happiness.  To be happy in times of great sadness.

I have truly been blessed.

A hui hou!

Thankful for...teachers

Today I am thankful for teachers.  It is through their patience and endurance that my daughter is learning what she is.  I can only imagine how difficult it is.  It is truly a gift that I can never repay.

I'm thankful for the teacher's that I had through the years.  I am who I am because of a culmination of things, education being one of them. Having an education helped me through some of the hardest years of my life.  I will never regret that.

I've considered going in to teaching but I feel like I'm getting to be too old to go back to school.  It's not about the glitz or the glamour.  It's about helping the youth of today succeed.

So, if you haven't thanked a teacher lately, please do.  They need to hear it.

A hui hou!

A week of thankfulness

I've decided that for Thanksgiving week, I'm going to blog about what I'm thankful for.  I have had a roller coaster of a year, to say the least.  It helps to reflect on the blessings I have encountered this year.

Today, and everyday, I am thankful for all of my lovebugs: TSgt Lovebug, C, Princess Cranky Pants, M and Sweet'n'Lo. We are the non-traditional family. By that I mean blended; a can of mixed nuts.  A family brought together by two people who fell in love.  Life in a blended family has it's fair share of heartache, grief and disagreement, just like any other family.  What makes us different is that we didn't meet, fall in love and have babies.  We had babies before we fell in love and then after, too. It throws a wrench into the "birth order" theory which is another post entirely.

After three years of life together as a blended family, we have found our sense of normalcy. We've got two of the kiddos full-time and two of the kiddos part-time.  But, it's a full-time love that we're sharing. There isn't a moment that goes by that we don't think about what we're doing and how it affects everyone, even when we are miles apart.

Each of my lovebugs has a quirk.  Sometimes, it's many quirks.  I love each and every quirk.  I love that it makes up the unique blend that is our family. I love that we are a non-traditional family.

To all of my lovebugs: Thank you!

A hui hou!

Changes ahead!

I'm going to be giving my blog a new look in the next couple of days.  I've already started. I'm going to go a new direction with my blog but I haven't decided which direction yet. But, I'm here to say that I know it's been awhile and that I'm coming back.  Don't give up on me!

A hui hou!

October?! I swear it was just September!!

I was hoping that once I got the school schedule down, life would slow down, too! That doesn't seem to be the case.  August flew by and September went just as fast! Annika is settling into her school routine just as I expected her to.  She is a "stick to the schedule" type of person.  As in, do NOT stray from the schedule or mass mayhem ensues.  I'm sure that it will get easier as she gets older but she does not adapt well to changes in schedule.  And that's okay.

We finally found a gymnastics class for her to join.  It sounds like just what she needs.  And Girl Scouts is coming up too!  After Fall Break, Annika started an after-school Math program.  She is very mathematically minded, but she has a hard time understanding certain math concepts.  Math Whizz will help her with this.  Next week is parent/teacher conferences.  Holy cows! I can't believe that the first quarter of school is done!

Lo is on the move.  Crawling, crawling, crawling! She does walk, but prefers to crawl.  She is a little peanut at 16 lbs but she is a very good eater so I am not at all concerned!

The hikes we've been taking are fun! I just bought a new pair of hiking shoes and I am eager to try them out.  Our hikes have been postponed or canceled the last three weeks due to scheduling and weather.  I am hoping that we will get back in the saddle this weekend.

As October comes to a close we have a visitor coming in: My MIL. She will be meeting Annika for the first time.  They are both excited.  We are also volunteering at the Making Strides for Breast Cancer walk again this year.  Annika is very excited about it.  She has been bugging Travis to get us signed up!  We have the girls' Halloween costumes.  Annika will be a Sweet Lil Treat and Lo is going to be Rapunzel from Tangled.

Going in to November we have a birthday party to plan.  It's hard to believe that Lo is 10.5 months old already! Time flies!

I think that's pretty much everything that's been happening in the last month or so!

A hui hou!

A new month, new outlook

The past doesn't have to hinder me.  I can use it to move forward.  That's what I am choosing to do.  I haven't had a horrible past and all things considering, life is pretty good. 

On August 31st, I signed up to be a Scentsy consultant.  I'm not looking to get rich or make it a full-time job.  I just wanted something to bring in a small bit of income and be able to continue staying at home.  Plus, I buy a lot of Scentsy! I don't get a discount on product but I do get a commission.  Okay, enough about Scentsy!

Life is crazy busy! School is going well for Annika.  Lo is growing like a weed.  And, we're enjoying our weekly hikes. That sums up the last few weeks.

a hui hou!

Makapu'u Lighthouse

In an effort to be more active, we have taken F3 (forced family fun) to a new level. There are several different hiking opportunities on the island of O'ahu.  My husband has always wanted to be an avid hiker.  I'll admit that I wasn't too keen on the idea of it at first.  I'm not as active as I could be, nor do I want to be.  But, I can try and I just might like it, right? So, our first hike was at Waimea Valley to go to the falls.  Our second hike was Manoa Valley.  Our third hike was a labor of love.  We tried twice and failed.  We were going to try one last time before moving on to another hike.  The third time was a charm!  It was definitely worth the wait.  The girls LOVED it and the view was amazing!

A little bit of background on Makapu'u Lighthouse: The lighthouse was built in 1909.  It was automated in 1974.  It's a two-mile paved hike that offers wonderful views of the entire coastline of Moloka'i. Two smaller islands can be seen from the lookout: Manana Island and Kaohikaipu Island. It's a wonderful spot to do some whale watching in the winter months.

The hike was hard and I'm feeling the effects today, but, the reward was worth it.  I love to hear Princess Cranky Pants say, "I love hiking!"

What will our next hike be?  I can't wait to find out!

A hui hou!

Busy busy bees!

With school back in session, life at the Miller house has been very busy.  Homework, school lunches and after school activities, OH MY!  I'll get back in to the swing of blogging.  I just need to catch up on some sleep. HA ;)

I have a lot to share... hiking trips, F3, etc.

A hui hou!

New blogging adventure(but, not)

For the month of August, I'm taking an online blogging class.  I'm not new to blogging.  I've been blogging for several years.  My first blog started at Myspace.  It was rudimentary, at best, but it allowed me to share my feelings with the general population.

The topic for week one was blogging goals.  More specifically, what are MY blogging goals?  I had no vision for my blog other than to record my memories of living in Hawai'i.  It's a quick way to keep the rest of the family and my friends updated with the happenings of our lives.  Last year was not a good year for me, in the blogging world.  I was tired, overwhelmed and not feeling the bloggy love.  I plan to change that this year.  I realize that I've only got four months left in the year, but I am determined to blog more than once a week.  I can do it.

I've already covered what I plan to blog about: my adventures in Hawai'i. Eventually I'd like to expand that to my adventures in baking and cooking.  For the time, I'm going to stick with the most attainable goal of blogging about life.  The main purpose of my blog will be to keep my friends and family updated on our life.  It's so hard to call everyone I know to let them know what's happening.  This may be a lazy way of doing it, but I'm not going to feel bad about it.  As I've had this blog for two years already, I'd like to think that I'm going to be a long-term blogger because I'm excited about what I blog about(mostly) and I feel like it keeps me connected to the outside world.


I've got a lot to say.  Sometimes it's funny.  Sometimes it's not.  And, I can't appeal to every reader all the time.  But, I'm not dry toast either.  I'd like to think I'm somewhat entertaining at times while also being informative.  It's a good mix.


I can only hope that I'm bringing a spot of sunshine to someone, somewhere.  I'm going to keep blogging until I feel compelled to do something else.


A hui hou!

Confessions of a Not-So-Perfect Mom

Yesterday was one of those days.  You know the kind that I'm talking about.  The days that you should have stayed in bed.  The days where everything plots against you.  The days where Mt. Laundry has a higher elevation than Kilimanjaro.

It was Princess Cranky Pants' first day of third grade.  I wanted everything to be perfect.  I would make a delicious lunch, all lovingly wrapped and placed neatly in her lunch box and a note inserted wishing her a happy day.  That's the only part of the day that I actually succeeded at.  It went downhill from there.  Getting four kids ready and out the door by 0730 is no small feat.  And I'm not entirely sure why I had the lofty goal of perfection.  

Confession #1-Two of the four lovebugs were fed prior to leaving the house.  In my defense, only ONE of those lovebugs was going to school and my logic was that the others could wait. The bebe was fed and the child going to school was fed.  The fourteen-year-old is quite capable of feeding herself and the six-year-old lolly-gagged. This was all remedied upon arriving at home after dropping Princess Cranky Pants off at school.


Confession #2-I have unrealistic expectations about when chores are to be done, especially the dishes.  I prefer to have a clean/shiny sink before heading to bed at night(thank you FLYLADY) and I get twitchy when it isn't. But, if I don't communicate that I want it to be done that way I don't have the right to be angry when it's not.  So, I did it myself.  And while I was slightly angry at first I got over the anger, sucked it up and put on my big girl panties.


Confession #3-I have a love/hate relationship with laundry.  I love to do the laundry, but, I hate when it's all brought down on one day.  I have a schedule.  Laundry days are Monday and Thursday.  It may seem crazy, however, I find that it allows me to have some freedom during my days.  I don't like to be doing laundry everyday.  I like a little bit of variety.  I don't even wash diapers everyday!  I tackled Mt. Laundry with vim and vigor and not with grace and poise as I should have.  And that's okay.  Nobody is perfect. 


Confession #4- After a particularly stressful day (like yesterday) the last thing I want to do is cook dinner.  I think that my husband should do it.  As payment for all that I do during the day.  I have no monetary compensation, though my payment and benefits are priceless.  I am able to do the one job I LOVE to do, stay at home with my kiddos.  It's not fair that I expect him to cook dinner after he's had a long day at work too.  So, we compromised.  We had Subway.


Life isn't perfect.  I'm not perfect.  I need to stop holding such a high standard and accept the imperfections that make life beautiful.

A hui hou!

And it just keeps going...

I've spent the last two days assessing my feelings.  As in, I'm wondering if what I'm feeling is normal or if it makes me a horrible mother.  I give my Mom kudos.  She made this parenting while Dad is at work thing look easy.  I'm sure that she had her share of trials and tribulations.  And, I'm sure that she "blew up" a time or two.  I certainly don't remember those times.  I'm not sure whether that is a good thing or a bad thing.

I love my children very much.  But, this is hard.  Having them together full-time.  I know it's doable.  I'm not saying that it isn't.  And, I don't want to gave flamed for my opinion. I can do it.  I have done it.  This will pass.  I just need to keep telling myself this.  It just keeps going and going and going...

I guess what bothers me the most about being a SAHM is that according to *some* friends(or one in particular), I don't have a real job.  Well, you can just shove it.

Okay, enough venting.  Tomorrow WILL be a better day.  

A hui hou!

Endless Summer

This is the summer that just won't end.  I know that I should be happy that summer is here but it's been such a hard one that I'm ready for it to be done.  There was entirely too much travel and too much drama.  And not the good kind.  I feel like a drama magnet. 

I was hoping to post a happy entry with lots of sunshine, rainbows and butterflies.  I guess that will have to wait for another time.

For now, I'm back on island and happy to be back.  Princess Cranky Pants is home and school starts in a week.  I'm going to focus on the positive and enjoy the remaining days of summer with my lovebugs.

A hui hou!

Off the radar

The second half of the month of May was quite busy for us.  End of school and preparing for a trip to the mainland.  We left on 24 May for the mainland and I was there for two weeks.  I did a lot of traveling during that time and I am glad to be home.  It was wonderful to see my family!  And, as usual, time spent with family goes too quickly.  It was busy for us and I'll probably talk about the trip in a day or two.  For now, I wanted to come back on  the radar with the blog.

A hui hou!

Bring me some sunshine

It's been a weird week.  The weather has been sunny, rainy, sunny then rainy.  I'll admit that it's making me feel a little wonky.  Not sad, but not happy either.  It's almost like the fall blues but in the spring.  Okay, enough of that.  I'd really like some sunshine.  And to feel all sunny inside.  Is that even possible?

Princess Cranky Pants is in her last week of school.  It's hard to believe that another school year has gone by and I've got a soon-to-be third grader.  Where did that time go?  It's been a wonderful crazy busy year.  And I wouldn't change one minute of it!  From Student of the Quarter to improving her grades to more ME's in Math and Science and improving her reading to match up to her grade level, it's been a wild ride that I'm glad I've been here for.  She has worked so hard to get where she is and I'm very proud of her!

In gearing up for summer vacation, it means a trip to the mainland.  Visiting with my parents and bringing Princess to Minnesota.  I'm looking forward to traveling but I'm a bit apprehensive about traveling on a plane with Sweet'no'Lo.  I've never flown with a baby that small.  I flew with Princess when she was 16 months old so this will be an experience.  It's an overnight flight, so I'm hoping both girls will sleep. :D

Sweet'no'Lo will be six-month-old on the 30th.  WHAT?!  How did that happen.  Too quick, I say.  She is babbling more and more and she is very close to sitting up unassisted.  She loves oatmeal, bananas and sweet potatoes.  She is a very good eater and loves to attempt to feed herself.  It's so cute to watch.  She is getting to the age where she has some separation anxiety and she'll grab for Mama.  It melts my heart but at the same time it's frustrating because sometimes she only wants me for comfort.  And sometimes I just need a break (which pains me to say).  It's all part of parenthood.

Last weekend I went to my first Scentsy party.  I have to say that I LOVE it.  So many yummy smells!  And cute burners! I ended up winning a plug in and a scent bar, My Wish.  I'll admit it wasn't one that I would have picked out but it ended up smelling delicious!  I can't wait for my order to come in!  I'm also waiting on an order of fluff mail!  More Kissaluvs fitted diapers, biosoakers (which will come in handy for travels) and some diaper rash ointment that is cloth diaper safe.  Silly how I get excited over fluff!  Although, I have to say that it is making an impact on Princess.  They just had a unit on Reuse and Recycle and she was telling me that it takes 500 years (or something like that) for a disposable diaper to break down and she told the class that we cloth diaper in our family.  I'm so proud that she is making that connection.  I feel like I'm doing some small part in the world.

And that sums up what I've been doing for the last couple of weeks.  Crazy, busy, wonderful life!

A hui hou!

Extreme Couponing? No thanks.

As I sit here planning our weekly menu and grocery list, I'm reminded of the new show on TLC: Extreme Couponing.  Good in theory, but we do not have the space for all of those groceries.  Not to mention it's a lot of junk type food.  We don't eat like that.  And I'm not going to encourage my children to eat that way just to save some money.  I prefer to menu plan and stick within my means and within the parameters of the menu plan. 

That being said, I do like to save money on our groceries.  We live in a high cost area.  Extremely high cost.  And with the gas prices going up, I'm sure the cost of shipping will go up.  This affects the cost of goods.  It's a vicious cycle.  It's not possible for us to shop on the economy, so, we choose to support the commissary.  Despite the surchage, it saves us more than if we were to go to the local Safeway or Foodland, even with the rewards cards.

I miss fresh produce.  The produce that we have available here is not as fresh as I would like.  We do get yummy fresh pineapple though.  I'm going to miss that when we leave.  Everything else is sub-par.  Such is life.

We save on the cost of diapers though. I like that.  I'm loving cloth diapering.  Such cute fluff, good for the environment and wonderful on the pocketbook!

Yes, I live in paradise.  Living in paradise has a high cost, not just monetarily.  I love having the opportunity to experience life here and I'm enjoying it while I can.

A hui hou!

Gas and glass, Mama Makeover and Ice Cream Date! Oh my!

Just as quickly as the weekend hit, it was over.  Funny how time works like that.  Friday evening we attempted to chillax because we knew that the weekend would be crazy busy.  And crazy busy it was.

On Saturday morning, we woke up early.  Travis had a fundraising event at the NEX shopette.  They are raising money for the unit Holiday party, which will be held at the Hale Koa this year.  Hopefully this means that more of the members of the unit will be able to attend this year.  The event was pumping gas and cleaning the gas.  We had breakfast together before he went and the girls and I went home and watched Lemonade Mouth on the Disney Channel.  And snuggled.  It was nice. 

That afternoon we had lunch at the NEX complex before running some errands at the NEX.  Time got away from us and before we knew it, it was almost bedtime.  Crazy...

Sunday morning was chill.  We got out of bed late and decided to hit the mall.  We went to Book Off! and bought more books.  (as if I need anymore, right?)  I am a firm believer in "you can never have too many books."  It's true.  I scored Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Fantastic Mr. Fox and Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry for $3 total.  AWESOME!  I've got quite a nice collection of books for the kiddos.  I hope that they love reading them as much as I did! 

After eating lunch, we hit the other part of the mall.  It was there that I decided it was time for a Mama Makeover.  So, I scheduled a cut, color and style.  I went in with tri-colored hair and came out with chestnut.  I love the color and cut.  It's so manageable!

We finished the day with ice cream at Coldstone Creamery.  I had my usual of course.  As did Travis.  But, Annika always changes her flavor up a bit.  Her choice this week was Cake Batter Ice Cream with Chocolate Chips.  She is so zany!  I love that she always tries something different!  We went home with full bellies.  Upon arriving home, we were set to watch the show that we watch every Sunday it's on:  Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.  But, it was not on this week because of the breaking news.  Good breaking news.  And I'm going to leave it at that.

All in all, it was a terrific and crazy busy weekend.  I'm thankful to be able to spend time with my lovebugs!

A hui hou!

Working for the weekend...

It's hard when I start the week already looking forward to Friday.  And, by hard, I mean that it makes my week feel like it's sooooo long.,  On the weekend, Mr. Lovebug is home and helps out with the chores.  Yes, I realize that I chose to be a SAHM, but I did NOT choose to work without having some sort of break.  I feel horrible for needing a break, but, I'm not supermom and I don't have as much energy as I once did.  The house is clean, the laundry is (mostly) done and dishes are done.  Why do I feel so horrible?  I look around and see clutter and I want to scream.  I know it's just an accumulation of stuff from doing what we do:  live life.  It's certain to happen when you have a blending of households.  I should learn to not be so hard on myself about the clutter that is here.

I think that I'll do some spring cleaning this weekend.  I've got a few loads to bring over to the Airmen's Attic.  I love that the Airmen's Attic is there.  It's nice for the in-processing airmen who are awaiting shipment of household goods to be able to pick up a few necessities.  It's also nice for the out-processing airmen to get rid of the goods that aren't being shipped.  I'll admit that I like to browse the bookshelves while I'm there.  I know that I don't NEED any more books but I love to have the variety on my shelf.

On Sunday we'll have our ice cream date (like we do every Sunday) and pick up the last minute things we need for the week.  I'm sure that groceries will be on that list.  I'm so glad that we live within walking distance to the BX and Commissary.  It saves us a bit on gas.  Sadly, the price of gas is at $4.49 per gallon.  YIKES!  I remember in 2008 when Jodi and I were moving from MN to CO and how expensive the gas prices were then.  It was crazy but this is worse, I think!  I know it won't last forever.  That's my hope.  It went down after the last price jump, I'm sure that it will happen again.

I think that a trip to the Waikiki Aquarium is in order for this weekend too.  As a Christmas gift from her Aunt, Annika (and family) got an annual pass to the aquarium.  What an awesome gift!

It's time to take Annika to school... I swear the mornings go much too quicklly!

A hui hou!

My Earth Day, Birthday girl!

I woke up on Friday, April 22nd, feeling more excited than Annika about her birthday.  I don't know if there are words to describe it.  As I laid in bed, waiting for the sun to rise, I reflected on the last eight years.  Where we've been and where we are.  And, I looked into the future.  Where we are going. 

She has learned so much in eight years.  It's hard to fathom how much she will learn in the next eight, and the lifetime beyond that.  As I held her in the wee morning hours of April 22, 2003, I could not have imagined that life would take us here and that she would grown into the lovely young woman she has become.

My beautiful baby girl (the day that I became a mother)

 

 

 

 

 

 At 0448 on 4-22-03, my life was forever changed.  No longer was I just a woman, a wife, a daughter and sister.  I became a mother.  And, in that moment, I understood a love that made me want to be a better person.  To live my life not just for me, but for my child as well.

Celebrating her first birthday

 The road that she and I have traveled has been long and rocky.  But, it's shaped who we are today.  And I can only hope that I have had even a small impact on her life because she's had an enormous impact on mine.

To my sweet precious girl:  Thank you for choosing me to be your mother.  And for being uniquely you.  It is an honor to be your Mommy.  I love you with all of my heart.

Huntington Beach, SC (February 2005)

Annika, age 2 (June 2005)

Annika, age 3 (July 2006-on the day her cousin Kendall was born)

Annika, age 4 (August 2007)

Annika, age 5 (April 2008)

Annika, age 6 (August 2009)

Annika, age 7 (August 2010)

Annika, age 8 (April 2011)

Time flies when you're having fun.

It's amazing how life gets crazy busy so quickly.  I start my mornings with every intention of updating my blog, but, something else always comes up.  Weird how that works...  Princess Cranky Pants is going to be eight tomorrow.  Wow.  It seems like just yesterday she was a wee baby gherkin.  The years have gone by so quickly.  And, so much has happened.  Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine that I would be where I am today.  Life has a way of derailing and taking you off the tracks for a bit!

The weather has been very warm and humid lately.  My sinuses are not happy.  I'd like for the tradewinds to come back.  At least that would knock down some of the heat.

A couple of weeks ago we went to the swap meet and did "touristy" things: bought souvenirs and had shave ice.  It's fun to do that every now and then.  But, the heat got to be a little bit intense.  After two hours, we were all melting.  Later that afternoon I took the girls to a  friend's house for a playdate.  Annika got to decorate rice krispie bars.  She thought it was awesome.

We also took a day trip to downtown and over to Manoa.  Manoa is a beautiful area.  Lush and green.  It's also where our favorite cloth diaper store on the island is, baby aWEARness.  We bought more fluff for Sweet'n'Lo.  I am happy to say that we are now 100% cloth diapering.  It was a bit of investment, but the cost savings in the long run makes it worth it!  Plus, it's great for the environment.

After shopping, we went to Red Lobster for a yummy lunch.  Then, we went walking around the marina and spotted some jellyfish!  All in all, it was great to spend some time together.

This week has been busy with the planning of Annika's birthday party.  She is very excited to be having an OUTDOOR pool party.  It's pretty rare to have one of those for an April birthday, unless you live somewhere warm.  I've got cupcakes to make and decorations to buy.  I suppose that I should get that done before time gets away from me.

A hui hou!

17 weeks. 4 Months.

That's how old Sweet'n'Lo is.  It's been an amazing four months.  Every week marks another milestone.  I've already surpassed my goal of breastfeeding for at least four months.  I didn't have the discipline to continue with my first baby girl.  I was working full time and I didn't have the resources to be as informed as I would have liked.

Another change is that we're cloth diapering with this one.  That has been quite an experience.  We're still using disposables for overnight.  Eventually I'd like to be completely cloth diapering and sposie free!  I have found that cloth diapering is not as easy as I thought it was going to be.  And, I'm still learning.  But, I'm happy to be doing something that is good for the environment as well as being good for our budget.  The upfront cost is high, but the end result is worth it.

Princess Cranky Pants has gone back to school. She's in the last couple of months of second grade.  And, she's made her reading goal to get up to the third grade level for her advanced reading.  She has been working so hard.  I'm SO proud of her!  They started a new unit in math: fractions.  It's ironic because I've been teaching her, informally of course, fractions at home while we bake.

Last Friday was 324th day at Bellows AFS.  As usual, it was very windy out there.  But, it was fun, as always.  It's always so beautiful out there, even when it's not so sunny.  Both girls were able to model their new swimsuits.  I can't believe how tall and lean my sweet Princess Cranky Pants is.  She is absolutely beautiful.  I'm in for trouble when she hits her teenage years.  Sweet'n'Lo and her little chubby legs tested out the cold saltwater.  I am not sure whether she liked it or not.  All in all, it was and exhausting but FUN day.

Well, there isn't much that is going on, aside from the everyday stuff.  Just biding our time.

A hui hou!

Picture Perfect (pics from the last year or so)

Zander and Bella (furbabies)

Cassi and Domino (July 2010)

Domino (8 weeks) 

Sleepy girl

Domino snuggles with the bebe (in the belleh)

Cassi and Domino

Ultrasound- IT'S A GIRL!

First purchase for baby girl M

First day of school

Cassi (big sister) and Annika (little sister) on the first day of school

In the classroom, first day of school

Baby belly, 23 wks 5 days

Journal, first anniversary gift.  Handmade by my hubby. <3

Bella sits on the crate. It's as if she is mocking Domino.

Baby belly, 25 weeks 5 days

Baby belly, 26 weeks

Well, I think that I'll stop there for now.  I've added captions under the pictures so it's all self-explanatory.  But, to recap:  The summer of 2010 was a busy one for us.  We took a cross-country trip to the mainland.  (I'll add pictures of that in another post).  Cassi and Mikey came out for the summer while Annika was at her dad's for the summer.  Domino is our newest furbaby.  She is a Chihuahua Fox Terrier mix.  She was 8 weeks old when we got her.  I've added some belly pictures starting at 23 weeks.  I wasn't showing very much, so, I guess I just didn't take any pictures for the first half of the pregnancy.  We found out that baby M was a girl on 30 July.  School started on 02 August. 

I think I've covered everything in the pictures above.

I love my crazy wonderful life!

A hui hou!

What?! It's 2011?!

Sadly, it's been six months since my last blog post.  FAIL!  I could give a lot of excuses, but, I won't.  I will just update with what has happened in the last six months.

October 2010.  One of my besties, Jodi, came to Hawai'i for a visit.  We went to the swap meet at Aloha Stadium, Dole Plantation, the USS Arizona Memorial, the Shack in Mililani, Waimea, North Shore and a luau at Paradise Cove.  My baby shower for Baby M was held in October as well.  It was a fun but exhausting month.

November 2010.  I hit 36 weeks in the pregnancy.  Let me tell you, I was so ready to be done!  My SIL was due the same day that I was, 04 Dec 2010, and she delivered my nephew Kannen on 31 October.  I wanted to cry.  I am thankful that he was a healthy baby!  But, I was slightly jealous that she was done and I was not.  And, I tried everything that I could to get that little girl out.  I walked walked walked walked walked everywhere! Loralai McKenna M***** finally made her appearance in the wee small hours of the morning on 30 November.

December 2010.  I learned what life with a newborn and a seven-year-old is like.  I learned that my schedule is no longer my own.  Big sister, A, has been amazing.  So helpful!  My stepchildren came for Christmas.  This is the first family Christmas we've had all of the kids together.  We visited the Pacific Aviation Museum with the kiddos and enjoyed a very rainy Winter Break.

January 2011.  With the other kiddos back to the mainland, the house became very quiet again. Lo hit 6 weeks and I had my PP appointment.  I shed all of my pregnancy weight and then some.  A went back to school and Travis was back to work on eves.  Sheer exhaustion set in.

February 2011.  Lo hit 8 weeks and was weighing in at 9 lbs 8 oz.  Lil peanut!  A had a field trip to Chinatown for the Chinese New Year celebration and another at the end of the month to the recycling and waste management plant for their unit on conservation.

And, now, we've hit March 2011.  Currently A is on Spring Break!  Yay!  And we're still learning how to schedule, but, loving life!  In light of the recent tsunami warning and the tragedy that hit Japan, I understand now more than ever how much life truly is a gift.

Someday soon, I'll post my labor story.  And, I'll post some pictures of the fun things we did/do here on the island.  

A hui hou! (until we meet again)