Jeanius

MLK

2012-01-24T00:54:00.000-08:00

We celebrated Martin Luther King Jr Day enjoying the North Shore.

We had breakfast at Ted's Bakery

Went long Boarding at BYUH

Grabbed some Mango Smoothies from L&L

And spent the rest of the day Boogie and Body Boarding at Hukilau Beach.

A Great Holiday!

In the Kitchen

2012-01-24T00:53:00.000-08:00

Misi's the kind of guy that knows how to cook, but prefers not to. So it was a pleasant surprise when he informed me that date night would be us in the kitchen, making dinner together.

It sounds like a lame, and maybe even ordinary night, but we both fully enjoyed it!

First, we went to the grocery store together and shopped for the necessary items. On the menu was Spaghetti, garlic croissants, cookies and milk. It was fun just cruising together up and down the isles, picking out items and drooling over dessert options.

While the food was cooking, we saw that we were going to have a lot left over, so we called our friends up to see if they wanted to join us for dinner.

We ended the night just talking story with each other and our friends, over cookies and milk.

Misi shared how much he enjoyed the evening and I completely agree. It was just so much fun and very memorable.

What about you? Do you and your spouse cook together?

Week 12 &13

2012-01-23T23:44:00.000-08:00

Oh it's been too long bloggers. School's got my nose in the books 24/7 and I feel like it's been ages since I've surfed the internet! I think I may be going through withdrawals - LOL!

Well, I'll update as much as I can. Let's start with the ever exciting pregnancy! Yay!

Week 12
I visited a specialist who went over my long and crazy medical history to offer a second professional opinion, as requested by my OBGYN. The specialist informed me that I'm among the first in my generation to survive diaphragmatic hernia, and get pregnant. So there isn't really any information on what to expect. He said that half of all the babies that were diagnosed with diaphragmatic hernia during my generation, didn't make it to birth, and among those who did, the majority of them passed away within the first few months, if not weeks. How scary is that?! So he says it's amazing that I'm still alive and active. Anyway, because there hasn't been any medical research regarding those with diaphragmatic hernia during pregnancy, I've pretty much just got to monitor myself and take it a day at a time. But he says he finds comfort in the fact that I'm active, and encouraged me to continue exercising. So I'm not too worried about it.

I was blessed to have it pretty easy.
I complained a lot, but in reality, I was nauseous for two weeks, and that was the worst it got.
No throwing up, no dehydration, no crazy crying.
Only fatigue and lots of peeing.
I'm spoiled, I know.

Week 13
Good bye 1st Trimester!
I took my first belly picture. I've got more of a pudge that makes me look like I'm getting fat, rather than pregnant. But it's cool, all part of the process I guess.
AAANNNND, I bought my first Maternity outfit!!
My jeans are just too tight, even with the rubber band trick!
So I gave in and got me some swag maternity pants.
My energy levels are almost 100% the only difficulty is that exercising takes ALOT out of me, making it difficult to stay up all day for school, work, homework, and what not.
My appetite has returned, but my sense of smell has gotten irritatingly stronger.

And there's the pregnancy update. I'll post a separate posting for other updates. cheers!

The benefits of peeing

2012-01-18T17:58:00.001-08:00

I realize I've complained a hundred times about the irritating need to constantly pee, due to an enlarged and growing uterus and human being inside of me, but consider this complaint #101. Haha! No, actually, I've come to see some of the benefits of frequent urination.

1. I have really clean hands now. I've never washed my hands do many times in one day!
2. I always sit at the front of the class. (Closest to the door, so I can run out ASAP without trampling anyone.)
3. I get to burn extra calories with all the running to the bathroom I'm doing. (especially when it's like a mile away from my class!)
4. I get to see what 2am, 2:15am, 2:45am...etc...looks like. Who knew it was so dark and quiet? (until my flushing interrupts of course)
5. I don't feel bad when I get up and leave in the middle of a boring lecture or conversation....4 times.

Hahaha! So there you have it, the benefits of having to pee all time!

Weeks 10 & 11

2012-01-08T21:31:00.000-08:00

It's been a pretty uneventful two weeks. Although my energy has returned enough that I don't sleep all day, I still completely knock out after 1. every work out, and 2. every meal! haha! that's fat. I don't know what it is about food that makes me SO tired. Also, now that we're talking about food, It's been the weirdest thing lately but I'm not able to eat much. I'll sit down to a sandwich, or a burrito, eat almost half of it and then feel like I just stuffed 5 big macs down my throat! Then my stomach will ache for a few hours, and I'll be hungry again. I know that eating small meals throughout the day is supposed to help with this, and I try to do that, but it doesn't get much smaller than a turkey sandwich! LoL!
Oh, and I've already complained about this, but it's getting worse - I pee like every 10 minutes! It's so irritating! hahaha! Good thing there are a bunch of beaches with bathrooms on the drive to town, or else I really don't know what I'd do. And it's not like, "oh I've gotta pee" it's like "holy freaking hell, I'm going to piss my pants if I don't pee NOW!" hahaha! oh man, pregnancy is fun!

I finally gained weight. I gained 3 pound these past two weeks. I was kinda bummed because I've been running like crazy and working out, and I barely eat anything, and I still gained weight. Yeah, yeah, I'm growing a human being, I know :) Anyway, I woke up a few days ago and my lower belly was sticking out. It seriously grew over night! I was half in shock half confused. Is it normal for your belly to start sticking out so early? hmm.

OH, I almost forgot, my doctor cleared Poke for me!! hallelujah!! he said as long as I don't eat too much and I can only have it twice a week. No more than that. You better believe I went straight to Superette and got me a mix bowl of shoyu poke, regular poke and tako. Oh my, it was heavenly! If you don't know about Superette's ah-ma-zing poke, read this post about it by Malie Sasaki, a lady in my ward: click here

Last, but not least, we went in for a check up on baby on Friday. He/she was doing speed crunches on the big ultra sound screen! I couldn't stop laughing! The doctor couldn't get a good picture of the head to determine the due date, so he kept pressing down on my uterus. I think all the pressing pissed off baby because he stopped moving and hid! haha! I didn't know stubbornness starts in the womb - gotta be from mommy. He eventually got enough so-so pictures to determine that baby is 11 weeks. He/she reaches the week mark every Sunday and is due Sunday, July 22nd, 2012!

Me with three extra pounds....why does it look more like 30 pounds?

New Year Festivities

2012-01-03T19:49:00.000-08:00

First Picture together in 2012! January 1st.

None of our family members were in Hawaii for New Year's Eve...well, except my bro-in-law Vita. Fusi and Lasi were in Utah. Siuaki was in Samoa. And everyone else lives in Utah. So it was just me, Misi and Vita boy. Vita had his own plans, you know, him being 19 and all. So that brought us down to two. Just me and Misi.

Well, the thought of celebrating a Holiday by ourselves was just too weird. Since family was nowhere to be found, we went with the next best thing. Awesome friends!

The day of New Years's Eve we woke up and got ready to work out, but then called up our friends Asher and Michael, and ended up having breakfast at McDonalds instead! haha! In the afternoon we went with them to the tennis courts and played tennis for a few hours. The sun was blazing and we all got pretty tanned. We cooled off at the beach for a few hours after tennis.

Mike and Misi playing tennis

Us at the beach

That evening, we invited a bunch of couples from our ward who don't have kids, over to our house for food and games. It was a blast! there was plenty of food (sliders, redondos, chips, beefy queso dip, a veggie tray, cookies and donuts) and lots of laughter. We played catch phrase, girls vs boys. Sadly, the boys won. But we gave 'em a good run for their money! At midnight, we went outside and watched the fireworks. You could see aerials from four different spots from our front yard. We popped the sparkling cider and toasted to a New Year, then everyone gave their spouse a big ol' 2012 smooch!

the Steifvater's, Hall's, Coleman's, Maile's and Livai's

It was a very fun and memorable New Year. It was the last year that three of us couples would be childless. Lauren is due in May, Kelly is Due in June, and I'm due in July. No one's showing yet so we didn't bother attempting to get a belly shot of us three :)

I looked back at my 2011 Resolutions and guess what...I didn't accomplish any of them! hahaha! oh well. Let's try again this year.

Here are my 12 things to improve in 2012:
(in no particular order)

1. Establish a bed time routine and stick to it. I don't actually have a bed time routine. I just stay up as long as I can then crash and burn. I'd like to have a little more structure to my evenings. You know, get in a journal entry, say my bed time prayer, brush my teeth! haha! gross, I know.

2. Have family home evening every week. We don't have very structured fhe's. we usually pop in a movie, or go for a jog and dub that fhe. I'd like to actually get in a lesson, or at least a spiritual thought and family prayer once a week.

3. Take more pictures of our life. As I look back at this past year, I see faces of so many people, and none of us! Don't get me wrong, I love those who are in our pictures, but I'd like to look back and see how we looked in 2012 too.

4. Attend the temple every month. Gosh, this was a tough one for us last year, and we really have no excuse. So moving forward, we're going to do our very best with this goal.

5. Run 365 miles. yup, a mile a day for an entire year. I figure since I can't have a weight goal (considering I'm growing a human being and all) I can still have a physical goal to work towards.

6. Finish the Book of Mormon. It's taking me longer than usual to finish the BoM because I'm really taking the time to study it. But I'd like to complete it by the end of the year.

7. Dress nicely more often. Living in Hawaii, it's very easy to find myself in the laid back, gym shorts and tshirt mode, with my hair thrown up in a messy bun (we can thank humidity for that), ALL the time. I just don't think it's good to sport that look 24/7.

8. Eat out less. I'd like to limit my eating out to once a week (date night of course). That means more home cooked meals, more control of what's going in my body, and less processed food. A good practice, I think.

9. Have more meaningful date nights. Don't get me wrong, a movie and dinner, are awesome and I love them, but I'd like to also have some dates that involve a little more thought and meaning.

10. Create a budget and stick to it. Misi came up with this one and I think it's brilliant. Especially with baby on the way - can you believe how expensive baby stuff is!? holy moly!

11. Complete one craft a month. I have a pinterest board full of neat craft ideas and I think taking some time to do what you enjoy will help you get through the obligations you have.

12. Journal every day. I used to be really good at this, but last year was a total failure. I blog, but there are moments that are precious to me that I don't feel comfortable sharing with the world. But I want my posterity to know them, so I will try super hard to write an entry every day.

Whew, that's a lot huh? But I think they're reasonable enough that I might actually find myself a better person by end of the year.

Well, let me leave you with our Christmas/New Year card for 2011. Happy Holidays!!

Ah yes, Christmas.

2011-12-29T14:10:00.000-08:00

This was probably the most chillaxed Christmas we've ever had. Due to the relaxed mode we were in, No pictures were taken! oops. So I'll try my best to be as entertaining as possible so as not to bore you with the lack of pictorials.

On the day of Christmas eve we went to the beach with our friends Asher and Michael, then had lunch at Surfin Tacos. The beach soaked up all my energy so then I went home and slept for a life time.

I woke up just in time to remember that I needed last minute Christmas stuff, and that Walmart was closing in two hours! So Misi and I jumped in the car and raced to Walmart. Don't worry, we got there with an hour to spare and we were able to get all the last minute stuff we needed.

We ended the night at the theater watching Mission Impossible 4. Can you believe that's the ONLY Mission Impossible I've ever seen? I know! my husband is still trippin!

Sunday was our last day of 8am church for the next two years! woo-hoo! and it was only Sacrament! We had a missionary leaving and one returning, so it was a nice edifying sacrament. (And everyone came in red, it was cool!)

My in-laws came over for Christmas lunch. Nothing too fancy, just beef curry and casserole with chocolate chip cookies for dessert.

We started out with Christmas Taboo. It was Misi, dad, and Lasi versus Me, mom and Vita. It was a REALLY great laugh! Then we had a little white elephant. I decided last minute while shopping at Walmart to just go ahead and get some small, cheap, fun gifts for a white elephant game. It turned out to be really fun for everyone. The stealing of gifts is always quite humorous. In the end, dad got a book of coupons for 12 free big macs and 12 free large fries, Mom got a bag of Doritos, I got a pencil with $10 taped to it, Misi got a bag of peanut m&m's, Vita got a package of chips ahoy chocolate chip cookies and Lasi got a leather bracelet with Livai inscribed on it. And everyone was really happy with what they ended up with!

After the games, we exchanged gifts then had a great lunch. And can you guess what followed the eating? sleeping of course! After a good long nap, we visited Misi's grandma Allene for a while, then went home and just hung out while eating some more, playing games and watching movies. Like I said, a very chillax Christmas.

The day after Christmas we worked out (of course) then we piled in the car and went to ihop with Vita, Lasi, Michael and Asher. It was a great time, full of laughs and memories. Everyone did some Day-After-Christmas Shopping, then we saw a movie, ate dinner at McDonalds, and took Mom and Lasi to the airport (they went to Utah).

And that was our Christmas weekend!

1st Ultrasound

2011-12-22T21:47:00.000-08:00

We went in for our first prenatal visit today. It went well. I wasn't expecting to see much on the ultra sound, knowing I'm still pretty early in my pregnancy. But you can actually make out a baby! it's head is huge! hahaha! The doctor says that round thing above the head is like the yellow part of an egg.

Hmm, so am I having a human or a chicken?

The doctor caught us by surprise when he played the heart beat for us. I was so unprepared for that beautiful moment, that a flood of emotion swept over me and I got all choked up and teary eyed. My amazement kept me from actually crying, but it was such an incredible thing. It makes it so real, if that makes sense?

Doc says by the size of the lil peanut (it kind of looks like a peanut yeah?) I'm about 8 weeks along, give or take.

Oh, he gave me Zofran for my nausea and it's ah-ma-za-zing! I took one pill. and about an hour later I was able to eat the biggest meal I've eaten since like the end of October! I love it!

oh, and he gave me to go-ahead on working out. No restrictions, I've just got to stay super hydrated. So I'm happy about that.

Well, I must say, this little ultrasound experience is such a great Christmas gift!

Aaandd, here's a recap of week 8....

It's getting....better?

2011-12-18T20:42:00.000-08:00

Do I dare say the worst is over? Nope, not yet, but I am feeling better! Yesterday and today were actually pretty good days! I had an ok appetite most of the day and my energy levels weren't too shabby. So I'm very grateful to say the least.

I am getting tired of peeing so much though! Like really? do I really have that much liquid in me?

I'm actually excited to have a good work day tomorrow. Work has been so hard this past week and I yearn to feel productive.

So today I feel more like a werewolf instead of a vampire, because of my oh-so-keen sense of smell. A slight whiff of air freshener can have me gagging in a matter of seconds. Fragrances seem intensified, which doesn't help with the nausea. I swear, being pregnant is a trip!

I feel like a vampire

2011-12-15T23:33:00.000-08:00

No, I'm not craving blood. My "morning" sickness aka nausea usually subsides in the evening, so I stay up all night watching Vampire Diaries on netflix. I sleep all day, stay up all night. Hey, that actually might work out when baby comes!

Oh, when I finally do get over my nausea, I find myself STARVING! I guess eating crackers all day can do that. But the really weird part is that as soon as the thought of food doesn't make me gag, I salivate just thinking about extra crispy fried chicken thighs from KFC! ok, this is definitely Misi's child! It's always late when I crave it and the nearest KFC is like 45 minutes away, so I never get to eat it. Which actually might be a good thing. But the reason it's so weird is because I don't like chicken! I never have. I mean, I can stand it when it's in the form of a chicken nugget, or baked in shoyu, but even then I can only take so much of it, let alone crave it!

Speaking of cravings, I'm also dying to have raw fish! I miss poke and ota! curse you mercury contaminated fish!

I switched my prenatals to bedtime, and it's helping a tad bit with the nausea. I've figured out that exercising really helps me fight my fatigue and nausea - but mustering up the physical strength to drag myself out the door is an entirely different battle.

I called almost every store I could think of looking for Preggie pops and I've come to the conclusion that they aren't sold in Hawaii. So I've turned to motion sickness pills and they do a pretty good job.

Everyday I slather on a TON of stretch mark cream and oil, to hopefully, cross my fingers, minimize the inevitable stretch marks that will no doubt happen (I've had stretch marks on my thighs since I was like 9! I just don't have any elasticity in my skin!)

TMI: I had a friend tell me to start scrubbing my nipples in the shower to prep them for breast feeding. Are you kidding me?! I cringe just thinking about it. Ouch!

My face is starting to break out a bit, not too badly, but enough for me to notice a change. I don't like it. My guess is those blasted hormones taking over my body.

There's quite a few June/July babies joining us next year. There's Me, Vi, Ivy, Lani, Kelly, and McKenzie...that I know of. How fun!

Post from my phone!

2011-12-12T19:57:00.001-08:00

So I noticed that my afternoons are really tough. I wake up feeling great but by 10:30/11:00ish I'm tired, nauseous, and I only want crackers. And then come 5:30/6:00 I'm alert, active, hungry and feel fine! I read somewhere that taking my prenatal vitamins before bed might help me to feel better throughout the day, so I'm going to try that and see how it goes.

I downloaded an app that lets me blog from my phone! How cool is that!?

If all goes well, we'll be celebrating Christmas next year with a little 5 month old JaM jr.! What a trip!

We got a tree this year and put Christmas light up. Misi was like "now that I'm gonna be a dad, I gotta start celebrating the Holidays" haha! So cute!

Alexander Tsiaras: Conception to Birth

2011-12-10T17:50:00.001-08:00

I got this link from my friend Asher. It's originally from TED. If you haven't checked out TED you really should. I LOVE this website!

Anywho, here's the video from my friend, it's amazing!!

Aversions

2011-12-10T17:22:00.001-08:00

I'm still pretty sleepy. But now I can at least make it through the day without a nap. You better believe though, that when my head hits anything, pillow, book, table, I'm out! haha!

I haven't been able to eat anything except for saltine crackers. It's the only thing that doesn't make me gag when i think about it. Nothing else sounds good, which is hard because I'm hungry!

I made breakfast this morning; Portuguese sausage, eggs and toast. It smelled so good as I was cooking, and it actually looked good on my plate! I got the first bite down alright. Took the second bite and nearly threw up! Ugh! So irritz! Good thing I have a house full of boys, they ate that right up! So I just had my usual saltine crackers and oj.

Oh, drinks are the only other thing I can have plenty of and not get nauseous. I've been getting a lot of oj, apple juice, milk, and coconut water.

I've figured out though, that I tend to enjoy food that isn't overpowering in taste. The blander (is that a word?) the better. Things with distinct flavor usually make my stomach turn. So stuff like broth, plain scrambled eggs, yogurt, and string cheese are all staples for me right now.

I haven't gained weight yet (thank you!) but my waist has expanded about a half an inch (frek!).

Exercise usually helps me to feel more energized, but I've cut back on the intensity of my workouts (I'm all about High Intensity Interval Training-love it!), just until I get clearance from the Doc next week.

I feel like the only things that sound good to eat, I can't have, or at least I shouldn't have. Like medium done steak, poke, over medium eggs with toast, and a big fat tuna melt.

I'm pretty scared about motherhood. All my inadequacies seem magnified right now, and although I'm excited about holding my child, I'm scared.to.death. I've always held motherhood in the highest esteem and I just worry that I'm not cut out for it.

I love seeing how excited Misi is about the baby. He loves sharing the news with everyone, and he honestly just glows as he tells people he's going to be a dad. It's the cutest thing ever.

It's so crazy to think that next Christmas we could have a little 5 month old celebrating with us! It all seems so surreal.

my first pregnancy

2011-12-07T17:40:00.001-08:00

Pregnancy is a weird thing. I don't feel like there's a human being growing in side of me, but I've never been more conscious of the choices I make knowing that I'm responsible for the health and welfare of the lil blueberry.
Yup, he's the size of a blueberry this week.
I say he, because I think it's a boy. I don't know why, I just do.
I had a blueberry yogurt today with granola. It was really yummy.
Nothing ever sounds good to eat. Nothing makes me nauseous or sick, but nothing makes me salivate either.
I'm hungry ALL THE TIME! I hate it!
I eat like every hour! granted they're small meals like yogurt or half a turkey sandwich, or a bowl of soup - but every hour? seriously? I feel like I'm always eating, which scares me because the LAST thing I want to do is gain unnecessary weight.

Fatigue has finally hit-and pretty hard too. Yesterday I slept for like 10 hours at night. Then took two 2-hour naps during the day, then went to bed at 9pm! and I was still tired when I woke up, so I took an hour nap again today! I've never been able to sleep that much in my life! I hate it. I actually don't like sleeping all that much. I feel like I'm wasting my day away, or missing out on life (when I'm actually making life!) funny how that works out :)

I have my first official appointment next week. I guess there's going to be lots of tests taken and an ultra sound-well, that's what the receptionist said. I have this huge fear of going in to see the baby on ultra sound and the doctor says "ummm, there's nothing in there" and then come to find out that all my "symptoms" were self inflicted. Wow, that would suck! I'm worrying too much huh? I tend to do that.

I hope that being on a diet for the first two months of the baby's life didn't harm it in any way.
I hope I don't get sick now that everyone in my family is sick.
And I hope the baby is doing well.

I'm going to go eat. and nap.

BIG news!

2011-12-05T13:01:00.001-08:00

I'M PREGNANT!
I thought long and hard about how I would go about announcing to the world that Misi and I are expecting our first child. After racking my brain of what I would say and how I would say it, everything flew out the window when I sat down to write this post.
I haven't had the chance to visit the doctors yet, so I don't know exactly how far along I am, but according to the date of my last menstrual cycle, I'm starting week seven today.
Seven weeks pregnant! can you believe it? I sure can't! especially since I don't feel pregnant at all!
I'm completely fine...so far!
I saw this pin on pinterest a few months ago (it's from http://blog.hannamac.com/) and I knew that when I got pregnant, I too would create my own pregnancy journal book.
So here are the first few pages...It's written to my child, so it's simple and childish in structure.

So if you remember from a few months ago, I posted that Misi and I had decided to get me off of depo and start trying to have a child. Because I was on depo for four years, the doctor had told me that it would take at least a year for my body to wean off of the shot and then another year to get pregnant. So we were looking at two years before we could even start thinking of taking any pregnancy tests. Well, my last shot was in January, and my first missed period was in November. When I missed my period I immediately thought I was pregnant. The negative test result confused me a bit, but I just figured that maybe it was just late, or maybe because I had started a new diet and work out program, it was just off schedule somehow. Whatever the reason for the negative, it convinced me that we weren't to be expecting any time soon.

Because the test result was negative, I felt completely comfortable jumping in on a new deep cleanse diet with Misi, using the Isagenix products through a game called Your Isa-Game On. It was an intense deep body cleanse that took place for two weeks. Misi lost over 15 pounds in 11 days! I had lost 6 pounds the first week, but then only lost 2 pounds the second week. I was ticked off that I didn't lose more, because the effort I put into it should have resulted in more weight and inches lost. Misi was confused too and so he said "maybe you should just take another pregnancy test, just in case." I thought it was a lost cause and a waste of $7.00 but I needed closure for not doing well on the diet. So I bought another test. I peed. waited 2 minutes. Then freaked out! it was a positive!! I jumped in bed and tried to quickly think of a cute way to tell Misi the news, but when he opened his eyes I just blurted out "I'm pregnant!"

Guess that explains why I wasn't loosing weight right? I still couldn't believe it. So much so that I took two more tests at different times of the day, thinking I could outsmart the result or something. But again and again, I kept getting that little blue positive sign. We were freaking out to say the least.

We spent an entire day trying to decide whether or not we wanted to let anyone know yet. We figured that since I'm still pretty early in my pregnancy, there's still a big chance of miscarriage. I didn't want to tell anyone and then end up losing the baby and saying "sorry to get you so excited for nothing." But then I thought about it and Misi and I agreed that that's what family and friends are for. To be there not only through the good, but through the bad. To offer love and support so you don't have to face the world alone. So we decided to share the news with our parents and siblings first. They're all really excited for us and we explained that since it's still early that we'd love to have their prayers for baby to make it through and be healthy. At this point we're trying to be prepared for the worst, while hoping for the best.

Showing Gratitude - Day 22

2011-11-27T20:38:00.001-08:00

I love sleeping! oh my goodness, I love a good nap!

I've even dubbed rainy days as nap days.

I think winding down and giving my body some rest today is a good way to show my gratitude for me, myself and I.

I mean, I pretty much have to deal with myself everyday! haha!

and I think it allows me to be a better wife, daughter and friend when I'm well rested

(I tend to be grumpy when I'm tired).

So today, I'm just gonna rest my body and my mind.

and enjoy it.

Showing Gratitude - Day 21

2011-11-27T20:32:00.001-08:00

I'm grateful for the internet.

It's such an amazing tool!

I get to keep in touch with family who live across the world.

look up recipes.

download songs.

read archived church messages.

and explain my life to you all!

hahaha!

I love going through the blogs of my friends and reading their posts of what they are grateful for, and how they spent their holiday.

people are so inspiring!

they're funny, they're sentimental, they're clever and witty.

If you get the chance, you should totally just go down the list of your friends who have blogs and read their entries. You'll be amazed at how much you'll learn about them, and I really think you'll walk away with more love in your heart for them and the life experiences they are enduring.

so hop away!

Showing Gratitude - Day 20

2011-11-27T20:30:00.001-08:00

I'm grateful for our Prophet and Apostles.

I showed my gratitude today by reading a couple talks on gratitude.

There are some really good talks at lds.org!

and the Mormon Messages videos on gratitude are tear jerkers!

Showing Gratitude - Day 19: Thanksgiving

2011-11-27T20:20:00.001-08:00

I'm thankful for THANKSGIVING!

For the opportunity it allows us to contemplate our blessings,

and to show our gratitude for others.

What better way to show my gratitude than to celebrate Thanksgiving?

and with family nonetheless!

Our Thanksgiving was the smallest it's been since we got married.

Everyone's slowly moving away from Hawaii.

This year it was just me, Misi, Fusi, Siuaki, Vita, Lasi and Allene.

Misi and I got to sleep in, then we went to the BYUH gym and got a great work out in.

Everyone met up at our house for Thanksgiving lunch, and as per tradition, we started out by taking a minute to express what we are grateful for.

It was a very intimate and beautiful moment for us as a family.

We missed the grand-kids not being around.

It's just not the same without them.

We ate, watched football (Miami vs Cowboys),
and played apples to apples (goodness, now there's a funny game!).

After a late afternoon nap everyone went home, and we had some more guests over for a Thanksgiving Dinner.

We invited three young couples from our ward.

They have no family in Hawaii and it's their first Thanksgiving as newly weds.

We invited them over for dinner and games.

We ate and then worked off our food by playing Dance Central 2 on our kinect

then we ended the night with more apples to apples!

It was a great Thanksgiving.

And I'm so grateful for this special Holiday.

Showing Gratitude - Day 18

2011-11-27T20:16:00.001-08:00

I love baking! and I love sugar!

Ok, here's a deep dark (and gross) secret:

I used to eat brown sugar by the spoon fulls - that's how much I love sugar!

shhh! don't tell!

I think people generally like receiving baked goods. And since I like baking them, I thought it would be a perfect way to show gratitude for others, for my baking abilities, and for the smiles that come from receiving and giving treats.

So I made my in-laws their favorite treats.

And they loved them!

And they were so happy and excited to get a whole pan of their favorite sugary dessert all to themselves!

And that made me happy!

Showing Gratitude - Day 17

2011-11-27T20:11:00.001-08:00

I'm grateful for happiness. Don't you just love being happy? don't you love when others are happy?

My depo shot used to make me very unhappy, and I didn't realize it until after I got off, that I missed being happy.

It sounds weird, but it's true.

It made me very uptight, worry-full, and negative.

Now that I've been depo free for over seven months now, I've been so much more laid back, stress free and optimistic Much like how I'm supposed to be :)

So today I made it a point to not complain. Although my patience has improved since getting off the depo, I am still human, and can find a thing or two to complain about (mostly my weight and body image).

So today I tried really hard to not say bad, negative, mean things. Even in a joking manner.

Wow, what a difference it makes when I only say nice things - haha! maybe, I should "show gratitude" more often ;)

Showing Gratitude - Day 16

2011-11-21T18:55:00.001-08:00

I'm grateful for Thanksgiving! and for the opportunity it provides me to contemplate all the blessings in my life.

I'm grateful for the family gatherings that accompany Thanksgiving.

I'm grateful for the Food that comes with Thanksgiving!

To show my gratitude for Thanksgiving I thought it would be nice to review the history of Thanksgiving.

You know, remember the how and why, before the commercialization came in :)

"We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of heaven; we have been preserved these many years in peace and prosperity; we have grown in number, wealth and power as no other nation has ever grown. But we have forgotten God. We have forgotten the gracious hand, which preserved us in peace and multiplied and enriched and strengthened us, and we have vainly imagined, in the deceitfulness of our hearts, that all these blessings were produced by some superior wisdom and virtue of our own. Intoxicated with unbroken success, we have become too self-sufficient to feel the necessity of redeeming and preserving grace, too proud to pray to the God that made us. It has seemed to me fit and proper that God should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November as a day of Thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens."
-Abraham Lincoln - October 3, 1863

Showing Gratitude - Day 15

2011-11-21T18:52:00.001-08:00

I'm grateful for the opportunity I have to visit with the sisters in my ward.

I love visiting with them in their homes, sharing our thoughts, stories and testimonies.

I've made life long friendships through visiting teaching. It's such a blessing in my life.

Showing Gratitude - Day 14

2011-11-21T18:47:00.001-08:00

I'm so grateful for my talents. That sounds boastful, I know, but when I really think about it, I think it makes perfect sense. We've each been blessed with different talents, and I think being grateful for them is a good thing.

What better way to show our gratitude for our talents than by sharing them with others?

Today we shared our talents.

My husband sang a song for a friend at her baptism.

I made flower hair clips for a friend's daughter who was sad that she

"was the only one at school without a hair clip"

The best thing about talents is that they don't have to incorporate an instrument or skill.

I know so many people who have talents such as listening, making you feel loved, giving great advice, etc.

Showing Gratitude - Day 13

2011-11-21T18:44:00.001-08:00

I love living in Kahuku. I love the Windward Side of Oahu. I love the closeness of this community. The support and love that is so freely and openly shared.

To show my gratitude for my community, I decided to attend a major community event...The Semi-State Championships for football.

Football's kinda a big deal out here

Click here to get an idea of what I'm talking about

Showing Gratitude - Day 12

2011-11-21T18:39:00.001-08:00

I'm grateful for family history and the opportunity we have to share our life experiences with our posterity, long after we are gone. I took the time today to write out an experience I had that I am truly grateful for and why I am grateful to have gone through it. I hope my kids/grandkids/great-grandkids/and so on, will be able to one day read my entry and get a better feel for why I am the way I am.

We are the sum of our experiences.

Showing Gratitude - Day 11

2011-11-21T18:34:00.001-08:00

Ok, so I've been slacking on updating my blog with my showing gratitude stuff. But I promise I've been doing them! So here's a recap of the last few days.

I'm so grateful for prayer. I remember listening to a talk one time, I'm pretty sure it was by Elder Bednar, where he shared of an experience which resulted in offering a prayer of thanks, and only thanks.

It was such a neat experience, and my prayer ended up being so much longer and more meaningful than usual.

It really helped me to recognize the many, many, many blessings in my life and thank my Heavenly Father for them all.

Showing Gratitude - Day 10

2011-11-16T13:34:00.001-08:00

I'm thankful for this earth. It's such a beautiful place!

Did you know there are 7 New Wonders of Nature?

check it out: HERE

Just like my amazement with our bodies, I stand in awe with the beauty and majesty of our planet.

I pretty much love it here! haha!

Now, I know I'm not a complete greenie, and my carbon foot print is probably one to hide, but I do my best.

And although I probably wont be going on a crusade against straws anytime soon - you're awesome Milo! (Click here to read his story)

I do plan on really focusing on what I can do to show my appreciation and gratitude for our planet.

Showing Gratitude - Day 9

2011-11-14T01:00:00.000-08:00

I'm grateful for my health.

For my body.

For the ability I have to move freely.

Did you know November is National Diabetes Awareness Month?

Diabetes is a prevalent disease among the Polynesian people.

I think a lot of it has to do with our poor eating habits and lack of daily exercise.

Which is really sad because our bodies are such amazing creations!

We should do our best to keep them in the best shape we possibly can.

So today, to show my gratitude for my body, I will make a conscience effort to be healthier.

I live a generally healthy lifestyle, but there is always room for improvement.

Like my water intake could definitely use some attention.

Some other ideas:

try to get 8 hours of sleep tonight.

exercise for at least 30 minutes.

take a multi-vitamin.

choose brown rice instead of white.

eat my vegetables.

get a physical check up.

ask to be tested for diabetes.

there's so much we can do to show our bodies we love them and are grateful for them!

Showing Gratitude - Day 8

2011-11-13T23:32:00.001-08:00

I'm grateful for the principle of fast offerings. I'm grateful to have experienced the blessing of being a recipient of fast offering help through the bishop's storehouse.

A little bit about fast offerings:

In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, members are encouraged to fast whenever their faith needs special fortification and to fast regularly once each month on fast day. On that day, we go without eating or drinking for two consecutive meals, commune with our Heavenly Father, and contribute a fast offering to help the poor. The offering should be at least equal to the value of the food that would have been eaten. Typically, the first Sunday of each month is designated as fast Sunday. On that day, members who are physically able are encouraged to fast, pray, bear witness to the truthfulness of the gospel, and pay a generous fast offering. “The law of the fast,” taught Elder Milton R. Hunter, “is probably as old as the human family. … In ancient times, prophet-leaders repeatedly gave to church members the commandment to observe the law of fasting and praying.”

-Elder Wirthlin, From April 2001 General Conference

What a beautiful thing it is to raise our appreciation for those who are without and help to provide a means whereby to satisfy their daily requirements.

Showing Gratitude - Day 7

2011-11-13T23:17:00.001-08:00

I'm grateful for the elderly. They always have the most interesting stories to tell.

I think it must be very hard living in today's world as an elderly person.

The world has changed SO much SO fast!

How can we possibly expect them to keep up? I can barley keep up!

I have a few "older" friends whom I love spending time with.

On day 7 (which was yesterday), Misi and I visited his hanai grandma.

We restocked her groceries and talked story with her.

You know the thing about the elderly is that they grew up in a generation where hard work was the easy way out. Instead of "get rich quick" their mind-frame was "just get a job".

And it shows in their determination to remain independent.

I've learned, from spending time with the elderly, that what they really want, what makes them truly happy, is being able to share their life stories with others. How neat is it that all it takes to make someone happy is a listening ear?

So if you have grandparents near by, take some time to visit them and thank them for their sacrifices, their love, their lives.

Showing Gratitude - Day 6

2011-11-11T05:00:00.000-08:00

I'm extremely grateful for my home.

I love it so much.

I think decorating my house for thanksgiving will help me to remember the Thanksgiving Spirit.

And it will also help me to remember that my house is also a home, not just and office! haha!

Talk about needing to balance my life! LoL.

Showing Gratitude - Day 5

2011-11-10T17:32:00.001-08:00

I'm so grateful for food! If you haven't noticed by my posts, I'm a complete foodie. I can seriously eat anything, and have failed time and time again at dieting because of my love for food!

(well, it's kind of a love hate relationship...and always in that order).

But I digress.

I'm grateful for always having food in my home.

I know there are many, many people who don't always have that blessing.

My sister's have to be fed through a tube in their stomach, and I know that my Sister who grew up eating, has had a hard time with the transition to being tube fed, because she misses the taste of food.

So I'm grateful for the ability to taste and enjoy my food.

I'm grateful that I always had a great Thanksgiving Dinner.

And so to show my gratitude, I will be donating a turkey to a local cause, "Operation: Aloha".

They provide Thanksgiving Dinners for the homeless, as well as anyone who might be alone, such as the elderly.

Showing Gratitude - Day 4

2011-11-09T07:00:00.000-08:00

I'm thankful for the missionaries. I had the opportunity to be taught by two great missionaries, Sister Te'o and Sister Terry. They'll always be dear to my heart.

Having the missionaries so close to my home has been quite a blessing, and it's always so wonderful to have them over to share a message and their spirit.

I remember my aunty Marita, used to chase down the missionaries as they were proselyting, and give them whatever food she had prepared, or money to buy food if nothing was ready.

My ward is actually in charge of feeding the elders this week, which works out perfectly.

So I'll be feeding them tonight, and thanking them for their dedication and service :)

Showing Gratitude - Day 3

2011-11-08T06:00:00.000-08:00

Sometimes it's the simple things that have profound effects.

Like sincerely expressing thanks.

I'm always grateful when others are grateful for me and my efforts,

so today I will sincerely say "Thank You" as often as possible...

Like when my husband grabs me a cup of water,

or when my brother in law gives me a good laugh.

I think this will help me to see the many blessings I have in my daily life.

And what might help is saying "Thank you for...."

That way I take accountability for my Thank You's! haha!

Showing Gratitude - Day 2

2011-11-07T22:57:00.000-08:00

I'm so grateful for my freedom, which I know comes with a cost.

I decided to express my gratitude by writing letters to soldiers through the organization

"Operation Gratitude"

They also offer the opportunity to write letters to Veterans,

which coincides perfect with this Friday being Veterans Day.

Information about writing letters can be found here: CLICK HERE

Many of us know of servicemen and women who sacrifice their lives to ensure our freedoms.

If you do, I suggest you also write them a letter expressing your gratitude for what they do.

Showing Gratitude - Day 1

2011-11-06T21:45:00.000-08:00

Over the past few years I've enjoyed reading other bloggers post about what they are thankful for on a daily basis in the month of November. It's always a sweet thing to remind myself of all the blessings I have in my life, and all that I have to be grateful for.

I wanted to join in and express my daily thanks, but then I had this idea come to mind, and I just had to do it...I call it showing gratitude.

Every day I will try to show what I am thankful for by doing something for myself, or for others. If you'd like to do the same, I'd love to hear about it! I know I'm starting this a little late, but better late than never right? So here it goes...

Showing Gratitude - Day 1
I'm thankful for my religion.

Whether it's written or said, I think sharing your beliefs is a great way to show your gratitude for your religion.

I plan on writing my testimony out and emailing it to my future kids' email account that I made (weird, I know).

You could do the same, or you could bear it in sacrament meeting, or after a lesson, or at family home evening or even in a blog post. The possibilities are endless.

Popcorn

2011-11-05T19:06:00.000-07:00

I don't know how the combination of movies and popcorn started, but I feel like a movie just isn't complete without the Styrofoam crunch of salted, buttery popcorn. Don't you agree?
Well, something unique about Hawaii (unique as in I've never been able to do this in Utah), is that you get a cardboard box with your popcorn purchase.

Why? So you can share that Super Large bag of popcorn and it's refill, with all of your friends! Don't you just hate passing the popcorn down the line, and waiting for it to return? Me too!

I forgot Utah doesn't offer this uber-convenient box for your movie watching pleasure, and got some really weird looks when I asked "can I have a box please?" hahaha! good times!

So if you ever get the opportunity to watch a movie in Hawaii, don't forget to ask for your box! (no one will look at you weird, promise:)

Halloween

2011-11-03T17:16:00.000-07:00

I grew up in a place where you go knocking on doors for Halloween treats. Here in Hawaii nei, because of the way the homes are set up, front doors are pretty hard things to get to. The community wide solution to this: lawn chairs on your driveway! So we posted up our lawn chair with everyone else, at the end of our drive way, bucket of candy in hand, and enjoyed passing out candy to the little AND big kids alike. I think I actually prefer it this way. It's less of a hassle (you know, with the whole getting up to open the door every other minute) - that's fat, I know. Also, there's just more of a community feel when you're out in the mix.

Anywho, My brother in law and his friends turned my father in law's truck in to a pirate ship and drove it around Kahuku and Laie for Halloween night. It was actually really cool! haha!

wedding, family, food, and all that jazz

2011-10-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

We spent eight wonderful days in Utah. So much happened that I couldn't possibly recount it all. But in a nutshell:

We were able to meet some family members from Australia, who were finishing up their vacation when we arrived. I got some Australian money from them to add to my collection of currency! yay!

I helped to throw a Halloween themed bridal shower for my sister-in-law, Lote. Yup, that's right, I said Halloween Bridal Shower! haha! it was WAY too fun!!

There was a dance the day before the wedding, where we got our boogy on. I loved seeing old faces, and reuniting with family and friends. It was a neat thing to see the connection between the two families (Afu and Livai). It wasn't awkward or forced. There was a natural bond felt from both sides, which made the whole wedding experience that much more memorable.

The day of the wedding was absolute beauty. We're sad to lose Lote, but happy to gain Mone (her hubby). It was my first traditional Tongan wedding, and it was so interesting learning more about my husband's culture. Misi and I are of course much more Americanized, but being able to participate in an event that has so much meaning and symbolism behind it, was a neat experience, one which we will treasure forever.

In between all the festivities was a lot of eating, laughing and prepping for the wedding. You know I have to share the places we ate!
-Tucanos: Brazilian cuisine. LOVED!
-Crazy Buffet: International cuisine. YUM!
-Kneaders: Bakery & Cafe. FULLY ENJOYED!
-Sweet Tooth Fairy: Gourmet Bake Shop. SWEET!
-Red Robin: Gourmet Burgers. AWESOME!
-Rancherito's: Mexican. ADDICTING!

So as you can see, it was a fun filled week. We didn't want to leave! But I'll tell you what, we KNOCKED out when we got home! SO tired!! haha!

A $3,000.00 Typo

2011-10-14T11:13:00.000-07:00

We got a letter from our mortgage company that starting November 1st, our monthly payments would jump up about $500.00 more than what we've been paying. Our first reaction was to scream and pull our hair out. But after looking over the paper and reading the entire document, we learned that it was because our home owners insurance had gone up, so obviously, the monthly payments would follow. So now that we weren't peeing our pants, we looked at the numbers and they just didn't make sense. Our home owners insurance was $290.00 last year, and now we're being told it's going to be $3,290.00!? why didn't we hear about this from our insurance company? strange. So we called our insurance agent. We told her the new figures and she about dropped the phone! (a good sign). She double checked and assured us that it's still the original $290.00 annual premium (which makes sense because at $3,290.00 a year we'd pay more than the value of the insurance in like 6 years!). So we called up the mortgage company with our insurance agent on the line, and come to find out, the extra 3 in front of the 290 was a typo! a typo!? Moral of the story? pulling your hair out does nothing but make you bald.

Yay for Saving Money!

2011-10-12T16:36:00.000-07:00

We're going to Utah for my sister-in-law's wedding.
As we've been planning the trip, I must say, it's been one savings after another.
We were able to book two round trip tickets on the direct flight to Salt Lake, using our Delta Sky Miles.
We almost had enough miles to get the tickets for FREE! but we had to purchase a few more miles to take advantage of our accumulated miles. Which is awesome! so for two round trip tickets direct from Honolulu to Salt Lake, on the dates we wanted, we payed $400! that's a savings of over $1,800.00!!

AND, as a bonus, we get one free luggage each! That's $50 bucks we just saved!

Next, we needed a car. Well, our bank offers this rewards program through our debit cards. We had earned enough points to rent a 5 passenger car for our entire 9 day stay in Utah.....for FREE! we just had to pay for the taxes and surcharges, which came out to about $100.00 total. A savings of $150.00!

Last, but not least, we needed a hotel. No points or miles for this one, but hotwire.com was able to find us a hotel for $38/night, in Salt Lake City. Which is a sweet deal! I don't know how much we saved on this one.

So for the flight, luggage, and car, we saved $2,000.00!!! Can you just feel my excitement? You know what that means?....More spending money!! haha!

Needless to say, I'm happy with all the savings :)

Ding Dong Cup Cakes

2011-10-09T20:50:00.000-07:00

Wanna know a secret? I make cupcakes for the young men every fast Sunday. Horrible, I know, but they just get so happy when they drop off the envelopes and are able to get a little treat. I love that they can be so happy from something so small. But don't worry, I always, offer a little plastic cup to package up their cupcake for after they break their fast :) haha! so bad! Anyway, it gives me an opportunity to try different cupcakes. This month I went with ding dongs. I've been meaning to try them for a while since they seemed really simple to make. And guess what? they are!

Just take any chocolate cake mix, boxed or from scratch, and make regular cupcakes.

While they cool, mix together one jar of Marshmallow fluff and a stick of butter until well blended.

Refrigerate the marshmallow mixture for about a half an hour.

When the cupcakes are cooled, cut out a hole from the center

Fill with the marshmallow mixture

Replace the cap

Then frost. I melted my store bought frosting to a liquid consistency

and drizzled each cupcake with the chocolate frosting until completely covered.

Then add a few swirls using regular white frosting,

which I didn't have, so I used butter cream, which is more yellow,

but eh, same difference.

And tada! you're very own ding dong cupcakes. How fun!

Our first Elder

2011-10-09T20:32:00.000-07:00

Remember how I told you that we rent the front unit out to the Elders? well, our first elder to move in, is now gone. He transferred to the Big Island for his last six weeks, then he'll be heading back home as an honorable returned missionary. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to live *SO CLOSE* to these stripping warriors. They truly have been a blessing in our lives. Great job Elder Peterson. Come visit soon!

Sorry it's blurry, I'm hoping to get a better one soon.

Elder Peterson: From Utah. Plays the piano. Enjoys chocolate chip cookie dough cream cheese bars.

Boston Style Pizza

2011-10-08T14:07:00.000-07:00

We got to try another place on "The List"
The place is called Boston Style Pizza
It was recommended to us by our friends who own the Fiji Market in Kahuku.
Like any sensible American, I love me some pizza! especially meaty pizzas!
So obviously, we went with the "Big Papi", which is covered in a very generousness amount of pepperoni, Italian sausage, ham, bacon, and get this, Portuguese sausage! isn't your stomach just grumbling in desire?

How bout now? haha!

We really. really. love. this pizza joint!
We went to the Kaneohe location, which is owned by a really cute couple.
They're super young (she's 24, he's 26) and so full of love and energy.
The place is hidden away between our two frequent stops (Zippy's and Windward Mall), making it super convenient to get great pizza any time.
Speaking of which, let's talk about the goods!
The portions are HUGE! You can get the entire 19'' pizza (called pie) or you can get a slice (1/4 of the 19" pie)

We got two slices (half the pizza!)

They have the pizzas already made, and they just warm them up in their commercial baking oven when you order it. But the really cool part is that if you want a pizza that isn't already made, they'll make it for you! within 10 minutes you'll have a made from scratch pizza! They make their own pizza dough, which they age for three days, and they do the whole toss-in-the-air thing right in front of you - cool factor just went way up! haha!

The dough is perfect (not too thick, not too thin). The sauce is perfect (not too tangy, not too much). The toppings are perfect (fresh). The pizza is perfect! (has that homemade taste that we love).

So if you're ever in Hawaii and want something a little more familiar, but still want to keep with the Hawaii experience, Boston Style Pizza is totally the way to go :)

I'm a big kid now

2011-10-04T17:48:00.000-07:00

When did I grow up?
Where did all these bills come from?
Why don't I hang out with friends till the wee hours of the night any more?
How did I become so concerned about health, safety, and success?
Since when am I considered "a responsible adult?"
Where did the time go?

Blessed

2011-10-03T19:06:00.000-07:00

I live about 2 minutes away from Castle Beach. I go there EVERY DAY to run. It's so refreshing, relaxing, beautiful, and inspiring to run on the beach. Oh, and it's HANG! especially with winter season coming (aka surf season). The tide was so high this morning I was pretty much running in the water the entire time. It's quite a work out. Sometimes, after I die ugly from running, I like to sit and soak in the scenery. I feel so blessed to live in paradise. To have tropical weather year round. To start my day with sand and surf. I snapped some pictures after my run the other day. Thought I'd post them just to make you jealous :) enjoy.

Misi's Birthday

2011-09-29T17:05:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Misi's Birthday. We started the day with breakfast at the beach. Then stayed home and worked. It was a pretty busy day, but nothing too stressful.

I got him an iPad 2 for his birthday, which he LOVES! he takes it with him everywhere! haha! I actually got it for free (see bottom of post)

So after work we went to Best Buy so he could get a case for his new toy :) I knew he would be excited to pick out his own case and stuff, so I didn't get one for him. After shopping, we went to dinner, compliments of my mom and dad (thank you!). They bought Misi a gift certificate to this unbelievably amazing steak house, called d.k Steak House, in Waikiki.

Now, Misi and I have had our fair share of steaks from various places, but I must say, these were THE BEST steaks we've ever had!

Let's start from the very beginning....(I totally just sang that Sound of Music style!) First, we had appetizers.
We went with the Crispy Chicken Wings and Blue Crab Dip. The chicken wings are perfectly fried, without the greasiness or over batterness (not a word) of most fried chicken. Oh but the crab dip was superb! it had a great crab taste that was prominent but not overbearing. I could have eaten it the whole night and been completely satisfied :)

Choosing our Entrees was difficult because everything looked so great. We were going to go with the "Dry-Aged" beef, but our server said it has more of a nutty taste, whereas the "Classically" aged beef has more of a beefy flavor. Well, I couldn't really imagine biting in to my steak and tasting nuts, so we went with Classic.
As usual, Misi got the 22oz. Bone-In-Rib-Eye and I got the 10oz Filet Mignon. Misi's steak was huge! and perfectly marbled. My Filet Mignon was so tender I swear it melted in my mouth. Both steaks were cooked to perfection. You can tell by the picture that Misi's such a local. He eats his steaks with rice! haha! I always tease him about it. As a Utahn, I prefer my potatoes. And fries are Misi's second favorite carb. Hence the pile of french fries (which actually, are really really good!).

Dessert was lovely. We got the Choco-Chip Bread Pudding. Misi kept saying "this is the best bread pudding!" In between each bite. I completely agree. He was also given a complimentary Panna Cotta for his birthday, which I devoured :) The lime flavor was a little too strong for me, but it was still yummy.

And that was dinner! The steak house is at the Marriot Hotel, on the roof. On our way to the elevators we stretched out on a sun chair next to the pool while this awesome musician named Don, serenaded everyone. It was so relaxing!

So that was Misi's sweet 16! He said he really enjoyed himself, and that makes me happy :)

PS. I got his iPad for free from your-gift-zone.com. It takes quite a bit of work and extreme organization, but it worked! well, actually, they said they ran out of ipads, so they sent me a check for the amount of an ipad instead (even better!). I only recommend this to those who are disciplined and organized enough to keep track of what you sign up for so you can cancel in the allotted amount of time.

No Sidewalks.

2011-09-08T22:42:00.000-07:00

Something that took me a few years to actually notice, is that the North Shore doesn't have too many side walks. Pretty much all of Kahuku doesn't have any. Only a few streets in Laie have some and I have yet to see one in Sunset.

How did I come to discover this amazing phenomenon of No sidewalks? well, I was having a pretty tough day, and as I was driving home, I had to constantly dodge people -both kids and adults alike- who were walking on the street. In Frustration I thought to myself "geeze people, must you walk ON THE STREET!?" and then it hit me...OMG! where else are they going to walk? THERE ARE NO SIDEWALKS!

What makes it worse is that everyone parks on the street too, forcing people to practically walk down the middle of the road.

So now I don't get upset or confused when I see an army of walkers heading straight towards me as I drive. I actually chuckle and think "it's good to be home" :)

Here's a google earth snap shot of Huehu Street in Kahuku. In the evening, when everyone is home, there are WAY more cars lined up and down the streets. But notice there are NO SIDEWALKS! hahaha!

Tailbone

2011-09-08T22:27:00.000-07:00

Most people in Hawaii buy floaty devices for ocean time fun. Me? I got one for my tailbone. I don't know what I did, but my tailbone has been really hurting for the past few weeks. I didn't fall or hit it on anything. I haven't changed the amount of time I spend sitting. And I don't ride a bike. So who knows why or how I came to have such a small bone in my body cause so much pain and discomfort.

I finally went to the doctors, just to make sure I wasn't growing a tail or anything. The verdict? a super-de-duper inflamed tailbone for no apparent reason, except it got bored and wants attention. The prescription: sit on a floaty! I have to take naproxen twice a day, apply a heat pad every morning and a pack of ice every night, and always use a floaty device (or donut) when sitting - for one week. If the pain is still there after a week, then maybe I am turning in to a mutant and will therefore need an x-ray, and rabies shots

Well since I must provide floaty support for my assets, I might as well get a cute one. So there you go!

In-Laws

2011-09-05T16:56:00.000-07:00

Lote. Vita. Lasi

My younger sibling-in-laws are some of the funniest people you'll ever meet! Every time I'm with them I end up crying from laughing so hard.

Anywho, when Misi and I came home from our anniversary getaway, I noticed my frying pan hanging on my coat rack. Taped to the pan was a note that basically said we were now on a scavenger hunt. Each clue would lead to the next, eventually ending at the "treasure".

The clues were funny memories of Misi that his brothers and sister remember from their younger years (they were really funny memories! most of which Misi denied! LoL!)

The scavenger hunt ended with a slide show, which made me laugh so hard my stomach cramped! literally! hahaha! there are a lot of inside jokes, so you probably wont laugh as much as I did. But I still wanted to share the goodness :) enjoy.

4 Year Anniversary

2011-09-02T01:57:00.000-07:00

For the past four years Misi and I have been working side by side. Our business allows us to pretty much be together 24/7. We've only spent ONE night apart in the past four years! (it was the night I had to stay at young women's camp because I was the camp director). Other than that, it's been the two of us all day every day.

You'd think that with all the time we spend together, celebrating wouldn't really be that big of a deal-au contraire! as cliche as it sounds, I truly can't get enough of this man! Because we spend alot of our time as business partners, it's a treat to get a way from "work mode" and be husband and wife (the effects of being work-a-holics). So you can imagine my complete and utter excitement when Misi surprised me with an anniversary getaway to Turtle Bay! He really got me on this one (the sly bugger!)

He booked the hotel, took care of my entire to-do list for the next couple of days and told everyone at work to leave us alone! haha! It was just us and the beach for the next day and a half. Beautiful!

We checked in to our corner SUITE at 11:00 am on Tuesday morning. The view from our room was amazing! The picture doesn't do it justice.

And look, we even got complimentary chocolate covered strawberries and champagne! (we obviously gave the champagne back! haha!)

We started the getaway with...exercise! what? I like working out! we hit the gym for an hour and got a good work out. Then of course it was off to LeiLei's for lunch.

Their bacon cheese burger is AWESOME!

Sorry, I took the picture AFTER I flattened the bun.

Misi booked a DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE for me. So after a little nap, I got to get pampered at The Spa Luana. It was my first massage, and I L.O.V.E.D. it! omg, I think I'm addicted! ok, I KNOW I'm addicted!

Check out my awesome robe!

Misi's not the massaging type, so he just chilled while I got pampered.

What a good sport!

Dinner reservations were set for 7pm, so after the massage, we watched the sunset on the beach, then made our way to Ola's for dinner.

The atmosphere at Ola's is serene. We sat at a table set on the beach, and dug our toes in the sand while enjoying great island flavors. They gave us free dessert in celebration of our anniversary-how nice of them! Dinner was followed by a late night walk on the beach. Then we stretched out on the cool sand just talking, laughing and enjoying one another's company, all to the sounds of crashing waves, lit by moonlight. Romantic enough?

Dinner At Ola's

The next day, we slept in, and enjoyed every minute of it! I really wanted Portuguese Sausage for breakfast, so we went to Hukilau Cafe for breakfast, then we went back to the hotel and slept-fat, but who cares? After a great nap, we walked around the hotel, played with the crabs, watched the surf swell, and enjoyed the art of nothingness.

I HAD to have another chocolate filled chocolate chip cookie a la mode (you work up an appetite just saying it!) So we had a late lunch/early dinner at Olas' before checking out

Ola Slider Combo with Garlic Fries (the garlic fries are MEAN!!)

say hello to my new weakness...chocolate filled cookie for short.

It was such a wonderful anniversary! But even more than that, it's been an amazing four years. I'm so blessed to be married to my best friend and better half. He's the pani to my popo! I look forward to what the future has in store for us, and I'm confident that whatever lies ahead, I can come out conqueror with Misi by my side. How's that for hopeless romantic? :)

Apps

2011-08-24T21:52:00.000-07:00

Ever since the iphone came out, I've had one.
And I've had every version.
I.love.my.iphone.
But more particularly, I love the apps!
I'm kind of an app junkie.
But I'm an organized junkie, so it's all good.

See, I'd be financially lost without "balance"
It helps me keep all my bank accounts and credit card accounts, balanced and in order. It's free, which I appreciate, and although it isn't as fancy as some of the other apps, it's easy to use. And did I mention it's free?

I also enjoy "Pageonce", which alerts me when new bills are due-how convenient, right?

After I pay my bills, I like to weigh myself. Not really. But I love this app: "Lose It!"

It helps me keep track of my calories, fat grams, carbs, protein, and any other nutrients I want to track. I've tried alot of calorie counters, and there are some really great ones out there, but this one's my favorite. Partly because it's free, but also because it tracks weight, goals and exercise. It's a one stop shop.

What it doesn't do though, is track my running. So "iMapMyRUN" does that for me.

I love it because it tracks my miles and pace through GPS and then saves my stats and trails online. Oh, and yes, it's free!

I could go on forever, but I wont. I will say though, that I've got over 100 apps, that I love and use! from Pinterest to Tip Calculators, I've got 'em all!

What about you? Do you have any favorite apps? I'd love to know about them!

Ready

2011-08-15T20:06:00.000-07:00

Misi and I dated for two years before getting engaged.

We were engaged for almost half a year.

We've been married for four years, with no kids.

Needless to say, we like to take things slow.

There are many reasons why we decided to delay starting a family, and we're happy we did.

But we're ready for the next chapter in our lives.

We're ready for the blessing of children.

My last depo shot was due July 24th.

We chose to not get it.

The doctor said it will more than likely take at least a year for my body to return to "normal" and so we shouldn't expect anything to happen any sooner.

We're not in a rush, so it's fine.

But we are excited.

I'll miss not having to go through periods, mood swings, break outs, cramps, and bloating though! oh the sacrifices! hahaha!

Parking in Hawaii

2011-08-15T19:53:00.000-07:00

Here's something you may not know about paradise.

We park on the street.

Yup, that's right, we turn a two lane road in to one.

Talk about strength in numbers.

It becomes really difficult in the evenings when everyone is home from work.

The already narrow street in the neighborhood, becomes almost impossible for two way traffic.

Just one of the many oddities of Hawaii nei :)

YW Movie Night: Integrity

2011-08-03T16:16:00.000-07:00

For Integrity, I based the activity off of value #1.

I decided to have a movie night. But not just any movie night, oh no,

we had a Mormon Messages Movie Night. Now that's what I'm talkin' about!

Anywho,

Here's the invite: (Printed on to purple paper - purple being the color for Integrity)

At the activity, each yw got a handout with the scripture that they're supposed to read as part of the value experience, printed in purple. On the other side of the handout was a little worksheet from Young Women Fun-tastic Personal Progress Motivators .

We read the scripture as a group and talked about what it means to them to "deny themselves of all ungodliness" then they wrote what they thought on to the worksheet.

They're supposed to read the pamphlet "For the Strength of Youth" so I told them to do that on their own time at home. But I gave them a little handout that listed all of the standards found in the pamphlet.

Then I explained to them that they would be watching a short video for each of the 17 standards. As they watched the videos, they were to keep in mind how the Lord's standards differ from the Worlds standards, and write their thoughts on to their worksheet.

Of course they had movie themed refreshments to enjoy during the videos.

Afterwards, I challenged them to complete the value experience by keeping their standards for at least one month. Then I gave them each a little box of goodies to help them remember what those standards are.

each standard had a quote taken from the For the Strength of Youth pamphlet, with a little treat

I got alot of the templates for the decor and handouts from here

The popcorn label is from here

The modest girls rock art is from here

And here's the outline I made.

It includes the standard from the FTSOY, the name of the video I used, it's web address, the total running time and the corresponding treat for each standard.

integrity movie night outline

Total show time was 21 minutes.

If you would like any of the handouts, outlines, etc, let me know.

I just won't be able to give you copies of anything that was purchased, because obviously, that's not fair to the people who are selling the templates. sorry bout it.

update

2011-07-28T13:05:00.000-07:00

it's been busy. it's always busy. that's just my excuse for not taking the time to blog.

i should warn you, this post, like all my other posts, will be completely and utterly random.

i've got to get everything out of my brain and i've only got 2.26 minutes to do it. so here we go.

misi's phone broke. it got water damaged from his sweat (running five miles can do that).

my brother in law Lasi said to put it in rice. so we did. and it worked! crazy right?! i'm now a believer.

i was asked by misi's cousin, Losa Fakaosi, to be her escort through the temple as she went in for her endowments. it was my first time as an escort, and was such an awesome experience. i love the temple.

i started a pretty intense weight lifting program and i'm fully loving it! it's hard, and i leave the gym drenched in sweat, stinky, and out of breath, but feeling great. i've increased my strength dramatically in just three weeks. i'm thinking of competing in a body building competition. haha! got ya! just seeing if you're paying attention.

my sister-in-law got engaged and is getting married in october, so we'll be in utah for her wedding soon. excited for that.

misi started taking piano lessons from a lady in our ward. he's already great at playing by ear, but he wants to learn how to read music, so he signed up for classes. she comes over once a week for an hour and works with him, then he practices throughout the week. he's enjoying it.

we switched over to verizon because we had absolutely NO reception at our house with at&t. We had to switch over to the iphone4 when we moved to verizon. at first i was hesitant, because i loved my iphone 3gs so much. but after playing with the new phone, i really like the iphone 4. really like it. ok, i love it!

we moved misi's office in to my office because i missed him. so sappy, i know. but what's the point of working together when you're in separate offices all day? we turned his office in to our arts and crafts/studio and music room. it's much better.

and there you go. with 30 seconds to spare! :)

El Mariachi

2011-07-17T15:33:00.001-07:00

We drove all the way to town for date night, without any plans in mind.

We weren't craving anything, but we hungry.

Usually, my hunger is accompanied by a long list of what I would love to indulge my appetite in.

But sometimes, just sometimes, everything and nothing sounds great.

It makes decision making kinda tough.

But I digress.

My point is this: when you don't know what you want to eat, try something new!

I pulled out my phone, tapped on my notes app, and skimmed through "The List"

and whatdaya know, we were right by El Mariachi.

You have to be looking for this place or you'll totally miss it.

It's hidden behind a gas station, and the sign is kinda small.

The parking is even smaller.

But on to the important stuff.

You get a complimentary basket of chips and salsa

The salsa is superb! the perfect amount of spicy

Stan S. from Yelp, says that they charge you for a second basket of chips, which I did not know (we only had the one) - good lookin out Stan.

Ok, so I ordered the steak chimichanga.

The steak in the chimichanga is sooo good!

seasoned to perfection.

And the tortilla isn't all greasy and oily, which is a big plus.

I could go with some extra cheese next time though

(I LOVE cheese!)

I forgot what Misi ordered, but this was his plate.

There were warm tortillas wrapped in the foil.

He love love loved his plate! and he kept saying it too.

Again, the steak is awesome.

Oh and he fully enjoyed the re-fried beans.

They reminded him of Honduras :)

The portions aren't crazy huge, but they aren't wimpy either.

I'd say they're the perfect size.

Our meal came out to about $38.

And don't make the mistake I did.

I got a side order of guacamole and sour cream.

Wrong Move. each one is $4!

That's just a little too much for my liking.

Other than that, everything else was awesome.

The Mariachi music playing over the speakers,

the authentic Spanish accents,

and of course, the great food.

We're already planning to go back this Friday and try some other items on their menu.

FHE with The Club

2011-07-14T14:01:00.000-07:00

In case you missed it, "THE CLUB" is a group of couples who don't have kids. The ages range from twenties to sixties. Some have never had a child, others have raised a farm of children who are now raising their own families. They come from all over the North Shore. From Laie to Sunset. We meet once a month for Family Home Evening, and it's always a great time.

This month was at The Vaioleti home (they actually started these No Kids FHE's). Since it's July, the theme was Independence Day.

Upon arriving, everyone got a star taped to their back with the name of a famous person. You had to figure out "who you were" by asking yes or no questions. Misi was Michael Jackson. He figured it out when he asked "am I white?" and I went "uhhhhhh...." great one! hahaha! I was Walt Disney. It took me exactly 8 questions to figure it out :)

When you think of Independence day, you think of BBQ. So Dinner was obviously that. Oh and we all got these cute buttons. awww.

We played a 4th of July themed Monopoly game. We were split in to three teams according to the color of our star. I was on the red team, Misi was on the Blue team. Each team had a team leader. The team leaders had to jump up and down and make a lot of noise if they knew the answer. They had a practice run.

It was so much fun and way too funny! especially with Misi who's such a comedian.

I pretty much knew all of the answers. Like,

Who said "give me freedom of give me death"?

duh, Mel Gibson.

I was the only one who knew that this is The All Seeing Eye.

And of course the war between Great Britain and France in the North America was

The Patriot War.

Ok, so my history skills need a little brushing up. Anywho, despite all my knowledgeable knowledge, Misi's team won. And of course he took the time to recount the money a couple of times.

But it was a lot of fun, and I always look forward to the next month's FHE.

And by the way, the iphone 4's camera is WAY better than the iphone 3GS. WAY better.

Good Works - File Folder Games

2011-07-11T20:23:00.000-07:00

For Good Works (value of the month in Young Womens) I visited the LDS Philanthropies Website Click Here and saw that file folders were in high need and got excited because I knew our young women could totally make some awesome file folder games.

The LDS church includes these file folder games in their toy modules that they send to orphanages around the world. I have a friend who would visit the orphanages and other places that these donations go to and she shared with me that sometimes these file folders are the ONLY games that some kids will ever have their entire lives and they treasure them. And that some of the schools will use them for many years as their only form of education. Doesn't that break your heart? and here I am complaining that my iphone is too slow! slap me already.

File Folder Games are just that: games in manila file folders. They teach basic skills such as math, matching, counting, etc.

The pieces are kept in an envelope that's laminated to the back of the folder.

And each piece has Velcro on the back so they stick to the folder

The girls had a lot of fun coloring and creating the games. The line I heard the most: "I haven't colored since I was 5!" haha! We were able to make a variety of games all of which I got from different websites for free (just search file folder games and a ton of links will come up).

Here was the invitation

And the refreshments? Nothing fancy. I tried to keep everything as yellow as I could, since that's the color for Good Works. We had chicken sandwiches, potato chips, mini graham cracker pudding pies, vanilla Oreos, Mr. Goodbars, and hawaiian sun juice.

Pumpkin Roll

2011-07-07T07:00:00.000-07:00

This is my husband's second favorite dessert.

And my mom always requests it when we get together.

As for me. I.Love.Pumpkin!

Ingredients:

For the Roll

3 eggs

2/3 cup pumpkin

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cinnamon

For the Filling

8 oz cream cheese softened

1 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 375.

Mix eggs, pumpkin and sugar.

Then add and mix in the flour, baking soda and cinnamon.

Lay out wax paper on your pan so that the edges hang over about half the width of the pan on both ends.

Then pour mixture on top and spread evenly.

Bake 15 minutes.

While roll is baking, mix all ingredients together for the filling and set aside.

Transport baked roll to a towel (while still on wax paper).

Fold both ends of the extra wax paper to cover the top of the roll.

Starting at one end, roll the cake in to a log.

After the roll cools completely, unroll and spread the filling evenly on top then re-roll in to a log, slowly peeling off the wax paper.

Re-roll in to a log. Slice off the edges (and eat them of course).

Then smile as everyone says "Oh my freakin gosh you're amazing!"

*PS. I was in a rush to get the roll out that I forgot to take a picture,

so this is a picture of another pumpkin roll I made afterwards**

4th of July

2011-07-06T20:25:00.000-07:00

I love the 4th of July. It's my FAVORITE holiday.

But Hawaii has this new (stupid) law that bans the use of fireworks. You have to buy a $25 permit in order to pop any type of firecrackers, including sparklers. Dumb, right?

Because of that, this was THE QUIETEST 4th of July in my LIFE!!!

What happened to John Adam's quote regarding Independence day, where he said "it ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward for evermore."????

Well, because of the new law, there were barely any fireworks for sale. Only the junk kinds like smoke bombs and snakes. Boring. I wasn't about to buy a permit for sparkler!

So I'm going to go on a firecracker hunt next year!

Anywho, about this year. We don't eat much, so we didn't want to wait for the grill to get all set and ready just to roast a couple hot dogs. So we bought BBQ plates from Papa Ole's instead. cheating? no. improvising? yes. I was hoping that others in the neighborhood had better luck finding fireworks, but nope. So we roasted marshmallows and watched the Turtle Bay firework show from our front yard. Which was actually more of a light show because we're just a little too far behind the mountain to see the fireworks. But watching the sky change different colors was cool :)

How do you roast marshallows in Hawaii? with Palm Leaves of course!

Smores with Recess Peanut Butter Bars = THE BEST SMORES EVERRRRR!

I absolutely positively with out a doubt love

burnt marshmallows!

After all was said and done, or I guess not done? it was a great Independence day.

Recordable Book

2011-07-06T19:45:00.000-07:00

I'm sure you've seen the commercials for the Hallmark Recordable Storybooks Click Here.

I got this one for my sister.

I had everyone here in Hawaii record a page for her

so that she'd always have her family in Hawaii, even when she's in Utah.

She loves it!

I totally recommend this as a gift.

It's just as much fun to record it as it is to listen to it.

They also have interactive and conversation books.

So clever.

Ono Cheese Steak

2011-07-06T18:53:00.000-07:00

Another one to cross off the list. Ono Cheese Steak Click Here

We were cruising Windward Mall, which always makes me hungry, so we decided to eat, since that's what you do when you're hungry.

I'm typically not a picky eater. I could totally do Andrew Zimmern's job.

But there are those times when NOTHING sounds, looks, or smells good.

Especially at a Food court.

There's something about the scented mixture of oily chinese food, greasy pizza, and shoyu that make me want to vomit. sometimes.

Well, this was one of those days. Everything I smelled made me more disgusted with food. EXCEPT Ono Cheese Steak. Weird right? Well, since it was the only thing that didn't make me want to stab my eye, I thought I'd give it a try. that rhymed!

They have A LOT of locations. 58 on Oahu to be exact.

I ordered a small Ono Cheese Steak with everything on it and curly fries

It was really good for food court food! I mean, maybe a 5 out of 10 on the taste scale, when compared to Dave & Busters cheese steak. But taking in to account the convenience factor of being at the Mall, boosts it up to 7. Possibly 8.

So I actually look forward to trying their other cheese steaks the next time I'm in Kaneohe.

Canvas Vinyl Art

2011-07-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

I hate weeds. But for some odd reason I love dandelions (the wishing kind of course).

My office needed a new piece of flowery art.

I looked everywhere for a dandelion painting. nothing.

So I just made my own.

It was fast, easy and cheap!

All it took was a blank canvas, a little spray paint, and some dandelion vinyl cut-outs.

Just spray paint the canvas. Let it dry. And apply the vinyl.

Easy as pie!

(which doesn't make sense because pie is pretty difficult to make)

Now I'm thinking vinyl temple, vinyl lettering, vinyl birds....

Oh the possibilities are endless!

Fry Pie

2011-07-01T10:00:00.000-07:00

I'm kind of a layered food addict.

I love the flavors, colors and surprises of layered food/desserts.

So of course casseroles are gem.

I came across this casserole four years ago in a kraft foods magazine.

Misi named it FRY PIE because he calls tater-tots fries and it's made in what he calls a pie pan. go figure. but the name stuck.

It's a really simple recipe, which is perfect for my crazy schedule.

I usually alter the recipe a bit to make it a little healthier.

Ingredients:

1 lbs ground beef (I use the leanest I can find)

1/2 large onion chopped (I use frozen chopped onion-so much faster!)

1 large can of cream of mushroom (I use 98% fat free cream of mushroom)

1/2 cup milk (I use skim)

1 can corn (or mixed veggies, whatever you prefer...Misi only likes corn)

1 bag shredded cheese (I use low fat shredded cheese)

1 bag tater-tots (I guess you could just shred potatoes as a healthier version, but we're going for easy here)

Directions:

Pre-heat your oven to 375

brown the ground beef and chopped onion, then drain the fat.

spread on to the bottom of your pan

heat up the cream of mushroom and milk until warm, then pour over the beef.

cover with corn.

then drown in cheese.

top with tots (place them evenly so they bake evenly...and so it looks cuter)

bake for 30 minutes.

let cool before eating

Apartment

2011-06-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned it a time or two, in previous posts, but in case you missed it, we turned our car port in to a one bedroom apartment, which we're renting out to the missionaries (elders), which is awesome, and this is the longest sentence ever!

Once upon a time we had a car port. And a brick wall. And two palm trees (but only took pictures of one).

Then one day the bulldozers came and destroyed everything. even the grass.

But alas, the strongest warrior in all the land came to the rescue.

He told the elves and goblins to stop gawking and get to work.

So they built an apartment.

With a bedroom.

A bathroom.

A living room.

And even a Kitchen, Oh my!

But that's not all folks. In order to win over the jeanius princess, the mighty warrior had to do something MORE. So he built her a parking lot for her awesome car!

And that's what happened. give or take. The End.

Fruit Popsicle!

2011-06-29T10:00:00.000-07:00

I saw these Popsicle molds at Wal-Mart and got all giddy inside. So I had to buy them.

When I was a young'n I used to fill Styrofoam cups up with kool-aide and freeze them.

Then I'd tear off the styrofoam little by little as I ate away at the frozen sugary water.

Well, times have changed and I can't just walk around sucking on sugar anymore, so my solution: FRUIT! (which still has sugar, but we'll call it "good sugar").

I had fun mixing up different flavors. I came up with a multi-layered popsicle.

Layer one: creamy papaya (papaya and milk)

Layer two: pina-colada (pineapples and coconut water)

Layer three: strawberry banana (bananas and strawberry yogurt)

Just blend the fruit with the liquid (in a blender). Pour into mold. Freeze. and Remissness of care free days. While wearing super bright nail polish of course.

ps. run the popsicle mold under hot water to easily remove it from the mold itself.

The Leota's Visit Hawaii - 2011 edition

2011-06-28T17:30:00.000-07:00

My family visits us in Hawaii every year.

This was their first time visiting us in our new home.

They stayed in our carport-turned-apartment.

It was a GREAT trip if you ask me :)

We had a graduation party for my sister

A birthday party for my mom

A father's day BBQ for the dads

(and I didn't get a picture,

but our aunty Vanessa, uncle Ron and their kids

visited us from India and celebrated fathers day with us)

We finger painted

Made hats

and Tie-Dyed shirts.

Some other fun stuff that wasn't photographed: Me, Misi and my mom took the girls for a walk around Kahuku. My parents went bike riding on our cruisers. We got some ONO fish from town, ate LOTS of bbq short ribs and chillaxed outside in the perfect Hawaii weather.

Three weeks flew by so fast! But I think they enjoyed their time in paradise. And at the JaM residence nonetheless! I know we enjoyed having them here and can't wait till the next trip!

I cut my hair. For real this time

2011-06-26T17:46:00.001-07:00

I know I just cut my hair Click Here and I was happy with it.

But I still found myself "throwing my hair up"

ALL.THE.TIME.

What's the point of having long hair if the only time it's down is when you shower?

I saw this picture

and decided: it's time to go short!

really short.

isn't her hair freakin gorgeous!?

So I took my 18 dollars and went straight to The Haircut Store in Laie.

A mere 30 minutes later I walked out with

the shortest hair I've ever had since I was born!

I absolutely LOVE it!!!!! don't you? haha!

goodbye days of long locks

it's short sailing from here on out.

arrrgh me matey!

Thanks Katie Holmes :)

Triple Threat

2011-06-21T16:00:00.000-07:00

I saw a picture of this CRAZY concoction on pinterest and .fell.in.love.

I call it The Triple Threat

Ingredients:

cookie dough (store bought or homemade, your choice)

brownie mix (and necessary items, ie eggs, water, oil)

package of double stuffed oreo's.

Directions.

Pre-heat oven to 350.

Spray the bottom and sides of your pan with pam.

Spread the cookie dough.

Place the oreos on top of the cookie dough.

Pour the brownie mix over it all.

Bake for 40-45 minutes.

Top with ice cream. And wipe your drool.

It's REALLY REALLY REALLYYYY GOOD!

Up-Cycle Jars

2011-06-20T15:24:00.000-07:00

glass jars are so useful!

Use the great stuff in your glass jar (mine was Alfredo sauce...in case you wanted to know).

Wash it out.

Peel off the majority of the wrapper.

Soak in water for an hour.

Rub off the rest of the sticky residue.

Tie some pretty ribbon, or in my case, raffia around the top (or middle) of the jar.

Stick a candle in there and tada!

your jar went from trash to treasure.

I love how simple yet beautiful they are.

Other fill options:

sand, sea shells, clear pebbles, flowers

Don't have room on your table? hang them like a chandelier!

Chili Moco

2011-06-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

In Hawaii we have this dish called a Loco Moco. Click Here

An updated version of the loco moco would be the chili moco served at Zippy's. Click Here

One of my most favorite things to do is make "home versions" of restaurant food.

(second most favorite thing is to make HEALTHY home versions of restaurant food!)

You can see where this is headed...

For 4 Bowls

Ingredients:

4 cups White Rice

2 cups Lite Best Yet Mayo *or regular* (it has to be Best Yet. I promise, you'll tell the difference!)

1 Carrot

1 Celery

1/2 Yellow Onion

1 TB Mustard

Black Pepper

1 lbs Lean Ground Beef *or fat ground beef*

1 lbs Ground Sausage

2 Boxes Zippy's Chili

4 Eggs

Directions:

1. Cook the Rice

2. Make the Mayo Mixture

grate the onion, carrot and celery in to a small bowl

add the mayo, mustard and pepper

mix well and refrigerate

3. Cook the Patties

Mix together the two meats. Make four 8oz patties. Cook to your liking.

4. Heat up the Chili (it comes frozen in plastic bags, you can throw them in to boiling water while you make your patties)

5. cook 4 eggs over easy

6. Assemble

fill the bottom of each bowl with 1-2 cups of cooked rice. Top with mayo mixture. Slide a cooked patty right on that. Then flip an egg atop the patty and finally, drown the whole thing in chili.

7. ENJOY!

it's like a party of awesomeness in your mouth.

cake mix cookies

2011-06-15T17:59:00.000-07:00

A lady in my ward shared this recipe, Click Here

she got it from Kirbie, Click Here

Thanks Ladies!

This is my FAVORITE chocolate chip cookie!

I'm.obsessed.

Ingredients:

1 box of devils food cake mix

2 eggs

1/3-1/2 cup oil

1 bag of MILK chocolate chips

Directions:

In a "oh I'm bad" kind of attitude, throw the first three ingredients in to your mixer.

start out with 1/3 cup of oil and gradually add more until you get the batter is at a consistency you like (I like mine a little thick...no, not my man, my cookies...ok, my man too!)

I digress.

mix in your chocolate chips. trust me on this one, milk chocolate is SO the way to go!

If you have a whoopie pie pan, or even a cupcake pan, it is illegal to use anything else.

perfectly thick, chewy, cakey, chocolaty, cookies!

now how easy was that?!

happy baking!

Ruffle Cake

2011-06-10T10:40:00.000-07:00

I saw this cake on Martha Stewart and just had to make it.

But you don't just go baking ruffle cakes for no occasion.

Alas! A reason to bake the ruffle cake: My mom's birthday!

She and my family are visiting Hawaii, and her birthday just so happens to be during their stay.

The cake done by Martha is a Lemon cake.

I'm not a big fan of lemon cake.

But I liked the fruit idea.

So I went with strawberries instead.

And just to add a little surprise, I alternated chocolate and white cake.

It looked pretty cool when sliced in to

(the frosting is purple, but in the sunlight it looks blue/grey. weird)

So there you have it. My first ruffle cake :)

Recipe:

Ingredients -

1 box of chocolate cake mix (and the needed items ie: eggs, oil, water)

1 box of white cake mix (and the needed items ie: eggs, oil, water)

2 boxes of strawberries

8 oz cream cheese

1 tub cool whip

1 cup sugar

lots of frosting (Wilton icing is the best)

food coloring

12 inch pastry bag

#103 or 104 tip

Directions-

bake the cakes as directed, in 8 or 9 inch round pans. let cool completely. slice cakes in half.
while the cakes are cooling, mix together the sugar and cream cheese until well blended. Add the cool whip and mix until creamy.
wash and slice strawberries.
place a slice of white cake on a rotating cake stand. frost the top with the sugar cream cheese mixture then line up the strawberries.
add the sliced chocolate cake and repeat process. It'll look like this when you're done.
use the remaining cream cheese mixture to frost the outside of the cake.
now mix your decorating frosting with food coloring. I love using Wilton's decorating icing because 1: the consistency is great to work with and 2: everyone loves the taste of it!
take your pastry bag with tip and fill half of the bag with the icing.
hold the bag vertically, with the thinnest opening of the tip towards you.
use swift back and forth motion about 1 inch wide to make the ruffles
continue to make the ruffles all the way around the cake.
once the outside of the cake is complete, use the same back-and-forth motion to frost the top of the cake, rotating the cake as you frost.
refrigerate to set
cut in to it and enjoy all the oooohhs and aaahhhss

happy baking!

Choice & Accountability - Money Matters

2011-06-08T11:55:00.001-07:00

Choice and Accountability. That's the value for the month in young women's.

I went through the value experiences searching for inspiration on an activity and when I came across value experience #7 the Jeaniusness began!

The point of value experience #7 is basically money management.

I'm a complete believer in teaching our youth the importance of money management and how the real world works when it comes to finances and such. So I reached out to a member in our ward named Alan Akina. He's the founder and president of 101 Financial, a financial education company (website here: 101 financial). I just couldn't have an activity dealing with money and not have Brother Akina as the keynote speaker. He was happy to help.

He went over basic financial information and really opened up the girls eyes, especially our upcoming seniors and recent graduates. (When they learned about P&I they refused to grow up!) I think it was a great opportunity for them to get a glimpse of what they have to look forward to and what they need to do to avoid debt and all the consequences it brings.

By the end of the night the chalk board was covered in great information and the girls were eager for more.

Now I know you all don't have a Brother Akina to go running to, but a friendly banker or financial adviser would work just as well. The girls really got in to it and enjoyed learning about money.

So here was the invitation:

The value color is orange. Hence the orange frosted cupcakes.

and check out the gold bars, aren't they cute!? I found them at a party store at the mall.

They're filled with m&m's.

I went with a taco/burrito bar. It was a hit! (and simple to make).

Fashionable Zip Locks

2011-06-06T19:46:00.000-07:00

Don't you ever wish your zip lock baggies were just more fashionable? ME TOO!

so take your boring zip lock bag

cut both sides length wise

and

measure patterned fabric to about 1/2 an inch bigger than zip lock

place zip lock on the back side of the fabric, lock sides up.

Fold over the tops and sew

fold bag in half and sew up the sides

flip right side out and tada!

your carrot sticks will love you forever

Rainbow Cupcakes

2011-06-06T02:41:00.001-07:00

How fun are these!?

They're so bright and beautiful they're bound to turn a frown upside down.

And not only are they way fun to make, they're super simple too!

Recipe:

yellow cake mix

food coloring

frosting

and sprinkles of course!

Mix cake according to directions on the box.

pour in to four different bowls.

add a different color dye to each bowl.

(the more dye, the deeper the color).

scoop each color in to the paper lining.

bake according to directions on the box.

cool. frost. sprinkle. eat. smile.

Otai

2011-06-06T02:20:00.000-07:00

So my husband's Tongan right.

And Tongan's have this completely awesome drink called OTAI (pronounced oh-tie)

others may know it as watermelon drink or mango drink (how boring).

Mango otai is my husbands favorite. I prefer watermelon otai.

well, it's mango season and my family is visiting from the mainland so I've already made 6 pitchers full of otai (woah, fruit overload!).

Anywho, thought I'd share:

So you start out with mangos (or seedless watermelon), coconut flakes and crushed pineapple.

peel and slice the mangos into a blender. Add a little water and liquefy until thick and chunky.

Pour the mango puree, coconut and pineapple all together in to a pitcher.

Now here comes the decision making (gasp!) See, when you're on a diet like me, you try to cut calories every which way possible. So instead of sugar, I use granulated Splenda. And instead of regular carnation milk, I go with fat free carnation milk. shhh, I haven't told anyone yet and they can't taste the difference so it'll be our little secret!

So after mixing all the fruit together, add your sugar, carnation milk and water. Mix well. Chill and serve! (then wonder in amazement why you're not Tongan)

Recipe:

3-4 ripe mangos (or half of a seedless watermelon)

7 oz bag of coconut flakes

1 can of crushed pineapple

sugar (or splenda)

2 cans carnation milk (regular or fat free)

Water

peel and slice mangos into a blender (I've found that the watermelon actually mixes a lot easier with a hand blender after cutting into small triangles).

combine all fruit together and mix well.

Add sugar (to taste) sorry folks I'm a pour and taste on this one so I don't have an exact measurement. My guess: 3-4 cups.

Stir in the milk. Then the water (again with the eyeballing...the water is to thin out the consistency of the drink. If you like it thicker, don't use as much, and visa versa)

Chill (or just add ice)

My Sister's Graduation

2011-06-06T01:47:00.000-07:00

My little sister graduated from high school last week.

She graduated from a special needs school called Hartvigsen.

She's been in school since she was three.

She's now 21!

(At Hartvigsen the students get to stay in school until 21).

Here she is with her escort

(All the graduates get to be escorted by a police officer)

How adorable is that!?

I can't believe the baby of the family is all grown up and graduated!

I'm so proud of her!

She graduated on the 2nd of June and arrived in Hawaii on the 3rd!

So of course we just HAD to throw her a graduation party.

Nothing fancy, just a family barbecue in my back yard.

But she loved it!

As she was growing up we used to throw her birthday parties and invite her "friends" from her church classes (other kids her age). It always ended up the same: no one paid attention to her. Stupid "normal" kids.

So I really wanted her to feel special and KNOW that the party was for her and her accomplishments. I didn't want it to turn in to a social gathering for EVERYONE ELSE and have her feel left out.

I told my husband this and he MADE SURE she felt special! EVERYONE gave her 100% of their attention. They talked story with her, laughed with her and spent time with her. She was so moved that she shared a few words of appreciation with everyone *precious!*

She said she had a blast. And that's all that matters!

Congratulations Salo!

The Parable of the Purse

2011-05-29T20:08:00.000-07:00

I found this way cute idea at See Me Visit Teach and just had to make them for the women I visit teach. For more details and how to make it click on the underlined link.

Conversation Cards

2011-05-29T19:49:00.000-07:00

I saw this great idea on sugardoodle.net

They're called conversation cards...Questions that ignite a conversation.

I thought it would be a neat thing to have so I printed them out at a photo kiosk and placed them in this note card box I had.

I leave it on our kitchen table. It has provided an awesome opportunity to get to know our guests and friends as we share our thoughts and memories with one another.

It really helps to build a stronger bond and friendship with those who visit.

And actually Misi and I have a BLAST with these cards when it's just the two of us.

We pulled the question "tell about your favorite birthday memory"

and ended up sharing birthday memories with each other for two hours!

Sounds boring, but I loved every minute.

Now that you know, go print yourself some conversation cards

and start talkin'!

New Do

2011-05-29T19:37:00.000-07:00

I know it's time for a hair cut when the only time I let my hair down is to take a before and after picture.

It's just getting too hot to leave it down...let alone straighten it.

I bought a coupon on livingsocial.com for $40 worth of services at Regis Hair Salon for $20!

so with the never ending hair in a bun and an awesome discount to a great hair salon, it was time for my annual hair cut!

Since I was cutting my hair, I thought "hey, might as well get some highlights to go with it!" the hair stylist thought I already had highlights, but I told her that my hair's just confused. I haven't had highlights since I was 17 (some so and so years ago.)

I usually go with a layered cut because it thins out my thick hair. And my face is too chubby for anything shorter than shoulder length so I don't go too short. I know the pictures don't look like it, but I ended up cutting over six inches off! And you can't really see the highlights in the picture so just remind me to show them to you if I ever meet you :)

I love short hair. (Well, it's short to me). It's so easy to maintain!

So here's the before and after.

ignore the fat face.

and GO JAZZ!

Kahuku Graduation = Cake and Leis

2011-05-25T00:59:00.000-07:00

My brother in law graduated from Kahuku high school.

Kahuku is really big on graduation parties.

I'm personally not a party person.

But I love me some baking time.

So I was excited.

A little TOO excited :)

I made chocolate cupcakes with oreo crusts and spray painted the tops with red edible spray paint (which is one of the coolest things I've ever played with!)

Vita requested cheesecake cupcakes. I topped them with strawberries because they're red and his high school colors are red and white (hence the red spray painted cupcakes).

I decided cupcakes and cheesecake weren't enough. So I made a red velvet cake and decorated it in butter cream with a Tongan Lei in his high school colors.

After all the fun in the kitchen I realized that no one had made centerpieces and there wasn't any decoration for his little pow wow. So I frantically went through my craft drawers, printed some pictures and tada! makeshift centerpieces! Which actually turned out to be a hit. All I heard the whole night was "umm, excuse me, who's picture is on your table? yeah, that would be me". Talk about feeling uber special!

Comedy Club Date Night

2011-05-15T22:14:00.001-07:00

I love date night.

We try to be creative with our dates as much as possible. And we generally take turns planning them.

Well, last week was my turn and I decided to have a "Comedy Club" themed date night.

I knew that Misi was tired of going to town (he had gone every day this week and we were scheduled to go back on Saturday), so staying home was obvious. It's been a stressful week and I felt like we just really needed to have a good time. One of my favorite things to do with Misi is laugh. He's got one of those deep from within your souls contagious laughs. So the objective became "make Misi laugh" and thus 'Jean's Joke House' was born.

This was the ticket to the show:

We started out with some mad libs. I printed off a couple from here http://www.wordlibs.com/

There were lots of really funny lines...which I won't be sharing ;)

Then we watched a YouTube clip of the laughing Samoans TV show http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCTvrQoLwlA

Those guys always guarantee a good laugh

After that, we each drew a song from a bowl for the other person to lip sync to. Misi drew Forget You by Ceelo for me, and I drew Wannabe by the Spice Girls for Misi. We had to draw an item out of a bag and use the item in our lip sync as well. Misi drew a red robe and I drew a scout shirt. It was H.I.L.A.R.I.O.U.S!!!!

And we ended the night with Kevin Hart's movie 'Seriously Funny'

By the end of the night I had a headache from laughing so hard and so much!

It was a much needed, much enjoyed date night.

Just For the Heck of it

2011-05-09T20:36:00.000-07:00

Misi and I are being audited by the IRS.

One of the many perks of being business owners.

blah.

We were in flash flood warning all weekend.

My front yard turned in to a pool.

And we just washed our car!

p.s. I love car washes.

I just finished our yearly state audit for ACC.

-sigh of relief.

Now I'm working on our contract's recertification.

-sigh of stress.

My sunburn is peeling, so now I look like a spotty zebra.

how attractive.

I did laundry at 2am. I think my neighbors hate me.

Did you know in Hawaii, the washing machines and dryers are outside of the homes?

weird right?

Misi and I netflixed Merlin and we're now addicted.

I literally stay up till 4am every night....err, morning...watching Merlin!

(hence the laundry at 2 in the morning.)

looosseerrrr.

I'm upset at Americans who are angry that Osama was killed unarmed.

WHO THE HELL CARES?!

seriously, there should be some grounds on which citizenship can be stripped from people.

Especially idiots who think Bin Laden "deserved" a fair chance at defending himself.

give me a break people.

So here's what my life looks like as of right now.

Organized chaos.

snow cone cupcakes

2011-05-04T12:16:00.001-07:00

I can't believe I forgot to tell you about my snow cone cupcakes!

I mentioned them in my young women's post (here),

but they totally deserve a post of their own.

They're white cupcakes with cream cheese frosting and dyed sugar.

I didn't have time to drive to Wal-Mart for snow cone cups

so I opted for the old school Styrofoam version.

They're actually very simple to make:
1. pour sugar in to three different zip lock bags
2. squeeze food coloring in to the sugar (I went with red, yellow and blue)
3. mix the sugar and dye together by rubbing the outside of the zip lock
4. once you're sugar is the color you want, lay the bag flat on a counter top with the zip lock opened to allow the sugar to dry.
5. meanwhile, bake regular cupcakes (mine where white cupcakes, from the boxed mix)
6. while you're cupcakes cool, cut the Styrofoam cup or snow cone cup, down to a size that would allow the cupcake to mound over the top
7. once your cupcakes are completely cooled, frost with a light colored frosting (I love butter cream)
8. here's the fun part, pour your dyed sugar in to three separate bowls. Dip one end of the cup cake in red. dip the other end in blue, then sprinkle the middle with yellow. I found that if you cover the ends with the sugar first, the middle is so much easier to coat.
9.once your cupcakes are all sugar coated, place in to the cups
10. stick a straw in each cupcake for an added effect
and wala! you have yourself some awesome possom snow cone cupcakes!
I'd love to see your snow cone cupcakes!
happy baking :)

donuts and burgers

2011-05-04T01:22:00.001-07:00

My mom sent me a bunch of new pans

-pee my pants exciting!-

I tried the mini and regular sized donut pans.

how adorable are these?!!!

I made the donuts for my young womens activity.

As well as these cup cake burgers.

(the posting is HERE)

Baking on a Tuesday!

.lucky me.

Auto Shop - Young Women's Knowledge Activity

2011-05-04T00:39:00.000-07:00

It's that time of the month.

No silly, I mean it's personal progress night!

This month's value is Knowledge.

I wanted the girls to really LEARN something.

So I thought long and hard.

I asked myself: "self, what would have helped you when you were a teenager?"

and then my other self answered "how to jump start a car!"

one thing led to another and before I knew it I had an activity...AUTO SHOP!

There's this guy in our ward who's really good with cars and he's been wanting to do an activity like this for a while, so he was really excited to jump on board and help out.

Here he is explaining to the young women some basic, but important information.

The girls of course got hands on learning as well.

they jump started a car, changed a tire, checked the oil

and learned to identify where different fluids go.

James (the auto guy) taught a lot of great things,

some of which I didn't know

(gasp!)

I took the information he gave (he emailed it to me before the activity) and I put it together into a pamphlet, which I included in a starter emergency kit for each girl.

Each kit had: water bottle, granola bar, hand wipes, band-aid, paper, pen, light stick, and pamphlet

(hey, it's a BEGINNER kit ok!)

I printed the pamphlets on green card stock (the color for knowledge is green)

It's a tri-fold brochure

It's actually quite informative. I kept one for my own car.

There's steps on how to jump start a car, how to change a tire, what you're car should have in it for emergencies and a place to write emergency contacts.

(let me know if you want a copy in pdf format)

I tried to have the refreshments relate to cars.

We had "battery burgers" (cupcakes that looked like burgers),

"pit stop pizza" (I just bought frozen pizza from costco)

"donut tires" (chocolate cake donuts that I made in my new donut pan!)

"lug nut chicken nuggets" (again, frozen box from costco)

and of course "engine oil" (Hawaiian sun juice)

floor.couch.table.

2011-05-02T22:47:00.000-07:00

Deliciousness

2011-05-01T04:21:00.000-07:00

Can I tell you how much I L.O.V.E. my kitchenaid mixer?!

~loooove it!~

Thank you Dad and Queennie,

my inner baker is ever so grateful.

I have SO MANY things to bake.

Seriously, the list goes on forever.

I knew I wouldn't have the chance to be in the kitchen again until next Saturday,

so I went ahead and made four different desserts today.

red velvet cupcakes

guava cupcakes

mini pineapple pies

eclairs

(I've got to work on these. They don't look too cute...but they tasted great. that's all that really matters right? hahaha!)

Today's Day

2011-04-29T22:08:00.000-07:00

I put up a freakin shed today.

I'm COMPLETELY sunburned

with a wicked tan line.

(I wore a tank top and my bra straps weren't behaving. So I've got red triangle shapes on my shoulders. lovely)

I know what you're thinking: where was Misi?

Well....he was helping the floor guys lay our new wood floor in our kitchen (the old vinyl tile bubbled up all over), and he was helping out the plumber guy fix our leak (that we luckily found as a result of moving the stove for the flooring). AND THEN, he volunteered to be a witness for this awesome couple in our ward who were doing baptisms for the dead on behalf of their parents. So no, he's not a bad husband) :)

I'm happy to say I got the shed up and it's sturdy and looks great. It's almost like this shed, minus the window and some minor details.

It wasn't too dreadful. The roof was the hardest part. My shoulders WILL be sore tomorrow!

Oh, our kitchen floor is awesome! it's Brazilian cherry (the color) and it was like 70 cents a square foot! score!

We turned our car port in to a two bedroom apartment and we plan on renting it out to help with our mortgage. It's almost done and needs furnishing. So we're putting our couch and dining table and chairs in there. But what are we going to sit on then? duh, we got some new ones!from and for ridiculous prices! I almost feel like we stole them! So I'll take a pictures of our fabulous new floor tomorrow after the dining table and couch come in. Now I want new cupboards, appliances and wall paint! hahaha! give me and inch and I want a new house!

I'm going to start a little edible garden in my backyard. Can't wait! So far, I'm going to grow green onions, yellow onions, cilantro, tomatoes, and cabbage. And I've already got a lime, mango and some other fruit tree.

Have you ever had Vita Coco?

It's SERIOUSLY like drinking from a fresh coconut!

TRY IT!

Empower Your Dreams

2011-04-27T22:31:00.001-07:00

BYU Hawaii holds this annual competition called "Empower Your Dreams". There are various categories one could enter such as, but not limited to business plan, not for profit, marketing, etc. Each category obviously correlates to business in one way or another. Primarily in entrepreneurship.

Misi is a bona fide social entrepreneur, and a great one at that (biased opinion? never!) hehe!

So you can imagine his complete excitement to enter a business plan for the competition.

His business plan was chosen as one of the nine to make it to finals (out of hundreds!)

Finalists were to present a six minute power point of their business plan to a panel of distinguished judges (like real life millionaires).

Misi did SO GOOD on his presentation! and afterwards when we were mingling with the millionaires he got a lot of compliments and received great feed back. He left with a good handful of interested investors, which was so neat.

Rubbing shoulders with these successful entrepreneurs and business people was an amazing opportunity, I tried to pick their brains as much as I possibly could.

Anywho, Misi's business plan won second place which was a $3,000 award! now you know just as well as I that second place isn't winning in the mind and eyes of a business man. So he went and asked WHY he placed second. And guess what....no one knew why! the business and entrepreneur professors said that realistically, his plan "should have won" but that the judges were only given a very short time to judge the presentations, and only three out of the fifteen judges were actually able to read and examine the business plan itself. That response gave him both comfort and frustration, but in the end he's full of gratitude and appreciation.

I'm so proud of him. He's an amazing person. Really.

Ruth's Chris

2011-04-27T21:27:00.000-07:00

So Teppanyaki was recommended by my in laws Lieta and Romey.

Ruth's Chris was recommended by my in laws Ceeu and Uila.

Aren't my in laws awesome?

Ruth's Chris was AHHHMAAZZZIINGGG! (that's me singing).

My favorite steak is fillet mignon. Misi's is rib-eye.

So duh, of course those are the steaks we tried.

superb!

The steaks come out literally sizzling on your plate!

it's actually quite amusing.

The atmosphere and setting is fancy.

Like shorts and a t-shirt would SO not be appropriate.

They say that the sides are "family sized"

ummmmm

that doesn't apply to Polynesians.

Misi and I were totally fighting over the mashed potatoes.

(and I ate ALL of the creamed spinach-really yummy stuff!)

Everything is ala carte

so it's more on the $$$$ side.

worth it?

yes.

I'm excited to go back!

Teppanyaki

2011-04-27T21:17:00.001-07:00

We went out to dinner with Romey and Lieta (My sister in law and her husband) to their favorite place....Teppanyaki!

you can imagine how stoked I was to go somewhere that's on my "list"

We requested Tom - Lieta said he was the best and funniest. She was totally right!

It was a neat and fun experience.

The food was tasty and filling (always a plus)

Tom was hilarious (all the laughing helps burn off the food)

and he had skill! (I wonder if he cooks like that at home?)

So yes, I fully enjoyed and recommend teppanyaki. And I know that must mean a lot. haha!

ice cream sandwiches

2011-04-27T21:06:00.000-07:00

I had some free time on Sunday so I whipped me up some ice cream sandwiches.

I made a brownie mix and peanut butter cookie dough from scratch.

hmmm, brownie + cookie = brookie!

(peanut butter and chocolate are THE BEST combination ever)

slap some vanilla ice cream between two brookies

and you've got yourself one onolicious ice cream sandwich!

Easter

2011-04-27T20:52:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Easter while in Utah.

I don't get to celebrate holidays with my family very often

(I think Thanksgiving 2007 was the last holiday I spent with them)

So we just HAD to celebrate together!

I put together easter baskets for each of my nieces and for my two sisters.

They loved going through them.

And then Misi and I put together an easter egg hunt in my parent's front yard.

They had a BLAST!!

My nephew got an AWESOME easter gift too:

Then mi madre pleased the crowd with plenty of yummy food,

and we all hung out just laughing, talking and having a great time.

What an awesome Easter!

Utah Trip

2011-04-27T13:53:00.000-07:00

We went to Utah.

it was c.o.l.d.

So NOT what April is supposed to be like.

We got to take some family pics

(that hasn't happened since I was 11!)

(some 14 years ago)

Click on the picture to see some more

We just so happened to take pictures on the

WINDIEST day everrrr!

so there was much editing done.

I gained TEN FREAKIN POUNDS!

I don't know how.....

I mean, eating, sleeping, eating and sleeping while eating

couldn't have been that bad.

(My definition of a Vacation)

I LOVED spending time with my baby girl Salo

She's doing better. Has a way to go. But is a fighter!

(she's in love with Justin Beiber. Her heart rate was really high one night

and we couldn't get it down. UNTIL we put in her Justin Beiber CD. Then it was

smooth sailing from there!) how precious is that?!

My daddi-O was Naturalized.

that sounds so wrong.

He became a United States Citizen.

He studied way hard and now knows more

than me about our country. so shame.

But I completely enjoyed the ceremony.

I left with a renewed appreciation for being an AMERICAN.

If you've never been to a Naturalization Ceremony you

R.E.A.L.L.Y should attend one! it's beautiful.

We celebrated Easter with my nieces and nephew (Post is here)

oh and we got to eat at a bunch of great places,

some of which are on my "LIST"

so be sure to check them out.

One of the places we ate at that's not on my list is a hole in the wall bakery

called "The Kiwi Bakery"

They've got the BEST meat pies you can find outside of New Zealand!

and their cream puffs are utterly addicting.

and check out these HUGE pancakes from Virg's

crazy right?!

All their portions are ridiculously humongous

Oh and random thought,

I'm in the process of starting a bakery truck.

Super-de-duper exciting!

Looking in the Barney Bag.....

2011-04-08T15:11:00.000-07:00

I LOVED when they looked in the Barney bag!

It was my favorite part.

I've always enjoyed crafts.

remember my quilts? (see)

I don't really have much time to sit and enjoy a good craft session,

but I've been dabbling here and there when I get a free minute or two.

I had fun making earrings (WAY cheaper than buying them already made)

I taught my young women how to make their own personal progress pouches.

They really enjoyed that.

Oh, I made my nephew a receiving blanket when he was born

(probably the easiest craft ever!)

And I made these adorable little Christmas gifts for my young women.

and they were way cheap to make (cheap is always good).

I've got a long list of crafts I want to do. Will I ever get to it? who knows.

Till then, I'll continue to cut, glue and color in between school, work and family.

I wish I could function without sleep.

Cookie Pie

2011-04-08T14:57:00.001-07:00

I love me some pie crust!

With that said,

you can imagine my excitement while making this little concoction.

A cookie pie! brilliant.

A perfectly flaky pie crust with a chocolate chip walnut cookie center.

Topped with vanilla ice cream and chocolate syrup.

It completely satisfied my midnight sweet tooth :)

(yes I made it at midnight. yes that's fat. no I don't care)

Ingredients:

(I'm a lazy baker. With that said, I went with store bought...everything! But if you're a domestic diva, by all means, make it from scratch!)

1 unbaked 9-inch deep dish pie shell - thawed

cookie dough

chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F

Empty cookie dough into a bowl and mix chopped nuts in to the dough

Apply thawed pie crust to 9-inch pie pan (I ruffled the ends of the pie dough to give it a "pie look" but you really don't have to.

Spread dough evenly onto pie dough

Bake for 45-60 minutes

Let cool

Serve warm with ice cream and chocolate syrup

Sharing is optional.

Happy Baking!