A month?

I just realized it's been exactly a month since I last posted anything.  Well, a lot has happened in a month.  Ryan periodically has talked about wanting to go to college for a Bachelor's degree.  I've always told him that I would support him and the dream began to evolve.  Many of you know that we've been toying with the idea to move to Hawaii for about a year now, but nothing has seemed to pan out.  

Finally, we've gotten involved with a program through BYU-Hawaii called LDS Philanthropies where we (acting as mentor and financer of sorts) help students from struggling countries be able to return to their homeland and establish a successful business that makes their community stronger.  This has been very positive so far and through Ryan's associations with BYU-Hawaii he decided to apply to their undergrad program and see what happened.  He quietly went about getting his ecclesiastical endorsements, sending in transcripts, and essays.  On Monday, May 11, after FHE and kids were in bed, Ryan submitted his fees and received confirmation the next day that BYU had received everything.  Now it was time to sit back and wait- 4 to 6 weeks for an answer!

On Wednesday the 13th Ryan and I were chatting and I asked him how long we had to wait- that's when I found out it was 4-6 weeks.  This was hard for me b/c Ryan had asked me not to say anything to ANYONE!  (Including my family.)  This was going to be a rough few weeks for me.  Well, after our conversation Ryan felt like he ought to look on-line to see if there was any type of update.  When he did he read, "Congratulations!  You've been accepted to BYU-Hawaii for the winter 2010 semester!"  HOLY CRAP!  It's been less than 48 hours at this point- and we are moving to Hawaii!!!  

So CONGRATULATIONS Ryan for your acceptance into the International Business undergrad program which begins in January of 2010.  This is a 4 year program and Ryan is starting from square one.  We began telling friends and family, but I realize that it's still new and not all may know about it- or even know the story behind it which is why I wanted to blog about it!

Our house has already been on the market for two weeks.  We've found that it is cheaper to buy a house than the rent.  So that is the direction we're taking.  We have been busy keeping the house spotless (with 3 little ones it's a challenge.)  But we've found that it is possible!  And it's been nice b/c we're finally doing all of the little projects and cleaning out things that have needed it for so long.  We are beginning to "simplify [our] lives."  As our Stake President recently spoke to us about doing.  And next week we're having a garage sale!  Lots of exciting things happening!  

We don't exactly know where we're going to live yet.  We're hoping to get our house under contract and then Ryan and I can take a trip to Oahu to find a house.  BYU-H is in Laie which is also where the temple and the Polynesian Cultural Center are located.  We are hoping to find something in that general vicinity.  If you're out that way- look us up!

We're moving where?  Hawaii?  Sweet.  

An End to a Good Thing

Hunter has been involved in an all boys gymnastics class for the last several months.  We've decided not to continue for the summer since we have so many crazy things happening (such as moving) but hopefully once we are settled again, he will start back up.  Hunter's teacher mentioned that he had some real talent and knack for gymnastics!

Hunter is in the green shorts on the right.  Notice his form!  He's got the straightest legs.  =)

Here is Hunter mid-jump.  He loved jumping off the spring board onto the pad. 
This is my favorite picture of all- Hunter is doing a cart-wheel on the balance board!  I didn't even know he could do this.  I was prepared to take a picture of him doing a somersault on the board and he totally surprised EVERYONE when he busts out with this cartwheel!  Way to go Hunter!!  And he nailed it.  
Here he is on the rings.  He's still working on getting his body into a straight line without falling over.
Lastly was the high bar.  He's able to do a few simple things like "skin the cat."  We love gymnastics!

8 Months and 8 Years

Kolea is now eight months old.  I keep thinking that she can't get any cuter, but she is an over achiever and continues to amaze me with her "cuteness."  =)  She is so cute in fact that we can never seem to put her down long enough allow her to learn how to crawl!  She is finally scooting.  

Kolea's thoughts, "hmmm let me think about how adorable I want to appear..."

"OK, you can clap with me and love me."

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Ryan and I just celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary on May 5th.  While we were in San Diego for Spring Break we had gone to the very same restaurant to get fish 'n chips that we had gone to while on our honeymoon.  It was fun to be back at Harbour Fish 'n Chips in Carlsbad, reliving the some of our earliest memories as a couple.   

Ryan sent me an edible arrangement of fruit as part of my gift.  It was delivered right after I'd left the house to take Hunter to Taekwondo and then to the chiropractor.  Ryan was actually the one who found it on the front porch.  Luckily we'd figured it had only been outside for about 45 minutes.  Not enough time for the rich, dark chocolate to melt. 

A better view- after we'd had a few tastes.

So it's been a few years since I've tried on my wedding dress- but hey!  I've got to see if it still fits right?  Doesn't every girl do this every once in a while?  I thought today would be an appropriate day for it.  Yep- still fits!  Of course, don't mind the "end of the day plainness."
Ryan also gave me a beautiful charm bracelet.  I'm trying to show it off as I'm perched atop the guest bed.  Gabriella has decided (the last few nights) that she wants to sleep in the basement in the guest room.  It has been GREAT because we don't have to deal with Hunter and Gabriella chatting it up each night since they share bunk beds.  And of course Gabriella feels very brave since Hunter won't even step foot in the basement without someone to accompany him.  

Here's to another 80 years!  I love you Ryan.

Happy Easter Everyone!

This Easter was much like every other Easter we have.  We talk about our Savior and the Atonement with the children and help them remember what we are truly celebrating.  It is so special when they are beginning to recognize that Jesus loves them.

However, we do love hunting for Easter baskets and finding eggs!  And what is Easter without some bunny ears?

Gabriella LOVES play cell phones.  She uses them so often that she breaks one after another.  This "cell phone" is actually a calculator- so I think it might last a little longer!  She was so excited!
Hunter, finding his Easter basket hiding behind that little plant.
Ryan found the "family" basket that the Easter bunny left behind.  It had a couple of kids' movies in it as well as some goodies for mom and dad!

Ahhhh sisters!  We wanted to show off our fun Easter outfits by taking a bunch of pictures.  They looked so springy even though it was a really cold day.
Hunter in his new suit with is Vanilla Ice hair!  It started out as a mohawk but then I shaved off the back...  I had fun cutting it!  So Hunter had seen this suit on a TV commercial the day before while Ryan and I were at the temple.  (The kids were at Ryan's parent's house.)  Anyhow, he saw the suit and told Grandma that he wanted it for Easter since he didn't have anything new- and his sisters did.  So after Ryan and I returned, grandma grabbed Hunter and his booster seat and headed to the store-- he was soooo excited.  Ryan also has always wanted a powder blue suit to wear... like father like son.
That tongue!  It's always sitting there- she is such a "tonguey baby".  That's what we call her.

Me and my two poser kiddos!

I couldn't stop taking pictures!

Pucker up!

My three beautiful children.  We are so blessed.

Easter and Christmas seem to be the only times I can get all of us together for a family photo- and I had to go and ruin it by closing my eyes.  Oh well.

Happy Easter everyone.  We hope your Easter was just as wonderful and full of the Spirit as our Easter was.  We truly are thankful for the Savior and his infinite sacrifice so that we may live with Him again as one big eternal family.

Stalling...

Hunter and Gabriella are the king and queen of stalling when it comes to bedtime.  We do the same routine EVERY night, and every night it's the same thing...  I want milk, I need to go potty, I want the night-light on, read me a book, put on some music, I need water, don't close the door all the way, sing me another song...  not quite in that order, but you get the picture.  Anyhow, for some reason I buy into it EVERY night and I can't resist their little voices when they call out "needing" something.  

Well we put the two kids to bed separately (Gabriella first) since they share a room and tonight was no different with the stalling.  I was on my third trip out of her room and started losing my patience when Gabriella says, "mommy" and I take a deep breath about to tell her for the zillionth time to 'go to sleep' and she continues, "I love Jesus."  I was bathed in warmth and love and my impatience was gone.  "And Jesus loves you sweetie, very much" I replied.  And with that she laid down her pretty little head and was silent.  Out of the mouthes of babes...

"Sorry mama"

Gabriella is our little mischief maker.  She likes to get into things and doesn't think much about the consequences.  After all, she is only three so I'll give her that to her credit.  =)  The other day she coerced daddy into getting down both her and Hunter's piggy banks.  Bank that they've had since their baby showers (i.e. before they were born.)  

Gabriella was playing "This is the way the lady rides, the lady rides, the lady rides..." with her piggy bank bouncing up and down on her knees sitting on the bottom step of the stairs.  She knows this song very well because I sing it all the time with Kolea- it's her favorite game...  Anyhow, that piggy bank was not so balanced and fell off Gabriella's knees and crashed onto the hardwood.  Surprisingly she wasn't very upset about it but she could tell that I wasn't too happy and said "sorry mama." It was kind of cute- cute until an hour later when she was playing with Hunter's piggy bank in the very same spot and did the very same thing!  WHAT??  So here is the picture of Hunter's broken bank (he was pretty mad when she apologized) and the money bag on the stairs was sitting there from Ella's broken bank.

So what's the moral of the story?  Put away breakable things!  And don't be too surprised when 3 yr olds do the inevitable.  I am grateful that I didn't freak out- as I have a tendency to do.  My parents through their lives (and constant reminders) have taught me a valuable lesson: most everything can be replaced.  It may not be very convenient but it's just material.  If you can't take it with you [when you die], it's not worth getting worked up over.  

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And then there is our sweet Kolea who is now seven months old!  She is sitting so well and plays with her toys.  She is such a content child and loves it when Hunter and Gabriella play with her.  She doesn't like it when they maul her so much- but the hugs and kisses are great.  =)

The following pics are a progression of Kolea's discovery...

Oooohhh what have we here?  A bright green disk!

Hmmm, what does it do?  I think I like this...

Mmmmmm!  I do like this!  

Onto the next toy!

Some Thoughts

I was thinking that I ought to make this (my blog) more of an on-line journal.  The blogs that are the most interesting to read are those that really put their heart and soul into whatever is being blogged about- as most of you already do.  I feel like I'm just beginning to catch the vision.  Is it because I don't have anything interesting to say?  Or that nothing exciting ever happens?  No that can't be it - I'm a mom of three.  Exciting and interesting things happen every day!  However, I realized that I simply don't remember very many of these remarkable incidents because I am in fact a mom who seems to be losing more than her fair share of brain cells on a daily basis due to this most beloved and coveted "job."

As a mom I can tell you what each of my children like to eat, watch, play, wear, etc.  What their playtime habits, bath time habits, dirty habits (like using a finger instead of a tissue- yuck) etc.  I can also tell anyone our daily routine, what's in the diaper bag at any given time, what game to play next, when someone needs a hug, or some discipline, etc.  How do I do and know all of this stuff when usually I can't remember the funny story from yesterday.  Why is that?  It bugs!

Every once in a while I am allowed a glimpse of the bigger picture.  I know my purpose.  I know what I am to teach my children.  And I know that my children love me.  I also know that these thoughts all seem disjointed, but that's OK.  After all this is my blog, these are my thoughts.

A few weeks ago Hunter began telling me that he loved me multiple times a day, like other than at night or before going off to pre-school.  He would be in the middle of playing something, stop and say "mommy, I love you."  This happens so many times a day now that even Gabriella has caught on.  She will climb up on my lap and say the same thing.  What a precious gift.  

Whenever we have a day where a child is crying and whining and upset about something that is non-monumental I will ask that child "Are you having a bad day?"  I usually get an affirmative response, but then my child knows that I am sympathetic to their mood and we can move on with our day...  Well last week we were at Disneyland for Spring Break.  Hunter went on Soarin' with his aunties and uncles and had a great time- it was the first ride of the day and "[he] wasn't even scared!"  He sat down on a bench to wait while Ryan and I took our turn on the ride and Hunter suddenly started crying.  He apparently poked is eyeball really hard with his fingernail.  How that happened?  I have no idea, but it did and it really hurt him.  I was trying to comfort him and he couldn't be consoled.  Hunter looked up into my eyes with big tears in his and said "I'm having a bad day."  It was a moment where my heart broke in two.  You know that saying in the scriptures "my heart was full."  I had that kind of a moment.  It was so full of love for this little child who was in pain.  I wanted to take it away from him and couldn't.  The day wore on and he slept for the next 2-3 hours in the stroller that we'd rented for him.  We think that he had scratched his eyeball pretty badly- he couldn't even open his eye without crying.  We were at Disneyland for heaven's sake!  But Hunter seemed to be down for the count.  Ryan finally gave him a blessing.  A quiet, reverent blessing of healing in the middle of Disneyland.  The Lord answers our humble prayers and will bless his little children who are so full of faith.  Hunter was healed  almost immediately.  He opened his eyes and was ready to go on rides!  He also wanted to head straight for the Indiana Jones ride where he could get a sweet eye patch (which at that point he didn't need anymore.)  We are so lucky- is that even the right word? to have the gospel of Jesus Christ in our lives.  To have a knowledge of it and call upon his name at any given time or place.  And I am blessed - that is the word- to have married a man who is a worthy Priesthood holder.  Someone who can act with the power of God and heal a hurting child.  

So I may have a crappy memory and deal with the daily grind of motherhood, but it is my life and I know I am blessed.  What is important is my testimony of the Savior.  That is what gets me from here to there, from there to here, it will get me anywhere.  Had to throw in some Dr. Seuss.  I'm a mom and that is what's on the brain.