Weekend Report

Fourth of July • small town • 2 days • parade candy • heat • naps • non-stop food • derby • fireworks • lake • reading • friends

All About Me (flickr style)

The above mosaic represents my answers:
1. lindy 2. tacos 3. St. Johns High School 4. red 5. RDJ 6. horchata 7. fiji 8. texas sheet cake 9. mother 10. freedom 11. undisciplined 12. funaki

Here is how you can play too:
a. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
b. Using only the first page, pick an image.
c. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into fd's mosaic maker.

The Questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. Favorite drink?
7. Dream vacation?
8. Favorite dessert?
9. What you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. One Word to describe you.
12. Your flickr name. (kid version: favorite animal?)

Happy Independence Day

"O beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife,
Who more than self their country loved
And mercy more than life!"

~"America the Beautiful"

(taken from Emily's blog)

Thinking of brother Brigham today doing who-knows-what in Iraq as we eat, eat, eat, and watch a parade and fireworks.

Brig's wife posted on their blog recently an excerpt from one of his emails (my SIL Heidi did this first, so thanks be to her for the idea):

"I'm just here to help out my guys and others around me, improve myself, and come home to you.

"I spoke a lot this week with two Iraqi interpreters that work with us. Hearing about how Iraq used to be under Saddam etc, and hearing about the situation they're in really gave me some perspective. They really need us, and most of them are given hope from the US being here. It inspires me, and I hope that in the end, we are successful in Iraq. It will be worth it, and ultimately will have been a Christlike act from one nation to another. I hope and pray that good triumphs!!"

We miss you. We are proud of you. We love you!

Summer is HERE!

WARNING: The following is a timeline of last week's activities. Perhaps it's journal worthy, at least to let my kids know that they didn't just sit and watch TV all summer long, but other than that, I don't know that any other readers would have much interest in it. If you're bored, can't sleep, or just don't want to get off the computer yet, then go ahead and read by all means!
Summer officially kicked off last weekend (and my allergies have finally tapered off), so we've been busy ever since. Some of the things we've enjoyed while trying to beat the heat:

Last Friday: Ward campout and program up Settlement Canyon
Last Saturday-Part I: Family outing to SLC. We visited Wheeler Farm to see the animals, but it was hotter than blazes, so we went up the road to the Lakeshore Learning Store and let the kids make a craft and play with all the great toys while we cooled off. I got to see Lori for just a minute, which was fun.
Last Saturday-Part II: Then we met my mission companion, Ninna, and her family for a good lunch at Rumbi.
Last Saturday-Part III: Back in Tooele later that night, we went up Middle Canyon with the Piacitellis. We roasted hot dogs and ate s'mores--I think Aki stopped eating after his 12th one. It was a lot of fun!

Monday: Symonie's birthday lunch at Thai Siam in SLC--fun to see her and Heidi and Kate. In the afternoon, the kids and I headed to Tooele's favorite joint, Dairy Delight, for an ice cream slush (or "Mr. Misty"—I highly recommend the tigersblood flavor).
Tuesday: visit to the library for some cool-down playtime and check out books/videos. Went to the pool in the afternoon. It was heavenly—can I just say how much my back and stomach love floating in the water with no pressure from baby?
Wednesday: took Makai to see matinee at the air-conditioned theater. I went to book club that night, which was a great time. See here for more on that.
Thursday: made homemade watermelon popsicles with the kids (thanks for the idea, Daisy!). Then Aki came home early from work and we headed to the swimming pool for a couple hours.
Friday: attended the Tooele Arts Festival, where Aki had his first ever--and second--funnel cake! He ran into my cousin Marcus while they were both in line to get huge plates of roasted chicken—imagine that, the two of them looking for food.
Saturday: headed to SLC for a Funaki family baptism and dinner. Good food, good fun. Aki is back at the Arts Festival as I'm typing, trying to score another free funnel cake when the booth shuts down.

P.S. In other news, friend Stormy had her baby on Monday.

For my dad

I talked with my dad for only a couple minutes yesterday (because one of his other many children was calling on the other phone), but I thought about him a lot. At church, after the kids sang "I'm so glad when Daddy comes home," the bishop spoke about the role fathers have in guiding and directing their children for good. How could I not think about my own father, who was constantly herding (and we are a herd) us to righteous things?

From a 2003 talk "Prayer for the children" by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland:

Live the gospel as conspicuously as you can. Keep the covenants your children know you have made. Give priesthood blessings. And bear your testimony! Don’t just assume your children will somehow get the drift of your beliefs on their own. The prophet Nephi said near the end of his life that they had written their record of Christ and preserved their convictions regarding His gospel in order “to persuade our children … that our children may know … [and believe] the right way.”

Nephi-like, might we ask ourselves what our children know? From us? Personally? Do our children know that we love the scriptures? Do they see us reading them and marking them and clinging to them in daily life? Have our children ever unexpectedly opened a closed door and found us on our knees in prayer? Have they heard us not only pray with them but also pray for them out of nothing more than sheer parental love? Do our children know we believe in fasting as something more than an obligatory first-Sunday-of-the-month hardship? Do they know that we have fasted for them and for their future on days about which they knew nothing? Do they know we love being in the temple, not least because it provides a bond to them that neither death nor the legions of hell can break? Do they know we love and sustain local and general leaders, imperfect as they are, for their willingness to accept callings they did not seek in order to preserve a standard of righteousness they did not create? Do those children know that we love God with all our heart and that we long to see the face—and fall at the feet—of His Only Begotten Son? I pray that they know this.

How grateful I am that my own dad can answer 'yes' to all the above questions...this child of his does know what he believes, why he does what he does, and what is important to him. Thanks, Dad, for all the greatness you've passed on to me and my siblings!

Cathing Up II

Last Monday we went to the Utah Blaze game, thanks to tickets from Armando and Daisy. Daisy and I just visited during the game (as if we would actually watch it), and it was so good to catch up with her.
Before the game the kids and I spent the day at Symonie's house, which we always enjoy. Lots of outside playtime, a picnic, books, naps, snacks, and a trip to Costco. What more could cousins ask for?

picture "Ame and Nina coloring" courtesy of Makai

Satchel can't get enough of the neighbor's yard decorations

Catching Up

Last weekend our little family went to Tooele's summer-long Friday night tradition of a concert in the park. We packed a picnic dinner of chicken fingers and dipping sauces, pasta salad, grapes, chips, and Kool-Aid, and headed to the park. While the kids played (though dressed somewhat white-trashy), Aki and I listened to Joshua Creek perform. We really enjoyed it, though the look on Aki's face might indicate otherwise.

my favorite: the double sunglasses and the brown church socks

hello, daisy dukes and boots!

That Sunday, Aki's sisters came to visit and brought a visitor: the husband-to-be of Melinda (in red). We were glad to meet him—Aki is so excited to have a Tongan brother-in-law. No pictures of Tomasi, sorry, you'll just have to wait until I post about the wedding.

And the point of the bath was...

After bathing the kids, Aki proceeded to give them dessert: strawberries dipped in chocolate syrup. (But I guess he gets a thumbs up for giving them fruit, huh?)

Total Eclipse of the Heart

I finally succumbed and read Eclipse, the third book in Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series. (Thanks, Daisy, for lending me your copy!) I did this mostly while I was in Portland (see below post), and what a great setting to read it in! I think most of the Twilight movie was actually filmed in Portland, because it totally brings the story to life. The woods, the clouds, the brilliant sun, and the beach--all very important backgrounds.

I liked the third book better than the second, and of course want to read the fourth and final when it comes out. I can't believe how sucked in I am by the teenage drama of it all. I can't decide whose "team" I'm on, but I think I'm leaning toward Jacob only because he's a warm body who she can have kids with. :) How's that for primal? Besides, I'm in love with my own big, tall, brown-skinned, and warm-bodied guy--how could I not be partial to Jacob? At least mine smells better. :)

I'm not in love with the casting choices for the movie, though. I don't care for either Edward or Jacob, but I think the choice for Bella seems pretty decent. Anyway...

Praise for Portland

I made my first trip to the Northwest at the end of May, courtesy of my friend Stormy and her husband. They were so generous to fly me up there, put me up (and my pregnant appetite) for four days, and take me around to see beautiful Portland and the surrounding area. I'm converted!

I told Aki that the next-summer's-family-vacation pennies we're saving need to go toward a trip north to Boise, then on west to Seattle and Portland. We would love to see our aunties/cousins and other friends who live in these areas.

We had a Sunday BBQ with some of Stormy's family after church--Ryan grilled steak and salmon and Stormy made some killer twice-baked potatoes and chocolate cream pie. Yum-o.

On Memorial Day, the Staleys took me to a very important place: the Tillamook cheese factory. We ate free samples, browsed the gift store, had a picnic lunch, followed by delicious Tillamook ice cream cones (I got 2 scoops: Peaches-n-cream and Marionberry Pie). We then headed to the coast for an afternoon on the beach, and afterward did a bit of evening shopping at an outlet mall.

I think the guy to the far left wasn't too pleased with the pregnant ladies taking one of each sample.
Making Tongan love notes for Aki in the sand.

The next day, Ryan took their daughter Sofía and me on the bus to downtown Portland while Stormy was in the hospital being monitored for hours (she's nearing her due date and there was suspicion of pre-eclampsia during her dr. appt.). We went to the waterfront, visited the humongous Powell's bookstore, got a donut from Voodoo donuts, saw a drug bust, swore I saw Blake Lewis, witnessed all sorts of very interesting people, and had a great dinner at Chipotle.

Sofía enjoying the fountain downtown. She was soaked, but loved the rainbow it put off.

And before I boarded the plane the next day, Stormy and I went to Babies 'R' Us for her to get some last minute things (and for me to register just for the fun of it). We then had a girls lunch at the OG--without husbands or kids. That hasn't happened in a loooooong time.

In the end, when I returned home, I was so glad to see Aki, Makai, and Ame. I thought my heart would burst when I saw the two little ones running toward me with screams of "Mama!" and huge smiles on their faces. I was gone too long--it's hard to take an "all-by-myself" vacation and fully enjoy it when your heart is missing the loves of your life.

Chillin' at the airport, waiting for luggage to arrive

Of course, within 10 minutes, the kids were back to telling me they didn't like me because I wouldn't buy them an ice cream at 10:00 PM. Welcome home.